Edition 42 – The Keys to Success
One of the great aspects of working with the owners and managers of family businesses is understanding what makes them tick. For some people, they’re looking for big financial wins. For others, the work they’re doing is a life long passion. For some others, it is their creative instincts that cut in.
There are plenty of business motivation and management development books available. However, it is my belief that whilst we can take some lessons from each of these, none of us are made the same. So, why rely on a formula for “sameness” when we ask ourselves the question “why am I doing what I am doing?”
As part of the work that I do with one particular family business, we sat down and worked out what they considered their keys to success were. I’m sharing them with you in the hope that you may find some inspiration in asking yourself “why am I doing what I am doing?”
- Skills
Do I have the right skills to operate ahead of the curve? What have I done to lift my skills in the past year?
- Courage
What do I run away from? Why do I run away from it? Is it an actual fear or a perceived fear? What do I need to do to overcome that fear?
- Mindset
Am I thinking positively, which leads me to act positively, and live positively? Many of my clients have been exposed to one of favourite quotes “beware of your words…”
- Destination
Where I am heading to? Am I on the right path? If a roadblock arises, am I best equipped to move around it?
- Accountability
I might have plans, but who is holding me accountable to achieving them?
- Relationships
Am I maintaining positive relationships in my life – personal, professional, employment? If I’m not, which relationships do I need to divorce myself from?
- Drive
Do I have the energy and commitment to keep operating? Am I travelling at a constant 80km/h, or fluctuating between 0 and 120km/h, none of which is impacted by anything environmental, only personal.
- Focus
Do I maintain laser focus on what I am doing at any given point in time? If I don’t, what is distracting me and how do I teach myself to better manage those distractions?
- Self Esteem
Do I feel good about myself, where I am in life and what I’m doing each and every day? If not, do I need support (whether it is personal or professional) to help me feel better about myself?
- Passion
Am I doing with my life exactly what I want to be doing with it? If I’m not, then why am I doing it?
Each of us has the skills to do this for ourselves. Most of us don’t. I’ve found that for me personally, it requires the guidance of a mentor or key advisor to help determine what the keys to success are. Having someone facilitate that process and then hold you to account is paramount to turning the goal of success into an actual result.
This Week’s Tip
Your keys to success might be similar to, or completely different to those listed above. That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you give thought to what you need to do to achieve the type of life that you want to live.