ComputerHunter.org

 

Why Self Esteem Matters


A number of years ago I worked for one of the UK's top IT companies -- a global player. We were meeting to discuss a major bid, and the room was filled with people who didn't meet often -- the most senior managers from a number of divisions. There were very few middle tier managers in the room, almost exclusively senior managers who were accustomed to being 'top dog'. The atmosphere in that room was almost tangible. I wanted to bottle the air and analyse it later -- I had never experienced such naked power, and it dawned on me in that moment that we are almost blind to the status signals we transmit.

That meeting was an epiphany, and led to me becoming a hypnotherapist with a particular interest in researching confidence and self esteem. Because what I discovered in that company, and in many companies I have assisted subsequently, was the startling fact that an individual's self-esteem is a reliable indicator of how far they will progress in the organisation. Some technical geniuses can buck the trend, but they are very rare. For most of us, our ability to influence decision-making is precisely limited by our self esteem.

Why does this matter? It matters because the person with the greatest self esteem is not necessarily the right person to be making the key decisions. We have all suffered foolish bosses. Perhaps we have all wondered how on earth they reached such positions of seniority, given their obvious shortcomings. If you will excuse the bluntness: that incompetent boss is there because you haven't yet been sufficiently convincing. Your performance is perhaps the least important aspect on which you will be judged; what matters is your status in the group.

Status is a fascinating topic. We communicate our status constantly, primarily through body language and voice tone. This communication is unconscious; it is felt rather than known or consciously controlled. The way in which you behave reflects your self perception of status. This is either accepted or challenged by the people around you. A dominant person (relative to you) will cause you to back off from a challenge. A submissive person (again, relative to your own status) will make it easy for you to project your will. For a fuller discussion of this topic, please visit http://www.confidenceclub.net/content/statusconfidence.php.

And so we come to the nub. We should all seek to develop our self esteem, not because of the personal benefits which will flow from this personal growth -- career enhancement, improved love life etc -- but because we have a duty to ourselves and our communities. Until and unless we step up to the plate, our communities will remain vulnerable to an almost random process of leader selection. So ask yourself: 'Am I allowing less talented people to make decisions on my behalf?' If the answer is 'yes', then perhaps you should consider stepping up to the plate yourself. The first step in this process is building up your own self confidence and self esteem. Don't be bashful; there's nothing selfish about developing your own qualities. A community with a rich selection of potential leaders is, in my view, a secure community.

Jim Sullivan is a hypnotherapist specialising in confidence development and stress management. He may be contacted via his Confidence Club website http://www.confidenceclub.net







Google News - Top Stories

Times Online

Obama calls for new economic course
USA Today - 2 hours ago
By Charles Dharapak, AP By Douglas Stanglin, USA TODAY WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama sought to rally support for a new economic stimulus package by acknowledging that his plan will be expensive and painful, but warning that inaction could ...
Obama to Warn of Costs of Inaction on the Economy New York Times
Obama begins campaign to boost his economic recovery plan Chicago Tribune
The Associated Press - Bizjournals.com - Detroit Free Press - Kansas City Star
all 3,910 news articles


Globe and Mail

Madoff moved $160 million of assets to UK firm
Reuters - 2 hours ago
By Laurence Fletcher LONDON (Reuters) - Disgraced US financier Bernard Madoff moved nearly $160 million of his own assets to his British-based firm in 2007, according to company accounts and filings obtained by Reuters on Thursday.
Madoff had $173m in cheques in office, say prosecutors guardian.co.uk
UK Prosecutors Start Probe Into Madoff Operations Bloomberg
International Herald Tribune - The Associated Press - The Standard - Financial Times
all 3,140 news articles


BBC News

UN Halts Aid Deliveries to Gaza
Voice of America - 42 minutes ago
By Lisa Schlein The United Nations says it has halted aid deliveries to the besieged Gaza Strip until the safety of aid workers can be guaranteed.
Video: Israeli war on Gaza continues after second lull - 08 Jan 09 AlJazeeraEnglish
Arabs negotiate with West on UN resolution on Gaza The Associated Press
Aljazeera.net - Reuters - Sydney Morning Herald - ABC Online
all 29,828 news articles


ABC News

Target, Wal-Mart among parade of retailers reporting weak holiday ...
Bizjournals.com - 54 minutes ago
A slew of retailers with a Triangle presence reported holiday sales figures on Thursday, providing further proof that it was a less than merry season at the cash register.
RPT-US STOCKS-Wall St falls as Wal-Mart eclipses Obama Reuters
Recession, Job Losses Snow On Retailers' December Sales CNNMoney.com
New York Times - Forbes - Bloomberg - CNBC
all 1,782 news articles


The Associated Press

Obama health reform drive gets diverse backing
Reuters - 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama's pledge to reform the US health care system got an important vote of confidence on Thursday as a diverse alliance of doctors, a labor union, the drug industry and health insurers pledged to ...
Daschle Pledges a Bipartisan Reform of Heath Care System New York Times
Health secretary pick seeks health care overhaul The Associated Press
Bloomberg - Baltimore Sun - Washington Post - CNN
all 408 news articles

Google
 

Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base