The best way to build a team

The best way to build a team is to surround yourself with people who have similar values as you (integrity, work ethic, respect, optimism, etc), but who do things differently than you.

Being a person of integrity means to do what you feel is right with the information at hand (even when nobody is looking), to be able to admit when you’re wrong, and to keep your promises. It’s usually “easier” to be a person of integrity if you don’t care what people think about you…if you believe an action is right, even if it’s not popular, you should do it instead of going with the flow.

If everyone is always learning/growing, the team will go much further than if they have to rely on one person to come up with all of the ideas. Learning/growing is part of work ethic, as is the willingness and ability to work dutifully for yourself, your team, and your clients.

If everyone respects each other, even when they disagree, they will be more open/receptive to hearing out the other team member’s opinion. You want different perspectives. You want people to be able to voice their opinion without fear of being ostracized. You don’t want everyone to believe the same thing, otherwise you might have a blind spot to a weakness in your team.

If everyone is optimistic, it doesn’t mean that everything is always good. But it does mean that you can find some good in any situation. Failure will make you stronger, give you experience, and teach you lessons better than success can. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how bad things get, they can get better if you take action to make them better. We don’t want any victims here. No victim mindset. No “woe is me.” If you don’t like your situation, it’s up to you to change it. Nobody should care about your life more than you, so if you want things to get better, you need to be the one to take control.

Are you “winning” the wrong game?

Have you ever gotten so sucked into the idea of “winning” that you forgot that you’re trying to win something you don’t care about/isn’t important to you? Are you winning at work, but your health or family life suffering as a result?

Wake up everyday and live intentionally…

  • Look at your calendar. What do you have to do for the day? What are your priorities that need to get done?
  • Look at your goals (both short-term and long-term). Is what you’re scheduled to do bringing you closer to your goals?
  • Take a step back throughout the day to see if you are still in control…are you working on what you deemed was most important or are you putting out fires/reacting to what has come up? Don’t just do busy work. Work on the things that matter.

There’s not just “one” right way of doing things

If you find yourself stressing over making a decision, realize three things…

1) There are almost always multiple “right” ways of doing things. One way may provide the best results, but many factors help make an outcome better/worse. Don’t waste time or energy stressing yourself out deciding between two (or more) good choices.

2) We can never 100% know which action will lead to the best possible outcome. All you can do is try your best and make what appears to be the smartest decision with the information you currently have. Hindsight is 20/20. So if you find out that the decision you opted against might not have been the best, that’s ok. Just keep that in mind for future experiences.

3) Chances are, this choice will not change the outcome of your life. Yes, little decisions stack on top of each other and can lead to a snowball effect (good or bad), but if you mess up this one time, you likely won’t even remember it in a year (let alone next month or maybe even next week).

Using emotions to your advantage

Use anger and frustration to your advantage. Yelling at others and demeaning them never helps a situation. Getting so worked up that you can’t function properly never helps a situation. Even being passive aggressive toward those around you when you’re frustrated doesn’t help.

What good is you being mad at something going to do? What good is going to come from it? Instead, if or when you feel frustrated, treat it as an opportunity. How can you spin a negative situation into a positive one? Is there something that you can do to make it better? Are others feeling the same way as you?

Perhaps you can start a mastermind group to figure out ways to combat this. Or maybe you can develop an answer and monetize it. That way you are not only solving a problem for yourself, but also for others, and getting paid to do so. Maybe there is no true answer and you just need to work on handling your emotions better.

If you allow something to get you so worked up that it ruins your day, that’s on you. Either learn how to deal with it (emotionally) or create a solution for it. Whenever you’re frustrated, ask yourself, what can I do to make this better? Then go do it.

Be 100% where you’re supposed to be

When you’re at work, be at work. Have a work mentality. How can you be the best employer/employee, manager/leader, etc. Have your mind on your work. Focus on the task at hand.

When you’re at the gym, be at the gym. Have a gym mentality. How can you get better today than you were yesterday? Have your mind on the sets, reps, technique, movement, breath work, etc. Focus on the workout.

When you’re at home, be at home. Have a family mentality. How can you be the best husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, father/mother, brother/sister, pet-owner, friend, caretaker of the property, etc. Do you need to spend more time playing, reading, maintaining (the house), etc? Focus on being at home and leave the other stuff behind you.

Wherever your body is, make sure your mind is 100% there as well. Learn to compartmentalize your life. A “balanced” life is not being partially present in every aspect of life. It’s being fully present where you are and making sure you spend enough time with each aspect daily/weekly/monthly.