“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but few think of changing themselves.” Leo Tolstoy
As people become more self-aware, they are usually amazed at the abilities of the conscious mind to choose, handle situations with deliberation, and behave appropriately for different occasions.
On the flip side, the unconscious mind is a powerful force driving our behaviour. Within our unconscious lie veiled assumptions and beliefs that formulate what is called default behaviour. The dictionary defines default as the “failure to perform a task or fulfil an obligation,” which means that default behaviours are reactive responses that occur when we fail to consider the appropriate response.
Becoming aware of our personal reactive tendencies is crucial if we want to make sense of our toxic behaviours, understand why we have permitted these gremlins to continue, and develop a plan for taming them.
Effective leaders know that what people value deeply will move them most powerfully in their work.
Because these leaders are aware of their own guiding principles, values, vision, assumptions and beliefs, they practice the art of not automatically defaulting to a behaviour that is inappropriate for the situation. Instead, they focus on appropriate situational behaviours.
Unless we are conscious of our default behaviours, we will automatically return to them. We can make choices about our behaviours only when we are aware of them.
Here is a mental model worth memorising and using:
BELIEFS influence perception.
PERCEPTION structures our reality.
REALITY suggests possibilities.
POSSIBILITIES generate choices.
CHOICES initiate actions.
ACTIONS affect outcomes.
OUTCOMES impact beliefs.
AWARENESS facilitates change.
Business Tips
Manage Your Default Behaviour
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- Parent Category: Business Tips
- Category: Self-Motivation & Awareness
