Most people define greatness through wealth and popularity and position in the corner office. But what I call everyday greatness comes from character and contribution.
One thing to be careful of with regard to skills is what author Jim Collins calls “the curse of competence.” It’s the idea that sometimes we become good at doing something we’re not really talented in or passionate about. As my father often says, “Your current skill-set may or may not correspond with your natural talents.” We need to make certain that the skills we develop don’t limit or define us. At the end of the day, talent provides a deeper well than skills.
There are no moral shortcuts in the game of business – or life. There are, basically, three kinds of people: the unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, and those who become and remain successful. The difference is character.
The moment there is suspicion about a person’s motives, everything he does becomes tainted. – MAHATMA GANDHI.
The principle is simply this: We tend to get what we expect – both from ourselves and from others. When we expect more, we tend to get more; when we expect less, we tend to get less.
The trust we have in people and in organizations comes, in part, from believing that they do care.
Trust, but verify. – RONALD REAGAN.
Low trust causes friction, whether it is caused by unethical.
If we can’t trust ourselves, we’ll have a hard time trusting others.
A humble person is more concerned about what is right than about being right, about acting on good ideas than having the ideas, about embracing new truth than defending outdated position, about building the team than exalting self, about recognizing contribution than being recognized for making it.
On the other hand, trust produces speed. And, as Stephen points out, the greatest trust-building key is “results.” Results build brand loyalty. Results inspire and fire up a winning culture. The consistent production of results not only causes customers to increase their reorders, it also compels them to consistently recommend you to others.
The ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust with all stakeholders – customers, business partners, investors, and coworkers – is the key leadership competency of the new global economy.
A commit gives hope. Following through that commitment builds trust.
Leadership is getting results in a way that inspires trust. It’s maximizing both your current contribution and your ability to contribute in the future by establishing the trust that makes it possible.
What is the most important thing I could do in each role this week to have the greatest positive impact?
It has everything to do with having a wrong map. If you have the right map of Chicago, then diligence becomes important, and when you encounter frustrating obstacles along the way, then attitude can make a real difference. But the first and most important requirement is the accuracy of the map.
It shows, first of all, how powerfully conditioning affects our perceptions, and our paradigms. If ten seconds can have that kind of impact on the way we see things, what about the conditioning of a lifetime?
Highly effective people do not really manage time – they manage themselves.
Keeping a commitment or a promise is a major deposit; breaking one is a major withdrawal. In fact, there’s probably not a more massive withdrawal than to make a promise that’s important to someone and then not to come through. The next time a promise is made, they won’t believe it. People tend to build their hopes around promises, particularly promises about their basic livelihood.
Security and clear guidance bring true wisdom, and wisdom becomes the spark or catalyst to release and direct power.
Some people say you can’t change behavior. But there is clear evidence to indicate that people can and do change behavior – sometimes dramatically – and that doing so often produces extraordinary results.