Jennifer Touma's Blog, page 3
August 21, 2015
7 Success Strategies for Mental Toughness They Don't Teach You in Business School
Have you ever calculated the amount of time and money you have invested in an undergraduate degree, an MBA, and countless webinars? Yet you still feel you’re no closer to obtaining your cherished career and life goals?
In today’s highly competitive business climate, traditional education falls short in equipping high achievers to win at work and succeed in life.
You need more than education and experience to succeed in business. You need Mental Toughness, a strong and disciplined mind. Mental Toughness helps get you through critical moments of performance amidst the rapid changes and ambiguities creating today’s uncertain business environment.
Steve Bergholtz, senior facilities consultant for Danvers, MA-based AmSan Division of Interline Brands, sums it up: “Regardless of what is going on today in the world, you must make the decision not to yield to its pressure. The only control you have is how you respond to the situation or challenge. Being mentally tough enables me to be more creative in my approach to business. It gives me the competitive edge to outperform my competitors both professionally and monetarily.”
What Mental Toughness Is
Mental Toughness is an inner strength developed in every experience to help you improve your own ability to ‘level the playing field’ in business. It is an emotional toughness enabling you to remain emotionally stable while continuing to make rational decisions under pressure. It is the ‘true grit’ that helps you work through difficult situations, keeping your purpose always in mind. Grit means strength of character, not giving up, and the ability to persevere until a satisfactory resolution has been reached.
Mental Toughness Without Arrogance
Mental toughness does not mean becoming a bully or feeling the need to display unruly, arrogant behaviors toward someone or something in order to convince others of your mental superiority.
What it does mean is that you have trained and developed your inner resilience as a result of your increased determination to succeed. You resolve to be flexible when necessary, and center your fortification to such a degree that you’re able to deal with whatever comes your way. Mental toughness helps you easily outperform ordinary standards and become optimally effective and productive in both your personal and professional life.
The Seven Success Strategies for Mental Toughness They Don’t Teach You In Business School shared here will give you the ability to withstand the unexpected and diverse challenges of business, as well as to weather the personal and professional disappointments often encountered when working in a stressful environment.
Control your emotional response to all challenges. At the first sign of pressure, immediately stop, take a few deep breaths, and be still in both mind and action. Then ask yourself, “Am I allowing events or circumstances to control my emotional response?” With a strong, disciplined mind, you become self-directed and self-reliant. Self-manage your thinking and emotions and make your own decisions rather than being controlled by the business environment, the opinion of others, or momentary situations.
Be Self-discipline. Companies like Google, YouTube, Amazon, and eBay did not spin out from big companies. They sprang from individuals who were self-motivated, remained disciplined in their dedication to innovation, and had an inquisitive mind. This deep strength means you are your own person responsible for your own success or failure. Self-discipline means responding moment by moment to what you are thinking rather than feeling.
Extraordinary Power of Visualization. Picture in your mind what you want for yourself and then open yourself to receive anything that might lead you to this wonderful goal. Picture in your mind what you want for yourself and then open yourself to receive anything that might lead you to this wonderful goal. Before I speak to a large audience, I see myself giving the talk. Consider these three examples. Napoleon, for example, “practiced” soldiering in his imagination for many years before he ever went on an actual battlefield. Concert pianists will first hum and practice a composition in their mind before ever playing it. Architects will imagine their structural feat before drafting it on paper.
Hear the words of Shunryu Suzuki, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” There’s a trap that many smart, ambitious professionals fall into as their careers move forward. It’s seldom discussed yet can turn a productive and fulfilling career into a mediocre one. And ironically, the more experienced you become, the greater your chances of getting derailed by it. The trap is to become an expert. In business being an expert is considered a mark of distinction, a title that promises consistent and thoughtful excellence. But the truth is many experts establish a routine that has worked for them early in their careers and then never deviate from it. They become ingrained in seeing things and doing things a certain way and stop considering any other way. They effectively switch off the probing, creative minds that launched their careers and instead operate on autopilot. Don’t let this happen to you. It blinds you from the nuanced details of each new challenge and from creating the very best solutions possible.
Be flexible. Flexibility is a learned mental skill. In today’s dynamic world, your effectiveness as a professional depends on your readiness to adjust quickly to the moments of need or opportunity, adversity, and change. Instead of being a rigid thinker of staying with what you feel comfortable with and what has worked in the past, you can approach these uncertainties by thinking more creatively and being flexible in your thinking. Be aggressively curious, ask questions, and be open to alternatives.
Be inner-directed. Act like an inner-directed independent thinker who uses his whole brain to lead competently, intentionally and decisively through the changing business climate.
Self-awareness is a mind-set to finding your best self. The more you like yourself, know your core strengths, understand the values that are important to you, know how your moral compass drives you toward success and what influences your failures, the more accurate perception you possess of the real “you” and your abilities. Copyright 2015 JenniferTouma.com Mindscapemind Mindscape
[New Post] 7 Success Strategies for Mental Toughness They Don’t Teach You in Business School
August 11, 2015
7 Ways to Increase Your Executive Presence
This is a guest post by Robin Samora, a small business marketing and PR expert who helps clients turn prospects and customers into raving fans! Visit her blog, connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter at @RobinSamora
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Have you noticed certain people in the corporate world seem to have a special aura about them?
This special aura is hard to describe and define. But, frankly, that’s beside the point, because you instantly “know” when you’re in the presence of such a person — regardless of whether you’re sitting next to them in a boardroom, or across the corridor from them in a crowded airport. It’s an unmistakable impression of confidence, poise and self-awareness, and what’s more, it’s infectious. That is, when we’re around such people we also start to feel more confident, poised and self-assured.
This special, rare and essentially indescribable quality goes by a few names, such as “magnetism” or “charisma.” However, in working closely with thousands of leading corporate professionals across the country and around the world, I think the term Executive Presence defines it best – because it’s about how you think, act, communicate, act and, ultimately, “are present” on the corporate stage.
Now, you may think that Executive Presence is a trait that you’re either born with…or born without. And while it’s true that some rare people do have an innate talent along these lines, be assured that cultivating an Executive Presence is possible and practical. Here are the 7 ways to achieve this remarkable goal:
Be attractive, but not sexy.
Aim to look attractive — but leave sexy out of the picture. Attractive is an appealing quality that draws people towards you (i.e. they are literally “attracted” to you). Sexy, however, is a feeling and an attitude that others may find aggressive, confusing, or just plain inappropriate. Instead of looking confident, you can come across looking desperate. Save sexy for after work, and keep it out of your business inner circle.
Learn the rules of engagement.
Always speak with intention, and from a place of deep, unwavering confidence. Keep your messages brief and to the point, but not so that they’re cryptic or incomplete. And above all else: pay attention in meetings, and never text or check for emails. Even if you’re on the phone and the other party can’t see you, they can definitely “feel” when they don’t have your undivided attention.
Develop grace under fire.
The corporate world changes daily – sometimes hourly. Just when one problem is solved, another emerges; sometimes, more than one. Reacting to each new challenge is both exhaustive and, ultimately, futile. You’ll burn out and undermine your professional success and personal health. The key to staying calm and responding – rather than reacting – is to practice being graceful under fire. Honestly analyze how and why your “buttons get pushed,” and start to retrain yourself to respond differently.
Learn how to quickly size up a room.
On a personal level, we’re all created equal and deserve the same respect. However, this doesn’t mean that everyone you encounter in your professional life is a potential fit for your network. There are certain people who you want to connect with and meet more than others (and vice versa). Develop the ability to decipher clues and signals that help you spot these people. Plus, doing a little LinkedIn homework can also help you prepare to connect with the right people – especially when you don’t have much time to shake hands (or fist bump as the case may be), exchange names, and start a relationship.
Boost your Emotional IQ
Are you sensitive to what others need? Do you take time to really listen to those you interact with; not just what they say, but how they say it and, often more informatively, what they aren’t saying? A great way to develop emotional IQ is to “listen with your whole body.” That is, while communicating with someone and even after the conversation has finished, let your whole body grasp and then reflect on the experience. Pay careful attention to that little voice inside you, and heed its wisdom. You’ll be surprised by how much you’ll discover, and how this helps you earn the trust, loyalty and support of the people in your network. Actually, scratch that — you’ll be amazed!
Enhance your vision.
Are you a visionary? It doesn’t matter if you manage a staff of zero or 1000. Leaders simply lead — it’s in their DNA. And they do this by seeing the bigger picture, and having an engaging, yet realistic plan that others want to follow. Enhance your vision by always asking yourself: “How does this action or attitude, however small it may seem at the moment, align with my overall plan?” If it doesn’t fit the way it’s supposed to, then it’s time to tweak the plan, or adjust the action/attitude.
Polish your reputation.
Does your reputation help — or hinder — your personal brand? Everything you and others see or hear about you reflects upon your reputation, and tells a story about who you are. Polish your brand by taking control of the narrative. Have a brilliant LinkedIn profile. Create a winning Elevator Speech. Be consistent in your messaging, whether it’s in email, over the phone, or in person. Remember: you’ve only got one brand, so it’s in your interest to protect it!
The Bottom Line
And so, after all of your effort and focus, what can you expect by developing your Executive Presence to an elite level? Everything from dramatic career advancement, to building valuable relationships with clients, colleagues and peers. Yet perhaps most rewarding is the feeling you’ll have when you inspire others to achieve and sometimes exceed their potential. Instead of looking for those special people with the magical aura…you’ll BE one!
Copyright 2015 Robin Samora Inc.
[Guest Post] 7 Ways to Increase Your Executive Presence
July 6, 2015
Strategies for Mental Toughness
Life is full of obstacles, uncertainty, challenges and potential for failure. It’s those who are mentally strong and resilient that have the best chance of rising above those challenges to reach their goals.
In my May 19, 2015 podcast interview, Strategies for Mental Toughness, Dave Kirby recaps my episodes 216-219 about how to develop mental toughness, based on my book “Moment of Impact: Harness the Explosive Power of Three to Maximize Your Mind, Life, and Business,” a practical guide towards meeting life-altering moments with confidence, power and decisiveness. In essence, how to find that emotional toughness within.
Here’s to your mental toughness for life success,
Jennifer
Copyright 2015 Jennifer Touma Mindscape
[New Post Podcast] Strategies for Mental Toughness
June 8, 2015
The 7 Deep Strengths Exhibited by Mentally Strong People
Whenever you confront a challenge or overcome a difficulty in your personal or professional life, it’s important to realize that deep strengths reside inside you that make all the difference. Take advantage of them in coming back from the brink and in emerging out of the other side in triumph, despite the mental turmoil and inner conflicts that may arise.
Here are seven deep strengths of mental toughness that mentally strong people turn to in order to achieve what is important to them without limits.
Grit
Grit means strength of character, not giving up, and the ability to see a situation through to a satisfactory resolution. It is an unyielding deep strength we can access, ignite, and manage anytime that transcends our knowledge, skills, and past successes.
We call upon ‘grit’ to help us work through difficult situations in pursuit of our purpose. Angela Lee Duckworth in her TED TALK identifies five characteristics of grit.
Being achievement-oriented and establishing long term goals represents an intrinsic zest of commitment in knowing what you want, being unyielding in pursuit, and a firm belief that “excellence is an attitude, not an endgame”.
Grit makes you resilient; we believe it makes you into a resilient thinker because thinking determines the action which determines the result as opposed to jumping back into action from habit rather than conscious thought. So be a resilient thinker and ask yourself, ‘When I do bounce back from feeling miserable, or from being upset, or from a difficult experience, what difference would that make to me?”
Grit inspires courage to help you deal with a challenge, face a fear or conquer indecision by taking a calculated risk, the kind that makes fortunes and remarkable achievements.
Winning Mind-Set
Our message to you is total immersion in worthwhile pursuits. Sitting long hours in front of the television, the internet, or video games will not help you train for a winning mindset. Train your mind to hone in on and sustain a winning attitude in all you do so you can design your own life rather than leaving it to chance. The winning mind-set triumphs over adversity and pain and provides the confidence to take the road “less traveled.”
Meticulous Preparation
There is an eternal truth that being forewarned is being forearmed. We believe in leaving nothing to chance by meticulously preparing not only for situations or events we expect, but also for unexpected events. Preparing yourself in advance gives you two vital advantages: first, it multiples your chances of success; and second, it helps you be more successful in anything you attempt, especially when quick decisions are required.
Conscious Awareness
As martial artists and business professionals we believe in keeping our minds active and our wits about us at all times by what is called in the Japanese culture zanshin (zahn-sheen), or “lingering mind.” This means we’re aware of our thoughts and emotions so as to avoid falling into a mentally dormant state of autopilot thinking. A “lingering mind” is alert and helps you pay careful attention to your immediate surroundings, in and out of the workplace. It can serve to keep you out of harm’s way, a crucial advantage in today’s world where the threat of terrorism is constant.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is a mind-set to finding your best self. The more you like yourself, know your core strengths, understand the values that are important to you, know how your moral compass drives you toward success and what influences your failures, the more accurate perception you possess of the real “you” and your abilities.
Growing Through Learning
Learn something new about your craft daily and intentionally practice it. Practice the new skill and apply the new knowledge until it becomes part of you. See all results as learning experiences, not failures. Abstain from being among the idle thinkers who think the skills they have now will be the same ones they will need when they achieve their goal.
Self-discipline
Companies like Google, YouTube, Amazon, and eBay did not spin out from big companies. They sprang from individuals who were self-motivated, remained disciplined in their dedication to innovation, and had an inquisitive mind. This deep strength means you are your own person responsible for your own success or failure. Self-discipline means responding moment by moment to what you are thinking rather than feeling.
When you access any one of these seven deep strengths in the face of uncertainty, difficulty or challenge, you join the millions of mentally tough individuals guaranteed to make a difference in the world.
© Copyright 2015 Earnest Hart Jr. & Jennifer Touma Mindscape
Co Authors
Earnest Hart Jr., author of “How to Vacation and Travel Safely and Come Back Alive“, is an international personal safety expert, holding black belts in 15 different martial arts disciplines. He is an influential keynote speaker offering personal safety solutions for each client’s unique needs, personal safety and mental toughness coach, and leads seminars on personal safety. His series of anti-bullying and personal safety programs have helped schools, corporations, police departments, senior-citizens and global travelers. His Safe-T-Guru online portal, dedicated to travel and vacation safety and self-defense, launches later this year ( www.earnesthart.com).
Jennifer Touma is a leadership & mental toughness coach, speaker, black-belt martial artist and author of Moment of Impact, a practical guide towards meeting life-altering moments with confidence, power and decisiveness – in essence, how to find that emotional toughness within. She writes and speaks on personal development, mental toughness, leadership and empowerment in and out of the workplace. Her book, Moment of Impact, is available on Amazon. Follow her on Twitter Learn more visit her web site www.mindscapemind.com
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