What difference do you see between these statements: The traffic was awful vs. I left late My schedule is crazy vs. I’ve agreed to too many things You’re making me angry vs. I’m feeling defensive She didn’t get back to me vs. I need to follow-up with her This job is too difficult vs. I’m not doing what
My wife recently confessed that she was feeling like she’d let others down. I was initially quite surprised. She had just hosted approximately 20 women at an impactful work-related event, and after all the time she put in coordinating invitations, seating, and logistics, the event was a huge success. But what was on her mind
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,
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