Some time ago, I spoke to a group of salespeople in Kansas City as they kicked off their new team. It was exciting to see them get excited about making a difference through their work.
The topic they assigned me was “Simply the Best.” So as I prepared, I asked myself, “What characteristics would help someone pass the “Best” test? That is, what are the characteristics of those who become the “best” at what they do? Here are the thoughts I shared with them:
Do you ever feel like there are parts of you saying yes, while other parts are holding you back? There is a cast of characters that live inside of us all and at different times we may be run by one voice over another.
The key question here is this. If you are committed to being successful, how can you put your dreamer and visionary at the helm, on a day-to-day basis? If you can turn the volume up on the voice of the dreamer, and the volume down on the voice of the doubter, you will create more opportunities for greater success with greater ease.
This is a classic momentum-killer that you will have used, just like me, on numerous occasions. The first step to recognizing and solving a problem is to own up to it right?
Have you ever seen the kids’ TV program Sesame Street? There’s a character on there called The Count. He’s like Count Dracula and he..well, he counts. “1 – 2 – 3 ha ha ha!”
What’s so wrong with counting you say?
Nothing. Nothing unless it is killing your momentum and stopping you getting what you want from life. Which it often does.
There just isn’t time to do all you want to do and all that you need do. It is easy for us to teach abandonment to others, but the leader knows the price of abandonment, beginning with his own thought processes.
What do you think about? Let’s go a step further, what do you talk about? Someone once said that little people talk about things, medium sized people talk about people, and big people talk about ideas. Which kind of people do you like to be around?
One major aspect of your personal image comes from how well you’ve developed what’s inside your skull. I’m not talking about a high IQ or your skill at Trivial Pursuit. I’m referring to your mental fitness.
Can your mind lift abstract concepts from The Wall Street Journal or from the professional journal in your field? Can you grasp the intricacies of a problem explained by an expert from another field? Can you hang in there when getting an issue settled is going to mean clearing seven committees and the CEO?