So far we have discussed just what it means to paint your success and also how to defeat your inner critic. Now let’s take a look at three well-known examples of people doing just that…
IBM is an example of this complacent, even scornful “corporate way of thinking”. This (at the time) entrenched business giant had one of its low level employees approach them with the crazy idea of a personal computer. Yeah, right!
The IBM “powers-that-be” scoffed and watched from a front row seat as Steve Wozniak and his friend Steve Jobs triumphed over their critics. That’s right- the Dynamic Duo of Jobs and Wozniak had the courage to complete their visionary palette to found Apple Computer and to achieve greatness.
The funny thing is this negative view of a start-up entrepreneur may technically be correct! Individuals who to lack anything remotely resembling business acumen may in fact succeed simply because of this superior mental image they have placed on their palettes. Jobs, Wozniak and company learned early on one of the most important secrets to success…
“Perceive success even if you have yet to achieve it and exude a confidence to others which suggests you are at any given stage of your business growth a great success”.
I think Steve Toburen, Director of Training of Jon-Don’s Strategies for Success seminar, succinctly sums up the essence of this quote when he states, “Never let ‘em see you sweat!”
The novelist James Michener said when he first committed himself to being a writer he was sick and tired of his life. So he swore “I’m going to live the rest of my life as IF I am a great man.” He also made a commitment to himself: “I’m only going to associate myself with people who know more than I do AND I’m going to tackle objectives of moment”.
Michener did become a great writer, won many awards and achieved incredible financial wealth due, in great part, to his palette’s self-belief. Through his own Perception of Success Mr. Michener’s self-critic was beaten.
Bill Gates is another example of someone who considered himself great before he was financially a success. Mr. Gates also knew he had to align himself with persons with similar vision and direction. In the film “Pirates of Silicon Valley” Gates approaches a company about the use of his software and successfully convinces the company to commit to his vision. But here is the rest of the story…
Such software did not in fact exist at that time! Thanks to the self-confidence of Bill’s mental and emotional palette he “seized the day” and promised something he didn’t own OR even knew existed! It was only due to some timely information by one of Gates confidants that he learned about a garage programmer who was working on a functional software.
Bill Gates purchased the garage programmer’s creation for pennies. The purchase of the package coupled with the lucrative contract with the Fortune 500 company launched one of the greatest ventures in history: Microsoft. Was this just being at the right place at the right time? Or was it self-vision? Or both?
A new business owner (or even an experienced entrepreneur) faces a similar quandary when self doubt is injected into the business decision process. Slow, timid execution of great business plans occur because of The Critic within us. This tentative approach to business can be a dangerous dilemma for any entrepreneur and especially for a “newby”.
How does this “Seize the Day” approach apply to a rookie just getting started in business? Can it also help a veteran business owner? Check in next week for the answer in our final installment of this series.
Ivan Turner
SFS Restoration Columnist Ivan Turner is owner of Aero-Dry, a central Missouri water and fire damage restoration company. Ivan has also packaged his unique restoration strategies and offers them to other restorers through his Show-Me Marketing Solutions.