How do you start your day on the right note? You have a choice. How do you handle a difficult situation? What can you do every day to learn from other leaders?
Imagine that you are driving a new car on a cold winter day. Life is great … until a rusty Suburban crashes into your ass. This event happened to me, and once I realized that neither I nor the other driver were hurt, I faced a choice; Do I go crazy and yell at the young woman who decided to give me a butt, or do I pause and treat her like a human being?
The young women apologized and mentioned that she had been ill and was on her way to take a make-up exam at the local university. I noticed her coat was unbuttoned and suggested she button her coat as it was quite cold outside. I was not happy, but I chose to respond positively!
The way your character is revealed is not when things go your way; But when the unexpected or unpleasant happens.
The choice is yours! So how will you handle a difficult situation?
Take a deep breath and respond calmly to the situation.
Start with a positive and happy attitude:
My mother-in-law, Pearl Neustein Berger, always had a positive and happy attitude no matter what difficult problems she had to face. She was the sixth daughter of eight children of Regina and Herman Neustein who came to the United States from the Austria-Hungarian Empire, Lemberg.
When her husband died of cancer, she was 41 years old and had two children to support, ages 5 and 13. He had no education or job. He decided to take matters into his own hands and found a job in a department store in New York, where he stayed for several years.
He worked hard to provide for his children, instilling strong moral values in them. He taught them to study, work hard, and help others. She understood the importance of attending church services every week to help strengthen her character.
She worked hard to ensure that her two sons could go to college and graduate school. Shortly after my husband Allan and I got married, my husband had to register for the next semester of graduate school. He took night classes since he had a full-time job during the day. I couldn’t get off work to go to sign up for classes. I was also working that day.
His mom, Pearl Berger, had the day off from work and said she would enroll him in school. She always had a positive and happy attitude and was one of the most caring and honorable people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She was five foot five and to me she was one of the tallest and strongest women I have ever met. Her caring attitude and commitment to her family, friends and others made her unforgettable.
What is the best way to start the day? Start with a positive attitude and wear a smile!
How you respond and how willing you are to share the credit for accomplishments greatly impacts the people you lead.
Former Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant once said that the way to get people to play their hearts out on the football field is to take the blame when things go wrong and give … that’s it. what it takes for people to win football. games … but to the outside world, Bear Bryant always carried the heat.
“If something goes wrong, I did it. If something goes semi-good, then we did it. If something goes really well, then you did it. That’s all it takes for people to win soccer games.” – Coach Bear Bryant
Is this how the great leaders in your life behave? Is this an attitude you could adopt? It could unlock tremendous potential!
What are the 3 ways to improve your leadership skills?
1. Start your day on the right note with a happy positive attitude and a smile.
2. When you have a difficult situation, take a deep breath and respond calmly to the situation. As coach Bear Bryant said, “Be willing to take the pressure when things go wrong. When things go well, share the credit. When an individual or team does well, give them the credit.”
3. Leaders read every day for 10-15 minutes and learn from other leaders to help them solve their problems. Leaders are readers and learners who constantly evolve, change, and respond to problems and situations.