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There is an occurrence that may be similar for many of us as that somewhere in your life you heard or read a quote, heard someone say something whether it be someone we know, a great powerful speaker or from a historical speech that really resonated with you. Something that really got your attention. Something so profound that you wrote it down and committed to actually use as a guiding force in molding your character. Something that when you look back you see how much it has really stood for how you present yourself and how you show up in business and in life.
Just for a moment think back and recall that quote or saying that impacted you and how it has shaped your thinking and perspective.
Speaking for myself, there was a particular saying that really stuck with me throughout the years. A saying that I decided to stand by in everything I do and how I show up.
In the early days of my career when I was a financial advisor the owner of the brokerage firm I represented was conducting a meeting with the entire staff. In this meeting, he shared a phrase that resonated with me to this day. It was “Your actions speak so loud, I can’t hear a word you’re saying.” Wow, I absolutely loved the sound and meaning of that phrase. “Your actions speak so loud, I can’t hear a word you’re saying.” I wrote down those words that day and committed to living my life by those words in a way that it has shaped who I am today.
Many of you that own businesses have at some point placed adds looking for new employees, only to get back some glowing resumes. You then took the time to meet with those people and listened to them selling themselves on what they did for their previous employer and what they will do if we hire them. You were impressed with their confidence and took them on to your staff. Only for them to not live up to all the promises and expectations they shared on their interview.
I’m sure you can all relate to an experience that someone promised to have something to you by a certain day or time, only for it to not show up on that day or time. We’ve all experienced someone telling us that they will absolutely be there 8 o’clock sharp Monday morning, only for us to be waiting around and calling them to see if they’re showing up at all.
As a coach, many business owners share their challenges with me whether they be personal, with the team or about the business itself. They tell me how committed they are to doing what it takes to correct these challenges. Then when it’s time to show up and do the work to address those challenges the laundry list of excuses start to roll off their tongue of why they can’t do it right now.
The actual real challenge for these people is not how it affects us, but how it affects them. Because “how you do anything is how you do everything.” If you are not showing up in a certain situation, where else in your business and life are you not showing up? How is this holding you back from real success? How is this representing you in the eyes of others?
I challenge you to take a look at your driving phrase, saying or quote that has shaped you to this day. If you have one that serves you well, congratulations. If you don’t, it’s time to get one. Because you want to be known as the person that shows up in a way that “Your actions will speak so loud no one will hear a word you’re saying.”