Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable (Tim Grover Winning Series)

by Tim S. Grover

That’s a Cleaner, deciding what the Closer will do. A Closer can never be put into the Cleaner’s role unless the Cleaner decides that’s the best way to go.

When a Cleaner puts you in a position to execute, you’d better be prepared.

A Cleaner tells you what he expects and demands you deliver.

A great leader knows the best way to get people to raise their performance is to put them where they can truly excel, not just where you want them to excel. Cleaners don’t block others from reaching the top with them, if they’re capable and ready.

Successful people compensate for what they don’t have; unsuccessful people make excuses, blame everyone else, and never get past the deficiencies. A true leader can see past those deficiencies, identify the abilities, and get the most out of that individual.

A Cooler wonders what’s going to happen. A Closer watches things happen. A Cleaner makes things happen.

A Cleaner’s job is to take control and determine what has to happen to get results.

That’s how you get others to come up to your level: show them where it is, and set the example that allows them to get there.

Every minute, every hour, every day that you sit around trying to figure out what to do, someone else is already doing it.

A Cleaner makes decisions because there’s no chance in the world he’s going to let anyone else make a decision for him.

Thinking doesn’t achieve outcomes, only action does. Prepare yourself with everything you’ll need to succeed, then act.

Speaking of clichés, here’s another tribute to indecision and apathy: Good things come to those who wait. No, good things come to those who work.

You can’t rely on others to jump up and make your dreams happen. They have their own dreams, they’re not worrying about yours.

You don’t become unstoppable by following the crowd, you get there by doing something better than anyone else can do it, and proving every day why you’re the best at what you do.

Figure out what you do, then do it. And do it better than anyone else.

A Cooler makes you wish you paid him less. A Closer asks how much and then decides how hard he’ll work. A Cleaner doesn’t think about the money; he just does the work and knows you’ll be grateful for the privilege of paying him.

Cleaner Law: when you reduce your competition to whining that you “got lucky,” you know you’re doing something right.

It doesn’t matter what you get handed, it’s what you do after you receive it that affords you the privilege of saying, “I did this on my own.”

Anyone can take what’s sitting right in front of him. Only when you’re truly relentless can you understand the determination to keep pursuing a target that never stops moving.

Cleaners don’t care about instant gratification; they invest in the long-term payoff.

In anything you do, it takes no talent to work hard. You just have to want to do it.

Part of the commitment to hard work is knowing what you have to give up to do the work . . . learning to control whatever pulls you away from your mission.

Cleaner Law: When you’re going through a world of pain, you never hide. You show up to work ready to go, you face adversity and your critics and those who judge you, you step into the Zone and perform at that top level when everyone is expecting you to falter.

Do the work. There is no privilege greater than the pressure to excel, and no greater reward than earning the respect and fear of others who can only stand in awe of your results.

A Cooler keeps his opinions to himself. A Closer will say what he thinks, but only behind your back. A Cleaner will tell you straight to your face what he thinks, whether you like it or not.

A Cooler is liked. A Closer is respected. A Cleaner is feared, and then respected for doing exactly what everyone feared he’d do.

Fear and respect: let them know you were there by your actions, not your words or emotions. You don’t have to be loud to be the focus of attention.

The loudest guy in the room is the one with the most to prove, and no way to prove it.

When you’re the guy at the top, you show others how to act, you don’t drop down to their level. You command respect and make them measure up to your standards, not the other way around.

Cleaners don’t make big, bragging announcements about how they topped someone else; they let their results do the talking.

Cleaner Law: the same guy who is worshipped as a cutthroat competitor is also the guy most likely to be called an asshole by everyone around him.

Coolers are afraid of the truth because they can’t deal with it. Closers dig for the truth and get upset when it’s not in their favor. Cleaners know when you’re lying and wait for the truth to show itself, knowing whatever it is, they’ll handle it.

part of success means recognizing the people who can help you get where you want to go, putting all the best pieces in place. You have to surround yourself with people who can operate at your level of demanding excellence.

It’s still your responsibility to surround yourself with excellent people and keep those people accountable, which is especially challenging when you’re extremely successful.

You’re only as good as the tools you’ve chosen, and your ability to use them to their maximum potential.

When someone is constantly changing everyone around him, the problem usually isn’t those being replaced; more likely, the problem lies with the guy who can’t figure out what he needs and wants.

You can’t make things better until you stop making things worse.

Attaining excellence means finding those answers, not just settling for the convenient, easy route. It means seeking and accepting the truth, and adapting as necessary.

Cleaner Law: surround yourself with those who want you to succeed, who recognize what it takes to be successful. People who don’t pursue their own dreams probably won’t encourage you to pursue yours; they’ll tell you every negative thing they tell themselves.

When a Cooler speaks, you have doubts. When a Closer speaks, you listen. When a Cleaner speaks, you believe.

They’re used to people showering them with roses, and I’m bringing the thorns.

A Cooler accepts what he can’t do and gives up. A Closer recognizes what he can’t do but keeps working at it. A Cleaner knows what he can do and stays with it until he decides to do something else.

A Cleaner is done when he says he’s done, not when you say he’s done.

Cleaner Law: if your name is on the door, you’d better control what goes on behind that door.

Failure is what happens when you decide you failed.

A Cleaner never sees failure because to him it’s never over.

The Cooler admits defeat. The Closer works harder. The Cleaner strategizes for a different outcome.

If you aim at excellence, you have to be willing to sacrifice. That is the price of success.

You can be good by playing it safe. You can’t be relentless unless you’re willing to take chances. Safe makes you good, chances make you great.

A Cooler is first to arrive at the celebration and last to leave. A Closer will make an appearance, then go out with his own crew. A Cleaner just wants to get back to work.