Never, in the history of the world, has there been such abundant opportunity as there is now for the person who is willing to serve before trying to collect!
In response to a particularly forceful verbal venting of abject frustration, my business sage at that time asked me a simple question: ‘How far do you think you could take your business if you could gather around you people who were willing to see reward merely as one of the by-products of their level of service to others?’. The natural response would be that even the sky was no limit as to where one could take one’s business, but that this was obviously a utopian ideal which was not possible in today’s business world because nobody would even dream of adopting that principle – it would be tantamount to financial suicide.
Yet, until one learns to serve others with a true heart how can one expect others to reward you with their friendship, money, or loyalty!’
Whether we own a business and have other people working for us, or whether we have someone who pays us a salary, we are all in business for ourselves – providing our services to others. To advance ourselves we must develop the product we sell (our service) to a level where we have buyers approaching us, and the starting point is the decision to provide the best service we possibly can.
Yes, we are talking about self-improvement by improving others, which, incidentally, is the creed of a good manager. The achievements of that manager are not measured by what he/she does, but by what they have helped those in their team to do. You need to build your business by building human capital, and to build the right human capital you must set the mould on the qualities and values you live by and therefore display to others.
So where does one start and what are the rules of the game? It all starts by sitting down and having a cold, hard, look at yourself and see yourself as others see you. Get input from those closest to you, but don’t get angry when they tell you something you would prefer not to hear – you asked for the truth, so be mature enough to ‘take it on the chin’. Continue the session until you have identified all the things that you do not enjoy about your life and about yourself as a person.
The next step is to look at the qualities displayed by the most admired people this planet has seen. Men who command respect simply by their presence. All these people display common traits, stronger in some than in others, but each trait is clearly manifested in their lives. Each one:
- Dedicated themselves to serving others
- Dream big dreams
- Have a clear sense of direction
- Commit to doing their best
- Dedicate themselves to lifelong learning
- Display impeccable honesty with themselves, and with others
- Concentrate single-mindedly on specific priorities
- Climb from peak to peak, welcoming the journeys through the valleys
- Develop a reputation for dependability
- Practice self-discipline in all things
- Take decisive action
- Display persistence and determination
It is, therefore, no accident that these people attract ‘the right people’ to themselves. They all place themselves in the service of others and are rewarded handsomely.
Reading these traits is easy, but it is difficult to develop them in either yourself or in others. Make it your business to find the path you must walk and find the people who can guide you on that path.
Unless you are big enough to blame yourself for your own mistakes and are prepared to change your mindset by putting service to others before your own selfish interest, you will not be able to build the human capital you need for a sustainable, successful business. The rewards gained from serving others are indeed stupendous!
Success in business is all about getting the business fundamentals right … and the actions you take!
QUOTATION:
Seek the counsel of men who will tell you the truth about yourself, even if it hurts you to hear it. Mere commendation will not bring the improvement you need.
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