John Grinder, one of the founders of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) Official
Website , nailed it when he said, ‘The meaning of your communication is the
response you get.’ It’s simple, but it’s one of those truths that hit hard once you
really sit with it. We’re all saying things all the time, but how often do we stop to
think about how our words land on others? Spoiler: the way they land often says
more than we realize.

The Power of Language

Now, I wasn’t always aware of how powerful language is. It wasn’t until I started
studying NLP that I realized how the smallest change in the way we phrase things
could completely shift the outcome. It’s not about getting all ‘positive vibes only’ or
turning into a walking motivational quote. It’s about flipping the script on negativity.
Instead of saying, ‘I can’t do this,’ try, ‘How can I make this work?’ Sounds simple,
right? But that tiny shift moves your brain into problem-solving mode, which is pretty
much everything when it comes to progress. Or shall I say “success”?

Can-Do Attitude

Think about it: Language can either fuel us or hold us back. We all know that
person who’s always talking about what they can’t do or what will never work. It’s
draining. But when we focus on what can be done, we’re not just speaking more
positively—we’re actually inviting solutions, creativity, and growth into the
conversation. Leaders, in particular, need to recognize this. The way we speak to
our teams, clients, or even ourselves can make the difference between a productive
day and one full of frustration.

Mental Post-it

The good news? Shifting your language isn’t as hard as it sounds. Next time you’re
stuck in a negative thought spiral or gearing up for a challenging conversation,
pause for a second. Ask yourself: What would happen if I approached this with a
solution-first mindset? What if I reframed this as a challenge to solve rather than an
obstacle to dread? It’s not a magic trick, it’s just a better way to handle things.
Does it always work? Of course not. We’re all human, and sometimes we slip up.
But when we make it a habit to lean into positive language, to focus on what we can
control instead of getting stuck on what we can’t, we start seeing results. Not just at
work, but in all aspects of life.

Moving Forward

Next time you find yourself thinking or saying something that limits you, flip it. Turn
‘I can’t’ into ‘I will find a way.’ It might seem like a small thing, but it could change
your entire perspective. Programming yourself doesn’t mean turning into an AI or
something similar. It means consciously making an effort to get better results.
Speaking for myself, it works!

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Opportunities Don’t Fall from the Sky

Keeping your head down and working hard is great, but it won’t get you noticed if no one knows
you. Networking is all about connecting with people in your field, whether that’s grabbing coffee,
joining a LinkedIn group, or chatting at a conference. And I don’t mean “working the room”; it’s
about having real conversations and staying visible. Sometimes one good connection is all it takes
to discover that perfect role or project you didn’t even know existed.

Being Your Own Brand

I usually say that “I am my own brand”. My experience and past success show who I am. Not only
what other people say when I am not there. But yes, that matters, too. Think of referrals as
personal endorsement—someone saying, “This person’s great at what they do.” Referrals cut
through the noise and make employers take notice because there’s already built-in trust. A trusted
contact vouching for you is a big leg up over the competition. So don’t be too proud to ask for a
little help from someone who knows you’re qualified. Sometimes, it’s just the nudge you need to
get your dream job.

Networking Support

Networking isn’t about collecting business cards; it’s about building relationships. When you’re part
of a strong network, you’re constantly learning and growing, hearing new insights, and sharing
ideas. And a solid network can make you better at what you do. Plus, it’s a lot easier to succeed
when you’ve got a support system. Today we have many tools that allow us to touch base with
people we might not even know face to face. But as long as you can provide interesting content
and a good customer experience they will follow you.

Hire Fast – Hire Easy

Hiring managers love referrals because they speed up the process. If someone trusted
recommends you, that’s one less risk for them. So if you’re eyeing a job, don’t hesitate to ask for
that extra push from a connection—it might just land you on the shortlist. Make sure you prepare a
good resume, and cover letter if needed, and be ready for that interview. If you don’t know how,
that’s when we coaches come along.

Be Genuine

Every conversation and every connection adds to your reputation. Building a network isn’t about
quantity but quality. Being genuine, offering to help others, and showing appreciation all go a long
way. People remember those who are authentic and helpful—and they’re much more likely to think
of you when new opportunities pop up. Make sure you know what your strengths are, and which
areas you need to improve in. Nobody hires a “perfect candidate” because simply there’s no such
thing. So stay true!

What’s Next

Keep in touch, try to offer help before asking for it in return, and follow up. “Thank you” messages
are always welcome. Much more than a simple copied/pasted template generated by an AI. Yes,
as as said before, tech tools are great. But you know what? The human perspective is much more
needed and valued.

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Teacher’s pet

I remember back in school there was a double standard on this. If the teachers liked you, you had
an easier academic life, but the constant bullying and negative comments from the rest of the class
was not really worth it. Somehow growing up, most people continue to go after their leader’s
compliments and -with time- work ethics tend to get blurred because of that. Betraying your
coworkers’ trust is in no way the right path to get ahead or grow professionally.

From Top to Bottom

Most companies talk about positive culture, family environment, and things of the sort. If that is true
and you get to be in that atmosphere, you have won the lottery. But if it isn’t, it won’t be long until
your supervisor treats you amazing on Monday and tells you how well you are doing, etc. to – by
Friday – is pretty mean to you and lets you know how much of a disappointment you are to them
and to the team. I’ve had calls in which I was praised for my accomplishments to then be told I was
“full of BS”. And this happened in two separate calls, within the same month by the exact same
person. Why? I think this leader got their head full of lies by someone who should have been my
mentor but was so scared I was going to do better than them at my role than did the unthinkable to
see me fail. So don’t cling to praises and compliments. They usually don’t last long in the corporate
world.

Why Me?

And why NOT you? If you are doing a good job, and you are putting a real effort to learn and excel
at your tasks, the real reward is within you. Yes: we need the money, we love to feel proud, we like
to be needed. It’s true. But all of that is right in your mirror. We shouldn’t be looking for this
constant external validation. Who is better than you to tell you how you should think of yourself?
Self esteem is something most of us work on throughout our entire lives. We seek counselling,
coaching, therapy, whatever works best for each of us. But in the end, there’s a gut feeling that
should be your green light. “This is it. This is my impact. This is what I want to leave behind”. If you
already found it, go for it. If not, keep searching. It’s somewhere inside of you!

Rewards

It might sound a bit too comforting, but if you can balance your expectations and live in the
moment, instead of projecting your happiness for when you get that promotion, or that raise, or that
relocation, etc. everyday little successes will make your life much better, day by day. Those small
rewards of finishing a tough task you didn’t understand at first, or that chat you had with a team
member who thanked you for your support on that client’s call, or even hitting that sales goal that
bumps your commissions up for the month are a lot better and last a lot longer that your boss
saying “great job” after missing your family dinner because you had a deadline they should have

been working on instead of you. So next time you evaluate your performance at work, make sure
you consider what you think first. You and your loved ones. Not your supervisor’s opinion alone.

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(Not) Irreplaceable

We’ve discussed before the importance of teamwork and development in the corporate world here , but this is not just about a competitive mindset among peers. What might prevent you from being the leader everyone enjoys working with could be your own inability to let go. Are you scared someone might be better than you? Would you think less of yourself if you were replaced? Well, I’ve got news for you: nobody is irreplaceable. Beyoncé says, “…I can have another you by tomorrow.” Your world will not collapse if you
don’t have that job title you love so much by next week. At least, it shouldn’t.

Passing the Torch

Do yourself a favor and don’t wait until you’re unable to work to delegate tasks. Someday you will want to take a vacation, or you might get sick and need rest for a day or two. Even traveling for work with long hours at the airport or on the plane, with poor connectivity, could be a challenge. Train your team to be like clockwork, with or without you. Days, months, and years go by, and everyone needs a break. There are so many learning activities and mentoring opportunities daily—there’s no excuse not to share your knowledge.

Imprint – Selfless Bosses

I’m lucky to have had at least three direct supervisors who were incredibly important throughout my career. One taught me to stay calm in stressful situations because panicking solves nothing. Another appreciated my efforts so much that he gave me the confidence to excel at any task. And another showed me how to have fun and enjoy my role as I grew into it. I consider them all friends even years after working together. They are the ones who guided my way to where I am today, and still provide counsel, without any benefit to themselves, other than my forever friendship, of course. Thankfully, there are very few I remember as a complete nightmare. Unfortunately, not everyone knows
what being true and kind means.

A Win-Win Situation

I assure you, if you take less on yourself and trust those you have trained and mentored to do their jobs right, you will feel comfortable spending more time focusing on improving yourself. Not only as a career goal but also as a life learning experience. Your career path is as important as theirs. Your success journey is built by being a hard worker, but also a good collaborator, a better example, and even a much better person.

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At this point in the game, I am positive that you need to be smart enough to survive in this
corporate world we live in. Globalized, interconnected, fast, social, and even hypocritical at times.
Let’s dive into practical things to do in order to move faster up the ladder, with a mission and work-
ethic values to stand for.

Loyalty – Underrated yet Invaluable

Loyalty comes from honesty. You can’t have one without the other. But what does loyalty mean to
you? Or to your manager? Or your peers? The people you lead. The owner, the directors, the
stakeholders of the corporation you work for? They all often have a different take on these values
because they all also come from different upbringings, families, and life experiences. So how can
you expect teamwork in your company and trust amongst your employees? Easy. Be truthful and
provide them with honest, proper and valid information. When you hide stuff -even hard truths-
from people who seek you for guidance, it becomes impossible to gain their trust. And that’s how
teams collapse and fail at meeting their goals, over and over again.

Your True Calling

There’s only one way to be successful in my opinion: be happy with who you are and what you do.
This concept applies to everything in life, but let’s focus on the professional aspect of it. You can
only excel at your tasks if you enjoy them to the fullest of your capabilities. Find your purpose in
this lifetime and work towards creating a daily routine that you enjoy the most. Isn’t it so much
easier to read a book you find entertaining than one you find boring? Be smart about it. Chances
are you will do a much better job at something you are excited about than something you are
obliged to and find dreadful.

Is money all there is in it for you?

For some people, yes. For most people though, no. Countless surveys and studies in the past
decades show employees prefer flexible hours, working in comfortable locations, productivity-
oriented metrics, and benefits of all sorts instead of only high salaries. It is well known for every
recruiter out there that candidates usually prefer a lower paycheck with great benefits than higher
paid roles where work-life balance is non-existent. Everyone needs a vacation every now and then.
Everyone wants to enjoy a holiday with their loved ones. Everyone is a better person working for
even a better leader. Mentoring is key. If you don’t have the patience or the resources to take your
team under your wing and vouch for them, you are in the wrong seat at the table. Plus, if you don’t
have real empathy for those around you, nobody will follow you.

Collaboration – Teamwork at its best

If you are a leader – or you want to become one – understand your strengths and your weaknesses
better than everyone else around you. If you don’t know them yet, you should find out. Listen to
constructive criticism, and learn from it. Use your best thinking into a proactive approach to your
tasks and your objectives. Once you have learnt the basics, and with patience and coaching, you
can start learning new things and growing so as to train new hires and delegate to them later. Who
is good at the same exact role for over two decades? Furthermore, who would want to be? Would
you? I highly doubt it.

Leadership & Mentoring

The common point of view used for employees in leadership positions is that people are “natural
leaders” or no leaders at all. I just explained how management is a craft you master with time and
experience. Don’t forget humility is needed, too. If you think you are too good to continue learning,
there’s nothing I write that will help you. So this article is for the ones wanting to improve
themselves. As human beings first, not just as professionals. The best professionals are usually
the ones with the best intentions at heart. Take a look in the mirror. Who do you see? A “smart
cookie”? A kind-hearted one? I hope you do; you can be both at the same time.
Integrity, passion, and core values are sometimes hard to find. But very much needed in times like
these.