Your Word?

 
We often talk of being able to take someone for their word.  A common compliment is, “He is a man of his word.”  Think about that concept by looking in the mirror today.  Are you a person of your word?  Can others take you at your word?  More importantly would you trust your own words?  Do you communicate with integrity and the intention to stand behind your word?

Words are powerful tools Trust is built on words supported by honesty and integrity, but trust can be destroyed by words of deceit and misrepresentation.  Our word is one of the few things we can totally control, can’t be taken from us, and will always play a role in how we impact the lives of those around us.  Enjoy the quote below…    

 “I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man’s word should be as good as his bond; that character — not wealth or power or position — is of supreme worth.”

 ― J.D. Rockefeller

Leadership - Honesty & Trust

The great guitarist Bo Diddley once said, “Don’t let your mouth write a check that your butt can’t cash.”  Others must believe in you before they are going to follow you.  They need to know that you are going to do what you say you are going to do.  They need to believe that you are honest and can be trusted.  They need to know that your check is not going to bounce!   Honesty and trust go hand in hand with great leadership.  People must experience the leader as believable, credible and most of all, trustworthy.  Trust and honesty are established when words and actions match up.  You don’t build trust by talking about it.  You build it by achieving results, always with integrity and in a manner that shows real personal regard for the people with whom you work.  Honesty is a key to integrity and the trust building process. Trust is what other people invest in you, based on your integrity and honesty.  Trust is their absolute confidence that you are truthful and reliable.  Great leaders are honest and trustworthy! 

Mind Games

 

I have read that over 66,000 thoughts flow through our minds every day.  I’m not sure if that is factual, but if it is anywhere near that many it is staggering.  No wonder I can’t focus. That also explains the fact that I can talk myself into believing almost anything.  The real challenge is what we do with all that thought power.  Too often those thoughts are negative.  Thoughts like the devil tempting us and thoughts like our own self-doubt.  We can be our own worst enemy with negative thoughts.  Clearly the preference is to use those thoughts to bolster confidence, to instill a positive attitude.  Remember the MMM a few weeks ago, "Choose Your Me”.  Our thoughts are incredibly powerful.  The mind can push our bodies beyond perceived limits.  It can strengthen us in times of loss and encourage us in times of doubt.   Controlling all of our thoughts is probably not possible, but controlling our thoughts when we need them to be positive is a great skill. 

 

Life is largely a mental game.  How we handle tens of thousands of thoughts per day plays impacts us significantly.  Our thoughts need to be positive, supportive, encouraging, and challenging, not negative.  What kind of games is your mind playing on you?

Work like you're showing off!

 

“Vision without execution is a hallucination.” - Joe Calloway, Author and Performance Consultant. 

 

This quote comes from something Calloway wrote entitled, "Work like you're showing off!"  What a simple but profound statement about execution.  He goes on to say that an employer will trade ten "idea guys" for one person who can get things done.  You have all heard the statement, "Ideas are a dime a dozen."  Generally, leaders do not want to hear what you are going to do, plan to do, or think you will do.  They want to know what you have done, have completed, and implemented.  As leaders, the challenge is to channel ideas into action.  Encourage and direct people to implement ideas and reach completion.  There is nothing wrong with great ideas.  The world is full of them, and we need the people who come up with them.  The real test of any good idea can only come once it is executed.