Play with people that are better than you.

“I don’t want to be the smartest guy in the room.” – Joe Polish

Get smart people on your team; people that are smart in the areas your organization needs them to be smart in.

Play with people who are better than you. 

That’s how you get better.

Let your ambitions drive you, but….

Let your ambitions drive you, but not drive you mad.

“Learn to be happy with all you’ve got, while you pursue all you want.” – Jim Rohn

Confidence plays a critical role in your success.

Your level of confidence goes up and down depending on specific situations.  For example, if I am doing sales training, reading financials, or talking about psychrometrics, I am confident.  If I get into a conversation about databases or social media, I am less confident.  If I am riding a dirt bike I am confident.  If I am on ice skates, I am far less confident.

However confident people have an underlying belief in themselves that transcends situational issues.

This self-confidence empowers them to be adaptable to the unpredictable environment around them.  They have a belief that no matter what happens, they will find a way to succeed.

Even if you are not confident, you have the power to be confident.  It is under your control.

When you are in a slump, it dings your confidence.  But you need confidence to come out of it.

Confidence is important to your success.  It is a complicated emotion involving many internal and external factors – but you can learn to be confident, and turn it on when you are not feeling it.

Where does confidence come from?

Confidence plays a critical role in your career.  But where does it come from?

Your self-image.  What you think about yourself.

Your product knowledge.

Your attitude.

The way you dress.

Your health.

Work on you, and build your confidence.

Confidence is contagious

Confidence is contagious.

So is lack of confidence – You are unlikable and nobody will follow you.

Nobody likes to be around people who lack confidence.

But too much confidence makes you arrogant and a turn-off.

Prepare enough to be useful and helpful so that you are confident.

Your best sales edge

Salesmen – look in the mirror.  That is your single most powerful sales edge.

Your personal ability to understand and connect with other people – if you can do that better than your competition, you will win most of the time.

It’s “who you are being”….Your listening, your voice, your ability to connect with all other personality styles, your caring and your confidence.

Leaders – hire salespeople who have these skills.

Master the fundamentals

Hiring right, training the basics, marketing, sales, production quality and efficiency….

It’s not only the price of admission, it’s the key to success over the long term.

“A keen unwavering focus and execution of the basics year in and year out.”

Stay on Highest Value Activities!

This is a simple fifteen-minute exercise that is worth a LOT of money.

Get a sheet of paper out and draw a line down the middle.  Make a list of all the things you do in a week in the left column.

Hold that dept meeting, review these reports, write this up, meet with so and so, check on progress of______ , open the mail, talk to _______ , pay these bills, train, manage ________ , job interviews, etc. etc.  Then include the things you don’t do but should – capital allocation, process improvement, better marketing, improving your offering, innovation, finding the right people…

Now in the right column put the activity that brings you the MOST VALUE (now or in the future) at the top.  Prioritize it from highest value to least value.

Now ask, why would I even do things at the bottom of the list that are lower value uses of my time?  Focus on the top of the list.  Delegate or eliminate the lower part of the list.

Prioritization is a master skill of high achievers.  We are all doing stuff all day long.  Some are doing work that is of much higher value. 

You are the leader.  Be that person.  HVA – All The Way!

Caring takes energy

If you don’t have energy because you are not fit, don’t eat right, and don’t get enough sleep, you just won’t care as much.

Leaders need the energy to do a great job.

Do you have the energy it takes to crush it all day?

Stay Healthy

If you don’t feel good or aren’t healthy, what are you trying to achieve by running a company?

What does it matter if you are successful?

Stay healthy.  It’s more important than anything else.