Expect Success to Get Success

When you expect success, you become successful!

In case you didn't know it, March is the "International Expect Success Month." Accomplished leaders anticipate success, and that helps them obtain it. Research shows that high expectations lead them to work harder and commit to conquering the challenges ahead.  

If you ever saw the movie Apollo 13, the flight director for mission control expressed the famous line: "Failure is not an option" and was able to have the whole team believe that they could conquer all challenges and bring back the astronauts safely. And they did!

Many years later, living in Houston, I went to visit that control center and so happened that the guide of the tour was naw retired Flight Director Chris Kraft. In a private moment I took the opportunity to ask him if at the time of the Apollo 13 problems he truly had no doubts that they would be successful. He looked me in the eye and answer: "I knew the capabilities of the team around me, and I knew our commitment, I was totally convinced that we would succeed." 

This type of mindset – knowing deep down that regardless of how hard times get, or how many difficulties are encountered, we will get to where we want to go– is the only way to get to success.  Our minds are very fragile; if we lose confidence, it can snowball into a vicious cycle of self-defeat where we both fear and expect to fail, and it consumes our minds in a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The fear of failure can cloud your judgment and lead you to aim too low: you rent instead of investing in infrastructure, produce insufficient amounts of product, roll out campaigns without proper funding or hire too few employees. You aim low so you don’t fall far. Although there are strategic times when intentionally hedging makes sense, you are increasing the likelihood of diminished growth or even failure if you make half-attempts because you aren't sure of your success. The best way to facilitate growth is by assessing your options from the vantage point of inevitable success - never arrogantly, always confidently pushing for greatness.

Remember. . .

Build up a consistent habit of success and progress and success will become the expectation, and therefore the norm. It's all in your brain!

Your Turn!

I want to invite you today to take the month of March to Imagine what could be if regardless of the barriers and heartaches you actually face, your success is guaranteed. Ignore the voices of doubts and "reason" in your head. Then, with that firm expectation of success as yourself the following questions:

  1. How does operating under the assumption of inevitable success affects your decision-making process?
  2. Does expecting success allows you to think bigger?

My challenge for you this month is when you're confronted with a monumental decision, imagine, if only for a moment, that you aren’t concerned with failure, that you are sure of your success. Then, do what's right for you and the business long term. 

P.S.

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