How do people succeed? What makes them do extremely well in
their endeavors? What traits propel these people to the top?
(article continued below ...)
The
Winning Habits: 4 Secrets That Will Change The Rest Of Your Life
by Dick Lyles looks at four simple formulas for
becoming more effective and successful. The author Dick Lyles,
CEO of the global consulting company Leadership Legacies and
formerly the President and COO of The Ken Blanchard Companies®,
shares in this book the secrets to lifetime of fulfillment. A
cross between the best-selling books Who Moved My Cheese by
Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard and Dr. Covey s 7 Habits
of Highly Effective People, this 111-page book uses fictional
characters to bring to life the not-so-secret guidelines to
success making it easier for readers to grasp the concepts.
The author reveals that you too can be successful by adhering
to four simple winning habits in your job, family, business or
your daily life:
1. Be first on, last off, and add extra value
. How you do
things is key to your success. According to Lyles, it is not
sufficient to have great ideas, do good work, and then stop. You
will achieve better results if you focus on creating a better
outcome. A one-person business owner, most especially, does not
have the luxury to simply conjure brilliant ideas for the
business, and then expect someone else to worry about the
details and follow-through.
A results-oriented person who puts in extra effort to come up
with significant improvements to their projects stands a greater
chance at success than an activity-based person. Don t make the
mistake of thinking that your brains alone can carry you,
because in the real world, brains alone aren t enough. You need
to possess a high degree of curiosity, obsession and dogged
endurance, combined with self-critique to succeed.
2. Never trade results for excuses.
Stuff happens is the
excuse we often find ourselves making when we are unable to do
things we originally planned to do. Successful people, according
to the author, make sure that they do what they commit
themselves to do. Simple rationalizations and flimsy excuses do
not easily let them off the hook. People who want to succeed as
focused on the results, always bearing in mind that productivity
is more important than activity. They make no excuses for
themselves; they just do it.
If you want to attain a lifetime of fulfillment, you need to
develop the habit off saying, There s no excuse to prod yourself
to doing what you set out to do.
3. Solve problems in advance
. Learning how to troubleshoot
action plans before you implement them is the essence of the
third winning habit.
Lyles explain that every move whether implementing a new
decision or solving a problem -- can have consequences, some of
which are unintended. Some of these unintended consequences can
become new problems that you need to face. To avoid new problems
popping up, you need to learn how to troubleshoot your
decisions.
Troubleshooting decision means having a logical and
consistent method for solving problems and making decisions.
According to the author, there are seven steps to solving a
problem:
§ Define the problem § Define objectives § Generate
alternatives § Develop action plan § Troubleshoot § Communicate
§ Implement
4. Always make those around you look good.
The author
advises, Develop the habit of always making those around you
look good. You can get further ahead in life if you don t push
people back to propel yourself up front. The reason: people
know. You ll stand a greater chance at success if you make the
habit of creating allies, instead of enemies.
This advice is even more relevant for entrepreneurs working
with employees. You can achieve more if you are able to support
your employees goals, help solve their problems, show that you
are truly interested in helping them achieve in line with the
overall organization s goals.
The Winning Habits: 4 Secrets That Will Change The Rest Of
Your Life is a fun and simple read. Its parable writings are
easy to digest and apply in your business and daily life.
March 2, 2004
