You Got This!

The theme of 2021’s 7th annual JD Evolution Live Leadership Conference was “Making Money | Doing Good” and, according to John Dame, the best companies achieve this through an intentional and robust culture and team. The conference featured a morning workshop, a growth panel discussion, and an afternoon keynote speaker.

Perhaps you’re like us: you leave inspiring conferences and workshops energized and full of ideas, only to set your notes and program on a pile that soon gets buried by daily demands. Instead of seeing this as a failure, we’re handling the pile differently.

First, a little background:

In November, we shared impressions of the morning workshop led by David Friedman, author of Culture by Design, emphasizing the importance and origins of workplace culture. Employees can speak highly or negatively about culture, but what exactly is it and where does it come from?

Dr. Ivan Joseph, the afternoon keynote, spoke about building high-performing teams. As an acclaimed coach, leader, and Top 10 TED Talk recipient, Dr. Joseph emphasizes that self-confidence, cohesion, and expectations are key traits driving team performance. Drawing on athletics and leadership experience, his point was clear: self-confidence is the difference between team success or failure—on the field, in the office, and at home.

Just as with physical skills, self-confidence is a skill you can learn and hone. We left Evolution 2021 with his book You Got This: Mastering the Skill of Self-Confidence. And that’s how we returned to the pile—we intentionally scheduled time to rediscover and read it.

We discovered this is more than just a book. Dr. Joseph engages readers with personal stories, examples, and encourages contribution—making the book interactive. Each chapter prompts you to write, list, and reflect. It’s not passive; it’s an exercise in introspection and growth, rooted in science and real experience.

Key Lessons from Each Chapter

1. Become a Crazy One: The Skill of Self-Confidence – No one will believe in you unless you do.
2. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition: How to Acquire a Skill – The brain is plastic, and self-confidence can be practiced at any age. Mental skills are often easier to hone than physical ones. As we know, skill practice is central to The Gym.
3. Think You Can: The Skill of Positive Thought – Change your thoughts and you change your world (Norman Vincent Peale). With teams, focus on what you want to see more of. Positivity breeds repeat behaviors. Catch them being good!
4. Select Excellence: The Skill of Team Building – A group becomes a team when individuals can celebrate each other's skills. Surround yourself with believers and people you admire; high-performing cultures breed success.
5. Get Up Again: The Skill of Grit – Focus on the process, not the outcome. For managers and coaches, this is tough, but effort and commitment are what matter.
6. Strive for More: The Skill of Higher Expectations – People rise to your minimum level of expectation. Set the bar high!
7. Pay Attention: The Skill of Focus – “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” (Zig Ziglar) Improvement starts with focus.
8. Find Your Why: Discovering Your Transcendent Purpose – Follow your passion and success will follow. Find your why and give it your all. See our founder’s story about Leadership MVP Program.
9. One Step at a Time: The Daily Journey to Self-Confidence – Life will test your self-confidence. See each challenge as an opportunity to grow and practice. Lifelong pursuit—don’t quit!

We shouldn’t live with regrets, but this book should never have been buried. If you’re searching for a meaningful resource, trust the timing—there’s never a wrong time to revisit and grow.

New Year, New You, right?

The Gym is open for you to meet your communication goals this year. Browse our offerings here and subscribe to our blog for weekly communication tips delivered to your inbox.