The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader - Positive Attitude

We continue our learning and growing with the lessons contained in John C. Maxwell’s book titled The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. This book carries the subtitle: "Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow".

Everything rises and falls on leadership. And leadership truly develops from the inside out. If you can become the leader you ought to be on the inside, you will be able to become the leader you want to be on the outside. People will want to follow you.

Quality #13 - Positive Attitude: if you believe you can, you can.

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitude of mind." -William James, Psychologist

If you desire to be an effective leader, having a positive attitude is essential. It not only determines your level of contentment as a person, but also has an impact on how others interact with you.

To learn more about what it means to be positive, think on these things:

1. Your Attitude is a Choice.
   1. The average person wants to wait for someone else to motivate him.
   2. No matter what happened to you yesterday, your attitude is your choice today.
2. Your Attitude Determines Your Actions.
   1. Denis Waitley: "The winner's edge is not in a gifted birth, a high IQ, or in talent. The winner's edge is all in the attitude, not aptitude. Attitude is the criterion for success."
   2. Your attitude is crucial because it determines how you act.
3. Your People Are a Mirror of Your Attitude.
   1. The Law of Magnetism (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership) really is true: who you are is who you attract.
   2. Thomas Edison: "If the only thing we leave our kids is the quality of enthusiasm, we will have given them an estate of incalculable value."
4. Maintaining a Good Attitude is Easier Than Regaining One.
   1. If you already have a positive attitude, I want to encourage you to keep it.
   2. On the other hand, if you have a difficult time expecting the best of yourself and others, don't despair.
   3. Because you choose your attitude, you can change it.

The best way to retrain your attitude is to prevent your mind from going down any negative forks in the road.

“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks other have thrown at him." -David Brinkley, Television Journalist

Bringing it home:

1. Feed Yourself the Right "Food."
   1. If you've been starved of anything positive, then you need to start feeding yourself a regular diet of motivational material. Read books that encourage a positive attitude. Listen to motivational CDs. Visit educational websites.
   2. If you consume a steady diet of the right "food," you can become a positive thinker.
2. Achieve a Goal Every Day.
   1. Begin setting achievable daily goals for yourself.
3. Write it on Your Wall.
1. We all need reminders to help us keep thinking right.
2. As incentive, people put up awards they've won, inspirational posters, or letters they've received.
3. Find something that will work for you and put it on your wall.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc