The following contains excerpts from the book, Attitude 101 (John Maxwell).
What I have come to believe about music is that it is not predominantly sound. Of course, we hear music. But that is not its essence. I have come to believe that music is relationships. Relationships can be defined in many ways. Here are a few:
- Relationship with the music, as a performer
- Relationship with yourself, as an interpreter or creator
- Relationship with God, through music in worship
- Relationship with other musicians, in teamwork
- Relationship with the audience
- Relationship to your instrument or voice
- Relationship and influence in your community
In establishing music as Relationship, this opens up an essential need for a musician/artist to have a successful understanding of basic ‘people skills,’ as well as leadership and management skills. I have been to many music schools, workshops, and festivals and have yet to hear anyone teach along these lines.
I offer the following information on the subject of Leadership in the spirit of helping the contemporary artist successfully navigate the necessity of involving people in his or her artistic journey.
The role attitude plays in leadership cannot be overstated. It is through a positive attitude that a leader of any artistic endeavor can gather people and inspire them to accomplish great things. An artist that is simply an island unto himself is missing out on the greatest journey of creativity, which is learning to work with others in collaboration.
In our music school in Odessa Texas, we hope to help students see the value of a positive attitude in Leadership.
Attitude 101 is divided into three parts: 1) The impact of attitude, 2) The formation of attitude, and 3) The future with the right attitude. The first part shows the impact of attitude on the individual and on the leader. The second part describes the origin of a person’s attitude and what can be done to change. In the third part, the author defines failure and success in relation to a person’s attitude, and how beliefs can shape a leader’s life.
In Part 1 Maxwell shows that attitude is always a member of the team, that good and bad attitudes are contagious, and that attitude and potential are interrelated.
- Attitudes have the power to lift up or tear down a team.
- An attitude compounds when exposed to others.
- Rotten attitudes, left alone, ruin everything.
- Our attitude determines our approach to life.
- Often our attitude is the only difference between success and failure.
- Our attitude can turn out problems into blessings.
A research study found that the money an individual makes in any endeavor is determined 12.5% by knowledge and 87.5% by the individual’s ability to deal with people. Our attitude is a key ingredient in dealing with people issues. We encourage students in our music school in Odessa Texas to always maintain a positive attitude and outlook on life.
In Part 2, Maxwell shows that “The key to having a good attitude is the willingness to change.” Maxwell believes “that environment is a greater controlling factor in our attitude development than our personality or other inherited traits.” From our environment, we gain our beliefs and, whether right or wrong, our attitude is reinforced by our beliefs. We usually act in direct response to our self-image. Exposure to new experiences provides the opportunity for growth.
Factors that impact attitude:
- Personality: who I am
- Environment: what’s around me
- Word expression: what I hear
- Acceptance/Affirmation: what I feel
- Self-image: how I see myself
- Exposure to new experiences: opportunities for growth
- Association with peers: who influences me
- Physical appearance: how we look to others
- Marriage, family, job: our security and status
Choices for a great attitude:
- Evaluate your present attitude.
- Realize that faith is stronger than fear.
- Write a statement of purpose.
- Have the desire to change.
- Live one day at a time.
- Change your thought patterns.
- Develop good habits.
- Continually choose to have a right attitude.
We help students in our music school in Odessa Texas to develop positive and helpful life-habits that will carry them into a successful future.
In part 3, Maxwell separates failures in life from the idea of ‘being a failure.’ He states, “The only way you can get ahead is to fail early, fail often and fail forward.” He says that we must learn from adversity, then define success correctly. “Success is knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.” As we grow in our capacity to benefit others, ultimately greater sacrifices will be required. We hope to help students in our music school in Odessa Texas discover that failure is never final, if they keep striving for a positive goal.
- The greatest battle you wage against failure occurs on the inside, not the outside.
- Adversity creates resilience.
- Adversity pushes the envelope of accepted performance.
- Adversity provides greater opportunities.
- Adversity prompts innovation.
- Adversity brings unexpected benefits.
- Adversity motivates.
To encourage and lead people:
- Value people.
- Praise effort.
- Reward performance.
We hope to instill into students in our music school in Odessa Texas the value of each individual, as they learn to collaborate with others in successful artistic endeavors.
In order to fail forward:
- Reject rejection.
- See failure as temporary.
- See failures as isolated incidences.
- Keep expectations realistic.
- Focus on strengths
- Vary approaches to achievement.
- Bounce back.
To grow to your potential:
- Concentrate on one main goal.
- Concentrate on continual improvement.
- Forget the past.
- Focus on the future.
One of the most important life-lessons we try to instill in students in our music school in Odessa Texas is to make progress each day, even if it is small. Daily progress accumulates over time.
I think the best way to summarize this book is Maxwell’s statement, “The greatest battle you wage against failure occurs on the inside, not the outside.” Attitude has everything to do with the inside, and it is a monumental battle to win. Once inside victories are obtained, outside victories are soon to follow.