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Speak with Confidence
book

Speak with Confidence

by Mike Acker
December 2022
Beginner content levelBeginner
256 pages
4h 39m
English
Wiley
Audiobook available
Content preview from Speak with Confidence

Chapter 3Determine and Discover

Time for another great quote:

Γνωθι σευτον

Translation: “Know thyself.” To the ancient Greek philosophers, knowing yourself was central to the meaning of life. It wasn't something found in a single self‐help book but a lifetime of pursuit. The better you understand your identity, the better you can build upon that foundation for greater confidence in speaking. You will discover that you are a far better person than any persona you can create.

Strengths Disguised as Weaknesses

I've always struggled with impatience. Nothing happened fast enough, and I frequently found myself frustrated with everyone else's pace.

As a young executive director at a nonprofit in Washington State, I was seeing a lot of success in my work and wanted to expand to a second location. Something like that typically takes as much as a year to plan and execute. But I have a mantra that's behind much of my success (and failures): “If it's worth doing in the year, it's worth doing in a month.”

I couldn't understand why my board—capable business leaders with years of combined experience—kept dragging their feet. Then I discovered the CliftonStrengths assessment (formerly StrengthsFinder), which revealed my top five strengths and how best to utilize them.

At the top of my list: Activator. I don't talk about doing things; I make things happen. My impatience isn't a character flaw—it's part of my strength. Obviously, this isn't an excuse to be a jerk, and the more I understand ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781394159741Purchase Link