I Take The Lead
The Freedom to grow your business!

If you are networking, chances are you own a business.  You will want to read the following article by Abigail Dougherty.  BeckyAs I’ve admitted before, my definition of a “business” book is broader than most publishers’. Because I read over 200 nonfiction books a year, it means I’ve read several on leadership, sales, marketing, management, etc. The more I read, the clearer it becomes that there is no single precise formula for success in business. Most of the books agree on six key attributes needed to be successful. They might name them differently, but the fundamentals are the same.SkillThis is usually the easiest one. Sane people do not start a business unless they have a certain level of qualification in that field, either by experience, education or certification. If you are a carpenter, travel agent, coach, lawyer or dog groomer, somewhere along the way you’ve picked up the necessary abilities to do that work.VisionGoing into business for yourself requires a vision of what you want from life that is greater than the relative security of working for a paycheck. The vision could be about freedom, about creativity, about flexibility of where and when you work, and who you work with. It could be as simple as the change you want to bring to the world. Without vision we cannot run our business; it will always run us. PersonalityOf all the attributes for business success, this, to me, is the most controversial. Sometimes charisma is mistaken for the ability to lead. Sadly, leadership isn’t always combined with integrity and competence. When it is, it’s a fabulous combination for success. Too often, key qualities are missing and we see the business fail in a headline-blazing fashion.CreativityThis is the ability to find, engage, and listen to our customers so we can understand what they WANT to solve problems or save themselves pain. Creativity includes being able to keep that dialogue going as tastes or the problems they face change. Being a buggy whip maker in the age of automobiles could limit your business success, unless you are Jedediah’s Buggy Whip Maker, who has carved out a unique niche in what most believe is a dead industry. Creativity helps you get through any barrier to your success. That might mean going over, under, around or through the obstacles that pop up. This is where Master Mind groups are invaluable. Often we are too close to the problem to see the solution that is obvious to someone in a different industry.DeterminationI was listening to an interview of a well-known speaker who, early in his career, was asked to work with an inner-city youth group to help them develop self-esteem. He was wise enough to help them acknowledge that they faced challenges, that people have faced similar challenges in the past, and that similar challenges will continue in the future. This speaker’s message to these youths was, “Now you know the challenges, succeed anyway!” We can all produce a litany of excuses for not being successful. We’re human: as long as we are alive we will have challenges. We can use them as our excuse to not succeed or we can use determination and creativity to succeed anyway.ActionIt’s probably not surprising that action is often the hardest step for business owners. Purposeful action to attract clients, to book business, to earn revenue, and to ensure the clients become your fan club is significantly different from activities. Business owners too often believe that it’s their job to do everything in the business. Successful business owners figure out where they add the most value to the business and find ways to delegate the rest to a third party, an employee or a virtual assistant. Remember, delegation retains your control. Abdication means you’ve abandoned part of your business to someone else’s priorities.What’s Your Formula?Skill, vision, personality, creativity, determination, and action are all essential building blocks of business success. How much of each that is required for your success is completely individual to your business and your market. No matter how your formula reads, ACTION is the essential ingredient to ALL success.

 “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing.  Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”

Leonardo DaVinci

 © 2010  Straight Edge NewsWANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? Check our website: Straight Edge Solutions.WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Abigail Dougherty, PCC, is the founder of Straight Edge Solutions, a Professional Certified Coach, Business Process Expert and Motivational Speaker. To read more articles by Abigail and learn more about her work, please visit her website, StraightEdgeSolutions.com or contact Abigail at Abigail@StraightEdgeSolutions.com.