Absolute essentials for success

Importance of attitudes

Attitudes are very important in achieving success in any organisation. Today motivational Speaker and Corporate Trainer in Sri Lanka and Maldives Dr. Naomal Balasuriya speaks about the Importance of Attitudes to achieve world class results.

1. What is attitude?

It is a way of thinking, a like or a dislike for something, a feeling about something. Put in a different way it is an inner voice or an internal conscience. In other words, attitude comes from your judgment on something. Basically it is a way of life.

2. How do you develop a positive or a negative attitude?

One’s attitude is associated with thinking, feeling and behaving. If you think positively, then you feel positively and as a result you behave positively. On the other hand, if you think negatively, then you feel negatively and then you behave negatively.

For instance, let’s assume you have a difficult customer. If you think that he is probably going through a bad patch in his life and is under stress, then you feel positively towards him. What follows is that you start behaving in a very positive way with this customer, however difficult he may be.

You try to understand, empathise and corporate with him. So your attitude depends on the way you think about something, someone or some issue. Positive thinking is followed by positive feeling and positive behaviour or a positive attitude. Likewise, negative thoughts are followed by negative feelings and negative behaviour or a negative attitude.

3. Can you give an example?

Yes, the classic example is the glass of water, half full, half empty. Some see this glass as half empty while others see it as half full. Let’s take another example. Two friends join in to do business. All what they have got is one lemon. One friend is frustrated that you cannot do anything with one lemon and gives up. The other friend takes this one lemon home and makes lemonade.

Sells it and buys ten lemons, makes lemonade again, sell it and buys 100 lemons. Soon he has 1000 lemons. What drives him to do this? It is his vision to be the competitor to Coca-Cola. His thinking is positive; therefore he feels positively and therefore behaves positively.

4. What are the different types of attitudes?

Basically, we have two types of attitudes. Positive attitude and negative attitude. A positive attitude is associated with positive thinking. For instance a person with a positive attitude who has a great deal of work to do, goes to work thinking that he’ll probably finish most of his work that day.

On the other hand, the person with a negative attitude goes to work thinking that he’ll probably never finish his work. So, this person who thinks that he will never finish his work that day obviously feels that way and behaves in such a way where he will never finish his work that day. So it’s a matter of thinking, feeling and behaving. Think positively and you feel positively and you behave positively. On the other hand, think negatively and you feel negatively and you behave negatively.

5. How do you differentiate between a positive and a negative attitude?

A person with a positive attitude will always be optimistic in life. He or she will be always have a “I CAN” and a “I WILL” attitude. He will always say its possible. A person with a great positive attitude will say “nothing is impossible’ and even “Impossible is nothing”. On the other hand, a person with a negative attitude will always be pessimistic in life and will have a “I cant” and a “I probably wont” attitude. As a result this person will usually address any problem or issue with a “Its not possible” frame of mind.

6. What are the benefits of a positive attitude?

Firstly, a positive attitude will result in a stress reduced life because a person with a positive attitude will always try to see the silver lining when faced with a dark cloud. Secondly, it will lead to a happier life as you will always try to see the bright side of life. Thirdly, a positive attitude will lead to a healthier life. Fourthly, a positive attitude will result in a more longer life as well as a more fuller life. Finally, it will make life more successful as you always look at things positively, optimistically and with a “nothing is impossible” attitude.

7. What is the link between a great positive attitude and success?

Success is a journey through which you achieve your dreams in life. This journey by no means is easy. There are times when every thing around you seems to be falling apart. It is at such times that a great positive attitude is absolutely essential to stay afloat, to persist against all odds. At such times, features of a great positive attitude such as passion, persistence, patience, a challenging spirit, commitment and determination play a major role.

8. How does a person develop a great positive attitude?

To begin with, one must think positively from the point he gets up in the morning to the point he gets up the next day morning. One must never ever entertain negative thoughts in one’s mind. It should always be a case of “I can”, “I will”, “we will” and “nothing is impossible”. When a person continuously thinks positively, he or she begins to feel positively and then behaves positively.

9. Can you give an example of a great positive attitude?

Yes, I am reminded of a Sri Lankan businessman who went to England to seek treatment for a medical condition. While being in hospital, he had this dream of building a fully equipped private hospital in par with the best in England. When he came back to Sri Lanka, he called for a feasibility report.

The person entrusted to do this tried to discourage him in his venture saying that he was neither a doctor nor had he the core competencies for it. It was a totally new field for him. However, he did not get discouraged or de-motivated. He persisted with his passion for the first ever state of the art private hospital in Sri Lanka which we know as Nawaloka hospital.

10. What in your impression is the general attitude of the average Sri Lankan?

Firstly let me say that I honestly feel that we Sri Lankans are capable of being world class in what ever we do. After all, as I always say, Sri Lankans produce the worlds best tea, tiles, ceramics, garments, cricket. The list may be endless. Therefore, we can be, I emphasise, we can be world class in any sphere we want to be. However, I feel that as a nation we must change our attitude to a more positive, “I can”, “I will” “we will and.