2 Minute Takeaway Podcast

Smart leaders understand you need to be working on the right thing and not just the next thing that crosses your desk. There are only so many hours in a day and it can be easy to be seduced by random tasks.  What if you started to think about your focus as a valuable resource and looked to invest it in the best way possible? Learn how to control the clock and multiply your performance in this week...

The problem with waiting until you're ready is that you may let perfectionism keep you from doing anything. There are moments in business when you need to act, even if you don't feel 100% comfortable. Not doing anything may feel safe, but it may also hold you and your business back. Let's unleash your potential with some advice on why you need to take action.  Act now in this week's episode of The...

Even the best leaders may struggle with how to lead through uncertainty without faking confidence. It's understandable that when faced with an unexpected challenge, you may not know what to do.  But you need to remember your employees are watching you in these moments and hiding in your office is not a solution. Let's make sure you face your next big challenge with confidence in this week's episod...

Busy leaders often discover they are afraid to take a five minute break. It can be very easy to rush from one situation to the next and never stop.  The problem is that, over time, you're going to start to burn out. What if you could be smarter with how you manage your work-life balance and make sure you're at full strength, rather than exhausted? Find out how you can give yourself a productivity...

If you feel pressed for time at work, then you might want to think about what you would do with 15 minutes of extra time. While it may not seem like a lot of time, if you invest it well, then you could see a great return.  While you may not know when you may get these 15 minutes, often they come from things like canceled meetings, you should think about how you'd spend that time. Let's open the do...

Your out of office message could be missing something very important. Whether it's through the phone or email, people want to receive a key piece of information.  If you don't provide it, then you could open the door to frustration and even lost business. Make sure being out of the office doesn't mean being out of luck for your organization. Find out what you must share in this week's episode of T...

Understanding how to stay calm under pressure is a leadership skill that continues to grow in importance. We live in a rapidly changing world and there are going to be times when things go wrong.  In the moment, it's understandable you may react poorly to these challenges. But does that undermine your performance and your workplace culture?  Learn how to keep your cool when things are tough in thi...

The top complaint about meetings is all about people talking way too much. Especially when they really have nothing to add to the conversation.  I uncovered this complaint when I asked my LinkedIn followers to tell me what annoys them most about these gatherings. While you may feel their pain, you don't have to experience it if you follow a few simple tips in this week's episode of The 2 Minute Ta...

Leaders who take the time to think about what could go wrong will often prevent big problems from happening. It's possible your high-performing team has overlooked something important that could impact a project's success.  What if you took some time to consider some of these negative scenarios, no matter how unlikely they may seem. Learn to expect the unexpected in this week's episode of The 2 Mi...

Busy leaders may find themselves saying, "But that's not me!" when employees react to an increase in bad behavior. Whether it's being overly demanding or dismissing concerns, these issues can become performance and retention issues.  Often, bad behavior is the product of understandable stress but should it be allowed to continue? Learn how to quickly identify if you've fallen into this busy leader...

Smart leaders embrace the chance to play the missing employee game. This simple task can help you better prepare your business for unexpected employee absences.  In life, unexpected things can happen that will take valuable staff members out of your organization for weeks. Will this be a time of productivity or panic? Prepare for the unexpected in this week's episode of  The 2 Minute Takeaway Podc...

In a world of increasing workloads and shrinking attention spans, it's important to know how to communicate with email skimmers. These are the people who quickly scan your messages but don't read them in their entirety.  This practice can lead to recipients missing key details, miscommunication, and delayed responses. Let's help you compose messages that will be fully read in this week's episode o...

If technology is not your area of expertise, then you may feel like you've missed the Artificial Intelligence honeymoon. The bad news is that you're likely behind a lot of your competition in this area.  The good news is that, with a focused and strategic approach, you can start to embrace Artificial Intelligence in your business. Find out in this week's episode of  The 2 Minute Takeaway Podcast h...

In this jumbo edition of the podcast, you will learn how to unlock the potential of others. This is important because at some time, you may need the members of your team to raise their game, in order to meet an unexpected challenge.  Join me as we go into a busy airport, where a group of strangers did something that many would say was impossible. It's all part of a section of one of my keynote pre...

Some focused review of your policies and procedures can prevent mistakes at work. These are the problems that cost you valuable time and money.  Why should you do this? Sometimes your great plans have an unexpected flaw. You'll hear a funny example of how this can happen in this week's episode of  The 2 Minute Takeaway Podcast . Learn more about my new book, Get Better! Smart Business Advice From...

As a leader, do you have a delegation problem? It can be very easy to think that you have to perform every task. And you may like doing everything because you know it will all be done right. The downside to this level of control is that you're likely on the road to burnout. And the employees who don't have a chance to help out may become disengaged.  Let's solve your delegation problem in this wee...

It can be a challenge to figure out how to achieve your goals in a busy world. You start with good intentions but become derailed by unexpected realities. It's understandable if frustration sets in and makes you resistant to setting future goals.  What if we could better your odds by improving your goal-setting process? Learn some easy tips that can help you get started in this week's episode of ...

Has finding patience in a busy world become a greater challenge for you? It's easy to expect instant satisfaction from every moment of our personal and professional lives. But the world doesn't always work that way, which can be frustrating. What if our lack of patience was hurting us because we're seeing our time through an unreasonable perspective?  Let's refocus and get rid of some of this time...

Understanding how to unlock your self-improvement should no longer be a mystery. There's nothing magical about getting better at the things you do. It's a process that can be accessed by all. What you need is an understanding that,  know how, may not be enough to help you improve. Instead, you need to embrace a know better, philosophy. Find out how to get started in this week's episode of  The 2 M...

Successful businesses need to understand how to maintain high standards. If you're not careful, over time, they might start to change in a bad way.  Suddenly, years of work are becoming undone. In these moments, leaders need to refocus their teams and make sure excellence is being embraced at all levels.  Let's talk about staying committed to being your best in this week's episode of  The 2 Minute...

Do you ever feel like you need to improve how you prepare for your big moments at work? These are career-defining opportunities and you need to be at your best. There's no reset or do over button.  Recently, I was inspired by this high level of performance while talking a group of specialized photographers. They have three seconds to do their job and it needs to be done right. Find out their keys...

Personalized coaching in 2025 could open the door to new opportunities and career advancement. Getting started can be intimidating and some fear any kind of negative feedback.  Let's break down some of the benefits of personalized coaching. You may also learn to change your relationship with feedback. Get better in this week's episode of  The 2 Minute Takeaway Podcast . Learn more about my new boo...

How are you at making good decisions when you get bad news? Because some people will rush into a solution, as soon as they hear the bad news.  This may not be a case where speed helps you. In fact, it could be limiting your options or putting too much of the decision-making process on your plate.  Let's talk about a smart, bad news system in this week's episode of  The 2 Minute Takeaway Podcast ....

Do you have a fear of costly mistakes at work? For some, it represents their greatest workplace fear. Take a deep breath.  While you don't want to make mistakes on the job, sometimes they are inevitable due to conditions outside your control. In other cases, the problems may be easily fixed if you pump up your review process.  Let's make sure mistakes at work don't cause you to lose too much sleep...

On the job, things will go wrong and it's important to know how to turn a negative into a positive at work. These are the moments when you don't get something, like a promotion or an opportunity to do something new and exciting.  In these moments, it's understandable that you're frustrated but how long should you hold onto these negative feelings? And at some point do they start to hurt your caree...