One thing I’ve gained from nearly two years of seeing myself on Zoom and Teams video meetings is that I’m starting to truly understand how others see me. My eye contact, facial expressions, and other non-verbals have all been on display to me daily! Have you noticed anything as you’ve watched yourself during video meetings?
This morning I woke up feeling run down and unmotivated. It was cold, dark, and rainy outside and all I wanted to do was stay curled up under my warm blanket and sleep. But I denied those inclinations. I got up, read, prayed, and exercised. And now, several hours later, my body feels strong, my
Jordan Spieth performed very well as a professional golfer until 2018. Expectations placed on him were very high—so high that his performance waned…until last spring. After winning his first tournament in three years, he made a profound passing comment in a press interview: If I’m feeling free, I’ll love what I do. And if I
Recently, I wrote about the value of mantras and shared a few of the mantras that help me stay focused on what matters most. After that post went live, a number of you shared your mantras with me — and they were too good not to share with the world. Consider taking a breath right now,
Years ago, I worked with a leader whose behavior would completely change during the final three days of every quarter. He would transform from a magnanimous, caring leader with a natural, relaxed demeaner into an anxious, ruthless man. Everyone knew that, for those three days, he was to be feared…unless we were comfortably ahead of
It’s not easy to lead or influence when you’re struggling to cope with the stress or frustrations of the moment or with anxieties about what might happen in the future. This is why self-regulation is such an important quality for leaders. According to Verywell Mind, self-regulation is the ability to act in a way that
My son is a competitive tennis player and often wins matches because of his speed and strong backhand shots. The trouble is, opponents now do their best to hit to his forehand, to exploit his relative weakness. Recently, I spoke with his tennis coach about the need to improve his forehand shots. The coach reassured
A memory from the 11th grade still stands out to me today. I’m sitting at my bedroom desk, wringing my hands and finding every possible distraction from the assignment in front of me: Write an essay explaining who you are. What does that mean? Where would I begin to explain who I am? And why
“Remember this day, boys,” I said to my twin sons last week at breakfast. “Remember what it feels like to arrive at a milestone in your journey through challenges and uncertainties. It’s the last day of a difficult school year and you’ve done well. Remember that you chose to persist and grow throughout the year
In 2008, my good friend Jeff Dykstra* faced significant fear of the unknown. He’d already taken a huge risk leaving the private sector and moving his entire family to Lusaka, Zambia, in 2006 with World Vision. Now, he was only a few months away from finishing his commitment in Africa. His next career move weighed
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE