What do Drug Dealers and Firefighters have in common? And, how can it improve my business?

You may be asking yourself- if firefighters are heroes and good guys, and drug dealers are villains and bad guys, what could they possibly have in common? A lot.

Firefighters and drug dealers share the following 15 traits. They:

1. Set and achieve targets
2. Have a sense of urgency and purpose that is greater than a single person
3. Understand that the consequences of failure are massive
4. Use communication effectively
5. Apply current and relevant information to make quick decisions
6. Have an ability to redirect a course of action with rapid speed
7. Are highly disciplined
8. Understand that excuses have no value
9. Are very well organized
10. Understand loyalty
11. Have contingency plans for the unforeseen
12. Are well trained
13. Are vigilant
14. Are solution finders
15. Have an ability to innovate and implement new technologies and methods

While there is a long list of differences between drug dealers and firefighters, I summed it up to the top three:

• Firefighters are dedicated to preserving life
• Dealers destroy life
• Firefighters reunite families
• Dealers divide families
• Firefighters gain loyalty through follow through and admiration
• Dealers gain loyalty through fear and intimidation

Do you and your business have these 15 traits for success? How can you apply this information to improve your business?

Did you find this interesting? More to come, as we break this down.

Written by: Jason T. Hull

If you want to cause an accident, tell someone to “be careful”.

"CAREFUL!!! Don't fall into that fountain."

It is a word quickly ushered to others with little consideration. Who are the most common recipients? Kids. Often, it just seems to be the best phrase to use when you want to encourage concentration and focus. We have good intentions, but the results are not promising. 

We’ve all heard it, and we’ve all said it.

• Hand a child a glass of milk followed by, “careful”
• Translated: “I am worried you will spill this milk and break this glass.”
• Tell a child who gets on a bike, “Have fun… be careful”
• Translated: “If you fall, it will hurt and bad things will likely result.”
• Say goodbye to a loved-one and say, “Have a good drive, be careful”
• Translated: "You might get into an accident."

And the list goes on and on. The actual result of our intention to spread safety and caution by saying, “Careful…” is that we are planting seeds of fear. The emotion of fear harnesses debilitating power. It removes enjoyment. It robs of curiosity. It strips creativity. It kills motivation and enthusiasm.

• The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Definition of careful: Giving attention or thought to what you are doing so that you avoid hurting yourself, damaging something or doing something wrong.

• The Oxford Dictionary Definition of fear: Be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.

The seeds of fear are doubt, indecision, anxiety, depression, ill health, broken relationships. Once it has time to germinate, it becomes well rooted into the psyche of that person.

Have the most successful and influential people in our society operated and based their decisions on fear? Did Thomas Edison tell himself to be careful each time he created his next invention? Does Chris Sharma begin each difficult climb with a mindset of “be careful”? No! They possess focus and awareness. They are always looking and always evaluating hazards and opportunities. They are realizing solutions.

So, here’s the challenge… count how many times over the next 21 days that you speak and hear the words “be careful”. Each time you speak these words, stop and restate the message, until eventually you no longer utter the words, “be careful”. Pay close attention to the reactions of others, as you have now empowered them.

Here are a few other empowering words that will produce better results:

• Be aware
• Focus
• Look
• Be alert

Have fun with this. And, “be careful”- as you might discover game-changing results.

Was this interesting? More to come on overcoming and eliminating fears. Stay tuned.

written by: Jason Hull