CARE MORE! When I was researching and writing Training Camp I found that the best of the best really do work harder than everyone else. Hard work has been, is and always will be an integral part of chasing greatness. Yet, when I ask executives, professional athletes, sales people, teachers, etc. if they believe they can work harder than they currently are, almost everyone raises their hand. This begs the question: If they know they can work harder then why aren’t they? I found the answer while writing The Carpenter. I had one of those eureka moments where I realized that in order to work harder you have to care more. When you care more, you’ll invest more energy, effort, sweat, tears and years mastering your craft. When you care more you won’t allow distractions to get in the way of your improvement, growth and progress. When you care more you’ll see yourself as an artist creating your masterpiece every day. Steve Jobs is a great example of someone who cared more. In Water Isaacson’s biography he shares a story about Steve helping his father build a fence when he was a young boy. His father told him he must care about crafting the back of the fence as much as the front. When Steve asked why the back mattered since no one will see how it was crafted his father said, But you will know. Steves father taught Steve to care more and years later he would create Apple products with such care that it generated feelings of awe, loyalty and passion among its millions of new customers. It wasn’t an accident. Jonathan Ive, the man who designed Apple products, said “We believe our customers will sense the care we put into our products.” Apple cared more about the work they were doing and the products they were creating and in turn their customers cared more about them. Turns out caring more is one of the greatest success strategies of all. Not just for billion dollar companies but for barber shops and hair salons. I was recently in Knoxville, Tennessee and had the chance to visit Frank’s Barbershop and Salon Visage owned by Frank Gambuzza and his wife Belinda. Frank speaks at conferences all over the world about the secrets to his success. Franks Barbershop is voted the best barbershop in America every year and when I walked through the barbershop and Salon Visage I couldn’t believe how busy they were. I thought I was in NY or LA. When I asked Frank to explain his secret to success he said this: When a young lady or gentleman sits in my chair to get their hair cut I treat them like I would my own kids. When a woman about my age sits in my chair I treat her like I would my wife. When an older woman sits in my chair I treat her like I would my mother. And when an elderly woman sits in my chair I treat her like I would my grandmother. I care about giving them a great hair cut and I care about them like family. Frank cares more and when you care more everything matters and everyone matters. You work harder, serve greater and love deeper...which leads to greater success. So the next time you realize you arent working as hard as you can or creating your best work, stop beating yourself up. Instead ask yourself why the work you are doing matters and decide to care more. Then when you care more you’ll stand out in world where most don’t care.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 12:03:04 +0000
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