Creating Success in a Business Circus
The Greatest Show on Earth! Can you smell the peanuts and cotton candy? The circus… What a spectacle!
Probably one of the most amazing Circus acts is the trapeze and high wire portion of the show. The phrase ‘death-defying’ comes from these acts, and the most adrenaline-pumping version of these acts happen without a net. The only thing separating the performers and the ground beneath them is their skill, strength and determination to succeed.
A BUSINESS IS MUCH LIKE A CIRCUS AT TIMES.
We definitely have a ringmaster (the CEO/manager/boss) and maybe even a few clowns mixed in, but we all have our risks we take to succeed. Some of us really put it all out there, and others choose to stay safe, or keep a “net” handy just in case. The main difference is commitment.
Whatever this safety net is, allows to not fully commit to making our dreams a reality.
When we attack life without a net, there is no other option but success in our venture. We have to catch the trapeze, we have to stay on the wire. Failure is not an option.
If you started living without a net, what would you do differently? How important would it now be:
• To find the new customer?
• To get the loan?
• To organize your financials?
This is why I love performance based pay. People tend to get much more aggressive and motivated when they realize their well-being depends on their performance vs just having a job.
The even better realization they come to is that they not only determine whether they succeed, but they determine by how much. If they want a raise, they can make it happen, they don’t even have to ask. This is living without a net. The risks are high, but so are the rewards.
GET RID OF THE NET: MAKE A PLAN
I don’t know of any successful trapeze artists that started out without a net. They practice at low heights, with a net, over and over. They get it right, then practice some more.
In other words, they make a plan, test the plan, and then work the plan. Similarly, in business you must:
1. Identify what your goals are.
2. Figure out exactly how to achieve those goals.
3. Commit to achieving those goals, and make it happen.
The level of concentration, commitment and focus goes up immensely without the safety net…but so does the success rate.
Here are your takeaways:
• Build your plan.
• Start practicing.
• Keep your net…for now.
At some point, you are going to have to commit if you really want success. You are going to have to try and catch the bar knowing that if you fail, it is a long way down.
Keep your eye on the goal. Don’t look down. You can either keep your focus and potentially succeed or lose sight and assuredly fall. The choice is yours. By the way, it might be safer to get some help before you lose the net. A coach can do wonders to help you prepare. And who knows, even without the net, they might be there to catch you if you fall.
