---

Guest post by: Michael Hume Become an Author

Tweet

---

---

They Keep Standards High For Everyone Today I'm "refreshing" my Christmas caroling costume. Truthfully, it's not that disreputable... with only a week left, I could easily get through the rest of the season without anyone noticing the little wrinkles here and there. But I'm refreshing it so I can look my 1830s best at every show, because that's what you do when you're a real professional performer. You hold your work as sacred, like any true pro does. You realize you're in it to entertain your audience, not yourself, and that it's a privilege to do what you do (in my case, as a performer with the Original Dickens Carolers of Colorado, the world's best caroling group, that's especially true).

When you have that attitude about what you do, you just do it better. When you're singing Christmas carols and you realize you went to some trouble to give this audience as great and fresh a show as you gave all the other audiences, it drives your performance. In other words, taking good care of your tail-coat can actually make you sing better.

How does that relate to what you do? Are you doing the little things in your profession that make you a real pro, and not just someone punching a clock and collecting a check?

I've mentioned before that there are two types of person, the Victim and the Entrepreneur. The Victim blames everyone but himself for anything that goes wrong, yet relies on others to take care of him... the Entrepreneur relies on herself and expects to take care of business. It should be obvious that only the Entrepreneur in each of us is capable of true professionalism.

Even as a singer, you can tell the pros from the posers by how much entrepreneurial spirit they embody. A true professional singer knows that someone went to some effort to sell the gig, and that without that effort there would be no paid singing to be done today. So he works hard to entertain his group's clients. He wants to please them. He's on time, he's warmed-up and on pitch, and his performance is on the money. The clients can't wait for Christmas to roll around again, so they can invite his group back, and request him specifically! The poser/victim, on the other hand, doesn't care what effort was required on the part of others to arrange for his services. He doesn't like certain songs, so he just doesn't do them. He's bored, and it shows. He can't be bothered to smile, let alone dance around a little. He's up there thinking about how many hours and dollars he's getting from his caroling efforts this season, not about how much joy and merriment his audience is getting.

We all know people in our work who seem to fall into that "victim" camp. And it's up to us to be the professionals, and to lead the team in such a way as to minimize the posing and maximize the professionalism.

No one wants to follow a Victim, and certainly no one is inspired by her.

Check yourself, your attitude, and your professionalism. Are you running your business in a professional way? Are you professional in the way you conduct all your affairs, from your health habits to your wealth mastery? Do you have high enough standards to create a true storehouse of money, time, compassion, and other resources sufficient to permit you to focus away from yourself and your own needs long enough to contribute to others?

Remember what Marley's ghost said to Scrooge: "Mankind should have been my business." That's an Entrepreneur's attitude, and it's too bad Marley didn't find it until after his death! But, like Scrooge, each of us has a chance this holiday season to "refresh our costume," and in fact to refresh our customs... our attitudes, our behaviors, our performances. We can refresh our spirit of true professionalism.

The joy of the season requires it. Inspirational leadership depends upon it.

Related Articles

  Inspirational Leaders Aren't Angry People
  Inspirational Leadership: Do It Your Way
  Be An Entrepreneur This Year
  Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XIII
  Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XVII
  Inspirational Leaders Challenge Themselves
  Appreciate Your Adversaries, VII
  Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XVIII
  We Can Do This
  Inspirational Leaders Are Driven By Values
  Inspirational Leadership: The Art Of Appreciation
  Do Your People Know You?
  The Path to Success: What the Most Effective Leaders Do to Gain Support and Commitment
  Inspirational Leaders Keep An Upbeat Attitude
  How to Be an Inspiring Leader
  Personal Responsibility: Bloom Where You're Planted
  Today Is Your Lucky Day
  Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XX
  Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XIX
  Inspirational Leadership: The Art Of Appreciation II

Related Forum Posts

Diamonds vs. squares
Check References!
Re: March 21 Triple Crown Update
Re: Forums Question
Re: Forums Question

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Concentrate on Results

Moving Past Rejection: Speaking of Motivation

How do you keep it together on a daily basis?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.