How much do you invest in you?
Often the answers are right there! You just need to open your eyes, ears and mind. Once seen, heard and understood, you just need to take action and practice…………
‘The top 100 people in an industry gather for a conference. The number one person is asked is take the stage and share all the ‘secrets’ of her success. After her presentation, she is asked why she is willing to openly share these winning practices. She replies that, in her view, at least 50% of the audience was not listening and out of the rest, only 3 to 4% have the strength of personality to change their behaviour in any way. She ends by saying she will still be number one the following year, and she is by an even greater margin'.
Initially, when I heard this story, I was disappointed in human behaviour. How can it be that someone can openly share what is working with the full knowledge that most others will do nothing differently? Why are people’s eyes, ears and minds so closed to new learning, particularly that shared by someone who is more successful than they are?
I then saw the opportunity! What if become one of the 3 to 4% of people who actually do something new, improved or different as a result of my learnings?
I sought ‘winners’ at every level - great people, leaders, companies, writers, teams - from different sectors and parts of the world. I saw constant learning as a source of competitive advantage as long as I did something with it! I captured insights in my journal. Through my Mozart time, I applied my thinking to what I had seen, heard and read.
In many cases, my own ideas emerged about how to integrate these learnings into my own world. My performance and that of the teams I led accelerated. I subscribe to the belief that you can not outgrow your level of self-development. Learning from the success of others makes sense in the good times. When the going gets tough, it matters even more.
I do not see the point of reinventing the wheel and I like to put the learning to use. I can then seek to improve upon it. My mantra became to ‘learn, copy and add my own 10% winning edge’ (L/C+10%). Thanks to my friend and client Paul Tucker, my thinking has advanced further.
Paul suggested that sometimes you can copy a winning behaviour or practice but other times you need to ‘learn, adapt and then add your own 10%.’ (L/A+10%) . Constant learning and improvement in action.
Decide to seek out successful people, teams and businesses. Use every resource available. Keep your ego in check. Learn, copy, think, act………be willing to test and learn, adding your 10% until you build mastery! You can only but #soarin24
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