What I've Learned from 35 Years of Business Leadership
When I was younger my business controlled me and made me a machine. I worked hard, I earned my money, I reacted, then I went home and tried again. As a young man I thought about my work every night. As I pushed my children to the swings in the park, my thoughts turned to my business. As I was falling in love with my wife I thought about tomorrow’s meeting. My business ran me.
This was my greatest learning experience in life. To be the master instead of Mike McGahan CLV Group the deck hand. To steer the ship instead of being a passenger. To manage my own business and not let it run me.
Here’s my take:
It doesn’t matter that I don’t love what I do. But, if my work isn’t what I love, then I can’t sustain my self-respect. This corruption is not overcome by just a paycheck.
The tomorrow is in work. I can become a slave or prisoner of my lower mind by being too focused on the NOW. I must always question the following one question: Where will this take me (and others tomorrow)? ?
Nothing can compensate for a home that is empty of love. Although I was able incredibly to channel the passion from my abusive home into my job, the vibration of what my intention meant was low and it led to chaos in my workplace. Each part of my life is special and cannot easily be replaced.
To be inspired, you must isolate yourself. I was obsessed with activity throughout my entire business life. I loved to exercise, run, eat and sleep, and also enjoyed talking, playing, working, loving, managing, counting, meditation, writing faxes and letter, reading books, cleaning, designing, reorganising, making love, and going on holidays to do more. I never stopped working, never stopped wanting to, never stopped, never hesitated.
Being kind to others. My staff were accused of cheating and stealing, sabotage and speaking badly behind my back. I suspected my clients deceiving and stealing from me in order to obtain a discounted price. I also suspected that I was being cheated by my suppliers. But what I didn’t know was that I was actually looking at the mirror. This is what I now refer to as karma. Do unto others and it might not be the best thing for you. However, if they do unto themselves, it is 100% certain that it will be done for you. Treat yourself as well as others to make them happy.
End game strategies do not work. My business started when I was young. I thought “this is my life. This company is my heart and soul. Even compared with competitors, I thought my offering was superior.” Then I lost trust in my product. That was the moment I became a pauper. The pauper is unsure if they can make it through another ……gyear. However, the visionary has a different mindset. They believe and dream. Vision is not built on the futur, it is built upon integrity.
Management of a business is easy. It was easy to start my business when i was younger. Our passion was genuine, we had a sensational product, and our clients loved it. We loved being in their lives as well. But it became harder. Instead of wanting to accomplish more in a shorter time frame, we started doing more in fewer hours. I didn’t know that management would become easier the more I got better at it. Instead of trying harder, I decided to apply the same principles to a larger and more complex business.
My problem was not the business, but my process. The ideal scenario for $1 mil turnover was ridiculous for $13 million. I was like the rat in a cage running faster and quicker, but not smarter and wiser. The easier the business is to run, the bigger it is. Complexity can be a sign of incompetence. I forgot to learn. Twelve months after finishing my MBA, even my MBA was useless. I hope that this information has been helpful to you. Retrospectively, I don’t think I had to pay half of the price I paid to achieve success. I could have done so much more with my time.