Catalyst Quotes

Compiled by Alex Pena ~ ‘Catalyst’: “to spark, to ignite, energize, mobilize; something that accelerates a reaction (DDI)." Thought-provoking & motivational quotes and stories for you to read, reflect on and move forward in making creative and positive changes in your life.

Archive for the category “Attitude”

20 Sep 2012

Believe and ‘Keep on Truckin’!

“There is no use trying”, said Alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.”

“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen.

“When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” (Lewis Carroll)

“Vision without execution is hallucination.” (Thomas Edison)

Too many times, we tend to give up when we believe we can’t achieve our goals. A Leader creates an environment of achievement, trust and commitment with the team that he/she leads. If there is engagement by all the associates, then everything the team does makes it believe it will achieve their goals. Remember the “Pygmalion Effect” discussed in an earlier post?

If it is within your own self that you tend to give up, don’t. Many achievements have been accomplished because the person gave it one extra step, an extra effort because that person ‘believed’ that the goal was near. Maybe not in sight, but near. As they used to say in the ‘70s, “Keep on truckin’!”

Posted in Attitude, Leadership | Leave a comment

18 Sep 2012

Own Your Attitude; Create Your Future

Does life suck sometimes? Absolutely! Nonetheless, you and only you own your attitude. Realistically, things may stink to high heaven. Still, the day is yours to embrace with vigor and good cheer – or not. Your call. 100%. Period. Remember, if you will, the annoying, persistent TPR (Tom Peters Rant): Excellence. Always. If not excellence, what? If not excellence now, when?” (Tom Peters)

“Many people are eager to have soothsayers predict their future. Fewer are willing to take responsibility for writing their own fortune. Your future is a blank sheet of paper waiting for you to create what is to come.” (Jim Clemmer)

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” (Neale Donald Walsch

Posted in Attitude | Leave a comment

16 Sep 2012

Careful What You Put in Your Mind

“Zig Ziglar used to tell a story about a baseball team on a losing streak. On the road for a doubleheader, the team visited a town that was home to a famous faith healer. While the guys were warming up, the manager disappeared. He came back an hour later with a big handful of bats. “Guys, these bats were blessed and healed by the guru. Our problems are over.”

According to the story, the team snapped out of their streak and won a bunch of games. Some people wonder, ‘Did the faith healer really touch the bats, or was the manager making it up?’ Huh? Does it matter? (Seth Godin)

“The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t ‘ is you. And you don’t have to listen.” (Nike)

“To move the world, we must first move ourselves.” (Socrates)

Posted in Attitude, Life | Leave a comment

12 Sep 2012

Make Me Feel Important

“Every person you meet has a ‘sign’ around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ If you can do that, you’ll be a success, not only in business but in life as well.” -Mary Kay Ash

“If you wish others to believe in you, you must first convince them that you believe in them.” – Harvey MacKay

How engaged are your employees? Do they feel important? How does this affect your customers?

Research studies have shown that employee job satisfaction will impact customer service satisfaction. In other words, “happy employees will get you happy customers” and if the employees are not happy, you can imagine how the customers will react.

Successful companies create an environment where the employees feel important and are engaged in their work. If a company does not create a positive environment, the employees will be going through the motions of being at work but not “really being at work.” That reminds me of a book I read recently titled, “I Quit, But Forget to Tell You” by Terri Kabachnick.

Posted in Attitude, Trust | Leave a comment

10 Sep 2012

Tigger or Eeyore?

“A father was late getting to his son’s baseball game. As he sat down behind the players’ bench he asked one of the boys known as a real leader on the team what the score was. “We’re behind 14 to nothing,” he answered with a smile. “Really!” the Dad replied. “I am surprised that you don’t look very discouraged.”

“Discouraged?” the boy replied with a puzzled look on his face. “Why should we be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet!”

… Just as pessimism erodes our ability to deal successfully with change, so does optimism enhance it.” (Jim Clemmer, Leaders Inspire Their Teams with Optimism)

“You just have to decide if you’re a Tigger or an Eeyore.” (Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture)

As you go through your day, decide if you want to be an optimist or a pessimist. Don’t forget … others will be affected by what you decide.

Posted in Attitude, Life | Leave a comment

09 Sep 2012

Are You a Catalyst or Transformer?

“Are you waiting …

For someone to lead and inspire you,

For the boss to recognize you,

For clients to thank you,

For co-workers to hail you?

Well, here’s a news flash.

They are all just sitting there too

Waiting for you.”

(print ad for Minolta)

“I am personally convinced that one person can be a change “catalyst”,

a “transformer” in any situation, any organization.

Such an individual is yeast that can leaven an entire loaf.”

(Stephen R. Covey)

Almost all companies or organizations have managers and leaders but does everyone in the workplace look to them for guidance all the time? Not necessarily. There are many associates in the workplace or an organization that do not have the title, are not exempt or do not have someone reporting to them, but they do lead and manage.

Everyone is waiting for you to make the right move. Be a “catalyst.” Be a “transformer” and make things happen.