Recently I came across a story about Dwight D. Eisenhower that brought the phrase “Grow Stronger by Expecting More” alive in my mind. Eisenhower served as president of Columbia University after he led the Allies’ victory in Europe during World War II and before he was elected president in 1952. There, he labeled Dr. John Erskine “the greatest teacher Columbia University ever had.” Dr. Erskine was an English professor who created one of the most prolific book movements of the Western world by designing Columbia’s famous “Literature Humanities” curriculum.
Writing about her husband’s remarkable career, Dr. Erskine’s wife, Helen, credited the doctor’s achievements to his “audacious optimism.” He was an excellent teacher, she said, because of “his own excitement and trust in the future.” She further chronicled his optimistic philosophy by stating he would always tell her, “I’m instructing the young people that attend my class that the best books are yet to be written, the best paintings have yet to be painted, the best governments are yet to be formed, because the best is yet to be done by them!”
As we enter the summer months in preparation for what our CEO Ray Faltinsky calls “the next wave” of abundance in FreeLife, I emphatically shout out “the best is yet to be done!” As Leaders, our responsibility heading into Breakthrough 2011 is to communicate “optimistic expectations” to those around us much like Dr. Erskine did with his students. Together we will design our better future and orchestrate a stronger, more flourishing FreeLife when we join together and communicate optimistic expectations in saying “the best is yet to be done!”
Now, there’s an old saying that “you can’t pass on what you don’t already possess.” So I want to give you three rules to embrace as you set your expectations to grow stronger this summer:
- Define your expectations. Get out of the passenger seat and get behind the wheel of your life and Business this summer. We always travel in the direction of our most dominant thoughts, so take responsibility for the expectation of success in your Business. Do you demonstrate strong belief in the FreeLife vision? Do you act first in setting your own expectations for success? Are you following the system to build Star Director IIs and increase the number of Leaders in your Organization? I’ve watched many Leaders gain influence because their expectations of themselves is more than what they expect of others. Let me encourage you to define reality and take inventory of where your expectations are.
- Establish your expectations early. Have you ever procrastinated? Procrastination is one of the biggest success busters we create for ourselves. Why we lack the discipline to force ourselves to do the necessary things for success is a big mystery. When we procrastinate, it’s a sign that we’re allowing fear and anxiety to overrule our expectations. I’ve discovered that people who set their expectations early automatically gain a huge advantage on the rest of the world. Setting your expectations now in what you want to achieve by Breakthrough 2011 gives you a stronger posture in front of those you lead because it decreases any fear and anxiety of the unknown.
- Design your expectations optimistically. Dr. Erskine was a master at getting his students to think optimistically about the possibilities their future holds. How optimistic are you about your future? Is your optimism transferring to those you lead? Psychologists tell us that people generally perform based on our expectations of them. In other words, what people can become is primarily a matter of optimistic expectations given to them by their Leaders. As a Leader, it’s not only important for us to optimistically expect the best for own future, it’s also important for us to expect the best for those around us.
As we continue our FreeLife journey this summer, I want you to know that I have optimistic expectations about our future. True leadership starts by gaining perspective on where our expectations are today. I can tell you this – I expect a very bright future for everyone in FreeLife.
When you begin to understand that, to a significant degree, the quality of your life depends on your optimistic expectations, you will then capture the drive to achieve something beyond your wildest expectations. I encourage you to tap into that drive this summer and demonstrate to others that you expect great success in your future. I assure you, when you do this people will line up and follow you anywhere because they will want a piece of your optimistic expectations. And when that happens, not only will your Business grow stronger this summer, you’re leadership influence will grow stronger as a result. God Bless.
Kevin Fournier
President & Co-Founder
