Hi Reader, short and sweet one here today. Last week I talked about how dreaming leads to achieving. That having a clear, defined vision puts you on a path. It also makes you a better leader, which may not seem super-obvious at first. Here's a real life story about that. I had a client several years back who had a franchise repairing exercise equipment. He had a technician that wasn't really working out for him. Getting 3-5 complaints a week, having to refund people, all that. So he put out an ad for a new technician and ended up getting a really excellent applicant. In the interview this applicant asked, "So...what's your plan?" It just so happened that—before he put out that ad—he had taken time to get clear on his business, and where he wanted it to go. And had come up with a very robust 3-year plan... He figured out where he wanted to be, and worked backward from there... How many trucks he wanted to have, where he wanted to have an office, how many people he'd need on his staff, how much revenue he wanted to generate monthly and annually...all that. So he articulated that plan. In detail. Long story short, the applicant? He came on board. Phenomenal customer service. Strong on the technical side. Just an absolute win of a new hire. (And we all know how hard it can be to score a great hire sometimes.) After the fact, you know what that employee told him? He had been working for a competitor and when he went to give his notice, that competitor offered him more money to stay. He turned it down. The reason? Because the new opportunity he was being offered came with a clear, concise vision of where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do. He saw the potential and got excited to be a part of it. It could be a client, it could be your next team member...doesn't matter. The bottom line is this: People crave certainty and confidence in who they're following. Want superstar employees, clients, and referral partners? Well, there's just one example of how having a vision starts to shape your reality. Merry Christmas! Brian Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
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