If You Believe...YOU Will Succeed

How important is positive “self-talk” to our ability to persevere and be successful?  As it turns out often…we are our own worst critics.  One of the best things we can do for ourselves (and our teams) is to find ways to reinforce “If you believe…YOU will succeed”.

A while ago we were in Florida on vacation and my oldest daughter wanted to watch the Disney Movie “Frozen” with her grandmother one evening.  She ran to the bedroom…grabbed her laptop…and planned to cozy up on the couch to enjoy her favorite movie with someone she dearly loves.  She realized that she did not have enough power to plug it in so she got her power cord and searched for an outlet behind the sofa.  It was a long, white leather sectional and the wall was made of floor to ceiling mirrors so not only was it tough to locate the power outlet but then to reach down and plug it in was not easy because the sectional was tough to move and maneuver.  We watched her struggle to get it plugged in and we offered to jump in and help but she kept repeating…as she laughed and wiggled around the couch….”If you believe…you will succeed”.  After a minute of two of this melee she bounced back onto the sofa and triumphantly declared “I DID IT!  I told you…if you believe…you will succeed….BAM!”  We all laughed and chimed in that we believed she could do it all along!

I have heard her say that more than once over the years from small things like the plug incident to larger things like planning a school event benefitting Make a Wish Arizona.   She planned…prepared and worked endless long hours leading into the “Hoops for Wishes Event”.  I am in awe of her vision…her organizational skills…her attention to every detail…her ability to motivate others…her negotiating skills for donations (like the Phoenix Suns) and her belief in herself and others to succeed.  To see so many teachers… students… parents and others attend the event and to see how complex… exciting… inspirational and fun it was humbles me to tears.  In the end….twitter and social media blew up declaring “best event at Corona EVER and can’t wait to do it again next year”. Her sister has since taken up the charge and is spear heading this annual event now that her sister has moved on to college.  I am inspired by her abilities and how she is doing it her own way.  It’s now her time to find her own if you believe…you can succeed!

Here are some of the lessons learned from these stories....

• BE-lee-vah (that’s my way of saying believe BIG) that you can succeed
• BE-lee-vah in your team and their ability to succeed for themselves and for you
• BE the leader you would want to work…not the one others are telling you to BE
• BE the change you want to see in others
• BE purposeful in all that you do
• BE the first one to roll up your sleeves and get things done
• BE the one that knows your team…their strengths…and set them up to succeed based on what they do best
• BE the one to set the vision…let your team do things their way…and continuously inspect what you expect to make sure it all gets done
• BE the first one to shout the success of your team and you will BE surprised how quickly it goes viral from those above you…beside you and below you…you can never appreciate them too much

The ability to believe and succeed applies to all of us…even on days we are not sure of the way forward.  It takes adjustments along the way.  We often get so wrapped up in the one path or one way we have chosen that we are not able to see other ways to approach the situation and redefine success.  Focus on all that you have and all that is working…not on…all that is disappointing and not working.    Once you turn the lens around to see things differently – you will reinforce your belief that you can…and will…find ways to succeed…even if it doesn’t look exactly like what you had originally planned!

Leadership Questions of the week for YOU:  “Do you have a recent “If you believe you will succeed” story?”  “Can you think of a leader that believed in you and because of that belief made all the difference to how you performed?” “Is there something that you are struggling to achieve and can you use this to help find a way to achieve your dream?”  “What do you think of the “BE” lessons learned?  What would you add or what would you change?”  “Why is it often hard to be the leader we would want to work for – especially when times get tough for us personally or at work?”  “What are the 2-3 pieces of advice you would give to others?”

Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!

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