Behind every great relationship there is:
It’s not rocket science. It’s simple.
Treat people the way you expect to be treated.
Show up with a growth mindset and a willingness to open up.
Don’t take life so seriously.
It’s amazing how great a relationship can be when you keep the simple things top of mind.
The most cherished sports dynasties in the world are coveted because of a long run of winning outwardly.
But it’s the things that nobody talks about that makes them a dynasty.
Putting in the reps on the practice field, mostly on the fundamentals.
Supporting each other when players had an off night.
Trusting them when the game is on the line.
Never talking trash about their teammates.
Leaving them alone when they need it.
Being their biggest cheerleader.
Being a shoulder to cry on.
Relationships are like sports dynasties, in a way. The great ones have a long track record of “winning” because they are built on the foundation of trust, respect, support, and communication.
It’s not about perfection.
It’s about showing up time after time.
Together.
As a team.
What is it that makes us feel so sure about some people while others are hard to figure out and they make it difficult for us to bring them into our circle?
It’s about showing up.
It’s showing up with energy and attention.
It’s showing up when they know we need them.
It’s showing up when it’s not convenient.
It’s showing up with acceptance and an open mind.
It’s sometimes showing up and being silent.
It’s trust and respect at its core.
It’s understanding that it’s mutually beneficial for both parties.
It can’t always be one-sided.
Life has many small forks in the path. We never can know which direction will lead to which future state so we have to rely on the energy we feel, the knowledge we have, and the intuition that has guided us before.
We have to rely on our “in the moment” decision-making and not hesitate when the answer is clearly in front of us.
We have to have confidence and conviction that this is the right thing to do even when the butterflies are sending our body into an unknown spiral of emotions.
That’s the feeling we want to have.
It helps us know it’s the right one.
It helps us trust the direction the compass is steering us.
The decision isn’t that hard anymore.
The fork in the road becomes much clearer to navigate.
They say sales is like dating.
Because customer success is like marriage.
If we’re not always checking in on things, communicating when we notice changes, and being open and transparent about needing or wanting help, things start to break down.
Sometimes it can be salvaged, many times it cannot.
Once respect is lost we almost never get it back.
The partnership has a deep wedge in it now.
Sometimes the best option is to part ways, even if there is a lot of history of great times because the divide cannot be repaired.
It’s too weakened.
It’s too damaged.
The bond, which was once tight, has softened and cracked.
We have to recognize that, at times, other people will be an impairment to our positive psyche. We yearn so much for their approval and want to be looked at as worthy in their eyes.
Whether they are stories we make up in our heads or actual feedback, we care what others think of us and we let it affect our mood and shape our reactions.
This is where having a core group of trusted peers and mentors becomes monumental. They become our sounding board for ideas, inspiration, and direction. This allows us to block out the other noise and focus on the opinions of those we trust, respect, and care about.
Progress can happen when we trust our judgement with the path we want to venture down but have trusted guides for when we happen to veer off it. When we stay focused on the steps ahead, the noise of the naysayers becomes muted.
The path forward becomes much clearer and quieter.
We either want to be in the driver’s seat or kick back and relax as a passenger.
We can make it that binary.
Are we taking action or stalling?
Are we carving out our path forward or following what others tell us to do?
Are we in control of our emotions or react to every situation?
Do we tell ourselves when it’s time to stop or are we influenced by the judgment of others?
If we happen to be in the passenger seat at this moment then there’s no better time to try and take the wheel. We may not be able to control the outcome of what happens but we can control our effort and action toward completing the objective we believe in.
We get to become the main character in our own story if we just take the wheel and have the courage to lead.
It won’t be easy, it never is, but it’ll be worth it once we get a little further ahead.
We have to have the courage to try.
We never know if it’ll be the right path until we connect the dots looking backward. So we have to just put our foot on the gas and trust it’ll work out.
As the great Bobby Frost famously wrote, “I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference.”
EPISODE 186: High-Performance Coach | Author, Name That Mouse: Because the Elephant Isn’t The Only Animal In The Room
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Episode 186 brings back former guest David Wood (episode 144) to discuss his new book, “Name That Mouse: Because The Elephant Isn’t The Only Animal In the Room”.
Learn More About The Book: https://focus.ceo/mouse/
David has a special gift for all of the listeners: www.myfocusgift.com
Find David Online:
Website: http://focus.ceo/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/focus-ceo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_focusceo
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/_focusceo
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ExtraordinaryFocuswithDavidWood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/extraordinaryfocus
Medium: https://www.facebook.com/playforrealll
About David:
After his life as a consulting actuary to Fortune 100 Companies, David built the world’s largest coaching business, becoming #1 on Google for “life coaching.”
Discovering that Shiny-Object-Syndrome is an epidemic among high performers, David coaches rock-star business owners to double revenue, achieve more in less time, and be a more extraordinary entrepreneur, partner, parent, and leader.
……..
If you enjoyed this interview you may also like my first interview with David on the Just Get Started Podcast –David Wood on Episode #144
The frustrating thing when you are selling anything is that sometimes the person buying doesn’t always work on the same timeline or priority level you want it to be at.
Although you may think highly of your product it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s high on their list right now.
Empathy and respect for others’ situations go a long way in establishing trust which in turn provides more transparency in our interactions with others.
More transparency means we may not always like the decision or length of time it takes to bring the partnership together but we can at least be confident we’ll get the full story and not be left hanging.
Sales are hard but if we also remember that sales are human it can make it a lot easier to step across the aisle and put ourselves in their shoes for a minute. If we can understand what they might be dealing with we now can take the role of an advisor or friend versus a salesperson.
In the end, everyone wins that way.
There are definitely times we need to be alone. Sometimes we need a breather from everyone else. Disconnecting from the world can be healthy for our mental state.
But, we shouldn’t hang out there too long. There are tremendous benefits from being around people who are on our side and support us. We all strive for belonging and we benefit from being able to converse with people that can listen and help us when we need it.
But, ultimately, we have to take the leap and ask for that help because most people may not know that we need it. That can be the hardest thing to do. Asking, reaching out a hand, being vulnerable. We think it makes us look weak but it can be one of the most courageous things we can do.
Next time we are scared, helpless, or feeling off a bit we have to try and take a leap of faith and be courageous. Phone a friend. Ask for help. It’s amazing how quickly they’ll jump to be there for us.
In these circumstances, the opportunities that can come from working as a team far outweigh anything we can do alone.
We hear slogans like “Taste the feeling”, “That’s what I like”, “They’re Gr-r-reat” and hundreds of other slogans in marketing ads across the world.
But, we can all agree, none of these products as well as a host of others are very healthy. So while their slogans may be clever and get us thinking and feeling a certain way, the results paint a vastly different picture. What we get by consuming these products is far different than the message we receive.
We have to keep this in mind as we build new relationships. In early encounters, people may talk a certain way and present a picture of themselves that differs from what our intuition is telling us. Dig deeper and look at the actions versus the words coming out of their mouth.
How are they treating us and others? Does their story add up or are there holes? Are they playing games?
We all try to make a memorable first impression but some people can be deceptive in their approach. Be sure to look behind the curtain and not always take the words someone is saying as fact. They may be hiding something.
They may be selling us a brand that is quite different than the product we end up receiving.
