Last week, we addressed the reason you don’t get compliments and what to do about it. This week, let’s take a deep dive on why leaders (often unknowingly) avoid praising their team, and consequently miss out on the opportunity to strengthen trust, engagement and productivity. Said simply, leaders avoid praising their team because of a faulty belief—praising others signals weakness Read More >
Ever find yourself thankful for an exceptional employee (or boss), yet failing to communicate your appreciation to them directly? Turns out, you’re not the only one—plenty of people struggle to give compliments. But why? Sitting at a juice bar—Nectar—in Lewes, Delaware, I listened to my barista go on and on about how great her boss is—“She’s young, but she has Read More >
Ever find yourself desperately wanting to give another person feedback, but also struggling with the possibility of their defensiveness? You want to help them get better results, but you don’t want to waste your time or energy with someone who may be reactive. This is exactly where I found myself when I first met David Addi of Big Daddy Addi Read More >
Where in your life do you spend your time and energy focused on trying to get other people to change, rather than challenging and changing yourself? In December of 2017, we headed up to the Catskills in New York. It’s not exactly the right direction to travel from Maryland during that time of year, but I figured some time with Read More >
Ever find yourself struggling with… yourself? Maybe it’s your mood, your results, or even a physical pain. Whatever it is, it’s annoying and you want it to go away, or to change in some way. Walking around my absolute favorite small town, Lewes, Delaware, I found myself struggling with what almost felt like mini panic attacks. Waves of anxious energy Read More >
Ever find yourself wanting to stay motivated, but struggling with the sheer amount of work that needs to be done as you reach for your third cup of triple espresso? Your heart and body are ready to run fifteen marathons, but your brain is… still tired. What gives, and how do you keep your energy and momentum vibrant with a Read More >
Over the past three weeks, we have been addressing questions posed by a serious student of self-confidence, Ashley. We started out by identifying Ashley’s top five questions, and then we dove into strategies for strengthening confidence. The next week, we dove into the following three questions: “How do you handle negative people?” “What encouraged you to tell your story?” “(I Read More >
As you’ll recall, last week we addressed Ashley’s (a serious student of confidence) first question, which focused on uncovering specific strategies for becoming more confident. This week we’ll dive into her next three questions, and finish off with the final one next week— “How do you handle negative people?” “What encouraged you to tell your story?” “(I know everyone is Read More >
As I mentioned last week, Ashley, a serious student of confidence, asked some key questions in an email exchange about practical techniques for strengthening confidence. The following are Ashley’s specific questions, along with helpful ideas: “What strategies helped you to become more confident?” “How do you handle negative people?” “What encouraged you to tell your story?” “(I know everyone is Read More >
Immediately following a speech I delivered at a local high school, Ashley, a sophomore, cornered me and whispered, “How did you get so much confidence?” The intensity of her body language and eye contact told me she was serious about figuring out how to get some confidence for herself. The desperation in her tone, along with a deep desire to Read More >