Travis Bradberry

“Get to know the job intimately that you're applying for. Don't just read the job description - study it and picture yourself performing every task required of you. When you interview, framing your responses so that you reveal your significant knowledge about the job gives you a massive advantage.”

“Toxic people defy logic. Some are blissfully unaware of the negative impact that they have on those around them, and others seem to derive satisfaction from creating chaos and pushing other people's buttons.”

“Verbal slip-ups often occur because we say things without knowledge of the subtle implications they carry. Understanding these implications requires social awareness - the ability to pick up on the emotions and experiences of other people.”

“Grit is that 'extra something' that separates the most successful people from the rest. It's the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.”

“As important as it is to learn how to deal with different kinds of people, truly toxic people will never be worth your time and energy - and they take a lot of each. Toxic people create unnecessary complexity, strife, and, worst of all, stress.”

“You can be a leader in your workplace, your neighborhood, or your family, all without having a title.”

“Regardless of the magnitude of the decision, our brains make it hard for us to keep the perspective we need to make good choices.”

“The beauty of social awareness is that a few simple adjustments to what you say can vastly improve your relationships with other people.”

“Most people believe that their listening skills are where they need to be, even though they aren't. A study at Wright State University surveyed more than 8,000 people from different verticals, and almost all rated themselves as listening as well as or better than their co-workers. We know intuitively that many of them are wrong.”

“Companies need to have rules - that's a given - but they don't have to be shortsighted and lazy attempts at creating order.”

“Influential people aren't buffeted by the latest trend or by public opinion. They form their opinions carefully, based on the facts. They're more than willing to change their mind when the facts support it, but they aren't influenced by what other people think - only by what they know.”

“Mistakes and pressure are inevitable; the secret to getting past them is to stay calm.”

“Leadership is a mindset in action. So don't wait for the title. Leadership isn't something that anyone can give you - you have to earn it and claim it for yourself.”

“Liars hate silence, so they often try to fill it up by talking more than they need to. They provide far more information than was needed or asked for.”

“Nobody's perfect. Even the most successful people make serious mistakes.”

“Every leader has the responsibility to hone his or her integrity. Many times, there are integrity traps that have a tendency to catch well-meaning leaders off guard.”

“Being a leader requires being confident enough in your own decisions and those of your team to own them when they fail. The very best leaders take the blame but share the credit.”

“Emotional self-control is the result of hard work, not an inherent skill.”

“Managers tend to blame their turnover problems on everything under the sun, while ignoring the crux of the matter: people don't leave jobs; they leave managers.”

“When it comes to getting promoted, you want to present yourself in a way that feeds into the biases that bosses have about what makes someone promotable. You're already doing the hard work, so why not frame your effort in such a way that it increases your chances of obtaining the position you want?”