I sat down to write this, unsure of how to begin. Before I knew it, my mind was off and wandering: Who sings this song playing in this coffee shop. Do I know that person that just walked in? Oh, I need to reschedule my home internet repair – I’ll do that before I start
There I was in work meeting, talking too much and not being clear. My colleague had said something. I disagreed in a way that antagonized him. He got tense and defensive. My response wasn’t gracious. We felt locked in battle, over-talking, and not listening. In retrospect, it was obvious to me: I was tired and
It seems hard to believe now, considering more than 367,000 people work for his company and its subsidiaries, but for years, this man had arranged his life around his fear. Fear had limited him in his leadership and in his ability to connect with others. But he had the courage to overcome that fear. In
With one month remaining in 2017, I went to my mentor looking for a solution to a nagging concern. I’d noticed that during intense stretches of life and work, I’d become more dependent on having a nightly drink (or two) as a coping mechanism. Not that there’s anything wrong with drinking in moderation for enjoyment,
This week, my son reflected to me, “In kindergarten, we had to take naps and couldn’t wait for them to be done. Now in fourth grade I look back and think it would be awesome to take naps.” I knew just what he meant. “Yes,” I responded, “we often resist what we wish later we
Dan Kersten told me that his rock bottom smartphone moment came when his wife asked his son, Ben, what he loves about his Dad. “He gives me hugs, he makes cool things out of cardboard, and he’s always playing with his phone,” Ben responded. And that, Dan says, is when he realized he was addicted
What’s more important to leadership effectiveness: having low anxiety or high skill? As I realized last week, that question isn’t as simple as it might seem. I was on fire last week. In fact, I actually told a friend that I was “firing on all cylinders.” I was energetic, confident, focused, and relaxed. And I
It was the most upset I’ve ever been at work. Years ago, a part of my job was to negotiate contracts with vendors. One negotiation reached an impasse. The vendor raised his voice slightly and accused me of personally derailing the process. My reaction was intense. I shouted something back at him in my defense,
I’m speed-walking through the airport, on the phone with my Dad, when he suggests I look up one of his friends in my destination city. That’s awkward. I’ve never heard of this guy and he’s not my contemporary. But I went ahead and googled the guy and invited him to lunch. I drove my rental
For me, each season brings a different focus. Fall is about starting. Winter is about persisting. Spring is recommitting. And summer is reflecting. This summer, I’ve been reflecting on wins and losses. On the business side of things, there have been heartbreaking losses this year. Just as it is with the defeats themselves, the reflection
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