It seems that even in Europe we are starting to challenge the conviction that the success of companies depends on a few people, the so-called talents. The thinking has started with American companies, many of which are asking themselves: Does it make sense to entrust the competitiveness of the company to just part of the […]

Would you feel more confident if your investments were managed by a man or a woman? The money manager is a job that has traditionally seen men at the forefront, but it seems that women are more successful: they achieve better performance over time and take lower risks. That’s what comes out from Lou Ann […]

Do you use to justify your delay, even though no one asked you to? And what justification you use to placate the irritation of people who are waiting for you? Here are some, among the most popular ones: Traffic like never before! The alarm clock didn’t go off… My son didn’t want to get up! […]

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 […]