I recently finished reading (again) Good to Great by Jim Collins. This has been a book that has been discussed (again) a lot lately at my place of work so I thought reading it again as a refresher to my memory was a good idea. The concepts and ideas in the book continue to be very relevant in helping anyone become successful in any walk of life. Below are some ideas I really enjoyed re-reading.
#1 People Count
Re-reading the book reminded me of the importance of people. Good people are so important to success in our lives. We must learn and have the discipline to surround ourselves with good people whether at work or at home. As the book states, if we know we need to make a change of the people we are around, act! And when we are in doubt of whether we should hire or hang around a certain person, we should keep looking. Having the right people in our life is very critical to our results and success in life.
#2 Simplify
In our society we are bombarded with things to do. As a result, many of us live with busy, overscheduled lives that stress us out and impede us from reaching our potential. The book reminds us that there is power in simplifying and focusing on what is vital. Rather than pursue many things and basically waste our energy, we should focus on becoming really good at the essential things and ignore the rest. In fact, the book encourages us to throw away the “to do lists” and replace them with “stop doing lists.” As we simplify, our complex world will become organized and our ability to perform well will become much easier.
#3 Greatness is a Choice
The author of the book states, “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice.” Thus, any and all of us have the potential and ability to be great. Being great is not determined by our skill level, knowledge, charming character, or even by being at the right place at the right time. Greatness is achieved by conscious effort and consistent good choices that lead to it.
# 4 Good is the Enemy of Great
In the end, good is the enemy of great. So many of us are satisfied with simply being good. When we are good we become content and our passion to become all that we can be fades. “Why push the envelope we ask ourselves, when we are at the same level as everyone else?” For this reason there are many that are good but few that are truly great. Having the desire, discipline, and drive to push for greatness is rare indeed.
Remembering that people count, to simplify, that greatness is a choice while good is the enemy of great will help us become successful leaders and successful people. If you are in business and have not read Good to Great, I would strongly recommend it. In my blog next week, I will discuss why we shouldn’t simply settle for good but why we should push for greatness.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Are You an Able Navigator?
“The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.”
Edward Gibbons
-Able navigators face the same winds and waves as others yet they are successful.
-Able navigators never give up. They are focused and determined.
-Able navigators understand that it is easy to be a good navigator when the winds and waves are heading in the right direction.
-Able navigators have a “can-do” attitude. Even when it seems the task is insurmountable or impossible, the able navigator finds a way.
-Able navigators are resilient. Many navigators give up when the winds and waves are not at their back yet able navigators are persistent and ultimately come out on top despite the type of sea they face.
-Able navigators are not afraid to work hard or face obstacles. They understand that reaching their goals will often not be easy.
-Able navigators are confident and believe that with consistent effort, they will be successful.
-Able navigators do not wait for the winds and waves to be at their backs to begin their journey. They are determined to complete their mission regardless of circumstance.
-Able navigators are not fearful. While many stand on the beach waiting for better conditions, able navigators act. They are not hesitant, do not procrastinate, or look for excuses.
-Able navigators have a burning desire to be the best they can. They attack difficulties head on with the understanding that challenges will make them better in than end.
-While many navigators blame their failures on bad winds and waves, able navigators take responsibility for their results. Rather than blame the winds and the waves, they find ways to move through them and overcome them.
-Able navigators take intelligent risks that propel them to success and set them apart from their colleagues.
-Able navigators overcome challenges. They believe that when winds and waves are not blowing in the right direction true skill and character are revealed.
-The able navigator uses bad winds and waves as a catalyst to future success.
-It appears to many that the winds and waves must literally always be on the side of the able navigator because of their success. But the reality is not that winds and waves are always on their side but that the able navigator believes that they are because of his attitude and actions.
Are you an able navigator?
Edward Gibbons
-Able navigators face the same winds and waves as others yet they are successful.
-Able navigators never give up. They are focused and determined.
-Able navigators understand that it is easy to be a good navigator when the winds and waves are heading in the right direction.
-Able navigators have a “can-do” attitude. Even when it seems the task is insurmountable or impossible, the able navigator finds a way.
-Able navigators are resilient. Many navigators give up when the winds and waves are not at their back yet able navigators are persistent and ultimately come out on top despite the type of sea they face.
-Able navigators are not afraid to work hard or face obstacles. They understand that reaching their goals will often not be easy.
-Able navigators are confident and believe that with consistent effort, they will be successful.
-Able navigators do not wait for the winds and waves to be at their backs to begin their journey. They are determined to complete their mission regardless of circumstance.
-Able navigators are not fearful. While many stand on the beach waiting for better conditions, able navigators act. They are not hesitant, do not procrastinate, or look for excuses.
-Able navigators have a burning desire to be the best they can. They attack difficulties head on with the understanding that challenges will make them better in than end.
-While many navigators blame their failures on bad winds and waves, able navigators take responsibility for their results. Rather than blame the winds and the waves, they find ways to move through them and overcome them.
-Able navigators take intelligent risks that propel them to success and set them apart from their colleagues.
-Able navigators overcome challenges. They believe that when winds and waves are not blowing in the right direction true skill and character are revealed.
-The able navigator uses bad winds and waves as a catalyst to future success.
-It appears to many that the winds and waves must literally always be on the side of the able navigator because of their success. But the reality is not that winds and waves are always on their side but that the able navigator believes that they are because of his attitude and actions.
Are you an able navigator?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Clearing the Clutter
This is a Burntham.com "Rewind". Post orignially published 3/24/08
How many of us lose sleep or are unable to fully concentrate at work, school, or at home because our minds can’t stop racing? All of us spend unnecessary time thinking about a plethora of different concerns, unfinished obligations, ideas, upcoming events, tasks, needs, worries, and countless other thoughts that pull us away from seeing the big picture. In the book, The Other 90%, the author offers a very simple suggestion of how we can better clear our minds and concentrate on what is most important. I have found this simple tip helpful and thus would like to share.
The simple tip is to get everything in our head out onto paper by writing it down. This is one of the best ways to clear our minds by eliminating those items that may be distracting us from what is truly important at the present time. If needs be, we can carry a day book or journal to write down these thoughts whenever we have them or whenever they may be distracting us for what is at hand. By doing this, we get these thoughts outside of our heads and put them in a “safe place” allowing us to fully concentrate on our greater goals.
When time permits, we then can review the items we jotted down and prioritize them and determine if they are truly important. We can determine what items may need to be moved to a task list, what items can be delegated to others, and what items can be removed completely. We can put the most pressing and important items at top and items that can wait near the bottom. This will help us organize and prioritize our lives.
By following this simple advice, we can keep our minds clear and focused on the tasks at hand. We can relax sooner, breathe easier, and enjoy life more. Effectively learning to clear our minds will allow us be more effective leaders and reach our full potential each day.
How many of us lose sleep or are unable to fully concentrate at work, school, or at home because our minds can’t stop racing? All of us spend unnecessary time thinking about a plethora of different concerns, unfinished obligations, ideas, upcoming events, tasks, needs, worries, and countless other thoughts that pull us away from seeing the big picture. In the book, The Other 90%, the author offers a very simple suggestion of how we can better clear our minds and concentrate on what is most important. I have found this simple tip helpful and thus would like to share.
The simple tip is to get everything in our head out onto paper by writing it down. This is one of the best ways to clear our minds by eliminating those items that may be distracting us from what is truly important at the present time. If needs be, we can carry a day book or journal to write down these thoughts whenever we have them or whenever they may be distracting us for what is at hand. By doing this, we get these thoughts outside of our heads and put them in a “safe place” allowing us to fully concentrate on our greater goals.
When time permits, we then can review the items we jotted down and prioritize them and determine if they are truly important. We can determine what items may need to be moved to a task list, what items can be delegated to others, and what items can be removed completely. We can put the most pressing and important items at top and items that can wait near the bottom. This will help us organize and prioritize our lives.
By following this simple advice, we can keep our minds clear and focused on the tasks at hand. We can relax sooner, breathe easier, and enjoy life more. Effectively learning to clear our minds will allow us be more effective leaders and reach our full potential each day.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
21 Day Magic
Developing good habits and stopping bad ones is so important for success in life. Habits become who we are and often determine what we do. If we can figure out a way to develop habits that contribute positively to our life, we will be well on our way to success.
A common question about habits is how long does it take to establish one? I’ve discovered recently that this is a highly debated topic. For me, I’ve always heard around 21 days. This 21-day idea was most likely created from a book by Dr. Maxwell Maltz entitled Psycho-Cybernetics. Dr. Maltz developed this theory when working with amputees. He discovered it took around 21 days for amputees to stop feeling phantom pain in their amputated limb. He also noticed that good habits were created after bombarding the mind for 21 days. Other professional however have argued that the magical 21 days to forming a habit is inaccurate. There have been a handful of other studies that have determined it takes 30 days, 66 days, or some other amount of days to form good habits.
In the end, whether it takes 21 days or some other amount of days to form a good habit I am uncertain. What I do know though is that if we set our sights on doing something for 21 days and are able to accomplish that, then we are well on our way to establishing a good habit. Once we’ve done something 21 days in a row, what’s going to stop us from 22 or 23 or 103? If you do not believe this to be true, I challenge you to try it. Try doing something 21 days in a row and see if you do not have a desire to do it that 22nd day, then 23rd, and so forth. Forming good habits takes self discipline and desire but it can be done. To me, a good place to start is by determining and committing to do something for 21 days and then each day after that it will become a little bit easier and easier. By doing this, I believe we all can form good habits. Good luck!!
Additional Thought: And what about breaking old habits? I believe this is a little more tricky. Our minds are powerful machines that remember incredibly well. Once we’ve formed a habit, that neurological pathway that has developed is hard to erase. For this reason, people can quit a bad habit for many months or even years but eventually fall right back in to the bad habit seemingly overnight. I’ve learned though that the very best way to break an old habit is to consciously replace it with a new one and then reinforce the new one a lot. If we can replace and reinforce rather than simply overcome and endure, we will have a greater chance for success for breaking a bad habit.
A common question about habits is how long does it take to establish one? I’ve discovered recently that this is a highly debated topic. For me, I’ve always heard around 21 days. This 21-day idea was most likely created from a book by Dr. Maxwell Maltz entitled Psycho-Cybernetics. Dr. Maltz developed this theory when working with amputees. He discovered it took around 21 days for amputees to stop feeling phantom pain in their amputated limb. He also noticed that good habits were created after bombarding the mind for 21 days. Other professional however have argued that the magical 21 days to forming a habit is inaccurate. There have been a handful of other studies that have determined it takes 30 days, 66 days, or some other amount of days to form good habits.
In the end, whether it takes 21 days or some other amount of days to form a good habit I am uncertain. What I do know though is that if we set our sights on doing something for 21 days and are able to accomplish that, then we are well on our way to establishing a good habit. Once we’ve done something 21 days in a row, what’s going to stop us from 22 or 23 or 103? If you do not believe this to be true, I challenge you to try it. Try doing something 21 days in a row and see if you do not have a desire to do it that 22nd day, then 23rd, and so forth. Forming good habits takes self discipline and desire but it can be done. To me, a good place to start is by determining and committing to do something for 21 days and then each day after that it will become a little bit easier and easier. By doing this, I believe we all can form good habits. Good luck!!
Additional Thought: And what about breaking old habits? I believe this is a little more tricky. Our minds are powerful machines that remember incredibly well. Once we’ve formed a habit, that neurological pathway that has developed is hard to erase. For this reason, people can quit a bad habit for many months or even years but eventually fall right back in to the bad habit seemingly overnight. I’ve learned though that the very best way to break an old habit is to consciously replace it with a new one and then reinforce the new one a lot. If we can replace and reinforce rather than simply overcome and endure, we will have a greater chance for success for breaking a bad habit.
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