Knowing Where You're Headed
The Strategies to Actionsmasterclass participants are already experiencing great progress in just 4 weeks! (see my P.S.)
One of the key things we’ve worked on with the company leaders in the class is becoming clear on where their company is headed.
This week, I’d like to share with you why I always start hereand why it is so important.
It’s been my experience that when asked where their company is headed, most leaders will give a number like increasing sales or profit growth.
The problem with that answer is that it’s a metric, not a direction.
Without strategy, these kinds of metrics lead to tactical thinking.
As I’ve said before, most wars are won or lost at the strategic level, not the tactical level. And the same is true for any business.
To build a great company,leaders must transcend this tactical level of thinking.
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In my book, The Next Level Entrepreneur: Focus your Passions • Map your Direction • Build a Great Company, Mr. A (an entrepreneurial sage) shares a secret with Max (a young man just entering the arena of entrepreneurism).
The secret? Create ‘markers’ for the future direction of his company.
Mr. A uses the word ‘markers’ to describe the finish line when a Next Level is reached. You see the ‘markers’ mark the finish line.
“P.S. Max, allow me to reiterate that in your final list of markers, limit yourself to only one financial marker. Even then, I believe that may be one too many. Why?
If you make your company’s Next Level all about your passions aimed at your envision statement, your passions will be inflamed and your motivations great! Success will be yours, and will extend far beyond monetary compensation.
If the marketplace learns of your products or services and likes them,
the money will follow as a byproduct.”
~ From Page 157 ofThe Next Level Entrepreneur
This is absolutely HUGE!
You would do well to reread that short quote. It is packed with help.
Avoid the Money Pit
Essentially, if you make your company’s Next Level about money, you will ultimately be unfulfilled at some point in life.
We all have unfilled holes in our lives. Money, more ‘stuff’, investments, travel, etc. does not fill our empty places.
In fact, trying to fill the holes in our lives is a money pit! Those holes will never be filled.
Let me hasten to add, being poor is unfulfilling too!So, that’s not the answer.
There will be a hole in your life that no amount of money will be able to fill.
Has it ever occurred to you: Why are most rich people obsessed with making even more money?
Maybe they’re looking for something, and haven’t figured out that money can’t buy it.
Where did the Fulfillment go?
Do you remember the real reason you started your company? Especially, if it sourced out of your passions!
Do you still live into that purpose? Or has it shifted over time to simply making money?
Because if it has, that subtle shift in purpose will lead to a mediocre company.
I mean how many of us are truly motivated by the purpose of making the owner richer?
Sure there lots of companies out there doing this very thing. But how many of their owners, leaders and employees have any sense of fulfillment or purpose. Probably none!
This is easy to check. The second the great paychecks and bonuses stop flowing, everyone quits. After all they were only in it for the money!
Most importantly, this is a long way from fulfillment.
Become Rich Beyond just $$$
Consider this analogy:
What is the purpose of a tree?
Lots of things: it provides shade, they are beautiful to look at, you can build things out of its wood, you can climb them, all kinds of creatures live in them.
But if there were no trees, we would have a serious oxygen problem. You see a primary purpose of a tree is to produce oxygen, which is its byproduct by simply living.
In the same way, your company will make money as a byproduct of fulfilling its purposewith the product or service you provide through your company.
If a tree stops producing oxygen, it’s a dead tree, just like a company that stops producing profits.
So why not lead your company to live into its purpose rooted in your passions?
Do that, and you will will begin to find fulfillment, joy, freedom, and impact; things that money can’t buy.
Plus, the odds are much more in your favor that the money will come.
Imagine having both:
Fulfillment and monetary rewards!
So I challenge you to reconnect your passions to your company’s purposeand take strategic steps toward that reconnection to build a great company, and like Mr A said:
“If the marketplace learns of your products or services and likes them,
the money will follow as a byproduct.”
Please leave some comments to let us know how it is working! We love to hear from you! Just reply to this email or click [insert blog link here] to comment on our blog page.
~ George
P.S. This current Strategies to Actionsmasterclass is actually 2 classes for the price of 1!
Just wanted to let everyone know we will be splitting off The Next Level Navigator portion into its own class, very soon.
We still have a few groups available. So sign up now, to receive this 2 for 1 masterclass.