Previously I had introduced the book, As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, as a principle of effective leadership. For this entry, I want to focus on Chapter 5 of this book, The Thought-Factor in Achievement.

Allen states, “A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts.” How true? A person dwelling in the negative is rarely if ever an effective leader. How could she/he be? Without seeking positive outcomes, a person focused on the negative will be self-guided in that direction. I liken this to sports psychologists who talk about envisioning the outcome. For example, a professional golfer will typically stand behind their upcoming shot and envision their swing, the flight of the ball and the outcome of the well executed shot.

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Previously I had introduced the book, As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, as a book that provides some valuable concepts about effective leadership.  For this entry I would like to focus on Chapter 4, Thought and Purpose.

We would probably all agree that a great leader is one who can effectively convey their vision to others and evoke a purposeful outcome. Many of us often assume Presidents and CEOs of organizations are supposed to be the visionary, strategically minded individuals who direct the efforts of the organization.  In chapter four, Allen points out that, “until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment.” This is, indeed, what sets a leader apart from a dreamer, or one who may have wonderful ideas, but is without the capacity to turn thought into action. Leaders must not only see the big picture, but also be skilled in guiding actions necessary for those ideas to become reality.

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At CMOE, coaching is a big topic. Essentially, our team eats and breathes coaching. The Coaching Skills workshop is our flagship product, and our book, The Coach is one of our best sellers. The skills, tools, and concepts are engrained in our work culture and personal lives because of the benefits and results it offers.I had guessed that all of this exposure to effective coaching was what made me so surprised and disturbed when I saw an example of very ineffective coaching while watching the Olympic Games this summer, but now it seems I wasn’t the only one bothered by this particular example. When the American women’s pole vaulter, Jenn Stuczynski, won the silver medal, her coach, Rick Suhr, responded with criticism, indifference, and no support. If you haven’t seen the clip, click on this link: Stuczynski Hears Harsh Words From Coach. - (you’ll be forced to watch a short ad).

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I love seeing great customer care live and in person. It gives me hope, as a consumer, that companies are being proactive to promote better customer relations.

Several days ago, I was able to see a great effort by a sales associate as she dealt with a very difficult customer. I was in my wireless carrier’s store picking up a couple of phone accessories. As I was completing my purchase, a lady entered the store and shouted she would like to speak to the store manager now. Apparently the store manager was at lunch so a young sales associate walked over to woman and asked if she could help. The customer was visibly angry. She shouted “you guys are liars” and stated her bill was wrong again.

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Life’s greatest joys and its greatest sorrows often come from the relationships we have developed with others. In fact, our existence is quite dependent upon this interaction with other individuals and groups of individuals.

In our world today, it seems that most people strive for happiness through pleasant physical surroundings and economic security. These are great, but if there is discord in human relations, these things do not bring happiness. Think about the last time you were having an argument or a disagreement with one of your co-workers, your boss, your friend, or a family member. Was it easy or difficult to focus on your priorities? Even though you might have been having some success in many areas of your life, did you find yourself still feeling some discomfort due to the stress in that particular relationship? Conversely, you may know people who are happy in abject poverty and/ or with physical stress if they have meaningful, pleasant relations with those around them.

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As I was a young man, my mother introduced me to a little book titled As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen. It has become a favorite in my life and is the book that had helped my mother through some difficult times. I was going through some difficult times of my own when she gave me her copy. At that time, I thought of the book only as inspirational read.I recently took another look at the book. As I pondered thoughts on leadership, I came to realize that much of the book could also be seen as instruction on effective leadership. While Chapter 3, Effect of Thought on Health and Body, and Chapter 7, Serenity, might not fit the bill, the other 5 chapters could easily be sections of any program on Leadership.

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