Multiplying Your Influence by Striving for Excellence

by Dave Kahle

As a college student, I supported myself by working in a relatively expensive men’s clothing store. It was a small local chain, with five stores around town – one big headquarters store downtown, and four suburban stores in shopping centers. 

          One of our premium clothing lines was named after the designer – Oleg Cassini.  He came to our city to promote his line, and the company’s executives held an evening reception for him. Even though I was just 19,  I was one of the few employees from the suburban stores who were invited.

          Why was that?

          Even though I was young and relatively inexperienced, I was the number one salesperson among the four suburban stores.  The company wanted to recognize that excellence by including me in the reception.  It was excellence in my work that led to the reception invitation and the consequent recognition and influence.

          That was my first exposure to a powerful rule of human behavior by which Christian businesspeople can create a disproportionate impact for the Kingdom: Excellence in your work inevitably leads to greater influence and that influence can create a significant impact for the Kingdom. 

*****************************************************************************************

Excellence in your work inevitably leads to greater influence and that influence can create a significant impact for the Kingdom.

*******************************************************************************************

New Tools for Sharper Sales Thinking

Use This Proven System to Get Ahead

       Imagine if you could approach every sales task — from planning calls to prioritizing key accounts — with the same discipline and precision as a world-class athlete.

         It’s possible when you upgrade your thinking. Top performers know that better thinking drives better results. It’s not just working harder. It’s thinking better.

         And that’s what I am going to teach you.

         For the past 30 years, I have trained tens of thousands of B2B salespeople to sell better. Every training program, every keynote presentation and every one of my 13 books were based on a thinking system.

         Now, I’m teaching that system in an interactive webinar, on September 19th, from 12:00 - 1:15.

         In this live $47 webinar, I’ll show you practical ways to think about the right things, in the right way— so you can make better decisions, close more sales, and stand out from the crowd.

         Don’t leave your success to chance. Upgrade your thinking and see what’s possible.

                                     Save Your Spot Now

          Since then, I’ve seen the connection between excellence and influence manifest in multiple situations, people and industries.  

          For example, in athletic contests, it is the outstanding player who is interviewed after the end of the game. Patrick Mahomes, to name just one, often gives credit to God in postgame interviews.  That’s a perfect example of excellence in work translating to influence for the kingdom.  

          In company meetings, it’s the star salesperson who is often asked to opine on the new product line or lead the discussion on strategy or tactics. In my work, I often interview some selected representatives of the sales force for a client company.  The people that management selects to talk to the consultant are invariably the best.  Those who are struggling with mediocrity aren’t considered. 

          In industry associations, it is the leading companies who are asked to be on the committees and chair the task forces.  

          There is something in human nature that attributes greater leadership character, greater insight and more reasoned intelligence to those who excel on the job. We just naturally think that those who excel on the job are inherently more substantial people than the average. 

          It may have to do with the recognition that those who excel may start with a greater dose of talent than the rest of the pack.  More likely, it arises from the understanding that to excel at something – anything – is not just a matter of a beginning allotment of talent, but more likely the result of years of hard work, dedication, discipline, and coaching from a village of concerned mentors along the way.  

          Excellence isn’t easy and is often the result of the development of character traits that serve the excellent performer well in other applications. As I write this, we are in the middle of another cycle of the American Idol TV show. It seems that this year there is a greater emphasis on the back stories of the contestant... CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Churchianity or Christianity?