Who Do You Listen To?

The most effective way to get good results in business is to act strategically and swiftly. Fail fast and small to prove your concept then build on what you learn. There is some research involved, but only to the extent you can take steps in a logical sequence to get the desired result. This is hard to do if you do not have a good team to support your efforts.

The legend of superhuman entrepreneurs who “pull themselves up by the bootstraps” are still part of popular American Mythology. Solopreneurs who are wearing every single hat in their businesses are drowning in the day to day effort to run their operations. No person is strong in every area impacting a business. We all have gaps in our knowledge, talent, and skills that can be filled with people we hire or form alliances with over time.

It’s a poor use of time to work to anything other than our primary strengths if we want to succeed. We also need people to bounce ideas off to determine if we are heading in the right direction. So where does one get the needed advice? There are a multitude of coaches and consultants (including yours truly) offering advice on everything from proper alignment of inner energy to using the right strategies.

They have varying degrees of experience, talent, and expertise. Some are better suited for specific industries and specialties than others. Your investment in time, energy, and funds varies a great deal too. I have personally engaged some of the brightest and most talented people around to help me get results in my business and personal life. I measure my results both internally and with money.

The latter is the score keeping method used in business. I discovered, much to my dismay, that there are internal workings that must be tended to get better external results. I have some of the best business minds in the world who are a telephone call away. My trouble was that for the longest time, I did not act on the advice I got. If it wasn’t some type of unidentifiable fear, it was some type of belligerence on my part that balked at taking good advice in favor of taking up some bright idea I thought “would work better.”

?I did not have the proper focus, nor was I clear on exactly what value I brought to the table or who it was that I served. Good Business advice is available in many places. There are people who will cash the checks you write and sleep well in the knowledge they delivered what they said they would. There are some who will sell you something you do not need and cash those checks whether you have received what they promised or not.

?In the end, we are all responsible for our own results. If we are not clear on what we are trying to accomplish, we can throw lots of good money after bad. I have invested heavily in myself and made bad decisions in the past to the tune of many thousands of dollars.

I have moments when I think about things I could have done differently, but I choose not to dwell on them. After all, there is no path to a better past in this life. I am mindful of lessons learned and have made a very radical shift because of past experiences.

Many books on leadership will talk about the importance of good mentors. These are people who take you beyond coaching and consulting. They will share wisdom that is tailored to your needs and help you avoid many pitfalls. They can accelerate your business results by many years if they are successful, focused, and driven. That is, provided you follow the advice they give you.

There is another type of trusted advisor that I call a “truth-teller.” These are people with whom you may have a personal or business connection. They will say things to you for your well-being without fear of hurting your feelings. They are more interested in saving your business or your life than offending you.

Truth-tellers are not there to beat you up or degrade you (most people do a good job of that without any support, especially if they are perfectionists). Honesty without compassion is nothing more than brutality. Truth-tellers can be mentors, coaches, or consultants. They lend a perspective to any situation that is free from attachment to how they look or to any specific result. They are trusted advisors at the deepest level.

I have been able to find mentors, coaches, and consultants who have acted as truth tellers in my life. Most people in the spirit of political correctness will not give their opinions to you in an unfiltered way without some level of permission. When my decision-making pinned my back to the wall, I needed to find some of these people because my results in every area of my life were less than optimal.

I was not manifesting result in my business or personal life that I wanted. My truth-tellers said things to me that forced me to back up, look at what I was doing, and take a different direction that was way outside of my comfort zone. They continue to push me in new directions for my own good. They have the integrity to know when they are not equipped to help me and make every effort to put me in front of someone who can.

Who do you know that may be a candidate for filling that role for you? When you find them, please do not hesitate to give them permission to say what needs to be said for your highest and best good! Your life and your results will be much better when you do.