I recently attended a ginormous event titled Get Motivated put on by THE biggest names around. My favorite speakers were Kurt Warner and Rudy Guiliani. Here’s a quick overview of some key points those gentlemen made that stuck with me and I think will not only make me a better business person, but a better person in general.
Kurt Warner, Retired NFL
Kurt talked a lot about being a competitive person. In fact, he told a story about playing video games with his six-year-old son and dominating the kiddo. Then, his son would get up and get his wife and she’d enter the room with those eyes that said “Do you really have to be so competitive with your six-year-old son?” To her silent query he responds, “Well, he’s going to have to learn about loosing someday and why shouldn’t it be in the comfort of his own home with someone who cares about him?”
That made me grin at the thought of having that same encounter with my husband when my son gets a little older. He also talked about how getting to the super bowl was so important to him and he just couldn’t wait to get his hands on that ring… now that ring resides in his daughter’s purse for playing dress-up. And those trophies, they’re stuck back behind all the kids’ pop warner trophies and filed day ribbons. His point is that it’s important to be the BEST at what you set your mind to, but what you set out to be the best at can change.
I wholeheartedly agree. In business, we’re here to define greatness… not just in design or great Web sites, but all around the board. We want to stand out by gaining the trust and confidence of our clients and the public. This means stellar customer service and client relationships. We are lucky to be a thriving company right now, BUT as true competitors, that’s not good enough yet… We want to GROW!
In real life, I have to remind myself of what’s most important to me… my family. I have to work very hard at being the BEST wife and mom I know how, because I’ll be honest, working hard for goals outside the family can take it’s toll. I think it takes experience to really get this right, but to quote something I heard today, this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. A lot can be said for being the best you can be in the moment… work, play or whatnot.
Even still, Kurt warns that you will most likely fail along the way. What separates the winners from the losers is that the winners will keep trying, losers accept failure.
Rudy Giuliani, Mayor of NYC 1994-2001
This guy is a champ. I took a few notes on something that I really wanted to look back on and contemplate how to go about this. Basically, it’s about being original, true and informed. Here’s Rudy’s advice for achieving such things:
- Read. Read ANYTHING. Whatever it is read it and develop your OWN ideas about it.
- Listen. Ask questions and use the answers you get as a resource for growth.
- Talk. Talk to people who don’t agree with you. Get other ideas and challenge them to create your own.
- Write. Write on paper the things you want to accomplish. It creates accountability.
- Think. Think about the glass as half FULL. It will change your outlook… so will a sense of humor!
I’m really going to do my part in working on these five items. I’ve already started probing for a good book! I’m not a recreational reader… I’m an informative reader. I read with a purpose, but that’s starting to get a little boring and I’m loosing interest. I want to really get into something instead of reading only the beginning paragraphs in my RSS feed.
So what do you think? Are you getting something different out of this that I’m not? Do you think you can be the best at more than on thing such as I’m aspiring to do? Is there anything you’d add to Rudy’s five tips?
