BEcome Successful!

“If you want to have more, you have to become more.  Success isn’t something you pursue or go after, it is something you become.  You attract success when you become the right person.  It’s not what you need to do but who you need to become.”   Jim Rohn

Normally in life when we want to accomplish a goal our first inclination is to consider how do I do it, or what are the necessary steps to accomplish the goal?  Though this is a very logical thought process it may not be the best one in order to help us in accomplishing our goals. 

Simply doing is often not enough.  All of us can do a lot of things but doing is only part of the answer and albeit sometimes the less important part.  The true test of character and desire for achievement comes through becoming.  In accomplishing a goal, rather than simply asking what do I need to do, we must also ask who do I need to become? 

When we become something that we once were not, we change the world around us.  Rather than simply doing, and thus relying on the external world around us, by changing ourselves we focus inward and those things that are within our control.  When we change ourselves first we can then begin to change our outcomes.  Therefore success is not only about doing, but it is also about becoming.

So how do we become something we are not?  I believe it starts first and foremost with our thoughts.  How we think often determines our decisions, actions, and who we are.  When we think clearly and correctly toward what we want to accomplish we can only then begin to really pursue it.  Our thoughts have a powerful impact on who we are and what we are able to achieve. 

Hard work alone is not always the answer but hard work combined with disciplined thought.  There have been times in my life when I’ve simply attempted to do rather than become and I’ve failed.  Becoming someone new rather than simply doing something new I believe would have made all the difference.      

Success is obtainable by all.  Rather than only contemplate what we have to do to accomplish a goal, let us also consider who we have to become.  When we become the right person, success will follow.         

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job

I recently finished re-reading The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni and it continues to be one of my most favorite leadership books.  The reason?  Because the book offers simple advice for leaders that works!  And any leader who sincerely strives to live even one of the 3 principles found in the book will find improved results and success as a leader.  So let’s go through the signs real quick.    

The first sign a leader must eliminate is immeasurement.  We all like to be measured or in some way know if we are being successful or not.  Imagine a Superbowl where no score is kept, how interested would everyone be in such an event?  The same is true for those we lead—we all want and need a scoreboard!  If we want people to engage, rally around our cause, and be an active participant in getting results, there must be some form of measuring stick that they themselves have a direct impact on.  Without it, life is miserable. 

The next sign is irrevelance—people are wired with a desire to make a difference and as leaders, we must help them see how they are doing just that.  No matter how small the task or assignment, each person impacts and influences somebody.  As leaders, we must point that out to them and help them know how their specific assignment and work really matters to someone.

The final sign is anonymity or a feeling of being unknown.  Again as human beings we like to be known, especially by those who lead us.  If we are to effectively lead we must get to know those we lead on a personal level.  When we truly know people; their interests, families, likes/dislikes, what motivates them, etc. it shows we really care about them as an individual and our ability to influence increases significantly. 

Not only does the book give great advice but it is also very easy and entertaining to read.  And the other amazing thing is that anyone can do it!  Anyone can eliminate the 3 signs if they want to.  I love this book and encourage all leaders everywhere to read it and work hard to eliminate the 3 Signs for those they lead. 

One of the Most Effective Leadership Tools

One of the most effective leadership tools that is available to each of us but is probably underutilized and rarely thought about is consistency.  Establishing a level of predictability and stability for those we lead goes a long way in enabling them to perform at their highest levels. 

We live in a world that is constantly changing and chaotic.  This is one reason why fear and a lack of initiative often plague our society.  Rather than dare to take a chance, people grasp to find at least some level of stability and comfort.  This need for stability and comfort can be fulfilled by a good leader.  Good leaders understand they can help those they lead feel safe by being consistent and dependable in their actions and behaviors even when everything else around them is chaotic and unpredictable.  These feelings of safety produced by consistency leads to higher moral and confidence.            

A lack of consistency leads to feelings of uneasiness and uncertainty which leads to unnecessary stress, worry, and inefficiencies.  If as leaders, we want our people to perform at their best, we must be consistent.  How we think, how we make decisions, how we react day in and day out to challenges and successes will create a level of expectation among those we lead forming a healthy level of stability. 

Consistent leaders open the doors to ingenuity, empowerment, and hard work.  People who work with consistent leaders experience a level of freedom that others do not enjoy because expectations and standards are clearer.  An inconsistent leader often unknowingly creates a restrictive environment where people are unsure about what they should or shouldn’t do.  This results in low productivity, satisfaction, and results.  It also leads to frustration from the both the leader and those they lead.

I’ve learned, in my experience, that consistency is one of the most powerful and effective tools for leaders.  Being consistent takes effort and discipline but when we are consistent, great things follow.  I’ve seen the most successful leaders, whether they realize it or not, are consistent and consistency=results.  So, have the discipline to establish a level of consistency for all those you lead.

It's On You!

This past weekend I attended a conference that had over 30 speakers with a wide variety of backgrounds, expertise, speaking styles, and topics.  The conference was something I had been looking forward to for some time and it was amazing, uplifting, enlightening, and everything I had hoped for.  And although there were many different subjects presented throughout the event, one central idea resonated in my mind as I heard it repeated (or at least the general idea repeated) over and over again by different presenters.  This central “theme” of this great conference for me was “It’s on you!” 

What does this mean, "It’s on you?"  As the speakers suggested over and over again it means our success, happiness, satisfaction, and results in life is on us—and no one else.  We have the power within us to control our own lives.  We are the masters of our ship.  We can’t blame our mistakes, unhappiness, or short-comings on anyone else, we are responsible.

If we are unhappy with how things are, where we are at in life, or with what we are doing, it is on us.  No one else has as much power or potential to change and impact our lives than us.  Indeed, our supreme creator has given each of us the gift of choice and with that comes responsibility and accountability.  If we are not satisfied with our current conditions than it is on us to change it.  We shouldn’t wait for someone or something else to come and fix things for us. 

This idea, that our happiness and success in life in on us is a powerful one. It empowers us, regardless of our circumstances, disadvantages, or situation, to make a difference and change the direction of our life.  It helps us avoid the wasted time and energy that is invested everyday by millions of others who shift blame and conjure up excuses.  It gives us confidence that we can rise above our current situation because we are not dependent on things outside of our control.  It helps us believe that we determine our own destiny. 

Everything changes when we take this level of ownership over our lives and face the fact that our results are truly on us.  Rather than play the victim we become the agent of our outcomes.  Life is too short to waste it away blaming other things or other people for our failures or lack of happiness.  The best leaders and the happiest people always remember and live with the understanding that our success is on us!      

Success Made Simple

“Successful people are willing to do things unsuccessful people are not.” Unknown 

The secret to success is simple.  Success is born, made, and achieved by doing the simple things in life. 

From the outside, we often see success almost as something that happens overnight.  We mistakenly credit it to a big decision, luck, or a onetime event and act as if it is suddenly achieved or earned all at once.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Success is born in the small things that happen every day.  Simple disciplines practiced consistently each day lead us down the road that eventually results in the big accomplishment or astounding feat.  We need to always remember though that it is the simple things we do day in and day out that truly makes us successful.

Sadly, what is easy to do is also easy not do.  We do not give enough credit nor value the easy things and so we neglect and fail to do them.  Reviewing our goals daily and taking daily actions to achieve them, meditating, spending time with our family, hugging our spouse, controlling our thoughts, prioritizing our activities, planning our day, taking some time each day to learn, study and invest in our own development, all of these are simple practices that can lead to success.  Too often we are sporadic at best at doing these simple disciplines and then we never achieve the success we hope for and wonder why.       

What happens when we are not consistent in doing the simple things in life that lead to success?  Job loss, bankruptcy, disappointment, divorce, mediocrity, regret, just to name a few.  As you can see little things matter a lot! 

So, success is built on our simple daily decisions.  Small habits everyday are powerful and have a tremendous impact on our life.  Therefore, we must do the simple things!  Because most people fail to do the simple things every day they are forced to deal with hard things. Let’s not be one of them, let’s choose today to do the simple things that lead to success in life.