Last year I enjoyed an engagement with the owner of four Midas stores in Richmond, VA. One of them is the #1 Midas store in the U.S. Mark Smith and I have become friends.
I was fascinated by an email he sent his team. I asked permission to share *most of it.
Good Morning,
Why do I take the approach I do?
- I don’t make choices. I create the choices that are ideal for any given situation, then optimize the outcomes.
- The voice(s) in my head are larger and louder than any other. When there are compelling reasons to turn off outside voices, I do.
- I’m willing to take action in the absence of absolute expertise.
- How I conduct myself is more important than the success I create on any given day – fact is, we’ll win some and we’ll lose some.
- I thoroughly enjoy your success. Mine is not a zero sum game.
- I pay attention to patterns, not isolated incidents.
- The quality of answers I get depends on the quality of questions I ask.
- Discipline is important. Perfection is folly.
- Once a day, I take 15 minutes to slow down, linger, savor, and absorb.
- Whenever you have lots of well-intentioned people framing a challenge differently, you get complexity.
- No amount of motivation will ever cause shame to be a motivator.
- I have no interest in learning a single skill that allows me to live a routine.
- I am a big fan of other successful people. Success is a choice that is created – not bought, earned, or entitled – chosen.
- I need to be where my feet are – always.
- She does, he does, they do. So, why not me?
- Today is yours to own. Don’t transfer ownership to anyone – that gives them rent free space in your head.
Which of these ideas resonate with you?
What might you add?
*The original list had 18 items. It’s been edited for length.
This is a blended set of ideas that come from articles in Inc, The Art of Pilgrimage, Driven to Delight, Leadership Freak, and Rotman Management Winter 2016.
