the ant and the ELEPHANT LEADERSHIP FOR THE SELF A Parable and 5-Step Action Plan to Transform Workplace Performance by Vince Poscente

Contents Leaving the Familiar Behind 1 Following the Same Old Path 9 Discovering the Possibilities 15 The Journey Worth Taking 27 Waking Up to Awareness 33 Harnessing the Power of Emotions 39 Creating Positive Dominant Thoughts 49 Experiencing and Expressing Gratitude 65 Pattern Busters 73 Expecting the Unexpected 85 Extraordinary Steps 97 A New Beginning 101 Afterword 111

* Generic male identifiers (such as “he”) = she/he/her/him/hers/his/herself/himself . . . Whew! Leadership for the Self • • • Before anyone can reach his full potential as a leader, he must  first  be  a  leader  to  himself.*  He  must  capitalize  on innate  talents  and  strengths,  challenge  the  habits  that hinder  his  growth  and  manage  the  fears  and  negative emotions that frequently keep him from realizing his goals. As  you  know,   our   minds  function  in  two  distinct spaces—conscious  and  subconscious  thought.  Our  “ant”  is the  intentional  part  of  the  brain—it  houses  our  critical, analytical thoughts. Our “elephant,” however, is the instinc- tual,  impulsive  part  of  the  brain—it  houses  emotions  and memories and even guides the body to perform its vital func- tions.  While  we  tend  to  know  our  conscious  minds—or ants—rather  well,  we  often  overlook  the  power  of  our elephantine  subconscious  minds.  Unfortunately,  when  we do, we squander a wellspring of human potential. Imagine  a  tiny  ant  on  the  back  of  a  massive  African elephant. No matter how diligently that ant marches east, if the elephant he sits upon travels in the opposite direction, the  ant  will  end  up  even  farther  west  than  his  starting point.  Similarly,  we  will  find  ourselves  receding  from  our goals  if  our  conscious  and  subconscious  minds  are  not aligned.  What  elephant-like  aspects  of  our  personalities hold us back from meeting  challenges? How do our emotions get in the way of our ability to act and communicate effec- tively?  What  does  it  truly  mean  to  commit  to  realize  a dream?  

A good leader may recognize that he indulges elephant- like habits that keep him shy of his goal—but a great leader does  something  about  it.  He  confronts  the  behaviors  and routines  that  keep  his  subconscious  stuck.  He  works  to refashion deep-seated beliefs, attitudes and truths so that they support his conscious efforts. The great leader conquers his hidden fears, antes up and makes an emotional invest- ment in his vision to show others the way to success. The Ant and the Elephant is an entertaining parable to help you do just that. Its goal is to demonstrate how we can unite  the  powerful  forces  of  conscious  and  subconscious thought to reach our peak performance levels as individuals and as corporate leaders.