I didn’t know a lot about President Lyndon Johnson, but I’ve enjoyed learning about him via Wikipedia.
While reading the terrific book, The Magic Of Thinking Big, by Dr. Joseph Schwartz. In a section about “Thinking Right Toward People,” Dr. Schwartz featured the 10 Point Formula For Success created and followed by Lyndon Johnson. And now I share it with you…
10 Point Formula For Success
- Learn to remember names. Inefficiency at this point may indicate that your interest is not sufficiently outgoing.
- Be a comfortable person so there is no strain in being with you. Be an old-shoe, old-hat kind of individual.
- Acquire the quality of relaxed easy-going so that things do not ruffle you.
- Don’t be egotistical. Guard against the impression that you know it all.
- Cultivate the quality of being interesting so people will get something of value from their association with you.
- Study to get “scratchy” elements out of your personality, even those of which you may be unconscious.
- Sincerely attempt to heal, on an honest Christian basis, every misunderstanding you have had or now have. Drain off grievances.
- Practice liking people until you learn to do so genuinely.
- Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulation upon anyone’s achievement, or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment.
- Give spiritual strength to people, and they will give genuine affection to you.
When I find something helpful in a book I underline it and fold over the page corner. These “dog ears” let me return to the good stuff in a book.
I’m pretty sure this book has the most dog ears than any other I’ve ever read. It was written in 1959 and – other than a few outdated salary and home price references – it is incredibly relevant today.