Articles By Anne Warfield, Certified Speaking Professional

Challenging Yourself Outside Of Your Own Comfort Boundaries

As a kid I used to think it would be great if I could know exactly what people were thinking. As I have gotten older I have realized how scary a proposition that would be.

Think about some of the thoughts you have had about your closest friends, your spouse, or your boss. Would they really be better off if they knew what you were thinking?

I don’t think so.

See most of us think in a way that PROTECTS us. That means we have a tendency to reject new ideas, fight change, challenge new ways of thinking, and pull back to what is most familiar to us. This is why so many people make great New Year’s resolutions only to have them fall apart before 3 months are out.

So most thoughts people have to new ideas, thoughts, or challenges are not the most positive. They tend to sit in their throat like a dust on a windblown dirt road. It takes them a while to swallow over and over until the taste settles and the idea or thought can be taken on its own merit.

Your job as a leader is to create that space and environment that allows people to think, chew on, and then swallow new ideas so they can embrace them.

But in order to create that environment, you need to ask, “do I create that environment for myself or do I run from new ideas, thoughts and challenges?”

The hardest thing for a leader to do is to educate her team on how to THINK. This means you have to expose them to your emotions and thought patterns so they understand what bewilders you, what irritates you, and when you are wrong. You need to become vulnerable to them before they will become vulnerable to you, your ideas, and your challenges.

So when is the last time you challenged yourself outside of your own comfort boundaries?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

As the leading Outcome Strategist, Anne Warfield shows people how to present their ideas, products and services so people WANT to listen to you. Her communication formula is easy to apply and produces proven results. Fortune 500 companies around the world have utilized her expertise and her work is published around the world. She has been published in Business Week, Good Housekeeping, Forbes publications and has been featured on ABC, NBC and CBS. Anne speaks around the world about Outcome Focus™ Communication. To book Anne, contact her at 888-imp-9421 or check out her web site at www.ImpressionManagement.com. Check out her website to take the communication quiz for yourself! Books can be purchased from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. You can also email us at contact@impressionmanagement.com.

Back to articles list.