Welcome to the Kleber & Associates blog! Here’s The Un-Motivational Speech
Today, my mind is cluttered not with the nurture of the business – but with the nature of the beast. We all want to succeed. We need to be the best for ourselves, our clients, our bosses, and our egos. We strive to stand in the spotlight and sometimes (thankfully, it’s only sometimes) we forget that it’s not about us, or our bosses, or the market, or a host of other distractions. It’s about the customer (or client, or patient, or whatever term your business uses for people who pay for your goods or services). And as odd as it might seem, that’s easy to forget in the hectic and often frenzied pace of our lives.
The great thing about working with my team is the constant creative flow and enthusiasm with which every project is approached. The sheer breadth of their knowledge of trends, technologies, and style is astounding. One of the mixed blessings of having years of experience is that I often take on the role of “Guidance Counselor” or even “Mean Vice Principal,” offering advice, nurturing, and steering others away from the pitfalls that I have stumbled through.
However, for this blog I’ve decided to step away from the usual topics and go in a different direction. Instead of encouraging you to be first, never give up, and win Win WIN – I’m putting down the pom-poms and getting a bit more real. So, here’s my advice: Be Last, Quit, and Lose… with all your might.
Be Last. Be the last one to leave the office when the creative juices are flowing and the deadline is looming. Be the last one to take credit for a team success and definitely be the last to place blame for a team loss.
Quit. Quit settling for the same thing. Quit expecting others to do the hard work. Quit thinking you know what the client wants before they tell you. And most importantly quit thinking you’re not clever enough, talented enough, or tough enough to make it.
And finally, Lose. Lose the cynicism that’s built a crusty shell on what used to be wonder. Lose the need to always be right. Lose your mind (every once in a while). And no matter what – know that to truly succeed, you must lose the fear of failure.
