Category: Business Tips

How A Bigger Purpose Takes Your Decision-Making To A Whole New Level

Listen to the podcast below or subscribe to the Multiplier Mindset Podcast on iTunes.
How A Bigger Purpose Takes Your Decision-Making To A Whole New Level


If you look at almost any entrepreneur — just starting out, successful, or somewhere in between — one thing they’ll all have in common is that they’ve battled or are currently battling complexity.
Complexity is an unyielding barrier to growth, both business and personal. And because complexity can be overwhelming, the smart decision-making needed to move you past any obstacles is compromised. This can even be game-ending.
Is this what being an entrepreneur is supposed to be like? In a word, no.
You need a strategy for dealing with complexity in order to continue growing in a simpler, more enjoyable, more rewarding way that’s also fun for everyone in your company, you included. Dan Sullivan sums it up like this: “To multiply, first you need to simplify.”
A winning strategy from a seasoned entrepreneur.
Lee Brower is one of our outstanding associate coaches, a 22-year participant in The Strategic Coach Program, and a successful entrepreneur in the Salt Lake City area.
Lee knows all about rapid growth and complexity, and the constant decision-making that still needs to happen. He uses a strategy that can instantly change the way you think about your bigger future as well as bring simplicity that you may never have thought possible to your life today.
Like Dan Sullivan, Lee believes in the power of a good question, and he adds a twist: Ask yourself a question you’ve never asked yourself before. It might sound too simplistic to have any possible effect on your future growth, but here’s what happens in your brain when you do that.
Suddenly, your thoughts have to rearrange themselves in response to a new question. It’s this rearranging process that benefits decision-making by producing new answers to old problems and moving you forward with each decision made.
Asking the questions that get results.
When Lee first started with Strategic Coach, he decided on an objective that got him in a questioning frame of mind. As he tells it, “Very early on in Coach, I decided that one of my objectives would be to leave each quarterly workshop asking a question that I’d never asked myself before. I wondered what the result of that would be.”
This practice soon became a crucial strategy in turning around a devastating business setback. Lee explains, “When I took a hit during the 2007 financial crisis, I could have said, ‘I have to do this, I need to do that, I’ve got to do something.’”
But rather than coming from that mindset of scarcity, which is almost always based on fear, Lee called up his practice of asking himself the right questions focused on his bigger purpose in life. This in turn made it clear what was most important to get started on right away. Achieving that kind of focused simplicity — focusing on one thing, solving that, and moving on to the next — is the key, and as a result, your mind is freed up to make the right decisions.
What’s the one question …
When it comes to one question people should ask themselves, Lee believes that there is no one specific question, but all the questions should have this in common: They’re questions you’ve never asked yourself before.
“This gives you answers you’ve never heard before, and believe me, your life will change,” he says.
Lee also gave this piece of advice to set up the conditions for smart decision-making. “First, make sure that you have a vision for a future that’s bigger than your current business — a bigger purpose. The reason is that when we try to make meaningful decisions in the present without knowing what our bigger purpose is, we’re not making a decision based on what is most important to us. Having a clear picture of your bigger purpose focuses you and helps you make those meaningful decisions in the present.
“Often, as entrepreneurs, our decisions come down to money, and that might not be the best decision in a lot of situations. When you have a bigger purpose, all you have to ask yourself is whether your decision is going to support your bigger purpose or not. You don’t have to ask what’s next or worry about it, so you’re always in motion.”
When you get clear on your bigger purpose, you get clear on what you have to do today.Click To Tweet
Keep in motion: Lee walks the talk.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ll face a lot of tough decision-making and obstacles to growth. Lee has a strategy for asking himself the right questions to keep moving forward that might work for you too.
“Every time I hear myself say that I need to do something,” he says, “a statement that comes from a scarcity mindset rather than an abundance mindset, I turn it into a question: What small step can I take today that will provide more freedom in my life? What small step can I take that will give me more time off? Or, what small step can I take today that will open up more doors to opportunity? These small decisions add up.”
Lee’s “small-steps mindset” bears thinking about: “It’s all about keeping in motion. In life we create too many finish lines. When we set goals, we set finish lines. Why not set goals with key milestones? Why not be in progress all the time?”
Why not start right now?



Greater productivity = greater success.

Learn how the top coach to entrepreneurs achieves his most productive workday.
GET YOUR COPY NOW! »



The post How A Bigger Purpose Takes Your Decision-Making To A Whole New Level appeared first on The Multiplier Mindset Blog.
Source: New feed

A Solid Foundation For Major Growth: 5 Resources For Entrepreneurs

When we talk about growth at Strategic Coach, it’s always a big conversation, and it always revolves around 10x growth.
Last year, we set our biggest goal yet — a five-year “Moonshot” growth goal — and the whole team is committed to ramping up our game. New ideas and initiatives, and exciting changes, big and small, are being implemented by every team in the company.
Change is good, but …
When you’re talking about this type of exponential growth, major change is a given. But, for major change to happen successfully in any company, it’s essential to have a strong foundation to withstand it and keep it sustainable.
Building a strong foundation takes time and effort by everyone in the company. And one of the most important cornerstones of a solid foundation is teamwork.
At Coach, we work continually to strengthen our teamwork, creating a working environment where each team member is growing and, in turn, contributing more and more to the “Moonshot” goal we have in our sights.
“For major change to happen successfully in any company, it’s essential to have a strong foundation to withstand it and keep it sustainable.”Click To Tweet
Our 5 go-to resources for powerful teamwork.
We love sharing these outside resources for entrepreneurs — we consider them essential teamwork tools — because we believe in them and we see proof every single day that they work.

Kolbe
The Kolbe A Index gives you the hard-wired “why” you do what you do. Once you know and understand your Kolbe profile, you’ll know the secret to how you create the greatest value for those around you, which is the key to success, especially in an entrepreneurial company that is always based on results!
INTERESTING FACT: Everyone applying for a position at Strategic Coach completes a Kolbe A Index even before being considered for an in-person interview. It makes for fewer hiring mistakes because it pinpoints a good fit for the position. The whole team has access to everyone else’s Kolbe profile so we can tailor how we work with one another.
? Find out more at Kolbe.com

StrengthsFinder
Developed by the Gallup Organization, the StrengthsFinder assessment gives you your top five strengths (out of 34, which you can also access) that you can then build on and use to excel in your work and personal life. From a company standpoint, knowing our team members’ strengths gets the right people doing the right things to produce the best possible results.
INTERESTING FACT: We all started off learning our top five strengths, which was incredibly useful. But then we wanted more. Now everyone on the team knows their top 34 strengths, which is not only helpful, but really interesting and fun to know. It explains a lot!
? Find out more at strengthsfinder.com

PRINT
Most of us might think we know what motivates us, but PRINT takes us further to our Unconscious Motivators. These are nine hidden drivers that operate at a very deep level and are responsible for all our thoughts, feelings, and actions. When we’re able to satisfy our Unconscious Motivators, we are positive, productive, and our highest performing selves — our Best Selves.
INTERESTING FACT: Our Unconscious Motivators are like the underwater part of an iceberg, occupying significant space in our brains and holding a vast amount of concealed, yet crucial information.
? Find out more at PaulHertzGroup.com

The Collaborative Way
The Collaborative Way is a designed way of relating to one another that harnesses the collective intelligence, imagination, and spirit of a company’s team. When its eight fundamentals are practiced consistently, it results in a faster and more agile organization, extraordinary teamwork, and a more satisfying work environment — an enviable strategic advantage in a changing global marketplace.
INTERESTING FACT: Our entire team of over 100 is now working to integrate The Collaborative Way into our everyday lives (work and home) in how we listen, speak, support, commit, appreciate, include, and align.
? Find out more at collaborativeway.com

DISC
Based on four basic personality types or temperaments, DISC provides the clues to why we most often feel, think and act the way we do, which is helpful to know as part of a larger team in an ever-changing entrepreneurial company. Understanding our DISC assessment can mean better results, more fun, more peace, and better understanding and less frustration when working with others.
INTERESTING FACT: The DISC model breaks the four main types of personality styles into its letters. “D” stands for Dominant, Direct, Doer. “I” stands for Inspiring, Interesting, Impulsive. “S” stands for Supportive, Steady, Stable. “C” stands for Cautious, Competent, Careful.
? Find out more at discpersonalitytesting.com






FREE EBOOK!



Learn 8 key strategies for exponential growth and true freedom as an entrepreneur from top entrepreneur coach Dan Sullivan.



DOWNLOAD “THE SELF-MANAGING COMPANY” »


The post A Solid Foundation For Major Growth: 5 Resources For Entrepreneurs appeared first on The Multiplier Mindset Blog.
Source: New feed

Tips From The Top: Build Your Own Brand

In the spirit of Global Entrepreneurship Week, we invited Strategic Coach clients to share their secrets to success. The fourth in the series is written by Rob Saik, founder and CEO of Agri-Trend in Calgary, Alberta.
Everyone can pinpoint a moment when they’ve stumbled upon words of wisdom that altered their life path. Like a key opening a lock, it’s as if something just clicks, and all of a sudden, everything makes sense.
I fondly remember the words that were a game changer for me: “Build your own brand.”
These words came from Jack Donald, former president and CEO of Parkland Fuel Corporation, Canada’s largest independent marketer of fuels.
I was forty-one at the time, and I remember sitting next to Jack in awe. I had come to a crossroads in my career, not sure if I should take the harder route and go out on my own or merge with another company, and the wisdom he shared gave me the courage I needed to take the next step.
Our conversation about establishing a personal brand, even with the temptation of falling under a larger corporation, had a profound impact on me. I realized the importance of constructing a brand that would maintain the integrity of my vision. I built a brand, and a culture, and I’ll always defend it.
Agri-Trend Inc. was built and grown with a concentrated effort on extending my personal vision of the perfect brand. It was about much more than a logo to me.
I asked myself, “How do our clients feel? What tone does our company set with them? What is the culture around the brand? Is our team proud of what we’re doing?”
Regardless of who we’re collaborating with, we wanted our own message to stand out. We’re about fun, professionalism, pride, and, all in all, being a cutting-edge firm.
It’s important to me to be true to myself and my passion. My business revolves around who I am as a person, and I’m focused on creating value extending far beyond my company to the broader community by being a champion for agriculture.
My decision to trust my gut and listen to the advice from my mentor allowed me to grow Agri-Trend to meet my personal values—a good indication that success aligns with who are we internally. It’s a lesson in life and business.

The post Tips From The Top: Build Your Own Brand appeared first on The Multiplier Mindset.
Source: New feed

You’re Surrounded By Mentors. Why Not Ask, Learn, And Grow?

In the spirit of Global Entrepreneurship Week, we invited Strategic Coach clients to share their secrets to success. The third in the series is written by Gary Klaben, President of Coyle Financial Counsel, Inc. in Glenview, Illinois. Gary also coaches workshops for Strategic Coach in Chicago.
A lot of people hate asking for help. Yet I’m very aware that learning from others has been a huge factor in my success as an entrepreneur, and I believe you can benefit from the guidance of a mentor at any stage of your career.
Who knows everything?
Sure, asking for help takes humility and makes you feel vulnerable. But I look at it this way: Just because I’ve been on this earth for 56 years, that doesn’t mean I know everything.
Learning from someone who is more knowledgeable and experienced in an area than I am, and could be of great help, is such a tremendous opportunity that it overrides the feelings of humility and vulnerability pretty much every time.
A vital characteristic of a successful entrepreneur.
And, of course, I don’t know everything. I do know, though, that being open to change and new ideas is vitally important for any entrepreneur, and I’ve seen the results that it’s created in my own career.
I feel very strongly that anybody I meet can help me. It doesn’t matter their station in life, their age, education, or experience level.
Say we have a new hire joining us straight out of college. Inevitably someone will remark, “Well, we’ll have to teach her a lot.” And my response to that is, “Yeah, but what does she have to teach us?”
Everyone has stuff to offer—especially if we give them a chance and ask, “What do you think?”
4 steps to learning something new.
Anytime I’ve wanted to learn something, I’ve done four things: seek out a “best in class” expert who’s figured out the area I’m trying to master, ask them for help, listen, and then try out what they say to do—without question—and see how it works.
I’m not afraid to ask for help, fail, or have things blow up in my face. It’s all part of learning, and it hasn’t hurt me once in my life. All it’s done is give me a lot more skills and the ability to be a lot better at what I do.

The post You’re Surrounded By Mentors. Why Not Ask, Learn, And Grow? appeared first on The Multiplier Mindset.
Source: New feed

How To Be A Successful Entrepreneur

There’s no point in being an entrepreneur and doing it half-heartedly. If you don’t go at it full-bore, you get caught between two worlds with none of the advantages of either. In order to be successful, you need to shift your thinking and behaviors about who you are and what your intended future will look like.
There’s no alternative.
Back in 1978, just four years after I’d gone out on my own, I went bankrupt because I just hadn’t learned yet how to be a successful entrepreneur. I went to see my bank manager, who was a very nice man, but he’d been a banker for 30 years, and it was the only world he knew. In our meeting, he said to me, “Why don’t you stop this nonsense? You’re a writer, you’re an artist. Why don’t you go back and get a job?”
“Because there’s just no possibility of that,” I answered.
“Well,” he said, “I guess that’s the difference between an entrepreneur and someone in my position: I believe there are always alternatives.”
I replied, “No, there’s no alternative. Whatever pain or hardship I have to go through, I’ll go through it until I’ve learned whatever I need to learn in order to become really successful.”
Arriving at this decision signified a real shift in my thinking, because from that point forward, I simply couldn’t be distracted. I wasn’t open to alternatives—I was going for it.
“There’s no point in being a half-hearted entrepreneur.” – Dan SullivanClick To Tweet
Make the commitment — and don’t look back.
I’m reminded of the Greek generals who, on reaching enemy shores, sent their men into battle and ordered their own boats to be burned. They said, “The only way we’re sailing back to Greece is in their boats.”
That’s a very entrepreneurial attitude. What the generals did was cut off the alternatives. They decided in the literal sense of the word “decide,” which shares the same Latin root as “homicide”: “to kill.” When you truly decide, you kill off the alternatives. They’re no longer available to you.
Many human beings never make a fundamental decision about anything and thereby deprive themselves of the enormous motivation and focus that come from fully committing yourself to an endeavor.
It’s not about you anymore.
One of the key things I learned since making those first two decisions—that there was no alternative and that I would persist until I’d learned how to be successful—is that it can’t be about you.
If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, your business has to be about using your talent to help someone else move toward their goals so their life becomes better. Then, as a result of creating that value, you’re rewarded.
This is where the money proposition comes in. It’s a loop: You create value, you’re rewarded, you create more value, you receive a bigger reward. And it all comes down to mastering the right attitudes.
If you want to know how to be a successful entrepreneur, start with making these three resolutions:

Decide that there is no alternative.
Commit to going through whatever it takes to learn how to be successful.
Realize that it’s not about you.

When you have these attitudes, the world suddenly looks different. It’s not about your security; it’s about their opportunity. There’s a simplicity that enters your life when you realize that.


Greater productivity = greater success.

Learn how the top coach to entrepreneurs achieves his most productive workday.
GET YOUR COPY NOW! »



The post How To Be A Successful Entrepreneur appeared first on The Multiplier Mindset.
Source: New feed