By now many of you might have seen the virally spread "Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. If you have not, you should take the 11 minutes it takes to see it. It has recently been removed from YouTube due to a copyright from Harpo Inc., although this link seems to be a valid NBC link. I hope it continues to be available.
Why is this worth watching? What does it have to do with business? Why am I posting it here? Watch it. I think you will come away from it with some good advice that will impact your business and personal life. This is what I get out of it:
1. Getting good things, achieving dreams requires HARD WORK. A successful company isn’t successful just because it sells a great new idea. It is successful because PEOPLE made it that. People worked hard and poured their blood, sweat, and tears into.
2. Your attitude makes all the difference. Do you choose to be a Tigger or an Eeyore? A Tigger is curious, optimistic, energetic, and have fun. These traits will always help you get ahead.
3. People are ALWAYS more important than things. A company that treats people like things, a company that doesn’t put it’s people first, is a company that will have problems. Its a lot easier to be successful if you have good people behind you. The way to get good people behind you is to treat them like good people.
4. When you do something wrong apologize and figure out how to fix it. I am always so much more eager to help someone fix a problem at work if they come to me and own up to their mistake. If I find that an employee , or a business partner, or a vendor is not owning up to their mistake, and not apologizing and trying to figure out how to make it better, I am less inclined to help them make it better and more inclined to let them solve it themselves. I find if I own up to my mistakes quickly, and ask for an apology I too get much more help to make things right.
I truly believe that people who conduct business in an ethical way will get further. I believe that if you have passion, integrity, smarts, and plain hard work behind your business you can’t help be be successful.
Sabrina Parsons aka MommyCEO
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