Ever feel like you’re in a rut. Or worse, that you keep pushing that boulder up the hill, only to watch it roll back down, feeling that you are destined to repeat this throughout eternity.
I see it every day working with business owner every day that tell me they desperately want to take their business to the next level, but can’t seem to get unstuck.
In working through this same phenomenon in my own business I offer these seven reasons why we struggle to move past where we are and hopefully some advice on breaking free.
You don’t have a compelling enough vision(Dream)
The thing that moves people to act beyond what they are currently doing is a vision to do something so compelling that it forces them to change their behaviors in ways that would make it so.
The problem with most business owners is that they are only looking towards next week or next month. What if you looked at making your business and your life multiple times bigger and better than it is right now?
What would that force you to change? What would that force you to stop doing? Where would that compel you to take massive action first?
Your habits aren’t serving you
The fact is that most humans are simply the sum of their habits, good and bad. In order to create change, you don’t need to work harder or try to be more productive; you simply need to replace some of your habits with ones that better serve your vision.
That may mean adding exercise to your daily routine, learning how to say no once in a while, creating workflow that doesn’t include so much time checking email and conversing on Facebook. Maybe you need to start reading and writing. Maybe you need to learn programming or how to present to a large group of prospects from a stage.
Pick one habit that you know isn’t serving your vision and replace it with one that your know will move your forward and commit to practicing that new habit for at least a month. Then, do it again every month for the next twelve and you’ll transform your life.
Your relationships are Twitter thin
The age of friend, follow and fan has changed the dynamics of relationships. I’m not saying those tools are bad things, they have lots to offer, but I am saying it’s easy to sit back and conclude that since you’re chatting with someone on Twitter that you’re building the kinds of relationships you need in order to take your business to higher levels.
We can only manage so many relationships with any amount of depth. That number may vary from person to person to person, but I guarantee you it’s not 500 or 1000.
Pick three people this year that you believe could help you drastically improve your business and your life and focus on building a deep relationship with them. Here’s the catch however, do it by focusing all your attention on how you can help them.
You’re not focused on value
Your people don’t really want your stuff; they want what they or you have convinced them they will get from your stuff. Simply look for ways to be a greater opportunity for them to get what they want and you’ll represent value in the best sense.
You’re worried about your weaknesses
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this phrase – I’m just no good at marketing – then of course it’s followed with, but I love to talk to people and help them get what they need, which of course may be one of the tidier explanations of what marketing really is.
Stop trying to get good at your weaknesses or shoring up areas that everyone says you need to get good at and start mastering the things you do really well, the things that bring you joy, the things that create value for you and for others and growth will flourish.
You’re filling your time
Ever feel like no matter how many hours there were in a day it wouldn’t be enough? Ever come to the end of a day and think, I don’t know what I did today, but I sure was busy?
The plague of work is that we are so completely capable of expanding it to fill whatever time we have available, whether that work is productive or not.
One of the things I truly believe you must embrace in order to take your business to the next level is to plan your time off first. I don’t mean vacation plans, I mean make a part of your compelling vision for the future the precise amount of time you will take to work on your vision and recharge your energy.
What if you planned backwards? What if, instead of taking a little time here and there when it occurred, you did something bold like decided to take every Friday away from the business or an entire week every quarter as a planned renewal period?
Now, you may not see how you could do that at this point, but unless you start to think bigger in this way, you’ll never get above where you are right now.
You’re managing the wrong things
Business is lot like soup. From the diner’s perspective it’s simply good or bad tasting. From the cook’s perspective it’s the precise compilation of broth, vegetables and seasoning that make it good or bad tasting.
I think we often approach our business more like the diner than the cook; we manage the soup rather than combination of the proper ingredients.
I’ve written about the three things we must manage before, but I believe one of the things that holds businesses back is a failure to view their business as a precise blend of purpose, projects and process – maintaining a focus on managing those three things at all times is how you take your business towards your vision.
The three things are;
Your Purpose (Dream), Your Project (Goal), and Your Process (Plan & Effort).
Your Coach,
Bill
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Level 4 Leadership
Level 4 – People Development: Helping Individual Leaders Grow Extends Your Influence and Impact
By John C Maxwell
I hope you’ve been enjoying this series of posts, giving you a sneak peek at my new book, The 5 Levels of Leadership. So far, I’ve given an overview and talked about Levels 1, 2, and 3. Today’s post is about Level 4: People Development. Here’s a reminder of all five levels and how they build on each other:
Level 4: People Development
Effective leaders understand that what got them to their current level of leadership won’t be enough to get them to the next one. They understand that if they want to keep getting better as leaders, they have to be willing to keep growing and changing and that each move up the 5 Levels of Leadership requires a paradigm shift and a change in the way a person leads.
On Level 3, the emphasis is on personal and corporate productivity. The ability to create a high-productivity team, department, or organization indicates a higher level of leadership ability than most others display. But to reach the upper levels of leadership that create elite organizations, leaders must transition from producers to developers. Why? Because people are any organization’s most appreciable asset.
To reach the upper levels of leadership that create elite organizations, leaders must transition from producers to developers.
Good leaders on Level 4 invest their time, energy, money, and thinking into growing others as leaders. They look at every person and try to gauge his or potential to grow and lead—regardless of the individual’s title, position, age, or experience. Every person is a potential candidate for development. This practice of identifying and developing people compounds the positives of their organization, because bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for bringing out the best in the team. Developing one person for leadership and success lays the foundation for developing others for success.
Bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for bringing out the best in the team.
Peter Drucker observed,
Making the right people decisions is the ultimate means of controlling an organization well. Such decisions reveal how competent management is, what its values are, and whether it takes its job seriously. No matter how hard managers try to keep their decisions a secret—and some still try hard—people decisions cannot be hidden. They are eminently visible. Executives who do not make the effort to get their people decisions right do more than risk poor performance. They risk losing their organization’s respect.
How does this emphasis on people and people decisions translate into action? Leaders on the People Development level of leadership shift their focus from the production achieved by others to the development of their potential. And they put only 20 percent of their focus on their personal productivity while putting 80 percent of it on developing and leading others. This can be a difficult shift for highly productive people who are used to getting their hands dirty, but it’s a change that can revolutionize an organization and give it a much brighter future.
Your Coach,
Bill
By John C Maxwell
I hope you’ve been enjoying this series of posts, giving you a sneak peek at my new book, The 5 Levels of Leadership. So far, I’ve given an overview and talked about Levels 1, 2, and 3. Today’s post is about Level 4: People Development. Here’s a reminder of all five levels and how they build on each other:
Level 4: People Development
Effective leaders understand that what got them to their current level of leadership won’t be enough to get them to the next one. They understand that if they want to keep getting better as leaders, they have to be willing to keep growing and changing and that each move up the 5 Levels of Leadership requires a paradigm shift and a change in the way a person leads.
On Level 3, the emphasis is on personal and corporate productivity. The ability to create a high-productivity team, department, or organization indicates a higher level of leadership ability than most others display. But to reach the upper levels of leadership that create elite organizations, leaders must transition from producers to developers. Why? Because people are any organization’s most appreciable asset.
To reach the upper levels of leadership that create elite organizations, leaders must transition from producers to developers.
Good leaders on Level 4 invest their time, energy, money, and thinking into growing others as leaders. They look at every person and try to gauge his or potential to grow and lead—regardless of the individual’s title, position, age, or experience. Every person is a potential candidate for development. This practice of identifying and developing people compounds the positives of their organization, because bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for bringing out the best in the team. Developing one person for leadership and success lays the foundation for developing others for success.
Bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for bringing out the best in the team.
Peter Drucker observed,
Making the right people decisions is the ultimate means of controlling an organization well. Such decisions reveal how competent management is, what its values are, and whether it takes its job seriously. No matter how hard managers try to keep their decisions a secret—and some still try hard—people decisions cannot be hidden. They are eminently visible. Executives who do not make the effort to get their people decisions right do more than risk poor performance. They risk losing their organization’s respect.
How does this emphasis on people and people decisions translate into action? Leaders on the People Development level of leadership shift their focus from the production achieved by others to the development of their potential. And they put only 20 percent of their focus on their personal productivity while putting 80 percent of it on developing and leading others. This can be a difficult shift for highly productive people who are used to getting their hands dirty, but it’s a change that can revolutionize an organization and give it a much brighter future.
Your Coach,
Bill
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Team Message
Hi Team
Great start to new business year everyone!
Huge next 2 weeks starting Yesterday in Ohio BDS
This weekend is my western tour Edmonton,Vancouver
Also WEDNESDAY September 21 Training In Brampton 8pm
Don't miss Team Connect Call Tonight
Hosted by: KerrBusinessGroup
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 96624
Listening online if your not talking seems to be great!
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/96624
Level 2 – Permission: You Can’t Lead People Until You Like People
By John C Maxwell
In only a few weeks, my new book, The 5 Levels of Leadership, will be on bookshelves. And I can’t wait. Here’s why I’m really excited: this book is about a concept that I’ve been teaching for over thirty years! With that kind of history, I really KNOW that it works.
Lately, I’ve been using this blog to provide a sneak peek at the book and what a reader can hope to learn from it. So far, I’ve given you an overview and quite a few details about Level 1. Now I want to use the time between now and October 4 to give you a basic understanding of Levels 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Level 2 – Permission:
You Can’t Lead People Until You Like People
Making the shift from Position to Permission brings a person’s first real step into leadership. Why do I say that? Because leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. Leaders who rely on their positions to move people rarely develop influence with them. If their subordinates do what they are asked, it’s usually because they think they have to—to receive their pay, keep their jobs, prevent being reprimanded, and so on.
In contrast, when a leader learns to function on the Permission level, everything changes. People do more than merely comply with orders. They actually start to follow. And they do so because they really want to. Why? Because the leader begins to influence people with relationship, not just position. Building relationships develops a foundation for effectively leading others. It also starts to break down organizational silos as people connect across the lines between their job descriptions or departments. The more barriers come down and relationships deepen, the broader the foundation for leading others becomes.
When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. And that can change the entire working environment. The old saying is really true: people go along with leaders they get along with.
Moving up to Level 2 is an important development in leadership because that is where followers give their supervisors permission to lead them. People change from being subordinates to followers for the first time, and that means there is movement! Remember, leadership always means that people are going somewhere. They aren’t static. No journey, no leadership.
Thanks John,
Your Coach,
Bill
Great start to new business year everyone!
Huge next 2 weeks starting Yesterday in Ohio BDS
This weekend is my western tour Edmonton,Vancouver
Also WEDNESDAY September 21 Training In Brampton 8pm
Don't miss Team Connect Call Tonight
Hosted by: KerrBusinessGroup
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 96624
Listening online if your not talking seems to be great!
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/96624
Level 2 – Permission: You Can’t Lead People Until You Like People
By John C Maxwell
In only a few weeks, my new book, The 5 Levels of Leadership, will be on bookshelves. And I can’t wait. Here’s why I’m really excited: this book is about a concept that I’ve been teaching for over thirty years! With that kind of history, I really KNOW that it works.
Lately, I’ve been using this blog to provide a sneak peek at the book and what a reader can hope to learn from it. So far, I’ve given you an overview and quite a few details about Level 1. Now I want to use the time between now and October 4 to give you a basic understanding of Levels 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Level 2 – Permission:
You Can’t Lead People Until You Like People
Making the shift from Position to Permission brings a person’s first real step into leadership. Why do I say that? Because leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. Leaders who rely on their positions to move people rarely develop influence with them. If their subordinates do what they are asked, it’s usually because they think they have to—to receive their pay, keep their jobs, prevent being reprimanded, and so on.
In contrast, when a leader learns to function on the Permission level, everything changes. People do more than merely comply with orders. They actually start to follow. And they do so because they really want to. Why? Because the leader begins to influence people with relationship, not just position. Building relationships develops a foundation for effectively leading others. It also starts to break down organizational silos as people connect across the lines between their job descriptions or departments. The more barriers come down and relationships deepen, the broader the foundation for leading others becomes.
When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. And that can change the entire working environment. The old saying is really true: people go along with leaders they get along with.
Moving up to Level 2 is an important development in leadership because that is where followers give their supervisors permission to lead them. People change from being subordinates to followers for the first time, and that means there is movement! Remember, leadership always means that people are going somewhere. They aren’t static. No journey, no leadership.
Thanks John,
Your Coach,
Bill
Monday, September 5, 2011
21 Day Challenge Advice
21 Day Challenge Help,
Here's a list of that advice:
#1.Take Responsibility
You are not a victim. You are 100% responsible for the life you have right now. If you are unhappy, you have the power to change your attitude and actions to begin making your life better. Always remember, whether you think life sucks or you think life is great, either way, you're right.
#2.Be in Charge of Emotions
Ever notice how some people are able to brush off insults, while others get furious and start throwing punches? Realize that nobody can "make" you feel anything. You are the one that "chooses" to feel good or bad about a particular event or action that occurs.
#3.Fake it to You make it
If you want to be more confident, happy, or positive, then "pretend" that you already are this way. Eventually, after practicing this long enough, you'll realize that you're no longer "pretending".
#4.Gain Your Freedom
A purpose is what you enjoy doing that you never get tired of and you will do for the rest of your life. Is your purpose to write screenplays? Is it to help sick people? Write down on index cards a list of purposes and choose the one that speaks to you the most.
#5.Set Your Goals and Plan Your Day
List out 5 to 10 goals that you want for your life. Break each goal up into smaller sub-goals and then break those sub-goals into individual tasks and action steps. Every night, plan the next day in advance. Create a daily "to-do list" with those tasks that you need to do to accomplish your goal.
#6.Live in the Present
Regret and shame come from dwelling in the past. Worrying and anxiety come from living in the future. True peace of mind comes from living in the present. The more you become aware of being in the present, the more it becomes a part of your daily life.
#7.The Power of Attraction
The power of attraction is a powerful mental tool. The process works by focusing on something that you want while visualizing that you already have it. You then have a heightened level of awareness for recognizing opportunities that occur around you. These opportunities will then assist in bringing what you want into your physical reality.
#8.Expand Your Comfort Zone
Your comfort zone (what you feel comfortable doing) is always in a state of either expanding or contracting. The more you get out in the world and do what you feel uncomfortable doing, the less inhibited you become, thereby allowing you to live a richer and fuller life.
#9.Be Thankful
Every morning before you start your day, give thanks and appreciation for what you have. It's only when we are thankful for what we have that life gives us more blessings and abundance to be thankful for.
#10.The Power Of Asking
Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. It's the reason that children ask their parents for the same thing over and over again, because they know mom and dad will eventually cave in. The same concept works in the real world. If there is something in the world you want, ask for it...or at least ask how to get it.
#11.Mentoring is Key
Find the successful people in your field and ask them for advice. Ask them what they do to be successful, take notes, and then copy them. A lot of people think that the pros don't want to share. The opposite is actually true. Most successful people are more that willing to share their knowledge if you ask them.
#12.Ignore the Trolls
Trolls are people that will try to discourage you from your dreams. Don't listen to them. Realize that the only reason they are doing it is because by seeing you chase after your dreams, it's reminding them that they aren't chasing theirs. Misery loves company.
Stay The Course
Your Coach,
Bill
Here's a list of that advice:
#1.Take Responsibility
You are not a victim. You are 100% responsible for the life you have right now. If you are unhappy, you have the power to change your attitude and actions to begin making your life better. Always remember, whether you think life sucks or you think life is great, either way, you're right.
#2.Be in Charge of Emotions
Ever notice how some people are able to brush off insults, while others get furious and start throwing punches? Realize that nobody can "make" you feel anything. You are the one that "chooses" to feel good or bad about a particular event or action that occurs.
#3.Fake it to You make it
If you want to be more confident, happy, or positive, then "pretend" that you already are this way. Eventually, after practicing this long enough, you'll realize that you're no longer "pretending".
#4.Gain Your Freedom
A purpose is what you enjoy doing that you never get tired of and you will do for the rest of your life. Is your purpose to write screenplays? Is it to help sick people? Write down on index cards a list of purposes and choose the one that speaks to you the most.
#5.Set Your Goals and Plan Your Day
List out 5 to 10 goals that you want for your life. Break each goal up into smaller sub-goals and then break those sub-goals into individual tasks and action steps. Every night, plan the next day in advance. Create a daily "to-do list" with those tasks that you need to do to accomplish your goal.
#6.Live in the Present
Regret and shame come from dwelling in the past. Worrying and anxiety come from living in the future. True peace of mind comes from living in the present. The more you become aware of being in the present, the more it becomes a part of your daily life.
#7.The Power of Attraction
The power of attraction is a powerful mental tool. The process works by focusing on something that you want while visualizing that you already have it. You then have a heightened level of awareness for recognizing opportunities that occur around you. These opportunities will then assist in bringing what you want into your physical reality.
#8.Expand Your Comfort Zone
Your comfort zone (what you feel comfortable doing) is always in a state of either expanding or contracting. The more you get out in the world and do what you feel uncomfortable doing, the less inhibited you become, thereby allowing you to live a richer and fuller life.
#9.Be Thankful
Every morning before you start your day, give thanks and appreciation for what you have. It's only when we are thankful for what we have that life gives us more blessings and abundance to be thankful for.
#10.The Power Of Asking
Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. It's the reason that children ask their parents for the same thing over and over again, because they know mom and dad will eventually cave in. The same concept works in the real world. If there is something in the world you want, ask for it...or at least ask how to get it.
#11.Mentoring is Key
Find the successful people in your field and ask them for advice. Ask them what they do to be successful, take notes, and then copy them. A lot of people think that the pros don't want to share. The opposite is actually true. Most successful people are more that willing to share their knowledge if you ask them.
#12.Ignore the Trolls
Trolls are people that will try to discourage you from your dreams. Don't listen to them. Realize that the only reason they are doing it is because by seeing you chase after your dreams, it's reminding them that they aren't chasing theirs. Misery loves company.
Stay The Course
Your Coach,
Bill
Monday, August 1, 2011
Empowering People
On becoming an Empowerer
The ability to empower others is one of the keys to personal and professional success. John Craig remarked, “No matter how much work you can do, no matter how engaging your personality may be, you will not advance far in business if you cannot work through others.” And business executive J. Paul Getty asserted, “It doesn’t make much difference how much other knowledge or experience an executive possesses; if he is unable to achieve results through people, he is worthless as an executive.”
When you become an empowerer, you work with and through people, but you do much more. You enable others to reach the highest levels in their personal and professional development. Simply defined, empowering is giving your influence to others for the purpose of personal and organizational growth. It’s sharing yourself – your influence, position, power and opportunities – with others with the purpose of investing in their lives so that they can function at their best. It’s seeing people’s potential, sharing your resources with them, and showing them that you believe in them completely.
The act of empowering others changes lives, and it’s a win-win situation for you and the people you empower. Giving others your authority isn’t like giving away an object, such as your car. If you give away your car, you’re stuck. You no longer have transportation. But empowering others by giving them your authority has the same effect as sharing information: you haven’t lost anything. You have increased the ability of others without decreasing yourself.
By John C Maxwell
Your Coach,
Bill
The ability to empower others is one of the keys to personal and professional success. John Craig remarked, “No matter how much work you can do, no matter how engaging your personality may be, you will not advance far in business if you cannot work through others.” And business executive J. Paul Getty asserted, “It doesn’t make much difference how much other knowledge or experience an executive possesses; if he is unable to achieve results through people, he is worthless as an executive.”
When you become an empowerer, you work with and through people, but you do much more. You enable others to reach the highest levels in their personal and professional development. Simply defined, empowering is giving your influence to others for the purpose of personal and organizational growth. It’s sharing yourself – your influence, position, power and opportunities – with others with the purpose of investing in their lives so that they can function at their best. It’s seeing people’s potential, sharing your resources with them, and showing them that you believe in them completely.
The act of empowering others changes lives, and it’s a win-win situation for you and the people you empower. Giving others your authority isn’t like giving away an object, such as your car. If you give away your car, you’re stuck. You no longer have transportation. But empowering others by giving them your authority has the same effect as sharing information: you haven’t lost anything. You have increased the ability of others without decreasing yourself.
By John C Maxwell
Your Coach,
Bill
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Got Goals?
Got Goals? 4 Tips from Real People That Achieved Real Goals
As an alternative to posting the hackneyed advice of self-proclaimed life coaches and storytellers (e.g. Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, etc…), I thought I’d collect and share advice from real people in the mySomeday community that achieved real goals. In the past, they admitted to having issues with finishing what they started. ”So, what was different this time?”, I asked. Although they all agreed that building a detailed step-by-step Plan was essential, each had a unique aspect to that Plan that kept them motivated. Here are their tips.
1. Break It Down
Maia was determined to get out of credit card debt but was daunted and occasionally paralyzed by the enormity of the goal. She decided to break down the path into clear, achievable steps and discovered that checking off smaller to-dos generated real momentum. These small flashes of progress kept her head in the game and allowed her to continue to believe that the goal would someday be reality. Maia is convinced that taking the time to break down the path into incremental steps made the difference for her.
2. Picture It
Globehound turned 40 and decided it was time to go back to the future and get back in shape. To stay motivated, he strategically placed unflattering pictures of himself in various places next to images of people he’d like to emulate. This ‘in your face’ approach worked wonders. Whenever he felt lazy or was eyeing that bag of Doritos, he’d take a quick look at the pictures and the urge was squashed. Now that he’s back in shape, he posted before and after pictures of himself as a constant reminder of a place he does not wish to return. Globehound was adamant, this visual anchor located in a prominent place had a profound impact on his ability to stick to his plan.
3. Broadcast It
Christine wanted to change levels in her biz. She knew it for a long time but it wasn’t until she shared this goal with her upline that she started to make real strides. Knowing that others were watching and rooting for her proved to be just the motivation she needed to continue to check off steps in her plan.It profoundly affected the accountability factor by adding social pressure and expectations to the mix and Christine says it was just what she needed to make the moves forward.
4. Make It About Something Bigger Than You
ASLA had run a half-marathon before but she was feeling a bit unmotivated this time around. Someone suggested that she make someone else the beneficiary of her efforts. She built a plan to run a half-marathon and included a charitable partner. Knowing that her efforts would do good beyond personal satisfaction gave her a real sense of necessity. If she was in a rut, she would visit the charity’s website and suddenly her laziness felt insignificant. She claimed that adding this one element shifted her entire perspective and gave her massive amounts of motivation.
Got any stories or motivational tips? Please share. We’re always looking to incorporate new elements into our business to increase the motivation and accountability factors.
YOUR COACH
BILL
As an alternative to posting the hackneyed advice of self-proclaimed life coaches and storytellers (e.g. Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, etc…), I thought I’d collect and share advice from real people in the mySomeday community that achieved real goals. In the past, they admitted to having issues with finishing what they started. ”So, what was different this time?”, I asked. Although they all agreed that building a detailed step-by-step Plan was essential, each had a unique aspect to that Plan that kept them motivated. Here are their tips.
1. Break It Down
Maia was determined to get out of credit card debt but was daunted and occasionally paralyzed by the enormity of the goal. She decided to break down the path into clear, achievable steps and discovered that checking off smaller to-dos generated real momentum. These small flashes of progress kept her head in the game and allowed her to continue to believe that the goal would someday be reality. Maia is convinced that taking the time to break down the path into incremental steps made the difference for her.
2. Picture It
Globehound turned 40 and decided it was time to go back to the future and get back in shape. To stay motivated, he strategically placed unflattering pictures of himself in various places next to images of people he’d like to emulate. This ‘in your face’ approach worked wonders. Whenever he felt lazy or was eyeing that bag of Doritos, he’d take a quick look at the pictures and the urge was squashed. Now that he’s back in shape, he posted before and after pictures of himself as a constant reminder of a place he does not wish to return. Globehound was adamant, this visual anchor located in a prominent place had a profound impact on his ability to stick to his plan.
3. Broadcast It
Christine wanted to change levels in her biz. She knew it for a long time but it wasn’t until she shared this goal with her upline that she started to make real strides. Knowing that others were watching and rooting for her proved to be just the motivation she needed to continue to check off steps in her plan.It profoundly affected the accountability factor by adding social pressure and expectations to the mix and Christine says it was just what she needed to make the moves forward.
4. Make It About Something Bigger Than You
ASLA had run a half-marathon before but she was feeling a bit unmotivated this time around. Someone suggested that she make someone else the beneficiary of her efforts. She built a plan to run a half-marathon and included a charitable partner. Knowing that her efforts would do good beyond personal satisfaction gave her a real sense of necessity. If she was in a rut, she would visit the charity’s website and suddenly her laziness felt insignificant. She claimed that adding this one element shifted her entire perspective and gave her massive amounts of motivation.
Got any stories or motivational tips? Please share. We’re always looking to incorporate new elements into our business to increase the motivation and accountability factors.
YOUR COACH
BILL
Friday, June 10, 2011
Lessons From Legends
The 5 Greatest Entrepreneurs Of All Time And What You Can Learn From Them
Being a business owner can make you feel like you really have no one to turn to for advice.
But yet, one of the most important things to do as a business owner is to avoid the mistakes of others and build on what you know.
There are many ways to do this. Numerous books come out every year that address the plight of the entrepreneur and provide tips and advice on every topic of business you could think of. Entrepreneurial groups where business owners of similar sized businesses can come together to discuss meet almost everywhere.
Another way to prepare for being the best entrepreneur possible is to study the successful methods of those who have gone before you.
Here are some of the most well-renowned entrepreneurs of all time and the bits of advice they have passed down.
1. Andrew Carnegie
Famous for his production of steel, Andrew Carnegie has been considered one of the first real rags to riches stories.
He was primarily self-taught when he started with Western Union as a messenger boy and telegraph operator, but he eventually found himself as one of the richest men of all time.
While he may or may not have been the originator of the saying “surround yourself with people who are smarter than you,” he certainly lived out that motto in his business affairs. One of Carnegie’s key parts of his business plan were the young but exceptionally well educated men he brought in to his business.
2. Estee Lauder
To many women everywhere, her name means cosmetics. In a time where women weren’t typically involved in business, Estee Lauder founded one of the most enduring retail brands.
Her approach centered on quality: quality of product and of customer service. Her quality based approach included providing free samples of her products and teaching her staff about attention to detail in customer service. If you run a business that sells a product, some of these tips may work for you.
3. Phil Knight
Nike. Just the word brings to mind all kinds of images. And that’s the idea.
Knight may very well be the face of branding (no pun intended). His ad campaigns for Nike have encompassed their catchy slogan as well as a bevy of celebrity athlete endorsements. In many ways, Knight has changed the idea of how to brand your company.
But in case you don’t have a Nike sized budget for advertising, the most important thing to take away from his success is the idea of branding yourself on your advertisements, merchandise, everything. The goal is to have your name associated with your brand.
4. Steve Jobs
Creating products that appeal to a certain crowd of people is how Steve Jobs makes his fortune and sells some of the most popular products of all time. As the co-founder of Apple, Jobs has focused on making products that appeal to the consumers’ desire for easy to use products.
He has found his niche in the market and Apple products are everywhere. Finding your niche in the market and making products that appeal to your consumers is one of the easiest and yet most elusive aspects of being a business owner.
Taking a serious look at the typical consumer and identifying his wants and needs is a good first step towards creating your place.
5. Ray Kroc
Last but not least, the founder of McDonald’s.
While McDonald’s name is familiar in almost every country around the world, there are a great number of people who don’t know where the business came from. Kroc was already fifty two years old when he discovered a small restaurant run by the McDonald brothers through his business as a kitchen equipment salesman.
He liked the idea of a restaurant with a limited menu and wanted to make the McDonald’s restaurant a name all over the world. Perseverance was Kroc’s life theme throughout the years before he founded McDonald’s, and during the time it took to build up the empire, he never stopped working. This is a lesson to all the mature entrepreneurs: success can come at all stages of life.
In fact, one of the most quickly growing groups of business owners is the retirees. A little perseverance is all it takes.
Of course, these leading entrepreneurs have significantly more to teach than the basics of running a good business. A little research on your favorite(s) can provide a wealth of information regarding good business tactics and successful ways to run a business.
The options for expanding your knowledge about business and being an effective entrepreneur are endless so don’t ever feel like you have nowhere to turn when your business faces a problem. There are always people to turn to, past or present!
Your Coach
Bill
Being a business owner can make you feel like you really have no one to turn to for advice.
But yet, one of the most important things to do as a business owner is to avoid the mistakes of others and build on what you know.
There are many ways to do this. Numerous books come out every year that address the plight of the entrepreneur and provide tips and advice on every topic of business you could think of. Entrepreneurial groups where business owners of similar sized businesses can come together to discuss meet almost everywhere.
Another way to prepare for being the best entrepreneur possible is to study the successful methods of those who have gone before you.
Here are some of the most well-renowned entrepreneurs of all time and the bits of advice they have passed down.
1. Andrew Carnegie
Famous for his production of steel, Andrew Carnegie has been considered one of the first real rags to riches stories.
He was primarily self-taught when he started with Western Union as a messenger boy and telegraph operator, but he eventually found himself as one of the richest men of all time.
While he may or may not have been the originator of the saying “surround yourself with people who are smarter than you,” he certainly lived out that motto in his business affairs. One of Carnegie’s key parts of his business plan were the young but exceptionally well educated men he brought in to his business.
2. Estee Lauder
To many women everywhere, her name means cosmetics. In a time where women weren’t typically involved in business, Estee Lauder founded one of the most enduring retail brands.
Her approach centered on quality: quality of product and of customer service. Her quality based approach included providing free samples of her products and teaching her staff about attention to detail in customer service. If you run a business that sells a product, some of these tips may work for you.
3. Phil Knight
Nike. Just the word brings to mind all kinds of images. And that’s the idea.
Knight may very well be the face of branding (no pun intended). His ad campaigns for Nike have encompassed their catchy slogan as well as a bevy of celebrity athlete endorsements. In many ways, Knight has changed the idea of how to brand your company.
But in case you don’t have a Nike sized budget for advertising, the most important thing to take away from his success is the idea of branding yourself on your advertisements, merchandise, everything. The goal is to have your name associated with your brand.
4. Steve Jobs
Creating products that appeal to a certain crowd of people is how Steve Jobs makes his fortune and sells some of the most popular products of all time. As the co-founder of Apple, Jobs has focused on making products that appeal to the consumers’ desire for easy to use products.
He has found his niche in the market and Apple products are everywhere. Finding your niche in the market and making products that appeal to your consumers is one of the easiest and yet most elusive aspects of being a business owner.
Taking a serious look at the typical consumer and identifying his wants and needs is a good first step towards creating your place.
5. Ray Kroc
Last but not least, the founder of McDonald’s.
While McDonald’s name is familiar in almost every country around the world, there are a great number of people who don’t know where the business came from. Kroc was already fifty two years old when he discovered a small restaurant run by the McDonald brothers through his business as a kitchen equipment salesman.
He liked the idea of a restaurant with a limited menu and wanted to make the McDonald’s restaurant a name all over the world. Perseverance was Kroc’s life theme throughout the years before he founded McDonald’s, and during the time it took to build up the empire, he never stopped working. This is a lesson to all the mature entrepreneurs: success can come at all stages of life.
In fact, one of the most quickly growing groups of business owners is the retirees. A little perseverance is all it takes.
Of course, these leading entrepreneurs have significantly more to teach than the basics of running a good business. A little research on your favorite(s) can provide a wealth of information regarding good business tactics and successful ways to run a business.
The options for expanding your knowledge about business and being an effective entrepreneur are endless so don’t ever feel like you have nowhere to turn when your business faces a problem. There are always people to turn to, past or present!
Your Coach
Bill
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)