Seven Tips for Your Next Sales Pitch from the Joker
The Joker is an iconic villain of comics, television and movies. Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 movie The Dark Knight was awesome. My favourite scene in the movie is the one where the Joker pitches his plan – kill the...
Five Simple Ways to Build Everyday Vitality
Everyday vitality means cultivating “the feeling of aliveness and energy that lies at the core of well-being.” According to Samantha Boardman, psychiatrist and author of Everyday Vitality, investing in energy inoculates us against disruption, unpredictable hassles,...
Three Tips for Creating Thriving Communities
Happy communities are more inclusive, productive and sustainable. Logically, great leaders should put happiness and well-being at the centre of any strategy for building positive communities at work, at school, and in their neighbourhood. Here are three tips for...
What’s in my Happy Pills
“Wow, John, where can I get some of what you’re taking?” Michael, a colleague of mine, recently said. I’ve heard this before. Over the years, many friends and colleagues have asked what’s in my happy pills. Many natural and learned qualities sustain my happiness –...
How we will Realize Our Potential in 2015
A new year begins tomorrow. It's time for Michael, Kurt and I to engage in a The Potentiality New Year's tradition and make public commitments about how we will realize our potential in 2015. Like the kid in the photo above, we see the year ahead as a field of fresh...
Our Year in Review
The end of a year brings with it performance reviews and sometimes even raises. It also gives us a chance review what we said we would do at the beginning of the year. We should be pretty good at taking stock of personal and collective achievements (and failures), as...
Career Advice from Your Favourite Holiday Characters
The holiday seasons are upon us and we’re awash in the magic of Christmas, Hanukah, Love Actually, my parents’ Awesome Semi-Pagan beliefs, and, of course, Festivus. As we share stories of holiday joy with friends and family, it’s important to remember that this time...
9 Holiday Gift Ideas from The Potentiality
‘Tis the season of gift giving. With two weeks until Christmas and with Hanukkah just around the corner, you might be reading this article and thinking, “whoa, I still have a few gifts to buy for my loved ones!” Never fear! Kurt, Mike and I are here to help with...
Four Ways to Manage Triggers
It’s happened to all of us. During a heated conversation with a colleague, friend or loved one, they say something that’s not only wrong but completely infuriating. You might even get so pissed off, it’s hard to contain an eruption towards them about how big an idiot...
Six Traits of Trendspotters
Many top companies from just a few years ago no longer exist, while many are on “death watch” according to organizations like Forbes and Havas Media Group. One of the ways that an organization can increase its likelihood of being around a decade from now is to...
Three Tips for Smashing Through Barriers to Change
My life, just like yours, is always changing. I work at an organization that is transforming itself and transforming banking for the greater good. I am raising a child (my first) and he is developing at a fairly alarming rate. When I have spare time I am reading This...
How to Maximize the Art of Reflection
Yesterday was Remembrance Day in Canada. It’s specifically designed for people to reflect on conflict, specifically the First World War, and make meaning of the events of 1914-1918 in the context of our lives today. While somber, I love Remembrance Day because, at its...
Four Tips for Getting Out of a Funk
It’s that time again. Dark, wet and increasingly cold, November can be a time when many of us are feeling what has come to be called seasonal affectiveness disorder (SAD). For many people this means you may feel like you’re in an emotional funk. Funks suck. They drain...