By Hall of Fame Speaker, Award Winning Author. Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE In my extensive work with leaders, I’ve noticed that they tend to perceive innovation as something that’s bigger than life: new, outrageous, unthinkable, complicated concepts that are wildly different from anything we’ve ever imagined. Not intimidating at all. With so many daily challenges, it’s easy for leaders to coast along with “business as usual” until the really big idea or the light-bulb-moment happens to come along. The status quo becomes perfectly acceptable in the meantime. The truth is, innovation isn’t Read More
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
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
Unpacking the Psychology Behind Incredible Leadership
By Hall of Fame Speaker, Award Winning Author. Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE Great leadership is 10% smart business strategies and 90% psychology. Admittedly, some people might not agree with that statistic. But I speak to tens of thousands of leaders every year, and I guarantee you it’s true. When organizations want to elevate the quality of their leaders, the first inclination is to provide them with training on the latest processes or technology. While that tactic quickly reaches the point of diminishing returns, helping these leaders to gain greater psychological insights into themselves Read More
Quit Avoiding Realty
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta The reality is? It’s not about anyone else. It’s not about your parents. Or your boss. Or your coworker. Or your childhood. It’s not about bad breaks, lack of luck, or whatever the heck the Joneses are up to. Your reality is up to one person and one person alone: YOU. Big question. As a former therapist and a keynote speaker who works with human beings all over the globe, I can tell you it’s a rare thing to find someone who asks, “Connie, what am I doing that is sabotaging my success?” That’s usually a step six conversation – right? A smarter Read More
Quit the Negative Self Talk
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta Bottom line? Communication starts from within. So much of how we react and interact with people comes from the “old tapes” we’re playing in our heads. Old negative connotations being attached to what’s happening in the right here and right now. Sometimes that’s healthy. Our intuition is there to help protect us from harm’s way. Sometimes, though, it’s not. It’s stemmed from old truths or limited beliefs that don’t serve us. You see this a lot in second marriages or new relationships. Many of us are dragging the ghosts of relationships past into Read More
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 Manipulating the People in Your Life
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta “Me? Manipulative?! No way.” Before you assume this article is NOT about you, keep reading. We enter many of our conversations with desired outcomes. We want to get the project approved. Or land the big client. Or convince the rest of the family to choose the movie we want to see. Whatever it is, we infuse emotions as a tool to “manage” the course of our conversations. Many times, passion and enthusiasm can pave the road to positive results. But what happens if those conversation-managing emotions take a darker turn? I’m talking about Read More
Quit Allowing Yourself to Be Manipulated
By Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Oh, this topic is a doozy, but it’s universal. Everyone on the planet has come into contact with people who use manipulative emotions like hurt and anger to get their own way. Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times, interactions leave us blindsided by feelings of guilt or fear. No doubt about it, manipulative behavior can be powerful. It’s also a skill that gets tested and perfected from a very young age. I call it the “birth of a jerk” phase. Sounds harsh but stay with me here. Somewhere around three or four years old, kids begin testing Read More
Got Conflict? Start Using Assertive Communications
by Connie Podesta, Hall of Fame Speaker In many of my keynote messages, I share with my audiences some facts about the psychology of human behavior—insights into why we do what we do, say what we say, and react the way we react. That’s handy information, because very few of us are flying solo through this world. We’re all interconnected. At work. At home. In our communities. If we want to get along and work effectively with other people (loved ones, friends, colleagues or neighbors), we need to learn how to be excellent communicators. Especially when we face conflict. And, quite frankly, Read More