Today I want to talk to you about a test that might be useful in assessing your knowledge on a specific matter. It is a short test that I learned to take on two important occasions: whenever I am about to face a task that is new to me, at least partially; when I want […]

I often came across not so prepared people who combine lack of competence with a good deal of overconfidence. One day I asked myself: What prompts an incompetent person to adopt an attitude that edges on arrogance? Is there a connection between ignorance and overconfidence? These questions remained unanswered until I learned about the Dunning-Kruger […]

It seems that being, or becoming, a charismatic leader represents a desirable goal. In fact, it is quite common to define “charismatic” as a person who shows particular efficacy in leading people, groups, companies, or even nations. But what does it mean, to be a charismatic leader? Well, my friends, the word charisma turns out […]

In a famous quote Mark Twain states that… … a lie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots. This one finds many echoes in everyday life, from journalism to professional information, to the extreme of calumny. Why does all of this happen? What are the aspects […]

The positional negotiation focused on price follows a dynamic quite similar to the one represented in the cartoon. Under what circumstances does it arise? Two people, seller and buyer, confront each other to exchange a product (physical or not) for money: the value at which the exchange takes place is fixed through subsequent positions taken […]

There is a widespread perception that highly talented people may not work hard to get results; or even not work at all. Is this true? Is it always true? Now let me tell you something that, at least partially, surprised me. In the early 1990s, psychologist K. Andeers Ericsson and two colleagues completed a research […]

Let’s go through an exercise. Take a sheet of paper and a pencil. Now write your definition of the concept of competence: What is it? How would you explain it to someone who has no idea of what it might be? Can you describe it as easily as you talk about it? Try it for […]

Situations like the one in the cartoon are quite common, especially in organizations where the culture of blame has deep roots. Situations that make us ask a few questions: Why are we so afraid of error? Can make mistakes, in certain circumstances, have advantages? How can we transform error into a learning opportunity? In this […]

No, if you are a woman you can’t be a leader! You don’t believe that? This article will change your mind. Researchers at the Technische Universitaet in Munich conducted a study (started in January 2011 and concluded in 2014) entitled “Selection and Assessment of Leaders in Business and Academia“, aimed at examining how leaders in […]

In 1980, musician Abbie Conant was at the beginning of her career, playing the trombone at the Teatro Regio in Turin. At that time she decided to apply to other orchestras, 11 to be precise, all over Europe; she received only one response, from the Munich Philharmonic. “Dear Mr Abbie Conant”, began the letter. In […]