Thursday, March 6, 2014

WHEN SUCCESS CAN BECOME A PROBLEM

Most know that success can create problems.  But few plan to handle the problems it causes.  Here are some great thoughts in this regard from John Maxwell and his book "Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn."

The biggest detriment to tomorrow’s success is today’s success. That problem can manifest itself in many ways. Here are the ones I’ve observed most often:

·         Been There, Done That: Some people hit a milestone, and they make it a tombstone. They get bored, lose their curiosity, and disengage. Don’t let that happen to you.

·         The Banquet Tour: When you succeed, people want to hear your story. However, there’s a real danger that you can replace doing with speaking. Consultant Gail Cooper advises, “When you win an award, set it up in the lobby and go back to work.”

·         Success Guarantees Success: Just because you can do one thing well doesn’t mean you can do all things well. When you win, maintain your perspective.

·         The Momentum Myth: People’s natural inclination after a win is to take a break. Bad idea. When you’re winning, capitalize on the momentum. You’ll be able to do things that might otherwise be impossible.

·         One-Hit Wonders: Have you ever known someone who was successful once-and is still living off of it? It’s a good idea to build off of yesterday; it’s a bad idea to live off of it.

·         The Entitlement Mind-Set: People who have something they didn’t win for themselves start thinking they are entitled to more. That’s why many inherited businesses go out of business. To keep winning, you need to stay hungry and keep learning.

·         Playing Not to Lose: After some people win, they become cautious and defensive. They worry about staying on top. Not wanting to do something stupid, they do something stupid; they focus on not losing instead of winning.