You have an Authority problem. It’s not the Authority problem that the principal yells the kids about. It’s the Authority that you foolishly give to others every day you go about your business, without even realizing it.
How many times have you had a deal you know is good come across your desk, but you convinced yourself the price was too high, or it was a little outside your wheelhouse, or it would be too much work, or your partners would disapprove. That’s giving Authority. You let others judge you and you react by avoiding risk.
You are a High-Performer or you want to be one, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. You’ve done so well in your life, but Authority is holding you back.
I went to a rock and roll concert recently, trying to relive a slice of my youth, I think. The band was loud and the people were sweaty, and while trying to fight my way to the bathroom, I wondered why I made the choice to come here. I loved that band back in college, but probably more correctly, loved the songs. Here’s the kicker: They didn’t even play them.
They Didn’t Play a Single Good Song
The bandleader, who I will not name, had decided that his new album was the only reason he wanted to be on stage, that his fans were living in the past, and that he only wanted the ‘real fans’, those who stuck with him in his ‘new phase’. And, if you didn’t come to their concert for the new songs, he didn’t want you. So, 10,000 of us stood there and listened to crappy music in the hopes that our favorite song would get played at the end. The end happened, then the encore, then the second encore – still no favorite songs. The crowd left in a noisy disbelief, and the band lost at least one fan that night.
The bandleader suffered from giving Authority to the fans inappropriately. He desperately wanted validation that his songs were good. He gave them all that Authority to judge him, and when he realized that he was lacking by never having another hit song, he reacted by swinging the other way: He kept Authority, now saying that he didn’t care about their judgement. He continued to put out crappy songs and play them at concerts because he no longer cared.
Clearly, there is a middle road that he should have taken. He should have respected his fans and brought his new musicality to the music his fans loved. He could have played some of the old hits between others and acknowledged that they are the reason he is in front of 10,000 people today. It all comes down to Authority, and I realized this through some sleepless nights as a real estate deal I ran was failing. I’ll tell you about that next time.
In the meantime, sign up for my email list and I’ll send you my blueprint for High-Performers to get started in Real Estate.
