Are you ready to take your business to the next level? In the world of entrepreneurship, the difference between a mediocre and a high-performing business often comes down to that little extra: success strategies to give you that added competitive edge.
This blog post includes nuggets of wisdom from one of our featured guest experts from the Beyond 7 Figures podcast, Matt Gallant, CEO and co-founder of Bioptimizers and Nootopia.
Jimmy Johnson, famed football coach and sports analyst, once said, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” To achieve extraordinary success, entrepreneurs must be willing to put in that little extra effort and go above and beyond what is expected.
Entrepreneurs are in a league of their own. Especially the high-performing and scrappy business owners– always looking for that little extra competitive advantage to be just a step ahead of everyone else.
If we apply the Pareto Principle, we could say that most regular business owners can easily outperform 80% of everyone else. By putting in longer hours, making tough decisions, taking calculated risks, and so on, they can take it 80% of the way through.
But that remaining 20%? That’s where your success strategies come in.
High-performing entrepreneurs are differentiated from other business owners by their success strategies. Beyond the combination of hard work, dedication, and a willingness to do what others won’t, proven success strategies set high-performing entrepreneurs apart and helps them reach their full potential.
Top-tier entrepreneurs are like intellectual athletes: highly motivated, laser-focused, and almost engineered for peak performance.
Success strategies, coupled with their unique combination of qualities and habits, allow them to consistently achieve their goals and thrive in the face of challenges.
In this blog, we’ll explore what separates these top performers from everyone else, and reveal some of the success strategies they rely on to stay ahead of the game.
Success Strategy #1: Proactively Plan and Be Prepared.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French writer, poet, journalist, and pioneering aviator, famously said “as for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.”
There’s a futurist in all high-performing entrepreneurs. And that’s because we keep tabs on topics such as technology, demographics, economics, and society to identify trends that could impact the future.
But you don’t need to be a futurist to think about tomorrow.
By staying informed, looking for patterns, asking questions, being open to new ideas, and creating a plan, a high-performing entrepreneur can gain a sense of what the future holds and make informed decisions about their business.
While the future is uncertain, and impossible to predict everything, the success strategy here is to be proactive.
You should also anticipate what’s ahead, adapt and pivot when necessary, and open yourself up to new opportunities and changes in the marketplace.
Being proactive in this manner allows you to stay ahead of the curve, anticipate changes in the market before they happen, and position your business for success in the long term.
Success Strategy #2: Business Isn’t Always About Scaling.
Gilbert W. Fairholm, a noted professor and author, said this about leadership: “Leadership is not a starring role. True leadership describes unified action of leaders and followers (stakeholders) working together to jointly achieve mutual goals. It is collaborative.”
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to think that success is all about scaling your business as quickly as possible.
However, another approach can be as effective: doing activities that don’t scale.
This means taking a hands-on approach to building your business rather than relying solely on automation and scalability.
So instead of ramping up, you could take a step back. Use this opportunity to personalize your customer approach, build relationships, and be hands-on in every aspect of your business.
This way, you build a stronger foundation for your business and create a more personal connection with your customers. You can then tailor your approach more closely to their needs and create a product or service that genuinely resonates with them.
This success strategy also allows you to be authentic and stand out. Instead of trying to fit into a mold or conform to what you think customers want, you can be true to yourself and your brand.
It’s also important to test and iterate your ideas based on feedback. This allows you to tailor your approach and create a better product or service.
Of course, it’s important to remember that doing activities that don’t scale can be time-consuming. They may not be sustainable in the long run. However, this shift can be a powerful way to differentiate your business and build a solid brand.
Then, as you scale, you can automate processes while still maintaining the personal touch that sets your business apart.
Success Strategy #3: Have a Sense of Urgency
Having a sense of urgency means doing what needs to be done immediately, without being asked and in the most thorough way possible in order to create change.
Why is urgency necessary?
It allows you to focus and prioritize essential tasks, maximizing your time.
Additionally, setting goals and taking steps to reach them keeps you motivated and on track. Regularly assessing your progress and adjusting is critical to staying productive and efficient.
To succeed in business, you need the ability to start and finish projects quickly — and do this often.
"And if there's one thing I've learned from being around successful entrepreneurs over my lifetime, it's this: They all have an unmistakable sense of urgency about everything they do!"
Remember, finding balance and staying focused can be challenging when you have a sense of urgency. Yet it helps to create an environment that enables you to prioritize tasks and stay on track.
This is where tools such as task lists and reminders become vital to success.
Also, make sure you set aside time to recharge, so you can return to work energized.
Success Strategy #4: Manage Your Performance Curve.
If you’ve ever heard someone describe a time when their performance excelled and they were “in the zone,” they were likely describing an experience of flow. Flow occurs when your skill level and the challenge at hand are equal. (Source.)
Time, energy, focus, and flow state are all crucial factors in managing your performance curve. The performance curve refers to the relationship between the effort you put into a task and the level of performance or output you achieve.
1. Time. Time is essential in managing your performance curve because it determines how much attention you can devote to a task.
2. Energy. When you feel energized and motivated, you are more likely to put forth the effort required to achieve high performance.
3. Focus. Your focus determines how well you can concentrate on immediate action items.
4. Flow State. Flow state occurs when you’re completely focused and fully immersed in a task.
Success Strategy #5: Take Micro-breaks.
Effective breaks can help to reduce your stress levels so that you’re ready to re-focus when you return to your work. If you find yourself growing increasingly frustrated or stalled on a certain task despite your efforts, this may be a sign that it’s time to rest your brain and take a break.
Micro-breaks are short, frequent periods of rest throughout the day (about 5 to 10 minutes long) designed to improve focus, productivity, and overall well-being.
Every hour, use a few minutes to take a short walk, stretch, or do a quick meditation.
This helps combat the adverse effects of prolonged sitting or staring at a screen, and can help to refresh your mind and boost productivity.
"Entrepreneurs are intellectual athletes, and taking breaks throughout the day is a key part of that."
Research shows regular breaks can improve focus, memory, and overall mental performance.
Additionally, micro-breaks can help increase physical activity, improve posture, and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
Success Strategy #6: Finish What You Started.
“Persistence is firmly sticking to something for a prolonged period of time, even as you encounter things that try to unstick you,” wrote author Peter Hollins, in his book, Finish What You Start: The Art of Following Through, Taking Action, Executing, & Self-Discipline.
This strategy can be a powerful tool for entrepreneurs because it allows you to focus energy and resources on one task or project at a time.
Finishing tasks also helps build momentum, as completing one task can provide the motivation and confidence needed to tackle the next one.
So prioritize tasks, set realistic goals, develop a plan of action, and avoid spreading yourself too thin.
Additionally, be aware of the factors preventing completion, such as procrastination, lack of motivation, or limited resources.
A Final Word on These Success Strategies for High-Performing Entrepreneurs
In conclusion, high-performing entrepreneurs strive for excellence and continually seek ways to improve themselves and their businesses.
Rather than settling for being good, they focus on getting better and pushing themselves to new heights.
As an entrepreneur, adopting this mindset and striving for constant improvement is essential.
Our recommended next steps are assessing your habits and identifying areas where you can focus on getting better rather than simply being good.
Whether improving your strategic thinking, increasing your resilience, or sharpening your focus, there are many ways to continue growing and developing as a high-performing entrepreneur.
By embracing this mindset and constantly seeking new ways to improve, you can reach greater heights and achieve your desired success.
Be part of our ever-growing community of seven- and eight-figure business owners:
- Check us out on the Predictable Profits YouTube channel.
- Connect with us on Linkedin.
- Join other entrepreneurs (like yourself) on our Facebook page.
- And if you haven’t already, sign up for our daily business coaching video series (by entering your email address below).
