BY THE MEASURE OF YOUR SUCCESS
"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."
John Wooden
John Wooden recently passed away at the age of 99. He was known as the greatest coach as he turned the underdog UCLA Bruins into one of the best college basketball teams ever. John is the only man to have ever been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame twice...once as a player for Purdue and once as an outstanding coach. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush and remains one of the most honored men of integrity.
John spent his later life sharing his philosophies on just what made his team great. He was a great coach but he became a greater inspiration to sports teams, businesses, sales teams and other groups. Even when he could no longer stand for long periods of time, John imparted his years of wisdom to those who were willing to hear, sitting down.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
John Wooden
How you run your business will depend on how you view the ethics and morals of doing business. Do you build your business based on who you are? Are you someone that a client can trust, someone who is dependable, someone who goes the extra mile to answer questions? Or do you brush everyone off with an attitude that you know what's best and their concerns mean little? How do you view the importance of the customer and customer service? Without the customer, and a satisfied customer at that, there will be no referrals, no new leads and a hard road to perpetuating your business. Your reputation in business will be based on your personal character and your character will build a solid reputation.
"The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team. "
John Wooden
Everybody has a team. Rarely does business concern a one man show, but rather, a team of professionals that work together to make your business a success. Never forget who is a part of your team. Remember to thank them for their efforts. Be concerned with their well-being. Their day to day work makes your business run smoothly and keeps you organized. In effect, without them, you couldn't do the business you do on a day to day basis.
On the flip side of the coin, ask yourself if every member of the team is pulling their weight. If there is dissention, disorganization and chaos, creating an environment where you spend more of your time putting out fires rather than working on the income creating activities, you have to ask yourself if you wouldn't be better off replacing a team member.
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. "
John Wooden
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be. It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. "
John Wooden.
Businesses fail because of the little things. It has been said, ‘the devil is in the details' and how true it is. If you are a big picture person, surround yourself those who are specialized in detail work. Never overlook small details...address them quickly and efficiently. Hire those who are efficient in the areas that you are not. Concentrate your efforts on what brings the most value to your business and let others handle the things that are just part of business.
"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"
John Wooden
"Never mistake activity for achievement."
John Wooden
Time is of the essence. Don't waste time...fill every day with a specific outline of goals. Leads and referrals don't just happen, they have to be carefully cultivated by prospecting. Time block your day for prospecting, returning calls, answering email, and taking appointments.
"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming. "
John Wooden
John Wooden created one of the best college basketball teams ever. He learned lessons from experience, from his father, and from those around him. He never took for granted what anyone had to say. He would be the first one to say that his accomplishments were not his alone, but the culmination of his team, his family, his co-workers and his friends. John understood that business wasn't about winning, or how much money was acquired, but how to accomplish the process with dignity and integrity. By keeping your character intact, your morals and ethics in place and your willingness to work at the forefront, anyone can be a success.
Thomas Jefferson once said, "I' m a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more luck I have". Be inspired by people like John Wooden, work hard to the best of your ability and be blest with mountains of luck.
Tom Ninness is Vice President/Regional Production Manager for Cherry Creek Mortgage in Denver, CO. He is also the President of Summit Champions, Inc. and creator of the "The 90 Day Journey to Your Sales Success", a powerful 90 day action plan for the sales professional. To learn more about The Journey and Summit Champions go to www.summitchampions.com or contact Tom at information@summitchampions.com Office: 303-840-0753
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