Abundance: Big Picture & Long-Term Mindset Drives Success

Scarcity kills your aptitude to increase surface area for success

Zero to One: Think for yourself

I’m enjoying reading some of the great business books, so thought I would listen to one this weekend as well. “Zero to One”, by Peter Thiel was as good as advertised. This book has so much perspective from what real business is actually like and what works to accomplish great things, and also has some great views back into the PayPal Mafia and great stories of monopolies, Microsoft, Google, etc. Great to hear some of the fundamentals from one of the greatest builders and investors of the modern era.

Here are a few of the quotes and thoughts from “Zero to One”:

• “Bureaucratic hierarchies move slowly and entrenched interests shy away from risk. In the most dysfunctional organizations, signaling that work is being done, becomes a better strategy for career advancement then actually doing work. If this describes your company, you should quit now”

• “The first step to thinking clearly is to question what we think we know about the past”

• “The most contrarian thing of all is not to go against the crowd but to think for yourself”

• Losing sight of what you’re working towards is dangerous

• “The Challenge of the Future”

• “All Happy Companies are Different”

• “You are not a lottery ticket”

• “Follow the money”

• “Foundations”

• “No company has a culture, every company is a culture”

• “the future won’t happen on its own”, “it’s up to us”

• “find singular ways to create the new things that will make the future not just different, but better. To go from Zero to One. The essential first step is to think for yourself.”

Recently, I have experienced a tidal wave of introspection about what matters in business and what the keys to success are for the 3Ps: performance, partnership, and profitability. Reconnecting with industries, companies, and people from years ago has triggered some connectivity of past experience coupled with refreshed perspective.

Business Principles

Discover the power of core business methodology for a service-based business

1. Customer obsession must be paramount with your external and conscious mindset for each individual contributor, while leadership must prioritize employee satisfaction over customer demands

2. Intentional action, killing busyness making way for business

3. Commitment- on the bus or off the bus

4. Time kills all deals, but also allows for real sustainable growth in day-to-day business - move with sense of urgency, but not in haste

5. Everything is a test, how you respond shows your ability to learn, adapt, and overcome

6. Love the process, finding joy in the practice and activity, don’t get caught up by outcomes only

7. Win, with a positive sum mindset

8. Hungry, but not desperate

9. Do good, get good - great work yields great outcomes and incentives

10. Give so much it’s uncomfortable for those getting, they will find a way to repay you

Growth Enablers

Attributes for exceptional business results, through core character traits

1. Do what you said you were going to do

2. Credibility and reputation builds trust

3. Produce results - performance at a winning championship level

4. Show up and deliver - don’t shy away from opportunity and come through for others

5. Be kind, it pays off in the long run

6. Do things the right way, expect the best and deliver the best

7. Choose your hard- if it’s worth it, it’s highly unlikely that it’s easy. Lean into what’s hard that’ll make you great

8. Quality work, striving for excellence through serving others

9. Take smart risks, with continuous improvement layered in your daily operations

Moving Forward

So what does this mean…there are so many key principles and growth characteristics that can be considered and it’s important for you to distill what’s important to you, but the exercise of going through this and boiling down aspects like core values, vision, purpose, has so much power and can yield power beyond the words themselves, or even the definitions, but the connectivity the thought and feeling brings from the exercises and the connection to your business. Choose purposefully…these words, may steer your business in the right direction, or the wrong direction.

Hopefully, this added a little value to your business or your career. Thank you for reading. Please repost or share with someone who may benefit from this edition.

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