Business Keys To Success: Embrace Commitment

The world has never seen a great leader in the world or in business who has lacked commitment. If you want to be an effective leader, you have to be committed. Why? True commitment will attract and inspire people. They are attracted to your conviction.

To lead others you have to believe you must believe in your cause before they will buy into you. People buy into a leader and then a vision. In my experience in business and life, sometimes the vision comes first. If people buy into a vision that you present they will start being committed to you.

Commitment Versus Involvement

What is the true nature of commitment? Before we start on that I want you to think about something. Very often, people fake themselves out. They confuse involvement with commitment. Involvement may be a one time investment of time but commitment is about a consistent investment of time and being persistent in overcoming obstacles.

Some people take a test and pass. Others take a test and fail. Some people start a project. Some people finish it. Commitment is the cornerstone of long-term success. The people who pass the test or finish the project are showing commitment. Involvement will get you started but commitment will carry you across the finish line to success.

Commitment – It Comes From The Heart

I have read that the in the Kentucky Derby, the winning horse effectively runs out of oxygen after the first half mile, and he goes the rest of the way on heart. If you want to make a difference in other people’s lives as a leader, look into your heart to see if you’re really committed.

In the business world, whether you are a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur, solo professional, corporate manager or corporate executive the people who are following you must see that your heart is into what you are doing.

In my personal business coaching practice I have seen time and time again that passion from the heart will overcome obstacles and bring small business success. When things are bleak you must have heart to carry yourself and others through to a successful conclusion.

Commitment-It’s In The Action

Earlier, when looking at involvement versus commitment it is the intensity of the action and the consistency that separates the two. There is nothing wrong with involvement. But to succeed we must understand that involvement in the first step to commitment and ultimately the personal and business success we desire.

You can say all the words. But, if you don’t back them up with action then they are nothing and people will stop following you as a leader.

Commitment Is The Pathway To Achievement

One thing is for sure as a leader. If you are looking for obstacles and opposition you will find it as a leader. And when you have obstacles and opposition commitment is the only thing that will carry you forward.

Thomas Paine in promoting the American Revolution in 1776 wrote about “summer soldier and the sunshine patriot.” He was exhorting people to have commitment. War is tough and without commitment it is not possible to win.

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As you go through every day practice the commitment to win; The commitment to win in achieving your goals and dreams. Work makes life sweet, purposeful and fruitful but only if we approach it with commitment.

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Business Keys To Success: Enlarging Others

Enlarging others is an important key to success. As a young employee and ultimately business owner I was striving for success and somehow it was always painful. It turned out that I had the wrong attitude. Instead of enlarging others I was always trying to beat them in an effort to win.

I had played team and individual sports in high school and college and understood the value of team. When I started working after college, initially for large companies and eventually on my own, all that sports training had no impact.

Step 1: Enlarging Yourself

I just kept getting it wrong. In sports I always valued my teammates. Somehow at work I looked at my co-workers as competitors. They were competition for me to overcome in order to rise in the company.

With this totally self-centered attitude I was miserable. Finally I realized that as long as I was trying to beat others or hold them down, that a part of me was down there with them.

At the time, I was working for a large metropolitan newspaper, The Denver Post. I realized that if I was to rise in the company that I had to believe in my teammates, not try to keep them down. This turned out to be a critical step in enlarging myself.

Some people enlarge themselves through more online training, corporate training, business training or business courses. These are all good but there is one thing that is critical to being an enlarger. Learning without application is nothing. And the first person that the learning has to be applied to is you.

So the first step to enlarging others is that I had to enlarge myself.

Enlarging Adds Value To The Team

As I enlarged myself and became more focused on the team and what we supposed to accomplish some great things started to happen.

I was able to have truly meaningful connections with my team members. Instead of viewing them as adversaries or impediments to progress I saw them as human beings trying to do their best. I offered encouragement. I started to receive encouragement in return.

Along with the encouragement I began to know what they liked, disliked and was able to connect with them even better. As I became an enlarger an amazing thing happened. I got promoted. Six months before I thought I was at a dead end.

Enlarging Makes You More Valuable

As I went through this transformation from a team member that detracted from the team to an enlarger I started a process where I became more valuable. I wasn’t doing this just for me personally, but also because it helped others.

Not only was I connecting better which allowed me to communicate and integrate at an improved level, I was making myself better which was making me more valuable.

In my personal business coaching practice I look for opportunities to enlarge not only my clients but how my clients can become enlargers in their companies. I firmly believe that a great deal of small business success in based on the business owner’s ability to be an enlarger.

As a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur, solo professional, corporate executive or individual how are others seeing you? Do they see you as an enlarger? Do you make them better than they are alone through your inspiration and contribution? Do you know what your teammates value?

There are many more pluses to being an enlarger. I learned an important lesson that has stayed with me to this day. Be an enlarger of others. When you are enlarging others the odds are in your favor that they will promote and enlarge you.

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Hope

During the darkest moments of World War II Prime Minister Winston Churchill was asked what was the greatest weapon his country possessed? Immediately Churchill said, “England’s greatest weapon has always been—hope.”

Hope is one the most powerful and energizing words in the English language. It is something that gives us the power to keep going in the toughest of times.

Be a bringer of hope to others today.

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About Author :

First things first, I like to have fun with people and what I do. I am a personal business coach.Yes, I have received training and been coaching since 1983. I have gone through and continue to happily go through more personal development.Personal development and its quest for personal growth, more often than not, are the missing links in the chain of business and personal success.As Warren Buffett once said, “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”

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Vitamins

What vitamins are you feeding your mind?

Vitamins are the words you use when you talk to yourself. They are the words you use when you talk to others.

Vitamins are the conversations you have with others.

They are the actions you take.

They are the environment you create, the books you read and the TV you watch.

Vitamins are anything that you choose to associate with and anything that chooses to associate with you that are POSITIVE.

But you can take all the positive things, the vitamins to feed your mind and emotions, and their benefit will never be maximized if your relationships are dragging you down. It is said that it takes seven positives to counteract a negative.

Choose your associations wisely. Choose them for positivity and you will do well.

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Keys To Business Success: Your Leadership Model

Who’s your leadership model?  In John Maxwells’ book, Developing the Leaders Around You, he emphasizes that you must give much thought to which leaders you will follow.  Why?  The leadership model you follow will determine your course.

Who Is Your Leadership Model?

When I talk about a leadership model what am I referring to?  Whether you are a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur or solo professional seeking greater personal and small business success it is important that you find the right mentors.

Find people who exemplify the emotional, intellectual and character qualities that will take you to the next level.  Out of these three, as a personal business coach, I encourage my clients to focus first and foremost on character.

Why?  You may love their logic, their intellect.  You may love their passion, their emotion.  But without good character you are building the foundation of your leadership model upon sand.  It will not last.  Without good character the rest doesn’t matter.

Leadership Model Questions From John Maxwell

1. Does my leadership model’s life deserve a following?
2. Does my leader model’s life have a following?
3. What is the main strength the influences others to follow my model?
4. Does my leadership model produce other leaders?
5. Is my leadership model’s strength reproducible in my life?
6. If my model’s strength is reproducible in my life, what steps must I take to develop and demonstrate that strength?

Find Your Leadership Model
Throughout my life I have had different leadership models.  What is interesting is that someone who was a leadership model ten years ago may not be a leadership model now.  Leadership models will change.  Why?  As you grow and change your need for a different leadership model will often have to change to support that growth.

Whether you are seeking growth in business, personal growth or just a growth strategy in leadership you must let go of the old in order for the new to enter.  Just as a tree sheds its leaves every year, we too, as humans must shed what is no longer useful.  Unlike the tree you have a choice.

Part of creating a great leadership model is exercising your power of choice.  Part of great leadership is making wise choices.  Choose wisely.  Your leadership model will be as you wish.

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Belief Determines Your Present And Future

I once had a client who had very little belief in himself.  He was running a small business that was passed down to him by his father.  He was bright but he had never developed his talent.  His lack of belief in himself was hurting his company, employees and worst of all his family life.

Your beliefs control everything that you do.  They will determine your personal and small business success and growth.

Belief—It Holds You Back

As a personal development coach I have observed in myself and others that what our belief is in ourselves will determine what we expect and what we will receive.  My client did not believe in himself.

Why?  There were many reasons.  The most important one was he was running the business the way his Dad had run it.  He was afraid to put his personal touch on things.  After all, things had worked well or maybe not so well for a long time so why change?

His belief in his lack of ability to make positive change was holding him back.

Belief—It Moves Your Forward

We started identifying small, safe areas where he could institute change.  Most important it was change he believed in.

When you start exercising your “belief muscle” it is best to start with some small things where you can have some immediate success.  Too often I see well intentioned, self-employed business owners, entrepreneurs and solo professionals exercise their “belief muscle” on too big a stage.

Why?  They feel that is some shape or form that they need to make the grand impression.  Remember, an impression can work both ways.  You can take your belief and impress it on others but if you haven’t thought it through it can come back at you in the form of a negative impression.

The key is to start with something small.  Enjoy the small successes from your beliefs. Learn from them.  Once you have mastered the small things then you can work up to some bigger areas.

Whether you are running a small business or starting up your own business begin with the small things and work up to the bigger ones.  This will increase your odds of staying on a success track.

Belief—It Predicts Your Future

More often than not in personal business coaching I am collaborating with others on creating a vision of the future they desire.  Once we have created the vision we start taking steps to make it happen.  It’s a very exciting process.  And, it is all fueled by belief.

Your belief in yourself, what you do and where you want to go is usually a very good predictor of the future you will have.  How come it is a good predictor of your future?  Your belief determines your expectation.

And you have a belief and an expectation you are much more likely to see it become a reality.  Whether you are starting your own business or running a small business identify your beliefs.  Understand your expectations.

If they aren’t leading you to the future you desire, change them.  Change your belief on something.  It will change your expectation.  And, your expectation will change your life.  Today you can start to have the future you want tomorrow.   Start today by harnessing the power of your belief.

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Keys To Success: Finding Peace (2)

Keys To Success: Finding Peace (2)

In the previous post on peace we looked at one of  the keys to success, finding peace.  We looked at what is peace and what is causing distress.

In this post I am going to start out and explore a little further what peace is.  And, we will look at some ways to create peace.  We will finish up with the concept that peace is best achieved by running your small business and your life by your expectations.

Keys To Success:  Know What Peace Is.  What Peace Is Not.

Peace:  A Definition

Sometimes in defining a subject it is easier to say what it is not rather than what it is.

Peace is Not:

1. Based on external influences
2. Based on other people
3. Based on the absence of pressure

Peace is Internally Based

Definition:  Peace is to be set at “one” again.  What does it mean to be set at “one” again?  Primarily, this means living your life in alignment.  When you are looking at keys to success, whether it be in your business or life, alignment is important.

Keys To Success:  How To Create Peace

To create peace, as we grow, we must bring order to disorder.  And, this is where many of us have a challenge.  Maybe you are great at creating your own business.  Possibly, you are very good at success planning.  But, the distress, or lack of peace comes from your inability to manage what you have created.

As a self-employed business owner for many years and in my personal business coaching practice collaborating with individuals, entrepreneurs, solo professionals I can assure you that the one thing everyone would like to have is more peace.  And peace is one of the most important keys to success for the long-term.

All these individuals are very creative.  And, creativity by its very nature is forward thinking and disruptive of the status quo.

Unfortunately, everything else is a goal except peace.  A marketing business plan is put together that will increase sales but it is not appropriate for the owner or the small business.

Or, success planning directs you and your business into areas that put too much strain on your existing business or structure.  One of the keys to success is attaining a measure of peace is to build your business around honoring who you are.

Keys To Success:  Peace Is Living By Your Expectiations

Live by your expectations.  Don’t live by others.  Spend time in your strengths.  Spend minimal time or delegate those things that are unpleasant to you.  Manage your expectations, yourself and your process for doing business to honor who you are.

When you do you are much more likely to be successful because you are doing it on your terms.  Honor yourself and manage yourself in what you build and you will have greater peace which is one of the keys to success.

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