During her time hiking the Pacific Crest Trail alone, Cheryl Strayed experienced moments of doubt and fear. She states, “Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.” Be bold. Evaluate whether the story you are telling yourself is working for you or against you. ─ Whitney Tate ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Leaders know things are often different than they appear, and you can get yourself in trouble by jumping to conclusions. ─ Ken Chapman, Ph.D.

By Ken Chapman, Ph.D. Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. President Ronald Reagan’s popularity in the polls rose and fell like a roller coaster. Shortly after an attempt was made to assassinate him, his ratings soared to nearly ninety percent, the highest on record. But one year later when the U. S. economy was still mired in recession, his approval ratings had plummeted to a low of thirty percent. Every other week, Dick Wirthlin, the president’s pollster, reported the ratings to the president and he now had the unhappy task of telling Reagan the disturbing news. “How are they? What do the figures look like?” Reagan asked. “They are pretty bad, Mr. President. How bad are they? Well, they are as low as they can get,” Wirthlin answered. “So, what do you mean?” pressed the president. “Well, they are about thirty-two percent,” replied Wirthlin. “ Anything lower than that in the…

Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser said, “When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.” Leaders knows when to speak up and when to keep their own counsel. If the work product doesn’t speak for itself, there’s little you can add which will make a difference. ─ Deb Miller─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Leaders choose their attitude. Leaders have an intrinsic understanding that while we cannot always choose what happens, we can choose our response. Leaders know to remain positive in the face of adversity and disappointment signals a refusal to accept defeat. Such optimism strengthens and renews the efforts of the entire team. ─Deb Miller, Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Leaders do not look back in anger or forward in fear. They look around in awareness. The past is the past. Opportunity lies ahead. ─ Ken Chapman, Ph.D.

Leaders know that doing what you love means dealing with things you don’t love. And, the failure to deal with what you don’t love will, sooner or later, prevent you from doing what you love. ─ Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Leaders know obsessing over a mistake is nothing more than an argument with the past. Leaders do not live in the past. They argue for and work for a better future. ─ Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

The nature of change is that it produces fear──fear of losing the familiar and fear of the new and unknown. So change requires courage. Leaders know that courage is not the absence of fear. It is the judgment that something is more important than fear. ─ Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Helen Keller (1880-1968) sums up the importance of attitude: “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed unchartered land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.” A pessimist constantly avoids responsibility and therefore makes life unpleasant for the rest of the team. ─ Christy Beem ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.