Jeff Bezos may be the richest person in the world; his net worth is estimated at over $130 billion. Over the years, he has offered lessons from his own experience to his shareholders. Here are three of those lessons about how to become a top performer, something that should be important to each of us regardless of the role we play, or the goals we aspire to.
- If you need full support for every decision, you’re not going to succeed. As a change practitioner, you are not the decision-maker much of the time. But you are in a position to influence the decision-makers. Do you decide to be honest with the leader about how her presentation about the change resonated with her subordinates…or not? Do you alert the steering committee when the change starts to go off the rails, or do you attempt to fix it behind the scenes? Know the values and the philosophy you bring to the role, and stay true to them.
- Always operate with a beginner’s mindset. “Many have asked Bezos about why it’s always ‘Day 1’ at Amazon. He addressed this in his 2016 letter by stating that ‘Day 2 is stasis. Followed by irrelevance. Followed by excruciating, painful decline. Followed by death. And that is why it is always Day 1.’ If you want a proven way to decline and stop improving, simply think you’ve mastered it all.” As change practitioners, regardless of the experience and the certifications we have, it should always be a learning journey.
- Hold yourself and everyone around you to a higher standard. It is often tempting to lower our standards to those of the client(s) we are serving. Good is good enough. I can’t be expected to get everything done on time. Etc. But true success requires a high standard. It requires a high standard for ourselves, and it requires a high standard for our clients, our colleagues, and those we are serving.
Applying these three lessons can be challenging; but it can also significantly strengthen our own success and the success of our clients.
Photo Source: Wesley Mann for Fortune
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About the Author: Brian Gorman
Brian Gorman is the Managing Editor of Change Management Review™. In this capacity he regularly curates articles of importance to our readership; contributes original writing; hosts podcasts; and works with guest authors.
For more than five decades Brian has been engaged in—and a student of—change at the personal, organizational, and societal levels. During this time, he has worked with both individuals and organizations (ranging from solo practitioners to Fortune 100 businesses), guiding them through a wide array of challenges. Decades of experience have given him a deep appreciation of the universal patterns that underlie successfully navigating even the most difficult changes.
In addition to his work as our Managing Editor, Brian is a transformation coach, supporting both individual and organizational change. Brian is committed to passing his “lessons learned” on to others, so that their change journeys can advance more smoothly. He is a frequent workshop facilitator and public speaker. Brian is the author of “The Hero and the Sherpa,” a chapter in the online Handbook of Personal and Organizational Transformation (Springer Publishing; Judi Neal, Editor). He also has an extensive library of blog posts, articles, and videos on the change journey, including “The Ten Most Important Lessons I Have Learned Over 50 Years of Engaging Change.”
Mr. Gorman’s formal education includes a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Syracuse University, an MA in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas, San Antonio and an MA in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma.
Brian is an International Coach Federation (ICF) certified coach, and is an active member in the New York City chapter. Brian is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and the Gay Coaches Alliance.
Related Posts
About the Author: Brian Gorman
Brian Gorman is the Managing Editor of Change Management Review™. In this capacity he regularly curates articles of importance to our readership; contributes original writing; hosts podcasts; and works with guest authors.
For more than five decades Brian has been engaged in—and a student of—change at the personal, organizational, and societal levels. During this time, he has worked with both individuals and organizations (ranging from solo practitioners to Fortune 100 businesses), guiding them through a wide array of challenges. Decades of experience have given him a deep appreciation of the universal patterns that underlie successfully navigating even the most difficult changes.
In addition to his work as our Managing Editor, Brian is a transformation coach, supporting both individual and organizational change. Brian is committed to passing his “lessons learned” on to others, so that their change journeys can advance more smoothly. He is a frequent workshop facilitator and public speaker. Brian is the author of “The Hero and the Sherpa,” a chapter in the online Handbook of Personal and Organizational Transformation (Springer Publishing; Judi Neal, Editor). He also has an extensive library of blog posts, articles, and videos on the change journey, including “The Ten Most Important Lessons I Have Learned Over 50 Years of Engaging Change.”
Mr. Gorman’s formal education includes a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Syracuse University, an MA in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas, San Antonio and an MA in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma.
Brian is an International Coach Federation (ICF) certified coach, and is an active member in the New York City chapter. Brian is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and the Gay Coaches Alliance.
