Salespeople spend enormous energy perfecting their pitch decks, rehearsing product features, and crafting ROI calculations. But before you even open your slides, the buyer’s brain has already started making decisions about whether to trust you. Trust is not built at the end of the sales process. It is built in the first few moments of […]
The world’s top athletes have coaches. The most successful CEOs have coaches. Nobel Prize winners often credit their mentors and guides. Yet there persists a curious misconception in our achievement-oriented culture: that needing a coach somehow signals weakness or inadequacy. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As both a physician and executive coach with […]
In Part 2, we dig deeper into how the U.S. Naval Academy develops ethical, resilient leaders—and how those same lessons apply to coaching. Jim breaks down the Academy’s leadership lab, the sophomore ethics course, and the “2 for 7” contract that defines a midshipman’s commitment. We also talk about his new book, Crucibles—what inspired it, […]
This special Best of September edition of Beyond Coaching brings together some of the most eye-opening and practical conversations we’ve had this month. From the sidelines of youth sports to the leadership labs of the Naval Academy, each guest shared powerful stories and truths that speak directly to the challenges coaches and leaders face every […]
Salespeople spend enormous energy perfecting their pitch decks, rehearsing product features, and crafting ROI calculations. But before you even open your slides, the buyer’s brain has already started making decisions about whether to trust you. Trust is not built at the end of the sales process. It is built in the first few moments of […]
For many sales professionals, objections feel like roadblocks. A prospect pushes back on price, questions the value, or hesitates to make a decision, and suddenly the conversation feels like a battle. Too often, sellers either avoid objections altogether or rush to defend themselves, hoping to push through the resistance. But neuroscience tells us a different […]
When leaders talk about culture, they often describe it as something lofty, intangible, or even aspirational. It becomes a set of words on a wall or a paragraph in an employee handbook. But in reality, culture is not built in the big moments alone. It is built conversation by conversation, in the small interactions that […]
I was inspired by Monte A. Melnick, the Ramones tour manager, and his upcoming book tour. His experience got me thinking about what we can learn from the Ramones and how we might apply it to leadership in 2025. Here’s what stood out to me: The band members were an interesting mix of personalities. They […]
Nick Saban, Adaptability, and the Leadership Curve A little under two years ago, Nick Saban retired. Arguably the greatest college football coach of all time, his ability to sustain success and adapt over decades is hard to match. Since his retirement, I’ve read a few books about him, including The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban: […]
Sales has never been easy, but the landscape in 2026 presents unique frustrations. Buyers are more informed than ever, technology continues to disrupt traditional approaches, and sales professionals find themselves caught between efficiency demands and the need for authentic human connection. Many leaders report that their teams are fatigued, frustrated, and struggling to differentiate in […]
