We live in exciting times — the rapid advancements and the use of technology have evened the playing field for the start-up business vs. the major corporations to market their products and services. No longer are major production crews necessary for commercials, marketing or media. There’s an app for that!

For the aspiring entrepreneur and ambitious leader, anything is possible in today’s world. But what does success look like — really?

“PERCEPTION” OF SUCCESS:

You see them walking from their mansion to their museum garage filled with exotic sports cars, or gingerly pulling up in their Bentley, flat brim cap on with the stickers still on it, at the private airfield next to their G6 for the cameras to catch them shaking the pilot’s hand and boarding their jet for the next adventure in their perfect life.

They look right into the camera and tell you that just one year ago they were just like you, struggling to pay the bills and trying to find a way to capitalize on their marketing talents. Now, they are millionaires, and they want to help you achieve the American dream. Generous of them, right?

Don’t fall victim to an over-saturated market of alluring ads all over social media where everyday people “just like you” can make millions overnight by simply following somebody’s sure-fire formula for success.

Newsflash: the only ones getting rich quick are the ones selling you their books, courses and online programs.

If it were that easy, it wouldn’t be a secret.

But amazingly, people still go deep into their website (and eventually their wallets) to learn more. Each new web page builds your confidence until finally, you’re inspired enough to bet your savings on these snake oil salesmen.

Why do they need to park four Lamborghinis in their driveway and walk past each one while talking? Why not just do the sales pitch in a studio?

They are marketing directly to the millennial who wants to see the material gratification of success. They deliver reinforcement to their audience that they are just as entitled as the next guy to earn easy money, and lots of it.

Even doing that, your odds are approximately 292,000,000 to 1. But hey, somebody’s got to win, right?

Here’s the real winning tip: the reality of being successful lies in one secret that we all have the ability to access at absolutely no cost . . .

HARD WORK

There is no substitute for hard work — it is the foundation of every success story.

THE “REALITY” OF SUCCESS:

Unfortunately the pitch for reality isn’t as exciting as perception, unless you thrive on the challenge of success.

Fortunately, the aspiring and tenured leader completely understands the rules of reality and is willing to invest themselves completely in the process as opposed to a pipe dream.

That investment starts with a strong foundation of integrity and character.

Those two traits alone will carry you through the challenges you face as you gain experience through hard work, sacrifice, overcoming barriers, and experiencing failures, while taking those small steps forward that are absolutely necessary on the journey toward the ultimate pinnacle – earned success.

You earn your stripes along the way as a result of your courage, braveness and abundance of confidence to inspire and empower others to follow your clear vision to achievement.

Success should never correlate itself with riches. True success associates itself directly with your legacy. You are the only person that can write that story, and each page should be filled with adventures, not images of possessions.

Look at it this way, if these overnight success stories were true entrepreneurs, wouldn’t they be savvy investors, as well?  I can’t imagine an infomercial with Warren Buffett or Elon Musk in their vintage t-shirt, jeans and sandals walking down a driveway that looks like a car dealership.

IF IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!

Leadership is a privilege.

Go do great things today – earn it – and go make a difference.

Venture + Lead + Prosper

I remember it vividly. I was in the process of putting together our yearly business plan for my team before our National Meeting. I had invested three months of researching analytics, trends, input from my team, goals for the division and my personal experiences with what I felt would be a test of effort, perseverance, and commitment to achieve our goals.

In most cases, I have about four hours to present it to the president of the division and other senior leadership. Once approved, the entire division gathers at the National Meeting shortly after, and I only have a few days to sell it to my team to gain total buy-in and commitment.

However, this time there was a longer gap between the approval of the plan and the actual meeting; about a month. During that time, as I was putting my final slides together, I came to a realization that this process had become so routine and centered around only one thing – our yearly quota.

I challenged myself to think outside the box and discover a new way to present this plan without feeling like I’m “selling it.”. I wanted to gain engagement and trust from the team for them to feel they were genuinely vested, and a part of the PROCESS as opposed to only being judged on the OUTCOME.

From experience, I always felt that growth, empowerment, and confidence came from the process itself. It was all of the small wins that built the real success at the end of the year. I valued that time because it exposed my ability to handle both success and failure. It allowed me to either utilize my skills to grow or sharpen them as I became more self-aware in the process.

At that point in my career, I had been in the same industry for about 15 years, and I’d always felt like that a sales quota defined me, and those I led. In my opinion, I was doing a disservice as a leader focusing on an arbitrary goal (the number) instead of the tangible qualities of my abilities, as well as those leaders within my own team.

We are at the National Meeting, and once we broke out into our respective teams, it was time to put my experiment into action. I applied something that I’ve done for 10 years that was a result of a book that somebody gave me as a gift. It’s by Jon Gordon, and it’s called “One Word That Will Change Your Life.”  It’s a simple concept, you pick one word that can guide your decisions, mindset, attitude, direction, moral compass.  Here’s the thought process behind it:

LESS IS BEST, SIMPLE IS POWERFUL

Dim the lights, start the power point and let them see the first slide. You know, it became so routine, we were all like Pavlov’s dogs expecting the same thing – that slide to show the quota for the year. Instead, I decided to change things up from the traditional format.

My first slide said:  PERSPECTIVE.

The group was so confused, they kept asking me what the goal was. Even their rhetoric proved my point.  They were asking what “THE” goal was – as in a singular purpose, that dang quota!

I went around the table, and I asked them, “What was last year’s number?“ They all knew it because we not only achieved the goal, we exceeded it by double digits — which means they got an additional kicker on their bonus, so the answers came quickly and with smiles on their faces. I then asked them, “What example can you provide me off the top of your head – as quickly as you told me the net sales – that stood out to you about one person on the team you lead, who not only improved but developed skills that contributed to our success?”

I waited a few seconds and said: “time’s up.” Of course, they complained, but my point was made. My perception was that there was more pride in the number than there was in the people who achieved it.

As a leader, that’s not on them. That’s on me.

My father had a saying that I tend to overuse, but it applies to so many situations. He would say, “When the son swears, slap the father.” In other words, don’t be so quick to point the finger before you look in the mirror. In this case, the burning question was “Have we lost the value and importance of the team that commits and contributes to our goals every day in the field?”

THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET. 

I said, “Here is how we are going to start this meeting. You have one hour, to come up with one word that will define your goals this year that isn’t associated with the quota. One word that can provide clarity and guide your decisions, mindset, attitude, direction, moral compass.”

I explained, “I take this very seriously, so don’t just throw something out there without thought because the word you choose will stick with you for the next 11 months, every day. If you give me a word that I don’t feel fits your personality or management style, we will just take more time trying to figure it out.”

Now understand, I wasn’t treating them disrespectful, or as children; some of these people had been under my leadership for a long time. They knew me, and I knew them. There was a bond of trust between this particular team that made us unique. We had a mantra, “Play hard, work harder.”

After an hour, I asked each of them to stand in front of the team and tell us their word, being as specific as they could. I also asked if they would provide the reasoning they choose that particular word and how they intended to be held accountable for it. What was funny was that a few of them said, “When we are done, are you going to tell us the number?” They laughed, and I did on the outside, as well, but internally, I realized that this was going to be a huge responsibility for me because I needed to change their mindset.

The good news is everybody had some great words . . .

PRESENT

BALANCE

PASSION

TENACITY

LOVE

EMPATHETIC

DRIVE

CULTURE

Their definitions, explanations, and application were spot on!

When the exercise was complete, I asked that they get their computers out. I asked them to go to their email and open their “signatures” in Outlook. Once they did, I asked them to please put that word below your name in all caps and bold. I asked that they talk with their respective team and explain the rationale and the exercise we just completed. Share with them why you choose that word and tell them that you need their assistance to hold you accountable for it.

Moving forward, I asked that every time they put an email together for distribution or were responding to another person, read it before you send it. Were they conveying the intent and meaning of your one word in that communication? I told them that when I read each of your emails, I will do so with a new perspective this year. I want to challenge you to not just write it down and talk about it. I want to see action. Even if it takes you away from the objective at hand, it doesn’t matter because we will still win in the long term.

I then asked, “What do you think I mean when I say long term?”  It was quiet for a second, then I heard a voice…” our quota.”  She said it without any doubt in her mind. She got it!  I said, “EXACTLY!”

We were so focused on the GOAL that we were missing out on the excitement of the PROCESS. We became obsessed with a number instead of obsessed with our people. I told them, “I am as guilty as each of you, and I apologize for that. I haven’t been doing my job and that I would change along with them.”

WE ESTABLISHED A NEW MINDSET.

Somebody asked me, what’s your word?  I said, AMPLIFY.

I want to AMPLIFY my commitment

I want to AMPLIFY my gratitude

I want to AMPLIFY my empathy

I want to AMPLIFY my relationships

I want to AMPLIFY my health

I said, “If you focus on that one word, live it every day, guide your team with passion and empowerment, you will hit the number. It will be the OUTCOME of a successful process.”  What followed was the infamous slide with one number on it. I asked them if their perspective was a little bit different. They all nodded.

. . . . . .

So now I want to challenge you.

Are you willing to approach your objectives a little differently this year, or a particular goal?  Can you commit some time to find that one word that will be clear to you in guiding your decisions, mindset, attitude, direction, and moral compass?

Remember:  LESS IS BEST, SIMPLE IS POWERFUL

Do great things today and make a difference.

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “if I only knew then what I know now…”?

What if you could do something about it?

If you are a parent, grandparent, coach, teacher or friend and you recognize certain leadership traits in a child, you have an opportunity to do three simple things right now:

ENCOURAGE, SUPPORT & TEACH

All of us have the potential to lead. There is no certain age that defines when we can begin our quest to gain the skills and competencies necessary to start the journey. By reaching out to adolescents who feel the gift of leadership inside them, you have the ability to become their first mentor — because most simply don’t know how to act upon it.

Today is the day you take a step forward. No more “letting” things happen in your life . . . it’s time to take control and MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. Take control of your future and let today be the day you begin your courageous effort to lead!

LIFE IS WAITING TO BEGIN!

Passivity is the enemy . . .

Personal change is an active process. Take the first steps now to act and be bold.

Let’s get all of the excuses out there. If you need to, make a list. Write down every excuse that you can think of. We tend to always focus on why we “can’t”, so this shouldn’t be too challenging.

• I’ve got too much on my plate right now
• It’s not the right time
• I’m not ready for change
• I’m afraid of what I might be getting myself into
• I don’t think I will be successful

All done? Now, it’s time to change your mindset. Ask yourself one simple question:

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Today is the day that you have the clarity and courage to listen to that inner voice that wants to break out of its shell, to change your mentality from a follower to a leader. Build the confidence to overcome that self-doubt. Develop a “no barriers” mindset and face your fears head-on.  It only takes one step forward to begin.

Here are the 5 things you are going to do today to prepare for action:

1. Write down your action plan, and include your “why” and purpose.

Writing down what you are going to do versus just saying it is the game changer. The next step is put those words into actionable phrases. How are you going to reach the objectives you identify, step by step? NOTE: This can only be done once you establish your “why” and your “purpose”.

Your “why” will give your life clarity and purpose — and as a result, it will shape who you are. You will clearly know what you want out of life. When you know your perspective about life, you can achieve amazing things. This will be the foundation of your growth as you climb the ladder to success. To find your why, dig deep and reach for a high level of self-awareness. What are your strengths? What can you contribute? What are your core principles that make you unique?

2. Find somebody to hold you accountable.

Find a mentor! Find somebody who believes in you as much, if not more, than you do in yourself. Success cannot be obtained without the willingness of others to contribute their passion, and empower others to feel inspired and motivated to be the best they can.

Where do you find a mentor? If they aren’t right in front of you, then do your research and find the person who is where you want to be. Thanks to social media, most of us have a friend, or friend of a friend, who can make the introduction and get the process started. The process is up to you.  If you are willing to do the work, and have the passion to drive you, your mentor will be the difference in building yourself in an efficient and successful manner.

There is a catch here. If you find that person and you get the motivation and inspiration you need, it is your responsibility to pay it forward!

3. Set realistic goals and establish a workable timeframe for each.

Now that you have an action plan and you understand and believe in your “why” and purpose statements, the next step is to set realistic goals for yourself and establish a timeframe for each. For example, based on the profession you are in, what skills do you need to sharpen to be at the top of your game? Do you understand the value proposition (what specific benefits you offer that bring value) for your product and company? Do you have a firm grip on the competitive landscape?

Answer these questions and begin to establish each of your goals. Research, read, and navigate the influential thought leaders in your profession (people whose opinions are valued). Via social media, talk with your mentor(s) and/or expand your knowledge of the market.To the right of the column with your goals, put a firm deadline to hold yourself accountable on achieving each and hold to it. Don’t give up, stay the course.

4. Align your values with your actions.

Make sure that your core foundation is built upon integrity, character, courage, inspiration and gratitude. If you are built in this fashion, then your actions will reflect it in everything you do. These are the traits that define the best leaders, because they consistently show others their belief in them, and in turn, empower them to succeed.

Without values, your leadership will be meaningless. It will be hollow, uneventful and even worse, those whom you lead will gain nothing from you.

5. Spend more time developing YOU.

Most important, don’t ever stop developing you. Success is a journey, not a destination. Your advancement is also a journey; there is no end. The most important investment you can make in your success is in YOU. 

Self-development means creating successful habits, employing patience, growing your professional circle and building your confidence every day.

Inspire action by painting a vision of what success looks like to you. Let this be your alarm clock to tell you it’s time to wake up and change the world. Become a visionary and eliminate passivity as an excuse. The world is yours — make a difference!