There's plenty of upside to being a contrarian, until there isn't. Sometimes, it's worth considering that the popular opinion - the consensus view - may very well be the right view. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out my blog, www.omerisms.com, for more such content.…

We often see success as a destination. It's not because destinations suggest we can stop when we get there. True success isn't a destination, it's a journey - and that means addressing complacency, as I discuss in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out my blog, www.ome…

We tend to think effort and graft are the most critical ingredients to doing our work well. They're not. The fact is that there's one, far more important and foundational requirement for success, as I discuss in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out my blog, www.omeri…

From a young age, we're stuck on this idea that we have to get everything right, right from the start. Because you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Truth is, in so many aspects of our lives, especially our careers, that's just patently false. As I discuss in today's episode, you can indeed have second acts. If you enjoyed this …

It's that time when we start planning our resolutions for the New Year. At the same time, there's also a sense of concern inherent in some of us - the sense that we're not really going to keep at it, given our past behaviors, so what's the point? As I discuss in today's episode, we should do it anyway, because our false starts in the past provide t…

Those words from Bruce Springsteen's The River got me thinking about this idea of singular dreams and how they define who we are and what we do. I dive into what this potentially means and what it, perhaps, should mean for us, in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out …

Sometimes, telling others - and ourselves - that we've arrived isn't a good thing. In fact, as I discuss in today's episode, it can lead to a complacency that can derail everything that we've achieved so far. So that messaging, to others and to ourselves, is important. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addi…

Social media provides us with a very specific idea of what "the" life is. There's no shortage of influencers who showcase how glamorous their everyday life is. But before we get caught up, it's worth understanding that what we see is what we're shown, as I discuss in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a …

Today's episode looks at Keanu Reeves answer to that question from Stephen Colbert a few years ago. The answer, to me, was thoughtful and insightful, and could be interpreted in multiple different ways. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out my blog, www.omerisms.com, for more such con…

It's tempting, when we've achieved some measure of success, to believe that we've arrived. The Greek philosopher, Epictetus, counseled against this idea of "arrival" and believing we are important, as I discuss in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out my blog, www.ome…

Structure, rules and constructs can be useful mechanisms and when we're growing up, they're usually unavoidable. At the same time, they can be both good and bad and, as we grow older, it's worth questioning many of them. Both in terms of what they mean for us but also, as importantly, what they mean for others we live and work with. If you enjoyed …

Getting older is something all of us have to deal with. And, especially in today's hyper-competitive, social media driven environment, it comes with its own challenges. But, as I discuss in today's episode, the reality isn't quiet so black and white, which is heartening, because life is full of nuances. As are each of us. If you enjoyed this podcas…

Smartphones are everywhere and the natural temptation is to use it to record all of our important experiences for posterity. However, as I discuss in today's episode, there's something to be said to, perhaps, put them away and to simply be in the moment. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please ch…

A common mistake of someone new to the sales process (whether you're selling a product to a prospect or an idea to your boss) is that the more detail you provide, the higher the chances of success. Reality works quite differently, as I explain in today's episode. The fact is that the onus is on us to get our message across, which means we need to d…

In today's episode, I tackle my own personal prejudice with the drum machine, specifically via a song from the artist, The Weeknd. It's a reminder that how we assess value isn't always objective but perhaps colored by years of conditioning, that often turns out to be wrong. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In…

Bill Gates said that he once believed that, if someone had a high IQ, they could be good at everything. He doesn't anymore, and that's a key idea to come to terms with if you want to build a great enterprise. Because great teams and achievements are, as I discuss in today's episode, built on the back of diverse capabilities and people. If you enjoy…

When we listen to songs, they come fully formed - perfect entities in and of themselves. But the fact is that the really great ones can evolve and change over time, because they're driven by something deeper, more meaningful. That, as I discuss in today's episode, is not that different from us and our lives. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it…

Creating something new is a challenging task - so much so that many of us don't actually take the step to create whatever is that's in our head. The reason, as I discuss in today's episode, is that we get caught up in two specific issues that stop us from taking those essential steps forward. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could le…

Whenever I go to Karachi, I'm amazed by how the city functions and how people go about their daily lives, especially when so much we take for granted in the west, just doesn't exist in the same way over there. But, as I discuss in today's episode, people get on with things. They live their lives. Because it isn't just about what's around us and the…

Brands today are quite different from the brands I grew up with. Many of them are quite explicit about what the stand for and believe in, even if that narrows their target market. These brands, I'd argue, achieve far greater loyalty and commitment than those that don't. Because, as I discuss in today's episode, consumers are sick of fitting in. And…

Our past has a tremendous bearing on where we are today. That's a fact. But if we are to have ambition, if we're to move forward, we need to let it go. And that begins, as I discuss in today's episode, with us. We need to adjust our mindset to be one of self-control and empowerment. It's begins with us. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if y…

Trust is something we all intuitively believe in. We understand that it forms the foundations of each and every relationship we have, in every sphere of life. We're, therefore, very careful about doling out our trust. It's worth realizing though that trust is a two way street - and that it's as much our responsibility to foster it, as it is the oth…

Our lives and ideas and perceptions are made up of all of our collective experiences, pieced together in different ways, sometimes elegantly, often not. As such, how we view ourselves is, in many ways, an aggregation of these stories. It's important, then, that we focus on and interpret these stories carefully, as I discuss in today's episode. If y…

Taking on challenges can be daunting. We worry about the commitment and we worry about all of the potential outcomes. In doing so, we can be tepid in our approach. But, as I discuss in today's episode, the only way forward is as simple as it can be challenging to execute: we need to forget to be afraid. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if y…

It took me a while to understand that the idea of "learning" was not a one and done concept but an enduring, long lasting one. There are a number of reasons for this as I discuss in today's episode and my key message or takeaway is that, while we've made progress over the years, the path is continuous - so long as we shift how we think about it. If…

Brad Pitt's film, Ad Astra, brought to mind an interesting point about the commitment and sacrifices we make in pursuit of our goals. In such situations, we will give of ourselves fully, which is good. But, as I discuss in today's episode, when we don't get what we originally set out for, we can still take away valuable lessons. If you enjoyed this…

We tend to think of successful people as alternate beings - people who come to their work with a mindset that is always on, always without doubt. In other words, not like the rest of us mortals. The truth, in my view, is different. Successsful people are more like the rest of us than we think. There's just one intentional difference, as I discuss o…

In today's episode, I speak to the fact that respect isn't something that is bestowed, it's earned. It isn't something we can expect as a matter of course. It's something that has to be worked towards and in the show, I discuss a range of ideas as to how to do exactly that. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In…

In today's episode, I talk about how we make so many key decisions in our lives, not based on what we want, but on what others will think about them. From the professional to the personal, we put credence where it doesn't belong, as compensating mechanisms, when really, at the end of the day, it's all down to us. We are responsible - no matter what…

Experience is a great educator. Over time, it teaches us and provides us with a reasoned view of life and all that makes us who we are. However, as I discuss in today's episode, this isn't an automatic process. It's one that requires a strong sense of perspective, as well as the right mindset. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could l…

Labels are an everyday part of our language - to such an extent that we use them, often, without serious thought. As I discuss in today's episode, because the labels we grow up with are often fraught with misperceptions and frankly, prejudice, such that we'd do well to rethink them. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a r…

Tough times call for tough measures. But those tough measures can also be fraught with risk - both real and perceived. Biggest of all is the perception that we'll be overreacting. But, as I discuss in today's podcast, that shouldn't worry us. The end goal and those we serve, matter far more. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could lea…

Confidence and volume are two separate ideas, but often, when it comes to our communications, we tend to conflate the two. There is a material difference and, as I discuss in today's episode, it's important we work to understand that distinction. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out …

How we spend our time on a day to day basis is materially influenced by the extent to which we're responding to signals or to noise. In today's episode, I speak to the need to think about which cues we pick up and what we react to - the signals versus the noise. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, p…

When we're trying to sell an idea or a product, we want to say all the right things to the prospect, so that we can close the deal quickly. In doing so, we can at times, sugar coat the message, or gloss over key issues that need to be grappled with upfront. All the more reason, as I discuss in today's episode, that we always be upfront - even if th…

Expectations management is everything in business. We understand and buy that when it comes to big picture issues - such as a client delverable. But, as I discuss in today's podcast, it matters just as much in our more common day to day activities. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check ou…

We love being the hero in our stories. But Donald Miller talks about there being only 4 key roles you can take on in your business story. And being the hero isn't one of them. You need to be the guide, as I discuss in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out my blog, www…

In today's episode, I talk about the idea of partnerships. The word "partnership" is easy to throw around when the stakes are low. But when the going gets tough, we really find out who is (and isn't) a true partner. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out my blog, www.omerisms.com, for …

Trevor Noah once referred to our culture as our operating system, one that we're rarely even aware of. That's an apt explanation of the role and value of culture. It's something that can make us - but just as equally, it can break us. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addition, please check out my blog, www…

Culture matters. They define whether an organization will be successful or not. But, as I discuss this in episode of the podcast, cultures aren't created overnight - they take intention, strategy and work to build. I share several strategies to help build great cultures. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In ad…

Stability is a pipe dream. We long for it and yearn for things to be normal, for things not to change. The reality is that life doesn't quite work that way. The fact of the matter is, as I discuss in today's episode, that we're always in transition. Accept that idea and we're liberated. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me…

I've found that when I focus on the idea of the work I'm doing - as opposed to the work itself - I don't quite deliver as well as I could. I get too caught up in the external, on the trappings than on the content. The key, as I discuss in today's episode, is to let that go and focus instead on the content itself. That's what matters. If you enjoyed…

There's an allure to the grand strategy, the flourish and ambition behind the work we do. We love the exciting, glamorous and sexy parts, because that gets noticed. And while those aspects of our work are indeed important, of far more importance is the more detailed, granular executional work, as I discuss in today's episode. If you enjoyed this po…

The idea of balance - and its importance - is discussed by all and sundry as being key to a healthy life. And it is - in the long term. But in the short term? Balance doesn't move you forward, and it doesn't help you achieve greatness, as I discuss in today's podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In addit…

Judging someone's character is a difficult thing to do. A one-off incident or action shouldn't be taken out of context (with a few exceptions) and presumed to represent the entirety of who someone is. But patterns are different. If the behavior is repeated, if it's recurring, it tells you something. Patterns matter. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd…

The success of whatever we do depends, without question, on our people. It's a cliche but it's true. So it's important when formulating our teams, to make sure we have the the right "ingredients" in place - not only technically but philosophically. The wrong ingredients will ruin the entire dish, which is the topic of today's episode. If you enjoye…

We throw around the word "partnership" pretty loosely. And often, when we do, we're sincere about it. But it's easy to talk about partnerships when there's nothing at stake. You really find out whether you have a real partnership (or not) when problems arise. And in those moments, there's one trait that matters above all else, as I discuss in today…

One of the biggest issues with high performance in any team is when folks aren't aligned. This division is a problem not only professionally but at a personal level as well. Resolving any division within a team needs to be priority number one, as I discuss in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. …

When it comes to strategy and growth in an organization, of any size, the ability to create compelling, well thought-out plan is not the issue. Those are easy enough to pull together. No, the key is always people. Who's involved, how committed are they and how we bring them along. How we do this is the focus of today's episode. If you enjoyed this …

It's always struck me as odd that anyone would choose - over the long term - to do work that meant little or nothing to them. I get that can be the case in the short term, but in the long term, what we do for a living matters, as I discuss in today's episode. Make it count. If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd love it if you could leave me a review. In…