Show him your card

A story is told of an arrogant officer of the Agriculture Agency who stopped at a farm and talked with the old farmer. “I need to inspect your farm.”

The old farmer said, “You better not go in that field.”

The Agricultural representative said in a condescending manner, “I have the authority of the government with me. See this card? I am allowed to go wherever I wish on agricultural land.”

So the old farmer went about his farm chores.

Later, the farmer heard loud screams. He saw the agency officer running for the fence, and close behind was the farmer’s prize bull.

The bull was madder than a nest full of disturbed bees and was gaining at every step.

The old farmer called out: “Show him your card, show him your card!”

Attitude. How important is it?

Here is my two-word answer: “Extremely important!”

Every time I give leadership seminars for senior executives or business owners, my advice for them is this: Your business success begins with the hiring process. Hire for attitude but train for skills.

You can train people for their skills but no matter how skillful a person is if the person you employ has a lousy attitude then that person becomes a perennial pain in the back portion of your human anatomy. It becomes a certainty that you will have a huge challenge before you.

Hire people who are restless, rather than those who simply want to rest.

The highest achievers and most successful individuals in any field are those who view themselves as self-employed entrepreneurs.

How I wish every working person would take this advice seriously. An advice that comes from the legendary coach Vince Lombardi who says: “If you are not fired with enthusiasm, then you will be fired with enthusiasm.”

Change your attitude and you change your life.

International sales guru Jeffrey Gittomer says:

“Several national tests have revealed the following startling statistics about why salespeople fail...15 percent

• Improper training both product and sales skills. 20 percent

• Poor verbal and written communication skills. 15 percent

• Poor or problematic boss or management. 50 percent Attitude.

All things being equal, the more likelihood of someone getting a job promotion will always be the person who is well liked and carries a pleasant disposition.

It is ironic that one of the few things in this life over which we have total control is our attitude, and yet most of us live our entire life behaving as though we had no control whatsoever.

People dislike arrogance. And there are many people who think that arrogance is the way to get respect. What they fail to understand that pride and arrogance is the precursor to failure.

Famous pastor and book author Charles Swindoll says: “This may shock you, but I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude is that ‘single string‘ that keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there’s no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”  

The most powerful attitude one needs to develop is humility; the ability to admit one’s mistakes and the determination to correct the mistakes. Humility enables the person to consider others better than himself or herself and in doing so, he or she becomes a life-long learner.

Somebody says: “Whales really do communicate with each other. One whale sounded the following caution to his dear mate: “Better watch it; when you get to the top and start to blow, that’s when you get harpooned!”

What’s true at sea is also true in our world. 

(Francis Kong will be the lead trainer for the Dr. John Maxwell’s  “Developing the Leader Within You”  leadership program this November 18-19 at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. He will also do a repeat of his highly successful “Culture of Personal Excellence on November 26, 2009 at the Garden Ballroom of EDSA Shangrila-Hotel. For further inquiries contact Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. 632-6872614 or 09178511115)