Ingrained in mankind is the desire to succeed; whether it is the achievement of something planned, the gaining of fame and prosperity, or the attainment of wealth. We all want to have success. Contrary to popular belief, success is not what you’ve done compared to what others have done – that’s competition. Rather, success is what you’ve done compared to what you were designed to do. In other words success is discovering what you’re supposed to do, then forgetting all else and pursuing that.
So, how do you achieve success? The secret law of success is not to seek success, but instead to seek to become a person of value.
The Process to Becoming Valuable
Value is the currency used to conduct business, therefore, to have success you must create value and produce it consistently in your work. The need for value arises when there is a problem that needs solving. For example, before the telephone was invented long distance communication was done via smoke signals. This method was of course too slow and in some cases misinterpreted. The act of creating a telephone provided instant communication which was both relevant and useful to the world of communication. In this case, value was added by providing a solution for conveying a message beyond the sound of one’s voice.
The process to becoming valuable contains three elements; strengths, mastery and niche. Each element is significant on it’s own but becomes more powerful when working in tandem. Strengths are about what you are good at, mastery is about being the best at what you do, and niche is about focusing on your area of specialty. When you make use of all three elements you position yourself as a person of value and the marketplace rewards value delivery.
Now, let’s look at how you can become a person of value.
Strengths
A strength is the ability to consistently execute a specific activity at peak performance. For example, a nurse who routinely administers injections so smoothly that patients “don’t feel a thing”, or a baker who bakes chocolate cake that tastes delicious “every time” you order it.
Strengths are composed of talent, knowledge and skills. Talent is what you are inherently good at. Knowledge is what you know and can be acquired through formal or informal education. Skill is the ability to do something well. It is often learned through training and practice and doesn’t come naturally.
Strength develops from investment. If you want to use your talents productively, you must invest in them. You do this by thinking about how you can add your current knowledge and skills to your talents. Additionally, you want to think about what new knowledge and skills you need to be even more effective. Ultimately, Talent (a natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving) X Investment (time spent practicing, developing your skills and building your knowledge base) = Strength (the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance) 1
Performing with strengths is a great way to propel development and success because people count on and appreciate your strengths. This is what will lead you to become a person of value.
Mastery
Mastery is possession or display of great skill, or total dominance over something. Shakespeare displayed mastery in writing. Leonardo Da Vinci showed mastery in painting. Starbucks has had mastery over the coffee industry.
The process of mastery requires that you hone your craft to the point where you have influence in the marketplace. Simply put, practice is the foundation for mastery. Someone who is a master of their craft will always be in great demand because they’re the best because of their value. Start working towards becoming the most valuable performer in your field and industry.
Niche
A niche is a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service. One common path to success is to discover your niche and establish yourself as the key dominant player in that field. When you perform in your niche you create a zone of expertise in which you stand out from the crowd.
To discover your niche you must engage in an area of specialty wherein there is a convergence of your interests, passions and talents. For example, Real Estate is a broad industry comprising of commercial real estate, industrial real estate, residential real estate and land. If you have interests in art, history and architecture you may specialize in residential real estate and offer value selling vintage homes. In your niche you thrive because it’s a space well suited for you.
Wayne Huizenga once said, “some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen.” When you operate in the uniqueness of your strengths, niche and craft mastery you charter a course to becoming a person of value, which will ultimately lead you to make success happen.
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