Blaming, complaining and making excuses are all crutches for the weak, as you’ll realize more and more when you begin to think like a Fearless Leader.

Take, for example, a recent conversation that I had with a small-business owner who had requested a Fearless Leaders training session for his employees: He was surprised that the default mode of his team – complaining – might be changed.

“I would love it if my sales team were coached in the Fearless Leaders secrets,” Gary, the owner said.

“Sales professionals who apply these secrets become far better revenue-producers and happier people,” I said to him. “You do need to know, though, there some specific guidelines for participants in this program include no blaming, complaining or excuses during the coaching period.”

“Holy cow,” Gary said, grabbing his head with both hands as if in great agony. “If my sales people can’t blame, complain or make excuses, I’m going to have a sales team that doesn’t talk!”

This is, sadly, too often the case. Most people are like those on Gary’s sales team. Their default method of communication is pessimism. They may complain about different aspects of their jobs, the economy, the weather, their spouse, their boss, their kids, but one thing is certain: They always complain.

Fearless Leaders never indulge in this type of negativity. They understand that blaming, complaining, or making excuses mentally weakens them.

Let’s define some terms:

• Excuses. An excuse is an explanation used in defending or justifying a loss, fault, offense, or mistake.
• Complaining. Complaining is a verbal expression of unhappiness, displeasure, frustration or discontentment.
• Blaming. Blaming is assigning responsibility, usually to someone else.

Self-Test. To determine your blaming, complaining or making excuses tendencies answer these questions, using the following scale:

1 = Hardly ever/never

2 = Seldom

3 = Sometimes

4 = Often

5 = Almost always/always

• Do the people with whom you spend the most time take full responsibility for everything in their lives and not blame, complain or make excuses? __
• When something goes wrong in your life, do you take full responsibility and not look for who or what to blame? __
• Do you live each day in gratitude? __
• Do you readily admit your mistakes? __

How did you do? Are you more negative, given to blaming, or not? Thanks for sharing with me.

For questions about this post or for information on becoming a fearless leader, contact Dr. Cathy Greenberg and The Fearless Leader Group at (888) 320-1299 or by email at hello@fearlessequalsfreedom.com.