SkillInside

You can learn these precepts the way most people do--by getting them wrong and setting yourself back. But it doesn't have to be that way. And the more quickly you pick them up, the more successful you can be. Much of the knowledge we gain in business and in life we learn the hard way. But if you can learn the lessons before you make the mistakes, you can gain the advantage that much earlier-- and  free yourself from the struggle of getting it wrong. Here are 18 useful business lessons you don't have to learn the hard way: 1. Stand for something. Stand for something, even if it means standing alone. Because often times the one who flys solo has the strongest wings. 2. The antidote to stagnation is innovation. Learn to view innovation as opportunities for creativity. 3. People do business with people who make them feel special. It's an old chestnut, but it's true: The only way to get people to care about you is to care about them first. 4. In o

You can become a leader people actually want to follow, not just a leader people follow because they think they have to. Being in a leadership position doesn’t automatically make you an effective and popular leader—someone people want to follow. There are qualities you need to have and skills you must develop to become the kind of leader people want to emulate. Here the ten ways you can become a leader that people want to follow. 1. Lead with humility .  A humble leader acknowledges that they can succeed only with the help of others. Humility draws people to you not because you have all the answers, but because you recognize how much you can learn from others. 2. Have a compelling vision .   Having a vision is good, and having a purposeful vision inspires others to work toward that purpose. When you have a vision worth following, you have a group of people that stays focused and do what it takes to be successful. 3. Take responsibility.    Leaders must hold themselv

I’ve advised famous billionaires, top NBA stars, music royalty and some of the ‎most successful entrepreneurs on the planet at my annual flagship event,  The Titan Summit . If there’s a single trait they all have in common it’s the “developed ability” to remain inspired not only when conditions are easy but (especially) when everything’s falling apart. I call it a “developed ability” because keeping the passion in terrifying times is a muscle, a skill that grows greater with practice. You CAN rise to world-class in your inspiration. You just need to commit. And then put in the training time. Daily. In this volatile world, with wholesale negativity, and many focusing on the worst of humanity, it has never been so important to learn how to protect your inspiration. This hot new  Mastery Session , handcrafted with a lot of care and love for you, will help you do exactly that. Managing + maintaining your inspiration so you do iconic work, influence your field and lift our w

Inspire your customers and prospects to go from the problematic status quo to the opportunity-filled future by solving their biggest problem by purchasing your solution. To grow revenues faster than the market and competitors, you need to help them think through their issues, quantify their pain, evaluate their options and select your solution. Without proper positioning and compelling messaging, buyers will not act and you will not grow. Evaluate your brand by answering the specific questions in the How to Make Your Number in 2018  Workbook .   The questions the Brand Position and Messaging phase of the Marketing Strategy are designed to help you compare your brand to the emerging best practices for B2B brands.  Determining and developing a brand is one of the most difficult challenges facing marketers today.  What is your customer’s pain and how does your product address it? What promise are you making to the customer that they will be better off with your solution

The day started out like every other day. The bus driver went to the garage and started up his bus, just as he had done every day for many years. He drove his bus route, just as he did every day, with no problems or incidents. The bus started and stopped; people got on and got off. Around midday, however, something out of the ordinary happened: A huge, bulky man got on the bus. He looked to be nearly seven feet tall and was built like a wrestler, with long arms and heavy muscles. He was so massive that his very presence was frightening. This huge man glared at the driver and said simply, “Big John does not need to pay.” And with that, he went to the back of the bus and sat down.” The driver thought,  Who does this guy think he is? Everyone pays!  As he kept thinking, he found himself getting upset:  The audacity of this man! How dare he come on my bus and speak to me with such disrespect! The more he thought about it—and he thought about it all day—the more furious he became

Companies that succeed over the long haul continually seek innovative ways to deliver lasting value. The innovator's dilemma is ever true for legacy companies -- some are so entrenched in the things they're already good at that they fail to change and adapt. These companies, that have established themselves as a market leader over decades of a solid track record, can allow themselves to get caught in this scenario in which they are so profitable in what they've always known that they neglect to stay inventive. In other words, they get comfortable and leave innovation to emerging startups. Because they have found profitability in their typical products and offerings, some legacy companies have a difficult time allowing new ideas past the brainstorming phase, often with the argument that a new project won't be as profitable to the business initially. It's time to curb this thinking. Older companies need to be committed to creating disruption within their org

During the course of your professional career how many leaders have you come across that could be best described as a bully? How many were absolute pushovers? The fact is, being either a bully or a pushover doesn’t make for a good leader. Leaders with these characteristics don’t have a team that supports them. Instead, the most effective leaders possess assertiveness to motivate and manage their team while handling crises efficiently. But, what exactly is assertiveness and when do you use it with your team? To better understand assertiveness we first need to quickly review the four distinct communication patterns that we encounter daily: Passive:  These are the individuals who avoid conflict, get taken advantage of, and apologize often. Aggressive:  Many people view aggressive individuals as a self-righteous bully who is quick to criticize others and be dismissive of other's opinions. Passive-Aggressive:  Despite wanting to avoid confrontation, passive-aggressive peop