You can be exceptionally good at what you do and still not be the person people choose. You can have more experience, produce better work, understand the problem more deeply, and offer a stronger solution and still lose the sale. That’s because people don’t necessarily choose the best. They choose what feels best for the life, outcome, or version of themselves they want to become. Being the Best Doesn’t Mean You’ll Be Chosen Being exceptional at your craft and being exceptional at getting...

There are organizations full of hardworking people who are exhausted at the end of every day and still can't clearly explain what actually moved forward. Calendars are full, inboxes are overflowing, meetings run into meetings, projects are constantly in motion—and somehow, the organization remains almost exactly where it was. We've created a culture were looking busy can feel remarkably similar to being productive. If someone worked through lunch, answered emails at 10 p.m., attended six...

There is a dangerous moment in the growth of an organization when leadership becomes far enough removed from the customer experience that they no longer experience the organization the way everyone else does. It rarely happens intentionally. In fact, leadership may care deeply about the customer, have dashboards full of satisfaction data, and genuinely believe the experience is strong. But as organizations grow, layers form. Founders become executives. Executives manage leaders. Leaders...