Everyone’s entitled to having a bad day every now and then. Yet, when a bad day has turned into a bad week, or maybe even a bad month, it’s time to pause and assess, before your leadership reputation is on the line.
To be effective in your leadership role, it is important to pay attention to the energy and attitude you project. When under pressure or stress the brain will default to old behavior patterns regardless of whether it is beneficial to the situation. These behavior patterns can lead to serious consequences that are not obvious or alarming.
Self-sabotage is at its finest. Here are some tips to stop it getting the better of you.
There are five common self-sabotaging identities that undermine and, in some cases, hinder future opportunities and successes for some of the most talented executives and entrepreneurs.
These are the negative actions:
- Be a complainer. Constantly pointing out what’s going wrong in a situation prevents you from presenting yourself as a problem-solver and expert in the room.
- Being defensive. Always having an explanation for your actions–even when they’re not working–prevents you from building trust with clients and team members.
- Hypercritical. If you’re finding a problem with every solution, you’ll never find a solution to the problem.
- Being self-deprecating. If you underestimate your ability to handle problems from the start, you’ll hold yourself back from taking on tasks.
- A fatalist.If we allow the worst to happen, it is possible to make it work. We forget to look for opportunities to succeed.
Most people are identified with one self-sabotaging type of identity. However, some identify in several categories.
The first step to changing the destructive behavior pattern is becoming aware of the sabotage behaviors you are engaging in. Next, you need to find a positive way to change the behavior. You can assign a trigger word for the self-destructive behavior in order to initiate the new behavior. When the natural instinct is to start self-sabotage, the trigger word will be the signal to activate the new behavior.
“Self-doubt does more to sabotage individual potential than all external limitations put together.” – Brian Tracy
Use trigger words to increase your success
- ELEVATE is the solution to all your complaining.A constant focus on the obstacles and complaining quickly can make a small problem even worse. When leaders reframe difficult circumstances and offer possibilities, they can elevate others’ mindsets. A positive outlook on an obstacle can give you a greater understanding and perspective. It will also help to increase morale and motivation.
- Stop being defensive and think about QUESTION.Team members and clients feel less valued when their team is defensive. Asking a question like, “how did this circumstance impact you?” offers the opportunity to better understand the other perspective to achieve a mutually beneficial resolution.
- You can stop being too critical. Think FORWARD.You will find it difficult to solve every problem. It can also make you doubt your ability to persevere in finding solutions. Do not wait for the right solution. Instead, try different solutions until you find the best one.
- Forget self-deprecation. Think EMBRACE.Team members and clients look up to you because of your leadership qualities and unique talents. Recognizing your brilliance is about valuing your talents and strengths, so that you can approach every problem confidently.
- To beat the fatalist think RECALIBRATE. Your brain can be viewed as a GPS to avoid creating a worse-case scenario. You can use your brain to find the best route and guide you through each obstacle.
The trigger words can be posted in areas where people are likely to see them. This will serve as a reminder that the behavior change is happening. Places like – the wallpaper on your phone, a post-it on your computer screen, or hand written at the top of a legal pad are useful places to reinforce the changes you are making.
Many entrepreneurs and executives place too much emphasis on how hard they work to achieve their goals. They neglect the importance of the energy and attitude they bring to the task. Their work is of high quality and they are willing to do the extra work in order to reinforce the belief that hardwork will bring them great success. Although hard work can be a part of any equation, you must recognize that it will not get you far.
You can protect yourself from self-destructive behavior by combining hard work with mental strength.
The post 5 Surprising Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Success first appeared on Addicted 2 Success.
The post 5 Surprising Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Success appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.