402: Donald Miller - How To Tell Your Story, Take Action, & Transform Your Life

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#402: Donald Miller - CEO of Business Made Simple

Notes:

• The Characteristics of a Value Driven Professional:
  • "Value driven successful people see themselves as an economic product on the open market. They are obsessed with getting people a strong return on the investment made in them. People who are obsessed with being a good investment attract further investment and get to enjoy more personal economic value. When you offer greater economic value within the economic ecosystem, you are paid more, given more responsibility and promotions, and are sought after by customers looking for value. In business, your boss may really like you, but in large part, they see you as an economic investment. There is nothing wrong with that. So how do we become ridiculously successful? By making other people absurdly successful."
    • "If you know how to make people money, you will make a lot of money."
  • They have a bias towards action - "There is one thing every successful person has in common: They have a bias towards action." They don't let ideas die on the vine. They take action to make those ideas happen. While others may have terrific ideas or be able to see an important issue from many angles, action-oriented people are good at getting things done."
  • They see themselves as a hero, not a victim. Ask, "How often do you position yourself as a victim?" How often do you talk about yourself as though you are not in control of your life? Do you believe other people are responsible for your failures? Don was born in Texas and grew up poor. His dad left and never came back. His mom had to work long hours just to keep him and his sister alive. He told me, "The biggest transformation in my life happened when I stopped thinking of myself as a victim and started thinking of myself as the hero. I lost 150 pounds and became more in control of my life. If you're always the victim, you'll find that people get tired of carrying your load."
  • They know feedback is a gift. They create an established routine in which they get feedback from their peers.
  • They are relentlessly optimistic - Staying optimistic, you dramatically increase the chances that at some point you will succeed. The more optimistic you are, the more willing you will be willing to try. Successful people fail all the time. The difference is their willingness to keep trying.
• A story has four characters:
  • Victim - The victim is rescued by the hero. The victim makes the hero look good. It's a bit part.
  • Villian - A backstory of pain. The villian seeks vengeance.
  • Hero - Faces challenges, is focused, overcomes obstacles.
  • Guide - Older, sage, wise. Helps others win
• "I remember when my biggest transformation happened. I realized that girls wanted to be with the hero, not the victim. I lost 150 pounds."
• Taking action: "The magic is not in the thinking, it's in the doing."
• Be a "delusional optimist." It's scientifically proven that people who believe they can do something accomplish more than those who don't.
• What is a story?
  • "A character that overcomes conflict to try to accomplish something."
  • "Invite people to overcome an obstacle and solve a problem."
• One piece of advice: "Be known for solving a problem." One problem.
• We are all in sales. What is sales? "Clear articulation of how you can solve someone's problem."
• How To Create a Mission Statement and Guiding Principles:
  • "The #1 job of a leader is to wake up every morning, point to the horizon, and let everybody on the team know where the organization is going."
  • "The #2 job of a leader is to explain, in clear and simple terms, why the story of going to and arriving at that specific destination matters."
  • "The #3 job of a leader is to analyze the skills and abilities of each team member and find them an important role to play in that story."
• In Don's personal guiding principles, his repeatable critical actions are: "get up early, you write, and you say, "after you."  -- Those 3 critical actions establish a way of life that if repeated day in and day out ensures success.
• Know how to attract people to your mission by telling your story. How do we do this? What's the biggest mistake made? (Biggest mistake is telling their history, complete with bullet points and boring asides). Your history is not your story.
• Here is a formula for a good, short mission statement: "We will accomplish ____________ by ___________ because of _________.
• How To Be Productive -- Make Wise Daily Decisions - Every morning you ask yourself a simple question: "If this were the second time I were living this day, what would I do differently?"
• Bill Gates is never late to a meeting. How does he ensure he's always on time? He blocks his time
• The StoryBrand methodology:
  • A character that wants something
  • The character encounters a problem
  • The character meets the guide
  • The guide gives the hero a plan
  • The guide calls the hero to action
• When clarifying your marketing message, never position yourself as the hero. Always position yourself as the guide.
• The Core Competencies that will immediately make or save the company money:
  • They are a clear and compelling leader - Align & inspire a team. Create a mission statement & guiding principles
  • They are personally productive - Mastered a specific system
  • They know how to clarify a message
  • They can sell - introduce products to qualified leads
  • They are great communicators - Give a speech that informs & inspires a team
  • They know how to run an execution system