BUSINESS LESSONS FROM THE MAN WHO PROVED THAT BECOMING THE GREATEST WAS POSSIBLE
Most of us wouldn’t pay much attention to anyone who professed to be ‘the greatest’, but one man who said this over and over, and still captivated our attention was none other than ‘Muhammad Ali’. The man doesn’t need any introduction.
We join in celebrating the life of a universal icon by sharing some of his profound quotes and business lessons that we found very relevant in achieving career success.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
As Ali’s career progressed, he had such a great belief in himself that even his opponents accepted it. Many of them lost the fight before the bell for the first round rang. His indomitable spirit would not let him be defeated.
The business lesson is simple: believe in yourself. There will always be naysayers rooting for you to fail. Knowing that you can accomplish what you set out to achieve is half the battle.
NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR PRINCIPLES
There is enormous respect for the courage and integrity he displayed by standing by what he thought was right, regardless of the cost. If someone in your professional sphere asks you to do something you think is wrong, don’t do it. It may not be easy to do, but in the end you will be justified.
KNOW YOUR ‘WHY’
“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them — a desire, a dream, a vision”
Ask yourself… Why do you come to work? What is your dream? What do you want to achieve? Your ‘WHY’ is what will inspire you day in day out, give you a spring in your step every morning. Your ‘WHY’ is what will give you that burning desire to succeed.
VISUALISE SUCCESS
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion”
Successful people see success in their mind first. Then, they use daily affirmations to remind themselves of ‘what success would feel like” and use this as a motivation tool to achieve their objectives.
Picture yourself having achieved your goal, visualise how you would feel at that time, what would it mean to you, how would it impact the lives of people around you.
GET A COACH
“Wisdom is knowing when you can’t be wise”
Athletes have a coach for a reason: someone to watch them and get them to be their best. In the business context, you should look to secure some coaching commitment from a senior manager (not one that you report to), an ex-colleague or even a professional business coach.
If you want to go from good to great, then you will need someone who can help you become aware of your blind spots, someone you can talk matters through with and gain perspective, discuss ways to advance things faster or even support to make bold moves.
Finally, we will leave you with one of Muhammad Ali’s quote of all time,
‘‘It’s hard to beat a guy whose mind is made up to win”
RIP to one of the greatest.