Dr. G's Success Principles
By Dr Barton Goldsmith
Lately much has been written about success – what it
really is, how to get it, and what to do with it once you’ve
gotten it. Rather than have you wade through 300 pages, I thought
I’d narrow it down to ten tools that I’ve seen the
“best of the best” use. Here they are:
- The seeds of greatness are already inside you. Focus on one great thing that you do and remember that greatness in one area spills over into other areas.
- Listen to your intuition. Trusting your instincts is what the Warren Buffets and Jack Welches do on a daily basis. Sure, you might not be right every time, but each success makes your skill set stronger.
- Learning makes for great leaders. Continue to educate yourself and learn as much as you can about what you are currently doing and what you want to do in the future. Make sure that the people around you do the same.
- The ultimate success is having the ability to live life on your own terms. If you’re doing what feels right, trust it. If you want something more or different, declare it for yourself and create an achievable plan to get there.
- Realize that women and men to tend to measure their worth differently. Think about how you would view yourself if you were the opposite gender. Stop trying to “have it all,” because somewhere along the line you will accidentally drop something very important. In addition, the stress can kill you or at least make your work and/or life a living hell.
- Money isn’t the root of all evil; people (rich or poor) are. Wealth only corrupts the corruptible. Money makes you more of what you already are. If you don’t like what you’ve become, remember that you have the power to change. By the way, negative thoughts about money can stop you from making it.
- Know when to stop telling and start asking. The best leaders ask a lot of clarifying questions and offer brilliant solutions. There’s power in knowing how to ask the right questions, and there’s a lot more power when your clients and coworkers know you care.
- Multitask. Most leaders know how to do several things at the same time and still be very effective. Delegation, concentration, and imagination will all serve you well. Focus on the task at hand, but when a team member requires your attention, be 100 percent there.
- The heart weighs more than the wallet. Value people more than money. It’s about being able to help people with your success, not about how many toys you can buy.
- Never stop reading. Make the effort to read material that is outside your normal field of interest. Integrating what you know with new information is where great ideas come from.
The people I know who are truly successful are some of the
most gracious and generous individuals on the planet. When people
are truly feeling as if they are sharing their talents with the
world, it gives them a good reason to help others by mentoring them
and helping improve their lives by being a good example of how
living successfully makes you, your company, and the world
better.
