The presupposition that “if one person can do it – anyone can do it” is one of the core beliefs of NLP. It is also one of the beliefs that anyone new to NLP regularly grapple with. When a person fails to believe it they talk lots about natural talent, superior education and more access to resources, to highlight but a small sample of their excuses.
During the course of one or two decades working in large and small firms I have come across some exceptional leaders. The question that now absorbs lots of my time is: “how did they learn how to become such good leaders?”
It is lots more common than you could imagine for people find themselves thinking that they just feel stuck. They know they are not happy where they are , but they do not have any thoughts as to how they can shift themselves forward.
We all know somebody that suffers from low self-esteem who would be able to achieve so much more if they could just see themselves in a better light. But few of us take the time to have a look at ourselves and determine if there are areas in our own esteem that might use some improvement.
Are you a day dreamer or an action person? Essentially it doesn’t matter as long as you can picture what it is that you would like. The first part of this “trick” is to be positively clear about what you want to achieve.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a technique that uses three modalities to assist us in influencing change in our lives. First it addresses the way that we think and use our brains. Second, it concentrates on the language that we use to relate both to ourselves and the environment. Thirdly, it takes into account the way that we act, react and behave.
In the old days every craftsman learned his craft as an apprentice. He developed into a master by watching a master and modeling his ways. And when he turned into a Master he took on apprentices of his own and taught them everything he knew. In this way good practices were maintained and standards were high in all skilled trades.
In yesterday’s article I talked about the different thinking patterns that we each use. By this time in the development of your learning about NLP techniques you ought to have a clear notion of your own most typical thinking pattern. If you’ve not yet done this you must finish reading now and do the homework suggested in the last article. You may never be well placed to understand other people’s thinking patterns if you cannot understand your own.
You have, without doubt, heard the expression, “start with the end in mind.” Well, if you would like to attain excellence that is a useful thought. Because if you start with excellence in focus your chances of achieving excellence will be much higher.
When I brought up the subject of NLP techniques to a client I was coaching just last week he all but threw up his hands in horror and said: “That’s about influencing other people. I don’t really want to do that.”
