Lead With Influence

Matt Norman
  • 5.0 (2)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Lead with Influence is about influencing positive change — in yourself, your relationships, and your leadership. Hosted by executive coach Matt Norman, each episode distills insights from decades of experience helping people communicate with impact, lead with humility, and build trust across differences. These short, thoughtful reflections will help you grow in self-awareness, develop emotional intelligence, and show up more powerfully in your work and life.

  1. 2D AGO

    Building Identity Not Just Habits

    In this episode, Matt Norman explores identity-based habit formation and why it works better than traditional goal setting. Instead of chasing outcomes or rigid processes, Matt argues that lasting growth starts with changing how we see ourselves. You’ll hear why defining the type of person you want to become creates a stronger foundation for meaningful change, and how small, consistent wins help reinforce that identity over time. The conversation reframes habits as proof of character rather than tasks to complete, offering a practical way to grow amid shifting personal and professional demands. If you’re rethinking goals, growth, or who you want to be next, this episode invites you to focus inward—and build change that lasts.

    12 min

  2. 12/15/2025

    Emotive Deflective Cooperative Championship Leadership

    What does championship-level leadership actually look like in real life, under real pressure? In this episode, Matt Norman breaks down a post-game interview that says far more about leadership than football. After Indiana’s historic win over Ohio State, quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s raw, unscripted reactions reveal three qualities that consistently show up in the strongest leaders. Matt explores why being emotive in how you describe success, deflective with credit, and deeply cooperative in how you frame teamwork creates trust, alignment, and resilience. These aren’t personality traits or motivational slogans. They’re signals that a team is unified, process-driven, and capable of performing when it matters most. Whether you’re leading a company, a team, or a community, this episode offers a simple but demanding blueprint for what national-champion leadership really looks like — and how to cultivate it where you are.

    15 min

  3. 11/25/2025

    Preparing Communication for Edge Cases: The Ultimate Test of Trust

    In this episode, we break down why the rare, high-pressure moments in our relationships—our “edge cases”—reveal more about us than all the easy conversations combined. Borrowing a concept from product development, we explore how couples, colleagues, and teams often skip the hard preparation because it feels uncomfortable or unnecessary. The result: small conflicts escalate fast. We unpack the optimism bias that keeps us assuming everything will work itself out, the illusion that agreement equals real communication, and why we avoid testing emotional boundaries until they break. Most importantly, we argue that edge cases aren’t just points of failure. They’re moments of truth. They expose character with high fidelity, strengthen trust, and offer a roadmap for deeper connection—if we’re willing to prepare for them.

    15 min

  4. 11/10/2025

    Time-Restricting the Four Horsemen of Reactivity

    In this episode, Matt Norman explores how limiting your engagement with “The Four Horsemen” — productivity, achievement, measuring up, and connectivity — can transform your mental, emotional, and physical health. He shares how setting daily and weekly “reactivity fasts” creates space for rest, presence, and renewal, much like time-restricted eating or the Sabbath. By treating reactivity limits as a keystone habit, Matt reveals how intentional rest can spark a chain reaction of healthier, more balanced living.

    14 min

  5. 10/27/2025

    Balancing Short and Long-Term Action

    In this episode, Matt explores the ongoing tension between urgent demands and long-term priorities—and why so many leaders struggle to balance both. Drawing from his post “The 4 Ways to Balance Short and Long-Term Action,” he shares lessons from manufacturing supervisors who get stuck managing daily output instead of investing in coaching, feedback, and process improvement. Matt reveals how mindset and identity—especially your sense of control and optimism—determine whether you act as a Fatalist, Cynic, Idealist, or Entrepreneur. He introduces the Future Investor Matrix and outlines three powerful “anti-mindsets” that foster Positive Action: Anti-Cynical: Believe your actions matter.Anti-Idealist: Stay realistic and resilient.Anti-Fatalist: Remain curious and adaptable.Learn how to build an entrepreneurial mindset that helps you think long-term, lead with optimism, and create lasting impact amid short-term pressures.

    14 min

  6. 10/13/2025

    Reactivity Kills Relationships and Influence: The Antidote of Differentiation

    Inspired by Matt Norman’s article “What to Avoid When Building Relationships and Influencing Others,” this episode explores how reactivity—our instinct to defend, blame, or panic—undermines trust, credibility, and influence. Through a powerful story of two colleagues who respond to stress in very different ways, we see how staying calm and grounded can transform outcomes. Drawing on psychologist Edwin Friedman’s concept of differentiation, the discussion reveals why the ability to manage yourself, stay centered, and lead with intention is the true mark of influence.

    13 min

  7. 09/29/2025

    The Next Step to Overcoming Overwhelm

    When life feels overwhelming, it’s easy to freeze under the weight of everything on your plate. Inspired by Matt Norman’s article “The Most Important Thing to Do When You’re Overwhelmed," this episode explores why the way forward often begins with something small: the very next step. Through personal stories about depression, anxiety, and even lessons from the tennis court, Norman shows how focusing on the “next point” can restore agency and calm. With wisdom drawn from David Whyte’s poem Start Close In, this conversation invites you to stop looking at the whole mountain and instead take the one step right in front of you.

    12 min

  8. 09/15/2025

    How to Stop Neglecting Activities That Will Pay Off in the Future

    Inspired by Matt Norman’s article How to Stop Neglecting Activities That Will Pay Off in the Future, this episode explores why important but non-urgent tasks are so easy to avoid—and how leaders can overcome neglect through three proven systems: time-boxing, habit-stacking, and priority-listing. By building intentional routines, you’ll shift from guilt and procrastination to energy and consistent follow-through.

    15 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Lead with Influence is about influencing positive change — in yourself, your relationships, and your leadership. Hosted by executive coach Matt Norman, each episode distills insights from decades of experience helping people communicate with impact, lead with humility, and build trust across differences. These short, thoughtful reflections will help you grow in self-awareness, develop emotional intelligence, and show up more powerfully in your work and life.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Norman
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Lead With Influence
  • Show Website
    Lead With Influence