“Leadership is an intense journey into yourself.” – Bill Hybels The scene: An auditorium filled with thousands of leaders from around the world, gathered for the 2014 Willow Creek Leadership Summit. We watch as a group of kids with disabilities presents an honest, sometimes heartbreaking video that begins with each answering the question, “What’s hard
Imagine this is your job description: Must interrupt people, usually unsolicited, and try to get them to change or be interested or, most importantly of all, part with their money. Will need to constantly prove yourself, and the people who hold all the cards will often treat you with arrogance in return. To be successful,
Your organization is made up of human beings. That’s not a radical thought, but sometimes we forget it, even though this basic truth gives us clear signals about how to strengthen our corporate cultures. People need to feel connected to each other and to a broader whole, particularly with so much uncertainty in the world.
Leadership is the ability to motivate others to risk, sacrifice and engage. It’s not necessarily a job title or position—there are times when you will have to lead but you won’t have the power structure that generates leverage. So what can you do to influence others in these situations? One strategy is to frame a
Moving through life feels like chasing fireflies. It lights up and you try to capture it, only to find the moments simply can’t be contained. Perhaps the best way to enjoy it is to stand back and just watch the show…letting go of the need to hold onto it. Last week we hosted our twin
Ignoring is the new denial. Behind our virtual workspace, and walls named Caller ID and Email Overload, we hide from the flood of emails, texts, tweets, status updates, calls and drop-bys. Other people’s priorities become our distractions. So we ignore and we isolate. Last week, I made my final attempt. Since our meeting a month
We implicitly or explicitly expect a return on every bit of energy, money, time and loyalty. If we don’t get a commensurate material or psychological return, we stop giving. Just like financial analysts who assess risk versus return and results versus expectations, we weigh the expected return for every type of investment we make. Our
Growth often results from pain and discomfort. Sometimes suffering yields obvious and tangible results in and of itself (like exercise) whereas other times it is our response to suffering that determines whether we become bitter or better. Despite our fear of being broken, if we embrace and effectively move through challenge, we can better lead
Since the 1970’s, Xerox and IBM fueled a point of view that the best salespeople frame their solution in the context of a need. Thought leaders such as Mike Bosworth, Neil Rackham and Percy Whiting have advocated a consultative framework for selling that led with questions in order to establish a business and emotional case
This age is defined by speed of change and access to information. Our relevance is linked to our ability to process and adapt. Awareness of trends, news, insights and research helps us to strategize and create. And our effectiveness becomes our brand. Amidst change and information, it’s the thought-leader and innovator who will lead. Last week
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