Do you crave success? Are you unwilling to settle for mediocrity in your life and career? If you answered yes to both questions, what are you doing about it? Anything?
Recap –
In my previous post, A Killer Instinct Can Still Be Pretty, I addressed the issue of the killer instinct in women, traditionally considered a male characteristic. Tapping into that desire for greatness does not make you any less of a woman, despite what society might have to say about it. What it really boils down to is deciding whether you have the guts to be exactly who you are and go after what you want regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Traditional killer modus operandi –
Am I giving you license to step all over people in the process? Definitely not! There are far too many examples of the “kill or be killed” approach to competition. According to Ben Casnocha, “Everyone wants to win and kick the competition’s ass, the question is how this spirit should manifest into entrepreneurial truisms.” I was refreshed by Jeff Nolan’s reply to this question because he illuminates the fine line between winning at any cost and respectfully being a worthy advisory in business –
I used to need an enemy I could hate… that business was a zero sum game where I only won if everyone else lost. Then I grew up…[You’ve got to] respect your competition because if you don’t you can’t learn from them. Remember that you are primarily competing against yourself…you have competitors that you will sell against, but you won’t really win if your only strategy is to attack your competitor. This leads to perhaps the most important piece of advice, compete fairly because your customers will judge you based on how you compete.
Women stand in direct contrast to a lot of men in their ability to fight for the brass ring without decimating the field in the process. Not all men fight ruthlessly, but I think women more intuitively understand the emotional cost of battle.
Maximizing your instinct –
If you have determined that honing your killer instinct is just the edge you’ve been missing in your business, I’d like to share some strategies you can begin using today to leverage the lioness in you.
- Take a hard look in the mirror. Be willing to make changes in your life in order to succeed. Do your attitude, self-perception and vision scream “worthy opponent,” “force to be reckoned with,” “trail blazer”? Don’t change who you are, just start believing in what you’ve got to offer. If you have to, fake it until you make that mental and emotional connection to your gifts.
- Keep raising the bar. Study the best professionals in and out of your niche. More than likely they know something you don’t. Learning from others is a sign of strength and wisdom. Hone your skills by becoming a student of life, for life.
- Choose the action zone, not the comfort zone. Be committed to grow even beyond your vision — stretch outside your comfort zone. You’ll never know how great you can be and how much you can achieve if you never dream or push beyond your present reality
- See the value in every experience. There are no mistakes in life, just lessons. Being able to see opportunities in every obstacle is a skill worth mastering.
Successful women know how to unleash their killer instinct in focused, calculated and measured doses. By doing so, they never compromise who they are as women.
We wanted to be achievers, but being an achiever didn’t mean
that you stopped being a woman. – Peggy Fleming
© 2010 Reece International LLC/Dr. Shannon Reece. All rights reserved.
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Dr. Shannon Reece – The One Trusted Woman in a Man’s Business World
Starting your own business can be tough, but having the right tools makes all the difference. Dr. Reece provides the strategies and tactics women need to get their businesses from zero to launch and achieve real results. For more information visit www.DrShannonReece.com.
Strategies and Tactics for Women by Dr. Shannon Reece 