In all aspects of life, it is not about the destination, it is about the journey. Racing is a great analogy to this, as well as, to the longevity and sustainability of your business. Like a racer, every race brings with it a different set of challenges, but all races have the same expectation. Winning. Not just winning one race, but winning as many as you can so your reputation is strong to garner sponsorships and your team is committed to helping you win.
A business owner is very much like a racer. You take special care to ensure your business performs well. This means building the foundation of the business, as well as establishing a team to support growth efforts to help your business thrive. How you invest in your team impacts how the business performs and defines how you are able to support your family, your team, and community.
Like that racer, you’ve spent many long days and sleepless nights making improvements, working relentlessly to be the best and to bring out the best in others. Fine tuning things to win, thrive and sustain. Not without sacrifice, your family has felt the struggle while sharing in the success, and failures. Still, there are risks present that whether you are on the racetrack or running the business, being prepared for what may come is critical to protecting all you have worked so hard for. As the business owner, this means not just looking at where you are today, but also looking forward, just as a racer does going in a turn, to ensure you have built a business that will not only be successful today, but for years to come, even if you are no longer involved.
Following the lead of the racer, focusing on what’s happening right in front of you is not as important as what’s happening as far down the track as you can see. Looking for the next corner as you exit the one that you’re in. Essential to a strong team is the development of the next generation team leader who is prepared to take on the risk of representing the team on the track. Just like that racer, you cannot stay on the track your entire life, but you can build a legacy to ensure that the time you have spent there, follows you into your future.
Many things must continue to go right for you to finish the race, or to stay in the game. But things must go perfectly for you to win. Racers have to hit every apex and just like in business, there is no room for error. No easing up as you enter areas of challenge and no giving up on the drive to succeed. In business, the market, family, key leadership, vendors etc can throw you curve balls, but it is the commitment to strategic planning – looking forward and investing in your “machine” that allows you to capitalize on opportunities.
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