The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and in

by Robin Sharma

Who I’m becoming is far more important than what I own.

Poverty isn’t just a lack of money—it’s a scarcity of anything.

Lead yourself, Blake. Only then will you be able to lead others and influence those around you by the powerful example you set.

greatness is an inner event with outer consequences. Once you awaken your inner leader, worldly success is the guaranteed result.”

“SHINE,”

Your former habits of thinking and being must disintegrate before better ways of behaving can begin to integrate.”

the importance of making small and steady improvements every single day, rather than massive ones that’ll only set you up to fail.”

SHINE stand for?” “The S will remind you to See Clearly.

perceiving your conditions and circumstances clearly.

Every one of us has a natural tendency to see through our blind spots and limiting beliefs. Often we see situations through eyes of fear ve...

we see the world not as it is but as we are.

If your stained-glass window contains a rule that insists ‘Most people aren’t trustworthy’ or ‘Most work is pretty meaningless,’ then your behavior is bound to match these self-created interpretations of the world outside of you.

leadership is about developing high levels of self-awareness and thinking regularly about the accuracy of your thinking.

Real leadership involves breaking through the limits of your mind so you can step into the highest strengths of your spirit.”

you must begin to think like a champion. You have to take full responsibility for the thoughts you run through your brain. And that means understanding that your mind is no place for even a single negative one.

your thinking drives your behavior and your behavior gives you your outcomes. So world-class work is obviously the result of world-class thinking.”

negative thinking is a disease?” “Of course it is, Blake. It’s an obvious sign of an unhealthy mind.

People who laugh at the concept of positive thinking should make a study of sports heroes, of legendary champions. Superstars deeply understand that the way you run your brain matters. They manage their thinking impeccably, focusing only on victory and paying no attention to the threat of adversity. And even when they get knocked down, they reprocess the event to see it as a gift.

If your expectation is that people at work will not support you and will let you down, then you will behave in a way that is aligned with that belief. So you’ll be closed and protect your turf. You’ll work in a silo rather than collaborate and show teamwork. Your very behavior will cause your coworkers to feel you are cold, competitive, and not really trustworthy. And so of course, they will not support you.

We’ve been thinking the same thoughts for so long that our thinking feels like a deeply ingrained habit that we believe we have no control over.

it doesn’t mean we can’t change them into habits of mind that serve our leadership potential.

One thing that makes us fully human is our ability to think about our thinking, you know.

build greater awareness of the thoughts you think. And with greater awareness around the ones that no longer serve you, you can make better choices.

get up an hour earlier every day and spend sixty minutes in self-development. This is your morning recalibration ritual—a regular period you give yourself for preparation and practice.

This is the time to reset yourself. To lock in to your flight plan for the day. To reconnect with your core values. To renew, regenerate, and reground. It’s a period to work on your mind, strengthen your body, nourish your emotional life, and fuel your spiritual dimension. This daily discipline alone will work miracles for you in your career and within every other area of your life.

The 7 Fundamentals of Personal Leadership 1. Learning. Read from books that will inspire you, strengthen your character, and remind you of the examples of the greatest leaders of our world. Also, listen to audio books on subjects ranging from business excellence, team building, and innovation to wellness, relationships, and personal motivation. 2. Affirmations. One of the single best ways to rescript limiting beliefs and failure programs within your mind is through the consistent repetition of positive statements about the leader you want to become and the achievements you commit to create.

3. Visualization. The mind works through pictures. Every great accomplishment—from the tallest skyscraper here in New York City to the most stunning inventions of American geniuses like Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin—began with a series of pictures set in the imagination of their creators. All outer achievements begin within the mind. All progress is nothing more than invisible creativity made visible.

4. Journaling. Writing in a journal is a remarkably strong way to become a clearer thinker, to build massive amounts of self-awareness, and to record your intended outcomes. During your hour of personal development, note your insights, feelings, hopes, and dreams.

5. Goal Setting. Setting and then reconnecting with your goals on a regular basis is a powerful success discipline. Your goals will create a fantastic amount of focus in your career and within your life. Goals generate hope and positive energy. And when you experience adversity—and we all do from time to time—clearly articulated goals offer you a North Star to guide you out of the rough seas into calmer waters. Goals also ensure that you live life deliberately and productively versus reactively and accidentally. Avoid that walking coma I spoke of earlier. 6. Exercise.

7. Nutrition. What you eat determines how well you’ll perform.

forgive all those who have disappointed you and let go of all the experiences that have discouraged you.

those people who hurt you were doing the best that they could do based on where they were on their personal journey through life.

Gratitude is the antidote to fear. Worry and appreciation just can’t live in the same room together.

H in SHINE.

“The H will remind you that Health is Wealth.

Get your health to its highest state and every other area—from your ability to think clearly during stressful times to your performance levels and moods—get pulled up with it. Health is one of those things we take for granted until we lose it.

Those who don’t make time for daily exercise must eventually make time for daily illness,

“The I in SHINE stands for Inspiration Matters,”

refill your well of inspiration every day, because the challenges of life will drain it every day.

“Listening to music is one of the best ways I know to drive huge levels of inspiration. Associating with interesting people who love being remarkable, ethical, and original will also fuel your passion and provoke you to be your leadership best.

Star performers understand the need to constantly alternate between peak performance and inner renewal.

N in SHINE?” I asked. “Neglect Not Your Family. Your loved ones matter. What’s the point of becoming super-successful—as I sense you’ll soon become—but ending up completely alone?

Feeling cared for and loved by your family is such a powerful accelerator for your leadership and personal success.”

“The E in my acronym will remind you of the fifth rule for personal leadership: Elevate Your Lifestyle.

Do something every day to improve your lifestyle. As I suggested earlier, go through life first-class. You only live once, so why not enjoy it completely?”

enjoy life along the way. The real key is to get the things you want while making sure they don’t get you.

Contribution is the ultimate purpose of work—and life.”