Page 24 - 2019 March Voices

FIELD NOTES

Attitude & Leadership

Robert Hall, DL4

There are two meanings to the word “success.” gets you to 98%. However, if you add up all the
One meaning is to follow someone, to come letters in ATTITUDE, you get 100%. Now I’m not
after them, as in “succession planning.” A second saying there is any cosmic significance to this

meaning is to do well, to achieve or exceed one’s little math exercise! However, it does underscore
goals, as in “planning for success.” the importance of ATTITUDE in the hierarchy
Success in identifying the next slate of officers of qualities required for success.
as soon as possible, to train them in their new Now we also need to take a moment to define

roles, and help them do the best job they can is what kind of attitude is needed for success. I
vital to the success of every Toastmasters club. propose that an attitude of gratitude, in the face of
This all sounds good in theory, but what all that life dishes out, is the one force that cannot
exactly are the ingredients of success? Many be refuted or denied. It’s your “superpower!” In

people will answer that knowledge is important, fact, if you add up all the letters in GRATITUDE,
that the knowledge you get from college, or you get 105%. Not bad!
from the school of hard knocks, enhances the What exactly does gratitude look like?
opportunity to achieve success. Others will say • Let’s suppose you have a teen at home that

that leadership is a key ingredient, how well you you have asked for help with one of the
can motivate people or help them to develop chores, and you get the long face. How do
themselves. Others will say that hard work is you express gratitude? Well, you can be
very important, being able to stay with a task to grateful that your teen is living under your

completion, burning the midnight oil. However, roof, and not out on the streets.
there is one characteristic that transcends all of • Or perhaps your neighbor is ranting about
these. It’s the attitude you bring to the job. how unfair the latest government policies
Your attitude determines your altitude. are. Be grateful you live in a country where

Knowledge, Leadership, and Hard work still free speech is allowed.
count, but without the right attitude, they are • Perhaps your club President or your VP of
insufficient. Education is deluging you with emails you
An interesting fact, if you assign a number to don’t have time to read or respond to. Be

each letter of the alphabet, with “A” representing grateful there are people who care about
1% and “Z” representing 26%, and you add up your personal development.
the letters in KNOWLEDGE, you get 96%, If you have received those emails from club
LEADERSHIP gives you 97%, and HARD WORK officers asking you to commit yourself, to take

24 ONE COMMUNITY