As with every business, we’ve recently had changes happening in our social enterprise. Some changes involved staffing, and a significant development is our transition to a new CRM, which is affecting processes within our suite of brands. Needless to say, these changes have caused some stress, which is inevitable. Humans prefer to operate with what they know and can control, and when there are unknowns, anxiety ensues. Nevertheless, all of this got me thinking about what I would consider the 7 keys to success.
Through the years, there have been many definitions of success. Merriam-Webster defines success as a “favorable or desired outcome.” Whatever the case, all businesses and leaders—and team members—must consider success. In other words, the only way a company can accomplish its goals is if everyone is pulling in the same direction toward success. It doesn’t happen otherwise, and when everything is scattershot within a company, you have a systemic failure.
Essential 7 Keys to Success
I’ve been in business for a long time, and through the years, I’ve seen what works, and candidly, what doesn’t. Stress is fine in times of significant change, but losing focus so that it affects the rhythm of a business is not. Fortunately, our team understands that in our company, the loss of focus is unacceptable. And, even though we may have a moment or two of a bit of stress and disruption, everything settles quickly. Nevertheless, the following are the essentials of business success for anyone—from entrepreneurs to managers and business leaders, to workers and team workers.
1) Leadership is vital for success
First and foremost, leadership is vital. However, I’m not suggesting this is crucial from the top only. Absolutely not. Leadership is something that happens at every level and area of business. Leadership is something that is learned and requires consistent creativity to look at the inevitable challenges and discover opportunities. Anyone can be a leader—even the person whose sole job is to answer the phones. As an entrepreneur, I’m always looking for demonstrations of leadership within my team. And when I find it, I make it a point to allow them to help us all find success.
2) Show up early and stay late
The best team members and managers give more than 100 percent. In fact, I would suggest that 100 percent is not enough. Many people can do that. What the best team players do who work to drive success within a business is to show up early and stay late. That doesn’t mean, like the old days, someone has to be in the office at 7 am and leave at 7 pm. We live in a digital world, which means that business leaders can see who’s working and who’s not from clear from internal digital communications channels. However, showing up early and staying late doesn’t only mean putting in the time (you do need time to produce high-quality work). It also means delivering the work product that is vital for the 7 keys to success of the company.
3) Success is found in the 6 inches between your ears
Are you wondering what the main reason most businesses and people fail is? The answer is simple. They don’t believe in themselves and don’t have the right attitude to back things up. Negativity is poison. Period. For any business to thrive, everyone on the team must understand that attitude is crucially important. Almost everyone has to work and earn a paycheck. So, once you get over the fact that life owes you nothing, find your passion (even if it is money) and work hard to achieve what you need to achieve—both for the success of the company where you work and for yourself. I can’t tell you how often I have seen someone’s negative thinking take them down. Practice dismissing any negative thinking. Eventually, the synapses in your brain will change, and you’ll see when you stop the negative thinking, your life and success comes much more naturally.
4) Be on top of the list and prioritize your way to success
Everyone who wants to be a success has a list of things to do that’s a mile long and a mile wide. That’s just life. Achievers want to achieve. The more that people on business teams perform, the more they are going to get more things to do. That’s just the nature of how things work. In other words, managers will give more to top performers because they know they can deliver. So, in this 4th point of the 7 keys to success it’s vital to be on top of your work list. And, because you can’t do everything at once, you have to practice the art of informing people across all levels of your business when to expect things. In other words, become a master of prioritization.
5) Treat your peers as customer
There’s been a lot written about servant leadership because it works. The best leaders and managers understand that they have to provide their teams with everything they need to ensure the success of their group. It includes everything from creating a winning company culture to ensuring that all managers provide their groups with everything necessary to get the job done. However, it’s also vital for team members to treat each other as customers. In other words, by treating everyone in the business—no matter who you are—as if they were the customer (meaning, you are there to serve their needs), something essential happens for success—teamwork. When everyone feels that their needs are being met and served, positive teamwork becomes part of the success DNA of the company.
6) Talk up, not down
We’re all human, and everyone gets frustrated at times. However, what’s essential is not to allow frustration to dictate your words and actions. Meaning, you should talk up (inspire, lead, motivate) and never down (insult, injure, be mean-spirited). Business and life are not easy, and they both have challenges. We get that, and it’s part of living. But, success and quality of life necessitate that you mind your speech as you do your actions. Since I was a kid, I’ve been saying words matter, YOU MATTER. One of the key drivers for success is to remember that your actions, and words, make a positive (or negative) difference. The impression you want to leave for others is your choice.
7) Gossip is not part of success—it’s part of failure
Finally, my 7 keys to success include a big “don’t.” Don’t gossip. It’s pointless and gets no one anywhere. In fact, gossip is rude and not at all positive. Gossip brings with it bad energy, and it also inevitably comes back to bite those who gossip. Did you realize that most people don’t trust gossipers? Why would you trust anyone who gossips? If someone is speaking behind someone else’s back, they are likely speaking about you too. Consequently, with gossip, it’s very easy to spread lies. When one person says something to someone, and the next person shares the gossip, it’s like a game of telephone. Inevitably, any colonel of truth becomes a lie.
In sum, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, stress happens, and every company goes through its moment of negative disruption. As a business leader, manager, or team player, however, it’s vital to nip it in the bud and put a stop to it. The quicker you do it, the more successful your company will be because everyone is pulling in the same direction.
© 2020 Wayne Elsey. All Rights Reserved.