Tribe Gathering

Welcome to the Tribe’s huddle.

This is where we’ll share what’s new and how you can get involved.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to introduce yourself. We’d love to know what you’re working on, and I’m sure you have some ideas for us too.

To get your picture to display, all you need to do is register your email address with Gravatar. It’s really simple and takes just a couple clicks. Get started here.

What’s New?

Are you a Go-Giver?

Do you feel like you’re working harder and faster, but your goals are still getting farther away?

This week, I re-read an outstanding book, The Go-Giver by Bob Burg. I was reminded to pick it up again after hearing his interview with my good friend Meron Bareket. (Click here if you’d like to listen in to their insightful conversation.)

“Most people just laugh when they hear that the secret to success is giving . . .  Then again, most people are nowhere near as successful as they wish to be.”

Through an entertaining parable, the Go-Giver reveals the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success:

  1. The Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
  2. The Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
  3. The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
  4. The Law of Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
  5. The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

This week, challenge yourself to apply the first law to your business or work transactions.

Have you chosen where you’ll cheat?

We’re taught from an early age that all cheating is bad, but one of my mentors recently spoke about reframing that.

The reality is that unexpected things will happen and our priorities will collide. Do we stay home with a sick child or make an important client meeting? Do we take extra time to coach a colleague through a tough assignment, knowing it will make us late for dinner? Do we get up early to workout, or take the extra sleep?

In our recent conversation, Ron Kitchens shared how he encourages his employees to “choose to cheat.” When work and family get tangled, they’re expected to “cheat” on work and put family first. To his organization, it’s an important component of wellness.

His message arrived just in time for me as several of my worlds collided last week. Work demands increased, and I didn’t want to sacrifice my family commitments or my health (sleep and workouts), so I chose to “cheat” on this project. I decided the combined 8 hours for this weekly dispatch and the Thursday podcast would be better elsewhere. It was painful, but it was absolutely the right decision.

Ready for your assignment?

Take a moment and think about where your priorities often conflict. Can you decide in advance how you’ll respond? What will you sacrifice?

By deciding before the collision, you’ll significantly reduce your stress level and increase the chances of making a better decision. It’s a win-win.

If you’re a leader, you can even use it as an example for your team of how to handle work/life conflict. Your deciding gives them permission to do the same. And as Ron points out, “If an employee is all stressed out and they’re pulled in all sorts of directions, they’re not doing anybody any good. As a businessperson, it’s in my self-interest to have healthy and engaged employees.”

Here’s a brief article about how Ron guides his team’s “cheating,” and here’s the full podcast if you’d like to listen in.

The NECST Commandments for Business

In my reading, I recently came across a set of principles that I want to share with you. They represent a new level of financial and business literacy, one that we’ll need if we’re to thrive in this chaotic world.

Stop chasing money and start chasing needs… Stop thinking about business in terms of your selfish desires, whether it’s money, dreams, or “do what you live.” Instead, chase needs, problems, pain points, service deficiencies and emotions.

For your business to succeed, you’ll need to examine it against the Five Commandments:

– The Commandment of Need – are you helping your fellow humans solve their problems?
– The Commandment of Entry – how easy is it for someone else to start a similar business?
– The Commandment of Control – does something else have tremendous influence on your business?
– The Commandment of Scale – can your business eventually reach significant volume?
– The Commandment of Time – have you detached your income from your time?

– MJ DeMarco, The Millionaire Fastlane

If you can say a resounding yes to 1, 4 and 5 and “not very” to 2 and 3, you’re following the NECST Commandments of business.

Think about the business you’re in now. Think of the business you’re considering starting. How do they stack up? Ready to learn more?

Watch this Mixergy interview with MJ. He explains exactly how he built his business using these principles, and how we can apply them too.

The New Definition of Literacy

I think it’s time to redefine literacy.

I think that’s a huge part of why we’re all struggling.

As Michael Ellsberg says, “You’ve been fed a lie. The lie is that if you study hard in school, get good grades, get into a good college, and get a degree, then your success in life is guaranteed. This might have been true fifty years ago. But it is no longer true today. If you want to succeed now, then you must also educate yourself in the real-world skills, capabilities, and mindsets.”

So where do we get started?

First, watch this thought-provoking presentation from Chase Jarvis about why creativity is the new literacy. In particular, listen for what happens around 17 minutes in. (It’s about 40 minutes long, and worth every minute.)

Looking for something new to read?

Here’s what I’ve been reading lately.

I’d love to hear more about what you’re reading, and there’s a new area in the forums where we can talk about that.

Join us for #habitchat on Twitter every Wednesday at noon CST. You can get all the details here.

Other Resources