The Power of Belief

In the history of this blog, I have often touched on the concept of how our personal beliefs about ourselves create or limit our actions and path forward.  While I probably have never explicitly focused on the topic I have touched on a range of related issues:

• Creating a vision of our preferred future state;
• Understanding our "why" or purpose for doing what we want to do;
• Documenting and OWNING our strengths and achievements (to at least the same degree that we own our perceived gaps and weaknesses);
• Documenting and LIVING to our personal and professional values;
• The power of YOUR choices.

There is probably more to note but, in every case, I have implied that we all can live more powerfully forward if we believe in ourselves and our potential.  Too often my encounters with leaders, aspiring leaders, teams and even organizations, are characterized by a sense of powerlessness to influence and change reality for ourselves.  It seems so much easier - and some would say realistic - to operate from a place of being mere flotsam and jetsam in a world of forces more powerful than us.  We have come to BELIEVE that we are bit players in a world beset by change, both rapid and unpredictable, that leaves us in positions of only being able to react, cope and survive versus driving and thriving DESPITE the capricious nature of the world and people around us. 

I am certain we have all read or heard about the power of positive thinking, about what and how you manifest a preferred future state will set the stage for what you can next achieve. And there are a number of quotes that bear repeating here to reinforce this power of how our beliefs can launch us or lose us on our path:

    "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

        - Anatole France

    "Men often become what they believe themselves to be.  If I believe I cannot do something, it makes

      me incapable of doing it.  But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't

      have it in the beginning."

        - Gandhi

    "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."

        - Henry Ford

How do we come to these beliefs and how do we shift a mind frame that would limit our potential?  Certainly, our lived experience is part of this.  More importantly, however, are the lessons we take away from that lived experience.  The key here though, is we taking away and learning the right lessons from these past experiences?  If I reflect upon my very first leadership role (some 40 years ago!), I am absolutely grateful that my first foray into leadership was immediately followed up by a period of further education and an opportunity to work in a different, much larger organization.  This is where I was exposed to a whole new range of leaders, philosophies and styles.  Without that next experience I know that I would have embedded within me a much harsher set of beliefs around people and what it is to be a successful leader.  I would have also limited my own potential around what I could achieve as a leader.  

One of the other core lessons for me in this leadership journey, and what I see playing out for others, is what we hear and own from those around us.  Everyone needs feedback on their performance and their development as a leader.  As a leader, and potential coach and mentor to those around us, we can have tremendous and outsize impact on the development of those in our circle of influence.  No greater example of this can be found than in the challenge of working with those who would break us down versus building us up.

This fact and reality was recently reinforced to me in a discussion with a leader I had worked with in the past and who has been in a leadership for many years.  I had always believed that she was an accomplished and confident leader.  I would also say that this individual never presented as a shrinking violet!  However, she recently shared with me her experience of working with a leader she described as narcissistic.  The reality she faced over a period of months (and years?) of working with this leader led her to question her competence and ability to do her job.  Her beliefs were shaped by a powerful external force.  Her belief in the views others had about her caused her to doubt and downplay her own previous assumptions about her competence and capabilities.  What ultimately saved her was the intervention of other supportive people who recognized the destruction that was being wrought.  The intervention of these others allowed her to move on from a toxic environment to a place in which she could reset, re-establish her sense of self, and continue to grow in support of herself and others.

What lessons can we take from this story and other similar stories, my own included?  Couple of key lessons I believe are reinforced for me and that I often work on with many of my coaching clients:

• Don't let others define you/limit your potential.  There will always be others you wish to diminish you for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes it is just to enjoy the exercise of the power they have.  For others, it is only through breaking down others that they find an ability to feel good about themselves.  Others are merely channeling their past experiences of being poorly treated and then determine that "if I have suffered, then others should as well."  Leadership - and even humanity - is not about breaking down, but about building up.  Don't allow yourself to buy into a narrative that is more about them then it is about you. 
• Document and vigorously own your personal values!  Without this understanding of self, we can often find ourselves pushed out of alignment with our core beliefs, fail to truly appreciate when the actions of others are toxic to our sense of self, and allow us to stay strong and in a position of choice.  This may not make navigating through to a positive end easier but we will have a greater chance of not only surviving challenging times, but also thriving as we retain the power of choice to remain or move on to our next and better opportunity.
• Document and vigorously own your strengths and achievements.  While we often hear that what got you here may not be as useful in your next role, it is also important to recognize that you have moved, changed and experienced growth over time.  You have taken on past challenges, you have had (positive) impact, and all of those experiences should be a foundation upon which you can build.  Don't let anyone else take that away from your or diminish your capabilities.
• Maintain and invest in a strong network of support.  In past blogs I have said that leadership is a team sport.  The same holds true for life in general.  All of us - regardless of age and experience - need a strong and committed network of friends, family, peers, and colleagues to support us on our personal and professional journey.  None of us can be as successful or fulfilled as we want or can be living life as the lone ranger.  Coaches and mentors can be part of this solution for you as well.  These external voices - people who are committed to your success - can be sounding boards and thinking partners to help you right size the issues you are facing, help you to better evaluate reality and circumstances, and position you to learn the right lessons AND make better decisions in alignment with your values and purpose.

Long story short, ground your beliefs in a strong foundation of who you are, touch base with your strengths and achievements on a regular basis, appreciate the growth you have achieved over time, understand that you have overcome challenges in the past and that those successes position you for overcoming the next challenge, dream big (or bigger), and build a team that supports realization of a potential that does lie before you.  

_______________________________________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC

President & Founder - BreakPoint Solutions

3rd Generation Canadian Ukrainian

gregh@breakpoint.solutions 

www.breakpoint.solutions 

780-250-2543

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.