Why Did the Country Not “See” Your Sacrifice? In one of my recent motivational talks on educators developing resilience and overcoming adversity, an administrator at a large university timidly raised her hand and asked: “Scott, while I appreciate the sacrifice of the healthcare profession, first responders and the like, why does it seem that…
Resilience and Grit, A Physical Impossibility? It’s a funny comparison, resilience and grit, but as a resilience and grit keynote speaker, I know that what seems opposite are connected. When we think of “resilience,” we think of a strand of cooked spaghetti, a rubber band, stretch-band or something that bends every which way in…
You’re Much Tougher Than You Think Speaking to audiences across the country about overcoming adversity and developing resiliency, it has been my honor to motivate organizations going through tough periods of change and challenges. In my keynotes about overcoming adversity, I recall my own challenges while still in my hospital bed, formulating my life…
If Change is the New Normal, What Must Stay the Same? “Everything is changing, Scott. What do I do now?” Not long ago, as I was about to deliver a change management keynote speech, a harried chief executive manager asked me the question that you see above. If 2020 was a year of…
There is no Medicine Like Grit In my motivational presentations on Grit for healthcare organizations, my audiences are sometimes puzzled when I stress the importance of grit in every aspect of medicine and patient care. The relationship between grit and healthcare is stronger than you might imagine. The Predictor From physicians in training, to…
Resilience is Forged by Determination & Grit Last year in a virtual speech on resilience, I was asked if a resilient manager is the descriptor of someone without conviction or an objective. “Oh no,” I said, “it is quite the opposite.” In fact, as a keynote speaker on resilience, I know that the most…
Sometimes Resilience Means Standing Firm As a motivational speaker on resilience and grit, I have learned that most people confuse resilient with flexible. They are different words with different meanings. The definition of resilient I like to use in my motivational speeches is “the ability to spring back into shape; elasticity.” Flexible isn’t Resilient There…
You are More Resilient than You Think (But You Already Knew That) As a keynote speaker on resiliency and overcoming challenges, I want to congratulate you. You made it through 2020. Maybe you’re a little scarred and bruised, but you did it. I’m willing to bet that deep down you knew you could overcome…
“Dealing with It,” Isn’t a Game Plan In a recent virtual presentation I gave on goal setting and success for 2021, I commented that “Dealing with It” isn’t a game plan. Goal setting and success require determination. Times may be uncertain but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set goals. Who will win in 2021?…
Adversity is Not a Four-Letter Word Several years ago, the Harvard Business Review ran an article entitled “How to Bounce Back from Adversity.” It is as important now as when it was first written a decade ago. One of my favorite passages rings true to me now, more than ever: “Even for the less…