Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Brian Tracy’s idea of the self-concept in business is original. In his first book, Maximum Achievement, he takes the three elements of personal self-concept — self-ideal, self-image, and self-esteem — and he applies them to business.

Who is Brian Tracy? Brian Tracy is a business author of over 70 books and an entrepreneur who has started multiple profitable businesses. He’s also known for his speaking and his sales training. One of his top programs is the Brian Tracy 21st Century Sales Program.

Is Brian Tracy a Christian? Apparently he is, and this no doubt shapes his view of the self-concept in his business and personal life.

To learn more about his business advice, listen to this podcast episode, “How to Build a Business That Works.” Brian Tracy knows what it takes for your business to succeed.

Putting Brian Tracy’s Sales Ideas Into Action

In 2007, I got my dream job (as an employee) as a sales assistant in a bookshop. The chain of stores had a loyalty rewards program that equated to people who signed up getting 5% off their purchases through the points they accumulated.

You’d think that would be an easy sell, but I was doing it poorly. Each week in the staffroom, a list would come out showing how many people each sales assistant had signed up. I was always in the middle bottom.

I shared this situation with my best friend and he gave me his copy of Brian Tracy’s audio program, The Psychology of Selling.

On my way to and from work, I’d listen to it. Then at the bookshop, I’d apply one (or more) of the ideas I’d learned.

Within 2 weeks, the new list came out, and I was at the top. For the rest of my time at the store, I remained in the top two to three people each week for signing people up to the rewards program.

Eventually, as a result, I was able to write 5 Ways to Sell Even When You Hate Selling.

This was the first experience I had of learning new skills and applying them and getting measurable results that were even better than I expected.

How about you? When have you learned something, put it into action, and got your desired results?

So when Brian Tracy introduces this idea of a self-concept in business, I know his ideas will work.

The three components of a business self-concept mirror those of a personal concept. They are:

• Self-ideal.
• Collective self-image.
• Self-esteem.

A positive self-concept is a key driver of business performance and success. By actively cultivating a strong self-ideal, collective self-image, and individual self-esteem, businesses can unlock the full potential of their employees, foster a thriving culture, and achieve their goals.

#1) The Self-Ideal: Blueprint for Excellence

You can define the self-ideal can as a combination of the vision, values, and mission of a business.

And to develop a clear and inspiring self-ideal for your own business, you need to have a written statement of your business vision, values, and mission.

This video from Young Entrepreneur’s Forum helps you do just that in 6 steps:

It’s critical that you align your business self-ideal with your personal values and purpose. As Stephen R. Covey writes, “Life is one indivisible whole.”

As such, if your personal and business values are at odds with each other, you cannot lead a rich and meaningful life, as you’ll be trying to move in two directions at once.

#2) Collective Self-Image: Seeing is Believing

Maxwell Maltz introduced the concept of the self-image in his classic, Psycho-Cybernetics, like this:

The most important psychological discovery of this century is the discovery of the “self-image.” Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. It may be vague and ill-defined to our conscious gaze. In fact, it may not be consciously recognizable at all. But it is there, complete down to the last detail. This self-image is our own conception of the “sort of person I am.” It has been built up from our own beliefs about ourselves. But most of these beliefs about ourselves have unconsciously been formed from our past experiences, our successes and failures, our humiliations, our triumphs, and the way other people have reacted to us, especially in early childhood. From all these we mentally construct a “self” (or a picture of a self). Once an idea or a belief about ourselves goes into this picture, it becomes “true,” as far as we personally are concerned. We do not question its validity, but proceed to act upon it just as if it were true.¹

Both Brian Tracy in Maximum Achievement and Maxwell Maltz in Psycho-Cybernetics state that it’s impossible to outperform your self image. This is as true for businesses as it is for individuals.

Therefore, you must change your business’s self-image if you want to achieve better performance.

In business, the self-image refers to “the way the company’s management and employees see themselves and think about themselves.”²

A negative self-image in business leads to low morale and a lack of motivation and inspiration.

Here are 3 ways to foster a positive collective self-image in any business:

Communication and transparency.

Make sure your team is sharing successes with each other and progress towards goals.

The way to do this is through the Daily Huddle, a 5 to 15-minute standing meeting that everyone of your team members attends.

Verne Harnish introduced this idea³ in Mastering the Rockefeller Habits and this meeting is to be tightly run.

The agenda for the meeting is the same each day and has each person answer 3 questions:

• What’s up? Share the work you’ll be doing today, including your priority.
• How are you tracking with your daily measures? Everybody in the organization needs to have some kind of measurement or KPI defined so leaders can hold them accountable for their work and their contribution to the business’s bottom line.
• Where are you stuck? If team members are stuck with something, until you get them unstuck, your business will stall. Clearing stuck points is one of the leader’s top jobs.

Recognition and appreciation

Celebrating achievements boosts individual and team morale.

Verne Harnish offers this tip: “When you reprimand or praise, refer to a core value.”

Again, to do this, you need to have done the work to produce a written statement of those core values.

Focus on Strengths

It’s common for leaders to think that they will best improve themselves and their team members if they focus on improving their weaknesses.

But smart leaders know you get better results by focusing on people’s strengths.

In 25 Ways to Win with People, John C. Maxwell writes:

We need to focus on finding people’s strengths and pointing them out. Most people have strengths that they rarely get to use. Those strengths may be job skills, knowledge, general abilities, personality characteristics, or other attributes.⁴

Similarly, Ken Blanchard in Whale Done! takes the method used for training whales and applies it to getting desired results from people:

An important concept to remember is that the more attention you pay to a behavior, the more it will be repeated. We’ve learned from the killer whales that when we don’t pay a lot of attention to what they do wrong, but instead give lots of attention to what they do right, they do the right thing more often.⁵

#3) Self-Esteem: The Fuel for Growth

Brian Tracy defines self-esteem as “the sum total of the ideals of the organization, the current performance of the organization, and how well each person feels he or she is being treated by superiors and coworkers.”⁶

Increasing self-esteem improves employee engagement, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Impact on Engagement

• Motivation and Initiative: High self-esteem fuels intrinsic motivation, making employees more engaged in their work and eager to take initiative. They don’t need constant external push as they believe in their own abilities and the value they bring.
• Positive Attitude and Collaboration: Individuals with high self-esteem are more likely to have a positive attitude, making them pleasant to work with and promoting effective collaboration. This creates a more enjoyable and productive work environment.
• Confidence and Risk-Taking: Employees with high self-esteem are more confident in their skills and take on challenges readily. They’re less hesitant to try new things or propose solutions, fostering innovation and progress.

Impact on Productivity

• Focus and Efficiency: Feeling confident and capable reduces stress and distractions, allowing employees to focus better and work more efficiently. They spend less time doubting themselves and more time getting things done.
• Ownership and Accountability: High self-esteem encourages employees to take ownership of their work and hold themselves accountable for results. This leads to a higher quality of work and greater dedication to achieving goals.
• Resilience and Perseverance: Faced with setbacks, individuals with high self-esteem are more resilient and persistent. They don’t give up easily and work through challenges, leading to higher overall productivity.

Impact on Customer Satisfaction

• Positive Interactions and Service: Employees who feel good about themselves are more likely to project positivity and provide excellent customer service. They’re more patient, helpful, and willing to go the extra mile to satisfy customers.
• Passion and Creativity: High self-esteem can spark passion and creativity in employees, leading to innovative solutions and engaging interactions with customers. This enhances the customer experience and fosters loyalty.
• Effective Communication and Problem-Solving: Confident employees communicate clearly and effectively with customers, building trust and rapport. They’re also skilled at problem-solving and resolving issues to ensure customer satisfaction.

Remember, the connection between self-esteem and these factors is bidirectional:

• Successful experiences and positive feedback from colleagues and customers can boost employee self-esteem.
• A company culture that fosters employee well-being, recognition, and growth can further contribute to increased self-esteem.

By prioritizing employee well-being and creating a supportive work environment, organizations can nurture high self-esteem in their workforce, leading to a ripple effect of increased engagement, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Factors that Contribute to Low Self-Esteem in a Business

Individual Factors:

• Lack of experience or confidence: New employees or those entering unfamiliar fields may struggle with self-doubt because of perceived inexperience or lack of specific skills.
• Personal struggles: Ongoing personal challenges or mental health issues can drain energy and focus, leaving less room for self-confidence in the workplace.
• Negative self-talk and perfectionism: Harsh self-criticism and unrealistic expectations can create a downward spiral of low self-esteem, diminishing motivation and performance.
• Past negative experiences: Previous workplace bullying, criticism, or failures can leave lasting scars, impacting self-perception and confidence in work settings.

Organizational Factors:

• Toxic work environment: Lack of respect, bullying, and unhealthy competition can breed fear and insecurity, eroding self-esteem in vulnerable individuals.
• Lack of recognition and appreciation: Feeling undervalued or overlooked for contributions can significantly deplete self-worth and motivation.
• Micromanagement and lack of autonomy: Excessive control and lack of trust can stifle creativity and initiative, making employees feel incapable and dependent.
• Unclear expectations and goals: Confusion about roles and responsibilities can lead to frustration and self-doubt as individuals struggle to meet undefined expectations.
• Inadequate training and development: Feeling unprepared or unsupported in challenging roles can fuel self-doubt and hinder performance, impacting self-esteem negatively.

Additional Factors:

• Unfair treatment or discrimination: Bias, prejudice, or discriminatory practices can severely damage self-worth and belonging, leading to isolation and low self-esteem.
• Work-life imbalance and burnout: Excessive workload, long hours, and insufficient breaks can lead to chronic stress and burnout, impacting mental and emotional well-being, and indirectly lowering self-esteem.
• Negative peer interactions: Uncooperative or hostile colleagues can create a challenging work environment, impacting confidence and self-worth through negativity and gossip.

It’s important to recognize that the impact of these factors can vary depending on individual personality, resilience, and coping mechanisms. However, creating a healthy, supportive, and empowering work environment is crucial for preventing low self-esteem in the workplace and enabling individuals to thrive with confidence and self-belief.

3 Ways to Boost Individual and Collective Self-Esteem

#1) Continuous Learning and Development

Growing organizations are learning organizations. They have systems in place to encourage and ensure team members are always learning new skills and gaining new qualifications.

If you’re going about this the right way, you’ll know because your employees will be more valuable to the marketplace when they move on than they were when they arrived at your business.

Here are a couple of practical ways to go about this:

• Start a bookclub to read through a book each month.
• Subscribe to a book summary service that condenses the key ideas from books into actionable insights.
• Hold quarterly training events (based around your quarterly theme).
• Review lessons you’ve learned at the completion of a project.

#2) Supportive Leadership

Create a culture of encouragement and feedback.

One practical way to do this as Tiffani Bova shares in The Experience Mindset is to create a dedicated problem-solving email for your business.

When team members see that something’s broken or have suggestions for improvement, they email the special address.

Once a week, at the end of the week, the CEO reads all those emails. The CEO’s job for the next week is to fix the problems and implement the suggestions, or explain why the thing requested can’t be done.

#3) Meaningful Work

Everything every person on a team does needs to be connected to the company’s Wildly Important Goal (WIG) or Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG).

On a personal level, goal achievement is a skill everyone needs to master. At a business level, no one should get paid to do things that aren’t connected to the business’ goals and values.

For work to be meaningful, the way you want to change the world for the better needs to inspire your team members.

Putting Tracy’s Self-Concept into Action

Implementing Brian Tracy’s self-concept framework in your business can unlock impressive outcomes. Here are some practical steps to get started:

Building the Self-Ideal:

• Vision and Mission: Craft a clear, inspiring vision statement that defines your long-term goals and aspirations. Translate that vision into a concise mission statement outlining your purpose and core values.
• Values Inventory: Identify your company’s core values – the guiding principles that drive your decisions and behaviors. Ensure everyone, from leadership to employees, understands and upholds these values.
• Ethics Framework: Establish a clear code of ethics outlining acceptable conduct and decision-making principles. This fosters trust and transparency, contributing to a positive self-image.

Shaping the Collective Self-Image:

• Communication Transparency: Regularly communicate company updates, goals, and progress with transparency. Open communication builds trust and reinforces a sense of shared purpose.
• Internal Branding: Develop a consistent brand identity that reflects your company’s values and aspirations. This helps create a unified feeling and a sense of pride in belonging.
• Success Stories: Celebrate wins, big and small, to highlight teamwork, individual contributions, and overall company progress. This boosts morale and reinforces a positive self-perception.
• Feedback Culture: Encourage open and honest feedback both upwards and downwards. Constructive criticism helps identify areas for improvement and fosters a culture of continuous learning and growth.

Enhancing Individual and Collective Self-Esteem:

• Training and Development: Invest in employee training and development programs to equip individuals with new skills and knowledge. This builds confidence and empowers them to tackle challenges.
• Recognition and Appreciation: Recognize and appreciate individual and team achievements publicly. This reinforces a sense of value and motivates continued excellence.
• Empowerment and Autonomy: Trust your employees by giving them ownership of tasks and projects. This fosters initiative, responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment.
• Supportive Leadership: Provide consistent coaching, guidance, and encouragement. Leaders who show care and support contribute significantly to employee well-being and self-esteem. Develop the ultimate leadership style.
• Work-Life Balance: Promote healthy work-life balance by advocating for reasonable hours, breaks, and time for personal pursuits. This reduces stress and burnout, leaving more room for mental well-being and confidence.

Remember:

• Start small and iterate: Implementing self-concept is an ongoing process. Begin with manageable steps and adjust your approach based on results and feedback.
• Engage your team: Involve employees in crafting the self-ideal and collective self-image. This fosters ownership and a stronger sense of belonging.
• Measure and celebrate progress: Track progress towards your goals and celebrate milestones along the way. This keeps everyone motivated and reinforces the positive impact of your efforts.

By implementing these practical steps, you can transform your business culture, nurture positive self-perception, and unlock the full potential of your team. Brian Tracy’s self-concept framework provides a powerful roadmap for sustained success and growth.

Conclusion

Here are the key takeaways from this blog post:

• Just as you have a personal self-concept, there is also a self-concept in business.
• This self-concept comprises 3 elements: self-ideal, self-image, and self-concept.
• Shaping your organization’s self-concept is critical to accomplish your business goals.
• Reflect regularly on your business’s self-concept. Is the current self-concept moving you towards your goals? If not, what can you do to change course and improve your self-concept?
• To increase business success, be intentional in shaping your self-concept in business.

FAQs

Notes

1. Maxwell Maltz, Psycho-Cybernetics (Updated and Expanded) (London; Souvenir Press, 2015), 1. ↩︎
2. Brian Tracy, Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993), 83. ↩︎
3. Verne Harnish, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits (20th Anniversary Edition): What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm (Charleston, SC: Forbes Books, 2022), 164-6. ↩︎
4. John C. Maxwell, The Maxwell Daily Reader: 365 Days of Insight to Develop the Leader Within You and Influence Those Around You (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 21. ↩︎
5. Ken Blanchard, Thad Lacinak, Chuck Tompkins, Jim Ballard, Whale Done!: The Power of Positive Relationships (London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2002), 14. ↩︎
6. Tracy, Maximum Achievement, 83. ↩︎