“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
—George Bernard Shaw
Brilliant leaders think differently to not-so-brilliant leaders.
This is good news—given that you’re 100% in control of the way you think.
But let’s be clear about this…
In the short-term, controlling the way you think is simple—but, as you’ve probably noticed, it’s not particularly easy to break old thinking habits.
Brilliant Leaders are Insightful
They know that to be great at influencing and inspiring others, they first need to be great at influencing and inspiring themselves.
They’re therefore alert to what’s going on in their head—what they’re thinking.
They quickly notice when their thoughts aren’t serving them. And they quickly reconstruct those thoughts.
Let’s look at some examples of these reconstructions…
Manage Your Thinking Habits
“Life is 10% about what happens to us, and 90% about how we react to it.”
—John Maxwell
Brilliant leaders focus on that 90% that they can control.
They’re aware that there are crucial mental shifts that they need to make so they’re able to effectively lead themselves.
Three typical crucial mental shifts are:
- They’re flexible and open to different approaches and new ideas.
When they notice they’re hanging on to “the way we do things around here” thinking
—they deliberately decide to become curious about what could be. - They’re enthusiastic and optimistic.
When they notice they’re getting sucked into problems
—they purposefully focus on solutions and how things can be improved. - Their self-respect and respect for others is high.
As soon as they notice they’re mentally beating themselves or someone else up
—they immediately take a constructive stance.
They consciously recall what they can feel confident about and/or the positive attributes of the other person.
Your Call to Action
Which of your thinking habits could you refine so that you create more “brilliant” qualities?
- Do you sometimes hang on to “the way we do things around here” thinking?
- How often do you get sucked into problems when you could have more quickly focused on solutions?
- When did you last mentally beat yourself or someone else up?
Here’s your opportunity to move a step closer to being brilliant :-).
“My coaching program has given me a vastly improved
ability to effectively and efficiently manage issues and conflict.
Situations that I previously viewed as difficult, and therefore sometimes
procrastinated about, now seem a good deal more approachable.”
—Managing Director, Investment Bank
About the Author:
For more than 25-years, Carolyn Stevens has helped leaders flourish and become more confident, more courageous and impressively influential.
She specialises in helping ambitious but frustrated female leaders become a totally inspiring and sought-after leader.
Carolyn is authentic and results-oriented. She’ll draw on an eclectic array of approaches, tools and techniques to suit your situation.
She’s never too busy to talk to you if you’re in a hurry to boost your success. Same goes for leaders you refer.
Email if you’d like to arrange a time to chat: carolyn@leadingperformance.com.au
