Our attitude matters. In life, at work, in leadership.
Attitude, perspective, approach, outlook – whatever we call it – it changes or impacts everything.
Imagine if something unexpected or even unwanted happens. What if you ‘failed’ at something, or even lost your job, or you simply didn’t meet your goal?
We can’t control things that happen, that’s a given. What we can control though is our attitude. We can choose our outlook and perspective on what has happened.
This may sound obvious and simple, but yet, when we really need that attitude, we don’t always look for it. We get stuck in the ‘automatic’ reaction of anger, sadness, disappointment or sense of failure. The key word here is to go look for the attitude. It’s definitely a choice and that choice can be made at any time, in any situation, whatever we are facing.
And an easy way to look for it and find it, is to be prepared with an attitude, a thought, a mantra if you like, which can promptly get you on the right path of taking the next step to progress, success and results.
Here are a few examples that have helped us keep an optimistic attitude in challenging situations:
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn” – Anonymous
“It’s all happening perfectly” – Susan Jeffers PhD
“When things go wrong, don’t go with them” – Elvis Presley
Yes, our attitude is everything. Being able to look at any situation and find something good or at least valuable in it is a question of choosing our attitude to it.
We have met so many people who have been disappointed or sad or angry when something happened and who have later on realized that it was the best that could have happened to them.
- People who have failed at something and then realised that they never would have come up with that brilliant new idea unless they had failed and had been forced to rethink.
- People who have lost their job and then understood that it was the push they needed to take the long overdue step of doing something new that they had wanted to do for a while but not dared to do.
- People who have experienced conflict within their team and realised that it made them take a new approach to collaboration, leading to better team climate and better results.
Some of the best leaders we have ever met are extremely good at this. And as we are really keen for leaders to get ready for the future – do you think this a crucial ability to have? So do we. So many things will not go our way – it’s part of change – but our way of looking at it is ALWAYS ours to choose.
Yes, attitude is everything, and one of the few things in life completely within our own control – if we choose to take that control.
So go on, have an attitude! You’ll like it.
About the authors
Mandy Flint & Elisabet Vinberg Hearn, award-winning authors of ”The Team Formula”.
Their latest book, multi-award-winning ”Leading Teams – 10 Challenges: 10 Solutions”, published by Financial Times International is a practical tool for building winning teams. You can download a free chapter of the book at www.leadingteamsbook.com
Praise for ”Leading Teams: ”Enjoyable to read. Simple to understand. Practical to implement. A must read for team members or leaders”Debbie Fogel-Monnissen, Executive Vice President, International Markets Finance Officer, Mastercard, NY, USA
