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We Can Do This

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Article Overview: Maybe they don't say the same words, and maybe they say it through the actions they take and the behaviors they exhibit. Maybe you get the idea through the values they espouse, and the way they show that tough things are possible by jumping out and doing those things themselves. But the overall message of optimism - the "we can do this" message - is something all inspirational leaders share.

We Can Do This

Build Your Optimism By Taking Positive Action One of my colleagues is famous among us for saying "we can do this" at the outset of every tough project, every tough day. At times it seemed like he was nuts to say it - the challenges looked too tough, and too many. But it turns out he's been right. We could do it, and in fact we did do it. Every time. And we never lost a single person.

Inspirational leaders do that. Maybe they don't say the same words, and maybe they say it through the actions they take and the behaviors they exhibit. Maybe you get the idea through the values they espouse, and the way they show that tough things are possible by jumping out and doing those things themselves. But the overall message of optimism - the "we can do this" message - is something all inspirational leaders share.

They don't just say it. They believe it. Inspirational leaders are sure things will work out well, and they go out and prove it by taking bold action and blazing the trail for others.

It's not that the inspirational leader isn't realistic. She is. She'll be the first to tell you the challenges are tough, the competitor strong, the market tight, the resources scarce. It isn't that she doesn't see the problems... it's just that she believes we can overcome them. And people - strong performers, many of them leaders in their own right - flock to join her followership because it's precisely this type of leadership they seek.

I've said before that I see two types of people in the world: the Entrepreneur, who takes initiative, takes care of others, takes care of business... and the Victim, who takes what he can get, takes exception to everything, and generally seeks to be taken care of. Needless to say, the inspirational leader cannot be a victim-type. Though we might all be more or less at our best at various times in our lives and careers, the inspirational leader rarely lets himself slip into a victim mindset. He's an entrepreneur, even if he never operates his own business. He's just that person to your right or left who keeps saying "we can do this."

So check the current state of your own attitude. Have you lost some of your optimism? Don't let that become a permanent condition! If you are worried about something, take some action to overcome it... you'll start to feel much more upbeat. Worried about your job in these tough economic times? Make your own job by starting a business on the side. Worried about your health, and wondering whether you'll be able to get good health care when you're older? Make yourself healthier, one daily change of habits at a time. Worried about your wealth? Educate yourself about the coming storm in the global economy, and take the steps you need to take to be one of the few who actually benefits (maybe even gets rich) from the coming changes.

Sure, those things are tough. No one's saying it'll be easy. All I'm saying is that, no matter what comes at us, we have inside us what it will take to survive and thrive. I'm saying "we can do this."

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Article Tags: entrepreneurship, health wealth and happiness, inspirational leadership, personal responsibility



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