Posts Tagged ‘attitude’
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
When you begin to think of yourself as a successful leader, you realize that there are more demands on your time than you can possibly fill. This is a common problem faced by many leaders. The solution to this challenge is developing a process of effective delegation. However, delegation is an important tool that many leaders hesitate to use, and it has been the downfall of many leaders. The biggest barrier to delegation is overcoming the attitude that you must do it all! It becomes a leader’s curse when you adhere to the adage, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
 Delegation is very different from simply assigning someone a task or project that falls into his or her established job description or requirements. When you delegate, you give someone else one of your job tasks to complete with the authority and control to complete it properly. Delegation is not abdication. You share accountability for the assignment, which is why checkpoints are established to monitor overall progress. Just as the outcomes of your entire department are your responsibility, you are also responsible for the ultimate success of the delegation process.
When delegation is done properly and for the right reasons, it helps foster a climate of trust and creates growth opportunities for your employees. Here are five principles that can help you create an effective delegation process.
- Determine what you will delegate. Effective delegation begins with defining your responsibilities. Write down all of your activities and responsibilities. Review your master list and categorize all of the items into two secondary lists: things you alone must do and things that others could do or help you complete. Anything that falls into the second list presents an opportunity for delegation.
- Choose the right person to delegate the task to. Andrew Carnegie said, “The secret to success lies not in doing your own work, but in recognizing the right person to do it.” The key to finding the right person to delegate an assignment to is matching skills and attitude to the task at hand.
- Clarify the desired results. When the results are clear, it allows the employee to use his or her own creativity and resources to accomplish the task. An added benefit of effective delegation is the individual may find a better and more effective way to accomplish the task or achieve the desired results.
- Clearly define the employee’s responsibility and authority as it relates to the delegated task. Clearly communicate the expectation, responsibilities, and timeline. Be sure to ask the employee to share his or her understanding.
- Establish a follow up meeting or touch points. The follow up meetings should be focused on two things—monitoring progress and determining the need for assistance. The number of follow up meetings will vary based on the scope of the task or project and whether the employee is new or a long term member of the department.
Once you have created a solid process for delegation, stick to it, and avoid reverse delegation. At times, a team member may try to dump the delegated task back to you, and you may feel tempted to take it back especially if he or she seems to be struggling. Helping him or her stretch outside his or her comfort zone is all part of a positive growth and development. Use the scheduled follow up meetings to manage the delegation process, provide encouragement, and monitor the results!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses and individuals achieve high levels of excellence and success. Learn how at www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, challenge, delegation, Leaders, resource associates
Posted in Business Management, Leadership, Management | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Many people are familiar with Yoda, a very wise Jedi Master from Star Wars, who was charged to train Luke Skywalker in how to use his “force.” This quote is from the scene where Luke was trying to mentally, by using his “force,” pull his plane from the muck of a swamp. Luke told Yoda he would try and he failed.
A very influential mentor of mine used to say time and time again. “There is no A for effort in business.” I grew up like many with the belief that trying my best was good enough. However, I have learned in 25 years of business that there is a strong connection between these two quotes. “There is no A for effort” really means it is all about the results you achieve and it is not about the attempt and to Yoda’s point, trying is merely an attempt.
In order to accomplish results and excel at what you do, you must have the skills but more importantly you need to believe you can do it. Trying is a self-limiting belief. After Luke attempted and failed, Yoda used his “force” to save the plane. Luke watched in amazement and when Yoda was finished, Luke said to Yoda, “I don’t believe it.” and Yoda’s response was, “That is why you fail.”
Belief is powerful. When you believe you can achieve something no matter how challenging, big or small, you will commit to do what is necessary to make it happen. You will learn what you need to learn. You will commit whatever time is necessary and you will seek out qualified assistance when needed. Because your belief is so strong you will access whatever resources are necessary to make it happen and you will cross the finish line victorious.
An attitude of trying will never propel you to take the extra step because your measuring stick of “I tried” gives you permission to walk away based on what is believed to be a good enough effort. People and businesses often fall short due to this simple but powerful belief. I mentioned earlier that belief is powerful. Therefore whether you believe in mediocrity or results, you will achieve what you believe.
Yoda also told Luke to “unlearn what you have learned.” If you are used to “trying” unlearn your way into a new belief of achievement. Here are some ideas that may help you.
- Use positive affirmations and say them multiple times a day.
- Surround yourself with people who will positively reinforce your plan and push you to excel.
- Align with a coach to hold you accountable to your personal development.
- Find a mentor who has accomplished similar results to what you are looking for and become a sponge.
- Become a voracious learner.
- Surround yourself with positive messages.
- Disconnect from the naysayers in your life. Your success has nothing to do with their ‘I tried and can’t’ attitude so don’t let them hold you back.
Luke finally got it. So, when will you?
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, belief, Coach, failure success, jedi, luke skywalker, Mentor, star wars, Success, yoda
Posted in Attitudes, Coaching | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
Your attitude concerning yourself and others are major factors in your success and your ability to lead. They will either stimulate or stifle creativity, progress and the ability to relate to other people. Your attitude is your advance person. It walks into a room before you do. It is generally several feet in front of you. It shouts who you are and what you value louder than any words you speak.
You have feelings about how you think things should be, how you think people should act, and how you think situations should be handled. You’ve thought this way for some time. It’s now the way you think. These thought patterns set off a chain reaction that determines the outcome of all that you do. An attitude prompts a tendency to characteristically react to people, situations, or things in a certain way. It works something like this: what you think about a situation will cause you to adopt a certain attitude toward it; that attitude will then prompt you to behave or act in a certain way; how you behave will then determine what kind of results you get. Thus, attitudes and results are directly related; they exemplify the natural laws of cause and effect.
Attitudes are formed in almost the same way as other habits. The big difference, however, lies in two steps of the formation process. While habits are formed by testing some type of external response, such as tying a tie, or adding cream and sugar to your coffee, many of our attitudes are developed through the formation of internal emotions, opinions, and beliefs long before we are able to understand their effect. We judge a habit as being good or bad by seeing the external results that it yields. However, we tend to evaluate our attitudes according to the internal satisfaction that our emotions, beliefs, and opinions give us, rather than the behavior that follows.
The impact that this has on our daily relationships is enormous. If you believe that the people who look to you for leadership are basically lazy, not highly motivated, and without much potential, chances are that they will prove you right. However, if you believe in the inherent worth of all human beings, their right to dignity, respect, and fair treatment, you probably generate a great deal of trust and a high level of motivation. If you are leading and managing people who have developed negative attitudes and low self images, you will have to help them develop their attitudes and beliefs if you hope to help them improve performance. While you cannot make anyone change their attitude—you can help them to change.
All new experiences carry with them some degree of anxiety, doubt, or fear. Changing attitudes is no different. You may find yourself and others resisting change at first, and that is quite natural. Understanding of that resistance will help you overcome it. Consequently, it is helpful to understand there is a proven process for change.
Conceptually, to change your attitudes you must be willing to sit down and take an inside look at yourself. We are products of everything we have inherited and were exposed to. We are a product of family, friends, disasters, triumphs, role models, leaders, experiences, and much more. We have all the means within us to free ourselves from the constraints of negative conditioning. Attitude change is a result of internal understanding, acceptance, and action!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses and individuals achieve high levels of excellence and success. Learn how at www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, habit, Leadership, opinions, RAC, relationships, Resource Associates Corporation, Success, the change process
Posted in Attitudes | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
“Success is determined by our willingness to achieve and the spirit upon which we assume risk and responsibility.” Jan DeLory
If you read this quote and focus on the words that were selected, it packs quite a powerful punch. Success is defined in very individual and personal ways. Some people define success financially, some by the success of their children, some by professional title and status, and some by material items such as the size of the house or the brand of the car sitting in the driveway. How you define success is important to you and to you alone.
However, success by whatever definition is often elusive because of our ‘willingness to achieve.’ How many times have you heard a team member, an employee, family member, or friend say they wanted to achieve something: make more money, buy a new car, earn a promotion, etc., and in subsequent conversations they share their unending frustrations about why they are not accomplishing what they want. Sometimes our desire to achieve something far out weighs our willingness to achieve it. Willingness to achieve means doing what is necessary and having the appropriate attitudes to drive the required activity. Developing and maintaining appropriate attitudes takes courage, the courage to think and behave differently in order to achieve different results. Creating new habits of thought that link directly to desired results takes commitment that can’t waiver when challenges present themselves. Achievement worth having will take extra effort and dedication to the outcome—true success is never easy.
Do you have the spirit to assume the risk and responsibility for your success? Are you confident enough in what you want to achieve that you can say with confidence that you will take personal responsibility and face the risks of success head on? When working with people, one of my biggest frustrations is what I call the “success shell game.” Just like the street game where the shells are moved around in a random pattern for the person to identify which shell the pea is under, many individuals who find success elusive, are just moving the shells of their life around and around. In this case, each shell represents an outside force or circumstance which they believe is the reason for lack of results.
I couldn’t do it because …
It didn’t happen because …
It would have happened if only …
The truth of matter is that most times the obstacle lies deep within us. In the equation of success the only variable you can control with 100% certainty is you.
Most people know Oprah as one of the most iconic faces on TV as well as one of the richest and most successful women in the world. Oprah faced a hard road to get to that position. She endured a rough and often abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for TV.” Stephen Spielberg’s name is synonymous with big budget. He was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film, and Television three times. He eventually attended school at another location, only to drop out to become a director before finishing. Thirty-five years after starting his degree, Spielberg returned to school in 2002 to finally complete his work and earn his BA. Finally, Winston Churchill, a Nobel Prize winner, twice-elected Prime Minster of the United Kingdom wasn’t always as well regarded as he is today. Churchill struggled in school and failed the sixth grade. After school, he faced many years of political failures, as he was defeated in every election for public office until he finally became the Prime Minister at the ripe old age of 62.
These are just three examples of individuals who wanted to achieve success and they had the courage, the willingness, and the spirit to do what it takes to make it happen. They did not let outside circumstances or obstacles stop them, and they refused to let their own attitude be the biggest obstacles of all.
Your success is linked to your attitude. Do you have the courage to do what is necessary to succeed?
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/ or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, courage, oprah, resource associates corp, stephen spielberg, succeed, Success, winston churchill
Posted in Attitudes, Succession | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
 Often when succumbing to frustration, businesses and individuals find success to be a fleeting proposition. There is no question that success is a journey, but it can become a very manageable and measurable journey focused on desired outcomes and results. There is a significant difference between wishing for success and accomplishing success. And, that difference makes all the difference in the world!
Successful businesses and successful people have a long list of attributes that contribute to and foster their accomplishments. However, the objective of this article is to focus on five foundational attributes that apply to both personal as well as business success. Understanding and committing to these five core attributes will definitely propel you to a higher level of success.
Perspective: For the last three summers the Food Network has run the show “Who The Next Food Network Star.” Within the first several weeks of the season the judges inquire as to each contestant’s culinary point of view. What is his/her unique perspective on food, cooking, and the potential audience he/she may be in front of with this individual’s own show? Why would the audience at home want to watch their show and learn these recipes and techniques? Differentiation is critical as with your business and you. What is your business’s unique point of view? How does your business’ perspective differ from the competition? What are your unique set of beliefs to business and your life, and how can YOU capitalize on those?
Conviction: Having a strong belief in yourself and your business goes hand in hand with your unique perspective. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest) rate your belief in yourself and your belief in your business. Are your ratings where you want them to be? If not, why not? What you accomplished yesterday is a great measurement of the success of past decisions. However, your conviction or belief in yourself and in your business is a huge predictor of your future success.
Vision: Where do you want to go? What do you want to become? Why? Just like an organization’s vision your personal vision should be a short, succinct, and an inspiring statement of what you intend to become and achieve at some point in the future. Vision refers intentions that are broad, all-inclusive and forward thinking. It is the image that a business must have of its goals before it sets out to reach them. It describes aspirations for the future, without specifying the means that will be used to achieve those desired ends. Warren Bennis, a noted writer on leadership says: “To choose a direction, an individual (an organization) must have developed a mental image of the possible and desirable future state.”
Experience: Every individual and every business represents a unique set of skills and knowledge. How can you leverage those talents?
Attitude: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.” This quote by Charles Swindoll states that attitude is more important than many things. The remarkable thing about attitude is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past, and we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is control our attitude and stay focused. Your attitude is your greatest tool!
Your challenge is to review these five attributes and conduct an honest assessment of where you stand as it relates to your perspective, conviction, vision, experience, and attitude. Are these five attributes propelling you to success, or are they hindering your desired outcome? Based on your answer to the last question what additional steps do you need to take or what do you need do differently? Your outcomes are directly connected to your choices—so choose wisely.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses and individuals achieve high levels of excellence and success. Learn how at www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, Attitudes, Bennis, conviction, perspective, RAC, resource associates, results, Swindoll, Vision
Posted in Attitudes | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
Achieving success in life, business, sports, etc. is about mastering excellence. Success is about commitment, persistence, skill, confidence, and execution. Vince Lombardi was quoted as saying, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field or endeavor.” So the question becomes no matter what your chosen field or endeavor, how do you master excellence?
In my experience there are three key ingredients that, when embraced, create the foundation for mastering excellence.
1. Having the right attitude.
Having the right attitude is a decision you need to make every day. Your attitude not only affects you, but it affects the people around you. There are two ways you can look at virtually everything in your life. A pessimist looks for the difficulty in the opportunity, and the optimist looks for opportunity in difficulty. Frederick Langbridge reinforces the different views of an optimist and a pessimist in the following quote, “Two men look out the same prison bars; one sees mud and the other stars.”
Your attitude affects your body language and your behavior. Folks with the right attitude often appear strong, confident and happy. Folks with a more pessimistic view often appear haggard, unhappy, and stressed. Having the right attitude gives you energy and that energy is very contagious … being optimistic fuels better health. Even when the world around you seems to be challenging or crumbling, having the right attitude will reaffirm that you have what is necessary to face any challenge and create the right outcome for you. Your attitude has a direct correlation to your ability to master excellence in whatever you choose to pursue. There really is only one right option-embrace the right attitude!
2. Being goal oriented.
Know what you want, why you want it, and define how to achieve it. Defining personal and professional goals will create a road map for your success. It is not enough to have a dream. In order to have a dream become a reality there needs to be a goal with defined action steps. Action is what makes things happen and being goal oriented is an empowering process. As you achieve things from your list, you start to feel an energy building that will very quickly snowball. The more you start to achieve by being goal oriented the more you want to achieve and the more you know you can achieve.
3. The devil is the details.
Attention to detail is critical to mastering excellence and it will make you stand out in comparison to others. Attention to detail means nothing goes unnoticed. It is paying attention to how you dress, how you behave, how you communicate, how you carry yourself, how you take care of your surroundings, how quickly and efficiently you follow up, and how you treat others. Make every detail meaningful and reap the rewards of success.
You have the ability to be excellent at whatever you pursue or endeavor, and being excellent is a choice that is 100% within your control. Decide today to raise your level of success by having the right attitude, by being goal oriented, and by paying attention to every detail. Excellence and success go hand in hand!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses and individuals achieve high levels of excellence and success. Learn how at www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, detail, devil, excellence, Frederick Langbridge, goal oriented, optimist, pessimist, RAC, resource associates, Resource Associates Corporation, Success, Vince Lombardi
Posted in Personal Development | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Many studies document the Boomer exodus from business and industry.
Albeit some Boomers may be reevaluating their time line based on the economic changes, but there is no question that a high percentage of the 77.5 million Boomers will be vacating corporate America in the next five years. (Study conducted by AARP-2008)
56% of business and industries’ Boomer population hold leadership positions. Conversely, there are only 46 Million Gen X and Gen Y’s to take the place of those vacating Boomers. These numbers reflect why business and industry need to be so concerned about brain drain and develop a strategy to combat it.
A recent report conducted by OI Partners state that 54% of companies surveyed said they did not have enough qualified candidates working for them to succeed their executives and managers and 14% weren’t sure if they have enough leadership successors in place. The survey included responses from 212 primarily large and mid-sized employers throughout North America.
The luxury of time is gone. Organizations must get prepared and begin implementing a leadership succession plan. Having prepared leaders at all levels of an organization is a management strategy and a competitive business advantage. Organizations achieve sustainability and growth through their leadership and the quality of that leadership. The important skills necessary to lead a company to succeed in the upcoming years will be different. In addition to being able to lead people, new leaders will need to plan strategically, inspire commitment, and manage unyielding change. However, to be an effective leader takes much more than skill. It also requires the appropriate attitudes and behaviors. There are many tactical skills of leadership, but without the appropriate attitudes and behaviors, the skills are almost meaningless. We talked in a previous post about how actions speak louder than words. It is difficult to inspire commitment in a team when the leader’s body language, tone of voice, and behaviors reflect something entirely different. Managing change becomes very difficult if a leader’s attitude is “this too shall pass.” In order to manage unyielding change a leader needs to be aggressive, innovative, and responsive. And yes, it takes certain skills to be aggressive, innovative, and creative, but success in these areas requires the right attitude equally as much as the right skills.
In working with clients to develop their leadership bench strength we have found the following formula works extremely well:
In order for your business to achieve Improved Results (IR) there needs to be Positive Behavior Change (PBC). We have found a successful way to achieve Positive Behavior Change (PBC) by customizing a process unique to the client that addresses the needed Attitudes, Behaviors, and Skills (ASK) combined with a Goal Accomplishment (Goals) model that drives Positive Behavior Change (PBC) which leads to measurable and improved results.
As your organization develops future leaders for your organization, you need to ensure there is a solid base of leadership skills is important. What attitudes and behaviors do you want people in leadership roles to exhibit? What messages do you want them to send when they are not talking? What example do you want them to set when no one is officially watching? To identify a true leader, observe his/her behavior and attitude as it will tell you a great deal more than an evaluation of their skills.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses achieve sustainable results through management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, and executive coaching, and youth leadership. For information on creating a leadership succession plan visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: AARP, attitude, Behavior, Boomers, Change, commitment, gen x, gen y, improved results, leadership succession, RAC, Resource Associates Corporation, Success
Posted in Business Management | No Comments »
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
As a business we help companies adopt and implement customer loyalty as a management strategy, and we help employees inside those companies understand how they impact the success of loyal customer relationships. Therefore, I am acutely aware of service interactions—the good and the bad.
After my early gym routine this morning, I had a window of time to run across the street to the grocery store. It was approximately 7:20 a.m. and my goal was to pick up some necessities for the week. Based on how the store is laid out, my first stop was the deli. As I waited, because there was no one currently staffing the deli, I observed five staff members in the bakery, the produce section, and the floral department taking inventory, stocking produce, rearranging displays, and discussing certain NFL teams and their playoff status based on yesterday’s games. As I stood there patiently waiting to be helped, none of the five folks who could physically see me thought it important to go find someone to fill my deli order. Their priority was stocking and rearranging. After about five minutes a young lady appeared. She did not say good morning, Happy New Year, or make eye contact. She proceeded to put on her sanitary gloves and asked, “What can I get for you?” She filled my order and sent me on my way with a thank you.
The essence of customer loyalty is all about the points of connection—every single touch point your employees have with every customer. In my seven-minute deli experience there were at least 15 points of connection that were missed or poorly executed. Five staff members watched me wait in front of the deli counter and none of them took the time to acknowledge my existence or offer to find someone to assist me. In my opinion, this earns double demerits because they could clearly see I wanted something from the deli and did nothing about it. (10 points of connection missed). The lady working in the floral area took the time to talk with a bread vendor in lieu of offering assistance (1 point missed).
When the young deli worker appeared there was no eye contact and there was no greeting (2 points missed). Her attitude was lackluster at best. She really did not appear pleased to be at work serving a customer (1 point missed). As she was completing my order another customer appeared and her opening line was “What can I get for you?” with no additional pleasantries (another point missed).
Points of connection define the customer experience and determine how a customer rates their service and how they ultimately rate your business. Your business is dead without customers. Adopting customer loyalty as a management strategy is critical to the success of business and industry in our ever-growing service environment. If you want to make a significant difference in the results of your business for 2010, I would strongly encourage you look how customer loyalty is defined in your organization. I am confident that the five staff people watching me wait for assistance are not bad employees and they were genuinely “doing their job.” However, I am also confident store management does not embrace customer loyalty practices or my early morning shopping experience would have been quite different. Unfortunately, my experience with the deli that morning is not my first.
Why do I continue to shop there? It is the closest store to my home and office. However, next closest store is only about 3 miles further and I have decided to break my habit and investigate the other store. If their services prove to be better my current store will lose a 5-year, weekly customer. By my conservative calculations that nets approximately $20,800 worth of business.
Take a serious look at your organization’s customer loyalty standards, practices, and measurements. No business in today’s ever changing economic world can afford to lose a customer because of non-existent or inappropriate points of connection.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, Management, points of connection
Posted in Customer Loyalty | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Learning, growing, and changing is possible with the right attitude and focus. All individuals have the ability to master their individual talents and be the best they can be! There are people who scoff at this philosophy and espouse limiting beliefs. However, that is the fundamental difference between positive thinking and foolish thinking. We all have the innate ability to be the best of who we were meant to be.
Based on a 2007-2008 NBA survey, the average height of a player is 6’6”. It would be fairly inconceivable for a person with the height of 5’4” to make the NBA a long-term career choice. It is certainly a goal that can be aspired to however, physical limitations could present ongoing challenges. Is it foolish thinking for an individual of 5’4” to want to be an NBA star? Retired player, Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues (Hornets, Warriors, and Raptors) who is 5’3” and Wizard’s point guard Earl Boykins who is 5’5” would probably disagree.
Many great people have overcome adversity and challenge to accomplish great things. Ronald Reagan spent his early life admittedly being an introvert, but during his Presidency he was coined “the great communicator.” Lance Armstrong won seven Tour De France races from 1999-2005 after battling and beating cancer. The acclaimed actor, Tom Hanks, admitted to being quite shy most of his younger years. Pablo Picasso overcame great poverty to become a renowned artist.
We are not born great at anything. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All great speakers were bad speakers at first.” No leader, manager, artist, business owner, or musician started out great. However, the difference between average and great is the desire to develop and succeed, a commitment to do so, as well as a positive attitude and the belief that you will make it happen.
What do you desire to accomplish? What do you what to be known for or what will be your legacy? Define what you want to accomplish, achieve, do, and be. Be careful not to let your practical mind limit your dreams and ideas. Grant yourself permission to think big and out of the box. Make the commitment to define who you are supposed to be. Learning, growing, and changing takes work but the effort is worth the results.
The second step is making the commitment to pursue your dreams and take action. Establish and define a plan. Determine the destination and create a map to get there. Sometimes the steps necessary will be small, and sometimes you may have to take a leap of faith but trust your vision. Your contributions will make a difference to many, so failure should not be an option.
Finally, remember that positive thinking will get it done. That is not to say you will not face obstacles and adversity as success does not come easy. It has been my experience that nothing of significant value ever comes easy or free. However, your focus and your attitude will give you what is necessary to create the right solutions and the next best steps. You can’t control what happens around you but you can certainly control how you react. Your attitude and positive mindset are your secret weapons to success as you define it. Don’t let anyone or any circumstance take away your secret weapon as it is far too important to your contributions.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, Earl Boykins, Lance Armstrong, Muggsy Bogues, NBA, Positive Thinking, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ronald Reagan, Success, Tom Hanks, Tour De France
Posted in Attitudes | 13 Comments »
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
“Optimism is a matter of mental habit. You can learn to practice the habit of optimism and thereby greatly enhance your chances of achieving success. Or you can drive yourself into the pit of pessimism and failure.” - Napoleon Hill
How would you rate your level of optimism? When asked, “Would you consider yourself an optimistic or pessimistic person?” most people would answer, “Optimistic, of course!” Are you really? A great many attitudes, behaviors, and actions you witness in the world around you are often more negative than positive, pessimistic rather than optimistic.
I was driving back to the office today from an appointment when a black blazer turned left through and into oncoming traffic and missed hitting me by inches. Thankfully I caught him in my peripheral vision and was able to defensively swerve in order to get out of his way. We both proceeded safely. My first reaction was not to have the “inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events, or to anticipate the best possible outcome” as Webster defines optimism. My first reaction was of anger and annoyance.
As I proceeded to my destination I was pondering my reaction and thought to myself, what if he truly did not see me? There was a passenger in the blazer and they were talking, so there is the possibility that he just did not see me. His responsible driving skills are a subject for another discussion; however, I really don’t believe people get in their car and drive through life with the intention of having an accident. Accidents are just too inconvenient for all involved. So I decided to focus on the fact that maybe he didn’t see me, nothing happened, and all is good—take a positive approach.
But you know as well as I, so many people can have an incident like an “almost car accident” affect their attitude and their optimistic view toward the world and others. It is so easy to focus on the negative, the bad, or the wrong that it becomes all consuming.
I was early to a staff meeting the other day and there was general chitchat going on before the meeting started. One woman started talking about the weather and since it is November in Pennsylvania snow can be part of the forecast. The weather folks were calling for the possibility of snow showers in the areas of higher elevation that evening. The woman sitting next to her voiced her immediate reaction, “I hate snow! I hate everything about snow!” The intensity with which she made those comments confirmed without a doubt her hate for snow.
Pessimism is a state of mind, which negatively colors the perception of life. We spend so much time being pessimistic about things that we cannot control, that we literally give away our ability to be optimistic about what we can control. Having an optimistic attitude and view on life is a choice, and sometimes based on the world around us it can literally be a minute-by-minute choice. We are bombarded with so much negativity that it is easy to slip into the status quo of negativity. I challenge you to not accept the status quo, take control, and choose to be optimistic. You will see measurable results personally and professionally when you make the shift!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, control, Leadership, mental habit, Napoleon Hill, negative, optimism, Pennsylvania, pessimism, positive
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