“The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief.” — David Schwartz
Entrepreneurs can’t be where they are without some outrageous ideas that they believed in, labored to realize and introduce to the world. Thinking big is kinda part of the job description.
Most leaders are known as “big thinkers” in their respective fields. But that doesn’t come with its own set of challenges. For some, it is their limiting beliefs and fear that hold them back from thinking big. For others, it is the struggle to make their big ideas turn into reality.
One of the greatest blocks for me is finding the right talent to help me execute my vision. Most of the people I know share similar struggles in growing their businesses as well. It is rare to find good people who can deliver in execution and follow, enrich, and uphold your values and vision along the way.
I’ve found out, through the process, that having a set of values integrated into the system and hiring process makes it easier to attract the right talent that will help us grow.
As for leaders (both veteran and new) who find fear their number one obstacle in thinking and achieving big things, these are some of the pieces of advice I believe you need to hear:
You’re not as smart and as good as you think, so one way to overcome fear is to not take yourself too seriously. Life is meant to be ironic and funny.
And if most of your fear stems from people telling you “you dream too big,” then surround yourself with other people who are growing (like you). Seeing them achieve great things can help uplift you. As Dr. Ruth Gotian said in one of her articles, sometimes “it’s not you; it’s them,” and you just have to “find your people” — those who think as big and share the same frustrations as you.
Without a doubt, you’ll encounter people who will try to dissuade you from your big ideas, telling you to “be more realistic” with good intentions. Sometimes, they do have a point that might be worth doing a litmus test. But there will be others who are just outright mean. There will always be people who are jealous of your creativity and will try to force you into a box. Those people are not worth paying attention to.
Believe you can, and your mind will find ways to make it possible—the rest is all about having the courage to put those ideas into action, and the right people to help you achieve and scale them.
Lastly, in all of your endeavors, big or small, remember to “be human.” Leading with kindness goes to the very core of why we are here.
When you start living that way, no matter how big of a rabbit you pull out of the hat, when you put being human and leading by example first, you start impacting people authentically through living your life.
Keep thinking big, and thank you for reading A Brilliant Tribe.
