The Greatness Guide: One of the World's Most Successful Coaches Shares His Secrets for Personal and Business Mastery by Robin Sharma
Authors: Robin Sharma
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owner gave me the sub for free and they all felt bad. But their credibility has been seriously undermined and they’ll need to earn my trust back. I pray they will because they make really good sandwiches.
57
Good Business Is Good for Business
Here’s a simple idea that will have a fantastic impact on your organization (and your career) once you act on it: People want to work for a good company—one that is not only well-run but that does its part to build a better world. Being a good business is good for business. That’s not some cheesy slogan I just came up with—that’s what I’ve observed, having worked with real people at real companies around the world. The best companies have a noble purpose and a clear intent to treat their people and their customers well. Great companies also understand that while it’s mission-critical to be hugely profitable, it’s also mission-critical to be socially responsible. Many of our clients have set up programs to help the disadvantaged or to make communities better. I admire them more than they will ever know.
Pride is something that doesn’t get talked about much in business circles. Too bad. What I’ve discovered is that people want to go to work each day with pride in their hearts. They want to feel good about the company they work for. They want to know that their company—and the work they do—elevates lives and makes a difference. Business philosopher Peter Koestenbaum expressed it so well in his excellent book
Leadership: The Inner Side of Greatness:
“Business is above all a vehicle for achieving personal and organization greatness. It is for accomplishing something worthy and noble. Business is an institution that can enable you to make significant contributions to society.”
People want to work for a good company—one that is not only well-run but that does its part to
build a better world.
As I’ve suggested throughout this book, we all can lead without title. We all have an impact. We all can do good, at work—and in our communities. So become a volunteer. Give money to charities. Start to tithe (the word actually means one-tenth, or 10%) your income to good causes. And as an organization, engage in projects that help communities in need (by setting up a foundation or by supporting important initiatives). Become dedicated to making a greater contribution. Stand for social responsibility as well as remarkable profitability. Not only will you retain your top talent and attract even more, but your customers will respect you. Good business really is good for business. And giving really does begin the receiving process.
58
Build Success Structures
Yesterday, on my way in to work, I pulled up next to one of those big new Mercedes sedans. The man driving it had his windows rolled down a bit so I heard the song blaring through his stereo system: Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” Made me think of a CEO who attended one of the leadership summits we run a couple of times a year. He operates a major company. Wanted to improve his organization along with his life. Told me he listens to AC/DC’s “Back in Black” full blast before his big sales calls. Interesting.
What practices get you to your best? What rituals throw you into your best game mode? What tactics inspire you to really get going to let your bright light shine? We all need what I call Success Structures scheduled into our weeks to ensure we stay at our highest. We all need systems installed into our days to ensure consistency of results, order and superb outcomes. The best companies have systems to ensure quality control—so should you. Get serious about building systems and you’ll show you’re serious about success. Things that work for me, as I’ve suggested, include lots of exercise, high-energy music, reading great books, weekly meetings—even if for only 15 minutes on the phone—with inspirational friends and writing in myjournal. They get built into my week just
57
Good Business Is Good for Business
Here’s a simple idea that will have a fantastic impact on your organization (and your career) once you act on it: People want to work for a good company—one that is not only well-run but that does its part to build a better world. Being a good business is good for business. That’s not some cheesy slogan I just came up with—that’s what I’ve observed, having worked with real people at real companies around the world. The best companies have a noble purpose and a clear intent to treat their people and their customers well. Great companies also understand that while it’s mission-critical to be hugely profitable, it’s also mission-critical to be socially responsible. Many of our clients have set up programs to help the disadvantaged or to make communities better. I admire them more than they will ever know.
Pride is something that doesn’t get talked about much in business circles. Too bad. What I’ve discovered is that people want to go to work each day with pride in their hearts. They want to feel good about the company they work for. They want to know that their company—and the work they do—elevates lives and makes a difference. Business philosopher Peter Koestenbaum expressed it so well in his excellent book
Leadership: The Inner Side of Greatness:
“Business is above all a vehicle for achieving personal and organization greatness. It is for accomplishing something worthy and noble. Business is an institution that can enable you to make significant contributions to society.”
People want to work for a good company—one that is not only well-run but that does its part to
build a better world.
As I’ve suggested throughout this book, we all can lead without title. We all have an impact. We all can do good, at work—and in our communities. So become a volunteer. Give money to charities. Start to tithe (the word actually means one-tenth, or 10%) your income to good causes. And as an organization, engage in projects that help communities in need (by setting up a foundation or by supporting important initiatives). Become dedicated to making a greater contribution. Stand for social responsibility as well as remarkable profitability. Not only will you retain your top talent and attract even more, but your customers will respect you. Good business really is good for business. And giving really does begin the receiving process.
58
Build Success Structures
Yesterday, on my way in to work, I pulled up next to one of those big new Mercedes sedans. The man driving it had his windows rolled down a bit so I heard the song blaring through his stereo system: Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” Made me think of a CEO who attended one of the leadership summits we run a couple of times a year. He operates a major company. Wanted to improve his organization along with his life. Told me he listens to AC/DC’s “Back in Black” full blast before his big sales calls. Interesting.
What practices get you to your best? What rituals throw you into your best game mode? What tactics inspire you to really get going to let your bright light shine? We all need what I call Success Structures scheduled into our weeks to ensure we stay at our highest. We all need systems installed into our days to ensure consistency of results, order and superb outcomes. The best companies have systems to ensure quality control—so should you. Get serious about building systems and you’ll show you’re serious about success. Things that work for me, as I’ve suggested, include lots of exercise, high-energy music, reading great books, weekly meetings—even if for only 15 minutes on the phone—with inspirational friends and writing in myjournal. They get built into my week just
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