Gurus really bother me.

These gurus come in many different shapes and sizes. They may think they know all there is about lean, or six sigma, or cooking, or coaching a sports team, or raising a family.

You see, gurus are everywhere and they really annoy me. Here are a few reasons why.

• They’re always talking about their amazing education. The thing they don’t realize is that no one really cares how many letters are after their name. Plus, I’ve known PhD’s who worked for people with nothing more than a high school education. In the end, the degree gets you a job (sometimes)… after that it’s your work effort and attitude that determines the rest.
• They think they have all the answers. When asked a question gurus almost never reply with “I don’t know” as they see this as a sign of weakness. It’s not.
• They don’t seek help. Because they think they have all the answers they never ask for help when they clearly need it. Simply responding, “I don’t know, what do you think?” is a wonderful way to combat this stubbornness.
• They talk down to people. This one really ticks me off. Gurus often stand in front of the room rattling off buzz word after buzz word even though half the room has no earthly idea what they’re talking about. And when one brave soul raises their hand for clarification the guru makes them pay for it with a smug reply.
• Few follow them. While this one doesn’t necessarily annoy me, the guru has very few followers. The guru may even be a leader on paper… but they often complain about how un-loyal those under them are.

Don’t Be a Guru

There is a BIG difference between really knowing your stuff and acting like a guru. Here are a few things I recommend.

• Learn all you can. It’s totally cool to get an amazing education while also learning all you can long after your college days. Just don’t brag about how smart you think you are as this only makes you look smug and arrogant.
• Ask others for help. Being a leader means helping others grow. So, ask for help when you don’t know something. Additionally, ask for help when you know the answer. That is leadership.
• Be humble. No matter how successful you are… be humble. I’ve been blessed with many things in my life. But, for me, I know the reason for anything good in my life is my Lord and God. So no matter if you believe in God or not… humility is arguably the most important virtue any leader can have.
• Be kind. Lastly, when you stand in front of others as a subject matter expert speak to people with respect and kindness. This means explaining what all the buzz words mean as well as answering questions in such a way others will not be afraid to ask for more clarification.

What do you think?

What do you think of my stance on gurus? Am I being too tough on them? Or can you think of other reasons gurus need to be brought back down to earth?

How motivated are you right now? Very? A little? Not much?

The honest answer to this question might explain how happy and fulfilled you feel as a person. Let’s explore why this is.

Defined, motivation can be said to be the psychological feature that arouses an organism toward or away from an object or situation. And, to be sure, motivation has many faces.

You see, it’s motivation that helps a child learn to swim. It’s motivation that drives the entrepreneur to start their own company. And it’s motivation that helps the athlete wake at 4:30 AM each morning so they can get 2 extra hours of training in before the rest of the world rolls out of bed.

Fear and Desire

And, in all cases, motivation is dominated by two polar opposite emotions – fear and desire.

Fear is the greatest inhibitor mankind has ever known. Fear is restrictive. It induces panic, doubt, and ultimately leads to failure for both individuals and organizations.

Put another way, the person overwhelmed by fear attempts to navigate the road of life by only looking in the rear view mirror. Imagine how dangerous this would be when driving a car? If you never looked forward you’d be sure to crash within minutes.

Desire, on the other hand, is like a strong magnet. It attracts success. It helps us reach towards something better, something worthy.  And, luckily, it’s available to each of us making it possible to look forward as we head towards something better.

And while this is all well and good…. how do we accomplish this? Well, here are 6 things I propose. And while I too am a work in process these tips have helped me achieve success in the corporate world while also driving me to ultimately start my own company.

1. Find your true north

For me, nothing is more important than my wife and children. I live for them. Besides helping each of them make it to heaven, providing for them on earth is my number one duty.

So, my true north is my Maker and family. When I feel down or uninspired I think of them and realize why I do what I do.

So I encourage you to truly seek out your true north. Why do you do what you do? And when you die, what do you want written on your tombstone?

2. Remove the word can’t from you vocabulary

I’ve written about this before… but the word can’t is like cancer. In fact, it’s pure poison as it relates to achieving success.

So, when faced with something hard or difficult, instead of saying “I can’t” say something like “I presently struggle with.”

3. Set daily goals

I find it very important to set daily goals. In fact, I have a series of post it notes staring me in the face right now with things I need to get done today.

And the most powerful motivational aspect of this list is how encouraged I feel when I begin to cross things off. I feel like I am winning and I want more.

So, make a list of things you want to accomplish today as soon as you’re done reading this.

4. One task at a time

A close cousin to #3 is to finish what you start. Nothing is more deflating than starting 5 exciting projects or tasks and never finishing any of them.  So, be sure to finish what you start so you can cross things off that list you’ll soon create!

5. Network with successful people

It’s easy to write the words – face your fears. But, in reality, it’s much harder to do it. This is why it’s important to seek out successful people who can help you.

I have been fortunate enough to find many people I call mentors in life. In fact, I now call two of these people business partners!

So, instead of making the trip alone, seek out help from people who have done what you’re trying to do. They’re out there and many of them would be happy to help. You just need to ask.

6. Look forward

Finally, I know people who have been burned in the past. They have been wronged personally and, in some cases, professionally.

As such, these people allow these wrongs to control every aspect of their personal and professional lives. They inherently think of the worst in people and rarely think of the good.

Truthfully, I feel sorry for these people as very few of them seem to be genuinely happy.

So, as hard as it might be, I’d encourage you to do your best to right the wrongs you have experienced… and when you’ve done all you can move forward with life.

What do you think?

What do you think of this list? Do you agree with it? What things invoke fear and desire for you or your organization?

I live in the Dallas Fort Worth area… as such, I’ve been completely consumed with the excitement of the Texas Rangers making the World Series.

And while there are so many amazing story lines with this young team… the aspect I want to highlight in this article is the way Ron Washington, the manager of the Rangers, handles adversity.

Don’t Act a Fool!

On a recent radio show Washington explained why he rarely loses his mind when his team is obviously on the end of a bad call.

He essentially said that if he loses his mind and “acts a fool” then his team will see this and potentially sense things are going badly thus feeling the need to press things.

Washington feels that this approach would not benefit his young team so he does his best to maintain his composure.

Lesson for Business Leaders

When I first heard this I really appreciated Washington’s approach from a sports perspective.

But the more I thought about it the more I realized there is tremendous value in this approach for all leaders of people.

You see, I personally believe that allowing your emotions to rule the way you communicate does nothing but harm in the short term and the long term.

The reasons may be different than the sports scenario Washington speaks of… but in the end, screaming and yelling during crisis situations, rarely adds value in my opinion.

Do you agree?

What do you think of Ron Washington’s style? Do you agree with it?

What about from a business perspective? Do you agree that keeping your cool and not “acting a fool” is the best way to go? Or do you think there is a time and place for a good old fashioned butt chewing?