19 Hard Things You Need To Do To Be Successful

19 Hard Things You Need To Do To Be Successful

DAN WALDSCHMIDT, EDGY CONVERSATIONS

JAN. 14, 2014, 11:44 AM 48,437 5

You have to do the hard things.

You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.

You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.

You have to give more than get in return right away.

You have to care more about others than they care about you.

You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.

You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing if safe seems smarter.

You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.

You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.

You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.

You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.

You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.

You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts.”

You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.

You have to try and fail and try again.

You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.

You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.

You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.

You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.

You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.

You have to do the hard things. The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on.

Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success.

The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you.

The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.

Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are.

What’s Your $1 Billion Idea?

What’s Your $1 Billion Idea?

by Doug Sundheim  |   1:00 PM January 13, 2014

Anyone would be inspired by the story of Nick Woodman, the CEO of GoPro, a $2.5B company that makes wearable HD video cameras.  The highlights:

In the late 1990’s/early 2000’s, Woodman blows $4M of VC money on a failed venture called funBugs.com, an ultimately ill-conceived loyalty, sweepstakes, and entertainment website.  In 2002, unsure of what to do with his life, he takes off to surf in Indonesia and Australia.  He wants to capture live-action shots from his surfboard.  The only cost-effective way to do this is by strapping a disposable camera to his wrist with rubber bands.  Not surprisingly, it doesn’t work well. Read more of this post

The daily rituals of business builders; In my experience, very few successful founders are late risers

January 14, 2014 3:28 pm

The daily rituals of business builders

By Luke Johnson

In my experience, very few successful founders are late risers

We cannot replicate the minds of geniuses: but we can know and perhaps copy their working habits. This is the premise of a fascinating little book called Daily Rituals, by Mason Currey. He examines the schedules of artists, philosophers, writers and composers. But what about entrepreneurs, inventors and tycoons? What are theirdaily rituals? Read more of this post

Employees Who Feel Love Perform Better

Employees Who Feel Love Perform Better

by Sigal Barsade and Olivia (Mandy) O’Neill  |   11:00 AM January 13, 2014

“Love” is a not word you often hear uttered in office hallways or conference rooms. And yet, it has a strong influence on workplace outcomes. The more love co-workers feel at work, the more engaged they are. (Note: Here we’re talking about “companionate love” which is far less intense than romantic love. Companionate love is based on warmth, affection, and connection rather than passion). It may not be surprising that those who perceive greater affection and caring from their colleagues perform better, but few managers focus on building an emotional culture. That’s a mistake. could nothing if Hu did, the CRO

Read more of this post

Entrepreneur pens Chinese business savvy book

Entrepreneur pens Chinese business savvy book
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
By Chen Yingqun, China Daily/Asia News Network

BEIJING–Ambitious Chinese youngsters have long sought to learn from Western economic theories and best practice, so why don’t they tap into wisdom closer to home? Read more of this post

Finding Your Network Advantage; Companies have access to untapped value in their partnership networks, but many miss out on the available opportunities

Finding Your Network Advantage

Jan 13, 2014

Companies have access to untapped value in their partnership networks, but many miss out on the available opportunities

The decline in the fortunes of BlackBerry, the once touted leader in smartphones, could be blamed on many factors; its slow speed to market with new products, its innovation strategy or its niche markets. But one failure that particularly stands out is its lack of a strong alliance network. Read more of this post

Scientists, writers and other deep thinkers ponder a big question: What scientific idea is ready for retirement? (Hint: Watch yourselves, infinity and the universe.)

Over the Side With Old Scientific Tenets

JAN. 14, 2014

Here are some concepts you might consider tossing out with the Christmas wrappings as you get started on the new year: human nature, cause and effect, the theory of everything, free will and evidence-based medicine. Read more of this post

Why leadership-development programs fail; Sidestepping four common mistakes can help companies develop stronger and more capable leaders, save time and money, and boost morale

Why leadership-development programs fail

Sidestepping four common mistakes can help companies develop stronger and more capable leaders, save time and money, and boost morale.

January 2014 | byPierre Gurdjian, Thomas Halbeisen, and Kevin Lane

For years, organizations have lavished time and money on improving the capabilities of managers and on nurturing new leaders. US companies alone spend almost $14 billion annually on leadership development.¹ Colleges and universities offer hundreds of degree courses on leadership, and the cost of customized leadership-development offerings from a top business school can reach $150,000 a person. Read more of this post

Chen Guangbiao’s Business Card Needs to Be Recycled; Chen doesn’t appear to have devoted the same sort of effort to technology systems at his own company

Jan 14, 2014

Chen Guangbiao’s Business Card Needs to Be Recycled

By Wei Gu

Recycling tycoon Chen Guangbiao should rethink his now-famous business card. And, perhaps, he needs to rethink his use of a business card to begin with.

Read more of this post

The Leadership Revival and The Great Revival

The Leadership Revival

JAN. 13, 2014

David Brooks

If you are in politics or public life, you probably had some moment of spine-tingling transcendence. Maybe you read the Declaration of Independence or watched the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s mountaintop sermon, or read Nelson Mandela’s 1964 speech from the dock. Read more of this post

Six Steps To Becoming Hyper-Efficient

Six Steps To Becoming Hyper-Efficient

GWEN MORAN, ENTREPRENEUR
JAN. 14, 2014, 9:19 PM 2,961 1

Being on the road for more than 150 days a year has made Joseph Grenny adept at being efficient on the fly. A popular speaker, author and corporate and leadership trainer, he has developed a number of ways to make himself more efficient whether he’s in his Salt Lake City, Utah, office running VitalSmarts, the training company he co-founded, or on the road. Here, he shares six strategies that can make anyone hyper-efficient. Read more of this post

Why Parents Need To Talk To Their Kids About Math

Why Parents Need To Talk To Their Kids About Math

ANNIE MURPHY PAUL, THE BRILLIANT BLOG

JAN. 14, 2014, 9:32 AM 350

Many of us feel completely comfortable talking about letters, words and sentences with our children—reading to them at night, helping them decode their own books, noting messages on street signs and billboards. Read more of this post

Nurturing creative minds

Updated: Wednesday January 15, 2014 MYT 3:16:29 PM

Nurturing creative minds

BY DAVINA GOH

IN early 2012, a teacher and spoken-word artist friend of mine, Elaine, approached me to be part of a drama and poetry teaching project. I felt anxious, having zero experience in teaching. However, I had good working experiences with kids before, and I am a dramatic person by nature, and these instilled Elaine with enough good faith to have me on board. Read more of this post

6 Surprising Leadership Lessons From Climbing Mount Everest

6 Surprising Leadership Lessons From Climbing Mount Everest

JENNA GOUDREAU

56 MINUTES AGO 41

What does it take to stand on the top of the world? Mountaineer Alison Levine, author of new book “On the Edge: The Art of High-Impact Leadership,” knows better than most. The 47-year-old MBA and former Goldman Sachs associate has conquered the highest peak on every continent, skied to both the North and South Poles, and taken on the world’s tallest mountain twice, all with a rare heart condition.  Read more of this post