Gestures come first! Before we're consciously aware of our thoughts, we start to gesture. Pay attention to your gestures, and others', and you can become a more powerful communicator.

The questionnaire is a simple first step toward becoming more self-aware.

Emotions are charismatic. Focused emotions are very charismatic. To lead people with charisma, you need to take charge of and focus your emotions.

The whole reason to study (and learn to control) body language is to have that support (rather than undercut) your message.

Being embarrassed means that you're human, and we like you better for it

Storytelling sticks in the mind because it attaches emotions to events, and that's the way we remember things. If you don't tell stories, no one will remember what you say.

Mirror neurons make human empathy possible.

Every human emits unconscious vocal undertones that determine who the leader is in the room.

Indeed, we learn far more from our mistakes than our successes.

The key is to become aware of how you are signaling your presence in meetings, conversations, speeches - everywhere you show up. Then you can take charge of them.

The world is a very big place and there are many wonderful people in with ideas you haven't thought about. Talk to them, find out what they're thinking, so that you can be the best person you can be.

Live every single moment of your life, for the one thing that is most precious to you.

A writer's work is never done, unless he or she has no readers.

I have so many evil plans, I'm just trying to find the one which would be best right now!

People must be taken as they are, and we should never try make them or ourselves better by quarreling with them.

Being a high school teacher was wonderful, but unsustainable: I needed a way out.

I'm quite spontaneous in my decisions often. Your career is kind of what happens whilst you're busy developing other screenplays, and so it came out of the blue.

I'd rather play in front of a full house than an empty crowd

The future is like the moon. You never expect to go there, or think about what it might be like.

[E]mpathy - not squishy self-serving conflict avoidance - is the hand-maiden, not the enemy, of reason and intellectual inquiry.

My dad was an agent for Met Life. In the '50s, I remember the mortality rate was something like - you had - 58 was the average age. Then it was moved up to 62, and then 65, 68.