Meetings. Ever present for most in some shape or form, yet commonly ineffective and disliked by the majority. Why?

• Why do they default to an hour?
• Do we need a full hour to discuss the agenda items and make decisions? That is of course, if you get an agenda ahead of time.
• Do they need to take place every week?
• Do we need to have 17 of them to discuss the same thing over the past 6 months?
• Are the decision makers present? If not, why not?

As you can tell, there are so many questions about how and why we meet and what is the value that is expected to come out of them as a result of that invested time, effort and energy.

Greatness requires discipline. While your talents and innate abilities are outside your immediate control, what you can control is work, effort, energy and commitment. All of which require you to be disciplined and intentional with your time, responsibilities and priorities.

I love success, I do. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be successful, however you might define success for yourself.

Failing along the way is an unavoidable part of learning, improvements and growth, but to love failing is insane. While I don’t know anyone who loves to fail, one shouldn’t be afraid of taking risks, challenging themselves and trying something new. Going to places you haven’t been before is how you will see what you are truly made of and are you able to adapt, innovate, create and think differently.

Share business and career opportunities as they come your way and you are unable to capitalize on them. Also, speak the truth about those you have worked with, don’t simply “pass the buck.” Be honest and help others, in everything that you do.

Say yes to opportunities and don’t over-analyze everything that comes your way. Additionally, take every opportunity to surround yourself with intelligent and capable people. Do all you can to find ways to spend time with successful people, people you can and want to learn from and perhaps join them at their level one day. Finally, be very intentional about how and where you spend your time, efforts and energy as it mattes, a lot.

One of many ways to test out who is trustworthy and who can keep confidential information to themselves.

First, it’s not the corner office, or the title, perks, bonuses, corporate cards or cars. While all of those are nice to have (and will need to be addressed during interviews), they shouldn’t be your primary areas of focus. Instead, begin by focusing on earning the opportunity to get as close as possible to the core mission of the business you will be joining. Once you are in the mix of the very reason why that business exists, you will need to contribute and deliver value. Be creative, innovative, take (calculated at first) risks and help others (and the business overall) succeed.

Once that value has been delivered consistently, all the things mentioned above will begin to come your way. Work hard, yet remain patient and focused on your goals. Good luck!

Fear of regret is GREATER than fear of failure, always remember this.

Here are a few general areas of focus and attention for those priviledged enough to lead people:

1. Listen
2. Ask questions
3. Be honest and transparent
4. Empower them to succeed, yet allow them to fail
5. Repeat