Posts Tagged ‘Connection’
How I Learned To Connect With People
If it is true that almost everything we become and accomplish in life is with and through other people, then the ability to create rapport with them is the most important skill we can learn. Looking back at the early and middle stages of my career, I identified six practices that helped me to connect…
Read MoreBorrowing Experience
“What [a person] knows at fifty that he did not know at twenty is not the knowledge of formulas or forms of words, but of people, places, actions—a knowledge gained by touch, sight, sound, victories, failures, sleeplessness, devotion, love—the human experiences and emotions of this earth and of oneself and of other men.” ~ Adlai…
Read MoreAttracting Others To Your Vision
How do you convince people to buy into your vision for the future? That’s the question every leader must figure out how to answer if he or she hopes to have significant influence. Unfortunately, many well-intentioned leaders fail to find support for their vision because they start off on the wrong foot. Communicate the Vision…
Read MoreLeadership in the Age of Innovation
At one time, people with their “heads in the clouds” were derided for being hopelessly disconnected from the real world. However, with the emergence of cloud computing, living in the clouds may swiftly become the best-connected way of life. Tech experts herald cloud computing as a game-changing technological innovation with the potential to profoundly alter…
Read MoreDo You Remember the Time?
“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.” ~ Cicero What memories does Christmas bring to your mind? Perhaps you remember the excitement of waking up on Christmas morning to find a pile of presents under the tree. Maybe you recall sledding, snowball fights, or sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace. You may even…
Read MoreCall Lost: Why Leaders Lose Connection with Those They Lead
Wireless technology has forever altered the way we communicate. These days, payphones are practically nonexistent, and landlines seem headed for obsolescence, too. It’s hard even to remember how we lived before the advent of the mobile phones. However, as wonderful as cell phones can be, we have to put up with the nuisance of dropped…
Read MoreInfluence: Connecting With People
As a train’s source of energy and direction, the locomotive plays a vital role. However, unless a locomotive connects to other cars on the track, it is relatively useless. A train’s value comes from its ability to transport massive amounts of cargo, and doing so requires the locomotive to link up with dozens of freight…
Read MoreVision, Connection, and Direction: The Pathway to Effective Communication
By communicating a message of hope and significance to his oppressed countrymen in Poland, Pope John Paul II played a lead role in toppling communism in Europe. He affirmed the dignity and humanity of Poles, rallying them to resist communism, while at the same time teaching them to show restraint when confronting the communist authorities.…
Read MoreConnectors Keep it Simple
William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural address of any U.S. President, taking two hours to plod through a whopping 8,445-word speech. Even though the speech was delivered outdoors on a frigid and rainy day, the President stubbornly refused to wear an overcoat or hat. As a result, he caught a cold that developed into…
Read MoreActing Against Discouragement
It’s hard to imagine a time when Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t an A -List celebrity, but twenty years ago he was a frustrated, little-known actor who couldn’t seem to breakthrough. Despite his prodigious talents, as of his 41st birthday Jackson could claim nothing more notable than a few minor cameos. Intensely discouraged, he turned to…
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