Life lessons that have helped me achieve success through resilience!
Times get tough and we always manage to get through them. So, in the worst situation we have ever seen in our lifetime, please stay positive, stay healthy, and stay in touch with others via online. Check on your elderly neighbours and anyone that is vulnerable. Support your local businesses if you are safely able too!
The following points have helped me succeed in business and in life.
Be honest and ethical with your decision making, stay true to your values and don’t allow a toxic company culture to take that away from you. Find or create an organisation that puts people first and you will be on the right track. Don’t be a Banker or might end up in a Royal commission!
Be a leader and not a manager empower your people and work as a team. Use your initiative, value common-sense, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Ask for mentors constantly and be surrounded by positive supportive people.
If in doubt ask for help. There is no shame in getting assistance from others who can help you achieve your goals.
Treat others as you would like to be treated especially co-workers and customers. Be self aware of how your words, behaviours, and actions may impact on others.
Actively listen and really hear what people are saying and then reflect and summarise it back to them to verify you have understood what they have said. This helps improve personal relationships so try it with your parents, children, or partners.
Make a difference by being of service and giving back to your community. Join a service group like Rotary, CWA, or Lions or gain experience on a non-for-profit Board. I have been a volunteer for over 28 years and it is very satisfying to give my time to help others whenever possible. Just before Christmas we took a quick trip to Trundle to deliver Christmas presents to Trundle Central School.Trundle have not had rain since 2016 and the farmers and town community have had a really tough time. These gifts were from West Epping Preschool and they had got them from Epping to Bathurst but needed a hand to get them the rest of the way. As a Rotarian we just say yes and do what needs to be done. When you see the paddocks near Trundle without a blade of grass you then realise how lucky we are to be living in Bathurst.
Have the courage to try different things. (If you aren’t outside your comfort zone then you aren’t learning). Try Toastmasters for example and learn to present your ideas, stand up for what you believe in, build your confidence, and make a real difference.
Have fun, enjoy what you do because you truly want to do it. Take time out to celebrate every success. Live your life passionately and authentically.
Set and plan your goals and review those goals constantly. Life will get in the way. I have had three heart attacks, an aortic dissection (January 2020), natural deaths and suicides of close family members and friends, three car accidents, sports injuries, anger issues, relationship breakdowns, domestic violence, bullying, fires, floods, and drought to contend with at different stages of my life.
In my business life I have endured negative people, the tall poppy syndrome, aggressive and jealous competitors, recessions and depressions, including the GFC and the economic fallout from 9/11. These things have been upsetting at the time. They have stalled my progress, are speed humps in the road, are invaluable learning experiences that are not pleasant. Each time I get knocked down, I get up, dust myself off, grit my teeth and continue on with a optimistic view that things will always be better. If you believe in a worthwhile idea and everyone else is knocking it down do it anyway. Never, never, never give up!
Adopt a continuous lifetime learning philosophy. The more I learn about leadership and entrepreneurship the more I realise how much I don’t know and how much more I still need to learn. Keep up with your reading and continue to invest in your personal and professional development.
Most importantly focus on building relationships because that is where happiness is. Those relationships have helped me through the tough times, kept me sane, and kept me on track. Those relationships have celebrated my successes, shared wisdom, and have helped mold me into the person, the community leader, and businessman that I am proud to be.
So constantly Network – Connect with others at every opportunity, communicate who you are and what you need, and collaborate, as more can be achieved as a team than as an individual.
Due to the Corona-virus networking will have to be done online for the next few months and as a networker I have used the words social distancing many times in the past two months!
Stay safe and stay home as much as possible!
See you on the other side!
Steve Semmens - The Persuader