If you think little things don’t matter in the workplace, you’d be wrong. Your colleagues, your direct reports, and your boss all notice the little actions. They form a perception of you based on those little actions. Respect has to be earned but there are little actions that you do regularly that can erode what you’ve worked so hard to build up.

Our best ideas mean nothing when people don’t listen. We’ve all experienced this. We’re excitedly trying to communicate an important point, yet people don’t listen or talk right over you. That’s because of the way we speak… without charisma and without emotion. People don’t want to hear facts. People want to feel emotions. So learn from The Rock, and watch how he transformed the way he speaks to become one of the most charismatic and most liked celebrity.

Your ability to communicate is one of the few keys in life that is directly correlated to how great and colourful your life can be. In the corporate world, if you can’t communicate, career progression suffers regardless of how smart you are or how many great ideas you have. Yet there is a simple 3 step sequence to communication that all successful people use to get their ideas across and get what they want. Use these 3 steps now to get what you ask for.

Confucius says that self reflection is the highest form of obtaining wisdom. But self reflection is easy to say yet difficult to do. Where do you start, what do you ask. If achieving a great life is your ultimate destination, then you have to know where to start. Here, we provide some key questions that give you the insights to help you kick off your journey to a great life.

Dr Seuss said: Think left, think right, and think high, and think low…. oh imagine if you just give it a go. Often, the only thing stopping us is the false limitations we believe exist. But there are three mental attitudes you can foster today that will build your resilience and help you get away from those false limitations.

If you want to be successful then you have to face the truth and throw out a key excuse you keep telling yourself “there’s no time”. You have to make time. There’s only 24 hours in a day but you’re free to allocate those hours as you see fit. But one simple action can help you make time. Get your lazy butt out of bed and wake up at 5AM. I promise you, you’ll find it makes you focussed and more energetic throughout the day.

I screwed up royally in my new role because I let the desire to fit in, to not rock the boat, override the need to do the right thing and follow my gut instinct. Now I’m the one paying the price. Always raise your concerns, always put your views forward. You might still not get your way but you’ll be glad you did when the shit hits the fan.

If you don’t know with clarity what you want, what chance do you have of getting there? How will you know you’ve gotten there? Most of us have just some high level statements of who we want to become. But have you ever sat down and wrote down exactly the kind of person you want to be? If you just spend 60 minutes writing it down, you’ll find that you have greater clarity, and a greater level of commitment to make it happen. Do it now before you waste any more tomorrows.

Words aren’t cheap. If you say the wrong words, they can end up costing you dearly. Especially in the office environment where politics will almost always screw with the interpretation of your intended message. So give yourself the best chance and stop saying these nine phrases immediately.

Self confidence isn’t not caring about what other people think. Self confidence is caring about what YOU think. Repeat that phrase over and over again. Value your own thoughts, value your own opinions, value your own ideas. If you don’t value them yourself, why should anybody else value them? Until you care about your own opinions, nothing else you do will improve your self confidence.

The man who stole an elderly lady's money came charging out the door. Standing by the door, there were a hundred things I could've done to stop him or at least delay him. But I did absolutely nothing. For that I am ashamed. But from that, I also realised there is so much I don't know. I need to take action to break my introvert limitations, but I also need to take action to improve my life skills. Self improvement needs to be balanced and we come out successful and well rounded human beings.

I discovered this action by accident but its positive effects are universal. It generates a positive reaction from the person you're talking to and I've tested it across different languages and countries. The action is simple. Speak a little louder and speak a little deeper. That's all you have to do. When you combine this action with smiling and maintaining eye contact, you will find that you can turn a grouchy interaction into a positive one.

There are 3 actions we can all take today to be more socially attractive. They're so simple and yet so effective. All they require is just a little focus and attention to make sure you do them. Are you ready? Action 1: Eliminate your T-Rex arms; Action 2: The fun is where you are, and Action 3: Smile. Smile before you even open your mouth. Simple right. 

Here it is Everyone! Our very first podcast has been uploaded and is ready for you to listen and learn from. For our first podcast, we interviewed Stuart Cameron, who is the Chief Risk Officer for Enterprise & Financial Risk. Stuart is one of the most respected and admired leaders in Suncorp. He is a self-recognized strong introvert and here he shares all the lessons his learnt to help him break out of his limitations. We hope you enjoy the podcast as much as we enjoyed the interview.

Yes I did. And while the agonizing thoughts and reflections are deeply personal, I wanted to share them with you so that if you are in the same scenario, these thoughts and reflections may be of help. I quit because accepting the status quo, as comfortable as it was, would be me settling for part of what I could be and giving up on what I want to be. For me, self development and achievement would always trump dollars and comfort. 

We have all felt that resistance when we want to open our mouth to say something but come up against that invisible mental barrier that forces our mouth shut. But there is an action you can take to help you break through that barrier and once broken through that next barrier is significantly smaller. So do this action from a CFO. Say something at the outset of the meeting and you'll find that barrier significantly reduced for when it really counts for you to put your best foot forward.

Introverts have a false belief that we shouldn't be clear and up front with our intentions. But this is a false belief that's caused a lot of rework, miscommunication, and wasted time. But imagine how much smoother your life would be if you got rid of this belief. So take this small action. Be up front and state your intent with every interaction. You'll find your life will be more colorful and at least, everyone will be on the same page.