The #1 Offer People Do Not Take

Here’s the #1 offer that people don’t take: Experienced Feedback Available
I find that plenty of people will let you do their work for them but that very few seek feedback and challenge and then go back to do their own hard work.

So,
Why do you resist feedback?
Why do you shy away from asking people what they truly think of your work product?
Why do you not change or modify what you are doing based on experienced advice?
Why do are you more comfortable just going through your day doing the same shit you were doing the day, the week, the month or the year before?

Seek excellence. Challenge yourself. Surround yourself with people who press you to become better. Recently I heard a proven expert state it this way, “surround yourself with professionals that have the heart of a teacher”.

The Hardest Road

The hardest road is the one that you are afraid to go down. This road is not your greatest weakness but it might be your biggest obstacle. You know that along the way it will be difficult and grueling. However, it will certainly create change and growth. On this road you might need the challenge and guidance of somebody who is more experienced and better equipped. This road doesn’t have the quick results but it is the one that will dramatically alter your life.

You know what your road is… it has already popped to mind.

More education? Discipline to work harder & smarter? A fear that needs conquered? A comfort zone you need to break out of? A strategic skill that you have avoided developing? The crucial conversations you haven’t had?  You might even have to quit something to start down the road. And in all reality, you are going to have to work your ass off.

Want to be mentored? -part 2

In search of self improvement or a desire to move forward professionally, young people land on the idea that they need a mentor. However, wanting a mentor or teacher is a whole lot easier than the process of being mentored. Here are a few quick things to consider on the subject:

[part 2]
Don’t play games with reality - You aren’t ready to be mentored if you aren’t ready to be honest; about yourself, your situation, your work ethic, your morals, your finances, your family, your priorities, your ambitions —- ALL of it. There is no bigger waste of time on this earth than to trying to mentor a person who is blowing smoke about who they really are. Don’ bother meeting if you can’t be truthful about your reality. Mentors aren’t afraid of your reality, in fact they embrace it. Helping you move forward is why they are there.

Be ready for some pain - Once you have been honest, brace yourself for to hear things that no one else is telling you. Your gut reaction will be that “this guy is wrong and/or mean”. Not so. What is going to take place when you have found a good mentor are a series of questions, reality checks, performance penatrating observations and soul searches. After that, they will also tell you the truth in a way that likely no one has before. You want them to do this… trust me. If they didn’t do this you wouldn’t need them. If others were doing this, you wouldn’t need a mentor. Don’t shy away from what they need you to hear. Don’t flinch. Don’t whine about it to others. Take it. Think on it. Watch to see if what they tell you isn’t truer than you first thought.

Permission to say it

If you really want to grow in your leadership then you are going to have to hear what most people aren’t willing to tell you. You need to hear items that will frustrate you, challenge you, encourage you and make you better than you are today. The biggest obstacle to this will be finding someone who will tell you like it really it.

98% of the people you know don’t have the courage to tell you the honest picture.
- 40% will tell you that you are doing awesome.
- 50% will be totally indifferent and lost in their own little worlds.
- 8% will make you out to be such a loser that you will wonder why you are bothering the rest of us by consuming our finite oxygen.

You need to be searching hard for that honest 2% person who can give you clear, real, valuable, usable feedback. When you find them and they give you their time, be sure to work hard at learning from what they have to say… it will make you better.

learn for change

Most leadership BOOKS (not reading) seem like a huge waste of time. The best ideas can usually be summed up in 150 pages less than the publisher and author actually used. Here are a few books that are worth their price tag that have had a profound impact on my leadership and lifestyle: