3 things that successful PR and business professionals do differently
Are you running an agency business or leading a multi-billion Naira corporation? You will soon find out that the fundamentals of success are the same. Here are 3 things that value-driven entrepreneurs and PR professionals do differently:
- They have a growth mindset.
A value-driven PR and business professional has a growth mindset. There are two mindsets that, to a large degree, predict the success or failure of an individual or team. The first is a fixed mindset.
Those who have a fixed mindset believe their character traits and abilities are largely unchangeable, that they are who they are and they are not capable of evolving into a better version of themselves. People with a fixed mindset document their intelligence and abilities but do not believe they can improve on either.
They are also too quick to blame the environment, and they make statements such as the country is too corrupt, I can’t win any business or contract unless I know someone at the top, or clients are always stealing my ideas, ETC ETC.
The second mindset is a growth mindset. People with a growth mindset believe their brains are adaptable and could get smarter. They are more willing to embrace challenges and do not see failure as a condemnation of their identity.
Business and PR professionals with a growth mindset strive to improve after performing poorly on tests or after losing out in a business pitch, while those with a fixed mindset gave up.
To transform from a fixed mindset into a growth mindset, you must learn to see the world differently and persist through obstacles rather than give up.
In short, having a growth mindset is about understanding that we will never reach the top of the mountain but we can keep climbing so the view gets better and better.
- They don’t just talk. They take action.
According to Donald Miller, “I’ve never met two successful people who are the same. I’ve met successful people who are humble and others who are arrogant. I’ve met successful people who are creative and successful people who are uncreative. I’ve met successful people with frantic energy and others who are so at ease you wonder how they ever became successful in the first place.
That said, there is one thing successful entrepreneurs have in common: They have a bias toward action. They do not let ideas die on the vine. They take action to make those ideas happen. This is called “getting the ball in the end zone.”
Drawing up plays, giving pep talks, and even the hard work of driving the ball down the field does not produce points. The only thing that produces points is putting the ball in the end zone. Successful people make real things happen in the real world. They do not let their best life get stuck in their imaginations. Action-oriented people are good at getting things done.
As you attempt to build your PR company or your professional career, know that you can become exceptional in the marketplace as long as you wake up every day and take action.
- They are relentlessly optimistic.
The more optimistic you are, the more you will be willing to try—and the more you try, the more often you will actually experience success. High-impact people believe amazing things can happen. And when they try and fail, they forget their failure almost instantly because they are so excited about the next opportunity.
Donald Miller noted: “Show me a successful person and I will show you somebody who has failed more than most. Show me an unsuccessful person and I’ll show you somebody who quit after failing a few times.”
Successful people have failed more often than unsuccessful people. It’s just that they had an optimistic attitude about life and got back up. This is true in every area of life, from relationships to sports to business. Nothing will cost you more in life than a predetermined belief that things aren’t going to work out.
How many PR or business pitches have you failed in? How many submitted proposals have been rejected? How many clients have you lost?
Life is a game of statistics. There are no guarantees, but the more positive effort you put in, the more likely you will be to win.
Bonus: They do NOT choose to be confused
A value-driven professional does not choose to be confused. Most situations we believe are confusing are not actually confusing. In fact, what masquerades as confusion is often our desire to avoid conflict and our unwillingness to take action.
Successful people do not live in confusion; they live in clarity. And it’s not because they see the world clearly and the rest of us don’t. The truth is, we all see the world fairly clearly. We just choose to be confused.
Reference:
Donald Miller. Business Made Simple
