Be Extraordinary: The Greatness Guide Book Two: 101 More Insights to Get You to World Class

Be Extraordinary: The Greatness Guide Book Two: 101 More Insights to Get You to World Class Robin Sharma Do you want to find the inspiration, passion and enthusiasm to become extraordinary? Robin Sharma, author of no.1 international bestseller The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, will excite, energize and elevate you to world class greatness with his remarkable insights and powerful tools.Are you ready to take your work and personal life to a whole new level of greatness?Part manifesto for excellence, part business mastery manual and part inspirational companion, The Greatness Guide: Book 2 distils Robin Sharma's latest thinking into 101 simple yet powerful lessons to help you work brilliantly and live beautifully. You’ll discover:• the personal practices of spectacularly successful people• potent ideas to propel you to greatness• revolutionary tactics for peak performance• practical strategies to turn setbacks into opportunities• time management techniques that really work• breakthrough ideas to generate energy and health• tool kits for practical work–life balance ROBIN SHARMA THE GREATNESS GUIDE, BOOK 2 101 More Insights to Get You to World Class DEDICATION (#ulink_c23d52fa-528d-58e3-b8d5-066cbe6b3851) To the Dreamers amongst us—those brave souls willing to ignore the chattering voices of their critics in passionate pursuit of their highest ideals. You are the Great Ones. EPIGRAPH (#ulink_0df035a5-28dd-5596-b63e-34aa8306e239) “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CONTENTS Cover (#u389b5839-70ac-5b97-aabc-4ebd35ab06bf) Title Page (#ua6bab188-1d7e-534c-8063-4fc201959914) Dedication (#u0e404771-7f8f-5085-a89f-e2e37a917f34) Epigraph (#ud4b98758-1ee7-5f7a-ae3e-4408e1f30ad8) 1 Be the Best You (#ud9a018da-f494-5d20-bc66-0d728de21c20) 2 Invisible Fences (#u8c0834a0-9436-54ee-941a-4c5b1ae0be88) 3 The Power of Simple (#ube77c237-d513-5bf1-8024-7033245785d7) 4 Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You (#uf2b9b6db-a9f5-5362-afda-760a53d32943) 5 The Success Expansion Principle (#ue698e7bb-18d3-5185-8d62-cb2e85cb5b23) 6 Wear Shiny Shoes (#u332d15c2-b1ec-55c2-a407-de0d9f462df6) 7 Listen Carefully (#uef96444b-17c5-5b73-a39b-df9357b73c48) 8 Dream Like David (#uf8c9817e-36be-5538-b7e0-754bedc94980) 9 Do It Now (#ua8d43a69-da33-5c59-90ba-518f1826ff6b) 10 JBN (Just Be Nice) (#u53c70c85-8895-5b66-851f-0a23b7176216) 11 There Are No Mistakes (#u74a1a8b0-2a19-50c6-9573-fcb61b0a514f) 12 The Blank Slate of Tomorrow (#udb262305-855c-519c-9e78-1e3fa0d918b6) 13 Get Great at Gratitude (#u9e4bcdaf-fd3d-5440-b9d0-808380ea097f) 14 Take Charge Fast (#u15dbbc7e-6a1d-5d87-8bef-2a5a30747a2d) 15 Ideas Are Worthless (#u5f807aae-926a-512b-bfa2-99f6a52c10e0) 16 Open Your Eyes (#uc1963f8d-d243-5f89-99d8-eb16fb2aae5a) 17 Symbols of Glory (#udde00cd6-0f45-5c60-9d2c-f740ee38860c) 18 Be Unreasonable (#u3881e5e6-40fb-5ac8-853a-f30b28eec6aa) 19 Not All Leaders Are the Same (#ub0a121ab-02b5-5039-80f5-6054eb37874d) 20 I Learn from My Mistakes (Sometimes) (#litres_trial_promo) 21 Ask Powerful Questions (#litres_trial_promo) 22 Be Breathtakingly Humble (#litres_trial_promo) 23 Be a Cool Brand (#litres_trial_promo) 24 Cherish Conflict (#litres_trial_promo) 25 The Responsibility Meter (#litres_trial_promo) 26 A Lust for Growth (#litres_trial_promo) 27 Credit Doesn’t Matter (#litres_trial_promo) 28 The Brilliance of Acceptance (#litres_trial_promo) 29 Be a Beautiful Thinker (#litres_trial_promo) 30 Opinions Don’t Matter (#litres_trial_promo) 31 Are You Jokeable? (#litres_trial_promo) 32 How to Get Power (#litres_trial_promo) 33 Habits Are Hip (#litres_trial_promo) 34 Find Perfect Moments (#litres_trial_promo) 35 The Paradox of Praise (#litres_trial_promo) 36 Luck Versus Law (#litres_trial_promo) 37 Camel’s Back Syndrome (#litres_trial_promo) 38 Burn the Extra 1 Percent (#litres_trial_promo) 39 Remember Reciprocity (#litres_trial_promo) 40 Say What You Mean (#litres_trial_promo) 41 Richard Branson and Outrageous Optimism (#litres_trial_promo) 42 Beware of Victimspeak (#litres_trial_promo) 43 I’m Stretching Too (#litres_trial_promo) 44 Stop Trying So Hard (#litres_trial_promo) 45 The Mirror Test (#litres_trial_promo) 46 Find Uncomfortable Friends (#litres_trial_promo) 47 Innovate Where You Are (#litres_trial_promo) 48 Pride in Parenting (#litres_trial_promo) 49 The Hidden Machinery (#litres_trial_promo) 50 Don’t Wait for Change (#litres_trial_promo) 51 First Principles for Great Relationships (#litres_trial_promo) 52 Worry Versus Reflection (#litres_trial_promo) 53 Believe in Others (#litres_trial_promo) 54 The Best Practice Is Practice (#litres_trial_promo) 55 Pain Serves You Well (#litres_trial_promo) 56 Your Team’s Only as Good as You (#litres_trial_promo) 57 Music Makes Life Better (#litres_trial_promo) 58 Don’t Fight for Your Excuses (#litres_trial_promo) 59 ABC (Always Be Connecting) (#litres_trial_promo) 60 What Separates You? (#litres_trial_promo) 61 Time Passes Too Fast (#litres_trial_promo) 62 What Happened to Quiet? (#litres_trial_promo) 63 A Stainless Character (#litres_trial_promo) 64 Set People Free (#litres_trial_promo) 65 A Day of Listening (#litres_trial_promo) 66 Smart Companies Compete for Emotion (#litres_trial_promo) 67 You’ll Know When You Know (#litres_trial_promo) 68 Be a Hero (#litres_trial_promo) 69 Why Plan? (#litres_trial_promo) 70 Ask to Get (#litres_trial_promo) 71 Do New Things (#litres_trial_promo) 72 On Personal Mastery (#litres_trial_promo) 73 Be Unpopular (#litres_trial_promo) 74 Own Your Greatness (#litres_trial_promo) 75 Be Like Coldplay (#litres_trial_promo) 76 Stop Sleeping So Much (#litres_trial_promo) 77 Go Perpendicular (#litres_trial_promo) 78 Do Your Life (#litres_trial_promo) 79 Give to Get (#litres_trial_promo) 80 Be Like J.K. (#litres_trial_promo) 81 Whatever Happened to Commitment? (#litres_trial_promo) 82 Get Excited or Get Upset (#litres_trial_promo) 83 Build Bridges, Not Fences (#litres_trial_promo) 84 Fail Faster (#litres_trial_promo) 85 Angels in Your Evolution (#litres_trial_promo) 86 Lead by Example (#litres_trial_promo) 87 Be an Idea Factory (#litres_trial_promo) 88 Speak Your Truth (#litres_trial_promo) 89 Leadership Begins at Home (#litres_trial_promo) 90 Respect Rules (#litres_trial_promo) 91 Learn from Michael J. Fox (#litres_trial_promo) 92 The Journey’s as Good as the End (#litres_trial_promo) 93 What Is Success? (#litres_trial_promo) 94 Your Highest Freedom (#litres_trial_promo) 95 Go Hollywood (#litres_trial_promo) 96 On the Burden of Greatness (#litres_trial_promo) 97 Live an Intense Life (#litres_trial_promo) 98 Make Your Mark (#litres_trial_promo) 99 Create Your Body of Work (#litres_trial_promo) 100 Big Like Mandela (#litres_trial_promo) 101 Will You Be Great Today? (#litres_trial_promo) About the Author (#litres_trial_promo) Other Works (#litres_trial_promo) Copyright (#litres_trial_promo) About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo) 1 (#ulink_33238695-a557-5a90-bdf0-f15ae184e201) BE THE BEST YOU (#ulink_33238695-a557-5a90-bdf0-f15ae184e201) Warren Buffet once observed, “There will never be a better you than you.” Brilliant insight. From a brilliant guy. There will never be a better me than me. And there will never be a better you than you. Some might try to copy the way you think, speak and act. But no matter how hard they try, they will only be a second-best you. Because you are unique. Only one of you alive today. Among the billions of us. Makes you stop and think, doesn’t it? Makes you realize you are pretty special. No, very special. And that there really isn’t any competition. And so today, what will you do with you as you march out into a world that needs people playing at extraordinary with their lives more than ever before? Will you exert more of your hidden potential? Will you liberate more of your natural creativity? Will you uncover more of your authenticity? And will you be more of the you that you are meant to be? Just wondering. Because there will never be a better time to be the best you than today. And if not now, then when? Makes me think of what the philosopher Herodotus once said: “It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half of the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what may happen.” So beautifully said. There will never be a better time to be the best you than today. 2 (#ulink_3adfda62-9d1d-5489-a1cb-cae83cc849b1) INVISIBLE FENCES (#ulink_3adfda62-9d1d-5489-a1cb-cae83cc849b1) I’m sitting here at the airport in Los Angeles. Was here to speak to a group of General Electric’s high-potential employees. About Leading Without Title. About standing for world-class. About outright Greatness in all they do. After the presentation I reflected on why so many of us play small in the core areas of our lives. Why we avoid change. Why we don’t innovate and express the creative genius that resides within each one of us. Why we refuse to accept the call on our lives. And why so many of us refrain from being remarkable. The answer I came up with? Invisible Fences. Here’s what I’m talking about: I took a drive out into the countryside last week. To breathe. To renew. To think. I saw a sign from a dog training company on someone’s lawn. It spoke of an Invisible Fence. It’s a system that sets an invisible boundary that the dog can’t get past. The dog eventually becomes conditioned so that even when that fence is gone, it will not run beyond it. The dog sets up imaginary limits that determine its reality. We’re like that too. As we grow up, we adopt negative beliefs and false assumptions and sabotaging fears from the world around us. These become our Invisible Fences. We believe they are real. When we bump up against them at work (and in life), we retreat. We believe the boundary is true. So we shrink from all we are meant to be/do/have. The illusion seems so real. But it’s not. Please remember that. So I invite you to question your Invisible Fences. Be aware of them. Observe them. Challenge them. So that when one confronts you, rather than running away from it, you exercise the force of will and talent of heart to run through it. Toward the poetic possibilities your life is meant to be. Because what you resist will persist. But what you befriend, you will transcend. As we grow up, we adopt negative beliefs and false assumptions and sabotaging fears from the world around us. These become our Invisible Fences. 3 (#ulink_73457799-100c-5a6e-9a12-561861632bf7) THE POWER OF SIMPLE (#ulink_73457799-100c-5a6e-9a12-561861632bf7) I learn so much from my children. Not only are they my heroes—they are two of my best teachers. They have shown me how to live in the moment, helped me to see life as an adventure and taught me how to open my heart. And they’ve taught me so many lessons on The Power of Simple. These days, I’m all about simple. A simple message about everyone being a leader—no matter what they do or who they are. Simple ideas and tools (that actually work) to help people and organizations get to world class. And living a far simpler life (because, at heart, I’m a very simple man). Simple, to me, is so powerful (Google co-founder Sergey Brin made the point superbly when he said that at his company “Success will come from simplicity.”) Which brings me to Colby, my son. We went to New York City a few weeks ago. A shared experience that we’d planned for a long time; it was all about celebrating his thirteenth birthday (a kid only becomes a teenager once). We hung out in SoHo. Went toy shopping at FAO Schwarz. Had a beautiful lunch at Bread (one of my favorite lunch places on earth). And saw the great play Wicked. A weekend full of precious pleasures and unforgettable memories. Between a father and his son. Sunday night, on the flight home, I asked my young buddy, “What did you like best about our weekend?” He sat silently. Thought deeply. Then he smiled. “Dad, you know that hot dog you bought me on the street yesterday? I loved that the most.” The Power of Simple. Success will come from simplicity. 4 (#ulink_b24441ef-533d-5d07-92ff-236a1ae9a159) BE SO GOOD THEY CAN’T IGNORE YOU (#ulink_b24441ef-533d-5d07-92ff-236a1ae9a159) Here’s comedian Steve Martin’s advice to young comics: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” Love it. Life favors the devoted. The more you give to life, the more life sends back. It’s just not possible for you to be great at what you do, always reaching for your brilliance and standing for excellence, and not win in the end. (Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead once said, “You do not merely want to be the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do.”) Sometimes discouragement sets in. Happens to all of us. We try hard, stay true to our dreams and pursue our ideals. Yet nothing happens. Or so it seems. But every choice matters. And every step counts. Life runs according to its own agenda, not ours. Be patient. Trust. Be like the stonecutter, steadily chipping away, day after day. Eventually, a single blow will crack the stone and reveal the diamond. An enthusiastic, dedicated person who is ridiculously good at what they do just cannot be denied. Seriously. Steve Martin’s insight speaks to me deeply. “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” (Management guru Peter Drucker made the point slightly differently when he observed: “Get good or get out.”) Apply that philosophy at work. Apply it at home. Apply it in your community. Apply it to your world. Having the courage to present your gifts and your highest capacities will yield magnificent rewards. Life is always fair in the end. Trust it. Life is always fair in the end. Trust it. 5 (#ulink_d4ae7d27-96b0-5c25-bb32-e1724dfc6049) THE SUCCESS EXPANSION PRINCIPLE (#ulink_d4ae7d27-96b0-5c25-bb32-e1724dfc6049) Here’s a powerful idea that just might revolutionize the way you work and live if you embrace it at a DNA level: Your life will expand or contract in direct relationship to your willingness to walk directly toward the things that you fear. Do your fears and you’ll shine. Run away from them and you shrink from greatness. Reminds me of what Frank Herbert wrote in Dune: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” So amazing what happens when you encounter a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable/insecure/scared and yet, instead of heading for the metaphorical exit door, you stay strong and do the thing you know you should do. First, you realize that the fear was mostly a hallucination. And second, you get some kind of unexpected reward for your bravery, because on the other side of every fear door lie gorgeous gifts, including personal growth, confidence and wisdom. I’ve seen it time and time again. It’s a law of life, I guess. So run toward fear. Start small. Slow and steady always wins the race. And watch the success you so dearly deserve begin to show up. When you most need it. On the other side of every fear door lie gorgeous gifts. 6 (#ulink_cd88c08c-ead5-5e60-b746-0a270520d022) WEAR SHINY SHOES (#ulink_cd88c08c-ead5-5e60-b746-0a270520d022) Okay, your shoes don’t need to shine for you to be a superb leader. And please remember, leadership isn’t about your position, it’s a way of being—Leading Without Title, to be precise. Leadership is about holding yourself to world-class standards, taking personal responsibility (versus playing the victim), being excellent within the sphere of your influence, building beautiful relationships and elevating others by your example. My point with this chapter is simply this: The way you do the little things says a lot about the way you will do the big things. And resigning yourself to mediocrity around your minor pursuits sets you up for mediocrity when it comes to the major ones. If your yard or home is well organized, I’ll bet your life is well organized. If you are attentive to details like remembering the birthdays of your friends and sending thank-you notes after every meeting, my guess is that you will be attentive to the details around your larger projects and bigger opportunities. And if your place of business is spotless, there’s a great chance the work you do for your customers will reflect the same commitment to excellence. (I can tell a lot about a business by the cleanliness of their bathrooms; an immaculate bathroom shouts “We care!” and that caring translates into remarkable service.) So pay attention to the details. Focus on the small stuff (like crazy). Commit to OAD: Obsessive Attention to Detail. World-class people and organizations always do. Because the little things truly are the big ones. My point is simply this: The way you do the little things says a lot about the way you will do the big things. 7 (#ulink_c44635b8-da2f-5400-9ad8-193d004b8e8f) LISTEN CAREFULLY (#ulink_c44635b8-da2f-5400-9ad8-193d004b8e8f) Just read these immensely important words of celebrated designer Bruce Mau that I need to share with you: “Every collaborator who enters our orbit brings with him or her a world more strange and complex than any we could ever hope to imagine. By listening to the details and the subtlety of their needs, desires, or ambitions, we fold their world onto our own. Neither party will ever be the same.” We are shaped by our conversations. We are influenced by the ideas we hear and the people we meet. (Big idea: Every person you meet knows at least one thing you don’t; don’t let them leave without learning it.) Listening is a master skill for personal and professional excellence. Leaders listen. Staggeringly well. Mau’s absolutely right: When we go deep into listening to the person we are communicating with, when we allow them to share what they know, we have the opportunity to get behind their eyeballs and learn, grow and evolve into our highest and best. And if you are lucky enough to be talking to the right person—at the right time—that single conversation might be the one that changes the way you think, feel and behave forever. Their stardust will rub off on you. And you’ll be transformed. For good. Every person you meet knows at least one thing you don’t; don’t let them leave without learning it. 8 (#ulink_4d7b1ce0-121c-55fd-90c9-f4a14a9e5b41) DREAM LIKE DAVID (#ulink_4d7b1ce0-121c-55fd-90c9-f4a14a9e5b41) There’s a man I wish you could meet. I was introduced to him while I was in Mexico City to deliver a speech to business and social leaders. He moved me with his story. And he humbled me by his courage. David Mejia was born without ears. Doctors predicted he would suffer from poor hearing throughout his childhood and that he would be unlikely to live a full adult life. His youth was riddled with operation after operation, a great deal of pain, and the hurtful taunts of classmates who made fun of his appearance. But David persevered. Greatness, in so many ways, is determined by whether you persist through failure or let it consume you. David dreamed. He worked hard. And he believed. Because he knew he was meant to do extraordinary things. David Mejia has been blessed. With a powerful mind. With a big heart. With a strong spirit. And with wonderful parents, who told him on a near-daily basis that if he looked for the best from life, he would find it. They encouraged him never to play victim. Told him to find the opportunity amid his challenges. And so he has. Masterfully. The man I met in Mexico City is a leader. A hero. An inspiration. Why? Because he has taken what life sent him and turned what most of us would spend our days crying about into gold. He now has prosthetic ears. He’s healthy and remarkably vital. He has achieved superb success in his career. He has found great love and joy. He has more friends than most people I know (far more than me). And he is stunningly positive in a world where people who have nothing to complain about spend most of their time complaining about trivialities. You can curse the darkness, or you can light a candle and show up as a leader. Life is all about how you exercise the choices available to you. And your daily choices stack up to craft your destiny. Day by day. Week by week. Month by month. Year by year. David Mejia knows how to make the choices that will raise him to his own personal mountaintop. So do you. You can curse the darkness, or you can light a candle and show up as a leader. 9 (#ulink_3e2f461a-ea1b-5a3e-bcb8-55d8a1ab2304) DO IT NOW (#ulink_3e2f461a-ea1b-5a3e-bcb8-55d8a1ab2304) Woke up this morning with the following line from Mick Jagger’s solo album Goddess in the Doorway screaming through my head: “No use getting misty eyed, it all screams by so fast.” True. Life really does scream by. Why postpone what you can do today to some time off in the distance? Why put off playing your greatest game as a human being to some point in the future? Why delay having a remarkably good time until you are old? The other day I read about a young woman who was reflecting on her retirement savings plan. She said, “I want to make sure I’ve saved up a lot—that way I can have at least some fun at the end of my life.” I don’t get it. Why wait until you are old to love living? I’m in no way suggesting that you neglect the importance of planning for your future. Take the long view and prepare for a full life. As always, it’s a balance. Do your plans. Save for retirement. Be strategic. But at the same time, live in the moment. Play full out. Take daily risks. Smart. Emirates Airlines has an ad that asks: “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” Smart. So fill your days with color. Hunt for the best that this very day will bring. Laugh a lot. Love a lot. Dream a lot. And if there’s an opportunity that the coming hours present to you—and we both know there will be—seize it. Because life screams by. So fast. Why delay having a remarkably good time until you are old? 10 (#ulink_12ca3da2-3ed6-5563-bd60-4f1ee153e0a3) JBN (JUST BE NICE) (#ulink_12ca3da2-3ed6-5563-bd60-4f1ee153e0a3) Question for you: Why don’t we see being “noticeably nice” written into any job descriptions? There’s a ton of stuff in those descriptions about what needs to get done each day, but nice is just an accessory, it seems. An add-on. An afterthought. I don’t get it. I believe that being nice is, in many ways, the very lifeblood of a world-class business. Being nice to teammates (so they love coming to work each day) attracts and retains superb talent. Being nice to your suppliers (so they go to the wall for you) is excellent for operations. And being nice to your customers (so they keep coming back) is the best way to grow your community of loyal and passionate followers. Nice is what builds enduring businesses. Here’s an example. Went to my local deli yesterday. Felt like some protein and veggies for lunch. I was in an ultra-creative mode and wanted to feed my brain well. I decided on a portion of turkey and a snow pea salad. I asked for what I wanted. The young woman behind the counter replied with a smile, “The rule is to sell the turkeys whole but I’m going to go see if I can break it for you.” A minute later, I had my piece of turkey. She added with a wink, “I’ll give you the one with the most seasoning—you’ll love it.” And on it went. Helping me. Wowing me. Being stunningly kind to me. A delicious experience of exceptional customer service. Because she was uncommonly nice. Guess where I had lunch today? I returned there because, like most human beings, I do business with people who treat me well. Who doesn’t want to help the nice ones succeed? Nice got my loyalty. It got my repeat business. It generated an evangelist. To world-class businesses, nice matters. So JBN. Daily. Nice is what builds enduring businesses. 11 (#ulink_c7cd9cb9-0c2b-529c-9434-cba073d2b232) THERE ARE NO MISTAKES (#ulink_c7cd9cb9-0c2b-529c-9434-cba073d2b232) It’s so easy to beat yourself up over mistakes you’ve made. Too many among us live in the past rather than loving the present and building a dazzlingly bright future. Some people stay stuck for years over something they did or a failure they experienced. Sad. A life is a terrible thing to waste. But let me ask you a question: Is there really such a thing as a mistake? First of all, no one tries to fail or mess things up. Every one of us wakes up in the morning, walks out into the world and does the best we can do based on what we know, the skills we have and where we are on life’s journey. But even more importantly, every so-called mistake is actually a rich source of learning. An opportunity to build more awareness and understanding and gain precious experience. Experience that will help us do, feel and be even better. Everything that has happened to you in your life—the good and the difficult—was necessary to help you become the person you are now. Why make it wrong? So, just maybe, there are no mistakes. Just maybe what we could call failures are actually growth lessons in wolf’s clothing. And just maybe the person who experiences the most wins. Everything that has happened to you in your life—the good and the difficult—was necessary to help you become the person you are now. 12 (#ulink_bbf1b0f3-3524-5206-972d-1f81c90a100c) THE BLANK SLATE OF TOMORROW (#ulink_bbf1b0f3-3524-5206-972d-1f81c90a100c) At midnight tonight, you’ll get a most amazing gift: a fresh set of 24 hours. These hours are pure and flawless and limitless. They offer you the opportunity to show courage, behave brilliantly, connect compassionately, and forge those new habits of mastery that will get you to a better place of being. And they offer you a space to laugh. To create value. And to do your dreams. Whether you’ll admit it or not, tomorrow is incredible. Not everyone gets one. I just got home from Kazakhstan. Loved my time there. Almaty is such a beautiful city, surrounded by those mountains, and those apple trees. Filled with truly delightful people and rich with unforgettable culture. The leadership seminar I delivered was such a joy for me. On the long flight back, I read Peter Mayle’s book A Good Year. I had enjoyed A Year in Provence, so I thought I’d find this one relaxing—and I did. It’s a perfect vacation-reading book. One line in the work struck me: “It’s better to die standing than live your whole life on your knees.” Unbelievably powerful phrase. Thanks, Peter Mayle. For waking me up. To what’s most important. So make tomorrow special. No, make it outrageously great. Wildly wonderful. A piece of art—one that you can tell your grandkids about. Just amazing what one can do in a single day. Each one is a chance to be more of what we are all designed to be. “It’s better to die standing than live your whole life on your knees.” 13 (#ulink_e0f53704-df2a-5e38-8731-60d97011a547) GET GREAT AT GRATITUDE (#ulink_e0f53704-df2a-5e38-8731-60d97011a547) A while ago on CNN’s Larry King Live, King interviewed Carolyn Thomas, who lost most of her face when her ex-boyfriend shot it off. There she sat, with bandages, one eye and more courage than I’ve seen in a long time. This got me thinking about gratitude. Powerful idea: What you value in your life increases in value. What you think about and focus on grows. What you appreciate begins to appreciate. Appreciate your good health. Appreciate your family. Appreciate your gifts, your friends, your work and your life, and your perception will begin to shift. You’ll see the blessings of your life (versus the broken parts). I’m big on lists. My suggestion for you: List 50 things you are grateful for (yes, 50). The first 10 are easy: loved ones, job, home, etc. But go down to the roots. Dig (the pearls always require deep diving). Be grateful for the fact that you can speak English (or Japanese, Spanish, Hebrew or Hindi). Be grateful you have two eyes or a healthy heart or for the fact that you don’t live in a war zone. And be grateful to others. Bless the farmer whose effort brought the fruit that’s on your breakfast table. Bless the factory workers who put together the car you drive. Bless the cashier at the store where you buy your toothpaste. And bless the person who serves your food in the next restaurant you visit (this is life-changing stuff, even though it doesn’t seem like it). The attitude of gratitude. Counting your blessings. Not taking things for granted. I’ll bet you have a lot more to be thankful for than you currently see. Just think about it. Just get grateful. Then fasten your seat belt. And watch what comes. What you value in your life increases in value. 14 (#ulink_55abf11a-7283-59e3-b8c3-7cfd3e694aad) TAKE CHARGE FAST (#ulink_55abf11a-7283-59e3-b8c3-7cfd3e694aad) Real leadership truly is about assuming personal responsibility. It’s about creating rich results. It’s about taking charge to get things done—whether you are on the front line or in the C-Suite. Here’s what I mean. Was buying groceries yesterday. Standing in line. Nothing moved. I looked ahead and saw a flustered woman—seemed her debit card didn’t work. The cashier looked like a deer caught in headlights. He just froze. Didn’t explain what was going on (I later learned the system went down). Didn’t apologize to his customers for the delay. Didn’t do anything to try to move things along. Just gave us a little fear-grin and started to whistle a nervous little whistle. Sounds so obvious, but it’s true that leadership occurs in moments of challenge, not during moments of ease. Leadership shows up when things at work—and in life—test us. Each of us, as a Leader Without Title, must rise to that challenge. We need to shine when things don’t go as planned. And we have to take charge. Fast. Eventually, the system got back up, the debit card was put through and I moved through the line. But next time I’m at that grocery store and I have a choice, I’ll find a cashier who gets it. Who thinks quickly. Who gets things done, when others just freeze. Sounds so obvious, but it’s true that leadership occurs in moments of challenge, not during moments of ease. 15 (#ulink_6814e557-6d16-54ba-9b62-a53945eefbc7) IDEAS ARE WORTHLESS (#ulink_6814e557-6d16-54ba-9b62-a53945eefbc7) Controversial chapter title? Perhaps. But I think it’s true. I’ve heard so many gurus say that ideas are the currency of success and thinking drives business and we become what we consider all day long. But, to me, ideation without execution is mere delusion (I dare you to share that line at your next team meeting). In other words, an idea, no matter how big, only assumes value when it’s acted upon and brought to life. This world of ours is full of great thinkers who never realized their greatness. They were strong on the thinking side but weak on the execution side. And they suffered as a result of that constraint. (German poet Johann von Goethe said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic.”) World-class people get both right. They are superb strategically and brilliant tactically. Really creative and really good at getting things done. So jump-start your commitment around execution. Yes, capture your ideas and bask in the glow of a remarkably imaginative thought that has the power to improve how you work or the way you live. And then reach deep into yourself and have the discipline to do whatever it takes to make that idea a reality. Because nothing happens until you move. This world of ours is full of great thinkers who never realized their greatness. 16 (#ulink_bea24abc-bb51-5005-9d44-a6a1aa29b657) OPEN YOUR EYES (#ulink_bea24abc-bb51-5005-9d44-a6a1aa29b657) Just saw something that stunned me. I walked up to my favorite Starbucks. Saw a car, engine running, baby in the back seat—and no driver. The father had pulled up to the front of the store and dashed in to get his morning java. Coffee over kid? It’s easy to get so caught up in the rush of busyness and the call of our routines that we forget the imperative of being aware of the very things we are doing. “Most men would rather die than think,” wrote philosopher Bertrand Russell (“Many do,” he added). Human beings are the only creatures in the world that can step out of themselves and reflect on their thoughts and actions. Monkeys can’t do this. Dogs can’t. Cats can’t. Only we can. If you can breathe oxygen today, then in my mind you have the gift of being able to show leadership behavior over the coming hours (and days/months/years). Leadership is about showing up at your best. You know that. It’s about being excellent amid changing times and celebrating the people around you. And leadership is about being aware. Aware of your thoughts. Aware of your actions. Aware of your mission. Aware of your priorities. Aware of your talents. Aware of your fears. Aware of your passions. Aware that time is short. Aware of the brilliance presented to you by the life you get to lead (and yes, mine gets messy too). So live with your eyes wide open. Clarity preceeds mastery. Think about things. Shine brighter than ever before. Act impeccably. And stand guard over babies in cars. It’s easy to get so caught up in the rush of busyness and the call of our routines that we forget the imperative of being aware of the very things we are doing. 17 (#ulink_57320d1e-56fd-5764-9233-b54f231c5fc1) SYMBOLS OF GLORY (#ulink_57320d1e-56fd-5764-9233-b54f231c5fc1) Walking to school with the kids today. Breathtaking autumn morning here in my hometown. Fall colors, fresh air, crisp temperatures. My favorite time of the year. Colby tells me that one of his buddies has a rubber turtle in his car. Said it reminds his parents to drive slowly and respect the lives of others on the road. Nice. Made me think about the importance of symbolic reminders—tokens we can strategically place at important places to help us remember what’s most important. What matters. What we want to stand for. One of the simplest tactics I suggest to clients at my leadership workshops is to put your three most important professional and personal commitments on a 3-inch ? 5-inch card and post it on your bathroom mirror, so that you see them first thing in the morning. (I know it sounds cheesy, but it works.) This little practice affects your awareness. Radically. Your awareness then shapes your choices. And your choices shape your results. Extraordinary people are dramatically focused on their best To Do’s. It’s all they think, talk and dream about. (I recall reading about John Risley, founder of Clearwater Fine Foods—one of the world’s largest seafood companies—who said, “When I want a deal, I think about nothing else but how to get it done. I wake up at night to use the bathroom, I’m thinking about the deal. I’m very focused.”) And with that rare focus, they get to where they need to be. With fewer detours than the rest of us. So what Symbols of Glory might you use to keep you in your finest form? What tokens of excellence can you find that will quickly help you get back to your priorities when the crush of daily events clamors for your attention? You deserve to live an extraordinary life. Start by finding your symbols—ones that represent the person you are ready to become. What tokens of excellence can you find that will quickly help you get back to your priorities when the crush of daily events clamors for your attention? 18 (#ulink_5f969f15-8c19-51ca-9d6e-e6dca3d63b5c) BE UNREASONABLE (#ulink_5f969f15-8c19-51ca-9d6e-e6dca3d63b5c) One of my favorite quotes comes from George Bernard Shaw, who noted, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” Please think about that idea for a moment. I suggest it’s a big one. Sure, be practical and operate intelligently as you move through your world. I agree, it’s important to use common sense. True, foolish risks can lead to difficult consequences. But having said that, don’t be so scared of failure and disappointment that you fail to dream. Don’t always be so reasonable and practical and sensible that you refuse to seize glorious opportunities when they show up. Push the envelope as to what’s possible for you. Remember, critics have always laughed at the visions of bold thinkers and remarkable visionaries. Ignore them. And know that every outstanding piece of human progress was achieved through the heroic efforts of someone who was told their idea was impossible to realize. The world needs more dreamers. Unreasonable souls who fight the urge to be ordinary. Who resist the seduction of complacency and doing things the way they have always been done. You can be one of them. Beginning today. Kahlil Gibran, in The Prophet, made the point far more beautifully than I ever could, when he wrote, “The lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul.” Remember, critics have always laughed at the visions of bold thinkers and remarkable visionaries. Ignore them. 19 (#ulink_e96c1120-3761-5d7e-a72c-18f6ede2d219) NOT ALL LEADERS ARE THE SAME (#ulink_e96c1120-3761-5d7e-a72c-18f6ede2d219) Many executives come up to me after presentations and ask me about my statement “Everyone’s a leader.” I’ve observed that the best companies on the planet have one trait in common: They grow leaders throughout the organization faster than their competition. Making that happen is their number-one focus. And they do it fast. But I’m not saying everyone should run the company. That makes no sense. Everyone can show leadership behavior but that doesn’t mean everyone will lead the organization. Here’s a metaphor that I hope will make this distinction clearer. I love U2. Bono is the lead singer. Larry Mullen, Jr., is the drummer. Chaos would ensue if Larry tried to be the lead singer and Bono got confused and played the drums. Or imagine the tour manager thinking he could be Bono for a night and walking out on stage to do so while Bono was in his dressing room. Not good. Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/robin-sharma-2/be-extraordinary-the-greatness-guide-book-two-101-more-insi/?lfrom=688855901) на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.