I once read a profound quote from William Shakespeare in which he stated, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Irrespective of which of these categories one may fall in, it is certain that greatness demands responsibility and accountability on the part of the individual who dares to make an indelible mark upon the world by character and conduct forged by the consistency of faith and fortitude.
I believe that the seed of greatness is within each of us, but it must be watered well in order for it to grow and expand to reach each person’s sphere of influence within the world. Every person’s journey is different, but here are 7 paver stones that can lead us along the path to greatness:
You Must Stay At It. “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great … and stay at it!” The key to being not just good but great at anything is becoming natural and doing it as easily as breathing. Loving what you do allows what you do to flow from your heart.
Your Life Matters. Use stories to empower others and to build bridges by projecting who you are (your unique personality, voice inflections, facial expressions, comfortability in your own skin, and personal experiences) to relate to your audience. Choose not to be common or ordinary, but to be uncommon and therefore, extraordinary, instead.
Lions Do Not Have to Roar. When you know who you are, you don’t have to tell people that you’re confident. It will come through in your voice tone, conduct, and how you respect and handle or treat people. Speak to and address everyone in the same way with the same level of respect, regardless of their title. Everyone is significant. How you relate to people says a lot about your character and who you are. You show people that they are special by offering your gift of a service that adds value (which implies that you are a giver who is determined to make people feel like they are stars). Investing in others causing them to invest in you.
Expect to Win. You must have a mindset of expectation in everything you do and follow through with action steps that become a ritual applied on a regular basis to accomplish your goals. Your mind is going to serve the world or serve you. Create confident affirmations and repeat them daily (external words to monitor the internal conversation in your mind). Watch your posture, handshake and presentation skills. Look people in their eyes and walk 25% faster than most people walk to communicate the body language that you are going somewhere! Think about what you want to say and speak with conviction, fluency, effectiveness, persuasiveness and passionate energy. When you expect to win, you can fly in the face of fear!
Know Your IT Factor. There is something special that uniquely identifies the value that you have and bring to the world -- your IT Factor! Your keen interest in a specific area that utilizes the best of who you are and what you possess, along with love, joy, passion and your level of gratitude, causes you to stand out amongst others. What is it that you can do in your industry or area of expertise to trigger these “IT Factor” qualities in others?
Incorporate Humor in Communication. Humor can be used strategically to motivate people to do what they would not do otherwise. Find humorous stories and make them fun to hear. There’s a style of humor that has nothing to do with telling jokes. Humor interrupts the thinking of a guarded, defensive individual so that they let their mental guard down. Humor is like a lubricant that allows the teaching process to become more effective. Good communicators are good listeners who observe life. Finding something that is funny in a small setting will be funnier in a larger setting because laughter is contagious. Life is about testing and experimentation. Every audience has its own personality. Discover your own humor, experiment, and find out what works while enjoying yourself and letting humor stay fresh to you along the way. Humor helps you to better relate to, impact and influence people.
Touch the Emotions. Use your personal power, voice and skills to touch the emotions of your audience not for manipulation, but to lead to transformation.
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