The Law Of The Lid
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
What ’ s the difference between a leader and a boss ? Or an entrepreneur and a business owner ? We tend to sloppily interchange these terms to describe someone running an MSP or someone in charge , but they are not the same thing .
As the creator and leader of the industry ’ s largest MSP peer group , I have access to facts and data that most MSPs do not . After two decades of talking to , coaching , and working with thousands of MSPs , I can tell you the difference between a REAL entrepreneur — someone who succeeds , making a lot of money for themselves and building a company that truly serves their clients , employees , family , and community — and a “ tech with helpers ,” who plays small , stays small , scrapes by , and never really builds anything of significance is this : DECISION . It is our decisions that determine our destiny .
I have clients all across the world who are thriving and succeeding , achieving above-average growth and securing above-average profits . People who had no advantages in life . People who started with pennies in their pocket , no formal education , no mentors , and no experience — yet they are thriving , highly successful multimillionaires running growth MSPs and have truly extraordinary businesses . What do THEY have that the others don ’ t ?
Despite what most people would like to think ( that they have a “ secret ” advantage ), I can confirm they are operating in the same cities as their unsuccessful counterparts , dealing with the same inflation issues and economic conditions ; working under the same laws ; selling to the same clients / marketplace , with the same competition and vendors ; offering roughly the same services ; pulling from the pool of talent ; and dealing with the same labor shortages , staffing issues and general business challenges EVERYONE is dealing with .
The primary reason they are succeeding while others don ’ t is that they have made an honest , determined decision that they will succeed , period .
The definition of “ decision ” is “ a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration .” And the definition of “ resolution ” is “ a firm decision to do or not do something .” These are soft — dare I say timid — definitions of the words . While technically correct , a resolution is , to me , an unwavering , final , teeth-bared determination to see something through to completion . If you make that kind of DECISION to succeed and are RESOLUTE in your choice , you can achieve anything .
But most people are quickly halted , stalled , and deterred from their goals at the first hiccup , the first problem , or the first setback . The minute things get difficult or they feel overwhelmed , they stop . They are easily discouraged . As the saying goes , anyone can start a marathon , but very few can finish .
Further , a lot of smaller MSPs self-sabotage and hold themselves back because they believe the people running highly successful MSPs are in a “ different league ” than they are . That those CEOs must have special skills and superpowers they lack and will never possess . And while there are
Robin And John C . Maxwell On Main Stage During The Q & A Session At TMT ’ s Top-Tier Peer Group Event
Founder And CEO , Technology Marketing Toolkit , Inc .
some very savvy , incredibly smart CEOs out there running very successful MSPs , there are MORE who are truly clueless and disorganized , often unethical , and about as smart as a dog that eats its own turds .
So , for whatever it ’ s worth , I ’ m here to tell you that nobody has anything on you OTHER than ambition and work ethic , and those are characteristics you can choose to develop , not permanent ones like your eye color . They are NOT reserved for a special class of people , and the only lid on you , your business , your income , and your goals is the one YOU put on yourself .
With that theme in mind , this month , we ’ re sharing insights and some video clips from my friend John C . Maxwell , the leadership expert , author , and speaker . As John so rightly pointed out in his presentation to our Producers Club members back in October , no business can grow or develop beyond the person or people leading it . However , you are the only one who can “ lift the lid ” for yourself and your business — and I encourage you to do just that this year .
To watch this fascinating Q & A session with John C . Maxwell and Robin , go to MSPSuccessMagazine . com / JohnMaxwell . n
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