Media training essentials for CEOs and executive leaders

Bill Gallagher February 19, 2020

• Most CEOs who wing media appearances pay a reputational price.
• Body language contradicting your words destroys credibility instantly.
• Always assume you are on stage — every interaction can be recorded.

Building trust and connection to power high-performing teams

Bill Gallagher December 4, 2019

• Why most senior leadership teams are functional groups, not real teams
• One leader's cancer story shifted an entire team's operating culture overnight
• Scaling trust is the prerequisite for scaling your company

How founders can become effective spokespeople for their companies

Bill Gallagher November 20, 2019

• Visibility tied to mission beats ego-driven performance every time.
• A story inventory, rehearsed cold, lets you perform without thinking.
• Reluctance to be seen often traces to one formative moment of backlash.

Why the messenger often matters more than the message

Bill Gallagher November 6, 2019

• Your idea gets ignored; someone else says it and wins.
• Eight traits decide who society actually listens to.
• How you're introduced raises close rates by 20%.

How to build a durable co-founder relationship using conflict frameworks

Y Combinator August 22, 2019

• Everyone fights — what predicts failure is how, not whether, you fight.
• Build your conflict process while emotionally sober, before you need it.
• Small unaddressed issues compound into emotional debt — clear it daily.

How to change someone's mind using a four-step formula

StoryBrand With Donald Miller August 5, 2019

• Saying "you are right" is almost magical for opening minds
• People ask subconsciously: does your position affirm my identity?
• Affirm the person after disagreeing — it signals respect, not weakness

Assertiveness vs aggression: how to state what you want without anger

StoryBrand With Donald Miller July 25, 2019

• Passive avoidance builds into anger — not the same as assertiveness
• Assertive means stating facts without emotion, judgment, or pressure
• Repeat what you want calmly; stop talking if emotion takes over

Managing energy, not time, to get more done

StoryBrand With Donald Miller July 19, 2019

• Productivity is an energy problem, not a time problem.
• Wasting energy on things you can't change kills output.
• Define goals, then ruthlessly protect your energy for them.

Never badmouth a customer: the one rule for better service

StoryBrand With Donald Miller July 5, 2019

• One bad customer poisons your team's view of everyone
• Replace judgment with 'I'm challenged' to stay solution-focused
• Customers can sense when a business isn't genuinely for them

How to Recover From Big Mistakes at Work

StoryBrand With Donald Miller June 18, 2019

• Mistakes are inevitable — recovery speed and boldness define you.
• Overdoing the apology signals respect louder than the slight did.
• Silence earns a blacklist; pursuit earns forgiveness every time.

Not gossiping is the single most underrated trust-building habit

StoryBrand With Donald Miller June 5, 2019

• Gossip doesn't make enemies — it quietly kills your career advancement.
• Leaders distance themselves from gossips without ever saying why.
• Three employees who tripled their salary shared one trait: no gossip.

How to Sell an Idea to Your Team

StoryBrand With Donald Miller May 17, 2019

How to be a great team player: help others win

StoryBrand With Donald Miller May 13, 2019

• Shift from 'what do I need?' to 'how can my teammate win?'
• One small act of help per week builds a standout reputation.
• Two steps: define the win, then contribute time or expertise.

How de-escalating drama earns lasting respect at work

StoryBrand With Donald Miller April 25, 2019

• Respect comes from competence and trust, not likability.
• Escalating drama wins short-term but costs you long-term.
• Ask: what is the least dramatic solution to this problem?

The most important job of a leader: repeat the vision

StoryBrand With Donald Miller April 16, 2019

• Repeating the vision is a leader's single most important job
• People follow clear leaders more than kind ones
• A vision must open every meeting until everyone has it memorised