Be Extraordinary: The Greatness Guide Book Two: 101 More Insights to Get You to World Class. Робин Шарма
The attitude of gratitude. Counting your blessings. Not taking things for granted. I’ll bet you have a lot more to be thankful for than you currently see. Just think about it. Just get grateful. Then fasten your seat belt. And watch what comes.
What you value in your life increases in value.
Real leadership truly is about assuming personal responsibility. It’s about creating rich results. It’s about taking charge to get things done—whether you are on the front line or in the C-Suite. Here’s what I mean.
Was buying groceries yesterday. Standing in line. Nothing moved. I looked ahead and saw a flustered woman—seemed her debit card didn’t work. The cashier looked like a deer caught in headlights. He just froze. Didn’t explain what was going on (I later learned the system went down). Didn’t apologize to his customers for the delay. Didn’t do anything to try to move things along. Just gave us a little fear-grin and started to whistle a nervous little whistle. Sounds so obvious, but it’s true that leadership occurs in moments of challenge, not during moments of ease.
Leadership shows up when things at work—and in life—test us. Each of us, as a Leader Without Title, must rise to that challenge. We need to shine when things don’t go as planned. And we have to take charge. Fast. Eventually, the system got back up, the debit card was put through and I moved through the line. But next time I’m at that grocery store and I have a choice, I’ll find a cashier who gets it. Who thinks quickly. Who gets things done, when others just freeze.
Sounds so obvious, but it’s true that leadership occurs in moments of challenge, not during moments of ease.
Controversial chapter title? Perhaps. But I think it’s true. I’ve heard so many gurus say that ideas are the currency of success and thinking drives business and we become what we consider all day long. But, to me, ideation without execution is mere delusion (I dare you to share that line at your next team meeting). In other words, an idea, no matter how big, only assumes value when it’s acted upon and brought to life.
This world of ours is full of great thinkers who never realized their greatness. They were strong on the thinking side but weak on the execution side. And they suffered as a result of that constraint. (German poet Johann von Goethe said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic.”) World-class people get both right. They are superb strategically and brilliant tactically. Really creative and really good at getting things done.
So jump-start your commitment around execution. Yes, capture your ideas and bask in the glow of a remarkably imaginative thought that has the power to improve how you work or the way you live. And then reach deep into yourself and have the discipline to do whatever it takes to make that idea a reality. Because nothing happens until you move.
This world of ours is full of great thinkers who never realized their greatness.
Just saw something that stunned me. I walked up to my favorite Starbucks. Saw a car, engine running, baby in the back seat—and no driver. The father had pulled up to the front of the store and dashed in to get his morning java. Coffee over kid?
It’s easy to get so caught up in the rush of busyness and the call of our routines that we forget the imperative of being aware of the very things we are doing. “Most men would rather die than think,” wrote philosopher Bertrand Russell (“Many do,” he added). Human beings are the only creatures in the world that can step out of themselves and reflect on their thoughts and actions. Monkeys can’t do this. Dogs can’t. Cats can’t. Only we can.
If you can breathe oxygen today, then in my mind you have the gift of being able to show leadership behavior over the coming hours (and days/months/years). Leadership is about showing up at your best. You know that. It’s about being excellent amid changing times and celebrating the people around you. And leadership is about being aware. Aware of your thoughts. Aware of your actions. Aware of your mission. Aware of your priorities. Aware of your talents. Aware of your fears. Aware of your passions. Aware that time is short. Aware of the brilliance presented to you by the life you get to lead (and yes, mine gets messy too).
So live with your eyes wide open. Clarity preceeds mastery. Think about things. Shine brighter than ever before. Act impeccably. And stand guard over babies in cars.
It’s easy to get so caught up in the rush of busyness and the call of our routines that we forget the imperative of being aware of the very things we are doing.
Walking to school with the kids today. Breathtaking autumn morning here in my hometown. Fall colors, fresh air, crisp temperatures. My favorite time of the year.
Colby tells me that one of his buddies has a rubber turtle in his car. Said it reminds his parents to drive slowly and respect the lives of others on the road. Nice. Made me think about the importance of symbolic reminders—tokens we can strategically place at important places to help us remember what’s most important. What matters. What we want to stand for.
One of the simplest tactics I suggest to clients at my leadership workshops is to put your three most important professional and personal commitments on a 3-inch × 5-inch card and post it on your bathroom mirror, so that you see them first thing in the morning. (I know it sounds cheesy, but it works.) This little practice affects your awareness. Radically. Your awareness then shapes your choices. And your choices shape your results. Extraordinary people are dramatically focused on their best To Do’s. It’s all they think, talk and dream about. (I recall reading about John Risley, founder of Clearwater Fine Foods—one of the world’s largest seafood companies—who said, “When I want a deal, I think about nothing else but how to get it done. I wake up at night to use the bathroom, I’m thinking about the deal. I’m very focused.”) And with that rare focus, they get to where they need to be. With fewer detours than the rest of us.
So