7
LANGUAGE AND BEHAVIOUR
The point of all this goal-setting activity is, of course, to generate proactivity. And a key element of proactive behaviour is proactive language.
“The right words can have a galvanizing effect, generating enthusiasm, energy, momentum and more, while the wrong words can undermine the best intentions and kill initiative on the spot, stone dead,” writes leadership guru Stephen Denning in The Secret Language of Leadership (2007).
Whether it is Your Constitution, your goal-setting, your diary, or simply your thoughts and speech, you need to adopt the right tone and vocabulary.
Covey (1989) points out that reactive language is based on absolving us – “that’s just the way I am,” “there’s nothing I can do” and so on. It is ...
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