THE ONE THING

1. How to Motivate Using Kissinger’s Secret Question

Henry Kissinger was known for being an uber-perfectionist politician, especially when it came to writing speeches.

He believed every word in a speech counted and didn’t consider one done until it was revised 20 times.

He also demanded the same level of perfection from his staff and colleagues.

Here’s the story of Ambassador Winston Lord handing Kissinger a report (from Walter Isaacson’s book Kissinger: A Biography):

The lesson from Kissinger is that everyone inherently puts self-inflicted psychological barriers on doing their best work.

This is probably why experienced bodybuilders need training coaches to push them to lift heavier weights.

But most times, those psychological barriers can be broken or at least raised to a higher level.

The takeaway

The next time you want to motivate someone and help them stretch their capabilities, ask them, “Is this the best you can do?”

INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS

2. Why Your Employees Quit and What To Do About It

The Harvard Business Review published an article a few months ago titled “Why Employees Quit,” which summarizes the core reason employees leave their jobs:

Employers are not providing gratifying experiences to their people.

The article highlights three recommendations for leaders to help retain their top employees:

1. People need meaningful work.

2. People need managers and colleagues who value, respect, and trust them.

3. People need opportunities to grow, excel, and advance in their careers.

These insights may not be surprising, but they serve as a valuable reminder of what matters most to your employees.

QUICK UPDATE

3. Change Management for Generative AI (New Course)

I just launched a new course on Udemy called:

Stress-Free Change Management for Generative AI

It’s a short course (around 75-minutes long) that covers a simple 9-step framework for business leaders to overcome resistance and lead gen AI transformation successfully.

The course is designed for busy team leaders and managers who need to implement AI solutions in their organizations. It includes 9 downloadable resources (such an an AI Vision Document, AI Governance Model, and AI Rollout Plan) that you can use for your own team.

Click here to check out the full course details.

FUNNY WORDS

4. Are You Really Leading?

THE 80/20

5. An 80/20 Tip You Can Apply Today

Here’s a low-effort, high-impact tip you can use with your team today:

• What: To get genuine feedback on areas for improvement, avoid asking colleagues directly for critique. Instead, frame your questions around how you can improve.

• Why: Direct questions like “What do you really think about this?” often lead to guarded responses because people may feel uneasy being openly critical.

• Example: Use open-ended, collaborative questions like “How do you think I can make this better?” or “What would you do differently?” to encourage more honest and constructive feedback.