Go Ahead and Scare Yourself

Image Credit: Pixabay

Fear is an emotion that is common in daily life. The triggers of fear and the extent to which it grips us varies from a single, quirky reaction to a debilitating phobia that hinders quality of life. In some instances, fear is healthy as it keeps us out of danger (e.g., obeying a sign that suggests we not get too close to the edge of a cliff). Other instances in which we experience fear can be an overreaction to a situation (e.g., worrying about what people will think of me when I get up to speak).

If it scares you it might be a good thing to try. Seth Godin quote

Why We Let Fear In

We can use fear as an impetus to act or excuse to withdraw. Author and marketing expert Seth Godin encourages us to allow ourselves to be scared. Are you up for doing the very thing that is the source of worry the next time you are scared ?

It is sad that we enable fear to have power over us in work, relationships, hobbies, and more. Why do we give fear free rein to hold us back? Among the reasons I have observed in my own behavior and others are:

Concern for physical safety. Worries about the effects of an activity on our physical state are among the most common phobias. A list of 10 of the most common phobias includes acrophobia (fear of heights) and aerophobia (fear of flying). Two other fears on the list, arachnophobia (fear of spiders) and ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), are rooted in fears about how these creatures could harm. Although I do not have these fears, I empathize with persons who experience them.

Concern for we are perceived. Social phobia also is on the list of the most common fears. It is a broad category encompassing just about any social situation you can imagine: public speaking, small group interaction, even dining. We are afraid that others will see us as inadequate in some way and may even ridicule our shortcomings. Fear driven by concerns for how we are perceived ultimately are tied to our ego. We do not want to embarrass ourselves because pride could take a hit.

Instead of taking physical or emotional risk, fear holds us back from doing that thing that could harm us or make us look bad. Of course, that thing could also be a source of enjoyment and fulfillment… but we may never know.

Doing that Scary Thing

If you need an example of someone following Seth Godin’s advice, let us look to a young man who overcame a debilitating fear. A video widely circulated on social media recently chronicled the story of a boy named RJ. He had a fear that many people have: aquaphobia (fear of water). RJ’s father shared two videos of the child learning how to dive into water. In the first video, RJ is terrified. My heart broke for him as his body shook while he stood on the board, unable to coax himself to dive in the water.

The second video is also of RJ on a diving board, but the outcome is dramatically different.The uncontrollable shaking no longer grips him. After a few seconds of pondering action, RJ calmly plunges into the water. He did it! My guess is his reaction was similar to other children who overcome a fear to do something for the first time: “I want to do it again.”

RJ’s journey to overcome fear is one from which we can learn. Whether a fear is legitimate or imagined, it is a fear nonetheless. We must overcome fear in order to remove it as an obstacle. RJ’s story also reminds us that we must be patient sometimes when dealing with fear. It took him two years to go from experiencing terror to diving into the pool. The first step is being open to the possibilities of overcoming a fear. RJ could have sworn to never step foot on a diving board again. If he had, the awesomeness of diving into the pool would never have happened.

One More Thing

A final takeaway from RJ’s story of overcoming aquaphobia is a reminder that we should avail ourselves of opportunities to learn from others, including children. Young people can teach us, even if they do not realize they are teaching. Thank you, RJ for showing us how to take on fear. RJ is living proof that if something scares you , it might be a good thing to try.

Casting Spells

I have read, heard, and seen countless pieces of advice and secrets of success shared by experts and leaders in 35 years immersed in the business world. While much of the information is repetitive to a degree, sometimes I came across a gem that is fresh. Such is an observation that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates shared about his rival and sometimes collaborator, Steve Jobs. In a recent interview, Gates said the following about Steve Jobs and what made him special:

I was like a minor wizard because he would be casting spells, and I would see people mesmerized, but because I’m a minor wizard, the spells don’t work on me.

All this time, I viewed Steve Jobs as a master of innovation and product design. I had no idea that wizardry played a role in his accomplishments. He wasn’t really a wizard, was he?

Spellbound Leadership

No, Steve Jobs was not a wizard. He did not really cast spells on anyone (not even Bill Gates or Microsoft). The magic to which Bill Gates referred was Jobs’ ability to motivate people, making them believe they were involved with something special. Apple was a company in deep trouble when Steve Jobs returned in 1997. He was able to convince employees and consumers alike that Apple products were truly different. The results speak for themselves. The iMac rejuvenated Apple, and the iPhone transformed it into a digital powerhouse.

Apple’s resurgence is one example of a lesser brand being energized and enjoying success. The “spells” that Steve Jobs cast were not manipulative or insidious. Although Jobs had a reputation for pushing, even intimidating people, the drive behind his push was a belief that they could do more. Steve Jobs inspired people to push boundaries and move beyond comfort zones. At the core of the push was instilling belief that there was purpose behind the products.

Beyond Thought Leadership

The belief you are doing something truly different should be a spell you want cast upon your professional identity. In the realm of personal branding, people often use the term “thought leader” to describe their value proposition. Thought leaders are a dime a dozen today. Want proof? A LinkedIn search for thought leader returns 107,000 results… a lot of leaders (granted the vast majority of them are self-appointed thought leaders).

Thought leadership is a status or point of difference based on expertise. If taken literally, a thought leader is someone who is out in front of the rest of us in their understanding of relationships and trends that are shaping a particular domain. The missing ingredient in a thought leader’s secret sauce is inspiration, specifically inspiring others to take action. Reflecting on the legacy of Steve Jobs, he was more than a thought leader; he was a movement leader.

Whether you have already attained thought leader status, aspire to be a thought leader, or are in the early stages of your journey, ask yourself whether the spark (spell) of feeling you are doing something truly different is present. Do you feel inspired to make a difference? Can you move others to see themselves as making a difference? If yes, it is time to consider how you can be a movement leader.

Past Performance is no Guarantee of Future Results

The NBA and NHL are officially in off-season, but teams in both leagues are making news this time of year. It is free agency season; most players whose contracts have expired and have a certain number of years of service are eligible to sign with any team that wants them. Elite players stand to receive multi-year contracts worth tens of millions of dollars. The NBA’s top free agent, Kevin Durant, is expected to sign a contract worth more than $200 million over five years.

The jaw-dropping salaries commanded by top free agents in the NBA and NHL come with one major assumption: They are being rewarded for past performance with an expectation they will continue playing at a high level with their new team. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it does not.

Teams sign free agents with fingers crossed that their new player will have a healthy, productive tenure with the team. Some players turn out to be the missing piece of a puzzle that when completed leads to championships. Other players perform as if their motivation was to get paid. They scored the lucrative contract and lose the hunger responsible for the big payday. Yet others appear as if they temporarily played beyond their abilities, leading teams to believe they were worthy of a long-term contract when in fact they were not.

The forces at work in sports free agency have implications for you, too. It is unlikely that employers will line up to woo you and offer a nine-figure contract join their organization. We do not have the luxury of riding past performance to a life-changing payday.

If we lean on past performance, we run the risk of obsolescence. Instead of relying on past performance create a record that speaks for itself, we need to prepare for future performance. What skill(s) do you need to sharpen or pick up to get up-to-date in your field? Is the quality of your professional network good enough to put you in the circles in which you want to be? Are you taking steps to get better, improving your “product” to be ready for the next opportunity?

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Prepared performance leads to peak performance, which does guarantee better chances of desired future results.

The World beyond the Nest

baby bird in a nest

With each passing year of my life, I realize how much I have valued comfort. Safety, security, risk aversion… whatever it is called, having it was a priority. However, I now realize that achieving this state involves trade-offs, passing on new or different opportunities in order to enjoy certainty.

My reaction to This One to Grow On quote was like having a glass of cold water thrown in my face. I felt startled, angry, sad, and excited all at the same time. Buddhist teacher and author Pema Chodron suggests that to fully experience life we must willingly step outside any safety nets we have created.

I Like the Nest

The prospect of venturing beyond the nest to have new experiences is intriguing. It also sounds like it could be risky and dangerous. Could we do it and at least keep one foot in the nest, just in case we need to return to avoid danger? Is that like having your cake and eating it, too? I guess it is asking too much, but hey, at least I thought I would ask. The answer is obvious if we admit it; all parts of us must leave the nest to immerse ourselves in ways that challenge us.

If we admit that Pema Chodron is right and we must get out of the nest to be fully alive, human, and awake, then why do we put up resistance to going there? For me, it comes down to two reasons: fear of the known and fear of the unknown.

  • Fear of the known. An understandable reason for not setting foot outside the nest is knowledge that it is a dangerous world out there. The harsh reality that 80-90% of new businesses fail could be all the warning an aspiring entrepreneur needs to shelve her dream of owning her own business. Concerns about airplane safety and terrorism grounds many people who would otherwise take their dream vacation. We are more informed than ever before. If there is a downside, it could be that information could evoke concerns… even when it should not have such an effect.
  • Fear of the unknown. While fear of the known can be reasons we cite for staying within the friendly confines of the nest, fear of the unknown can unwittingly have a paralyzing effect. I see it often in people who say they want to change or grow. They will bemoan the job in which they are mired, but when conversation shifts to making a change they begin to change their tune. Their miserable job does have some positives going for it, they say. Before long, they have talked themselves out of new opportunities in order to stay with what they know. Never mind that what they know sucks; at least they know what they are getting. Taking a new job would entail many uncertainties—new boss, co-workers, culture, customers, break room. Avoiding the unknown by staying put sounds secure, but it keeps us away from the possibilities that come with new opportunities.

Taking Flight

Here is where Chodron’s quote feeling like a splash of cold water in my face happened. A colleague came by my office a couple of months ago with an opportunity. She had taught a study abroad in Finland for a few years, but she was unable to go this year. Another colleague who had planned to go in her place now was unable to make the trip. My colleague came to me to ask if I would teach the class to maintain the momentum of the program. My travel abroad experience is limited to a handful of trips to Canada to visit family.

The opportunity to teach a class in Finland would not just be going outside the nest. It would require spreading my wings and traveling thousands of miles away for three weeks. It was not the first time I had been asked to consider teaching a study abroad class, and my initial reaction mirrored thoughts that previously came to mind. They were excuses I told myself why I could not or should not go. However, something was different this time. I had been editing old blog posts that spoke to my situation. With titles such as “Take a Flier and Do It” and “Life is not a Spectator Sport,” I realized the messages in those posts applied to the decision at hand. If I did not put the advice in those posts into practice, I might as well delete those blog posts because I would be practicing what I was saying.

Yes, I decided to leave the nest that is my comfort zone, and I am going to Finland in May for three weeks. Is the trip and preparing for the class challenging me? Are other opportunities taking a back seat for the time being? The answer to both questions is “yes,” but I can already sense that the experience will benefit me in many ways. The impact I stand to realize will happen only because of my willingness to be thrown out of my nest.

One to Grow On

Appreciate the security of the nest, but we must not allow it to become a fortress from which we try to live and fend off uncertainties. Good feelings arising from a comfort zone may be false signals preventing us from having even more enjoyment or fulfillment if we avail ourselves to it.

Time to be thrown out of the nest… care to join me?

Purpose versus Imperative

The name of the game in business is making a profit. A venture that does not generate more revenue than its expenses cannot survive long term. Stakes are incredibly high when it comes to profitability. Thus, being profitable should come before any other priority in the organization, right? Not so, according to the CEO of one company that decided it would not participate in the retail apocalypse.

Purpose First…

Profitability is important for a business, but it is not what should drive its reason for being. During an appearance at Adobe Summit, Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly said that Best Buy was headed in the wrong direction several years ago. The retail landscape shifted from dominance of brick-and-mortar to creating an omnichannel experience. Customers want to do business with you where they are, not what is convenient for you. Oh, and you better be competitive on price, or they will go with another option from the many choices they likely have.

Best Buy knew it had to change or else. According to Hubert Joly, the underlying force that led transformation was purpose. “We said we’re not in business of selling products or doing transactions, we have our purpose, which is to enrich lives with the help of technology.” With a clear purpose, Best Buy knew how to proceed to become more competitive. Joly said Best Buy revamped all aspects of the customer experience—website, search, information, and customer service. What needed to change was made clearer through a defined purpose of enriching lives with the help of technology.


“We said we’re not in business of selling products or doing transactions, we have our purpose, which is to enrich lives with the help of technology.” – Hubert Joly, Best Buy CEO

Whether you are a company with $42 billion annual revenue like Best Buy, a start-up business, or considering your personal brand, starting with purpose offers unmatched grounding. Think about how tough decisions can be made with less hand-wringing because purpose is factored into the equation. Does a new initiative, product, or policy reinforce your purpose or stand at odds with it?

…Then Imperatives

The commitment by Best Buy leadership to have purpose drive the company is admirable. However, purpose alone may wind up being lofty aims that are never realized. Best Buy did not forsake business objectives. It did not pretend that focusing on the customer would solve its Amazon problem. Enriching lives with the help of technology required retooling of the customer experience and committing to be price competitive. Top executives could spout the purpose regularly, but if it was not backed up with business strategy to execute the purpose would ring hollow.

Don’t Wait

Best Buy faced a grim reality that its company was headed for major trouble. Its resurgence has been nothing short of amazing. We can learn from Best Buy’s situation, realizing we need not wait until we face dire consequences to gain clarity on organization or personal purpose.

Think of purpose as the map giving direction on where to go. You would not drive from Chicago to Dallas without directions; why try to run a business or steer your career without clear directions (purpose)?

Source: Nadia Cameron (2019, March 27). How Best Buy shifted from retail-led to customer relationship driven. Retrieved from
https://www.cmo.com.au/article/659314/how-best-buy-shifted-from-being-retail-led-customer-relationship-driven/ .

Image credit: Pixabay

Gillette Calls for Men to Be Their Best: Will They Answer?

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as “a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” Brands have evolved far beyond this functional role to take on more human qualities. One of those qualities is expressing a point of view. Instead of being artificial entities devoid of thought and feeling, brands today take a stand on social issues… even at the risk of losing customers.

The latest high profile case involving a brand stirring emotions for and against a position taken is Gillette. Long known for its slogan “The Best a Man Can Get,” Gillette pivots from talking about products to talking about its core stakeholder group: men. In the short film “We Believe: The Best a Man Can Be,” Gillette calls out bullying and sexual harassment as well as a culture of toxic masculinity.

The film, viewed more than four million times on YouTube in the first two days following its release, has been both widely praised and roundly criticized. Evidence of the mixed reaction to the video on YouTube included 78,000 likes and 335,000 dislikes. Gillette has called on men to be the best men they can be, but will men answer?

The Fallout

In today’s environment, anyone (brands included) should not take a stance on an issue and expect universal support and adoration. The position taken by Gillette is no exception. Much of the criticism leveled at Gillette is that all men are lumped into a cart of bad apples. Are there men who misbehave toward women? Yes. Are there strides to be made in making #MeToo something from the past? Absolutely. However, many men took Gillette’s message as an attack on them. Their response could go beyond a negative attitude toward Gillette. Two examples of negative sentiment appear in the following tweets. When one takes a stand for something, it is inevitable they will find opposition to their viewpoint.

The Price of Being Human

Depending on who you choose to believe, Gillette has either made a brilliant move or is royally screwed. The result is up for debate (and time will give the final answer), but the real takeaway is Gillette has signaled willingness to be an authentic brand. It is no longer an optimal strategy for brands to play it safe, being so careful not to offend anyone that it hardly resonates with anyone, either. Consumers have elevated expectations that brands will weigh in on social issues, using their platforms for good. When this happens, brands are going to offend someone, perhaps even turn them away as customers. It is the price brands pay for being human today.

Can’t Be a Nothing Brand

Writer Elbert Hubbard was quoted as saying “To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” A cocoon of neutrality and inaction could protect you from scrutiny and criticism, but it inhibits building a community of followers just as taking a stand turns off some people.

A Nothing Brand can easily become lost in the crowd. Instead of fretting over who may be offended by a position taken, it is better for brand managers to ensure positions or causes supported align with their mission. Of course, the suggestion is not to stir controversy as a form of publicity. Rather, the call is for brands to be true to their mission while doing good for stakeholders.

Nostalgia is not Enough for Sears

Sears is in a fight for its life, The brand teeters on the brink of liquidation, which would lead to closing the 425 Sears and Kmart locations still open. The company is already a shell of its former self, down from about 2,000 stores five years ago.

It appears that the demise of Sears is a matter of when, not if, it will occur. Wouldn’t it be great if a groundswell of support from consumers sustained the brand? Feelings of nostalgia could remind people about their relationship with the Sears brand from days gone by. That would be great… except it will not work.

Sears generates feelings of nostalgia, so do rotary dial telephones and TV dinners in aluminum trays. We will not see a clamoring for those products anytime soon because innovation and new forms of value have taken us in different directions. The same is true for Sears. The convenience of online shopping, the deep assortments of specialty retailers, and the connection newer brands have made with today’s consumers have relegated Sears to being a fond memory from earlier times.

The Sears brand (and to a lesser extent, Kmart) is part of the fabric of American consumer culture. The history of Sears dates back to 1893. The iconic Sears catalog is a fond memory for many Baby Boomers. The arrival of the Sears Wishbook was a momentous occasion when I was a child. Growing up in a small town, I rarely was able to visit department or toy stores. The Sears Wishbook was like a dreamland of possibilities. I spent hours thinking about what it would be like to have many of the items offered in the catalog.

It is not my hope to see Sears fail. I am pulling for Eddie Lampert to come up with a plan to keep Sears alive and relevant. If he does not, the disappointment will not be about lost memories. Instead, any pain felt should be for the employees at hundreds of stores who will be left without a job.

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, one that can reconnect people with the past. It can be a connection point between a brand and consumers, but nostalgia alone cannot compete with other forms of functional and psychological benefits competitors offer.

The Power of Purpose

why?

In the journey that is life, we can either feel like we are taking the express lane to our destination or driving in circles. The former condition is one in which we have a clear purpose. In the latter condition, we are not moving confidently in any direction because, well, we do not know what direction is the right direction.

Having and recognizing a purpose is crucial to our productivity, growth, and quality of life. Knowing your purpose does not mean you are immune to adversity, but purpose gives direction to get back on track when setbacks happen.

This week, I am focusing on a quote by speaker an author John O’Leary. He remind us that purpose is not only our guiding light, it is an energy source to get through difficult times.

When you know your why, you can endure any how. John O'Leary quote.

The quote by John O’Leary is not just some words cleverly strung together. He has lived them. O’Leary suffered third-degree burns over his entire body at age nine. Doctors said he would not survive. John O’Leary did more than survive. He recognized his purpose was to help people live inspired lives. He does just that today despite the physical limitations from being severely burned.

John O’Leary is driven by purpose. You need not have a near-death experience to find yours.

Purpose Can be Elusive

Knowing your why will see you through whatever tough times come your way. If it were really that simple, everyone would have their purpose plastered on their walls, bathroom mirror, and phone lock screen. Many people cannot put their purpose on a wall, mirror, or lock screen for a simple reason: They are unsure what their purpose is.

Given that knowing our purpose can give clarity to deal tough times, why do we not seek to find it? Purpose is elusive for the following reasons:

  • We do not bother to find out. Calling out people’s apathy toward their purpose sounds harsh, but I believe some people are content not bothering to define their purpose. My point is not to suggest people in this category have no purpose (because they do). They are valued by others as parents, employees, volunteers, and friends. When it comes to clearly stating their why, for some reason they have not asked the question of themselves. They are prime candidates for being changed by inspirational people like John O’Leary.
  • Someone answered the question for us. Believing in a purpose that someone else has set for you may be more dangerous than not having a purpose at all. You have heard the stories about the person who was expected to take the reigns of the family business, the college student who majored in accounting at the urging of her father, or the man whose mother steered him away from marrying the “wrong” woman. In all of these cases, one’s purpose was unduly influenced, if not determined, by someone else. Your purpose is just that—yours.
  • We are afraid of the answer. Fully understanding our purpose can be one of the most empowering states we can achieve. It can also be a scary one. We may be afraid of the answer to our why question when it represents a departure from aimlessly wandering or following someone else’s view of our purpose. The young person who decides service to country in the military is his purpose has made a decision that will impact family and friends, not to mention creating significant change in his daily life. It would be safer and less traumatic to keep things as they are. It would also deny the person of the meaning derived from fulfilling purpose.

Finding Purpose

The thought that knowing your why enables us to endure any how is at the same time exhilarating and frightening. It is exhilarating to think that clarity of purpose can guide us in good times and bad. It is frightening to know the power of purpose yet be uncertain as to what is our purpose. If you find yourself feeling more frightened than exhilarated, a remedy is to ask questions that could help uncover your purpose.

In her book Story Driven: You Don’t Need to Compete When You Know Who You Are, business advisor and storytelling expert Bernadette Jiwa  refers to purpose as simply “the reason to exist.” Jiwa asserts that purpose is the cornerstone of creating a competitive advantage, perhaps because so many people and organizations have difficulty articulating their purpose.

In the context of creating a business or personal brand, Jiwa suggests reflecting on questions that could shed light on your why. If you cannot clearly state your purpose, answer the following questions:

  • What’s the thing you’re most proud to have done to date?
  • Who inspires you?
  • Who would you like to be an inspiration to?
  • What change are you trying to create?
  • What makes your work important to your audience?

Answers to these questions could offer certainty to the overarching question of your reason to exist as a brand.

Why Power

Thinking about purpose, or reason to exist is a beneficial exercise regardless of how easy or hard it is to answer. Our purpose can be consumed by a never ending to-do list, putting out fires, and trudging through a daily routine. It is assuring to know the power of purpose, that my why can help me deal with whatever may come my way.

 

Stand Out for the Right Reason

different

Advice on how to create your personal brand is abundant. Unfortunately, much of it is only partially correct or in some cases, flat out wrong. For example, I wish I had a dollar for every tweet or blog post touting the importance of visual elements used in personal brand communication. Don’t get me wrong, I agree that your personal headshot, website theme, and imagery used are important branding elements. People associate those visuals with you and your brand.

The problem with advice like this is it is often presented as if it is the secret to personal branding success. Do this one thing and you’re set, or follow these four steps to create your personal brand. Sorry, it is not that simple. You are never completely finished building your brand.

I observed another instance of problematic advice recently as I scrolled through my Twitter feed. The tweet was simple:

Give people a positive reason not to forget you! Choose to stand out!

The core message is spot-on. Brands serve to differentiate an offering from others. The caveat of this advice is qualifying how one should stand out. The visual accompanying this tweet was an image of a carton of white eggs. In the midst of the white eggs was a single colored egg. It definitely stood out surrounded by plain colored eggs.

The danger with the advice to stand out is that it can define differentiation in shallow, physical terms. Some personal branding experts advocate this practice, creating a memorable brand in the process. For example, some people have made colorful pocket squares or scarves a signature element of their personal brand. Others remember them (i.e., they stand out) because of their distinctive attire. Being remembered by others is a good thing; a brand with insufficient awareness among the target market is nothing more than a well-kept secret… not a desirable brand characteristic. However, using an observable attribute as your basis for standing out can be easily negated. The greater limitation is that such a focus does not communicate your real value or worth to others.

Two Sources of Brand Differentiation

Standing out is essential in today’s hyper-competitive environment. We are hard-pressed to think of brands that do not have competition. You can position your brand to stand out by using one of two approaches. Using a standout feature to create a distinguishing brand trait can create a memorable association that puts a brand above competitors. For example, content marketing expert and author Joe Pulizzi usually will be wearing orange when you see him in action. He has associated the color with his professional persona and incorporated into branding on his website. In a noisy world in which it is challenging to get attention, standout feature differentiation can make the difference between recognition and anonymity.

Using a standout feature as the sole basis for brand positioning suffers from one significant limitation: It does not answer the question “what’s in it for me?” You wear red shoes all the time? That’s nice, but how does that impact how you serve me? These questions are typical of what we ask ourselves when a company or person is selling to us. We have no need for colorful accessories or a unique hairdo.

We seek benefits that offer convenience, comfort, growth, or some other positive impact. Thus, brand positioning should also include a second dimension, a standout benefit. While standout features are optional for differentiating a brand, communicating a standout benefit is not. The benefit provided associated with your brand answers the “what’s in it for me” question. If your target audience cannot discern a benefit offered, you may be perceived as little more than a commodity that is easily replaced or substituted.

What Matters to Them

The importance of brand positioning with a standout benefit is an easy sell. Figuring out the benefit that is your point of difference can be more challenging. As you grapple with pinpointing your standout benefit, do not lose sight of how to find it. A standout benefit is something you do or create that helps others in some way. If you are unsure what it is, ask people you know well for their take on how you offer value. Sometimes, we do not realize how we affect others and the gratitude they feel toward us.

Finding your standout benefit does not mean to forget about including standout features into your positioning. Features can help your rise above the noise, but they will not keep you there. Couple benefits and features to develop a distinctive brand position.

Juggling Resistance and Completion

Do not quit

If I had to give myself a grade for being a starter, I would assign an A-. Taking a grade of A would not be right; I have a bit too much procrastination in me to rate the top score. However, I am comfortable taking a high grade. Why? I only needed to look at the filing system on my computer for evidence of many projects I have started. Many of those projects are no more than preliminary ideas that need refinement. Most of the ideas will never become a finished product. For some of the ideas, that outcome is the right one. For other ideas, my resistance to advance could cost me dearly.

This week, I am reflecting on a Chinese proverb that suggests it is normal to want to give up on ideas before they reach fruition. The temptation to quit may be normal, but it is the very time to stick to our guns and see a project through to completion.

The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed. Chinese proverb

Recognize the Resistance

The work of author Steven Pressfield immediately comes to mind when facing doubts and struggling to complete a project. Pressfield has written extensively on the challenges creatives and entrepreneurs face to transform ideas into reality. He has a name for the obstacles faced in navigating the creative process: The Resistance. If you feel unsure of your self, doubt your ability to succeed, or are outright scared, turns out you are normal. According to Pressfield, the more uncertainty you face, the better off you are. In his book The War of Art, Pressfield said:

“If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), “Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?” chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.” 

Fear that you do not have what it takes to succeed on the project, job, or as a leader comes with the territory. Take comfort that you are a member of a large club… just don’t succumb to the fear and stop short of the finish line.

Deal with Fear

If you are doing any work of personal significance, something that stretches your capabilities and comfort, chances are you will question your ability to accomplish. In line with Steven Pressfield’s viewpoint, the likelihood of being tempted to quit increases the more invested you are in the work.

Fear is likely to land on your doorstep. How will you deal with it?

  1. Remember fear is normal. We established this point already. The reason you are tempted to quit is not because you suck, it is because you are human. The inability to control the outcome of your work (and its acceptance) invites fear.
  2. Recognize the source. As Steven Pressfield says, you are the enemy. Any fear, self-sabotage, or doubt that arises does not come from an outside source. The voice saying can competently and confidently do the work also questions your worth and performance ability. Listen to the former, not the latter.
  3. Do the work. This three-word directive is another Steven Pressfield staple. Doing the work in the face of your own doubt is the antidote to self-imposed limitations. Another quote from The War of Art sums up the simple yet critical decision to do the work:

“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.”

Don’t wait for permission, inspiration, or approval. Do what needs to be done.

The Takeaway

This Chinese proverb is one that I would benefit from regularly revisiting. One word describes what I will take with me from this quote: resolve. Temptation to give up is something that is not unique to us—we all struggle with walking away just before a breakthrough. The key to handling the struggle is recognizing its existence and resolving to work through it.