As we put up this post today, Evan Hackel is skiing in Canada. We have taken the liberty of publishing this excerpt from his book Ingaging Leadership. It has to do with skiing, but so much more

I love to ski. I actually love skiing through groves of trees. The trick to successfully skiing in the trees is not to look at the trees, but at the path between them.

The same is true about business. It is best to think about what you need to do to be successful, not what you need to avoid.

If you think about what you need to avoid while skiing – i.e. the trees – you are far more likely to hit the trees. People are naturally drawn to what they think about. For better outcomes, focus your attention instead on what needs to be done to be successful, not on problems to avoid.

Often, it’s as simple as saying things differently:

• Ask, “Where can we find new areas to operate with greater efficiency?” instead of, “We need to cut costs.”
• Or ask, “What do we need to learn about our customers’ most pressing concerns?” rather than, “We can’t lose any more customers.”

Framing things positively can have a huge impact on you, everyone around you, and your ultimate success.

Today’s post is adapted from concepts in Ingaging Leadership: 21 Steps to Elevate Your Business  by Evan Hackiel. A new and enlarged edition will be published soon by Motivational Press. If you would like to know when it is available, be sure to visit this blog often.