Management Leadership and Personal Development Training

Management leadership and personal development training

What are the universal principles of personal achievement and personal development?

Universal principles are true statements that apply at all times, in all places. As such, they are very handy to know because, in any situation, they offer a base of knowledge and a "plan of action".

Science is the on-going search for the universal principles of each subset of reality. Biology, Physics, sociology, medicine, geology, astronomy etc.

Question
Is there a set of universal principles that govern the topics of "personal achievement" and "personal development"?

Indeed there are! What are the universal principles of personal achievement and personal development?

Now that is a good question.

I suggest that you make a lifetime's study to discover the answers to that particular question My preliminary conclusions I have been "on the case" for thirty years and here are some of my preliminary conclusions:

1. People respond more to their imagination than they do to the facts.
2. People work better and feel happier when they have a clear and distinct goal for which to aim.
3. People work better and are happier when they can see that their work will benefit their own family or themselves personally.
4. People don't think logically all the time.
5. People don't use very much of their mental or physical potential: most people are capable of achieving far more than they do actually achieve.

Let us look closer:

People respond more to their imagination than they do to the facts If you consider that your "personal experience" of any moment consists of five separate subset elements: 1. The given facts 2. Your Sense perception 3. Your Mental identifications of the facts 4. Your Evaluations and opinions 5. Emotional response and feelings

Question
How much of your behaviour is driven, not by the raw facts, but rather by:

1. Your perceptions of what happens
2. Your mis-identifications (mistakes)
3. Your opinions
4. Your prejudgements
5. Your Emotional associations and
6. Your gut feelings

Answer
Most of your behaviour is driven, not by the raw facts, but by a mixture of your personal perceptions, opinions, prejudgements, emotions, feelings and mistakes.

As the above statement is true the "plan of action" is:
Try to act according to the facts not the feelings and opinions.

Example
The facts in relation to alcohol suggest it is a toxic substance: we should not drink very much of it. But we act according or our perceptions opinions and feelings relating to alcohol and as a result many consume too much alcohol. Try to act according to the facts not the feelings.

People work better and feel happier when they have a clear and distinct goal at which to aim The mind works best as a goal striving mechanism. If you have no purpose in life then you have no motivation. You can only have motivation if you have a motive. You only have a motive, when you have defined a clear goal. No goal = no purpose = no point to go on = no motivation = no achievement = no progress = misery. Define your goals for the future Definite goal = clear purpose = good reason to go on trying = high degree of motivation = more achievement = better progress = happiness.

1. Define your goals for the future
2. Ask others to do the same
3. People work better and are happier when they can see that their work will benefit their own family or themselves personally

Although most ethical codes, political and religious doctrines exalt us to work for "the good of others", for the "good of society" and to sacrifice your own self-interest for the "greater good", the factual truth is the opposite.

The truth is that people work better and are happier when they can see that their work will benefit their own family and themselves personally.

Neither is this morally wrong.

Charles Darwin notes that all evolutionary progress is driven by each species developing adaptive variations that are advantageous to their own survival.

Adam Smith wrote that each person acts to maximise his own security and, in this manner, each is led by an invisible hand that achieves the promotion of the public good , that was in no part of his conscious intention.

Ayn Rand wrote

There is a morality of reason; a morality proper to man that holds his own rational self-interest as the standard of the good.

The truth is that people work better when they can see that their work will benefit their own family and themselves personally. When you are trying to affect a change in behaviour in another, don't ask him to do it "for the good of others", for "the good of society" or to sacrifice his own self-interest for the "greater good".

Instead

1. Always give the other person a personal motive to act.
2. Try to demonstrate how the action holds to his own rational self-interest.
3. Demonstrate how the action is advantageous to his own survival.
4. People don't think logically all the time

The human Logic is mankind's unique attribute.

Without our power to think logically we are no better off than any other animal. Without the power to think logically mankind would be just another primate.

But we often are affected by non-rational, non logical arguments and thoughts that can sometimes cause us to act in ways that are worse than animals.

James Allen said it like this:

Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character and man is their maker and master.

Thomas Jefferson wrote this:

"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion.

Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear".

1. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion.
2. Think rationally.
3. People don't use very much of their mental or physical potential: most people are capable of achieving far more than they do actually achieve

The human brain contains 100 000 000 000 neurons. (One hundred thousand million) Each neuron connects up to 2000 others; so the possible number of interconnections is a number that is inconceivable.

We are potentially much stronger and smarter than we think.

If only we would tap into that potential.

Wouldn't that be to your advantage? Yes! But how could you tap into all that potential?

Here's how

Recognise that you are stronger and smarter than you think.

The "plan of action" is:

1. Train your physical body twice a week for strength and once a week for endurance.
2. For at least an hour every day read educational books.
3. In every situation; do the best that you can.
4. Ask others to do the same.

Definition: Goal setting

Goal setting is the business process of choosing a clear end result, writing it in measurable words, fixing a finish date, and using it as a map to plan work and track progress. Without a stated result, numbers, time limit and action guide, the act is not goal setting.

Article Summary

Lead yourself and others by acting on facts, setting clear goals, linking effort to self interest, thinking with reason not feeling, and training mind and body to unlock potential; these five simple rules turn daily work into lasting success.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.

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Did You Know: Key Statistics

About the Author: Chris Farmer

Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.

Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.

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