practice greatness

My Interview on Hispanic MPR

by amiel · Sep 11, 2014

Hispanic MPR has posted an interview they did with me about my book, Practice Greatness.

This is my second interview about the book, and I am pleased by how well it went. Although I stumbled a bit early on, after about five minutes, I picked up my stride. We dug into some meaty questions, and I think he interviewer, Elena del Valle, did a really nice job.

To listen online or download the iTunes podcast, go to this web page

And please tell me what you think!

Announcing my first book: Paranoia to Possibility

by amiel · Sep 5, 2013

Many thanks to all the readers who have been encouraging me to write a book. Some of you first made the suggestion in 2000. Well, I’m pleased to announce that the book is complete. The title is Paranoia to Possibility: Escape Small Thinking, Listen Like A Master, And Lead With Your Best. It is now available on Amazon and is picking up positive reviews from early readers. It’s hard to describe what an honor it is to learn that people with full lives are taking the time to read the book–and enjoying it.

I want to share a few quick pieces of “Inside Scoop”:

I chose to self-publish this for a simple reason: speed. Signing on with a publisher would delay the release for at least 12 months after the book was complete. (I finished it at the end of June). So I sacrificed institutional marketing muscle in order to get the book in your hands right away.
As a result, I’m depending on my network to get the word out. In the first hour after I posted a notice to Facebook, a handful of people forwarded the Amazon link to all of their Friends, saying simple things like “Great book from my friend, Amiel.” or “Practical wisdom–check it out.” I’d be grateful if you would send the book’s Amazon link (http://miniurl.com/dBNV) to your network through your favorite social media platform (Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, etc).
Some people who wrote glowingly about the book said they had to overcome an initial dislike for the title, especially the word “Paranoia.” So let me be clear: this word refers not to individuals but to cultures, namely fear-based cultures that produce unhealthy organizational behaviors. 98% of the people who will find value from this book are not by nature paranoid.
I set a low price point ($9.95) because almost nobody makes money selling books, and I’m committed to getting this into as many hands as possible. So feel free to buy a copy for yourself and one for a friend or colleague who might enjoy it.

Stay tuned for more updates, including a book party tour and a new offering of speaking engagements.

Three Stories of Practicing Leadership [November 2011]

by amiel · Nov 26, 2012

In the September issue I made the case that leadership excellence grows through deliberate practice. In this issue I’d like to ground that assessment with several examples.

But first, a quick refresher on the attributes of deliberate practice. You will recall that it (a) is designed specifically to improve performance, (b) can be repeated at high volume, (c) involves continuous feedback from a teacher or coach, (d) requires intense concentration, and (e) may not always be fun.

Let me also make a distinction between practices and habits. (Thank you, Dr. D, for the reminder to do this). Practices are conscious. Habits are not. If you tend to signal to others that you agree with them when inside you don’t–and you’re not aware you’re doing this, at least until much later–I would call this a habit. On the other hand, if you are consciously speaking up when you see things differently, even when this feels uncomfortable, I would call this a practice. All of us go through the day with dozens, if not hundreds, of habits that vary in their impact on our leadership. I often ask leaders to observe those habits in order to develop more freedom to respond. It’s part one of rewiring the brain. Then and only then do I ask them to practice something new. With enough repetition, that new practice becomes–yes, you guessed it–a habit. [Read more…] about Three Stories of Practicing Leadership [November 2011]