Rejection isn’t the end. It’s the beginning!

Larry Kim in this post explains how he got 100 rejections and the lessons he learned from these.

He read his rejections and took them in his stride as constructive feedback. He used his rejection to work harder. It didn’t have to mean the end. Instead it drove him to bring about changes to his business to improve and grow it. Further more he followed up on his rejections from VC’s. This way he was able to show them that he took their advice on board and acted on them.

I leave you with this thought in Kim’s words:

“Save rejections. Value input. Act on advice.”

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Do you trust the journey?

Whatever journey you may be on, learn to enjoy the ride! You may not know what is around the corner, but that does not mean you should be fearful or apprehensive about what the future holds. Embrace the journey and enjoy it for what it is. You will grow and learn along the way.

Source: Great Big Minds

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6 habits that could help you stay sharp!

This post talks about 6 habits that can help you perform at your peak.

1. Commit to exercise – it can be as simple as fitting in a walk in your day and doesn’t necessarily have to be rigorous. Something is better than nothing

2. Focus on learning new skills – keep yourself mentally engaged and try something new, perhaps something a little outside your comfort zone; or perhaps pick up a new hobby that you never got round to

3. Expose yourself to new ideas and environments – this can help drive innovation and get you thinking more creatively

4. Make sleep non-negotiable – to make the most of your day, to think and make sound decisions you want to make sure you have had a good night sleep. It is an essential nutrient for your brain after all

5. Prioritise eating nutrient rich food – staying healthy is important and what you eat plays a big part in this. How well you eat can impact things like your productivity so it is important that you are getting all the appropriate nutrients you need in your diet

6. Read daily – more than attaining more knowledge this is more so about staying mentally engaged

How many of these are you already doing? Are you reaping the benefits of these?

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What does Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey look for in candidates?

In this post we find out about the one question Jack Dorsey asks in interviews: “Why are you here?” Dorsey explains that “if you have a sense of passion and a sense of purpose…then we can work together, then we can build amazing things together.”

Dorsey expresses his views that being an entrepreneur does not simply mean starting a company, it is an attitude; an attitude that is driven by values and passion.

I imagine Dorsey is not alone in these views. When you walk into an interview, do you know your why and exhibit a sense of passion and purpose??

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Make sure you get your punctuation right!

This post is a reminder that you need to be careful with your words and punctuation. In this instance, punctuation gone wrong cost a company $5 million.  Something as simple as a comma or lack thereof can change the meaning of a sentence dramatically, so watch out!

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The act of balance according to Richard Branson

In this post we learn about Richard Branson’s balancing act of life. He shares his top tips in making the most of life and each day:

Do something fun as you start your day – Get some sort of physical activity done in the morning, be it playing a sport or fitting in some exercise in your commute. This is important to your health and will may leave you feeling like you have achieved something before work even starts

Just do it – “Work hard, take your chances, and seize opportunities when they present themselves. Don’t give in to the fear and self doubt and instead find ways to make it happen”

Set goals and challenge yourself (and write them down) – Improving oneself is important and accordingly it is also important to set yourself goals to help you continue to learn and develop

Have a break – Burning yourself out isn’t going to help anyone. It’s okay to have a break now and then and give yourself a breather. All in moderation I say

Do some good – “Business should be a driving force in creating a better world, so if you can combine your entrepreneurial skills with a social purpose, you can have a great effect on the world”

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What’s your sales game?

In this infographic, Tony Robbins prompts us to think about how we go about sales. These are points that can be taken on board not just in the context of selling a good or service but more broadly in terms of how we present ourselves.

Source: Great Big Minds

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Learn as you go like Richard Branson

Your lack of knowledge and experience does not need to be a liability. Sometimes it is the unknown that can take you forward. You can always learn as you go along as Richard Branson explains here how he built a diverse empire with businesses across many sectors.

We could all learn a thing or two from Branson. I love that he didn’t let his lack of knowledge get in his way. Instead he embraced the unknown and went with it. He didn’t leave any room for self doubt. He just keeps on learning!

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Why continuous up-skilling is so much more important now than ever before

Once upon a time long term planning was the norm, but to keep up with the constant changes facing businesses today, such planning isn’t as practical. Businesses need to be able to pivot, change and adapt with ease in this Fourth Industrial Revolution. As noted in this post, this doesn’t mean adopting new technology is the sole solution to transformation required in businesses.

More than the technology, it is more about the investment in human capital and ensuring that employees are well equiped to deal with digital change and any new technologies that may be adopted.

In the post Tom Puthiyamadam talks about how innovation needs to be not driven by a single team in a business but should be throughout the entire business for it to thrive. He talks about three important stages:

1. Build skills in your current workforce – This involves identifying what skills they need and how you will deliver them, starting with the leadership team to set the tone from the top
2. Assess where your skill shortage/gaps are and hire accordingly
3. Provide an environment/culture that is ‘designed to foster and boost innovation’ – In the case of PWC, they have a Business, Experience, and Technology (BXT) philosophy whereby they bring diverse teams together to solve problems

Interestingly the post also touches on a need to spark curiosity in people and getting businesses to think more about how they can encourage these people to collaborate and work as part of a team to be able to best utilise its people in the face of this Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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Do you take notes?

Richard Branson here talks about how note taking is one of his favourite pastimes. He stresses that all ideas should be written down. But it is important to not just jot down ideas for the sake of it, but rather make sure that you check in with these ideas and make sure there are associated actionable and measurable goals to these. Writing things down can keep you in check and help you not forget things that require action.

I keep a little notebook at pen in my bag with me at all times just in case I’ll need it. How about you?

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