Wednesday, June 27, 2012


The most successful people in business approach their work differently than most. See how they think--and why it works. I'm fortunate enough to know a number of remarkably successful people. Regardless of industry or profession, they all share the same perspectives and beliefs.

And they act on those beliefs:
  1. Time doesn't fill me. I fill time. - Deadlines and time frames establish parameters, but typically not in a good way. The average person who is given two weeks to complete a task will instinctively adjust his effort so it actually takes two weeks. Average people allow time to impose its will on them; remarkable people impose their will on their time
  2. The people around me are the people I chose.You chose them. If the people around you make you unhappy it's not their fault. It's your fault. They're in your professional or personal life because you drew them to you--and you let them remain.
  3. I have never paid my dues.Dues aren't paid, past tense. Dues get paid, each and every day. The only real measure of your value is the tangible contribution you make on a daily basis.
  4. Experience is irrelevant. Accomplishments are everything.Successful people don't need to describe themselves using hyperbolic adjectives like passionate, innovative, driven, etc.  Remarkably successful people don't need to use any adjectives at all. They can just describe, hopefully in a humble way, what they've done.
  5. Failure is something I accomplish; it doesn't just happen to me.Embrace every failure: Own it, learn from it, and take full responsibility for making sure that next time, things will turn out differently.
  6. Volunteers always win.Success is based on action. The more you volunteer, the more you get to act. Successful people step forward to create opportunities. Remarkably successful people sprint forward.
  7. As long as I'm paid well, it's all good. -  Specialization is good. Focus is good. Finding a niche is good.
  8. People who pay me always have the right to tell me what to do.  The people who pay you, whether customers or employers, earn the right to dictate what you do and how you do it--sometimes down to the last detail.Instead of complaining, work to align what you like to do with what the people who pay you want you to do.
  9. The extra mile is a vast, un-populated wasteland.Be early. Stay late. Make the extra phone call. Send the extra email. Do the extra research. Help a customer unload or unpack a shipment. Don't wait to be asked; offer. Don't just tell employees what to do--show them what to do and work beside them. 
These are the things that will make you different and successful.  I use these every day in my activities and all the people I have worked for who were extremely successful marched to these 9 elements. You may not embrace them all at once but over time, that's what will make you incredibly successful.