The power of belief

In 1947, General Motors ran a competition called “My Job and Why I Like it”. It prompted 175,000 members of staff to submit their essays, of which there were 40 top winners. My great-uncle George Jackson was one of them, and he won a Pontiac Six Streamliner 4-door sedan, and the top 40 stories were published in this book, “MJC, Accentuating the Positive”.

Firstly, what a prize! There aren’t too many prizes of this scale being handed out nowadays.

Over 70 years later, I was sent a copy of this publication from a relative I never knew existed until I researched the family tree. Aside from the incredible characters and family history I have learned about along the way, I found this book to be a fascinating insight into what people valued about work then and now.

George’s full essay ran to several pages, and this was the excerpt that stood out:

It’s exactly the same. People have not changed. They have the same set of work-based values, are inspired by the potential of their imaginations and are naturally collaborative, passionate and enthusiastic when set a challenge to solve. They appreciate bosses who enable them to shine and excel.

George listed a series of very thoughtful reasons of why he valued his foreman, at a time when this kind of insight was not readily available. These are true and honest feelings about why he felt inspired and enabled to do the best he could. Successful corporates were built on this kind of management.

The judges included lauded names such as John Studebaker and Peter F Drucker, the latter of course best-known as an influential thinker and writer on management theory and practice. Drucker believed that management is “a liberal art” and infused his management advice with interdisciplinary lessons from history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, culture, and religion. He was in favour of creative management, with the aim of innovating and that managers should delegate tasks to empower employees.

We all know what’s changed. The technology – systems, tools, automation, computerisation and time to market are obviously beyond recognition. AI is only accelerating this.

And humans aren’t keeping up. So many young people coming into the job market are struggling to find that creativity and innovation. Managers have not been adequately coached in how to manage people Hybrid working makes delegation and collaboration more complex. Everything I learned as an account executive at the beginning of my client service career, I learned by watching people, overhearing conversations in the office and seizing opportunities to ask questions.

We need to get the power of belief back into our daily conversations, how we brief and delegate, how we allow time for collaboration. Inspiring self-belief in team members is a crucial aspect of effective leadership.

To put George’s words into modern parlance:

• Lead by Example: When leaders model self-assurance, it sets a powerful example for their team
• Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer feedback that focuses on strengths and areas for improvement. Constructive feedback helps individuals recognize their capabilities and areas where they can grow.
• Set Realistic Goals: Help team members set achievable goals. Breaking down larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps can make goals seem more attainable and boost confidence as each step is completed.
• Encourage Self-Reflection: Promote self-awareness through a moment of reflection to h help them understand their strengths and build self-belief
• Acknowledge their work: Praise both small and large successes. Recognition can significantly boost morale and reinforce a sense of accomplishment
• Foster a Supportive Environment: responding positively to shared ideas and collaborating on improvements inspires people to push for greater ideas
• Empower Decision-Making: Ensuring ideas remain theirs builds a sense of autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work.

The power of belief.

It can make each one of us be our very best and drive business growth.