Jack Black – Leadership Development – Personal Effectiveness

“If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re absolutely right.”  Napoleon Hill

These words were written nearly 100 years ago by arguably the daddy of all personal development programmes available around the world today.

Their meanings were relevant then, and even more so today. We live and work at a much faster pace than 100 years ago and while technology makes life easier it also makes the pace faster. The rate of change and the increased intensity of competition mean that our state of mind is the most critical element each of us brings to our endeavours.

Living as we do up here in the north west of Europe we have to put up with a fairly negative culture.  Generally speaking, there is a great deal of low self esteem and lots of self doubt. The moment we step out to take a hold of our careers and push on to do better and achieve more, we’re already a step ahead of most other people.

We gain a huge advantage by developing mental toughness through working on being positive and choosing to see our glass half full all the time.

At the end of the day, the person who wins in any walk of life is the one who thinks they can. Each of us has a constant inner dialogue. At the surface level, it is our moment to moment thinking and self talk. At a deeper level it is finding peace and calm to be able to communicate with the quiet inner voice and know what is true. To be frank most people never take the time to find the inner voice through the din of the ever present surface chatter.

For too many their awareness is dominated by negativity and self doubt. Even eventual winners may face moments of self doubt but they do have the inner strength, or indeed hear the inner voice, and they pick themselves up and stride forward. The truth is that most people just think they “can’t”, so the minority who do the inner work to ensure they remain positive and only engage in supportive self talk find their way to the top.

So make a commitment to steal 5 minutes twice a day, best times are around 10.30 in the morning and again 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Just take yourself somewhere quiet and private (this may even be the loo), sit up straight and focus on your breathing and just relax. Bring your mind to review the morning so far, acknowledging your progress and without beating yourself up just check on the quality of your inner self talk. Resolve to stay positive till lunchtime and beyond. Ideally, repeat this process at 3 o’clock.

Two things will happen. Firstly, by taking time out, you will experience the side effect of managing your stress. Secondly, by focusing on the positive, you enhance your expectation going forward.
I read that Wayne Rooney, said that during his recovery time from his injury in 2006 he never once thought to himself that he wouldn’t make it to the World Cup.

The best only think about what they want, so if you think you can, you will!

I am sure you like me have been really glad to at last see air traffic moving again and those first signs of spring, having lived through a really tough winter.  Some warm sunlight and the daffodils to lift our spirits, thankfully knowing that summer is on its way.  Likewise in business, many are desperate to see the Phoenix rise from the ashes or any indication of a heavy thaw of a deeply frozen economy.  Standing by without doubt there is willingness, a kind of waiting for somebody, something to give us all permission to get moving and really work to build something of real value that is lasting, solid and meaningful. 

Our foundation has been rocked to the core.  Can you honestly believe what has happened to, of all things the banks?  So much of what we have been taking for granted, we can no longer rely on.  More and more, you and I have to fall back on our own resources.  

When we look around, its easy to see how much surplus of unnecessary stuff exists that we no longer need.  Perhaps, we really had too much, too much of everything.  And for our over consumption of the meaningless, we are all paying too much, and now when push must come to shove we really don’t need all that additional baggage.   

While we are willing to do whatever needs to be done, you have probably noticed something else.   We have far too much demand on our time, too many emails, too many projects and too many items on our to-do lists until we are almost overwhelmed by it all.  You probably need your staff or fellow team members to respond quicker, increasingly be more flexible, creative, willing to break down barriers and at all times be seen to collaborate, here there and everywhere. 

Of course, you want to thrive in what surely is the dawn of the upturn.  Yet in quiet moments, without anyone knowing, deep down you may just have a twinge of self doubt, even questioning your own abilities to deliver this time.  All of us have had a bit of our confidence eroded away while we have stood on shaky ground for so long.   And what if, old and no longer appropriate belief systems that drive behaviours and zap our energy supply are mismatched with what’s now required.  Many people have at the back of their mind, however controlled, honest fears about security.  Thoughts run like “Will my job be safe?” “How do I stay healthy and manage the stress of all this?” and “What about my family?”

So take heart, because it’s not only you, it’s also your colleagues, suppliers, customers…apparently everyone else around.

 Given half a chance, the media seems to be reinforcing a negative viewpoint.  And of course in the background there’s terrorism, wars, natural disasters, climate change and goodness knows what else.

Yet even with all of this, another part of you also knows that you can deliver.  You did before, and you have the talent, skills and most of all the willingness.  You know that you have great people around you too.  This duality of self is really apparent, particularly at this time and surely that doubting, fearful part can serve a positive function.  What if it can be leveraged to become an advantage?  If you, your colleagues, and everyone else contributing to the economy were able to do the same, well….

A big part of you wants to say “Stuff it, I’m going for it!” wants to breakout to take risks , to drive on and upwards, to overcome that other part that seems to want to hold you back and stifle your creativity and efforts.   

We all face internally and externally this duality of purpose.  We know that when we find a really creative right brained entrepreneur and we ensure there is a strong FD by his or her side then things will happen.  However, the entrepreneur needs to take the lead and initiate ideas and activity otherwise the accountant has nothing to count.  In other words, both are critical. 

So, what if the controlling risk averse and fearful side of our personalities actually serves a positive function?  What if it’s possible to leverage it so it becomes an asset, not only for you but for all those critical to you moving forward?  If we could have the wherewithal to realise all that is best in ourselves, to capitalise on our authentic selves and genuine strengths, to release our creativity and drive, then we can tackle anything as we begin to turn things around and rebuild that which will succeed and endure.

When we grasp this, and we’re actually able to apply tools and techniques, our mind opens up to thinking about new possibilities.  We rediscover our sense of curiosity.  We are more open to new ideas.  We once again get in touch with our creative and intuitive powers, the very essence of the extraordinary entrepreneur. 

The solutions and power to overcome this current economic climate lies within each of us, but only if we now finally accept that our life, our success, our wellbeing, wealth and security is our full and personal responsibility.   Far too many organisations are still not flexible and open enough to deal with the current global crisis.  So, those within organisations need to understand that the ownership of their career is their responsibility.  They also need to learn to be more flexible and develop their own creative and intuitive powers.