An overview of part of the OPRA Develop programme. Self-esteem is one of the non-negotiables to performing to the best of your ability. Nathaniel Branden's seminal work is as relevant today as it was when first released in the late 60's. We hope you enjoy this brief overview.

1. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
The Concept of Self
Esteem
OPRA Consulting Group

2. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
Quote: Melissa Christino
Your true potential lies way, way down in the depths of your
soul … in the pit of your stomach, past your knowledge,
beyond your nervousness, and buried under your fears and
anxieties. As hidden as it may be, it is still there. I know it’s
there because I’ve felt it before, and I know it’s there in
others too because I’ve seen others perform miracles. There
is a faint glow of unparalleled potential in all of us, and
when we find it – it shines.

3. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
Popularisation of self-esteem

4. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
Self Esteem in
Today’s Economy

5. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
Self Esteem:
A Definition
Self esteem is the “disposition to experience oneself as being competent to
cope with the basic challenges of life and of being worthy of happiness”.
The reputation we acquire with ourselves.
• Confidence in the efficacy of our mind, in our ability to think
(Self efficacy)
• Confidence in our ability to learn, make appropriate choices
and decisions, and respond effectively to change.
• Experience that success, achievement and fulfilment are right
and natural for us (Self respect)

6. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
GENERAL
• Mental Health
• Quality of
Relationships
• Success
• Social Effectiveness
• Happiness
ORGANISATIONAL
• Intrinsic motivation
• Work related attitudes
(e.g. turnover attentions,
job satisfaction, org
commitment)
• Behaviours (e.g.
performance, citizenship
behaviour, turnover)

7. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
High vs. Low Self Esteem
High Self Esteem
• Seeks challenge and
stimulation
• Ambitious
• Strong desire to express
self
• Open, honest and
appropriate
communications
• Form nourishing
relationships
• Willingness to admit
mistakes
Low Self Esteem
• Seeks the safety of
familiar and undemanding
• Aspire and achieve less
• Urgent need to “prove”
self
• Lack of clarity and honesty
in communications
• Form destructive
relationships
• Hostility, blame and
defensive mind set

8. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.

9. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
Branden: The Six
Pillars
“Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is as
important as the one we pass on ourselves”
• Living Consciously
• Self Acceptance
• Self Responsibility
• Self Assertiveness
• Living Purposefully
• Personal Integrity

10. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
The Practice of
Living Consciously
• Respect for facts
• Being in the moment
• A concern to understand the world around me
• A commitment to learning
• To seek clarity
• Awareness of values that motivate
• Distinguish between facts and feelings

11. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
The Practice of
Living Consciously
Sentence Completions as a tool for raising self
understanding, self esteem, and personal effectiveness
(accessing and activating hidden resources)
• If I bring 5% more awareness to my activities today …
• If I pay more attention to how I deal with people
today …
• If I bring 5% more awareness to my priorities then …
• Living consciously to me means …

12. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
The Practice of
Self Acceptance
Are you accepting your own greatness?
If we are self-accepting we do not experience ourselves as always “on trial”.
What this leads to is non-defensiveness and willingness to hear critical
feedback or different ideas without becoming hostile or adversarial.
• Willingness to own, experience, and take responsibility for our thoughts,
feelings, and actions without evasion, denial or disowning.
• Giving oneself permission to think one’s thoughts, experience one’s
emotions, and look at one’s actions without necessarily liking, endorsing or
condoning them.
• The virtue of realism applied to self.

13. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
The Practice of
Self Responsibility
• Realising that we are the authors of our choices and
actions
• Each one of us is responsible for our life and well
being and for attainment of our goals
• The question is not “Who’s to blame?” but always
“What needs to be done?”
“I am responsible for my choices and actions. To be responsible in this
context means responsible not as the recipient of moral blame or
guilt, but responsible as the causal agent in my life and behaviour”

14. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
The Practice of
Self Assertiveness
To live authentically, to speak
and act from innermost
convictions and feelings.
“Their work is clearly a vehicle
for self actualization. Their
desire is to bring ‘who they
are’ into the world, into
reality, which I speak of as the
practice of self assertiveness”

15. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
The Practice of
Living Purposefully
“It’s not that achievements
prove our worth but rather
that the process of
achieving is the means by
which we develop our
effectiveness, our
competence at living”

16. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
The Practice of
Personal Integrity
Integrity is the integration
of ideals, convictions,
beliefs and behaviour.
When our behaviour is
congruent with our
professed values, when
ideals and practice match
up, we have integrity.

17. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.

18. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
•Attempts to compensate for
deficiencies
• Conscious: A pretence at self
confidence and self respect we do
not actually feel
• Unconscious: Denial and evasion of
behaviour/actions
Ultimately serves to
undermine self esteem
Pseudo –
Self Esteem

19. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
Applications
• 1 to 1 Coaching
• Leadership Development
• Team Development
• Culture Change

20. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
Thinking Points
• Relationship to other models /
concepts e.g. self efficacy, strengths
based coaching?
• Acceptance of Self Esteem / Self
Leadership?
• Application in the Workplace?
• Long Term Impact?