Think of a successful business leader that you admire. He or she probably makes it look effortless, even flawless. Success looks so easy from the outside. But, let’s talk about what success really feels like on the inside.
You’ve probably seen a bald eagle or other raptor circling in a thermal, gaining altitude with every turn. As a hang glider pilot, I’ve soared like those birds, and climbed hundreds (even thousands) of feet! From the ground, that looks effortless and flawless too. Well, I can tell you it isn’t.
Do you know what success really feels like? It’s not effortless. And it’s not flawless either. It’s a turbulent, trashy, ride to success! Sometimes you feel like a total failure. But it’s part of the ride – so don’t avoid the turbulence! Instead, develop a long view and don’t expect success every step of the way:
- If you mishandle an employee conflict, learn from it and explain you’ll do better next time.
- When one training session doesn’t make your team awesome, keep developing them!
- Is the budget out of whack this month? Set a plan to bring it into line next month.
- Don’t let a bad day blindside you. Tomorrow will be different.
- Think of your setbacks as free education – you have to learn in order to excel.
- Keep your eye on the long view when you’re in one of those slumps.
You haven’t failed until you quit. Those challenges and setbacks are the times you HAVE to keep trying! It’s a bumpy ride – that’s what success really feels like. You’ll make it. You haven’t peaked yet!