There are people that cannot shift gears from talking about it, to doing it. In business you will find them in every boardroom, every assembly line, every staff meeting, every loading dock and standing at every water cooler in the break room. These are people that are the authority of how to do it but the problem is they never actually do it.

I had a friend some years ago that was so captivating when he spoke that if you were not careful, you would start believing him. There wasn’t a subject he was not proficient at discussing. He was one of the most well learned, and informed men I have ever known. The problem is he could not get out of his own way. He talked a great game from the bleachers but never got on the field. His self-esteem seemed to be wrapped up in the number of people who would gather around to listen to him talk. If he had a crowd of attentive listeners, he was in his element. I am sure you have seen these type people as well.

The person I most want to listen to is the one who actually got on the field, buttoned up the chin strap and participated in the game. It doesn’t matter if he or she succeeded. What matters is that they tried. I think there are many many people who live their entire life talking about what would have been but they never experienced it themselves. One of the greatest joys in life is when you tried your best at something and you are exhausted on the sidelines from the effort. It is much sweeter than standing on the sidelines having only talked about it.

I have told our sales people many times not to wait until they have all the answers and all the files straight. This type person usually will not get on the field. Behind the talk is really fear that they attempt to hind through conversation. I had a broker one time that didn’t even wait until he had a business card. He just started calling and seeing people and wouldn’t you know it, he turned out to be very successful in our line of work.

Fear of failure is a devastating life companion. The more you welcome it, the more of your life it inhabits. This Christmas, give yourself a gift that will inspire you. Think of the top 5 business related calls, meetings, or introductions that scare you most and then go do all 5. The worst thing that can happen is you get turned down which is exactly what you have now. What I predict will come out of this exercise is a renewed boldness, a renewed sense of self-worth and a renewed vision for 2016. KT

I was consulting with a company recently and I was reminded of the four stages of business that I have alluded to in previous blogs. These four stages define just about every business from Apple, IBM to the cupcake store across the street.

Stage 1 – The cutting edge – This is the stage that is raw, messy and impossible to fully organize. It’s the new business stage where you go get new clients. Stage 2 – the management stage. This is where you want to manage more than you want to sell. Stage 3 is the analytical stage. This is where you want to run an analysis on how you manage. Stage 4 is you file for bankruptcy.

I don’t care if it is Walgreens, Microsoft or the local restaurant, you have to spend as much time in the new business stage as you do in the other stages. Human nature will tell you it is easier to manage others or to analyze others because stage 1 is unruly, raw and messy and you can get your feelings hurt. Some people want to talk about doing it but then there are the few that want to actually go do it. As a company, when you find these few, they are the ones you want to build a company around.

As a leader, you must have some extra space in your schedule if you want to attract new business. If you personally are running at 120% of capacity every day and every week, there will come a day when you look around and ask, what happened to the business? KT

The theme of this blog post applies to business and just about every other area in your life. Let me give you a few examples. Just because your car drove good yesterday, doesn’t mean it will drive good today; just because you were in health yesterday, doesn’t mean you will be so today; just because your job was going well yesterday, doesn’t mean it will go well today; just because you made a sale yesterday, doesn’t mean you will make another one; just because your family relationships were good yesterday etc. etc. You get the idea. The point is, life takes constant work.

I read a great business piece yesterday on Nordstrom department store and the family that started it. The business was started in 1901 by Elmer Nordstrom in Seattle. It started as a shoe store. Today, four generations later, the company is led by three co-presidents who are the great grandsons of Elmer Nordstrom.

One of the younger Nordstrom’s was being interviewed recently and he said something that really hit home for me. He said, “one hundred fourteen years of business success does not guarantee tomorrow.”

That is pretty profound if you take into consideration that this younger Nordstrom has only known success. He hasn’t seen a failure and to have that mindset is very mature and very spot on for a leader. When I think of this subject, I think of all manner of businesses from car dealers, retailers, airlines, hotels, manufacturers, restaurants, developers, etc., that are no longer even in business. There are of course mitigating circumstances with every situation but a general theme is that the business leader in charge, thought that past success would guarantee future success and therefore they didn’t need to stay with the times and stay relevant.

If a business is going to stay in business, it must evolve, grow, change and keep improving. I look at our business of selling hotels. It really doesn’t matter how many hotels we have sold in the past because if we don’t stay sharp, there is no guarantee we will sell any more. Business seems to be like that.

As I thought about this I realized that it also applies to family, spouses, health, finances, education, and even my car. I came away thinking that it really applies to most areas of all of our lives.

I heard a guy say one time that the person you will be in 5 years will be largely impacted by the books you read and the people you associate with. I’m not sure it is that simple, but it’s a good place to start. KT