We all have acquired some Beliefs during our lifetime, whether it's from interaction with society or with some experience from our parents, childhood, relationship or work. All these experiences have carved us to who we are right now, it has created a particular mindset to particular set of beliefs and are often difficult to change.
But are they holding us back from success?
The answer to that question is a resounding YES.
Misbelief #1. If someone looks successful, they are successful.
The bitter truth is people who look successful aren't, because they spent all their money trying to impress others.
"Once I learned this lesson, I always give five minutes to people who reach out to me, no matter who they are, what they look like or what car they drive," Joseph Bradley, Vice President of IoT & Digital Services at Cisco says. "It doesn't matter where they reach out to me, whether it is in person or online, I will find five minutes for them."
Instead of judging others based on what they have or don't have, give them your time and learn how you can create a mutually beneficial relationship.
Misbelief #2. Fail fast.
I've been just as guilty as anyone in perpetuating this misbelief. And it's true, many an entrepreneur will tell you they learned tremendously from startups they founded that just never found success.
In Silicon Valley, failing has turned into a badge of honor. The more you fail, the more you are praised. It's kind of like an unusual victory where no one actually wins.
This mentality isn't contained to one region though. It has spread throughout the entire tech industry.
I've had my fair share of failures in the past, and I'm sure you have as well. If you have truly experienced failure, you would know that the last thing anyone would ever want to do is fail. So what's the alternative?
To get ahead, you want to accelerate and improve your rate of learning on everything that you do.
Misbelief #3. You have to know everything.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with learning. Data is powerful, but you don't need to know everything.
"It's not what you don't know that causes you to fail. It's what you believe to be true that will cause you to fail," Bradley pointed out.
It's what you believe to be true that will cause you to fail. How powerful is that? Every person has their own set of beliefs. And these beliefs are what shape our thoughts, actions and decisions. So how do you change your beliefs?
"You have to challenge your beliefs each and every day," Bradley explains. "The unknown isn't the issue. None of us know what is going to happen tomorrow. If you are able to challenge what you believe to be true, that ultimately will allow you to be successful as a leader."
Misbelief #4. You need to be good at everything.
Not only do you not need to know everything. You also don't need to be good at everything.
Don't become a jack of all trades, master of none.
Instead of trying to be good at everything, focus on your "thimble," the smaller number of things that you are very good at.
There's no reason to stretch yourself thin by trying to do everything yourself. When everyone works together and focuses on what they are best at, you can take a deep breath and relax, because others will come to your aid and cover for you in the areas you are weak.
Misbelief #5. You can do it on your own.
When things are going good, you get more confident. When you get more confident, you might rely less on the people around you and take on more decisions by yourself. Sure their advice might have helped, but it was you at the end of the day making the final decisions. And things are working. You are making the right decisions.
If this sounds like you or someone you know, beware of this type of behavior. In business, it's easy to get so focused on what you are doing that you forget it takes a team to make everything work. So rally a team and build your success together.
I hope you will like it :)
Resources: Flipboard, Inc