Incremental Growth
In search of greatness? As a rule of thumb the elevators are out and you’ve got to take the stairs.
Well, every now and then there are giant leaps forward such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft but most of the time, lasting success flows from small incremental steps on the stairway of life.
You can’t start at the top. Things are done gradually.
Regardless, motivational speakers today are offering elevators to success. Personally, I teach all things in succession, a step by step building process.
How would you like to be living in the tenth story of a high rise apartment when the eighth and ninth stories have yet to be built?
Beware of sudden leaps to greatness, sudden leaps to becoming a great leader, sudden leaps to great wealth... Rarely do they last.
Perhaps you’ve heard of people winning lotto or power ball. In many instances in as little as 3 years they’re broke, back standing in the gold lotto queue again.
It happens because rapid success can violate the law of gradual growth.
Marshall Field started small, worked hard and saved up enough money to buy his own store. Eventually, his store became "Marshall Field and Company"... When he died in 1906, he was worth an estimated 100 million dollars. Big money in a bygone era. When asked for the secret to his great success he replied, "I practiced honest, slow growing business methods, and tried to back them with energy and a good system."
Lasting success is built over time.
It took 22 years for McDonalds to become a billion dollar business. IBM 46 years. Xerox 63 years.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Choose to grow gradually, day by day, play by play.
A football game is won one play at a time.
A department store grows bigger one customer at a time.
Study nature. Find the tallest tree in the forest. How does the oak tree grow so tall while being able to weather the storms?
Through slow, steady growth on a solid foundation.
Consider the incremental approach. Commit to the habitual practice of honest, slow growing personal development and business growth methods.