By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE Let’s talk about fear. As emotions go, it doesn’t have the best reputation. People don’t usually want to be seen as fearful or anxiety-ridden or…well, wimpy. But I want to convince you that fear has some enormous value. I teach my audiences the same thing I taught my children: being afraid can be the catalyst for some pretty amazing things. As someone who’s been a speaker for more than 25 years, I know about this topic. Statistics show people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death. Every time I step in front of a Read More
Quit Underestimating the Importance of Childhood Messages
Quit Underestimating the Importance of Childhood Messages
By Human Behavior Expert & Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta Straight talk? If you’re 25, 65+ years old or anywhere in between and you’re still blaming your parents for a few (or many) things you believe are responsible for the condition of your life right now – then you’re totally on the wrong path. Now I’m not saying to discount any negative childhood messages or experiences. I’m definitely 100% an advocate for children who’ve been through trauma and I know what that means moving into adulthood. What I am saying is that when you reach the age of adulthood, it’s time to use your Read More
Quit Leading Everyone the Same Way
Quit Leading Everyone the Same Way
By Hall of Fame Speaker, Award Winning Author. Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE As an expert in the psychology of human behavior, I know that personalities are at the absolute deepest root of everything we do or say or think. Our personalities drive how we deal with other people, interact with them, motivate them, communicate with them, and negotiate with them. And yet, leaders often don’t factor in personalities on the journey toward career advancement. For one thing, many leaders subscribe to the “golden rule” that says we should treat others the way we want to be treated. That sounds kind Read More
Quit Shifting the BLAME
Quit Shifting the BLAME
By Hall of Fame Speaker, Award Winning Author. Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE While accountability is a common topic in organizations these days, I encourage my audiences to think about that concept as a promise. When employees are hired, they are essentially making a promise to the company to perform the duties of a particular job. It’s an emotional commitment as much as a legal contract. But if employees don’t consider themselves totally responsible for doing their jobs correctly, the promise is missing. The sense of commitment is lost. Trust erodes. And we all know it’s virtually impossible Read More
Quit Allowing People to Sabotage You
Quit Allowing People to Sabotage You
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta Nothing throws a wrench in a meeting like the sneers of passive-aggressive people. Sitting there, arms folded, huffing and puffing. But they never really say what’s bugging them. Ugh! The next move is yours, and it’s pretty clear-cut. If you don’t shut down that sabotaging behavior now, you’re basically giving them a free pass to be rude. They are getting away with it, and you’re letting them. The only solution is to take a stand—and take action. I know what you’re thinking now: “But Connie, I don’t like conflict.” I get it. Most people don’t. Read More
Quit Underestimating the Importance of a Non-Disruptive Work Environment
Quit Underestimating the Importance of a Non-Disruptive Work Environment
Leadership: The Irony of Disruption by Business Motivational Speaker Connie Podesta Scan the pages of any business publication, and you’ll come away with the message that successful leaders are supposed to innovate. Disrupt. Push the envelope. Think outside the box. Break the rules. Oh yes, disruption is very trendy right now. Let’s dive into that. Businesses have played a bit of a semantics game with the word “disruption.” For most of our lives, disruption was something to be avoided because it led to discord, turmoil, and problems. Not a healthy environment in which to do work or Read More
Quit Talking So Much
Quit Talking So Much
By Communication Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Raise your hand if you’re a “talker”. I know I’ve been guilty of it. I remember as a kid, a teacher saying to me that I wouldn’t amount to much because I talked too much! Fortunately for me, I grew up to be a keynote speaker, so I learned to leverage that particular skill! As a former therapist and human relationship expert, I’ve also learned a whole lot since those school days about what connects us and what divides us as human beings. As leaders, spouses, partners, parents, friends – all of those roles require communication skills. In Read More
Quit Moving on When the Sale is Closed
Quit Moving on When the Sale is Closed
By Connie Podesta, Hall of Fame Speaker Let’s be clear salespeople – if you’re only in it for the money, you’re leaving money on the table. How’s that for an attention-getter? Sales is an amazing industry, often with sky’s-the-limit earning potential, but you and I both know that there are plenty of people in it just for the quick dollar, not the long-term customer relationship. You know the ones, right? Those who literally move on to find their next deal before the ink is dry on the sale they just closed? Here’s what you are missing: The lifetime value of a client. Personally, more than Read More
Quit Listening to Employee Complaints
Quit Listening to Employee Complaints
by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Here’s a question for you. What are three words that make managers want to run the other way? Open Door Policy. The original intent of an “Open Door Policy” was to create a communication mechanism to ensure that employees would feel free to honestly discuss key issues without fear of retribution or, even worse, losing their jobs. In other words, not only would a leader’s door be open but, hopefully, so would their mind. However, over time that concept has expanded and become an excuse for some employees to also feel free to complain. About Read More
Quit Being Afraid to Fire People!
Quit Being Afraid to Fire People!
It’s Time for a Change of Perspective By Keynote Speaker and Leadership Expert Connie Podesta I totally get it! Psychologically, for most people, firing someone is one of the hardest things about being a leader. They obsess over it, lose sleep over it, and even get physically sick over it! Most of all they feel guilty –really guilty—about it. The question is: why do they take on what isn’t theirs to take on? The answer: because they feel responsible for “causing” another person to lose their job. So let’s get rid of the guilt and look at firing from an entirely different Read More