February 11, 2017 | Ben Woodward
Aristotle once said, “The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousand-fold,” (On the Heavens, book 1, chapter 5, lines 8–10).
If a baseball pitcher lets go of the ball just one inch away from where it should be released, the ball will end up nine or ten feet away from where it should be by the time it’s supposed to reach the batter. Little errors in the beginning lead to serious consequences in the end.
As a consultant, you are making a similar mistake if you are leaving the decision on what action you will take to others. Dodging responsibility for fear of making wrong decisions or for thinking your job belongs to another can sometimes result in no decision being made at all. Do this early in your business and you will find this is the perfect plan for an immediate plateau.
There is great benefit in taking personal responsibility for your business…
The First Benefit:
We function within an environment of freedom. George Bernard Shaw once stated, “Liberty means responsibility” (Maxims for Revolutionists). That is why most men dread it, and that is why so many people living today have capitulated and given up all that matters. Suddenly they are not directing their own lives any more.
A young man was in a conversation with a businessman whilst traveling when he was thirty years old.
The businessman said, “Tell me about your friends.”
He said, “Well, most of them have died.”
The businessman responded, “Most of your friends have died? You are only thirty.”
Came the reply, “Well, their hearts are still beating, and there would be some other vital signs. I’m sure they would have blood pressure. Food is being digested, but I don’t think they have had a new thought since high school.”
They talked about this condition and recognized that this group of acquaintances had opted to surrender. Surrender is something that we, as Core Consultants, must not do. There is a great advantage in taking responsibility. We live in an environment of freedom if we will but capitalize on it.
The Second Benefit:
We become more powerful people—we become more interesting people. It has been said that a strong position of responsibility will usually show a man to be far stronger than it was imagined he was.
Of course that is true.
When we start making those decisions, we are just more exciting people. What a lovely way to live.
The Third Benefit:
Trust comes from taking personal responsibility. Trust fosters satisfactory relationships more than any other single characteristic. The great Booker T. Washington said, “Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him and to let him know that you trust him.” We understand why we want to behave differently when someone trusts us. But why do they trust us? Because we have already made the decisions that lead to trust.
The Fourth Benefit:
Responsibility breeds opportunities. Don’t we all act upon that fact? All of us seem to be given a wealth of opportunities. Each day at dawn we have a myriad of choices and places to go and things to do and ideas to think about and friendships to generate if we accept personal responsibility.
So, dear friends, let’s take full advantage of the responsibilities that are ours, and look forward with confidence to the great fruit of success that will follow. Develop a Why. Why do you want to build a business? Commit to the daily Core practices. Get plugged in. You can do this!