I’ve been following Richard Branson’s blog for awhile now. I love the simplicity of his insights and how he easily translates his business brilliance to concepts applicable to a cart vendor in a developing country. In his latest installment, Not Going It Alone, Branson offers up one of his success formulas. Instead of the
A, B, Cs
Branson explains the
C, C & Ds
Success, Branson tells us, cannot be achieved in isolation of others. It takes a team. Whether I’m coaching business leaders or cancer survivors and caregivers, at some point in the coaching conversation we explore the idea of building a team. When taking on the biggest challenges in our lives, tapping Branson’s formula is more likely to create the outcomes we desire. According to Branson,
To be successful in business, you need to connect and collaborate and delegate.
Something I know to be true about most people is that whenever they can, they feel good helping others. When we connect, we gain insights into the strengths, gifts and talents others have which can help identify who to ask for help in what areas. Often in collaborative efforts, if the team is
anabolic, together they generate more energy and inspiration to solve challenges, while being creative and productive. Delegating is still a team effort, but it involves having faith in someone else being a leader and trusting they will carry through on the task or in the role they’ve taken on.
Whether you’re going through cancer, caring for someone with cancer or building a business or career, applying Branson’s C,C & Ds can help you complete the actions and steps you need to take. If you’re a survivor who needs to research something about your cancer but you prefer not to be the one to be reading through it all, delegating that task to a friend, family member or co-worker who has a knack for it will save you time and energy while giving them the opportunity to contribute to you. Together we can accomplish so much more than on our own.