I often begin these reports with a story. We naturally like stories, and they help make the point sink in. This time is a little different. Instead of one story there are many. Instead of learning by analogy, we will learn by direct observation. Instead of looking out, we will look in. The main character of the story is you.
One of the unique privileges of the kind of work we do here at Arrow is the chance to closely observe the successful practices of companies across many spectrums: different industries, different places across the country, but most importantly, different owners. And despite the wide variety of circumstances and personalities represented, there are key characteristics that seem to consistently show themselves in successful owners. One of our goals has always been to discover those characteristics, and, within the bounds of discretion, share that information freely with our client base. Typically, this happens in one-on-one conversations, but I would like to use this space to collect a few observations in one place.
First, how do we define success? No one can precisely define success for someone else, but here are a few markers of what I would call success.
When we can pay our bills. It is a point almost too obvious to state, and yet, as anyone who has run a business knows, it is an issue that comes unexpectedly at times. Many businesses go through periods of drought where there is simply not enough money to go around. Anyone who has been through one of those periods and survived to tell the story knows that the simple pleasure of paying all the bills and having something left over is indeed success.
When we are setting and meeting goals. In the middle of the race, we can easily forget to keep setting new goal posts out ahead of us, or forget about the ones we already planted. Getting comfortable in a thriving business can have the same effect. In between the extremes of desperation and complacency are the business owners who continually challenge themselves. They are setting and achieving goals.
When we have a life beyond business. From a materialistic perspective, more money is more success, but from a biblical or even emotional-well-being point of view, success is in being able to enjoy both our work environment and the space outside of business. Nowadays this is often called “work life balance,” but I would like to suggest it is more than the self-centered phrase implies. It is not about making sure I am having enough fun. It is about having time to meet other’s needs and make them happy.
With that simple explanation of success, how are people achieving that? What are the disciplines we observe being practiced by successful owners? No one has them all, but from you all, we see success over and over with these practiced disciplines. Over time these seem to become habits, then character traits. We have learned much from you. I would like to humbly submit the marks of character we are trying to learn from and imitate.
You are grounded. Ownership of a company has not inflated your view of yourself. Having employees at your beck and call does nothing for your ego. More money has not substantially raised your lifestyle. In fact, money impresses you less and less over time. Of course it is important. Of course we must have it and use it. Being without it is scary, but having it does not make you pompous. It is a gift to use wisely. In fact, successful people over time seem to become more shoe leather, not less. You never develop an allergy to getting dirty, even if you have been consigned long since to the office. You have a strong affinity for solid facts, and a keen nose for poppycock. You have learned to trust your gut, but you are humble enough to know you are not always right. You have ideals and optimism, but you are tethered to reality.
You are patient. You know ships and businesses turn slowly. You can carry urgency inside of you without appearing frantic. (How do you do that anyway?) You can be in a hurry without running over people. You are able to keep the long term in mind even when dealing with today’s emergencies. You remember that people are more important than profit even when your intuition is screaming otherwise. You are firm, yet willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and time to change. You do not waste your time in unrealistic daydreaming. Instead, you keep a steady hand on the wheel and focus on what you do well. You are also patient with yourself, and allow other people to make up for your shortcomings.
You are self-aware. Perhaps the most difficult of all disciplines is to learn to see yourself as others see you. I know of no recipe for developing this awareness. It seems to be some mix of social intelligence, humility, plus a working network of honest people who challenge you. A healthy dollop of wifely intuition seems to enhance the flavor. Regardless, you never try to prove you are someone you are not. Not to other people, and not to yourself. You are not self-deprecating, and you are not a braggart. You respect authority, but do not fear it. You seek knowledge, while remaining unimpressed by credentials. You seek the highest levels of performance for yourself and those in your business, yet you casually shrug off people clapping for your performance. You are too busy trying to reach the next level to be distracted by congratulations. Ultimately, you see yourself as the Centurion saw himself: “For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me…” (Mt. 8:9) You see yourself as a man under God’s authority. Nothing less, and never more, no matter how successful. In so doing you are the light of the world.
You are people aware. The needs of people around you are always front and center for you. Those needs are not a distraction or an obstacle to your mission. They are your mission. They do not bleed you dry; they motivate you. Naturally, you need your time away and space to refresh yourself, but every morning, what gets you out of bed, is the people. They are your customers and vendors. They are your employees. They are your family, your church, your friends. You understand that they need you to fill a role in their lives. They might depend on you for emotional or material sustenance, or they may simply be encouraged by your willingness to show up, do your job, be happy, and be nice every day. You are self-aware enough to know it is a two-way street. You understand, way down in your gut, that healthy communities and nations are built by honest people who have real relationships with other honest people. Because you understand this, you are the salt of the earth.
You are honest. You are realistic. You manage risk within your unique set of abilities and limitations. (That is a hard one.) You are not kept awake at night when your high school buddy has a different set of abilities and limitations that allow him to “get ahead” of you. (Even harder.) You do not dodge hard realities or try to explain them away. You say things the way they are, not the way you wish they were, and expect others to do the same. You embrace truth even when it hurts. You have a mantle of courage because of your clear-eyed focus on truth. When you step forward with a decision or project, it is usually without hesitation or apology.
Your time is your gold. You never fritter it away. You invest it in worthwhile pursuits, in people, in gaining wisdom. You consider usefulness a far greater personality trait than talent, both in yourself and others. You are not easily distracted from the thing you set out to do. You love being intentional. You cheer order, precision, and efficiency, even if you are not good at it. You learn over time to steer away from the shiny object trying to distract you, and to narrow your focus to the few things that matter most.
You manage your emotions. You work hard to stay in a logical mindset. However, if that is your default you work hard to stay in touch with your feelings and the emotions of people around you. You know how to sift out the chaff and focus on what is important in a situation or in life. In your business you tend to focus on margin rather than being impressed by top line growth. You tend to focus on value rather than cost. In life you tend to become more spiritual minded and less materialistic over time, but you never, as the old saying goes, “become so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly value.”
You are a future minded history buff. Many people seem to naturally find themselves in one of two categories. Either they live their life pining for the “good old days” that are never coming back, or they are intoxicated with all that is new and exciting. They are either bemoaning the lost virtues of another era, or bedazzled by what is yet to come. You, on the other hand, are happy in the present. You believe in unchangeable values in a changing world. You embrace technology while never using it as a crutch. You study the lessons from the past. You absorb today’s knowledge. You do not shrink from the future. In your business you seek to embody yesterday’s work ethic and values, and today’s best advances. You have the vision to look forward, the patience to look back, and the humility to stay in the present, right where God placed you.
In conclusion, we believe that now is the best time ever for owners to boldly lead their businesses in the fear of God. Now is a premium opportunity to be light and salt in a world gone dark and bland. Seek and embody truth. Fear no one. You were born for such a time as this.
The Arrow Team
Comments