Paul Stevens, CEO of Just Property, at the Group’s recent annual awards, shared some thoughts about what he believes sets great property professionals apart from their competition. As Winston Churchill once said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”.

“I am wearing one of the shirts made famous by the late, great Madiba. Now, this extraordinary human being is an example of a great attitude - which was our theme for today. How many humans would have gone through what he did: enduring the hardships he did for so many years to eventually forgive and go on to be one of the greatest leaders of the world and an advocate for peace? What an example he is for us all.

“While hopefully nowhere near as extreme, each of us will face challenges and hardships in our lives.  Ultimately, it is our responsibility, and our attitude, towards these which determine how we come out on the other side.

“Attitude is everything. And every day, we are given a brand new opportunity to make a conscious decision as to how our attitudes will impact not only our lives but the lives of those around us and the world at large. I encourage you to choose wisely.

“As a country, we face a barrage of negativity daily. Similarly, our industry faces some potentially challenging times ahead.  Our veterans have weathered such storms before, knowing that this is a great opportunity to actually gain market share if we adopt the right attitude. 

“We take comfort in the fact that we South Africans are nothing if not a resilient bunch and rest in the knowledge that this too shall pass.  If we choose to focus on the positive.  After every storm weathered comes the pleasure of the most brilliant rainbow.

“A prime example of attitude is offered in our very own animal kingdom: we know the lion is the king of the savannah. While not the tallest, largest,  strongest, or smartest animal, he is still the king. It is his attitude that sets him apart. When the lion sees the elephant, he does not see its power, strength, or size. He simply sees “lunch”, and as he thinks so, he acts.

“Because he thinks he can bring down the elephant, he attacks it, having no regard for its intelligence or size.

“The lion is not as tall as the giraffe, big as the hippo, smart as the hyena, yet when he shows up, they retreat. Why would the lion be the king when he has all these limitations? Because he has attitude. It is what makes all the other animals afraid of him and what makes him who he is.

“Attitude is the product of belief: you simply cannot have an attitude beyond what you believe. The lion is the king because of what he believes about himself and what he believes about the other animals. He believes that he has the power to overcome them.

“So if you want to live beyond what you are living right now, you need to broaden your scope of belief - push the limits of what you believe of yourself and what you believe of the world around you.

“Conversely, in spite of his enormity, when the elephant sees the lion, he is afraid and sees the lion as the ‘predator’. He is controlled by his way of thinking and therefore becomes a victim of it.

“It does not matter how intelligent you are, how many degrees you have. It does not matter what you have or don't have. All of this is inconsequential when compared to the power of your mind and the beliefs you hold.

“Attitude and belief are so powerful that they can make an elephant act like a sheep in the presence of a lion.

“What beliefs do you hold about yourself and your potential, your colleagues, our industry, our brand, our country? It is these beliefs that will shape the year and your life ahead, so be aware of how you think and what you say, be it to yourself or others, as this will pave the way for your destiny.

“I would like to end off with an attitude of gratitude and thanking each and every one of you for not only being here today but also for your invaluable contribution over the past year and having belief in Just Property. It is very definitely the secret of our continued success.”

For more information on Just Property, please visit www.just.property or call (087) 583 3333.