Lessons on Leadership

1.“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

Being enthusiastic about yourself and the struggle that you are leading can give a new positive direction to your efforts. If you have an enthusiastic attitude, you will achieve your goals and you will multiply your objectives instantly.

2.“The difference between successful people and really successful people, is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”-Warren Buffet

Imagine someone who is lazy, disorganized, and dishonest. Now, imagine someone who is providing terrible products and services, is unable to handle confrontation, is hesitant to make choices, and is convinced that they know it all on top of the laziness and dishonesty. It sounds like a disaster of an entrepreneur to me!

The most successful entrepreneurs know how to say “No.” You heard me, the word “No” is all it takes to be successful. A successful person simplifies, prioritizes, and focuses his or her attention on what matters most, so saying the word “No” is absolutely necessary to stay on top of the game. If a successful person can’t manage his time, everything else suffers. Time management is the key to being successful, so you can’t let people set your agenda in life. Saying the word "Yes" all the time will only end up making you feel busy but unproductive. Remember, you have to work hard, but you also have to work smart.

3.“In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.”-Nikos Kazantzakis

In order to set your goals and achieve them, you must be optimistic and you must remain positive. However, do you know what is more important than optimism and positivity? Believing in yourself. Don't underestimate yourself and your abilities. You are capable of accomplishing anything if you set your mind to it.

4. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” -Thomas A. Edison

Have you ever heard the quote " Fall down seven get up eight?" It could be applied in business as well. Being an entrepreneur means learning through the ups and downs of business. It's absolutely essential to fail because failure teaches you valuable life lessons. Instead of perceiving failure negatively, you can look at it as an opportunity for you to reset and start again.

5. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit.” Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” -Muhammad Ali

A lot of people confuse working many hours with working hard. Focusing on the job at hand, prioritizing what needs to get done, and doing it on time is more important than working for 8 hours a day.

6. “Successful people take big risks knowing that they might fall hard, but they might succeed more than they ever dreamed, too.” -Robert Kiyosaki

Taking risks disqualifies the possibility of looking back and asking, “what if?” Even if you fail, you'll walk away with more experience and more knowledge, which can lead you to further success in other areas. Take the risk because you’ve got nothing to lose!

7. “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” -Jack Canfield

Failure teaches you in ways success can't. It shapes you as a person and makes you resilient. If we can develop a stronger relationship with failure, we can make success that much closer.

8. “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” -Vincent Van Gogh

Achieving success often means venturing into new territory or getting out of your comfort zone if that is what you want to call it. Maintaining the status quo is much easier than trying something new. However, courage is an essential ingredient for growth. With less fear and more courage, workers take on harder projects, deal better with change, and speak up more willingly about important issues. As a business leader and entrepreneur, your job is to encourage others.