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How to Build Self-Confidence - #1

by Rick Baker
On Feb 1, 2012

This is the first in a series of Thought Posts about building self-confidence.

To get started, here is our definition of self-confidence:

Confidence is what you feel when you believe you have what it takes to excel, do well, or at least handle the task and situation at hand

Now, here are some facts about Confidence:

  • each of us has Confidence, at least some of the time
  • our Confidence levels ebbs and flows
  • many factors influence our Confidence: situations, other people's actions, amount of sleep
And, of course, a healthy level of Confidence is a very good thing.
 
So, how might we build Confidence? 
 
First, let's check out some advice from experts.
 
Today, we will start that process with Jack Canfield's Six Confidence-Building Strategies 
  1. Every day remind yourself that you did some things well. Give yourself a mental pep talk at the beginning and the end of the day.
  2. Read inspiring biographies and autobiographies: build a file of the stories that inspire you most.
  3. Be thankful. Focus on the benefits you enjoy.
  4. Build excellent support around you. Excellent relationships will boost you.
  5. Push yourself to accomplish short-term goals. Get things done.
  6. Do something for yourself every week. Celebrate your accomplishments.
What about Jack Canfield's 2nd recommendation: read inspiring biographies and read stories that inspire you?
 
Do you do that?
 
There is no question, Spirited Leaders do that. I imagine Spirited Leaders have always done that...from sitting around campfires listening to the elders and chiefs tell their stories to reading about Mahatma Gandhi or Alexander the Great to watching inspiring movies.
 
Great Leaders study the lives, the successes, and the defeats, of other great Leaders. They do this for several reasons. They do this to inspire themselves. They also do this to learn. Knowledge is a key to Strength and Strength is a key to Self-Knowledge and Self-Confidence.
 
 
 
 

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Entrepreneur Thinking | Hero Worship | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Values: Personal Values | Wisdom: Surviving the Test of Time

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Thought Tweet #402

by Rick Baker
On Jan 31, 2012
Thought Tweet #402 You cannot exhibit a positive image in a negative frame of mind.

 

The Thinking Behind the Tweet

Emotions and moods tend to be contagious. If you want positivity, optimism, and enthusiasm then spread what you intend, starting with self.

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Beyond Business | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Thought Tweets

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Do you have a "SELLING PURPOSE"?

by Rick Baker
On Jan 26, 2012

Business Leaders: do you have a Selling Purpose?

Here is the way Spencer Johnson1 presented this concept in 1985:

"MY SELLING PURPOSE

is to help people get

the good feelings they want

about what they bought

and about themselves."

He went on to add:

"I quickly reduce my stress

because I no longer try

to get people to do

what they don't want to do.

When I sell On Purpose,

it's like swimming downstream."

(I did not add the underlining...that was in the book.)

Now, that advice can apply to:

  1. Sales people,
  2. Leaders,
  3. Everyone who wants to sell an idea, &
  4. Everyone who wants to inspire other People.
I propose it be applied to all 4.
 
Leaders need Purpose...and they should do things On Purpose.
 
Leaders need to explain their Purpose to the People who are following. And, Leaders need to repeat, repeat, repeat...ideally, using sticky stories.
 
Leaders should aim to have less stress...that applies to them and to their followers...that only makes good sense...Right? Purposeful, focused action generates less stress than haphazard, unfocused fire-fighting...Right?
 
And, the bottom line...
 
People want to feel good.
 
 
Footnote:
  1. 'The One Minute Sales Person', Spencer Johnson (1985)
 
 
 

 

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Leaders' Thoughts | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Sales

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Inspire People - Grow Profits!

by Rick Baker
On Jan 25, 2012

Two Facts:

  1. When it comes to doing business, inspired People generate better results.
  2. Business Leaders can inspire their People.
Another even-more-important Fact:
  • You can expand your ability to inspire the People who follow your Leadership.
 This is an accurate statement, regardless of how well you inspired your People in the past.
 
The keys are:
  1. Accepting the fact People will need your injection of Inspiration: they need and want that from their Leader.
  2. Working at it: taking specific inspiration-actions designed to accomplish specific inspiration-results.
Wise folks have taught this throughout the ages.
 
Here is one example: about people who are struggling, in 1926, Robert Collier1 wrote:
 
"For men and women like them do not need "Charity" - nor even sympathy. What they do need is Inspiration - and Opportunity - the kind of Inspiration that makes a man go out and create his own Opportunity."
 
Everyone struggles from time to time.
 
The People who follow your Leadership will struggle from time to time.
 
So - from time to time, your People will need an injection of Inspiration.
 
As a Leader, you can assume or hope somebody else will deliver that injection of Inspiration. Or, you can embrace it as part of your role.
 
Spirited Leaders will choose to embrace it.
 
 
HOW?
 
There are many ways...1-Page Tools are really helpful.
 
***
 
Spirited Leader's Definition of INSPIRE2:
  • to exert an animating, enlivening influence on
  • to encourage, impel, & motivate...to excite and impart motion, to bolster focused Action
 
 
 
Footnotes:

Tags:

1-Page Tools | Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Change: Creating Positive Change | Definitions - Spirited Words Defined | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Spirited Leaders

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What to do when Confidence slips

by Rick Baker
On Jan 24, 2012

I was about 30 years old when I learned that specific actions can be taken to build Confidence. I learned this from books, not directly from people.

Perhaps, that's unusual? Perhaps, most people learn about plans and actions for Confidence at a much earlier age? Perhaps, most people learn about plans and actions for Confidence through direct conversations with other people?

I did not...plans and actions for Confidence building just wasn't something people I knew discussed. And, it wasn't something I thought through and figured out on my own.

Likely, my experience is not singular; I expect some, perhaps many, people do not know planned actions can bolster Confidence.

This Thought Post is for those people...and for others who may need a reminder.

There are many ways to build Confidence.

Here is a summary-introduction to one example, from the work of Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt in their book 'The Power of Focus', (2000)1.

Six Confidence-Building Strategies

  1. Every day remind yourself that you did some things well: give yourself a mental pep talk at the beginning of the day
  2. Read inspiring biographies and autobiographies: build a file of the stories that inspire you most
  3. Be thankful: focus on the benefits you already enjoy
  4. Build excellent support around you: excellent relationships will boost you
  5. Push yourself to accomplish short-term goals: get things done
  6. Do something for yourself every week: celebrate your accomplishments
***
 
Confidence is one of Spirited Leaders Values. When Confidence is healthy good things happen.
 
Here is a link to Spirited Leaders' definition of Confidence.
 
Here is a link to one of our favourite inspiring stories about Confidence.
 
 
Footnote:

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | Vision: The Leader's Vivid Vision

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Thought Tweet #392

by Rick Baker
On Jan 17, 2012
Thought Tweet #392 "We bemoan the loss of our forests. We worry over the dwindling resources of coal and oil."
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
and..."We decry the waste in our factories.” This is a quote from Robert Collier, 'The Secret of the Ages' (1926). This book was written the year my father was born. Clearly, some of the current worries are not new worries.

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Beyond Business | Thought Tweets | Wisdom: Surviving the Test of Time

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Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.