Tricks To Become Optimistic

To acquire a more positive attitude, all you really need is a more powerful vocabulary. Try these linguistic shifts.

Some people see the world through a filter of optimism: They always make lemonade from the lemons, no matter what happens. Others see the world through a filter of pessimism; they always find the cloud in the silver lining.
It's a truism of life that the optimists are always more successful than the pessimists, but that raises a crucial questions: how can you change your attitude to be more optimistic? The answer? Change the words that you use every day to describe your experience.

Here are some quick language tricks that can change your attitude.

1. Stop using negative phrases ... such as "I can't," "It's impossible," or "This won't work." Such statements program your mind to look for negative results.

2. When asked "How are you?" ... respond with "Terrific!" or "Fabulous!" or "I've never felt better!" rather than a depressing "OK" or "Getting by."

3. Stop complaining ... about things over which you have no control—such as the economy, your company, or your customers.

4. Stop griping ... about your personal problems and illnesses. What good does it do, other than to depress you and everyone else?

5. Substitute neutral words ... for emotionally loaded ones. For example, rather than saying “I'm enraged!” say “I'm a bit annoyed”—or, better yet, “I've got a real challenge.”

6. Expunge profanity and obscenity ... from your vocabulary. Such words are always signs of a lazy mind that can't think of something really witty to say.

Change Quotes

The Paradoxical Commandments

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

PARADIGM SHIFT

ABC of Sales Leadership

Alertness -Vigilance, promptness and attention to detail

ABC Sales

Boldness - Willingness to act with audacity

Courage - Moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger or difficulty

Decisiveness - The ability to make prompt decisions

Dependability - Doing what you promised and planned to do

Endurance -The capacity to continue and complete a task

Enthusiasm -Positive emotion injected into the task at hand

Failure - A bad outcome that is not to be repeated, but is a lesson to learn from

Generosity - The art of letting your heart speak at the right moment

Humility - Freedom from arrogance and boastful pride

Humor - The capacity to look beyond the seriousness of life

Initiative - Acting decisively in the absence of a definite plan

Integrity - Absolute fidelity to the truth

Judgment - The ability to weigh ambiguous information and make a wise decision

Justice - Equitable and impartial bestowing of favors and issuing of reprimands

Knowledge - The capacity to organize information into a basis for sensible action

Loyalty - Being faithful to the promises you make

Motivation - Inducing action within yourself and others

Negotiation - Reaching for a satisfactory agreement that lasts

Opportunity - Recognizing a favourable situation and taking action

Persuasiveness - The capacity to communicate your fervent beliefs

Renewal - Regeneration, rejuvenation and re-energizing of yourself, your ideas and your action plans

Sympathy - The capacity to share your feelings with those who encounter difficulty

Tact - The ability to deal with people in a respectful and appropriate manner

Unselfishness - Avoidance of providing for your own comfort at the expense of others

Virtue - The embodiment of good qualities that allows you to influence people on the basis of your character

Wisdom - Soundness of thoughts, actions and decisions

Zeal - Eagerness in pursuing your plans, your goals and your vision

Confidence

Confidence- belief in oneself. full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing:



Self Confidence



We have every confidence in their ability to succeed. Self-confidence does not necessarily imply 'self-belief' or a belief in one's ability to succeed. For instance, one may be inept at a particular sport or activity, but remain 'confident' in one's demeanour, simply because one does not place a great deal of emphasis on the outcome of the activity. The key element to self-confidence is, therefore, an acceptance of the myriad consequences of a particular situation, be they good or bad. When one does not dwell on negative consequences one can be more 'self-confident' because one is worrying far less about failure or (more accurately) the disapproval of others following potential failure. One is then more likely to focus on the actual situation which means that enjoyment and success in that situation is also more probable. If there is any 'self-belief' component it is simply a belief in one's ability to tolerate whatever outcome may arise; a certainty that one will cope irrespective of what happens. Belief in one's abilities to perform an activity comes through successful experience and may add to, or consolidate, a general sense of self-confidence.

When an individual has a generally nonchalant attitude toward life they can also appear very self-confident when this is not necessarily the case. Instead it is likely that the individual has a poor coping style and does not realistically evaluate situational consequences; and usually the feelings of others. For this reason they may also appear arrogant because they may demonstrate an air of superiority and a lack of concern towards the welfare of others as they evaluate consequences and the feelings of others to be insignificant rather than acceptable. The more marked this attitude is the greater is the likelihood of psychopathology.

Self-Confident

Doing what you believe to be right, even if others mock or criticize you for it.


Being willing to take risks and go the extra mile to achieve better things.

Admitting your mistakes, and learning from them.

Waiting for others to congratulate you on your accomplishments.

Accepting compliments graciously. “Thanks, I really worked hard on that prospectus. I’m pleased you recognize my efforts.”

Low Self-Confidence

Governing your behavior based on what other people think.

Staying in your comfort zone, fearing failure and so avoid taking risks.

Working hard to cover up mistakes and hoping that you can fix the problem before anyone notices.

Extolling your own virtues as often as possible to as many people as possible.

Dismissing compliments offhandedly. “Oh that prospectus was nothing really, anyone could have done it.”

Cell Phone Etiquette

Cell Phone

• Do not try to impress the people around by flaunting your latest gizmo


• Do not use annoying, disturbing, jarring, funny ring tones

• Respond within three rings

• Don't shout over phone.

• Your volume level of speech should be such that it does not disturb the public

• Do not wear the ear piece when not using your cell phone

• Switch off cell phone or keep it at vibrate or silent mode at public places like school/college class room, hospital, theatre, cinema hall/multiplex etc

• Switch off completely while traveling on an airplane

• Do not use cell phone while driving

• Do not ring people at in-appropriate timings, places or situations

• Do use cell phones in any emergency- that is the real use of cell phone

Managing Angry Callers

Angry Caller

• Listen his problem or complaint carefully


• Do not interrupt him, let him finish the whole thing first

• Do not show off or act smart

• Do not say, "you are wrong"

• Empathize with him

• After he has finished, if appropriate, you may use the expressions like: I am sorry for the inconvenience or I appreciate what you are saying and in your place I would have been upset too

• You should be good in your area of work and investigate about his complaint or problem and solve it

• If you cannot solve immediately, tell him the process of solving the problem and how much time it would take to solve

• Do not mislead him

• Call him back when you have the solution/information and give him that communication at the earliest possible; this feedback is important

Buffalo and Fish - Superleader Theory

Manz and Sims also gave a flight of the geese model of leadership they term "Superleader." The Superleader theory calls to mind the work of Frederich Nietzsche, who advocated a superman/ superwoman model of leadership. For Manz and Sims, as for Belasco and Stayer; this means making nearly everyone in the organization a leader. Like Nietzsche, they consider the modern heroic leader to be an out-dated myth.

According to Sims and Manz (1995) a Superleader leads others to lead themselves: "Give a man a fish and he will be fed for a day; teach a man how to fish and he will be fed for a lifetime". Their typology is composed of four leadership styles: Strongmen, Transactors, Visionary Heroes, and Superleaders.

Strongmen- When firms perform poorly, leaders get tough, which translates into lower rewards for employees." This is a hard-nosed boss who laid out his expectations firmly and loudly. He is a dictator whose style is to intimidate. The Strongman leader exhibits behaviours suggesting that she or he knows the "right" way and the follower should obey or else.

Transactors - For this leader, the power moves are all for self glorification. Transactors use rewards, rather than retribution. Everything is incentive-based, and as a result, employees are motivated to perform well enough to collect the reward; but not to do their best. The Transactional leader archetype has its genesis in the exchange leadership theory.

Visionary Heroes- lead by inspiration, evoking an emotional commitment on the part of followers. e.g. Joan of Arc, Martin Luther King Jr., John Kennedy. They inspire and exhort, persuading with the glory of their mission and their own personal charisma. Manz calls these followers "enthusiastic sheep." The Visionary Hero leader archetype has its genesis in the transformation leadership theory.

Superleaders- they teaches others to fish, to develop their own skills in self-reliance, initiative and self-management. There is a strong focus on self-managed work teams and empowerment. Superleaders question routines. Superleaders drive their company from the bottom up, seeking wisdom and direction from their subordinates--and creating a feeling of ownership among them

SuperLeaders turn followers into self-leaders. The assumed advantage is that superleader teams of self-leaders will be more flexible and react quicker to changes in the market than in the command and control model of autocratic leadership. Superleader workers must be highly-skilled. Chopra argues that superleaders work to strengthen their associates' self-esteem. 

A superleader’s brief is to spot and liberate this ‘leader’ in every employee. And, this liberation cannot happen overnight. It is often the result of a continuous effort at developing individual capacity of every employee till they realize their optimum potential to act in a responsible manner". (Chopra, 2000).

Sims and Manz have seven steps to develop Superleaders:

1. Become an effective self-leader

2. Model self-leadership

3. Encourage self-set goals

4. Use rewards and constructive feedback to develop self-leadership throughout the organization

5. Create positive thought patterns

6. Promote self-leading teams

7. Facilitate a self-leadership culture

The authors attack "heroic" leadership as a traditional myth, the leader as a pillar of strength that will lead people on a journey to progress and performance. They believe the Hero with an inspiring vision and a riveting personality discourages independent thinking, and thus inhibits superleadership.

They are also critical of the "Strong Man" style of leadership, arguing that fear-based leadership smothers imitative. Similar to Machiavelli's Prince; but it should be noted that Machiavelli is clear that the Prince operates on more than fear (i.e. love and hate). They argue that the "strong-men" who single-handedly led organizations to great heights is sadly out-of-step with today's corporate needs.

The Transactor (or Bureaucrat) is the Prince who seeks "what's in this for me," the politician we see in some many complex organizations.

Each leadership approach is appropriate under specific circumstances. Yet, we favor heroes and superleaders over bureaucrats (transactors). Followers of Supermen, Superleaders, and Flight of the Buffalo are people who are coach and who learn to lead one's self. The lead goose's job is to be a mentor, clear away obstacles and champion the everyone is a self-leader model. The difficulty is working with people who have been trained their entire life to be dependent upon a central authority.

Making the Buffalo Fly

The problem is how to move from a Buffalo Herd to a Flight of Buffalo/Geese worldview. The "Flight of The Buffalo" is the transformation of the leadership paradigm from Head Buffalo, to a flight of buffalos where, members of the team alternately lead and support, as situation demands.

The method is based on the following principles:

1.            Transfer ownership

2.            Create the environment for ownership where each person wants to be responsible

3.            Coach the development of personal capabilities

4.            Learn faster and encourage others to do the same

The route is a self-analysis of the culture derived from the leader actions, interactions and personal leadership style: "What am I doing or not doing, as a leader, that prevents them from assuming responsibility and performing at the new level?" Belasco and Stayer believe that all people will rise to the challenge, when it is their challenge. In transferring ownership, the authors present that "I am the Problem" in accepting the followers' responsibilities.

Leaders must paint a clear picture of great performance for the organization and each individual. Leaders, through discussion, must focus individuals on the few factors that create great performance. In this environment, leaders must align organizational systems and structures to send a clear message as to what is necessary for this great performance to occur. Tapping into followers' "Intellectual Capitalism" is great performance for the leader.

Buffalo, Geese and Fish

I was planning some research on Management Styles in general, however I stumbled across this one and got a bit distracted. It is relevant to management styles overall, but focuses on 2 specific models - by Belasco Stayer and Manz Sims.

Leaders must paint a clear picture of great performance for the organization and each individual              

Flight of the Buffalo(Belasco & Stayer, 1993) explores the paradigm shift in leadership from the old command and control model (a head buffalo leads through acts of planning, organizing, initiating, and controlling) to the new intellectual capitalism one (where everyone becomes a leader). The old paradigm of command and control is also known as "Managerial Capitalism" where professional managers centrally control the corporation while pretending that they are under the authority of shareholder-owners.

The Metaphors

The comparison to the Buffalo herd is that they will not act independently without the guidance of the leading Buffalo, therefore the followers will stand idle and be slaughtered if the chief buffalo is killed first.

The classic command and control leader is, metaphorically, the lead buffalo: the individual who directs all day-to-day operations of the company and expects subordinates to defer all important decisions to the top. Head Buffalo plans, organizes, commands, coordinates, and controls.

When geese fly in the "V" formation, the whole flock adds considerably more to its flying range than if each bird flew alone. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the formation. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing, and another goose flies point. The back geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Finally, when a goose gets sick and falls out, two geese fall out of formation with it until it is either able to fly or it is dead. They then launch on their own, or with another formation, to catch up with the group.

So in the new paradigm, the geese rotate leadership regularly and frequently, enabling each member to be responsible for the appropriate course and direction of the team, and allowing each to rest and recuperate from the additional work of leading the flight, as needed.

The Flock of Geese replaces the Head Buffalo mentality. Power is no longer based upon physical/mechanistic forms, but is now based on intellectual capitalism.

 The Model

Buffalo - or Managerial Capitalism, the old command, coordinate, and control model of leadership.

Lead Goose - or Intellectual Capitalism- leaders who coaches and trains people to take ownership, and lead themselves in a (self-managed work) team-based, customer focused discipline. Ownership is thus not about legal rights, but a state of mind. There is a strong focus on teams and empowerment. Also, people are given direct control and responsibility over their own work. Lead geese question their empowered leaders to think for themselves. The emphasis is on partnership in a network-type organization.

Buffalo	Geese
Hierarchy	Network of teams
One leader	Everyone is a leader
One voice	Many voices
Leader will fix it	Everyone fixes it together
Co-dependency	Empowerment
Leader owns work responsibility	Person working owns their own work
Slow learning	Fast learning
Leader is head buffalo, not a team player	Leaders coach others and seek to be one of the team
Leader is boss	Customer is boss
Fit for stable times	Fit for changing times
Theory X (McGregor)	Theory Y (McGregor)
Autocratic leader (Lewin)	Participative style, tending towards Laissez Faire (Lewin)
Tells and Sells (Tannenbaum & Schmidt)	Shares and Consults (Tannenbaum & Schmidt)