Present Listening: How to Listen Better

Oct 13, 2026 | BRIEF, Focus, Leadership

Reading Time: 4 minutesby Joe McCormack Present Listening: How to Listen Better My wife, Julie, and I joke that we’re writing a book called The Things We Hear. She says one thing, I hear something else, and I answer the thing she never said (it goes the other...

How Leaders Answer Tough Questions

Sep 15, 2026 | BRIEF, Leadership

Reading Time: 4 minutesby Joe McCormack How Leaders Answer Tough Questions A few years ago I brought a group of corporate clients down to a military installation. The idea was an exchange — the corporate clients would see the base’s capabilities, and both sides...

Close Reading Leads to Clear Writing

Sep 14, 2026 | AI, BRIEF

Reading Time: 4 minutesby Joe McCormack Close Reading Leads to Clear Writing In a previous post I urged you to be the editor in chief. Print the draft. Buy a red pen. Cut what isn’t yours. This type of heavy editing is possible only with close reading. Close...

You Are The Editor in Chief (Not the AI Tool)

Aug 25, 2026 | AI, BRIEF

Reading Time: 4 minutesby Joe McCormack Be the Editor in Chief: Why AI Should Draft and You Should Edit A few months ago, a client told me a story that still bothers me. He had a board of directors meeting coming up. He created his presentation, then he put it into an...

Humanity First: Why AI Should Sharpen You, Not Speak For You

Aug 6, 2026 | BRIEF, Business, presentations

Reading Time: 3 minutesby Joe McCormack Humanity First: Why AI Should Sharpen You, Not Speak For You After 400 podcast episodes and nine years of teaching brevity, here’s where I’ve landed on artificial intelligence and professional communication. The...