I was confidently rolling through my day when I got an email intended for someone else. It was a strongly worded message criticizing my leadership, sent by a colleague who felt they’d been poorly treated. Seeing that felt like a punch in the stomach. And the discussion that followed was really hard. But, like many
Last Friday, my dear grandmother passed away. She modeled a life of grace, strength, and love for everyone who knew her. As a tribute to her leadership, I invite you to read the following post which was originally published just over two years ago… We all have role models, people who show us the way,
More and more organizations are acknowledging that they have underestimated the value of middle managers. Research suggests that mid-level leaders might be the greatest determinant of the success of your organization. While top management sets the overall direction for an organization, according to Wharton management professor Ethan Mollick, middle managers play the most significant role “in
I attended a leadership conference several years ago, and two things I heard still stand out. One had to do with parenting; the other was one line: Leadership is influence. The reason that line was memorable is that the speaker, an executive from a large, well-known company, repeated it many times throughout his presentation. And
A friend of mine, John March, caught up with me recently to pick my brain about the connection between leadership and values. The topic, which is personal for both of us, led to interesting insights and self-awareness. I’ve captured a bit of our discussion below to share with you in the hopes that his questions
I aspire to brave-hearted leadership, both courageous and emotionally connected. This hinges on whether I am asking: What will enhance my own image? or What is my role in a story larger than myself? The questions played out through the historical relationship between Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, depicted in the movie Braveheart. Robert
You don’t want to fall short of expectations. And you probably have to rely on other people to help you deliver on your expectations. If those people are different from you, they likely interpret standards and expectations differently. The bottom line: excellence requires consistent accountability for results, and fostering consistent accountability is challenging. A friend
It’s a knowledge economy, and ideas are the birthplace of innovation. Finding opportunities to expand your knowledge will increase your self-awareness, creativity and perspective. As I’ve written before, podcasts are a great place to tap into knowledge. In this post, I’ve curated some of my top sources for respectful, relevant and really good podcasts. Push your
Self-image drives behavior. As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t—you’re right.” Leaders who promote a positive self-image in others maximize potential. Period. The leaders I’ve followed in my life—managers, coaches, mentors, parents—have each communicated to me “messages” about who I am. Keep in mind, communicating a message isn’t
To help bring about an outcome by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance and guidance. I was thinking about my favorite skill of a leader, and I came across this definition in Webster’s dictionary. Do you know the skill? Maybe this story will help: I didn’t expect to get much out of a recent meeting I attended. I
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