Every single ultra successful person you admire has published a list of their favorite books. Perhaps you have devoured them, or at least tried to. The thing is, although regularly consuming information continues to be a common habit of those who set and crush large goals, there is another step to this practice that is rarely discussed. Successful individuals do not merely consume amazing content, they also process the information aloud with other people. It’s not enough to simply learn or even to merely create your own plan of action. If you truly want to achieve success that makes an impact, it’s time to start talking about your plan on a consistent basis. Conversations lead to success and having intentional conversations has been, and continues to be, a strategy for top performers worldwide.
Let’s take a look at the ways in which leaders and change-makers have used regular conversations to become more successful:
Successful people regularly engage in uncomfortable conversations
Your comfort zone is not a place where growth occurs. In fact, it’s the act of pushing beyond what is comfortable that will stretch you and take you to another level. Yet, so many of us delay our own growth and success simply by talking to the same people about the same things.
Author Tim Ferriss, once stated, “A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” How many uncomfortable conversations have you had today? How many times did you risk rejection? How often did you reach out to someone new?
High performers make meeting extraordinary people a goal
There’s a common phrase, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future,” and it highlights the importance of being among those who inspire you. If you are surrounded by individuals who are a few steps ahead of you in some way, you will naturally be compelled to keep up. High performers not only surround themselves with those who motivate them to up level, but they also deeply value the wisdom and experiences of others and make meeting extraordinary people a regular priority.
“A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books.” ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Game-changers create conversation partners
Never underestimate the power of discussing your ideas. Highly successful people are known to have partners who they meet regularly to brainstorm their ideas with. Steve jobs and Steve Wozniak were conversation partners at Apple. Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl were three college friends who met weekly to share ideas and ways to lead meaningful lives. Those meetings led to founding Starbucks, the global coffee chain that has more than 24,000 stores. Find someone to share your ideas with on a regular basis.
Impactful leaders form masterminds
A mastermind is an exclusive group of people who meet on a regular basis to brainstorm ideas and offer peer-to-peer mentoring. The concept of having a group mastermind is not a new one. In fact, Napoleon Hill discussed masterminds in his book Think and Grow Rich. Andrew Carnegie transformed the steel industry in the United States with the help of a trusted team. Thomas Edison, King Arthur, and even Walt Disney were all members of mastermind groups that helped to propel their success.
“The foundation of creativity is social, not individual.” ~Joshua Shenk
Industry leaders engage in “The Brain Exchange”
Having trouble finding a mentor? Consider an exchange.
Vishen Lakhiani, author of Code of the Extraordinary Mind, revealed getting extraordinary mentors to engage in conversations with him by offering an exchange of services for time spent with him when he couldn’t afford to pay for the advice. This was his manner of “downloading decades of experience from the minds of people who made incredible shifts in their personal growth or in the world.”
There is a tremendous amount of value to be gained by including others in your strategy for success. If you truly want to be successful and make an impact, go out and have some intentional conversations.
One powerful conversation could provide the shift you need to lead an incredibly impactful life.