The Power of Words
A short time ago I had the occasion to watch a current film version of "The Diary of Anne Frank". I was once again reminded of the power of words to change lives, inspire spirits and challenge our thoughts.
The simple observations of a young 14-year-old girl in a time of great oppression have served to inspire hundreds of thousands of other people who have never set foot upon her homeland or experienced the horrors of war. Yet, Anne Frank's words have survived the bombs, the death camps and the cruelties of the 2nd World War and have somehow connected us to the private thoughts of a girl facing adolescence while trying to grow up in a world gone mad.
So, when people tell me that the "soft skills" have no impact, I think of the power of Anne's words - and how they may have changed the course of history by reaching out and connecting us with the values that we need to drive our countries and our businesses into the future.
When people challenge me that the "soft skills" and learning to connect with each other isn't important in the "real world", I am reminded of her simple yet elegant descriptions, of the way her words helped us to experience her feelings and to understand. Her words, with their honesty and, at times, heart searching questions, have challenged us to put our values to work and stand up for our beliefs before someone else gets to decide what those beliefs are.
What a gift she has left and what a power her words have over us - to lead us, to inspire us, to guide us to be something better than we ever thought possible.
As a businessperson, I ask you this question: what do you want your reputation to be? What legacy do your words leave?
A reputation is based on your values and how your express those values in your everyday words and actions. It's about walking your talk daily and with authenticity. It's about effecting change wisely, with impact, meaning, and responsibility.
Consider this. When you know what your values are, and you dare to speak them to the world, not behind closed doors to only that are "strategically aligned", it will align you with those that share the same values. And that will give you energy and allow your business to grow with more ease, more consistency and with more impact.
And here's the added bonus: it will steer you away from others who will drain your energy and steer you away from your vision, your goals.
The next time you engage in a business conversation, talk to a client or speak to an employee, consider this: what is the legacy of your words, of your work, of your life? How will your words impact the people who hear them or read them? Will they connect us, inspire us and give us the guidance we need to make us better? Or, will they hurt us, accuse us and move us further apart?
Soft skills, your ability to connect & communicate with others, are really the hard skills of this new conceptual age - the age in which connecting and making meaning of the vast amounts of information at hand will determine the success or failure of many businesses - and people.
The simple observations of a young 14-year-old girl in a time of great oppression have served to inspire hundreds of thousands of other people who have never set foot upon her homeland or experienced the horrors of war. Yet, Anne Frank's words have survived the bombs, the death camps and the cruelties of the 2nd World War and have somehow connected us to the private thoughts of a girl facing adolescence while trying to grow up in a world gone mad.
So, when people tell me that the "soft skills" have no impact, I think of the power of Anne's words - and how they may have changed the course of history by reaching out and connecting us with the values that we need to drive our countries and our businesses into the future.
When people challenge me that the "soft skills" and learning to connect with each other isn't important in the "real world", I am reminded of her simple yet elegant descriptions, of the way her words helped us to experience her feelings and to understand. Her words, with their honesty and, at times, heart searching questions, have challenged us to put our values to work and stand up for our beliefs before someone else gets to decide what those beliefs are.
What a gift she has left and what a power her words have over us - to lead us, to inspire us, to guide us to be something better than we ever thought possible.
As a businessperson, I ask you this question: what do you want your reputation to be? What legacy do your words leave?
A reputation is based on your values and how your express those values in your everyday words and actions. It's about walking your talk daily and with authenticity. It's about effecting change wisely, with impact, meaning, and responsibility.
Consider this. When you know what your values are, and you dare to speak them to the world, not behind closed doors to only that are "strategically aligned", it will align you with those that share the same values. And that will give you energy and allow your business to grow with more ease, more consistency and with more impact.
And here's the added bonus: it will steer you away from others who will drain your energy and steer you away from your vision, your goals.
The next time you engage in a business conversation, talk to a client or speak to an employee, consider this: what is the legacy of your words, of your work, of your life? How will your words impact the people who hear them or read them? Will they connect us, inspire us and give us the guidance we need to make us better? Or, will they hurt us, accuse us and move us further apart?
Soft skills, your ability to connect & communicate with others, are really the hard skills of this new conceptual age - the age in which connecting and making meaning of the vast amounts of information at hand will determine the success or failure of many businesses - and people.
posted by global take off at
6:30 AM
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