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5 Strategies for Personal Power and Effectiveness
By Suzanne Bates

Successful people know that personal power has nothing to do with title, and everything to do with who you are, and what impact you make on the world.

When you see a genuinely confident person, you assume they have personal power. Confidence and personal power are closely aligned. However, there is more to personal power. When you scratch the surface, what is the source of that person's confidence? How do you know they have personal power?

When I think about people I know who are influential in the world, there are common traits. They have already made an impact. They strive to do more. What they have done is significant. They have the potential to change things.

Another common characteristic is that they do it not just for themselves, but for a cause. Personal power is derived from the recognition they receive and the respect they win for having made an impact on their business, their industry, the community and the world around them. I'm not speaking just about people who give back. Any significant achievement that makes an impact on others leads to personal power.

Personal power and confidence are never a result of looking in the mirror in the morning and giving yourself a positive pep talk. Sure, you need to hold positive thoughts. But, no matter what those self help books tell you, confidence comes from mastery, and mastery comes from the consistent practice of personal habits such as commitment to excellence in all you do and investment in your own professional development.

Many people assume that setting goals is the secret to success. Goal setting is very important but it's really only the first step. The reason many people set goals and don't achieve them is because they haven't made the commitment doing what it takes.

So when you set a goal, be sure that you learn what you need to know, and commit to doing it well. As I discussed in Motivate like a CEO, the only way you'll do it is by following these steps:

After years of working with top executives I have noticed that those with the most personal power invest more time and energy in their own professional development and strive for excellence. They constantly seek to improve. They never stop learning. Excellence is not a concept for them. They live it.

Here are five strategies for achieving personal power and effectiveness:

  1. Commit to getting a little better every day - do this and you'll be exponentially better in a year


  2. Make time for your own personal development - your calendar is a reflection of your priorities


  3. Find people who can help you - you will never, ever get there alone


  4. Seek to spend time with people who are the best - they will lift you up and help you


  5. Enjoy the journey - the rewards are great but the joy is in doing something very well

For more ideas on how to improve your personal power and effectiveness, visit Suzanne Bates' blog at http://www.thepowerspeakerblog.com !

Other articles for this month include:

Personal Power & Effectiveness: Make A Name for Yourself...Internally

Getting Down and Dirty: Personal Power and Effectiveness as a Leader

How Can American Companies Do a Better Job, Doing Business in Germany and Europe?



Read and subscribe to Suzanne Bates’ blog, for her latest tips on how to become a powerful speaker and communicator!

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