5 Keys to Ownership Success

“Extreme Ownership. Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.” “When setting expectations, no matter what has been said or written, if substandard performance is accepted and no one is held accountable—if there are no consequences—that poor performance becomes the new standard.” - Jocko Willink

Becoming an Owner in any business is one of the riskiest, gratifying, stress inducing, time spending objectives you can take on in any right. You will quickly realize how easy it will be to quit or work on different hobbies and be complacent. Here are some keys to be successful in a new venture as an owner in any industry. Big Hint - They all involve your own mindset and performance.

1) Philosophy

Philosophy is going to be the first key as an owner to accomplish when it comes to your personal success. As an owner times are going to be extremely hard. Starting a company is always the hardest part of the process, no matter what industry you are in you are facing barriers to entry into a profitable situation. This starting point is what separates the unwilling from the dedicated owners of the nation. It all starts with your own why, your reasoning for waking up and working for 16 hours on a certain goal, whether it’s to provide or simply just to be successful, it all starts with your own Philosophy.
There is a difference between the person who thinks that he HAS to go to work versus the person who thinks that he GETS to go to work. This gratification and simple change in mindset is something that owners of stagnant companies lack! Philosophy is your consistent frame of mind whenever you have to make decisions or put in the work necessary for the achieved result. The beautiful and ugly truth is that your philosophy is a reflection of all you have and all you have attracted to you to this day. If you believe that you are not where you want to be then this is your starting point for future success in business and in life. Authors such as Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins, his mentee, are key teachers in this skill as it can be trained and leveled up.

Now, I do not mean motivation. Motivation is fleeting, it comes and goes and is not there each day whereas your company will be. One side note is you will need to treat motivation like brushing your teeth, it is a consistent task that will assist you in your goals but will never carry you the whole way, bare this in mind.

2) Attitude

Success in business does not start with inspiration, it starts with education. In order to be thrilled to be consistently educated you will need to have an “If he can do it, I can do it” attitude. This attitude mixed with your philosophy is going to stem you forward in your business activity. But how can you change your attitude?

First, reflect on your current attitude towards owning a business and the current decisions. When are you stressed? What effects you heavily emotionally? You must be able to reflect upon this and see how it can be molded to a leadership mentality. The best leaders are innovative, they have the ability to see problems and fix them in the most out of sight ways. Realize your own faults such as an inability to keep your composure whenever someone is telling you that you are wrong. These habits and bits of pride are going to be obstacles that each person will face when starting and running a working company. Throughout the self analyzation take into account great leaders such as Elon Musk or Bill Gates and exemplify them. Consistently realize that efficiency in business is no different from efficiency in life. Emulate great successful professionals and it will bring a professional out of your own subconscious mind.

Your attitude will affect the ones around you, whether it be your coworkers or employees. If you are the leader holding the battle standard ready for the most efficient day possible, like George Washington in Trenton or Princeton, then you are of the right attitude. Emulate what you aspire to be and your consistency will pay off with a changed attitude for success in your endeavors.

3) Action

Now with the right Philosophy, strategic plan and the “If he can do it, I can do it attitude” you are ready for the third step, Action!

First, let me tell you a story of the man who consistently ate one Hershey bar a day. Consistently after work he thought he deserved a tasty treat as a reward for his hard days work in the office. Now usually you and I wouldn’t mind seeing a candy bar disappear every now and again however, think if EVERY DAY you were having one? Now imagine if this man changed his Hershey bar frenzy to an apple a day? Don’t you think after one consistent year he would be healthier? Feeling more energy? How about 6 years?

Now think of the Hershey bar as your own actions or decisions you make each day. The decisions to have takeout rather than prepare a healthy meal or to head home early for some beers rather than stay in and focus on some future marketing prospects for your company. Time management is the key to efficient and consistent action if you are to take the mantle of being a business owner. Your success very well depends on your ability to forego and sacrifice immediate gratification and relaxation to nurture and invest in yourself and your company.

Analyze your day at the end of it and see what you can do better. Can you add 50 pushups in the morning? Can you add a few chapters of a service manual or industry article into your day instead of Instagram for an hour? This is the difference between the normal and the successful owners. This mindset consistently achieved each day will change your life for the better if you consistently and honestly analyze yourself and act upon those findings.

4) Results

What are your current results? Do not go too long without checking! Here are some questions I like to ask any aspiring entrepreneur.

1) How Much money have you saved and invested in the past 5 years?

2) How many books have you read in order to improve your education and skills in the past 6 months?

3) How many classes have you taken to improve your talents and increase your industry knowledge?

Just with these questions alone, look into your performance of your current history and make the decision now to change it! If you have been completing these tasks with great urgency then congratulations, you are right on track to become successful in your endeavors and will look on to leveling up your home life as much as your business. If you are looking at these questions with embarrassment on your face then start here for your future. Start to take the honest examination of yourself and mark down the results. Have those results then cycle back into your change in philosophy and attitude for further readjusted action!

5) Lifestyle

After applying better philosophy, attitude and activity and picking now up results. With these you must fashion yourself lifestyle AKA Making the Good Life.

With these lessons you have what it takes to be consistent and dialed in for future success. Rome was not built in a day however if you continue to choose the apple a day versus the Hershey bar, I can guarantee over time your life will show you more results for it.

Some final additions to this article that will also help that you can study over that changed my life.

If you wish to be wealthy, then study wealth.

If you wish to be happy, then study happiness.

Make the personal commitment today and say, I'm going to study and change so in 5 years nobody can say, '“How come I don't have a superior plan in a superior country with superior opportunity,?”

Best of luck!

Andrew Gomez
Andrew@AJGTransport.com