“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character.
But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”
~ Norman Schwarzkopf
(1934– ) US General, commander
of US-Allied forces in Gulf War
Resignation had started to creep in for Alex. Although he was considered very successful by many in his industry, he’d been frustrated for some time about the progress his business was making – it had plateaued and he just couldn’t seem to break through to the next level.
It wasn’t for lack of effort.
The number of hours Alex was working made me shudder. When he wasn’t running around doing the day-to-day activities required to run the business, he’d spend his time preparing for conversations with prospective clients, researching and analyzing business directions, product ideas and marketing approaches. He would constantly “think about” ways of changing the situation and growing his business.
Alex’s success strategy revolved around a passion to learn, doing things properly and avoiding being wrong. He had carefully orchestrated the growth of the business to date making few mistakes.
That same approach was now strangling his business. With the growing demands of the business he now had less time he’d had in the past to “analyze.” He found himself overworked and paralyzed; unable to act without more information.
Intellectually Alex saw that strategizing was key to his success yet he simply didn’t know what to do differently. Inside the world of his success strategy, he was doing things “the way they were meant to be done.” He was trapped.
Coaching Fieldwork:
A success strategy is an unconscious long-time formula for winning in life. It is unique to you. It is the source of your success but also of your limitations too. It shapes your reality, what you think and your way of being. Your way of being, in turn, determines what you choose to see, how you act and thereby the outcomes that are possible (or not) for you as a person or leader.
Success strategies come in a host of shapes and sizes. They can include being charming and nice; making things better; challenging the status quo; being accepted and appreciated; being a motivator or cheerleader; making the right choice; taking control of the situation; planning for contingencies; following the rules; being independent and avoiding being weak or a host of other means of producing outcomes.
Remember, your success strategy is not simply what you do. It’s at the source of what you do. It’s an expression of who you’re ultimately being as a person and a leader. The purpose of this exercise is to identify who you’re already being. From there you can you move beyond the limits of it.
The anatomy of a Success Strategy:
The success strategy is made up of three interrelated components.
1. What do I listen for?
2. What types of actions get me results?
3. What outcome do I most desire in the long-run?
To help distinguish these components, take an 8-1/2” X 11” sheet of paper, turn it horizontal (landscape) and divide it into three columns. Label each of the three columns with the components above.
Ok, let’s break down the first component a little further:
1. What do I listen for? We must take in information in order to respond and produce an outcome. The “what I listen for” element determines what information you seek and receive. What I listen for comes loaded with assumptions unconscious prejudgement, especially around familiar parts of your life.
“What I listen for” is a little like wearing a pair of sunglasses. At some point we’ve all put on a pair of sunglasses, left them on for hours and then forgot we were wearing them. When we first put them on the world appeared darker. Then after a while, it wasn’t darker anymore, it was just the way it is. Usually it’s when we take the glasses off that we “remember” it’s lighter.
“What I listen for” is like a pair of sunglasses, a filter, that you’ve forgotten about yet is continuously colouring what you see. Distinguishing “what I listen for” is equivalent to taking the sunglasses off and then having have a more accurate (and vivid) picture of the world around you.
“What I listen for” always shows up in the form of a question. Like the success strategy itself, they can come in an infinite variety of forms:
“What’s the best solution?”
“How can I influence the outcome?”
“What’s the easy way?”
“How do I make it better?”
“How do I do it properly?”
“What’s the opportunity here?”
Someone listening for “influencing the outcome” won’t bother trying if they don’t see a way to get their agenda met. Alex above asked, “how do I do it properly?” In his world, every idea had to be completely thought through to be worth the effort.
The “listening for” component can be uncovered by watching your language or yourself in action. The words themselves will sound familiar to you even though you might never say them out loud, only to yourself. Here are some approaches to try (jot your answers down in the column 1 of your sheet and keep it for the next Footnotes issue):
a. Think of five situations when you noticed things were going the way they “should.” How did you feel? Why is it things seemed like they were “right?” Describe the situation. When you’re experiencing this you’ve likely satisfied what it is you’re “listening for.”
b. Listen for your listening. Observe yourself in conversations with your family, your coworkers and your friends. Ask yourself, “what am I listening for” in each conversation. Notice the words you speak and say to yourself. Practice, practice this.
c. Interview someone. Find someone you’ve known for a while and has seen you in action. Tell them about this exercise and ask them “what do you think I’m listening for.”
By Jamie Broughton of Footprint Leadership. If you're ready to build a stellar business and career without working harder than you already are, get your complimentary Leadership Springboard Workbook and tips now at http://www.footprintleadership.com/corporate/resources/workbook_ezine.html
Anatomy of a Success Strategy - To learn more about this author, visit Jamie Broughton's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
 Do You Remember Being Limitless?
|
| |
Your success strategy is both the source of your success-to-date but also the source of your limitations. If you’re up to a big game, moving beyond your “success strategy” is crucial at creating a whole new level of...
|
|
Have You Had it With Distractions?
|
| |
What do "The Secret," "The Dip," "Think and Grow Rich," and "Good to Great" all have in common? Techniques to help you focus so you can have what you want. What's the enemy of focus? Distraction. What's makes us sus...
|
|
Lesson #4: Never Underestimate the Power of Research
|
| |
 Ogilvy came from a background in research; in his early years he had worked for the world-renowned George Gallup Audience Research Institute, which he later called “the luckiest break of my life.” It was at Gallup t...
|
|
The Anatomy of Buzz
|
| |
Book Review -- : How to Create Word-of-Mouth Marketing
|
|
Anatomy of a Success Strategy
|
| |
Your success strategy is not simply what you do. It’s at the source of what you do. It’s an expression of who you’re ultimately being as a person and a leader. The purpose of this exercise is to identify who you’re ...
|
 |
Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors |
|
Leanne Hoagland Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland Smith's Website |
The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.
|
|
|
Jamie Broughton
(Visit Jamie's Website)
Jamie Broughton is the founder of www.Fo
otprintLeadership.com . He specializes
in working with emerging leaders who want
to create highly engaging, rewarding
businesses and careers. Among other
things, his clients have experienced $250M
sales increases and created $10M profit
product lines all without selling out on
the important stuff.
He has been featured in the Globe and Mail
and on CBC Radio among others. He is the
author of the forthcoming book, “Get the
Best From Your Best: An Executive Guide to
Developing Top-Talent.”
If you're ready to build a stellar career
and business without working harder than
you already are, get your complimentary
Leadership Springboard Workbook and tips
now at w
ww.footprintleadership.com/corporate/resou
rces/workbook_ezine.html
|
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
