Last week I mentioned that I want to start talking about Stephen Covey and
his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Oddly
enough, in a twist on the second habit, I will start with the last habit. The seventh, and final, habit
is all-encompassing. Namely, sharpen the saw.
Covey
took the phrase, “Sharpen the saw,” from the old anecdote
reminding us that we should not become overly occupied with the job we
are doing. Meaning, you should not continue, in the act of bringing
down a tree, if your saw has become dull.
Without
effort, we humans can become quite dull as well. We need to remember
to take time for renewal. Renewal can take many forms, the most
common might be learning. Effective people take the time to sharpen
their saw.
Obviously,
if you take the time to read a blog post, you are already on-board
with the importance of staying sharp. I encourage you to remain
committed to your saw.
The
other six of Covey's habits are divided into two groups. The first
three habits are what Covey calls “Private victories.” And, the
second three are “Public victories.”
It
is Covey's contention that we must win the private battles before we
engage with the public. Covey's first habit is “Be Proactive.”
Most people operate reactively. Meaning, we respond to event that
have already happened.
Being
reactive is sometimes necessary. However, you do not react to your
goals and mission. In order to truly effective, you need to be
proactive.
This
is a concept that directly applies to entrepreneurship. As I
constantly repeat, successful entrepreneurs are salespeople. And, a
salesperson has three main jobs: prospect, present, and close.
Prospecting
for gold requires a river and a pan. But, prospecting for new
business means getting attention. And, getting attention is nothing
if it is not proactive.
Getting
attention, prospecting, whatever you want to call it, we are talking
about self-promotion. Grant Cardone is a gentleman who doing a pretty good job of
promoting self-promotion. Specifically, Cardone recommends
cold-calling and I agree. Grant says that strangers have everything
you want.
Cardone
comes out of the car business which, I believe, has strongly
influenced his approach. The car business is very tough, and you must work extremely hard, a message Grant promotes.
Cardone
is also full of in-your-face bravado. If you are willing to cope with
his machismo, Grant is spreading a good and important word. But,
make no mistake about it, self-promotion is for every entrepreneur.
Donald
Trump has dominated the news coverage, of the primary process, with
his ability to get attention. One trick, used by Trump, was to give
away Senator Lindsey Graham's cell phone number. In turn, Graham
tried to leverage the spotlight by producing this video.
Forget
politics, let's say you run a not-for-profit. One thing I promise is, if
you wish to achieve your mission, you will need to self-promote.
Spreading the good word, about your cause, is the essence of
self-promotion.
Another
example I like is AG Lafley. Lafley had a very successful tenure, as CEO of Procter &
Gamble, that lasted about a decade. AG is one smart dude. And, he met
another very smart dude, Peter Drucker, by cold-calling him.
What
am I saying? I am saying that the cold-call, far from being obsolete,
is for every astute businessperson and entrepreneur. I mean, let's keep it real, if you are reading this post, there is a good chance that I cold-called YOU. Let me give you
one last example.
Though
they have struggled in recent years, Xerox has been known for its
world-class training program. Back in the late 1970s a guy by the
name of Howard Schultz worked for Xerox.
Schultz
would knock on fifty doors, per day, in midtown Manhattan. And, Howard
once said, “Cold-calling was great training for business.” Of
course, we all know Schultz as the man who brought us Starbucks coffee.
I
really want to beat on the drum of this idea of being proactive. It
is, of course, Covey's first habit. Beyond that, it is vitally important. In
fact, I believe that it is impossible to be a successful entrepreneur
without being proactive.
By
definition the entrepreneurs are the change agents of society. As we
all know, the only constant is change. Instead of apathy, instead of
waiting, entrepreneurs go out and make change happen. Entrepreneurs
are the very embodiment of proactivity. Because, just as Drucker has
told us, the only way to predict the future is to create it.
