5. Attitude

A man's attitude toward life is sweet or sour, positive or negative; and it is so noticeable in his dealings with people that it gives him a distinctive personality. It affects his reputation for better or worse. Some people call it temperament, although much of it is really temper. One of the truest lines ever written, by Balzac, says, "Temperament is the thermometer of character." La Rochefoucauld warned us, "The happiness and misery of men depend no less on temper than on fortune." After all, attitude is largely a state of mind; and if your mind is taken up with pleasant, creative, constructive ideas, your personality will reflect a like attitude. Such qualities as poise, balance equanimity, and dignity have decidedly favorable effect on your attitude; while such opposite traits as impulsiveness, militant aggressiveness, advanced assertiveness, impetousity and thoughtlessness can have a decidedly unfortunate effect. One of the most important of all attitudes in business is a positive outlook. No one likes a crepe hanger or calamity howler or a confirmed pessimist. Isaac Barrow once wrote, "If we desire to live securely, comfortably and quietly, then by all honest means we should endeavor to purchase the good will of all men, and provoke no man's enmity needlessly; since any man's love may be useful and every man's hatred is dangerous." In this modern word, a constructive, positive, businesslike attitude is a major necessity to a creative executive or a good employee. In the final analysis, busy executives cannot afford to waste valuable time or take too many chances with careless, negative, or indifferent employees.