“He just doesn’t have his heart in it.”

How often have you heard this said – generally as a result of a less than remarkable performance in an endeavour or a project of some kind.

There is a presumption that if he did have his “heart in it” – the outcome or the performance would have been so much better.

I have seen this play out in business, often!

The initial assumption is that in order to be successful, to maximise profits, business must be an intellectual forum, one where your head rules your heart and egos are rife.  There is a belief that the first (and often the only) point of reference in decision making is “how will this decision progress my business? What value will be added to my business?”  There is little consideration for how this decision might impact on the life plan (if there is one) of the owners and leaders.

As a consequence, the “business” takes on a life of its own and is now the boss – it is tyrannical, it will ask more and more of the owners and leaders, it has no heart and exhibits no feelings.  The owners and leaders have effectively delegated the lead to their business – and, at the cost of their control over their lives and their own well-being. This is simply unsustainable.

I know that you don’t have to lose in life to win in business – it is one of the key tenets overarching why I do what I do.  When we shift the first point of reference for decision making in business to “how will this impact my life plan” – when we take a heart based approach – the whole energy of business changes.  The owners and leaders are taking the lead, they are clear on the role of the business in their lives, they know that they are so much more than the business, they know what a life well lived looks like to them and they are living it – and running a successful business.

They have their heart in it because the business is the enabler of their life plan. And because their heart is in it, the performance of the business improves.

Increase in net profit = increase in net enabler = a better life => a very powerful purpose!

And this is sustainable – both financially and emotionally!

Intellect and ego play their parts – very important parts – but no longer at the expense of the heart.  It is a potent way to do business.  And it starts with awareness – knowing that there is another way – you can take your life back – you are the boss of you!

You can win in life and business – in fact, winning in life is a prerequisite for a remarkably successful business.

It is time to mix it up… decision making should be a blend of rationale and spirituality, logic and intuition, theory and gut instinct, head and heart.

How often do you “decide” based on gut instinct and then do your due diligence using your intellect only to arrive back at your initial choice?  How often do you act on a decision which does not feel right only to find out it was wrong some time down the track?… and you think I should have gone with my gut instinct!

It is OK to trust your intuition.  And we are more trusting when we have taken the time to articulate our values, our culture, our WHY, our beliefs – because we are so much more aware, we “see” the alignment and we also clearly “see” what won’t work.

So go to the heart, refer to the intellect (if necessary) and then engage the ego to make things happen.

I love it when the vision for your business aligns with the vision for your life – one feeds the other – the ultimate value transfer!

What I have found is… the best businesses have owners and leaders who are passionate about what they do because they know why they are doing it… there is a bigger picture purpose… driven by an underlying belief.. often around making a contribution in some way… paying it forward.

These are what I call heart based businesses… very powerful!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How often, when you first meet someone and by way of starting conversation, you ask, “ What do you do?”  And how often, is the reply a story about their business and their role in it?

The thing is… many business owners don’t see themselves as an entity or being separate from their business.  The business defines them.  Without the business – who on earth are they – there is nothing else?  Over time they have dissolved into the whirlpool of business, spinning endlessly with not a skerrick of control.  The more you hand control of your life over to your business, the more you do and the more time the business demands.  If you are your business, then so it must be.  Or so it seems.

This is not sustainable.  The inevitable outcome is a complete disconnection from the business or from life.  Sustainability in business requires the owner to retain a separate existence – to see the business for what it is… a vehicle which serves your life – one avenue (one of many) through which you meet your human needs.  There is no need to lose in life to win in business.  In fact you must win in life to have a business that is winning in a sustainable way.

Take heart – there is another way – a better way.  If it is possible for me it is possible for you … it is just a matter of knowing how.

The first step to finding out how, is to complete our BUSINESS FITNESS ASSESSMENT.  Find out how FIT your business actually is, instantly.  Try it now – it’s Free!