One of the things I endeavor to do in my real estate classes is to encourage a positive mind set for success. Many of the previous chapters are evidence of this effort. Indeed, this collection of “nuggets” has been gleaned primarily from such classes.
In the class that just ended the idea of discovering and exerting your personal power surfaced, ergo, another chapter was born. It seems important to share these ideas of potential personal growth is part and parcel of preparing for a new career.
Discovering your personal power is the realization that you are a person of worth and dignity. You are a person to be reckoned with, and not in a negative way. You are someone who has a positive sense of your place in the world. You care enough about yourself that you are ready to serve others and care about them. You are not abusive toward others and you do not permit others to be abusive toward you.
In my own life I can remember when I didn’t even think in these terms. While I didn’t have knowledge of such terminology, I did use positional power. I can clearly remember a time early in my teaching experience when I exercised my positional power. What is a young, skinny, “four-eyed” kid supposed to do when put into a situation of power. I out-ranked them by at least one stripe. It was only “natural” to take advantage of my position when they wouldn’t get down to work. I remember one group that seemed to be made up of half the bad guys from Pittsburgh and half from Philadelphia. Upon reviewing the notes they were taking, several of them were working on some pseudo-pornographic material. I decided it might be time to conduct the obligatory, weekly “GI party” and clean the place up.
As I look back on it, I am not pleased with my actions. Then I didn’t know there was any other way to be in charge. You just had to let them know you were in charge the best way you could. I was a real tyrant.
It took quite a few years, more education, and expanding my reading and studies to learn there was a difference. Many of the books that influenced me are a part of this book. It became clear to me that positional power will only get the reluctant compliance of those with whom I worked. There were plenty of examples of other leaders who only used positional power. It was quite apparent that this approach was less then effective. Good leadership requires willing compliance with instructions.
During my studies I learned about the different types of power that people can exert. Since then I have also come to the conclusion that personal power requires one to be comfortable with one’s self, to be confident in one’s place in the world.
It is possible to be successful in any endeavor if one relies on personal power. I would suggest that people become familiar with their own personal power. Once they can do this, they will be able to present themselves in an extremely confident manner. Others will be more likely to want to spend time with them and rely on them to provide whatever service might be required. In real estate it is necessary to be able to serve the clientele. That is one of the most important skills the licensee brings to the interaction.
Most of us can recall more than one occasion where we had the pleasure of working/associating with a confident, positive person. We wanted to spend more time with that person. If they were service providers, we would go out of our way to refer others to them.
The more the licensee exhibits positive, personal power, the more confident the consumer will be that the transaction will be completed efficiently and effectively. The consumer will have a confidence similar to the licensee’s. It is more likely that the licensee will get more business in the future because of such positive behavior.
Take the time to determine your personal power. It may require some effort for some folks to find it and rely on it. Just remember, it is in all of us. Pay attention when you hear your inner voice guiding you toward your positive personal power.
Jack’s Nugget: Positive use of your personal power is a way to do good works.
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3 comments:
jack,
aside from being goofy on my site and basically trying my whole life NOT to be taken seriously, I've been a Motivational Speaker through multiple orgs & Toastmasters for over 10 years.
Personal Power is something I've spoken about numerous times to people as young as 10 and as old as.. well.. dirt.
it's an amazing subject, one most people shy away from in my experience because it's often associated with "pride & arrogance." Two words that are often used together hastily but have 2 totally seperate meanings and applications in one's life.
Your thoughts are moving. Your Life experience is obviously one helluva resource to pool from. I can only hope that I become as eloquent with my writings as you are in my future...
(when I'm not writing about being a cutsie sellout or sea monkey's devouring their family)
~ B
B- I knew there was something special about you. My experiences led me to Toastmasters for about five years and a local Optimist club for ten years. I am still a life member of Optimist International. I too have done motivational speaking. In fact, I would say that my real estate classes are precisely that. I make a great effort to motivate the students to have a passsion for their new careers.
When I started talking about personal power with this latest class I knew I was on the right track. I only hope that I exhibited it properly. I think I did, but you can never be sure about such things. I know that my feedback sheets are usually very positive, so I guess I am doing something right.
Thanks for your comments. I think we will correspond more frequently from now on.
Optimistically yours,
Jack
I remember some of your earlier assertivness training classes, those were fun, and very enlightening. I still use what you taught in those classes.
B-He was learning some of this while I was a teenager, I got to experience some of what he was learning at that time. I, in a way, was a lab rat, a well loved lab rat.
Live fully....
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