19 Leadership Development Tips: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

19 Leadership Development Tips: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

My parents, Fred and Joyce, are Dale Carnegie fans. In 1981, while I was still at the University of Sioux Falls, I received a leadership development gift from them – How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Evidently, they knew that as I finished university and launched into the next stage of life I would benefit from reading this book. 🙂 

Well, that’s an understatement! I could hardly put the book down. I underlined and made notes as I devoured each page. Since reading the book for the first time – about 30 years ago – I’ve also been a Dale Carnegie fan.

Have you read it yet? Is it in your library?

If yes, it may be time to dust it off and reread – it’s filled with much-needed strategies for these disruptive times.

If not, I invite you to consider reading it this season.

I believe the Fear Pandemic is paralyzing many leaders.

84% of adults reported feeling stressed, according to the American Psychology Association. 

The most common symptoms are:

• 47% anxiety
• 44% sadness
• 39% anger

In another report, they found these results: 

• 77% say that stress impacts physical health.
• 73% say that it impacts mental health.
• 48% of people have trouble sleeping because of stress.

Where is your stress revealing itself?  What about those on your teams?

Resilient Leadership Development

I pulled How to Stop Worrying and Start Living Dale’s book out for inspiration and insight as I’m developing a new series to equip leaders to:

• deal with the Fear Pandemic and
• develop resilient leaders.

Our world is filled with worry and fear. As leaders, we get the opportunity to deal with our own issues and then help NextGen Leaders in our circle of influence, whether at home or at work.

Here are some of my favorite Dale Carnegie quotes. I trust they will energize and equip you in your leadership development!

1. One of the worst features of worrying is that it destroys our ability to concentrate.
2. Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.
3. Fear is the result of a lack of confidence. A lack of confidence is the result of not knowing what you can do. A lack of knowing what you can do is caused by a lack of experience. A lack of experience is caused by a lack of doing something new.
4. Fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.
5. When I asked him -Mr. Henry Ford- if he ever worried, he replied: “No. I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn’t need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe that everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?
6. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon­­­­—instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.
7. Circumstances alone do not make us happy or unhappy. It’s the way we react to circumstances that determine our feelings.
8. Every day is a new life to a wise man.
9. When the fierce, burning winds blow over our lives and we cannot prevent them-let us, too, accept the inevitable. And then get busy and pick up the pieces.
10. Today is our most precious possession. It is our only sure possession.
11. Two men looked out from prison bars, One saw the mud, the other saw the stars.
12. A mere man alone can easily be defeated, but a man alive with the power of God within him is invincible.
13. Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequence of any misfortune.
14. The lesson to be learned? Just this: our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration, and resentment.
15. Our thoughts make us what we are.
16. …the best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly today. That is the only possible way you can prepare for the future.
17. Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.
18. Nothing can bring you peace, but yourself.
19. Remember, happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think. So start each day by thinking of all the things you have to be thankful for. Your future will depend very largely on the thoughts you think today. So think thoughts of hope and confidence and love and success.

Transform Fear into Faith This Season

How is it possible that a book published in 1936 still has relevance today?

In our fast-moving, technology-driven world, most things have a very short shelf-life. However, principles that are based on a solid foundation, will stand the test of time.

I hope this collection of Dale Carnegie quotes empowers you to address the escalating fear, anxiety, and worry in disruptive, crazy culture.

Your leadership matters NOW,  more than ever.

Leadership Development Lesson: As leaders, we get the opportunity to deal with our own issues and then help NextGen Leaders in our circle of influence, whether at home or at work.

Leadership Development Question: What can you do to help NextGen Leaders in your sphere of influence deal with the Fear Pandemic?