Personal Leadership for the Present Moment
By Catherine Palin-Brinkworth
Has your work environment changed in the last 12 months? Have you found
it challenging?
At a conference recently, I asked everyone how many had undergone major
change recently. The ocean of hands made me seasick!
We are in a time of the fastest change in human history. Never before,
in peacetime, have we been required to be so adaptable, so flexible, yet
so focused.
Personal leadership for the present moment is about predicting and
managing change. Personal leaders are people who lead themselves forward
with strength and confidence so that others may be inspired to join with
them in equal strength and inner belief. Personal leaders create a point
of reference. They create, claim and embody success.
Here are a few of the essential skills and qualities:
1. Vision
What does your ideal world look like? How would you like your family to be
… your workplace …your business …your industry … yourself? Only
with a vision of the desired outcome can you even begin to achieve it. It
may change constantly, as it does, and so will the method of achievement.
But a constantly renewed vision is essential for personal leadership.
2. Optimism
Boost the vision with a positive belief in its realism! Martin Seligman's
work with Learned Optimism is wonderful; from a totally scientific base he
has created strong evidence that when we believe, we achieve. Not with
naive foolishness, but with awareness and sound information. Using De
Bono's 'black hat thinking' to explore potential risks, but with a faith
that knows we can overcome obstacles with commitment courage and
creativity.
3. Action
Whatever we want our ideal world to be, action will be necessary. It may
be an uncomfortable change of habit or a courageous new beginning. It may
be huge fun! And, it may be extremely uncomfortable. Do it anyway!
Personal leaders take action. Any is better than none, in a changing
world. There's no such thing as a wrong decision-everything will take you
somewhere-and even so-called failures are valuable lessons. Aren't they?
4. Communication
All leaders call on this skill as their major tool of trade. Personal
leaders need it too …the ability to stand on your feet and state what
you want and why … the ability to share your vision and inspire others
to support you in it …the skill of honest, well prepared negotiation to
create your own circumstances or change them. The understanding of
different personalities, different behavioural styles, different age and
gender needs, different cultural orientations …the ability to speak your
mind clearly and easily, with the right words at your command, with
sensitivity and respect but with truth.
5. Confidence
Many people ask me for advice or help on developing confidence. It's
simple. Confidence is about trust. When we trust ourselves, we have
self-confidence. The greatest barrier is self-criticism. Not honest
self-evaluation with a desire to improve but the negative, destructive,
soul destroying self-talk that often consumes us.
I often ask audiences, "How many of you have ever felt
inadequate?" It's sobering how many feel incapable or unworthy almost
every day in some way! Yet everything we have ever done has been the best
we could possibly do at that time in that place. When we really get this,
and stop our self-flagellation, life gets easier, more joyful and more
successful. Somehow, we then stop beating up on others as well and their
level of trust in us develops accordingly. Try it! You'll like it!
So, I dare you:
Rate yourself out of 10 for each of the above. 10 is perfect and 1 needs
work. Be pleased if you discover an area of weakness (we all have them),
and personal leaders acknowledge and improve on them. Only fools live in
denial and maintain the status quo.
Because the truth about life in this new millennium is, there is no
status quo. There is, in our tangible material world, absolutely nothing
that is permanent. Only when we forget that, and cling to what is passing,
do we incur discomfort.
A calm inner strength accompanies the personal leader who knows that
all will pass in time, finding peace in the middle of chaos. Find the
present moment. Find your own magnificence, and revel in it.
Self-development will be a primary key for success in this new millennium,
I promise you.
About the author: Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is
an international presenter, consultant and author on business and personal
success strategies. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Ecology and is a
Certified NLP Practitioner.
A powerful, inspirational presenter with practical and
proven success skills and strategies, Catherine is in constant demand as a
keynote speaker. Her web site is www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.com
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