Ten Life Lessons From Business

I'm in the process of completing a program design for a university where I'll be working with business students on bumping up their game when it comes to professionalism and organizational savvy. The activity prompted me to think back over years of managing, training, and consulting, and what kinds of life lessons were learned along the way. (Business is part of life, not the other way around). 

So, I thought I'd share the list that emerged after thinking over the past 30 years in business:

Ten Life Lessons From Managing and Consulting

1. You can be in charge, but you're never in control.

2. If you have a Powerpoint slide with a graph whose curve always points upward, you're lying. Delete it.

3. If you look at people through your own eyes, you'll judge them for who you think they are. If you look at them through God's eyes, you'll see them for who they can become.

4. You can't be good at who you are until you stop trying to be all the things you are not.

5. Charge what you are worth. If you don't, you'll begin to resent your employer or client, even thoughyou decided to take the assignment.

6. You can't control circumstances. You can control your response to them. Those who learn to respond thoughtfully and peacefully are the ones who are accorded trust and power.

7. Overt displays of position power show weakness.  Genuine humility shows power.

8. All groups aren't "teams". Often they are just collections of people who work really, really well together. Leave them alone.

9. No one can know how to be an effective leader until they've toiled as a dedicated follower.

10. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied with discernment.

What Are Your Business Life Lessons?

Do you have life lessons from business that you can add? Click on the comment box and use your experience to contribute to someone else's development.

Comments

[David Phillips]

If you can't say something genuinely positive about your competition, you don't know them that well and risk under-estimating them.

[Bill Nelson]

"It is important what you get out of success but know where near as important as what you become by your pursuit of it."

[Steve Roesler]

David, thanks for starting it off.

[Steve Roesler]

Bill, that reminds me of a post hidden somewhere in the archives about the difference between "being" and "becoming." Thanks for your contribution.

[sachin kundu]

Manage the system and boundaries, not people.
Remove one pain of people per day.

[Human Resource Management System]

"Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied with discernment." best line i've heard all week! This separates workers who "go by the book" from those who "go by gut".

[Wdywft]

I love these. Especially #2 and #5!

[james sons]

i like your comments .....

[Chris Ferdinandi]

This is hands down my favorite one: "8. All groups aren't "teams". Often they are just collections of people who work really, really well together. Leave them alone."

Far too often you see managers or aspiring "leaders" try to show their stuff by "adding their own flavor" to a group. It usually doesn't work well. If people are doing great work, leave them alone!

[Mark]

Nice post, Steve. You've got a lot of highly sharable stuff here. In fact, I think many companies would do well just copying #6 and placing it in a prominent place in the major work areas or departments. I also like how #2 emphasizes focusing on the future and current surveys, versus past data -- which, I agree, is usually out of date the day after it's gathered. :)

[Steve Roesler]

David,

That's not one I'd heard or thought about before. Nice addition.

[Steve Roesler]

Sachin

I've always believed that effective supervision is all about "pain management." Your comment would serve managers well.

[Steve Roesler]

Human Resource Management Systems

Pleased to know that that line struck a chord with you. Thanks for adding to the conversation.

[Steve Roesler]

Hi there, Chris

Well, it's affirming to know you've observed similar dynamics. In our efforts to appear "teamy," we often lose sight of the fact that we don't really have a team to begin with!

[Steve Roesler]

Mark

Thanks for weighing in & pleased to know a couple of these hit home for you.

[Lryanis]

Business has taught me how to better deal with disappointment. Life does not always go our way and like you mentioned in #6 it is all about how you deal with it. I am now trying to teach my kids how they can turn setbacks into opportunities. If you are going to be successful, you need to be resilient because life and business are filled with ups and downs.

[harry]

Nearly all the successful people I know give back. There’s a special kind of satisfaction that comes from helping and serving others.

[Klara]

mistakes aren't always really bad things. they can keep you move forward, when you recognized them.

[JohnrturnerHPT]

Steve,
Thanks for posting, great points.
I agree with #10 especially. Having knowledge is great, but being able to apply one's knowledge in productive ways is powerful. This applicability of knowledge is not only beneficial to you but also to those you shared the knowledge with, and its uses.