Lionnel Yamentou Blog, Business, Leadership

It’s Never Who You Know

Jack is a skilled technician who always delivers above expectations and has 10 clients who know him and would never hesitate to refer him for work.

Joe is a talented artist who knows 100 people who have admired his work but have never bought his work. He has their business cards and he regularly comes across them in the galleries and artists meetups he attends.

Who would you rather be, Jack or Joe? 

To succeed in business, and in life, you must be a Jack, not a Joe. It is never who you know, it is always who knows you and who can vouch for you and the quality of your work. Quality has more value than quantity. Become a master at your craft and you will not have to worry about who you know, because who knows you will regularly bring you business.

Lionnel Yamentou Blog, Business, Leadership, Lifestyle Design

Could Your Work Be Your Calling Card?

What do you do for work? Would you still be doing that for work if there was no extrinsic (ie. financial) reward? How well do you do your work, and how much better could you do your work? When was the last time you assessed your efficiency and effectiveness at the work you do?

To work is to function or operate according to design or plan. Assuming you know what you were designed for and you have a plan to operate in alignment with that design, could your work be your calling card?

Are you so proficient at your work that people who are exposed to your craft can recall days, weeks and years later an interaction with you?

Could your work be your calling card?

Lionnel Yamentou Blog, Business, Leadership

Are You a Jane?

Jane shows up late at every appointment. Regardless of who she work with or what she works on, it seems that she makes a conscious effort to be late. But she is not all bad. Sometimes when she would be more than 10 minutes late, she would call ahead to inform her colleagues.

Jane has developed a reputation among the people she works with as “the one who is always late.” In addition to being late, Jane is not the best at the work she does. She is just average and even though she does her best, it just does not do it for the people she works with.

What are you know as by people who work with you? Are you “the one who always shows up ahead of time,” or are you a Jane?

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” Confucius

Lionnel Yamentou Blog, Business, Leadership

Are You Trainable?

If you have ever hired anyone or being part of a hiring panel, you know that one of the most important elements that determines whether someone is picked over another is trainability.

Beyond the appropriate skills and knowledge for the job at hand someone has at any point in time, trainability is what employers want above anything else. Being flexible, being able to adapt, being able to learn challenging concepts while keeping a positive attitude, are invaluable skills.

More than 10 years ago I attended a resume building workshop and the lead trainer who was an HR Director for a medium sized business said: “We always hire for attitude and fire for inaptitude.” What he was effectively saying was that it is easy to get hired if you have a positive and enthusiastic attitude, but over time, your ability to adapt, learn and grow is what is going to determine whether you stay, and how high you rise.

Lionnel Yamentou Blog

Compassion and Love

In this contemporary society where things tend to revolve more and more around materials resources, it is easy to be self-centered and egotistical. I am reminded of the buddha who said: “Embrace everything, be attached to nothing.” He didn’t say it exactly like that, but I am sure that’s exactly what he meant.

Frustration is caused by not embracing everything that happens (that we create). Attachment is caused by habits that depend on external factors to be executed. 

Compassion, concern and sympathy for the suffering of others, and love, an intense feeling of deep affection are the greatest forces in the universe. To quote Emmet Fox: 

There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer: no disease that love will not heal: no door that enough love will not open…It makes no difference how deep set the trouble: how hopeless the outlook: how muddled the tangle: how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all. If only you could love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world.

Let’s all strive to always be compassionate and loving.