What’s something you need in order to feel OK? What keeps you balanced? Is it approval from others? Your health? Productivity? Being organized? Being right? Winning? Financial security? All of these can be good things. But because you need that thing to stay balanced, you’ll run into a problem when someone starts to pull it
Ever since I wrote about courage, I continue to see examples of how confidence determines your willingness to do difficult things. Confidence allows you to say “yes” to a good but hard thing or “no” to something bad yet alluring. It’s trust in yourself — your values, self-image, and capacity. I’ve especially been noticing it
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
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
It takes more than talent to win, according to new research. Two recent studies have found that, because winning suppresses stress hormones like cortisol, it increases your confidence and willingness to take risks, all of which help build more momentum toward more success. Essentially, success begets success. It’s what the researchers call the “winner effect.”
If I told you that a year ago I started working out with a personal fitness trainer, you’d probably give a nod to my discipline. If I told you that a year ago our company started working with an expert consultant on innovation, you’d presumably think we were staying ahead of the curve. If I
I recently purchased a new sport coat. As the store owner packed the coat into a protective bag, she slid a stack of her business cards into the pocket of the coat. “You’ll want these cards when people ask you where you got this amazing coat,” she said casually. That statement reminded me of the
As I turned off my car engine, I panicked. I’d forgotten the name of one of the executives who would be in this meeting! Reassurance came quickly, though, when I realized I could just look it up on our CRM system on my phone. But as I headed into the building with my phone in
I admit to feeling relieved last week after I spoke up in a meeting. I had an opinion on the topic and I wanted to add value, be a leader and improve my credibility. The dialogue moved quickly. I had to act fast, be clear and be compelling. Anxiety was building as I considered this
As his kindergarten classmates were selected to receive stickers for their behavior that day, my son waited with anticipation. Name after name was read. The group he sat with on the floor grew smaller and smaller. When there were just eight of them left, his heart sank as he realized it: He would not be
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