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That Lead to Your Success Author: David Cottrell Publisher: CornerStone Leadership Institute Date of Publication: 2005 ISBN : 0 9762528 1 3 No. of Pages: 134 pages
Wisdom in a Nutshell
Most people view success as being at the right place at the right time, or mainly because of luck, or something that has been passed on to them by their ancestors. But in reality, though these may help, success is ultimately the consequence of making the right choices.
David Cottrell
David Cottrell is a premier authority on leadership and an internationally known speaker, author and business executive. His 25-plus years of professional experience are reflected in more than 20 highly acclaimed books, in his programs and presentations, and in the success of h i s c o m p a n y, C o r n e r S t o n e Leadership Institute. David knows leadership firsthand. With a degree in Marketing from the University of Arkansas, he joined Xerox Corporation, where he became at age 24 one of the youngest sales managers in the companys history. After a decade with Xerox, David spent ten years with FedEx in various leadership roles. He was named to the Presidents Club each year he was with the organization and is, to this day, the only person to have been selected District Manager of the Year for two consecutive years. Davids leadership achievements were the result of his focus on training and development and his belief that he could expect the best from people by investing in them. Visit this site to know more about the works of David Cottrell: Http://www.cornerstoneleadership.c om
The choices that people make can only lead them in either of two directions: closer to or further from the success they are trying to achieve. Success, in whatever form, is dependent on the good choices that one makes, and the avoidance of the bad choices. There is not much difference between a highly successful individual and a not-so-successful person, except for the choices they decide to makeor not make. With these choices, one takes control of his or her success. Every single moment of a person's life requires him or her to make a choice, from the simplest to the most complicated. And for one to make good choices, it requires his or her utmost attention, until making good choices becomes a subconscious habit. Fortunately, it is never too late to learn or start making good choices.
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Introduction
What differentiates successful people from the rest? It is not being at the right place at the right time, or being born in the right family, or having everything come their way. Successful people are willing to make choices that other people would rather not make. The twelve different choices presented by David Cottrell can be grouped into three major choices: (1) Character choices; (2) Action choices; and (3) Investment choices. Character choices are those that help make a successful person but at the same time, these are the choices that are not seen by other people. These choices are known only by the person making the decisions. Under this category fall the No-Victim Choice, the Commitment Choice, the Values Choice, and the Integrity Choice. Action choices are those that help a person actually move in the direction of success, which include the To-Do Something Choice, the Persistence Choice, the Attitude Choice, and the Adversity Choice. Investment choices are those choices that help one attain the rewards of their success. Included here are the Relationship Choice, the Criticism Choice, the Reality Choice, and the Legacy Choice. It is important to understand each of the twelve choices individually and collectively, in order to fully comprehend how all these lead to one's success.
up to the person, whether one will let him or herself become a victim, or if he or she will rise up. Once the choice to positively and proactively deal with the unexpected has been made, then it is important for one to keep on moving forward, one step in front of the other. Not everything that happens is a person's doing. Certain situations may be caused by external factors, and are mostly beyond a person's control. What is in one's hands is the way he or she will react to the situation.
The unexpected almost always happens. It is just a matter of knowing how to deal with such occurrences.
There are three things that one can do in order to make the no-victim choice: ! Expect the unexpected. ! Look for alternatives. ! Spend time and energy looking for solutions, not excuses.
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Everyone has enemies. And the more successful a person becomes, the more enemies he or she will have.
There are three things that one can do in order to make the values choice: ! Surround one's self with people of similar values. ! Take the time to identify one's enemies and understand why. ! Understand that one cannot please all the people all the time.
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In order to successfully deal with one's enemies, it is first important to identify these people and understand why they have become enemies in the first place.
There are three things that one can do in order to make the integrity choice: (1) Guard one's integrity as though it is the most important possession; (2) Realize that there are no "time outs" with one's integrity; and (3) Do the right thing.
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cynical. This positivism is actually a more important factor to success than the way a person looks or how much a person has achieved. Just like integrity, enthusiasm is not something that one can just switch on or off; rather, it is a way of life. It is important to learn how to get rid of negativism in one's life in order to achieve the success one is striving for. The good thing is that optimism is something that can be learned and developed. These people, more often than not, always see opportunities in whatever situation, and make the most out of them. This optimism will give one the strength that one will need in order to keep on moving toward his or her goals.
Honesty, integrity, and trust are three characteristics connected with one another. People of integrity gain other people's trust.
There are three things that one can do in order to make the attitude choice: Consciously choose one's attitude. Keep one's eyes open to new opportunities. Be easy on one's self and on everyone else.
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There are three things that one can do in order to make the reality choice: ! A key element of success is discovering and facing reality. ! Look for truth in every situation, every relationship, every crisis, and every success. ! Understand that choosing reality may not always be the easiest path.
Just as a person has made the choice to become successful, it is actually just as important to look successful.
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