When Two Men in Business Always Agree, One of Them is Unnecessary. "William Wrigley Jr."

Too often leaders tend to hire those in their own image. How many times have you heard a leader say, "you remind me of me when I was younger". This great quote sums up why many leaders fail. They have no one in their business lives to disagree with them. If you are a leader, it starts in the interview process. A true leader is never afraid to hire people better and smarter than they are. Ask questions to determine if this is simply a yes man, or someone who will challenge your thinking. Someone who can make your ideas and leadership better, not maintain a status quo.

If your a follower, understand that you have a duty to add to any idea in a collaborative process that builds improvement or greater value, even if the idea or concept comes from your boss. However, there is a respectful way to disagree, and do not try to become one of those "disagreeable cusses" who always has a different point of view.

The quote is always true, when two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary. Too often it is the leader who is the one not needed and many times it is simply because he hired a team of people he knew would always agree with him.

As you push your square rocks uphill today, be on the look out for those who can contribute a different point of view while maintaining the common goal of success for your vision.

When all we have left is our attitude

“We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.” Chuck Swidoll

Our attitude is something we will always have even when we have nothing left. Imagine losing everything and having to start over. As Swindoll says, we only have one string left. Many chose to sit in the pity party of life and refuse to play the one string they have left.   Others play the string with the depressing melody of failure and the familiar tune "woe with me".

Other chose to take the one thing they have left, that one string called attitude and create a positive melody. From that one string of a positive attitude men and women have pulled themselves up and forward. If all we have left is our attitude we MUST chose to focus all our efforts on creating a positive mind set to move forward. 

To those who are viewed as successful by the world they may choose to put the one string that helped create their success in deep storage.  They now play the strings of money, power, success, and recognition.  With all these trappings of success they forget that it was their attitude at the basis of all this success.  

Imagine if we all played the single string of a positive attitude as our primary instrument of life, what a beautiful symphony of service and and true success we could achieve together.  In my life I have found that when I chose not to be in constant contact with this one string called attitude, my life starts to get a little out of tune.  Today, not matter what your situation is chose to never let go of the one string you will always have, your attitude, and choose to make a melody that encourages those around you to want to listen in.  

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa got it right, a smile is an action of love.  As entrepreneurs we tend to only engage those we think can help us "right now".  Take a day and just walk around and see who is smiling. The larger the city with more people, the results of  this experiment will be  more dramatic.  Notice how few people walk thru the crowd with the glimmer or hint of a smile on their face.  As Americans we appear to be a totally unhappy society.  This lack of smiling extends to families sitting down for dinner and even church attendance.  In fact, the church is one of the  least "smiling" places you will encounter.

I challenge you to go out today and give a smile to everyone you encounter. Don't walk around with a big smile on your face all the time or you will simply look goofy. Use the smile just like you would use your voice. Engage strangers with a smile and watch the results.  Almost always you get an unexpected smile back.  In some cases the person will do a double take not expecting a smile. Give a smile to those you work with and they may think there is something wrong with you. (If that happens it should confirm you do not smile much.) 

You see as entrepreneurs and human beings we have an unlimited supply of smiles.  We can never run out. Use them as you would any valuable asset and watch the returns.  One benefit of a smile, is that it is virtually impossible to remain in a foul mood when you are extending the gift of a smile to others. 

Start giving out smiles with reckless abandonment and watch you own life begin to change right behind the smile. Remember a smile happens in a flash, but its memory can last a lifetime. 

Only fools and dead men don't change their minds. Fools won't. Dead men can't. "John H. Patterson

Some leaders believe that if they change their mind in business it is a sign of weakness or of a failed idea or policy.  Only fools and dead men do not change their minds in business.  Show me a person in business who will not change their mind and I will show you a person who has either quit thinking, quit listening, or whose ego is out of control.  

In the dynamic world of business there is a constant inflow of new data on which to evaluate decisions.  Sometimes the best data comes from employees in the midst of implementing a decision, strategy or policy. A wise leader is one who never quits receiving input on a decision that has been made.  This continued flow of data either further confirms the proper decision has been made or information that may lead to a course correction .  

If course corrections were not necessary in business, then leaders would not be needed. Great leadership is provided by men and women who can listen, evaluate and then change their minds moving on to something better for all involved.  Otherwise they may be looked on a either a fool or dead in their jobs. The leader who is vulnerable to change their mind to a better way inspires a collaborative atmosphere of decision making throughout an organization. 

"I can't do it" never yet accomplished anything, "I will try" has performed wonders. George Burnham

Too often I am around people that will quickly say "I can't".  To the serial entrepreneur these to small words are not in our vocabulary.  We have an insatiable  desire to always say "I will try.  It may be an over simplification, but the business world is made of those will try and those who quickly say I can't.  There may be many reasons for saying I can't but a primary one is fear of failure.  

The serial entrepreneur understands that while failure is always a possible outcome of saying "I will try", so too is success.  I would imagine that those who simply say I can't are the same people who always see the glass as half empty.  

I believe  success always starts with "I will try".  Without these first three little words so man or woman has ever gone on accomplish great things in life and in business.  I am sure it has happened, but I have never seen the person who started with "I can't" achieve anything .  

If you are one of those "I can't" people, it is never too late to strike those two little words out of your thoughts and move to "I will try". By doing so, you  have taken the first step towards an exciting adventure where failure is still a possibility, but you now have a chance to succeed. 

As you push your square rock uphill, remember each day starts with "I will try....."