'What Drives us to Succeed?'  

26th February 2004

“What Drives us to Succeed?”

 

Late last year, the BOSS Program facilitated a very inspiring and enlightening event, “What Drives Us To Succeed”. We brought together a wonderful panel of five entrepreneurs and high achievers all with very different but equally inspiring stories, to share their journeys and their trials and tribulations along the way.

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Our panel captured the audience with stories of failure and success. Nick Green (Dual Olympic Gold Medallist) and our business owners, shared with us the hurdles they have faced in striving to achieve their goals and ambitions, what keeps them focused when things go wrong, (whether it be in a personal or professional capacity), and the wisdom of hindsight – what to do and what not to do in the future.

 

Apart from skill and experience, our five speakers all illustrated two fundamental attributes that we all need when we are striving to achieve the very best that we can – determination and passion for what we are doing and what we believe in.

 

 

Nick Green – Dual Olympic Gold Medallist.

“When you are out on the river at 5.00am on a very cold and wet winter’s morning, wondering ‘what am I doing here’, mentally you need to know exactly why you are out there; the answer is because you want to win, you want to be the best, you want that success. If you are completely focused on achieving your goal, then that is why you are out there on a cold and wet winter’s morning.”

 

Break down the big picture into achievable goals.  Nick demonstrated this by his explanation of how his team won Olympic Gold, twice. By setting an overall goal as a team, each of them had to achieve an individual goal. They knew that by improving the time on each stroke, they would collectively reach their necessary best, with “small measurable strokes”. Big picture, small achievable goals.

MD & entrepreneur – technology companies 
- Be totally honest with yourself and your staff.

- Don’t be passive when you need to be pro-active.

- Identify and work with your strengths and weaknesses

- Be very careful in your selection of business managers and your team overall.             

- Monitor your cash flow very closely, and very regularly.

- Don’t let emotions interfere with the operation of your business. We all have situations and times in life when things happen in our personal lives very unexpectedly.  If someone needs to step out of the business unexpectedly, make sure that there is someone else to step in to keep the wheels turning.

 

 

MD – Textile Importer

-          The buck stops with you. At the end of the day, you are driving and are ultimately responsible.

-          Always look at a glass as half full, not half empty.

-          When things aren’t going according to plan, you must always keep going, just take one step at a time.

-          Always take the opportunity to turn a negative into a positive.

-          Choose your management carefully.

-          Always play to win.

-          Face the crossroads.

-          Have safety nets in place for if and when you may fall over.

-          Believe in yourself and that you are doing the right thing.

-          Be honest and always act with integrity.

-          Be passionate about your work.

 

MD – Media company (the only female in the group, & the youngest entrepreneur)

-          Integrity and honesty – always ‘carry’ these principals with you – in both your professional and personal life.

-          The truth always shines through.

-          Always keep going.

-          If you are having difficulties with cash flow, make payment plans. If necessary, talk to your creditors; the bills will still get paid, and they will respect your honesty, rather than not dealing with the situation.

-          Be brave and confront what’s difficult, but be honest and you will always get through to the other side.

-          Chase what’s really important and the money will follow.

-          In the face of adversity, always look at the situation as a challenge.

-          Motivated, enthusiastic and supportive leaders will create a happy, loyal and enthusiastic work environment (and ultimately money in the bank).

 

MD – Leading Real Estate Company

-          Don’t allow your ego to stop you from being involved at all levels. As their ‘leader/manager’ your staff will develop a greater respect for you.

-          Customer service and relationships. Imperative to respect the importance and value of both in business, toward both your staff and your customers/clients. Without successful relationships and 100% service all the time, business will suffer.

-          Why have a Dog and Bark Too? Allow your staff to do the job that you have asked them to do.

-          Always aim to have a ‘bread and butter’ line in business, to provide regular (monthly) cash flow; this is very important if business is otherwise quieter.

-          However, don’t ever rely on one source, always look at all your opportunities.

-          Set yourself realistic targets.

-          Set yourself realistic goals, and they will be realistically achievable.

-          Keep focused on your goals; when you know what they are; even in ‘your darkest hours, you know what it is that keeps you going.

-          KNOW your break even. You ALWAYS aim for higher income, lower outgoings.

-          Understand your business, and the accounting within it: P & L, Expenditure and Trading Patterns. Analyse these regularly.

-          Understand what keeps you going. (School fees??…)

-          Don’t try to cover all your bases and move forward. Sometimes you need to just take the belief you have in yourself that taking the risk is the right thing to do.

-          “Walk to the cliff and jump”. Take a leap of faith every now and again.