I love the spirit of becoming your best!
It’s a spirit that is motivating and enlarging and gives hope. This is illustrated by an experience that I had just about three or four weeks ago, as I had the good fortune of working with an outstanding company on the East Coast. This is a company that really works to be among the best in their industry.
After we concluded our training seminar, I heard from the president the next day. He said, “I’d like to share an experience I had.” He said, “I was driving home with one of our managers, who is named Jim. And we were just reflecting on the experience we had.” He said, “Everybody really just loved it.”
He said they couldn’t stop talking about how transformational it was for them and the ideas that they got, and then all of a sudden, Jim said as they got to talking, he said, “I’d like to just share my feelings. As you know,” he said, “I lost my son last year.” And his son happened to be also an employee for this company. It was devastating. It was hard on everybody, and it put him in just an absolute total funk. He was one of the key leaders, one of the general managers, division leaders for this organization. And the president, who was with him, George, really didn’t quite know how to handle this. And so this is the first time he had really opened up.
He said, “I just want you to know, George, that I have been liberated.” He said, “I now see my way forward.” And as we talked about these important principles of the idea of what we can do in the future, of setting our vision, of getting to a better place and a way to do it. Actually having goals. He realized it was a way to bless his son’s name. To lift and build and get to a better place. He was totally invigorated. And so this is one more example of where the power is in the principles.
And they’re absolutely predictable. And as we do certain things, we set a vision for example, and we set clear goals that are inspirational and motivational, new hope comes. Fresh perspective comes, and that is the power of these principles, the 12 principles of highly successful leaders, and that’s why they work over and over and over again.
And so what do they help bring into our lives? They bring greater happiness, greater perspective, they give us hope and encouragement. And so I’d like to just share this experience because it’s the kind of thing that can happen in our lives. And as you talk about these principles with other people, as you share them with other people, the very same types of things happen, because that is the result. Well remember, every day we have the chance to make a difference, and you’re making a difference right now. And it’s great to be able to work together with you.