Metamorphosis To Thought Leader, Part II

This is Part II of three posts. Continue reading and do not forget to read Part III.

In Part I, I discussed the metamorphosis to thought leader and being able to monetize it. We do have to eat and provide for our families, yet the almighty dollar is not the zero-sum of our true worth. What matters more is the legacy lain after we leave. Are our fingerprints all over the organization? Are people blessed with the ability to grow and develop their voices, or are disagreements quickly stamped out a la dictatorship?

Part II returns us to our collective thoughts and three ways of managing them.

A)    Identify what comes out of your mouth. Positive thoughts beget fruitful seeds as easily as negative thoughts stifle our goals. If you find yourself saying “That will never happen” or “This isn’t going to work”, you’ve already destroyed the bridge to accomplishment. Even if you utter these words when alone, the damage is done. Change your thinking to using positive statements that also align with your goals and values.

B)    Replace the root. As a former English teacher, I subconsciously pinpoint root words and phrases that can delay or derail our pursuit of perfection. For the rest of us, the root words are the passive (may, could, should, would, etc.) and the “nots” (cannot, will not, do not, etc.) in compound or contraction format. They are reflections of our limiting thoughts and emotions. When we take ownership of our language, we also fine-tune our thought processes and in effect become better thought leaders because we are more confident in our abilities.

C)    Focus on the solutions, not the problems. We all have problems. How do we deal with them? Do we tackle them head-on, or scurry for the hills because it is too hard? The choice made determines how we take action, build habits, and shape character when the challenges seem too great to overcome or come out of the woodwork faster than internet trolls. Instead of dwelling on those minor annoyances, focus on how to solve the problem. After all, you have the necessary resources and experiences to arrive to a solution, and before you know it, you have already made progress.

Being a thought leader induces our way of thinking to become greater even when we fail. Our thoughts are the roots of words, which produce actions, which beget habits, which spawn character. On that level, understand why the things we think about indeed control us. Grab your own life by the horns and pursue your goals and successes by reigning supreme over negativity!