Recent content from Harvey Mackay
Mackay: Asking the right type of questions can help get you ahead
The key is to ask open-ended questions and listen closely before asking a follow-up.
Mackay: Approach AI with a mindset of collaboration rather than fear
By understanding its capabilities and limitations, we can harness its power to create a more efficient and innovative world.
Mackay: The key to winning in sports, business and life is practice
As lengendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight said: The will to prepare is more important than the will to succeed.
Mackay: Humor can make even dire situations bearable
A smile is important to keeping optimism and self-confidence.
Mackay: Want a raise? How and when you ask for it matter
Here are some tips on what type of research to do beforehand, how to handle the meeting and when might be a good time for the ask.
Mackay: Change is a constant in today's business world. You need to adapt to win.
With swift development of technology, businesses are reorganizing, which means workers must change as well.
Mackay: Integrity is not just a personal virtue. It's a corporate asset.
Integrity and ethics are essential to building trust, employee morale and business sustainability.
Mackay: Riding the Ninth Wave of sales takes preparation, relationship and intuition
From figuring out new products to building the customer base of a current one, opportunity is more than being at the right place at the right time. It's hard work.
Mackay: Sliced bread may be the best thing, but it took a decade to convince bakers
The inventor of the bread-slicing machine, though, had persistence, which is necessary for success.
Mackay: Know when to compromise, and when to stand your ground
Compromise shouldn't come at the cost of your integrity, but it also is essential to move your business ahead.
Mackay: Moxie is the difference between mediocrity and success.
From children grabbing shovels after a snowstorm to make some money to big boardroom decisions, taking action is the only way to move ahead.
Mackay: Authenticity can be a secret weapon in sales
Being honest, active listening and doing what you say you will do, even showing your personality, will win you more sales.
Mackay: Everyone fails sometime in life; make it a learning experience
You won't reach peak success unless you take risks. And you can't take risks without failing some of the time.
Mackay: Creativity is not just about art — it can boost any activity
Being creative is about problem-solving, innovation and looking at the world through a fresh lens.
Mackay: Creativity is not just about art — it can boost any activity
Being creative is about problem-solving, innovation and looking at the world through a fresh lens.
Mackay: Perfection is unattainable, but we must strive for it to achieve excellence
In sales and in life, we must approach goals with the mindset of continual improvement.
Mackay: Successful people from business leaders to athletes use visualization to improve
A vision without a task is a dream. A task without a vision is drudgery. But the two together are the hope of the world.
Mackay: Bring politeness back as a central tenet of good business
Being polite is just as easy as being rude — and you never have to apologize for it.
Mackay: Concentrate on the little things for big returns
Find out what makes your clients and business associates tick. For Muhammad Ali, it was magic.
Mackay: Resourceful people are scrappy, inventive and never give up
It doesn't take a genius to be resourceful. It does take grit and imagination.
Mackay: Never underestimate the power of positive thought
Negativity will not get you ahead. It will impede progress. But if, with mindfulness, you concentrate on today, you will move forward.
Mackay: Reputation is everything in business — one slip can ruin it
Years of work building a reputation can be ruined with one wrong decision.
Mackay: Stephen King finds joy in his work — and so can you
Harvey Mackay says you need to make connections and be invested in your workplace.
Mackay: Entrepreneurs embracing their 'inner child' leads to innovative results
Study entrepreneurs from W.E. Boeing to Jack Daniels and you'll find people willing to take risks. This month, let's celebrate them.
Mackay: Self-confidence alone won't find you success but is necessary to move past rough patches
You need to assess your strengths and develop them to also maintain your self-confidence.
Mackay: Not all inspiration comes from aha moments
Developing curiosity, creativity and connection can help keep inspiration flowing.
Mackay: Even white lies can erode credibility in business
Customers don't — and shouldn't — stick around long if we make their lives harder.
Mackay: Positive self-talk is key tool to staying ahead
You have to practice techniques, but accentuating positive thinking can translate to positive effects.
Mackay: Success takes more than goals, it takes commitment
Harvey Mackay says if you are not committed to your career trajectory, you need to wake up and figure out why.
Mackay: Be likable. It's as simple as that.
Likability, including good and nonjudgmental listening and being conscious of body language, is important to business success.
Mackay: It takes everyone doing his or her part to get things done
From Susan B. Anthony and her campaign for women's right to vote to the creation of the internet, each person can move the world forward in his or her own way.
Mackay: There's no such thing as overnight success
Instead, you must work hard every day and build your success step by step, he says.
Mackay: Business networks are great, but you also need friends
Be open to friendship with people in all parts of your life, and make friendships a priority. They can help you thrive.
Mackay: Appreciation is the key to worker engagement
A recent Gallup poll found that nearly 70% of workers would work harder if they felt they were appreciated more.
Mackay: Focus is the doorway to all thinking — and key to reaching business goals
You need to find ways to improve focus like setting priorities for the day and finding a way to minimize distractions.
Mackay: Complaining is contagious, but does not solve problems
When managing someone who complains, it's always good to listen but then ask for solutions.
Mackay: You can change your future if you believe in yourself
You must go into situations with open eyes, evaluating failures and taking advantage of opportunities.
Mackay: Everyone makes mistakes — you need to learn to move on from them
Harvey Mackay says he tells his sales force, it's OK to blunder a sales call as long as you take next steps to keep the client. Moving on can teach you a lot.
Mackay: Assertiveness is key to getting ahead, but you must combine it with common sense
Assertive people can be intimidating or, worse, seen as bullies if they don't think through their messaging.
Mackay: Smiling can help get you sales — and get you promoted
It also is good for your health and for morale.
Mackay: Successful people need grit, something that combines courage and determination
In other words, you don't give up and you do more than is expected.
Are you a procrastinator? Here are some tips to get past it
Face your fears, break down projects into smaller pieces and make lists — and then get going.
Mackay: You can be realistic and still be positive. In fact, you need to be
Pessimists rarely find a way to get ahead.
Mackay: You can't avoid confrontation — so learn how to handle it effectively
Approached with preparation and with honesty, confrontation improves communication and relationships.
Mackay: Sunlight, exercise, friendship among prescriptions to get ahead in life
Concentrating on well-being is essential to keep moving forward in life and business.
Harvey Mackay: Stress levels are high — here are some tips to deal with it
We need to recondition our brain to respond differently to stress, which everyone encounters.
Mackay: Find a reason to laugh — it's good for the soul and the office
We need some fun at the office as people return — and laughing is good for us.
Mackay: This year's Oscars prove dreams can come true
Of course, a lot of hard work must accompany the dream for it to come to fruition.
Harvey Mackay: Here are some easy tricks to train your memory
Memory can get better over time, if you pay attention and develop ways that help you remember facts and people.
Harvey Mackay: Confronting fear is part of life — and part of business
We all face fear. Learning to live with it isn't easy. But other parts of running a business aren't easy either.
Harvey Mackay: Take care of your employees if you want to keep them
Employees must feel trusted and valued, that they have a purpose and that management is listening to them.
Harvey Mackay: 'F' words aren't all bad when it comes to business
From fight to fearless, flexibility to follow-through, there are plenty of "F" words that are essential to being successful.
Harvey Mackay: Time is more precious than a million dollars — use it wisely
February is Time Management Month. Start organizing time by setting priorities, not making a list of tasks.
Harvey Mackay: Cheating is an epidemic in the U.S.
There has been a consistent, gradual decline in ethical business practices in the United States for about 50 years. And it's reached new extremes lately in almost every institution that can be measured.
Mackay: Determination is a big 'D' word when it comes to success
If you are determined to reach a goal, hard work will be more strategic.
Mackay: Live for today to accomplish what you want
Author Og Mandino has a good set of life principles worth exploring.
Mackay: Learning how to network is an essential tool
Cultivating relationships with the people who can help you, and vice versa, is key.
Harvey Mackay: Words can hurt others — and also you
Every day, you must pick words carefully. Social media has exacerbated people's emotional responses, but you should avoid responding until you are more measured.
Harvey Mackay: Tackle problems when they arise, not when they become a crisis
If you are always proactive when something arises, it will not take too much time away from important tasks.
Harvey Mackay: Hold yourself accountable by publicly announcing your goals
There are many examples of history when this has worked. Mackay writes his down and puts them somewhere where he can see them frequently.
Harvey Mackay: Do you know your return on life?
In order to get the most out of what you do — at work and out in the world — you need to look at the big picture, not just the task on hand.
Harvey Mackay: Find your 'ikigai' — your zest for life
These 10 guidelines for living can make the difference.
Become a lifelong learner — you'll be a better partner at work
Harvey Mackay talks about how the investment in education — whether it's a college course or learning about computers or professional networking — is well worth the time.
Effective communication is key to just about everything
Communication can be practiced and improved continually.
Mackay: Compassion is at the heart of everything we do
Contrary to the saying, nice guys often do come in first. And being kind, considerate and empathetic can go a long way to building trust.
Mackay: Healthy competition fuels improvement in all of us
Like Richard Petty, you should strive to win.
Mackay: Don't let negativity take over
Poet and author Maya Angelou said she was convinced that negativity has power and will hurt you if you let it. Studies show constant negativity can lead to depression, anxiety, personality disorders and even mental illness.
You won't get far in business without vision
Harvey Mackay writes about Thomas Watson and others who fully developed their visions of what their companies could be.
LinkedIn and Home Depot founders tried and tried again until they found success
Lessons learned from them is to be bold about trying something new — and don't be afraid to try again.
Business lessons from 'Top Gun: Maverick'
Commitment, camaraderie, courage of conviction, trust — all are present in the movie, and we can all learn from them.
Mackay: Customers are your most important ingredient — treat them that way
Good customer service is a must for any business.
Mackay: Graduates, go where you are valued
Workers need to find a right fit for them. Otherwise, they will not live up to their potential.