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- Improve Your Performance - Ever done something you thought was impossible and surprised yourself? Here's why.
- Tap Into your Potential - Major fears that hold us back and how to overcome them.
- Fear of public speaking? - This five part series will help it go away (1 of 5.)
- Office Politics - This article will help you deal more effectively with difficult people (1 of 8.)
IMPROVE PERFORMANCEMost People are Capable of More than They give Themselves Credit For
Back in the early 1900's, the father of modern psychology, William Jennings, conducted a series of studies on human behavior. As a result of his studies, he estimated that in an average person's entire lifetime, he or she would only tap into about 10% of his or her potential. Today, psychologists tell us that Dr. Jennings overestimated. They say that even with all the technology around us, most of us will only use or develop a small percentage of our potential.
They say it's like looking at an iceberg. That huge mass of ice that we see on the surface of the water is only a small percentage of the actual iceberg. Over 90% of the iceberg lies below the surface of the water.
It is the same with us. Over 90% of our potential lies hidden below the surface. The success that we have already created in our lives is literally the "tip of the iceberg" when we consider what is possible. We all have times in our lives when we do something extraordinary, and we surprise ourselves. We look back and say, "I can't believe I did that!" It's times like these that prove we're capable of more than we give ourselves credit for.
One of the first things that our High Impact Leaders course instructors teach is how to remember names. We start by asking how many names, first and last, that each person would expect to remember after a 3-hour session. Most people say around three or four. But within the first hour of the first session, there will be people in the class that are able to remember all 15 to 20 first and last names. After just one exercise, our class members are already beginning to see that mass of ice under the surface of the water. They begin to think, "If I underestimated myself there, I may have underestimated myself in other areas as well."
This newsletter has been designed to help readers purposefully tap into just a little more of that potential by modeling the ideas of those people who have been successful in the areas that we want to excel in. The goal of the newsletter is to catalogue ideas that successful people use to leverage their success so that we can use these ideas in our own lives. ¤
The Leader's Institute instructors are experts at getting participants to tap into that other 90% of their potential. If you feel like you are not as successful as you'd like to be, consider taking one of our courses. Our schedule of public classes is listed at http://www.leadersinstitute.com/schedule.html or call us toll-free at 1-800-872-7830.
The Most Efficient Way to Learn New Skills
How do we tap into these resources? To answer that question, we need to determine what holds us back. The number one reason that people do not live up to their potential is FEAR. Have you ever had the opportunity to do something or say something and you hesitated? Later, you may have kicked yourself saying, "I should have said something. I should have done something." Our fears will ultimately define our success if we let the fear control our actions. Below, you'll find some of the specific fears that we have identified and that we help people diminish in Leader's Institute programs.
1) FEAR OF FAILURE
Our subconscious mind is like a massive videotape system that records all of our activities. If we have ever had, what we consider to be, a failure in a certain activity, our recorder tends to replay that failure in our minds over and over. The best way to overcome this fear is by replacing the recorded failures with records of success. Do what you fear, and do it well, and you can't help but feel more comfortable about yourself.
2) PUBLIC-SPEAKING FEAR
Surveys show that over 95% of the population has some type of anxiety or fear about public speaking. This is actually one of the easiest fears to overcome in a very short period of time. For more information, download our public speaking electronic book (eBook)
3) FEAR OF PEOPLE
If you've ever walked into a party, networking group, or meeting full of people that you didn't know and felt uncomfortable, you have probably felt this fear. We feel anxious because we may not know what to say or what to do when we meet other people. The High Impact Leaders class offers 28 Leadership Principles that help us build trust and rapport with people quickly, gain cooperation from others, and eventually change the behavior or opinion of others without raising resentment.
4) FEAR OF MAKING A MISTAKE
When the pressure is on and everyone is counting on us, the last thing in the world that we want to do is make a mistake. The Leader's Institute helps participants come to confident decisions by offering a process that collects pertinent information in a short period of time and gaining "buy-in" from others.
5) PERCEPTION FEARS
If I perceive that a group of people is unfriendly toward me (whether they are or not,) I will have difficulty interacting with the group. Many times, we can change our perception just by changing our attitude.
The Leader's Institute offers courses that provide a positive controlled environment that allows people to overcome these fears and tap into some of their potential. If you want to develop your leadership skills, then check out our schedule of classes to see when a program in your area will begin.
FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING?If You're Nervous, You're not Alone!
(Part 1 of 5)
There is a certain amount of respect that an individual receives when he or she can stand up in a given situation and convey his/her thoughts in a confident manner, because when that person speaks, he/she is doing what 95% of the people in the audience wish they could do.
My first job out of school was working for a major oil and gas company. I was hired along with about 20 other recent college graduates, and we all went through a three-month training period in which we were each given special projects to complete. We all knew that at the end of the three-month period, some of us would stay, and some of us would have to go. The way that our superiors judged who had the most promising future with the company was by looking at the results of our projects. On Friday morning, we all met in the boardroom at the company's office in downtown Dallas. The anxiety in the room was thick, and I noticed that the closer the time came for my presentation, the more my palms started to sweat. My stomach was in knots.
Somehow, I made it through the experience and ended up staying with the company, but some of the people I worked with, who were a lot more qualified than I was, were let go. I realized very early in my career, that the people who get noticed, the people who are looked upon by others as leaders within their organization or industry, are not necessarily the people who know the most about their industry or job. They are typically the people who are poised and confident under pressure. They are people who can get their ideas across in a concise manner.
PERCEPTION IS REALITY
Right or wrong, the people we meet and interact with form a perception about our personal competency and about the company or organization we work for based upon how we present ourselves and how we communicate. If we communicate in a shy or nervous manner, people who meet us may perceive us individually or the company we represent as weak or incompetent.
Think about it. If your surgeon walked into your hospital room and said, "Uhm, well. We are uh gonna well, you know, take out your uh, your uh appendix--If that's okay with you?"
How confident in your surgeon are you? How long will it take you to get a second opinion? Our bosses, coworkers, and customers feel the same way about us. If we present ourselves in a confident manner, we are much more likely to be perceived in a positive light by those around us. Our employees are also much more likely to follow our lead. This confidence can even pay off financially.
About two years ago, one of my class members, who was an executive director for a non-profit organization, found out that her organization had been chosen as one of two presenters before a philanthropy board that was to decide where to spent $250,000. She said that ordinarily she would have been a basket case, but because of the coaching that I had done with her, she knew that she would do well. At the end of the presentation, the board unanimously decided to donate the entire $250,000 to her organization.
She's not alone. A large percentage of people who graduate from our High Impact Leaders course receive a promotion or raise in pay within six months of completing the program.
As we present ourselves more confidently and speak with authority, we get noticed.
95% OF AMERICANS
Surveys tell us that 95% of the population has some kind of anxiety, nervousness, or fear of speaking before groups. Does that mean that only 5% of the population speaks to groups? No. It just means that other people, who have the same fear that you do, have overcome their fear and have become great speakers. You can too.
Over the next few days, you will receive a new e-mail with information about how to overcome this fear. Tomorrow, we will focus on how skills and habits are developed, because in order to overcome the fear, we will have to replace some old habits and learn new ways to speak confidently. In later e-mails, we'll cover topics such as the specific fears associated with public speaking and how we overcome them as well as how to use nervousness to our advantage. ¤
| *********************************************************************************************** "The Leader's Institute helped me with public speaking and the organization of my thoughts while speaking to a group." --Kenny Byers-The Frymire Company *********************************************************************************************** The absolute best way to overcome the fear of public speaking is by getting a good coach and practicing in a positive environment. Our Fearless Presentations course offers a step-by-step program that will help you develop poise and confidence speaking in front of a group, become more persuasive, and ultimately control your audience. To check schedules in your area, visit this link Don't see your city? Send us an e-mail to find out how to get a class started in your area. class@leadersinstitute.com *********************************************************************************************** "I came to look forward to the public speaking. Each time I spoke I felt more exhilarated afterward. I had to stretch myself to speak the first time, but by the end of the class I didn't feel nervous at all. In fact, I was anxious to be one of the first to speak." -- Anna Horton-The Sunflower Shoppe *********************************************************************************************** |
OFFICE POLITICSBuilding Trust and Rapport
(Article 1 of 8)
In most industries, the better a person's relationship with his/her co-workers, the more productive that person can become. No person is an island, and from time to time we are going to need help and cooperation from the people we work with in order to get things done.
This series of articles will give you specific tips on how to build trust and respect among co-workers, gain cooperation, resolve conflicts, and build strong leaders.
The first step is to build trust and rapport. These seven leadership principles can be very helpful in establishing strong, solid relationships with people. To get the most out of this article, pick one or two principles that you have trouble with and focus on those specific principles for a few days. After you've used those principles, pick another and focus on that one for a few days. You'll soon see new habits being created that will help you in your relationships.
- Avoid criticizing and complaining. "People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be-not what you nag them to be." -S. N. Parker
- Look at things from the other person's point of view. "It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others." -Alfred Adler
- Smile more. "The man who gives little with a smile gives more than the man who gives much with a frown." -Jewish Proverb
- Make an effort to remember names. "A person's name is to that person, the sweetest most important sound in any language." -Dale Carnegie
- Avoid placing the burden of your problems on other people. "A prudent man will think more important what fate has conceded to him, than what it has denied him." -Baltasar Gracian
- Assume responsibility for clear communications. "The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished." -Daniel W. Davenport
- Practice good listening skills. "A good listener is not only popular
everywhere, but after a while he
gets to
know something." -Wilson Mizner
¤
Is office politics getting out of hand at your workplace? Or do you just want to develop more of a team atmosphere? The High Precision Teams program from The Leader's Institute is a dynamic team-building program that help participants build trust and respect in a fun, non-threatening environment. Visit http://www.buildingyourteam.com for more information.