Article by Mike Anderson (NSBC Founder & CEO)
Show me a business where everyone lives and works by self-managing, and I’ll bet it’s a business destined for greatness. Make sure that the first person you are managing every day is yourself.
In business, we all know that management is everything. If you don’t manage your resources properly your business won’t succeed, it’s as simple as that. Needless to say, we spend a tremendous amount of time and energy in learning to manage our surroundings. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is dominated by commerce, by economics; our lives are dictated by it, that with time we end up forgetting to manage the most important thing, which is managing ourselves.
Trying to manage the outside world without managing ourselves is surely a recipe for disaster, so let’s get back on track with some key reminders for “gaining the competitive edge”:
- Live by your values, whatever they are.
- Master the art of human relations. Approach every relationship by focusing on what you have to offer the other person rather than on what you might want or need.
- Speak up and make yourself understood. No one can “hear” what you’re thinking without you being willing to stand up for it.
- Honour your own good word and keep the promises you make. Under-promise and over-deliver.
- Be a motivator.
- Celebrate the success of others.
- Take responsibility for whatever is thrown at you.
- Love what you do. If you don’t, change now.
- Always be grateful. Count your blessings.
- Learn to say no and focus on what matters.
- Be amiable, courteous, polite and considerate. Remove your ego, listen carefully and empathise. Exhibit respect and kindness.
- Don’t keep other people waiting.
- Soar with the eagles that fly. Don’t surround yourself with toxic people.
- Don’t bad-mouth others, and try not to speak about others unless they are present.
- Be a problem-solver, not a complainer.
- Commit to continuous improvement through rigorous self-evaluation.
- Be an accurate source of information.
- Be a model of trust. Don’t expect people to trust you if you aren’t willing to be trustworthy first and foremost.
- Focus on doing your tasks, very well, very fast, all day long.
- Be more productive by creating good habits and rejecting bad ones.
- Have a good work ethic.
- Be action-oriented. Seek to make things work. Be willing to do whatever it takes.
- Be interesting. Read voraciously, and listen to learn, then teach and share everything you know.
- Take good care of yourself so that you can bring your best self to your business every day. Exercise your mind, body and spirit so you can be someone people count on, and so you can live expansively and with abundance.
- Whatever happens, live without regret. Just look forward and be enthusiastic.