Do you know somebody that you don’t enjoy working with because of how they are being at times? Do they speak to you in a way that just makes you want to move away from them or worse? And if you have to work with them, do you want to give them the least amount of effort? Could this be the reason that they are less successful than their potential? Are they derailing their career or business because of how they are showing up? Do you know this person intimately? Could this person be you?
These are a lot of important questions because I am convinced that 90% of your successes and failures are due to your commendable character traits or lack thereof. Fortunately, character traits or virtues are developable. Unlike many other factors of your success, you can develop them rather quickly. Do you see the power in the possibility of improving yourself in this way? If you are willing to put some conscious effort into developing virtuous commendable character traits, you will see amazing positive changes in how people relate to you.
Where do you start? Become conscious and observant of your own presence. How are you being with people? Play the witness role in some of your interpersonal interactions over the next week. And without judgment just observe them. Be honest with yourself about how people are reacting to you and the results the interactions produce. Where could you improve?
Next, pick one thing. One trait that you want to improve. Don’t work on more than one and work on it ferociously. Stretch yourself. Push yourself to the extremes of that trait, both over and under doing it, to see how people react. This is the work that will help you create a new you.