7 Habits

I had no idea that there were so many motivational books about business. In 7 Habits the two habits that have the most meaning to me are Habit 2 – Begin with the end in mind and Habit 3 – Put first things first. Habit 2 helped me re-evaluate my leadership.

“No management success can compensate for failure in leadership.”

There are times I allow myself to overlook the lack of leadership in a project because of apparent successes. After reading this qoute I analyzed a department at work to see if our sales were driven by leadership or if we just got lucky. Sadly the leadership was lacking. I think this is a great exercise to keep in mind when evaluating my team.

Habit 3 reminds me of the importance of putting things into perspective.

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least” Goethe

The six criteria of quadrant 2 time management skills and the four key activities are now posted in my office. Time management is key to success in retail. Daily flexibility and adaptability in achieving goals is one of my strengths. Defing my goals and scheduling time to meet them are two of my oportunities.

The last qoute I liked…

“Management is doing thing right, leadership is doing the right things.” Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis

Da Vinci once said: “You will never have a greater or lesser dominion than that over yourself.” Then he goes on to say that “the height of a man’s success is gauged by his self-mastery; the depth of his failure by his self-abandonment. … And this law is the expression of eternal justice. He who cannot establish dominion over himself will have no dominion over others”

-        As a leader I need to be able to have dominion over myself. How do I do so?

Microsoft’s Bill Gates built a multibillion-dollar business without a breakthrough product.

-        I had always thought I needed a breakthrough idea or product.

As you begin a new career, think of yourself as being on a scavenger hunt with three bags labeled “industry knowledge,” “running a business” and “capital.”

This week I am finding my entrepreneurial spirit. I need to be careful however. I am one that likes to skip the process of planning and preparing. This is the part of having dominion over myself that I need to master. I don’t want to jump into a business without being prepared. I am learning the differences between a manager and a leader. I am looking forward to seeing how having both skill sets are needed and how to develop both. 

Three important questions

   I am looking forward to learning how to have confidence in myself to run a business. I am confident in my management skills. I am confident in my leadership skills. I am confident in my sales skills. How come I am not confident in myself to own my own business? Maybe I am limiting what kinds of businesses I can own. In “A Hero’s Journey” I learned how to find out what I can do and what I want to do. I am hoping the three questions will help me in this process.

               1. Have I contributed something meaningful?

               2. Was I a good person?

               3. Who did I love and who loved me?

I feel like I can do this in my career but I am not sure how to transfer it to my own business. I may be overthinking the process. I have not asked five people about my greatest skills but what I think I will be told are my soft skills. I always gravitate to training opportunities and coaching and developing. My challenge is to research how to use these skills.

               Another valuable lesson from “A Hero’s Journey” was on ethics. Writing a message in a bottle type letter for a future temptation at first seemed like a waste of time. Upon pondering it I realized it would be easier to give myself advice now instead of trying to rationalize a temptation at a later time. 

Deconstructing Fears

Week 3 Entrepreneurial Journal

Questions from Deconstructing Your Fears

1. If you pursue your calling with discipline, intentionality, and the help of fellow travelers, what are the chances that your worst case scenario will really happen?

I think my scenarios could happen either way but I feel a little better after pondering on them. They aren’t devastating. Another worry I have is how do I know what I am good at. After watching Tom Kelly’s video I plan on keeping a lab notebook on myself.

 2. As you look at your list of fears, what themes emerge? What is at the core of what you really fear? Financial ruin? The judgment or disapproval of others? Physical harm? Endangering the ones you love? Embarrassment?

I think my biggest worry is not being able to provide for my family. I am not able to give them the all the things I would like to now and worry that I would harm their future.

3. What is the risk of taking no action – not following your calling? How do you plan to deal with fear when it pops up on your entrepreneurial journey?

I haven’t mastered this yet. My strength is my wife and her faith in me.

What impacted me this week?

1. I need to answer the question if I want to be an entrepreneur or not. One of the greatest pleasures in my current job is described in Clayton M. Christensen’s article.

“Management is the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well. No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team.”

Is this pleasure even greater as an entrepreneur?

2. How can I know what I am good at?

               Action – Keep a lab notebook on myself – when am I at my best

Reference – Tom Kelly

What did I learn ?

1.      I can’t be afraid to fail. There cannot be success without failure.