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How to Easily Inspire People to OverachieveBy
Thursday, December 3, 2015
"There is nothing else that kills the ambitions of a person as criticisms from superiors," Charles Schwab said.
Charles Schwab, you might not know, was one of the first American businessmen to earn a salary of a million dollars, as President of U.S. Steel. (This was around the turn of the last century... though some speculate that the salary rumors were inflated.)
Did Schwab know more about steel than anyone else? No. Was he a genius? No.
Schwab explained the secret of his success to Dale Carnegie...
"I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among my people the greatest asset I possess."
He continued...
"I never criticize anyone. I believe in giving a person incentive to work.
"In my wide association in life... I have yet to find the person, however great... who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than they would ever do under a spirit of criticism."
I, apparently, am no Charles Schwab...
I have a 15-year-old son. Criticism comes easy, as you can imagine.
By chance, this week I pulled the book How to Win Friends and Influence People off my shelf. The quotes from Charles Schwab come from this book.
I wasn't looking for parenting advice in this book. But there it was – smacking me in the face.
My Uncle Ron actually gave me the book a few decades ago, when I was starting out in business. (Uncle Ron, if you're reading, I'm sorry that I never returned it. Let me know if you'd like your copy back.)
My Uncle Ron is the nicest person I know. "You can't out-nice him," I say. And it's true...
One day, maybe 20 years ago, I actually tried to out-nice him... I was going to be around him most of the day, and I said to myself, "Today I am going to out-nice Uncle Ron."
I learned that day that it couldn't be done. He won... And he didn't even know he was competing.
He has never said a single negative word to me. And he has always given strong (but subtle) encouragement to me in whatever I was doing. I love him for it. That little encouragement helped inspire me to keep getting better at whatever I was working on.
This week, Uncle Ron inspired me – again. And he doesn't even know he did it.
Uncle Ron was sitting on the bookshelf, inside How to Win Friends and Influence People.
The book has gotten me back on track this week in what's important, both at work and in life. Even though it was written in 1937, the messages are still totally valid – human nature hasn't changed.
Criticism of my 15-year-old (however deserving!) isn't working. It's time to go with a different plan.
I actually bought copies of How to Win Friends and Influence People for my kids to read. We're going to talk about a chapter each week at the dinner table.
Principle No. 2 in the book is: Give honest and sincere appreciation.
It works. Uncle Ron is a master of it. (And heck, even if it doesn't work – isn't that a nice way to go through life?)
If your employees and your kids are underachieving while you criticize, maybe you should try a different path, too...
The classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie, is a great source to inspire yourself to make a change...
Thank you, Uncle Ron... and wish me luck with my 15-year-old...
Sincerely,
Further Reading:
Last month, Mark Ford showed readers how to build a network of influential people. "It'll take some time and effort," he writes, "but it can be done... and it'll be valuable." Learn how to win the interest of almost anyone in your trade or industry right here: How to Make Friends in High Places.
Mark also recently shared 15 ways to boost your charisma. His tips are a great way to get more out of your business relationships. Learn all of them right here.
Market NotesTHE CONSUMER IS ALIVE AND WELL: INTERNET EDITION Today's chart confirms two things: The U.S. consumer is still busy shopping... and he's doing it from the comfort of his own home.
Last month, we highlighted the bull market in Internet stocks. These companies are in a long-term uptrend, and they include some of the most popular stocks over the past year (one example is online retailer Amazon, up 100%-plus). Another Internet stock soaring as of late is online auctioneer eBay (EBAY).
It's not hard to see why the business is thriving. It's one of the world's largest online marketplaces, a go-to stop for buying and selling almost any item imaginable, from a pair of women's shoes to a snowmobile. The company boasts nearly 160 million active users worldwide and has around 800 million items listed at any given time.
As you can see from the chart below, this trend is gaining momentum in 2015. The stock has climbed nearly 20% since October alone... and shares just struck a new all-time high. It's another big win for Internet stocks... and more evidence that the U.S. consumer is alive and well...
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