You can read Tiger Woods’ entire statement here. Although parts of it seemed scripted I must admit that I was genuinely moved by his confession. It’s very rare for celebrities to accept responsibility for their sins, understand the full scope of the damage they have caused, and express such remorse for their actions. For this, I give Woods credit.

He’s also received a lot of criticism and taken some flack from the media saying that he just did it as a PR stunt to salvage some of his sponsorships and deals.

So how do I respond to all this. Well, I am a Christian and I totally concur with what Michael Hyatt writes in response to this. I even find it profound. He says that:

Based on this, whenever someone confesses their sin as Tiger did, I have at least five responsibilities:

1. Resist the temptation to judge. It is not my place to judge Tiger or anyone else. I don’t have to account for his sin. That’s his responsibility to bear alone. I have plenty to account for myself, thank you very much. Instead, I should feel compassion. As the old saying goes, “But for the grace of God go I.”
2. Accept the apology at face value. It is not my job to determine if Tiger is sincere. (How would I do that, anyway?) As Tiger himself said, “My real apology to her [i.e., Elin, his wife] will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behavior over time.” Is he done repenting? No. He is just getting started. But he has begun well. And for that, I should be grateful and affirming.
3. Believe in the possibility of change. Cynicism is easy. It costs me nothing. Belief, on the other hand, requires risk. He may be lying. He may fall again. He might betray us all. But if people really cannot change, then what hope is there for any of us? One of my core beliefs is that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). No one is beyond the reach of God’s redemption.
4. Extend mercy and grace. Justice demands that we pronounce him guilty, dismiss him from further consideration, and move on. But Mercy requires that we refuse to condemn him. Even more astonishing, Grace insists that we extend to him what he does not deserve: hope, patience, and love. Though he doesn’t deserve this, he needs all of it. Without mercy and grace we are all lost.
5. Pray for transformation. Tiger seems to understand—as all self-acknowledged sinners must—that he cannot overcome his sin alone. He needs help. His journey has just begun. The road ahead is long and difficult. He will need human assistance, to be sure. But more importantly, he will need God’s help. This is where I can play a role by refusing to cave to cynicism and judgement. Instead, every time I am tempted to go there, I can pray that God would transform him into the man he could be.

So, after all that we need to realize that Tiger is just like one of us…he’s human. Yes, his situation is more severe and more public because of his celebrity status, but at the end of the day, sin is sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). If there is hope for me—or for you—then there is hope for Tiger.

Question: How did you respond to Tiger’s apology?

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The good news is that the PDF is free. You can view it in the embedded Scribd player above or you can download it here. Inside you will find articles by such writers as:

• Guy Kawasaki
• Tim O’Reilly
• Seth Godin
• Dave Ramsey
• Tim Sanders
• Gary Vaynerchuk
• Martha Beck

…and many more. The overall objective of the ebook is to demonstrate that big thoughts and small actions really make a difference.

Question: What do you think will be important next year?

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In his new book, Carmine Gallo reveals to us Steve Job’s presentation secrets. Here is a basic summary of some of the points mentioned in the book.

1. A headline. Steve Jobs positions every product with a headline that fits well within a 140-character Twitter post. For example, Jobs described the MacBook Air as “the world’s thinnest notebook.” That phrase that he coined appeared on his presentation slides, the Apple Web site, and Apple’s press releases at the same time. What is that one thing you want people to know about your product or service? This headline must be consistent in all of your marketing and presentation material.

2. A villain. In every classic story, the hero fights the villain.  There’s nothing to rally the troops like a common enemy. In 1984 Apple’s enemy was IBM. More recently it’s been Microsoft. Even in the light-hearted “I’m a Mac” commercials, you clearly know who the good guy is. This idea of conquering a shared enemy is a powerful motivator and turns customers into evangelists.

3. Simplify your slides. Very rarely does Steve Jobs resort to bullet points. His slides tend to be simple yet powerful. They are dominated with striking photography and not with text. Often times, more is less.

4. A demo. Neuroscientists have discovered that the brain gets bored easily (I know mine does!). In other words, no matter how engaging the speaker, audiences will tend to tune out after approximately 10 minutes. A Steve Jobs presentation lasts about 1.5 hours but every 10 to 15 minutes, he breaks up the content with video, demonstrations or guest speakers. He doesn’t give his audience time to get bored.

5. Focus on benefits. Your listeners are asking themselves one question: why should I care? Steve Jobs sells the benefit behind every new product or feature—and he’s very clear about it. Why buy an iPhone 3G? Because “it’s twice as fast at half the price.” The Apple Web site also keeps the focus on the benefit, with features like “10 Reasons Why You’ll Love a Mac.” Nobody cares about your product or service. They only care about how your product or service will improve their lives.

6. Sell dreams, not products. Steve Jobs doesn’t sell computers. He sells the promise of a better world. True evangelists are driven by a messianic zeal to create new experiences. When Jobs introduced the iPod in 2001, he said, “In our own small way, we’re going to make the world a better place.” Where most people see the iPod as a music player, Jobs presents it as tool to enrich people’s lives. Of course, it’s important to have great products. But passion, enthusiasm, and a sense of purpose beyond the actual product will set you and your company apart.

7. Create visual slides. Apple products are easy to use because they eliminate clutter. It’s a design philosophy that applies to every Steve Jobs presentation. There are no bullet points in his presentations. Instead Jobs relies on photographs and images. Where the average PowerPoint slide has 40 words, it’s difficult to find seven words on 10 of Jobs’ slides. The technique is based on the idea that information is more effectively recalled when text and images are combined. For example, when Steve Jobs unveiled the Macbook Air, Apple’s ultra-thin notebook computer, he showed a slide of the computer fitting inside a manila envelope. That image was worth a thousand words. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” Jobs once said. Be sophisticated. Keep it simple.

8. Use cool, catchy words. Steve Jobs described the speed of the new iPhone 3G as “amazingly zippy.” Where most business presenters use words that are too technical, vague, or confusing, Jobs’ language is remarkably simple. He rarely, if ever, will use jargon that cloud most presentations like “best of breed” or “synergy.” His language is simple, clear, and direct. Legendary GE CEO Jack Welch once said, “insecure managers create complexity.” Exude confidence: speak simply.

9. Use props and stuff. In addition to stunning visual backdrops (his slides), Steve Jobs brings props for show and tell. After introducing new products or features, Jobs will often sit down at a computer or pick up an iPhone and demonstrate how it works. These demos are simple, but often very dramatic. When Jobs introduced Macintosh in 1984, he walked to the center of a darkened stage and slowly pulled the computer from inside a black bag. He pulled a floppy disk out of his pocket, slowly inserted it into the computer, and walked away as the computer came to life.

10. Practice makes perfect. Steve Jobs spends hours rehearsing every facet of his presentation. Every slide is written carefully, every presentation staged like a theatrical experience. Steve Jobs makes a presentation look effortless, but that polish comes after hours and hours of grueling practice. I don’t believe Steve Jobs is a natural presenter. If you watch video clips of his presentations going back 20 years, you will see that he improves significantly every decade. The Steve Jobs of 1984 had a lot of charisma but the Steve Jobs of 1997 was a far more polished speaker. The Steve Jobs who introduced the iPhone in 2007 was even better.

Related posts:

1. Got My Mac On With My iPhone 3Gs
2. Inspiring Change Through Presentations

Here are the facts:

• 1 trillion web pages
• 65,000 iPhone apps
• 10,500 radio stations
• 5,500 magazines
• 200+ cable TV networks

• Newspapers advertising is down 18.7%
• TV advertising is down 10.1%
• Radio advertising is down 11.7%
• Magazine advertising is down 14.8%

• Mobile advertising is up 18.1%
• Web advertising is up 9.2%

• Among larger U.S. companies, 17% have disciplined an employee for violating blog or messages board policies.
• Twitter played an unprecedented role in sharing information during the 2009 Iranian presidential elections.
• All mentions of the disputed election were bumped from Twitter’s trending topics list when news of Michael Jackson’s death broke.