The Greatness Guide, Book 2: 101 More Insights to Get You to World Class (19 page)

If you read my blog regularly, you know I’m a fan of Ian Schrager’s hotels. Stayed in my first one nearly a decade ago when I did the U.S. book tour for
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
(the Paramount in NYC). In
The Greatness Guide
I wrote about St Martins Lane in London (still one of my all-time favorite hotels on the planet). Why do I like Schrager’s hotels? Because, when they first came out, they were unlike anything else (now most boutique hotels have some of the elements from the early Schrager days). They are unforgettably cool. They have the confidence to be part modern art gallery and part place to sleep. They lead rather than follow—like all the best businesses (and human beings).

I’m reading a splendid book by Harry Beckwith called
What Clients Love
this morning as I drink my Colombian coffee. Reflecting on business and on life. In the book, Beckwith quotes Schrager who, true to form, says, “Let twenty-four despise [my hotels] for all I care—just so one in twenty-five love them.” The big idea for us: Businesses that try to be all things to all people end up being nothing to anyone. You need to stand for something. You need to play ferociously. Passionately. Emotionally. To get to world class. Or don’t play at all.

Read a letter scribbled in pencil from an inmate in an American prison this a.m. He said
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
changed his life. Because it helped him remember that he was made to make a difference and realize his potential. He’d forgotten who he was meant to be. Because life had hurt him. A lot.

I hear this all the time. People appreciate being reminded that they are meant to play at great. That there are no extra people on the planet. That every life has a purpose. We knew these truths as kids. So we dreamed. We reached. We acted fearlessly. Lived life passionately. And stood in possibility. But we lost that wisdom—as we grew up and walked farther out into the world, away from our Real Nature.

Maybe self-improvement is a waste of time. Maybe
self-remembering
(and reconnecting to the brilliance/creativity/authenticity/greatness you once knew) is where the action is. Lots of letters to me from
The Greatness Guide
readers speak of this. That life has a habit of making us forget. We fall into routine. We take things for granted. We stop taking risks. We stop aiming for the mountaintop. We stop speaking truth. We play small with the
gift of our lives. But we deserve better than mediocrity. Ordinary people can do remarkable things. By recalling who they truly are. And living at their best.

I saw Coldplay in Toronto a while ago. For two hours they rocked the stadium with nearly 20,000 people on their feet, cheering. I had an amazing time, and finally realized why the pundits are saying “Coldplay is the next U2.” I also got a bunch of leadership ideas from watching the band that I hope you will use to get to your next level.

The four Big Ideas. First, from start to finish, they understood what they were there for: to create an experience for their clients. The lighting was superb, the visuals were world class, and the staging was perfect. Second, they engaged the audience and made us part of the show. They had us singing, dancing and laughing. Third, they showed us love. (How many businesses actually show you love and make you feel special when you do business with them? Well, Coldplay did.) They thanked us for making them so successful, they showed genuine gratitude and they seemed truly humble (and people connect with vulnerability). And fourth, they were really good at what they did. Fantastic songs with great delivery.

Yes, Coldplay over-delivered. And guess what—because of that, I’m a real fan. My challenge to you: Be the Coldplay of your
market space. Create fans, then delight them. And do whatever it takes to get them coming back for more.

I know I’m unpopular on this point but I owe you my truth: Most people sleep more than they need to. They fall into the trap of spending some of the best hours of their lives on a mattress. They squander their potentially breathtaking gifts. They lose the battle of the bed. They trade their greatness for a snooze button.

Here’s an insight I invite you to consider: Sleep begets sleep. The more sleep you take, the more you need. Ever noticed that as you sleep more, you feel sleepier? Strange, isn’t it. But it’s true.

Yes, I get that sleep is essential to keep us radiant, renewed and healthy. My fear is
too much
sleep. The kind that keeps great people ordinary. The kind that minimizes high-potential lives. The kind that sucks the living out of human beings destined to stand for excellence (and you know who you are). Happens to a lot of us. Because we fall in love with a pillow.

Too many important things to do and too many great places to explore and too many Big Hairy Audacious Goals (thanks, Jim Collins) to get, for us to sleep too much. Life is for the living. I need to repeat that: Life is for the Living. You and I have been given a gift today: to have the opportunity to make a difference
and exercise our talents and have a phenomenally fun time doing it. And we need to seize (and respect) that gift. So sleep less. Live more. And as Benjamin Franklin observed, “There will be plenty of time to sleep when you’re dead.” I’ve always liked that guy.