You Might Be The Best, But You Can Still Be Better with Mark Sanborn

Maybe you’re at the top of your wholesaling game and lined up for another Career Year.

Or perhaps you’re stuck, unable to break through the same sales position you have been in for years.

In either case Mark Sanborn believes we all have work to do to realize our full potential.

And in this episode he shares with us his thoughts on how to make that happen.

Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE, is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and in life. Mark is an international bestselling author and noted expert on leadership, team building, customer service and change.

Mark’s list of over 2400 clients includes Costco, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, FedEx, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, KPMG, Morton’s of Chicago, New York Life, RE/MAX, ServiceMaster, ESPN, GM, IBM, Avnet, Sandvik and John Deere.

His newest book, The Potential Principle, is available now at Amazon.

Long time listeners of Wholesaler Masterminds Radio have learned from Mark in the past: The Wholesaler’s Fred Factor.

To inquire about booking Mark Sanborn for your next event through Wholesaler Masterminds Speakers Bureau contact us at info@wholesalermasterminds.com

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Here’s the graphic Mark refers to in the show (click for larger version)

What Leaders Do About Disruption

Change is a constant. (Ho hum)

But if you’re a true leader, you won’t just react to change, you’ll create it.

What do successful companies and individuals do to remain competitive? They don’t always wait until they “have to” or “need to” change, they change with it is advantageous and creates a competitive edge.

For leaders, the message is clear:

Disrupt yourself before someone or something else does it for you.

If change hits you from some other source—say, a disruptive technology, company, or nation—you’ll find yourself scrambling to adapt. You’ll be struggling to catch up rather than striving to stay ahead. But what if you’re the one bringing the change? What if you’re the one driving the innovation? That makes you the game changer!

Who or what needs disrupted in your life?

Think about the habits, practices, and routines in your life that need to be shaken up a bit. It’s human nature to become complacent and keep doing things the way you’ve always done them. But people who are dedicated to self-improvement unsettle complacency, combat mediocrity, and challenge the status quo, both in themselves and in those around them.

Sometimes it is a team member that needs to be disrupted. Perhaps you’ve tolerated a lack of performance for so long that complacency has set in. Leaders don’t accept sub-par performance and they understand that disrupting someone on their time is not only necessary but far kinder than letting them coast until they need to be released.

Are you doing things that used to succeed but no longer work as well, if at all? Are you spending valuable time on unproductive activities, when that time could be better invested elsewhere? Sometimes habit keeps us going through unproductive motions that need to be disrupted.

What is the ratio between your “planning” and your “daily doing”? Leaders can waste massive amount of time in meeting that don’t end in appropriate action taken. And sometimes it’s good to recognize that something you’ve discussed repeatedly in a meeting that hasn’t happened may actually just be a low priority that needs to be ignored.

Maybe you’re spinning your wheels in unprofitable relationships with customers and vendors. Don’t stay in no win situations just because you’ve been there a long time.. This can be the hardest area of your life to disrupt.

Disrupting yourself will make you stronger. The path to progress and success isn’t a leisurely walk through the countryside. It’s a rocky, steep path of resistance—and resistance develops muscle. Breaking up patterns and unsettling stable but humdrum practices can result in new enthusiasm, energy, and opportunities.

If you want to be the best you can be, don’t let someone or something else change your game. Be proactive and disrupt the things that need to change in your life.

Written by Mark Sanborn