Have you been looking for ways to drive your business to success and it just hasn't worked out like you wanted it to? My tip to you is: don't go looking for them too far because there's a lot of lessons in day-to-day life to learn how to drive your business to success. A very current example? Netflix's Formula 1 series ‘Drive To Survive'.
Have you watched it yet? Let me take you through the 6 lessons I gathered from this series.
My 6 lessons on how to drive your business to success
I watched this series not out of interest to the cars, teams or the races. No, I got hooked because I noticed that this sport is about more than fast cars and winning races. In order for these drivers to win they need:
- A specific mindset,
- good leadership
- and a foolproof strategy
Their team principles don't send them out there with a pat on the back and a ‘do your best, son'. Nope, these strategies are well thought out and played off of the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. Sound familiar does it?
Enough chit chat about what it takes to win these races, let's talk about the 6 lessons I learnt on how to drive your business to success.
1. Race & rest
In order for these drivers to perform to the best of their abilities, they need to have plenty of rest. However, when I make the comparison to myself and other entrepreneurs I see people who race again and again while not resting nearly enough.
If you want to drive your business to success, it is crucial to rest plenty because like Formula 1 racers, we won't perform our best if we're not rested. You can't expect peak performances if you're not in peak condition.
So what is learning 1 to drive your business to success? Take some much-needed rest and recharge your batteries. Also make sure you surround yourself with an environment that allows you to do that and that supports this same mentality.
In a nutshell: when you race, go all in but afterwards – when you're tired, REST.
2. Invest in support systems
Why is a support system crucial when you want to drive your business to success? A question that might seem redundant to some of you, but I speak from experience when I say that at the very beginning of my career I thought I was fine on my own.
Let's start by looking at F1: every driver has a performance coach by their side at all times. These coaches provide them the support they need, such as keeping their spirits high, protecting their mindsets. Basically they lift them up to ensure peak conditions.
You should have a support system that does the same for you.
Rome wasn't built in a day and it sure as hell wasn't built by just one person. Investing in yourself and your (mental) wellbeing isn't a crime. On the contrary, it's a must when it comes to driving your business to success.
“Rome wasn't built in a day and it sure as hell wasn't built by just one person.”
You don't always have to do everything on your own. Creating a support system sometimes also consists of asking for help – a foreign concept to some people. Dare to ask for help and even more: dare to accept it.
3. Establish routines that combat your mood
Drive your business to success by not letting your moods affect your actions. All F1 drivers have very clear routines. For example, they start their day with a work-out to stay in shape for their races. Followed by a strategy meeting for the upcoming racing weekend.
It results in the right mindset and that is something a lot of entrepreneurs underestimate: routines do influence your performance.
Now, I'm not saying you should take your routines from 0 to 100 in order to drive your business to success. However, do implement something small like incorporating a few habits into your every day life.
Some examples:
- Start every day by meditating
- Put on some lipstick every morning
- Do a short yoga session during your lunchbreak
Do what works for you, but most importantly, start incorporating routines in your day, so your mood can't determine how well you race.
Repeat after me: your mood cannot determine how well you perform in your business; so your routines will determine your success. Don't leave your success up to chance.
To be able to drive your business to success full throttle, you have to take all of these factors into account. You have to show up, no matter what your mood feels like, and your routines and support system will help you do that.
4. Work to win
Do you think F1 drivers get in the car and think, “Let me just show up today. At least I got on the track”?
NO. All 20 drivers, every single one of them, are in it to win it. They want to get on the podium, and they have a clear vision of how to get there.
However, many of us never really get in the race. We never participate because we're afraid we will not win. But how do you think you'll ever drive your business to success if you never get in the proverbial car to begin with?
Sure, F1 drivers may have their doubts and fear, but what's different between them and most of us is this: they use their fear to fuel them and exhilarate them to win.
We can all learn a lot from them, including me. Don't let fear paralyze you; let it fuel you and inspire you to go for it.
If you drive to participate, you're never going to win. Envision your win, stay hyper-focused and step into your power. Drive to win.
5. Learn from your failures
My dad always says, “When consistent human errors happen, there's a teaching opportunity.”
For instance, sometimes I get upset in my business when I see mistakes, and then I'm reminded that it's 1) a communication problem, 2) an educational problem, or 3) a process problem.
Therefore, if everything fails, look at what teaching opportunity you're faced with. When you are faced with problems, reframe them as challenges and face them head on so you can improve for the future.
These are things you have to do in order to drive your business to success because if all you do, when a mistake occurs, is yell at the person in question; people will keep making those same mistakes.
6. Stop being a people pleaser
When someone isn't performing at their best in F1, the teams don't hesitate to fire them. I have had to let go of a few people, too, throughout my career, and it's never easy.
But it's part of building a team and stepping into a leadership role. One of the mistakes I made was allowing for too much freedom. It's hard to embrace a leadership role when all you really want is for everybody to like you.
But this is where I have learned to trust my gut and focus on what's best for the business. Not what's best for me, but what's best for the business.
Trust your gut. Trust your inner power to make decisions for your business, and don't allow your feelings or ties to other people to tell you otherwise. You can't afford not trusting yourself in the same way you can't afford your mood to run decisions.
Therefore, don't be a people pleaser. Because when you want to drive your business to success, you have to have your business' interest at heart always.
Let's recap our 6 ‘Drive To Survive' Business Lessons
To give you a nice and clear overview, I'll just sum our 6 pointers up for you so you can potentially screenshot it to remember them always. What were our 6 lessons that will help you drive your business to success?
I hope you take some valuable insights into your business and you're able to fully drive your business to success with these 6 points.
And remember: do not look to far for valuable lessons because there are countless situations surrounding us that will teach us a thing or two.
Talk to you on the next one!
PS Are you looking for some extra help to drive your business to success? Check out our FastForward shop where you're able to find templates, workbooks, courses, etc.
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