We see ourselves in the mirror each and every morning while we brush our teeth, maybe you look yourself in the eyes, maybe you don't bother, but this just happens to be an intense little private moment for me, so I'm using it as an example here. We have three children in the house, and my wife and I share a bathroom, so I don't get many of these throughout the day. This is my moment I use to challenge myself each morning. I take this opportunity to look myself directly in the eyes and make an internal pact with the soul inside that today I will be better than yesterday, and I will inspire one person in a positive way. This is the part where you might be wondering just what this has to do with being a business leader. When one stops and really thinks on what it means to build a business, you are building relationships! They are one in the same, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can get down to the real work of building something special.
Business on every level must be carried out from a central point, a singularity (for all you cosmologists). That point is the company mission, the sole reason the company exists in the first place. Like most endeavors, these organizations begin with a unifying idea, a belief or core value that brings people together under a single banner. I mentioned this in another article once, but if you go onto the website for any major corporation, company, or organization there will be a link you can follow, probably labeled ABOUT US, or something like it. There you will find their core reason for existing, or mission statement. Not once will you find one that says, "To make money and get rich." Although there is much to be said about turning a profit and making some sort of living out of the business you started, if that is the driving force behind it then do not expect it to gain momentum and longevity. In fact, it probably won't last the year.
Without a Core Value you will not be sustainable and you cannot inspire others to your cause or mindset. People will not take you seriously and you will begin to take on a reputation of the slimy used car salesman and people will begin to avoid all things connected to you and your brand. Remember, people aren't stupid. They want to be surrounded by individuals who teach, share, give value, and inspire; sometimes this is as simple as being just plain honest. In a world in which integrity and character are just words in a book and not reality, inspiration has fast become the new drug, and everyone craves it.
A Nation of Business Leaders, Not Followers..............................
I developed a very deep love and connection to my flag and my country well before I ever joined the US Marine Corps at eighteen years old. I was fortunate enough to have a patriotic influence early on and by the time I was ten I knew exactly where I was headed as soon as I got old enough, but the rest of that story is for another article. The focus is in this country, the individual is rewarded for hard work, innovation, and excellence. Such is the beauty of this wonderful nation; nothing is given to you, at least that is how it should be, but again, that is for another article entirely! Suffice it to say nothing of real value, meaning that which brings a strong sense of accomplishment, is given away here. The strongest and most productive machine in this world is the individual. That is the strength of this nation; it's backbone.
These are the core values that make America great. A nation of strong individuals easily translates to a nation of strong business leaders, not followers. There are those who have a job, then there are those who create jobs. The exact statistics on which of these two classes dominates the economic landscape isn't clear to me as of this writing, but I would put a very good amount of money on the "ones who have a job" being the dominating percentage of the population. Now, to be clear, I am not attacking those who hold jobs under the employ of someone else at all. There are very important and well-paying jobs out there right now, and these individuals may have a good deal of job security and benefits to sustain them through to retirement and beyond. But it is worth noting that this is becoming increasingly rare. Anyone walking around on the planet for the last five years is very well aware of the national and global financial recession and freezing of vast amounts of credit and capital flow. Job security is indeed rare in such conditions, and, in fact, it is this very climate in which the most resilient and determined individuals shine through and redefine what it means to become successful. If you had just lost a well-paying job or suddenly found yourself heading into a financial crisis of your own, what are you doing about it? Waiting for another offer, or perhaps collecting unemployment until things clear up and you might get your old job back? And finally, are you counting on that?
Many of us have a family to consider, and in times such as these the most stubborn of mindsets will prevail in the end. Lost your job? Okay, go find a way to create one for you and many others. Get creative and turn a corner in your perspective, opening up the doors to another part of your mind and life you did not know existed. Some of us must hit rock bottom to finally explode like a rocket into the upper atmosphere of success. So shed the weight and darkness of despair. Stand up, be the light, and be a leader in whatever you do, but for heaven's sake "do" something about your situation. Staying steadfast in core values and beliefs inspires others to the same end, and that is being a strong individual...that is leading.
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