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I often begin a coaching conversation with business
people, leaders, and entrepreneurs with the question,
"Do you want to be great?"
Usually the response is a perplexed look and a question
of their own such as, "what do you mean by that?",
or a comment such as, "well it all depends on
what you are talking about." Most people are
reluctant to go into such a conversation without a
lot of questions and qualifications. For many their
reluctance stems from the belief that such a conversation
would be a sign of arrogance or self-importance and
they do not want to make any such claims or entertain
any such aspirations.
Others don't know if they would want to go through
all the work, difficulty, and responsibility that
pursing "greatness" would require. Others
just do not aspire to any such thing and might wonder
about the character and compassion of anyone who would
seek to be "great" or be the "greatest."
But the question remains, "do you want to be
great?"
If you seek greatness, as you build a better
a better you, there will be difficult times. Let me
explain.
I looked him right in the eye and said, "Remember,
adversity is part of the plan." It
was a coaching reminder of a personal truth that has
been confirmed by many colleagues and clients. Success
in any worthwhile endeavor comes through hard work
and persistence in the face of great difficulty. Men
and women who are worthy of our trust and who have
the wisdom to make good decisions, have been through
the fire.
The man on the other side of the table was a small
business owner. He was seeking to understand how we
would get through the high anxiety of his present
situation. He wanted to stop working "in"
his business so much, and start working on it. He
wanted to be a leader of his business. He was also
going through a cash flow crunch that gave him the
regular 2AM wake-up calls. He heard my comment, looked
up and smiled, and said, "that explains it then."
It may be easily explained but it is not easy to endure.
Disappointment, discouragement, and defeat are all
a part of the pathway to greatness. As Scott Peck
said in his classic book, The Road Less Traveled,
"Life is Difficult." Indeed it is; and
greatness comes only to those who do not flee from
that which is fearful and difficult, but smile and
embrace it as "part of the plan."
Do you believe that true greatness only comes to those
who persevere when the going gets tough? Do
you have friends, colleagues and coaches to support
you through the adversity that will come your way?
Stan Hustad is a
performance coach to leaders and entrepreneurs in
our industry. He is the author of YOU
Make the Difference: The Financial
Advisors Performance Guide to Marketing You!
He provides one-on-one coaching and group presentations
to help insurance and financial advisors perform at
their best and market themselves with confidence,
creativity, and high impact. Ask him about his popular
program Marketing YOU, Attracting Clients,
Making More Money & Having Fun!
You can reach him at 1.888.786.5786 stan@ptmgroup.com
www.ptmgroup.com
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