Probably like many young Australian-Italian men growing up in Western Sydney I was a massive fan of Al Pacino.  From his original establishing appearance on The Godfather with Marlon Brando to his more present day appearing with Keanu Reeves on the silver screen; you have to admire the man.

Be it on or off camera, you can tell why he is a successful man.  I would bet that let’s say he never struck it big in Hollywood, he would have been a leader in whatever field he would have chosen.  The point is quite simple; you can tell he has strength, has a strong positive approach and thinks in a very action oriented manner.  It’s no accident that he is a success.

I found this quite inspirational and educational in many respects.  Bringing this back to a Business Leadership context, the way we often speak to ourselves is critical and a significant factor in our resistance to problems, conquering issues and overall success.

What I used to do which cost me (I even catch myself doing it today) – and what I spend time helping my clients with with is making sure they eliminate all of the Sub-Conscious Destructive Phrases they may say.  The most common six phrases to remove from your thinking are:

1.”I don’t know” …. When you allow that phrase to be part of your vocabulary, you are conceding defeat. When you use the phrase “I don’t know” you are automatically allowing your brain to switch off.  As soon as you hear that phrase, you should quickly reply with “what if you did know” it instantly activates the brain back into thought.

2.” I can’t” …. Is one of the most commonly used phrases in dodging and dishing off responsibility. Can’t is a killer. If you think you can’t, then you MUST (I have been guilty of this one).

3. ” That’s not the way it’s done” … The be a stand-out, you need to act and think unlike anybody else. Great ideas and concepts come from those who are willing to think outside their comfort zone.
Nothing revolutionary ever came from doing things “the way they are done” (in fact that thinking is the natural enemy of progress).

4. “That’s impossible” …. We are limited only by the limitations we place on our own realm of reality.
When you do what you love and love what you do, everything is possible once you apply your mind to it. Sure, it may take longer than you hope – however, that is life and the sooner we accept that the better.

5. “If we only had the money” … Many entrepreneurs often dream of the endless business possibilities that exist if only we had the flexibility of a large financial war chest.  There are countless stories of entrepreneurs with no money (even being homeless) turn into world known business leaders.

6. “The problem is” … There are 2 types of entrepreneurs in the world, one will focus on the problems and the other will focus on finding solutions.  Sure, you don’t want to stick your head in the sand and pretend everything is fine when it’s not and conversely you want to be a person who is getting stuff taken care of.

Successful business leaders are really very good at identifying solutions, which one are you? The fact you are reading my article answers that and I wish to thank you for taking the time to read this.

If I can assist you at all, feel free to contact me.  RA.