To really understand another person’s point of view, you need to climb inside their skin and walk around for a bit.
Do first impressions count?
How often has your first impression of someone left you thinking they are a positive and hardworking individual, or perhaps left you concerned about their work ethic and level of professionalism? It is undeniable that first impressions do count when first meeting someone, as it gives you a chance to present yourself in the way you wish to be perceived by others in the future. Making a positive first impression As we know, first impressions are extremely important, and it is crucial to be continually aware of the way we are presenting and carrying ourselves when meeting someone for the first time. When preparing to meet someone, there are numerous things you can focus on which will leave a positive and lasting impression if executed in the correct manner. Your appearance, coupled with a positive and professional attitude are perhaps the two most important aspects to be aware of when initially meeting someone. It is important to remember to convey yourself in the way you would like to be perceived in the future by your colleagues, employees and anyone else you may encounter. What lasting impression do you want to leave and what lengths will you go to make people […]
Is a focus on profit driving business down?
As a business leader, you will know that your profit is of the utmost importance as it allows you to continue to grow and develop towards your ultimate goal. However, without your colleagues, there would be no profit to be made, and in turn, your business would cease to exist. The driving and integral force behind the success of your business is your people! If you actively choose to put your profit before your people, you risk the demise of your business, as your people will then begin to put themselves before your profit. As a leader, you cannot expect to receive full respect and devotion from your colleagues if you won’t show them the same courtesy. Your people are your profit You will find it is no secret that you should always treat people the way you would like to be treated. This is perhaps even more important when applying it to your business and colleagues. If you take the time to treat your colleagues with the utmost respect and compassion, they will in turn, venture to the ends of the Earth for you. Like many other situations we encounter in our daily lives, whether personal or professional, your […]
Can your attitude impact your life and career?
If you think your skills are the sole factor of where you are today, you could be wrong. Yes, of course they have played a role in the position you currently have. However, your attitude is what has given you that extra push in getting you over the line. Your altitude is most definitely determined by your attitude. Your attitude determines your success Any successful person will say you cannot progress further in your career with a negative attitude. Having the correct attitude will determine how far you progress not only in your professional life, but also your personal one. Viewing the world and your situations with an empathetic and vibrant outlook will help you enormously in achieving your goals. It is common knowledge that leaders haven’t achieved their positions by conveying themselves in a negative manner towards their career and other situations they may find themselves in. Instead they have achieved their success and level of professionalism by conducting themselves in a positive, motivating and empathetic manner. Conducting a negative outlook towards your colleagues and career will almost certainly put an anchor on your success. You will perform at a sub-par standard while your colleagues will resent you for […]
Stop lying to yourself and others
If you are thinking you don’t lie to yourself, or anyone else for that matter, think again. It is not uncommon in our daily lives that we may tell a ‘white’ lie to keep ourselves or someone else happy, without realising we are actually lying and potentially harming not only ourselves but also those we are lying to. Surely there is no harm in telling your colleague they are doing a fantastic job when they in fact need improvement, right? Wrong! The reality is that even though you may feel like you are helping the situation, you are instead hindering it. Loss of income Lying to yourself and others will have many negative repercussions, including the potential loss of income. By lying to yourself and others, you simply demonstrate your unwillingness to be potentially thrown into an uncomfortable situation. You may wonder why you should have to tell the complete truth when you can sugar coat it with a ‘harmless’ lie instead. The reality of this situation is that your lies will resurface, and ultimately end up costing you precious time and money. If you were to tell your colleague they are doing a fantastic job, when in fact, they […]
Why you can’t be successful without telling the truth
Being successful and telling the truth go hand in hand, not only in our personal lives, but also our professional ones. To many of us, it wouldn’t register that if we tell a lie, no matter how big or small, we are potentially hindering our relationships and potential for continued success. Success starts with the truth It is apparent that we continue to strive for success in our personal and professional lives. However, how often is it that we actually take a moment to think whether the lies we are telling our family and colleagues affect us on our pathway to success? Whether we agree to consciously acknowledge it or not, lies deceive us and the person/s whom we are lying to. When faced with the possibility of being confronted by the truth, particularly in a professional environment, we immediately retreat, as the outcome may not be desirable in the short term. However, speaking the truth has far more benefits than that of a lie. If you tell a lie to your colleague, you risk not only damaging their feelings, but also damaging the income of your business. This outcome is not desirable if you are wanting to achieve continued […]
How to be an empathetic leader
Running a successful business requires you to be a strong and empathetic leader. It is a widely known fact that we are unable to truly understand how our colleagues are feeling, as we cannot put ourselves in their shoes. We must therefore make the internal decision to understand how our colleagues are feeling to the best of our abilities, without feeling sorry for them. Feeling sorry will get you nowhere It is of extreme importance that you remember to never feel sorry for anyone. This may sound uncaring, however, imagine for a moment that your leader felt sorry for you, instead of trying to understand your point of view and rectify the situation. Your productivity would significantly decrease, as you would know that your leader felt sorry for you, instead of understanding and treating you as an equal. As a productive and empathetic leader, it is your duty to drive your team to success and happiness. You most certainly do not achieve this by feeling sorry for your colleagues. You must instead, learn to show compassion towards your team and understand how you can help them to the best of your abilities. This will ultimately result in a productive and […]