In the latest book by Jim Collins, How the Mighty Fall, Collins carefully outlines how great, thriving organizations can quickly and dramatically fall from prominence.

While he spends a lot of time outlining what he calls the “Five Stages of Decline”, I was particularly motivated by his thoughts on what those who fall, and then recover, have in common.

I certainly want to understand how to avoid a fall in the first place. (Or should I say, avoid any more “falls” than I’ve already experienced!) But since it’s a given that stumbling and falling down is a necessary and inevitable experience of life…I’m motivated by examples of those who get back up and recover.

Here are some excerpts from How the Mighty Fall that I found of particular interest:

Xerox. HP. Nucor. IBM. Merck. Texas Instruments. Pitney Bowes. Nordstrom. Disney. Boeing. What do these companies have in common? Each took at least one tremendous fall at some point in its history and recovered…in every case, leaders emerged who broke the trajectory of decline and simply refused to give up on the idea of not only survival but ultimate triumph, despite the most extreme odds.

The signature of the truly great vs. the merely successful is not the absence of difficulty. It’s the ability to come back from setbacks, even cataclysmic catastrophes, strongter than before. Great nations can decline and recover. Great companies can fall and recover. Great social institutions can fall and recover. And great individuals can fall and recover. As long as you never get entirely knocked out of the game, there remains hope.

The path out of darkness begins with those exasperatingly persistent individuals who are constitutionally incapable of capitulation. It’s one thing to suffer a staggering defeat–as will likely happen to every enduring business and social enterprise and (individual) at some point in its history–and entirely another to give up on the values and aspirations that make the protracted struggle worthwhile. Failure is not so much a physical state as a state of mind; success is falling down–and getting up one more time–without end.

Mr. Collins couldn’t have put it any better. So I have nothing to add.

In business you’re flooded with information from marketers and experts.

Some of it piques your interest but eventually you simply get stuck staring at all of it; “Is this the right thing to do next, or is that the right thing?”

That’s Paralysis Analysis! And before you know it, hours, days, even weeks can go by and you’re still stuck in the exact same place—nowhere.

The truth is, analyzing information creates a “feeling” of work and it creates the illusion of progress when it’s really just another insidious form of procrastination.

So, here are some important tips that can help you bust out of Paralysis of Analysis:

Tip #1: Unsubscribe from those unnecessary lists, set inbox rules, and find an expert who can answer your questions quickly. Limit your information influx and you’ll have a lot less stuff to analyze!

Tip #2: Don’t over-think your business, keep it simple. I don’t mean to oversimplify things here, but remember that building a marketing plan around your business consists of a few key concepts—a validated “niche” idea, a strong and effectively written offer/message, a proven strategy for building your own list or distribution, and the ability to execute the plan. So, focus on grabbing insight on those key concepts but don’t get sucked into spending hours and hours analyzing every possible approach to doing these things—pick a technique, confirm it with a coach or expert—then Get To Work!

Tip #3: Get To Work! That’s right, nothing moves you out of being stuck in paralysis quicker than getting moving…just start doing it! You’ll learn more and gain expertise faster than you can by reading more stuff and “thinking about” it. In the words of those killer athletes over at Nike, “Just Do It!”

Analyze yourself for a minute. Are you spending more time studying and contemplating information more than you’re actually doing real work? If so, you’re stuck in Paralysis of Analysis.

It’s time to get moving! Go get to work!

I’ve been reading “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen M.R. Covey.

So much of what he covers is extremely relevant. Especially today.

In times of uncertainty it’s much more difficult for people to hide under the radar or just “skate by.”

Whether in a job, running a company, looking for new work, or starting a new business, those we deal with have a heightened awareness of what’s going on around them. Who can they trust? Who are the most valuable players? Who’s for real? Who’s genuine?

In times like these, one of the best ways to stand out in the crowd and rise to the top of the ladder is to have a solid, trustworthy foundation.

Those who are trusted have a massive advantage.

Here are some very powerful points Covey makes that stood out to me:

“There is one thing, if removed, will detroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love.

“On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to createe unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life. Yet, it is the least understood, most neglected, and most underestimated possibility of our time.

“That one thing is trust.”

“Trust undergirds and affects the quality of every relationship, every communication, every work project, every business venture, every effort in which we are engaged. It changes the quality of every present moment and alters the trajectory and outcome of every future moment of our lives–both personally and professionally.

“While corporate scandals, terrorist threats, office politics, and broken relationships have created low trust on almost every front, I contend that the ability to establish, grow, extend and restore trust is not only vital to our personal and interpersonal well-being; it is the key leaedership competencey of the new global economy. 

“I am also convinced that in every situation, nothing is as fast as the speed of trust. And, contrary to popular belief, trust is something you can do something about. In fact, you can get good at creating it!” 

Mr. Covey’s message is powerful to me for two reasons. First, it’s simply an enlightened and timely truth (and his book goes on to explain exactly how trust can be built and restored). Second, I’m imperfect and have broken trust at times. So, knowing that trust can be restored, even rapidly, is encouraging to me as a leader, and as an individual.

Are your to be trusted?

It’s funny how we forget about our brain sometimes.

We try and take care of our bodies with exercise but seem to altogether overlook the fact that our brain needs exercise too.

As America ages, we’re finally seeing an increase in programs and even “head health” facilities that focus on increasing mental capacity and keeping our minds sharp.

Skeptical? Consider this, Do you ever want to say something but just can’t find the word? (I thought so.)

We all have some mental weaknesses. I exhibit mine at least 10 times a day!

Brain fitness is real. And the more fit you can keep your noodle, the more successful you will be in life, business, and anything else.

There are many new tools popping up to help increase your brain power. An example of this is “Brain Age” and “Brain Training” by Nintendo. Additionally, over the next several years you will see “brain gyms” popping up throughout the country.

But you really don’t need to buy a product or hit the brain gym to sharpen your skills.

Here are some brain exercises recommended by Dr. Lorne Label of the Brain Longevity Center:

• Use your left hand, if you are right handed, for tasks such as placing a stamp on an envelope, writing, or combing your hair.
• Name the letters of the alphabet but mix it up—by skipping every other letter (a, c, e, g); skipping every third letter (a, d, g) or, perhaps, starting from the end of the alphabet and skipping a letter (z, x, v)
• Sweep your eyes across a room. Then spend the next few minutes recalling what you saw, where things were placed, the colors, etc.
• Subtract 3 from 100; then continue to subtract 3s from each remaining number (100-3=97-3=94-3=91)
• Pick a category, like food or animals. Then name an item in the category. Think of a second one that begins with the last letter of the previous item. (For example, hot dog, grape, egg.)

According to a five year study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 2,000 adults showed that simple mental exercises improved cognitive skills.

Why am I delving into this today? It’s simple. Smart people experience more success than the dummies out there!

Pay attention to your brainpower and work on simple ways to stay smart and get mentally fit.

I think I’ll try a crossword puzzle today!

In 1998, I listened to James Paramore give a speech entitled, “Life Will Be a Challenge.” In that talk, he re-told a true account about a school teacher who was following up on a summertime assignment by asking her students what important lessons they were taught about self-reliance during their summer vacation.

After several accounts of “lessons learned” were shared, she asked Johnny what lesson he had learned. Johnny replied. “Well, my dad taught me how to swim.” “Fantastic, Johnny. That’s a great thing to learn.” “Yeah,” Then he continued, “He took me out in the middle of a lake, and he just threw me overboard, and told me ta swim back to shore.” “WOW!,” the teacher said. “That took a lot of courage.” “Yes it did,” Johnny said, “but it wasn’t all that bad once I got myself out of that darn gunnysack!”

Well, I got a chuckle out of that little story—that was about 11 years ago and it struck me pretty powerfully at the time, because I’ve actually felt like that before—sort of stuck in that gunnysack, trying to swim to shore—especially back then when I was just venturing out as an entrepreneur.

I’ve felt like that when I was trying to launch my very first company in 1992. I felt like that when I was trying to figure out how to take a company to the next level after Venture Capitalists invested millions in my company. I’ve felt like that while trying to figure out the latest marketing method, copywriting technique, or blogging strategy. I’ve felt like that at many different stages while trying to sort through the avalanche of business information that’s out there…

Maybe you’ve struggled in a similar way? Maybe you’ve struggled to decide on a business concept. Maybe you’ve struggled with Internet Marketing, raising capital, finding a partner, purchasing a business, managing cash, or changing your business model. Perhaps, you’ve struggled to really learn how to become as successful in your business as some of those great entrepreneurs that we’ve all watched and admired from a distance.

You know, those who are the true Masters of Business have figured out what really works and then went out and did it. They didn’t focus on the fact that they were out the middle of the lake, stuck in a gunnysack. They focused on how to get out and get moving.

I want to know what you are doing right now, to wrestle your way “out of that gunnysack”?

Are you up to the challenge of business?

Will you sink or swim?