I AM stressed to the max and I desperately need a holiday."

Those venomous words sprang like a viper out of a recent e-mail from a business leader, who is often in a tough place, by his own admission. No wonder his business lacks the oomph to go anywhere and, not surprisingly, morale among staff has hit all-time lows.

My question is: how do words such as 'stressed' and 'desperate' impact your outcomes? They are rooted in linguistic intelligence, and we are just now seeing its potential to nurture or kill talents at work. How so?

Focus on challenges or negatives and you literally stall your brain, because whining shifts mental focus away from practical tactics that propel people forward. Mistakes no longer become the creative stepping stones to discovery as they do for those who speak about a satisfying future.

Great results spring from words that inspire excellence ahead. So the brain hears and carries them out. It is a bit like bated breath for success. How so?

Here are verbal openers from people who landed great results in spite of enormous challenges that hit back:

1. "I'm no smarter than others. But I stay with problems much longer after others leave," said Albert Einstein when people called him a genius.

2. "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all," said Dale Carnegie.

3. "Within each of us there is a mysterious force that drives us onward," said James E Carey, Founder of UPS.

4. "Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration," according to Thomas Edison.

5. "People are just about as happy as they make up their mind to be," Abraham Lincoln reminded us.

The brain is fuelled by particular words it is fed, as seen in these highly successful leaders. That said, you choose daily destinations based on spoken or written words. Whether apples of gold or potions of poison, words shape workplaces far more than most people realise.

How will you start your next new day? To complain seems easier. Yet, to corral a better day is to harness words that move you and your workplace forward towards a great vision. One beyond disappointments and one that inspires a new impulse to soar. What do you think?

This feature has been sourced from Dr Ellen Weber's BrainBasedBusiness. Dr Weber is an internationally known curriculum leader, speaker, mentor and columnist, who teaches business executives at universities in several countries. She teaches brain-based approaches to medical professionals at the University of Rochester. She also serves on several boards and committees as a
volunteer to help handicapped youth.

Photograph: Matt Cardy /Getty Images
(Photograph used for illustrative purposes only.)

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e-mail: Dr Ellen Weber

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