subject: Inspirational Internet Business Leaders Part 2 [print this page] Inspirational Internet Business Leaders Part 2
We see ourselves in the mirror each and every morning while we brush our teeth, maybe you look yourself in the eyes, maybe you don't bother, but this just happens to be an intense little private moment for me, so I'm using it as an example here. We have three children in the house, and my wife and I share a bathroom, so I don't get many of these throughout the day. This is my moment I use to challenge myself each morning. I take this opportunity to look myself directly in the eyes and make an internal pact with the soul inside that today I will be better than yesterday, and I will inspire one person in a positive way. This is the part where you might be wondering just what this has to do with being a business leader. When one stops and really thinks on what it means to build a business, you are building relationships! They are one in the same, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can get down to the real work of building something special.
Business on every level must be carried out from a central point, a singularity (for all you cosmologists). That point is the company mission, the sole reason the company exists in the first place. Like most endeavors, these organizations begin with a unifying idea, a belief or core value that brings people together under a single banner. I mentioned this in another article once, but if you go onto the website for any major corporation, company, or organization there will be a link you can follow, probably labeled ABOUT US, or something like it. There you will find their core reason for existing, or mission statement. Not once will you find one that says, "To make money and get rich." Although there is much to be said about turning a profit and making some sort of living out of the business you started, if that is the driving force behind it then do not expect it to gain momentum and longevity. In fact, it probably won't last the year.
Without a Core Value you will not be sustainable and you cannot inspire others to your cause or mindset. People will not take you seriously and you will begin to take on a reputation of the slimy used car salesman and people will begin to avoid all things connected to you and your brand. Remember, people aren't stupid. They want to be surrounded by individuals who teach, share, give value, and inspire; sometimes this is as simple as being just plain honest. In a world in which integrity and character are just words in a book and not reality, inspiration has fast become the new drug, and everyone craves it.
