I have a business associate who has been very successful in business. What often strikes me is how seriously he takes himself, and I don't mean that in a negative way. He just has himself fairly squarely at the centre of things. The other day we were discussing our children's ages, and I mentioned my eldest's upcoming 21st. He surprised me by saying I must have started young.  At first I thought he was complimenting me on my youthful looks (!) when I told him I was 28 when Lucy was born, so I was a tad deflated when he said, "Gee, that's young". Of course it isn't young, it's about average. But it is young compared to when he started, which is his reference point for everything.

I thought about the connection between his success and his view of himself. Success in business requires something of that attitude. One of the reasons we do not achieve the heights we know we're capable of is a lack of self-belief masquerading as modesty. What I've seen in working with business owners over these last 6 years is how their progress and success has been linked to growth in their confidence and their self-belief.

How seriously do you have to take yourself?  Most of us probably don't like the idea of being thought of as that self-focused, but I really don't think there's much risk of that. My observation is that most business owners don't take themselves seriously enough or treat themselves with enough respect. For example, they will waste their time on trifling tasks because they are too trivial to waste anyone else's time on. They will allow poor performers to continue to operate in the business because they don't feel they have the authority to deal with it. More seriously, they consistently sell themselves short when it comes to their vision for the business.  Most people's failure to achieve their potential lies in the massive daily discount they apply to their dreams.

In the world of your business, you are the most important person because you represent the interests of the company. Regard yourself that way. Show yourself the respect your position deserves. Take yourself a little more seriously.

17 August 2009