Mike Tyson was one of the most feared boxers in History. They said he was unbeatable, ferocious, devastating. His reputation struck fear into the hearts of his opponents. They lost before they ever stepped in the ring. But, one man, without fear, ended that mystique. As Tyson fell to the canvas he looked helpless and confused. The world was in shock! I celebrated. Buster Douglas went from good to great in an instant. He faced fear and doubt and made history.
The book “Good to Great” demonstrates wonderful business principles, but the truly good news is how many copies of the book sold. The book sales alone demonstrate our desire to “BE GREAT”. Here is the good news: It is possible to be great. Now the bad news: It takes guts. In business and marketing being great is not about popularity. Being great is about what is accomplished. Passion, talent, determination, and stamina are characteristics that are common with great leaders, but I feel I need to say it again, “Greatness takes guts.”
People have said the stupid things. You may remember a few. “If God wanted us to fly, we’d have wings.” “Why would anyone pay for bottled water?” “The internet is just a fad.” “There’s no more money to be made.” “This boat is unsinkable.” “The world is flat.” I could go on, but I think you get the point.
“Why?” is a good question. It’s just one word. It’s powerful. It’s provocative. Something must have happened in our childhoods' that convinced us that “Because” was a sufficient answer. I know as a parent I have said those very words. Sorry kids. I said it, because I didn’t feel like answering or I didn’t have a good answer. In other words it was easy.
Why do we insist on attempting to make everything easy? Why don’t we value effort? Playing it safe is a recipe for failure. Play to win not to survive. Step in the ring. Gain some respect.
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THE BOTTOM LINE:
Principal 1: Fear should not drive business decisions. Fear paralyzes progress.
Principal 2: The “easy way” is the path most people take. Most people will not achieve greatness.
Principal 3: People are full of bad advice and they are happy to give it. It takes courage to go against the grain. You may not become popular, but you may become great.
