What’s the best leadership advice you have ever received? Sometimes, it takes just a small sound bite to inspire, motivate, or keep you focused. I reflected this week on some of the advice I’ve been given along the way and thought I’d pass along the favor.
1) Surround yourself with inspiring beings
Those words are prominently displayed on a canvas in my office. No individual can become successful without the aid of others. Smart leaders surround themselves with even smarter people. Find mentors and team members that you wear like badges of honor. Don’t be intimidated by the talents and experience of others, leverage it to make yourself better. Hire or associate yourself with people who push you even more than you pull them. Look at it this way, if you are the smartest one around your table, your potential as an organization is capped.
2) Do what you love. Love what you do.
Why do you come to work every day? What is the “why” that drives you? A wise person once told me, “When you find your passion, you find your purpose.” Who doesn’t want to be fulfilled in, quite frankly, what they spend the majority of their time doing? Another wise individual once said, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Don’t allow the relentless and debilitating statements in your mind talk you out of what your heart wants to explore.
3) Learn something new every day.
I’ve always been inquisitive. As a child, it was known as “nosey.” My parents stated that I would strike up a conversation with anyone from my friend’s grandmother to the grocery store clerk. They joked that by the time we were finished with my poking and prodding, I knew their life history and even the name of their hair stylist! Who am I kidding? I’m still like this! I believe that everyone has a story to tell and that I have something to learn. Whether it’s about a mistake they made, an industry in which they do business, a process they created, or a book they just read, there is always something I can take away. Next time you meet someone new, ask questions and listen.
4) Think beyond your lifetime.
What would your ninety-nine year old self tell you now? Would they be pleased with the life you’ve lived? I’m not referring to the money you have or haven’t made, the titles you have or haven’t held, or even the stuff you have or haven’t accumulated. What impact have you made on, and for, the next generation? It seems like our lives have become busier and busier. “If only there were more hours in the day.” We hear this constantly, don’t we? I believe the feeling of urgency is a heavenly reminder that our time is truly running out. What will be your legacy? It doesn’t matter if you are nine, or ninety-nine, each day is an important gift. How are you making the most of your time today? How are you thinking beyond your lifetime?
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