Jolt! (26 page)

Trade information with people.

Trade business cards at conferences and meetings, keep them organized, and put them in your contact manager. Don't be obnoxious, but graciously offer people your cards and ask for theirs. It's a fantastic way to build relationships and keep track of contact information.

When you connect people, make a good match.

Consider their career standing, experience, and personal habits and skills. All of these things become critical for making solid connections work. All it takes is one bad match and people will begin avoiding you. Make sure whenever you connect two people for a project, they are as compatible as possible.

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.
—CARL JUNG, PSYCHIATRIST

Meeting people is the heart and soul of networking. My father had the ability to make friends more easily than anyone I've ever known. One day we were shopping, and while my mom was looking at dresses, my dad struck up a conversation with a motorcycle cop outside the store. Within minutes, not only was my dad in conversation with the motorcycle cop, but he was also using the cop's police radio to chat with the local police chief back at the station. My dad could start a conversation with anyone, anytime and anyplace.

Finally, a few closing thoughts about networking:

Don't keep a balance sheet.

Sometimes you'll connect people for a great project that becomes a success, but they'll leave you out in the cold. For some reason, people don't always reciprocate and pay back favors. Life isn't always fair, but don't let that stop you and don't let it destroy your motivation. Even if you get abused four out of five times, one positive experience will still be worth it.

Become a person who makes things happen.

Men and women will always be drawn to the leaders who can get things done. The minute you miss a deadline, drop the ball, or fail, people will subtly start avoiding you, but “action” people are magnets. Michael Jordan was a clutch basketball player. When the clock was ticking, the team was behind, and the chips were down, everyone had confidence that if there was time for one last shot, Michael could make it. He was the epitome of the “go-to” guy because he knew how to make things happen.

In the same way, establish a personal reputation that, no matter what, you can make things happen. Be a game changer.

Learn the art of motivation.

Give people hope. Most people you meet are frustrated, are upset, or have given up on life. But if you can motivate them, you can build a network that can accomplish anything. Look around your company and you'll see how few people are really motivators. Most employees, managers, and executives are only concerned about “what's in it for me.” They cover their own backsides, think only about themselves, and rarely try to make a difference for others. If you can become a motivator, your influence in the company will skyrocket.

Collaboration is multiplication.
—JOHN C. MAXWELL, AUTHOR

Understand the power of teams.

Even the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Batman, and the Green Hornet all had one thing in common—they worked with a sidekick. Tonto, Dale Evans, Robin, and Kato were the relationships that made each of those teams work.

You don't have to do it yourself. Stop thinking about “you” and start thinking about “we.” Multiply your impact and increase your effectiveness.

THE POWER OF SOLVING PROBLEMS

Taking your eyes off yourself is the first step to real vision. That's why one of the greatest keys to becoming successful is to do something for someone else.

In the chapter on generosity we discussed giving, but let me take that a step further:

Problem solving may be the single most important task you will ever undertake. Solve someone else's problem and it will change your life.

Want to be rich? Become more valuable to others.

Want to move up in the company? Become indispensable.

Solving problems is what makes you more precious and essential in today's workplace.

The bigger the problems you solve, the more valuable you become.

I have a business partner and close friend named Ralph Winter. Ralph produces major blockbuster movies, and he's very good at it. He's produced
Star Trek
,
Mighty Joe Young, Inspector Gadget
, Tim Burton's
Planet of the Apes, X-Men, X2, Wolverine
, and
The Fantastic Four
.

Ralph is an expert at solving problems, and because he's so good, studios are willing to compensate him accordingly. Ralph has a reputation that when a major special effects extravaganza is out of control, he's the man to get it back on track. I've seen him get the call when a major high-budget movie was in production and spinning out of sight. He would fly to the location, bring in his team, rework the budget and shooting schedule, reassure nervous actors and crew, and calm down frantic studio executives.

In a world where major movies cost more than $100 million, Ralph solves expensive problems. As a result, he's very valuable.

» IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. IT'S ABOUT SOLVING PROBLEMS.

I pay my housekeeper one salary, but I pay my attorney another salary altogether because my attorney solves bigger problems. Learn to solve bigger problems and you'll never again need to worry about salary, hourly rates, fees, or income.

When you solve problems, someone is watching. Chances are, the president, CEO, client, or other person significant to your future is watching you solve problems. And the bigger the problem, the bigger the audience.

Effective problem solving is a key to becoming a more effective part of the team, building relationships, getting noticed, and moving up the ladder. Stop thinking about your needs, your wants, and your troubles.

Look for a big problem to solve and get with it.

» JOLT #24
LEAVE A LEGACY OF CHANGE
How Will You Be Remembered?

The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.
—BENJAMIN DISRAELI, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER AND NOVELIST

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.
—PSALM 39:4 NLT

I
recently asked a group of major executives and CEOs what their single greatest concern might be about their business and career. I was expecting answers like the need to pursue innovation, finding new I funding and financing, building better teams, or expanding global markets. But a significant number of corporate executives I interviewed replied: “I'm concerned about what kind of legacy I leave behind.”

I was reminded of the story of a very rich man's funeral. In his lifetime, he lived in luxury and made hundreds of millions of dollars. At the funeral service, one of his former associates leaned over and asked the man's business manager how much he left behind.

“All of it,” the business manager replied.

When we die, we leave it all. We can't take our wealth, our property, or our accomplishments. We leave everything, and as we consider our last will and testament and what we'll leave behind, we can't forget that we'll all be leaving a legacy as well.

When that happens, what will your legacy be? Will it be a list of business successes, properties, or stocks? Throughout history, some of the richest and most influential men and women have left a great deal of money, but they've also handed down a legacy of bitterness, confusion, and discontent. They have left families torn apart by unfair treatment, abuse, scandal, selfishness, and deceit.

The kinds of problems all the money in the world can't fix.

» DEATH IS THE ULTIMATE TRANSITION, THE FINAL CHANGE, THE LAST JOLT.

Others, who had far less money, left a more significant legacy. They left behind people whose lives were dramatically changed because of their impact. People who were never the same because someone passed through their lives who cared and brought them great value.

» WHAT WILL YOU LEAVE BEHIND?

This isn't a chapter intended to be read an hour before you die. The earlier you learn this lesson the better, because the more time you'll have to build your “lifetime equity” and the greater chance your life will have meaning and impact after you're gone.

Certainly financial riches are a good thing to leave behind. Designated financial gifts have built hospitals, schools, churches, and libraries. They have provided an education for those who could never have gone to college on their own. And they have allowed vast projects in underdeveloped countries to make an impact on countless people the giver never knew.

Money is good, and if you have a talent for making it, I'm your best cheerleader. By all means, build up a financial legacy that you can leave to impact lives for generations to come.

But leaving a legacy is about so much more than just money. Here are some suggestions I would urge you to consider as you think about leaving behind a heritage that really matters.

THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR LEGACY

First, settle the ultimate questions.

In the old days they called it “being ready to meet your Maker.” That sounds trite and old-fashioned, but the point is, settle the big questions of your life and search for the spiritual answers you need to find.

Remember our earlier questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? What is my purpose? Take care of spiritual issues so that no matter what happens—or when it happens—you're ready for the next world. Whatever you do, don't leave those questions unanswered.

Growing up a pastor's son, I've spent many nights in hospital rooms with my dad as he comforted church members and friends who were dying. As long as I live, I will never forget the difference between people who knew where they were going and those who didn't. Time and time again, people who had a strong faith died with a sense of peace, as if they were ready for a divine appointment. But during those difficult times when my father had to be at the bedside of someone who refused to acknowledge any spiritual dimension to life, the person often died in fear and terror, with a nervous sense that there were unanswered questions and things not settled.

I don't write that to scare anyone or to trivialize serious doubts or skepticism about the supernatural or the afterlife. But whatever decision you make, please make a decision so that when your time comes, you're comfortable with the knowledge that you've wrestled with the ultimate questions of life and made a choice.

Second, spend your life investing in people.

Leaving behind buildings, monuments, or companies is a wonderful thing, and I'm all for it. In fact, if you would like to leave behind a building for me, please let me know. I'm happy to accept! But the truth is, the greatest legacy you'll ever leave is in the lives of people. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Fred Rogers, and many more didn't leave great corporations, buildings, or property. But they will be remembered for generations to come because of the legacy they created in the lives of millions. People will always be your greatest investment, and no matter how much money you make, you can never leave enough to outweigh the influence and impact you leave when you spend your life helping other people.

» YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH OR INFLUENTIAL TO START MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

All it takes is the effort and desire to change someone's life. Find a younger executive to mentor, help a needy family, or take a leadership role in the life of a teen. One of the most shameful aspects of our modern culture is the tragic numbers of children growing up without a mom or a dad. Men— find a teenage boy without a father and develop a “big brother” relationship. Help that young man grow into manhood with a father figure, and share your life experience and resources with him.

In the same way, women can play an identical role for girls and young women who are growing up without mothers. I went to elementary school with a girl whose mom had died of cancer. She and her younger sister were being raised by a father who had little knowledge of the complexities of raising girls. I'll never forget how adult women in the church would make the effort to help those girls with motherly advice, teaching them things their father could never understand about becoming a woman.

The movie
The Blind Side
is the story of a poor, homeless, and uneducated teenaged boy named Michael Oher, who was given a second chance by a Memphis family. When Leigh Anne and Sean Touhy invited Michael into their home, it changed his life and theirs as well. Their unconditional love, support, and mentoring allowed him to finish high school, become an All-American offensive left tackle at the University of Mississippi, and graduate from college. He later became the number one NFL draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens.

There is someone within your reach right now who needs you to make a difference. It won't be hard once you make a habit of looking. In many ways, that's actually the key to investing in people—the ability to see. So many people go through life oblivious to the people or needs that surround them, but once you sharpen your senses toward people you can really help, you'll begin to see lives you can impact on a regular basis.

» INVEST IN PEOPLE, AND YOUR RETURN WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS.

Third, be deliberate about your legacy.

Don't wait until the last minute, start planning now. What are some of the things you can leave behind as a legacy?

Books, music, a journal, great projects, buildings, students, children, inventions, breakthroughs, research, innovation, creativity, solutions, designs, money, property, investments, good advice, education, favor, networks, forgiveness, photographs, documents, a successful business, software, movies, lectures, experience, and the list goes on and on.