As a leader, creating a healthy business has a lot to do with what’s between your ears.
People who lead great organizations habitually think great thoughts – centered on growth, hope, gratitude, integrity, learning, service, excellence and other ways of thinking that create a healthy culture and ultimately a competitive edge.
On the flip side, since thoughts create emotions, then discouraging thoughts create discouraged people. Anxious thoughts create insecure people – all of which lead to lack of engagement. In fact, our thoughts can become so automatic that, like a lingering odor, we don’t even notice them anymore. We get used to “stinking thinking.”
Case in point. Have you ever noticed how two people can be in the same set of circumstances and yet have completely different experiences? Read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Or, for a lighter version, click here for Diary of a Dog and Cat.
Zig Ziglar sums it up, “We all need a daily checkup from the neck up to avoid stinkin’ thinkin’ which ultimately leads to hardening of the attitudes.”
Got Stinking Thinking?
Do you ever feel yourself gripped by the downward spiral of being defensive?
Angry? Embarrassed? Obsessed? Withdrawn? Or, feeling sorry for yourself?
If we’re honest – and human – we’re usually weighted down with some sort of stinking thinking. Here’s how to reset your mind to a better frequency.
Getting Rid of Unwelcome Visitors
Our thought patterns become so habitual that after a while we don’t even notice them. But, if we make an effort to consciously pay attention to them, we might uncover some “unwelcome visitors.”
We are self absorbed. We feel entitled. We ruminate. We envy. We catastrophize.
We have the power to take any thought that’s an unwelcome visitor and ask, “Is this thought (or pattern of thinking) leading me toward being my best? As a leader, is this the kind of attitude I want to project?
Neurons That Wire Together Fire Together!
Some of the most exciting research today is on “neuroplasticity” – the science of the brain that shows how it’s changeable. Our habits of thinking determine which synapses remain and which ones wither away. Those that carry no traffic go out of business! Those that get heavily trafficked get stronger and thicker.
In other words, when you practice positive thinking – for example, hope, growth and perseverance – you’re literally rewiring your brain!
Don’t be a passive spectator watching thoughts run across the screen, with no control. Pay attention to your thoughts, kick out the unwelcome visitors, and re-set your thinking! You owe this to your team, your organization – and yourself!