How To Create A Great Attitude In Business In Japan

How To Create A Great Attitude In Business In Japan

We see uplifting quotes on social media and often reference is made to the importance of having a positive attitude or that attitude is everything or attitude is altitude etc. Totally agree, but how do we get one of these wonder attitudes? Where does a good attitude come from? Our self-belief is one key source. If we don’t think we are any good at something we have a negative attitude about doing it. I know nothing about engineering, have very little interest or curiosity about engineering, so I have a negative attitude about me becoming an engineer any time soon. 

I was a white belt in karate in Brisbane and at a tipping point, I gained the self belief that I could become a black belt and I eventually did do that. What was different? In one case I didn’t try to learn, to study, or to immerse myself in that world. In the second case, I did all of those things. I wasn’t strong or fast or well coordinated, when I started karate training, but I built my self-belief over time as I put in the work. 

Here is the secret with attitude. Our self-belief can change if we put in the work required to change it. It took my 19 months of intense training to get a black belt, which back in the early 1970s was considered very fast. I committed to the training required, but it still took time. I went through the gradings, advancing up the ranks. Acquiring the knowledge of any skill takes time and this journey is part of what builds attitude. We get there and we know we worked to get there so it is real. I know I trained three times as much as everyone else in my class, so I progressed much faster through the ranks.

Now what about in your business or in your personal life? Are you working toward a goal? Do you have ambition that drives you to make the effort to build the self-belief. It might be to become the top salesperson, to get the promotion, to become the boss. It might be to be a better family member, or improve health or to lose weight. Attitude is closely connected with having goals and these are goals with timelines, not vague meanderings about how things might be. These ideas have clear outcomes attached to the work.

We build an attitude by paying attention to having better discipline. Can you think of anyone who has a great attitude but has terrible discipline? I doubt it because these two things work in lock step. Karate training built my discipline which built my self-belief and I got the right attitude to secure my ambition – to become a black belt.

Where do we start with discipline? Well we should start small and build our way up. If you wake up in the morning and the weather is freezing, cold and miserable, do you say “what a lousy day”? If the sun is shining, we have blue skies and just the right amount of warmth, do you say “what a great day”? If you answered “Yes” to either of those propositions you have just let the weather decide your attitude. When we have control of our attitude we decide every day is a good day, irrespective of the weather report. It is a small thing, but this is the type of small beginnings we need to build a more positive attitude.

We need to start analyzing our attitude. What sort of attitude do we have now? What sort of attitude do we want to have? Why is there a gap and how big is the gap? What do we need to do to eliminate that gap between where we are now and where we want to be? When we do this we will start to shed some light on how to build stronger self-belief through study, through greater knowledge, through discipline. We begin to see where we need to start to improve our self discipline, so that we can sustain our efforts to change and to become the person with the precise attitude we have chosen for ourselves.

A great attitude doesn’t appear like wild flowers in the Western Australian desert after a torrential downpour. It is built on bite size pieces of change, but well sustained, so that our desired attitude just keeps building in size. This is all within our control, if we wish it to be so. To find out more about how we can build a great attitude just watch this short video.

Engaged employees are self-motivated. The self-motivated are inspired. Inspired staff grow your business but are you inspiring them? We teach leaders and organisations how to inspire their people. Want to know how we do that? Contact me at [email protected]

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About The Author

Dr. Greg Story: President, Dale Carnegie Training Japan

In the course of his career Dr. Greg Story has moved from the academic world, to consulting, investments, trade representation, international diplomacy, retail banking and people development. Growing up in Brisbane, Australia he never imagined he would have a Ph.D. in Japanese decision-making and become a 30 year veteran of Japan.

A committed lifelong learner, through his published articles in the American, British and European Chamber journals, his videos and podcasts “THE Leadership Japan Series”, "THE Sales Japan series", THE Presentations Japan Series", he is a thought leader in the four critical areas for business people: leadership, communication, sales and presentations. Dr. Story is a popular keynote speaker, executive coach and trainer.

Since 1971, he has been a disciple of traditional Shitoryu Karate and is currently a 6th Dan. Bunbu Ryodo (文武両道-both pen & sword) is his mantra and he applies martial art philosophies and strategies to business.