Executive Coaching | "A Player," What's Your Most Important Opinion?

    

Zig Ziglar used to call it a "check-up from the neck up." And I was recently reminded of it while reading this Gallup article on the Psychology of Entrepreneurs.

Self Esteem | RMi Executive Search

Your most important opinion has little to do with sports, politics or religion. But as an "A Player," it has everything to do with your success. 

Your most important opinion is the one you have of yourself.

This opinion, known as your self esteem, is so important that almost everything you do is aimed at increasing your feelings of self esteem or protecting it from being damaged by other people and circumstances. In his book, Honoring The Self, Nathaniel Branden states, “The greatest barrier to achievement and success is not lack of talent or ability but, rather, the fact that achievement and success, above a certain level, are outside our self-concept, our image of who we are and what is appropriate to us.”

High Self Esteem = Self Confidence + Self Respect. Simply put, self esteem is how much you like yourself. On the other hand, self efficacy is how good you think you are at a given task or job. When you feel you are really good at something, you experience positive feelings of self esteem. When you like and respect yourself, you always perform and behave better than if you don’t. The better you do at something, the more you like yourself...the more you like yourself, the better you do at almost anything you attempt. So, you can see how this is a circular relationship and the two reinforce one another.

Recommended in executive coaching, here are some ways to raise your self esteem and rise above that "certain level" Dr. Branden refers to:

  1. Take responsibility for your current situation and resolve to do something about it.
  2. Take inventory of both your strengths and weaknesses. Confront your fears and flaws versus ignoring them.
  3. Decide exactly what you want to be, do and have in every area of your life.
  4. Commit to becoming excellent at the key tasks in your job. Join the top 20% in your field!
  5. Lead by example and speak up when necessary.
  6. Surround yourself with winners. Rid yourself of the "toxic" relationships in your life.
  7. Feed your mind with positive books, articles, shows and audios.
  8. Eat healthy, balanced meals, exercise regularly and get plenty of rest.
  9. Practice positive visualizations of your ideal future and positive affirmations such as, "I am a winner."
  10. Expect the best of yourself! 

 

We will always have up days and down days, but by making a conscious decision to improve and strive for your full potential, you'll begin to be filled with positive expectation. Remember Brian Tracy's wise words, “It doesn't matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.”

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About The Author

Ron McNutt is Senior Partner at RMi Executive Search in Charleston, SC. RMi provides executive recruiting and executive coaching for companies in the Carolinas, Southeast and across the United States.