blog - Ray Williams

Why There is no Formula for Success

Want to be successful in your career and life? Just follow the example of the superstars of business, celebrities, professional athletes and entertainers. Emulate the habits of Tiger Woods (before his personal crisis), Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Lance Armstrong or Sir Richard Branson. Or at the organizational level, just follow the examples of Apple, GE or Google. Thousands of books, movies, seminars, consultants and self-help gurus, exhort people to follow the same steps, habits and secrets of the super successful, and they too will achieve outstanding results.

The problem with this advice is it doesn’t work. When people try to do as suggested, they tend to fail, and become even more demotivated. I’ve coached hundreds of people who came to me with great disappointment or despair, after following the dictums of a recipe for success taken from the lives of the super successful. In some cases they have spent thousands of dollars on seminars, books, personal advisors and media sources.

Does Wealth Lead to Happiness?

By Ray Williams November 25, 2020 “The joys of loves and triumphs and the sorrows of losses and humiliations fade with time.” — Sonja Lyubomirsky Did you know what over 45,000,000 people search for happiness on GOOGLE monthly? And that’s just on the main search...

Do Good Looks (Beauty) Give You an Advantage?

By Ray Williams November 11, 2020 Does one’s physical attractiveness have a positive or negative impact on life? Does it give you an advantage when it comes to finding a mate, getting good grades in school, getting a job or being more successful in life? Is...

Building Resilience for Individuals and Organizations During a Crisis

By Ray Williams April 30, 2020 Carol Kaufman, a psychologist and leadership coach at Harvard Medical School says “We are now living and leading in an invisible firestorm that surrounds us. Some of us have been socially distanced or isolated and are fairly...

The Growing Importance of “Soft Skills” in the Workplace

By Ray Williams March 14, 2020 If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of knowing what matters most in our lives, personally and professionally. For many business leaders, it is not so much about what we can achieve, but rather how...

How Apologies are the Glue That Holds Us Together

We all want an apology when someone does us wrong. Are the apologies effective? From the person giving the apology, it may be assumed so. From the perspective of the person receiving, it, maybe not. But showing changed behavior may be more convincing.... read more

Why We Don’t Keep Our New Year’s Resolutions: And What to do About it.

The start of the New Year is often the perfect time to turn a new page in your life, which is why so many people make New Year’s resolutions. But why do so many people have a hard time keeping their resolutions?

Is Mind Wandering a Good or Bad Thing?

Is mind wandering a good thing or bad thing? Is it the same as being on “autopilot,” without being conscious of what you are doing? There seems to be several differing perspectives on these questions.

How Neuroscience Can Help Us Make Better Decisions

We make dozens of decisions every day, some simple, some more complex. Some internet sources estimate that an adult makes about 35,000 conscious decisions each day.We make 226.7 decisions each day on just food alone according to researchers at Cornell... read more

Should You “Trust Your Gut” to Make Decisions?

Is it rational to trust your gut feelings? Does it matter if you face a decision that is personal versus a decision you have at work? Does the amount and reliability of information prompt you to make a decision solely on logic and rationality, or does gut feeling... read more

Why Nelson Mandela Was A Great Leader

Nelson Mandela, or “Madiba” as he was affectionately known, has died. Not only have we lost a great man and a great leader for his country, but also a shining example of the kind of leadership we so desperately need today. He has left a huge inspirational vacuum.

Why Christmas is So Difficult for Some People

We are told that Christmas, for Christians, should be the happiest time of year, an opportunity to be joyful and grateful with family, friends and colleagues. Yet, many people are unhappy at Christmas and according to the National Institute of Health,... read more

Why Emotional Intelligence is Critical for Great Leadership

There is clear evidence now that shows the strong connection between effective and successful leaders and their possession of high levels of emotional intelligence. Leadership is a process of social interaction where the leader’s ability to influence the... read more

Why we “choke” under pressure and what to do about it?

“Choking is suboptimal performance, not just poor performance. It’s a performance that is inferior to what you can do and have done in the past and occurs when you feel pressure to get everything right,” argues Beilock.

Are You Addicted to Busyness? The Damage to Productivity and Well Being

Talk to almost anyone today, and they complain about having “no time,” about being too busy. And we now equate that busyness to productivity and a characteristic of a successful life. The truth of the matter is that busyness does not result in greater productivity and that busyness is contributing to a culture of continuous anxiety and stress.

Do You Have a Social Media Addiction? The Benefits of Unplugging

This article is a 10 minute read. It’s been there for a while, gnawing at the back of your mind: the creeping suspicion that technological devices have reached the point of diminishing returns when it comes to productivity. Oh sure, being able to edit documents on a... read more

What do We Know About Happiness?

This extended and thorough article is a 20 minute read. Did you know what over 45,000,000 people search for happiness on GOOGLE monthly? And that’s just on the main search engine. As amazing as the number is, something struck. This number could... read more

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