A motivating message from Bob Charlet, Houston Business Journal:
The first job I had after college was as a recruiter for the Dale Carnegie courses. For those of you that may not know about Dale Carnegie, he wrote the book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” which is the 3rd best-selling book ever written. The principles of that book, which was written in 1936 became the basis for the training company of today. Today, those principles are just as relevant and the courses are now taught in 85 countries with over 8 million graduates. I eventually became a certified Dale Carnegie instructor and taught for almost 25 years.
Carnegie programs are really about managing change. Dale Carnegie learned early on in his career that people were terrified of speaking in public. They feared failure and the unknown. So he incorporated speaking in public into his classes. It was a game-changer. In fact, it was THE game changer. Once class members began to overcome their fear of public speaking they begin to look at themselves differently, which then translated into every aspect of their lives. They become better wives, parents, bosses, friends, etc.
Change is not always something we seek, but change can provide the greatest opportunities for growth. The coronavirus is not something any of us hoped would become a reality. The suddenness and suffering and 24-hour news coverage has been emotionally draining. But like the Dale Carnegie courses, we now have to face change. It’s everywhere and in every aspect of our lives. Even when we resume some sense of normal, it will not be the normal we once knew. But we will all be stronger as a result. We will be better prepared for the future. We will have endured something immensely challenging and we will all be stronger and better equipped for the future, having come out on the other side.
In times of change, leaders need to lead. Be the positive agent of change for those around you. Remind everyone that we do not need to fear the unknown and we will all be better and stronger as a result of having dealt with one of the greatest challenges of our lives. Houston strong!
Bob Charlet
Market President & Publisher
Houston Business Journal