How To Empower The Mind To Boost Productivity
The power of the mind is an aspect of life I marvel at. What is it about our minds that has the ability to propel us forward? To be decisive for one action over another. To accept what is thrown our way in life versus refusing to endure the status quo. Dictate change over one’s circumstance. Something is going on in each of our minds that is motivating us to actively pursue advancement. It’s a beautiful thing to me. Mind over matter they say. You can do anything you put your mind too. Taking ownership of one’s career, of one’s life. Leveraging thought provocation to empower the mind is key to success as defined by the individual.
Empower Yourself
That’s it really. When you decide that you’re ready for that change, whatever that may be, making the decision to take action is the moment you begin empowering yourself. Start the journey to that end goal. A more fulfilling career. Maybe a higher salary. Possibly it’s not career driven, perhaps to live life as dictated by your terms. Take those vacations. Travel, spend time with family.
Whatever the goal is it starts with you. Defining the goal, determining the appropriate course of action, and getting’ after it as I like to say. I am of the mindset my goals will never be achieved if I do not commit to what is necessary to achieve them. That’s what life has taught me and subsequently how I define it. If you want something then go do it. It means that much more when you earn it.
Empowering Others
This is the line in the sand. Empowering yourself, taking ownership of your actions is one thing. Leadership could be defined as the ability to empower individuals to succeed in their respective roles with an overlying mutual goal of collective success. There have been plenty of books about this very topic, some people have built entire careers on coaching others to bring the best out of their people.
If I were to start a course on leadership it would be about as simple as it could be. Maybe I should, title it something like “People Management the Country Way.” I’ve been doing this leadership thing for a long time now, if you’re familiar with my story then you’ll know I fell into it. It was certainly not a purposeful path. Here’s the thing, I wouldn’t change any part of the journey.
Leadership
That said I feel leading others is simplistic in nature. Treat people with respect. Communicate. Listen. Trust. Build staff up. Empower them. Give them the tools to succeed. Empathize as they juggle their own careers alongside their personal lives. Shield them when needed. Be tough when necessary, hold people accountable, but always be genuine in who you are.
In some ways it feels like a one-way street for a people manager to do all these things. What you get in return may or may not be quantifiable. For me what I get in return is substantial. It puts food on the table obviously, and allows me to lead a quality of life for many years I simply did not think was possible.
On top of that I see the team success that ties directly to organizational success. Helping others to be the best they can be. In my professional environment that means positively impacting the lives of the community. Doing right by them. Being good stewards of tax payer funding. All that means something to me.
Empowerment Amplified
On an individual level I have witnessed my current staff elevate tremendously. When I started in my current role in 2018, besides my own there was one degree and zero certifications in the department. In three short years there is now fourteen certifications and five degrees on staff with one more undergrad degree potentially being completed in 2022.
This is from a group of nine people. We’ve been so successful our small group will tentatively grow by two soon. Talk about empowering the mind and making the decision to commit to action. I am surrounded by people that have done just that. It is as amazing as it sounds, and there is beauty in it for me.
Empowerment For Success
At the end of the day nothing gives me more pride in what I do. This includes all the successful projects, the many awards, or the positive media attention. These people I care about have set themselves up for long term success. I hope we work together for the long haul, but through empowerment they have opened doors for themselves that they may have felt was previously unattainable.
It’s a powerful thing. Ultimately our success is intimately intertwined with one another. If I fail them, it is that much harder for them to succeed in their respective roles. If they fail, our mutual goals become more difficult to attain. Success breeds success as I like to say. We will never be successful if we are not a cohesive team working towards shared goals.
Empowerment For Legacy
I’m not one to dwell on legacy, but if I were staff success would be how I define my own. Being an advocate for them to develop and achieve their own personal and professional goals. When it’s time for me to walk away and go find that beach where smart phones don’t work, these folks will hopefully carry it forward to the next group of up and comers. Maybe as people managers themselves, perhaps in a non-managerial role leading by example.
I have had several former employees’ step into supervisor and/or managerial roles. It is thrilling when one of them reaches out to tell me they earned a promotion or decided to roll the dice on a new opportunity. I love seeing people excel in life!
It was only about a year ago I had a former employee step into an entry level executive role for a smaller city in Texas. He was your typical quirky but fun personality that I tend to lean towards when hiring. I’ve always said I like personalities. I was and still am ecstatic that he landed the job. It’s fun for me to see these people that I crossed paths with through the years step into higher level leadership roles themselves.
Empowerment Conclusion
I’m not sure there’s much to how to empower the mind to boost productivity. At least not for my simple way of being. Sure, you can read up on it, even on this very site, but at the end of the day it’s on you to take action. That’s the great thing about being blue collar and country by nature. We’re pretty good at not overthinking things. Put your head down and get to work. That alone can take you far in life.
When you make the decision to go after something, flip the switch and start getting’ after it. Sign up for that class. Start studying for that certification. Take on that big project. Challenge yourself to do more. Be more. You’ll be better off for it. Until next time thank you for reading, and please take care of yourself and the ones you love.
