3 Things I Learned from Leadership Guru Robin Sharma

I’ve never met a Monk who sold his Ferrari but I have spent time interviewing a leader who wrote a bestselling book about one.

I knew from the moment I scheduled the interview with leadership guru Robin Sharma that I was in for some powerful life lessons.

Sharma was voted the #4 leadership guru in the world in 2017, has authored more than 10 International bestselling books, and during our time together I learned as much as I have during any of the thousands of interviews I have ever conducted.

Here are 3 of the core lessons I learned from Robin Sharma:

1. If you want to make big things happen in your life, you need to live your life on purpose

One of my favorite lessons of Sharma’s is the importance of uncovering your passion so that you can live on purpose (aka. your WHY).

He shared with me that unfortunately far too many people die when they are 20 but wait until they are 80 to bury their own bodies. He calls them the Walking Dead. Those people who, often through no fault of their own, haven’t discovered their calling and therefore they are living a purposeless life.

During my interviews, research, and work I have discovered that living with passion is one of the truest and purest ways to make big things happen in the world, to influence others and have a meaningful, fulfilling life.

Sadly, I’ve also heard the statistics. I heard numbers as dismal as 5% in relation to those who will discover their calling in their lifetime.

I’ve often thought, imagine the effect of just double the amount of people discovering their calling in their lifetime. Consider what we’ve been able to accomplish already with such a small percentage.

In the interim, I hope you’ll take the steps that may be necessary to uncover yours and find ways to live your purposefully. If you want help in this area, feel free to check out my latest book, The Book of Why.

2. If you want to live the life of your dreams, begin by reverse engineering it

Sharma credited Warren Buffet with this idea, and what an idea it is. The idea is to determine what you want your life to look like when you are 80 years of age and sitting on that front porch rocking chair.

What would you like to have accomplished, what would you like your lifetime impact to look like, and what would you like your legacy to be.

Once you have decided this, the next step is to figure out what actions you’ll have to take, and goals you’ll have to achieve, to arrive that spot.

It’s at this point you can begin to work backward and start deciding what you have to do each year, each month, and each day, to realize your long-term vision.

I worked through this process myself and it has given me so much greater clarity in relation to goal setting, and long-term planning, and I know my legacy is worth the work. I believe yours is too.

3. If you want to influence and impact others, be the best at what you do

Sharma, in the greatness guide, and in my discussion with him, spoke about the importance of aiming to be the best at what you do, regardless of what that is.

He explained that your goal should be to become the Bono of the mailroom or the Gandhi of the lunchroom.

If your goal is to always be the best at what you’re doing, you will be viewed much differently from those who bring their B game.

After interviewing the masters of their craft and leaders of industry, I can tell you that it is about more than just discovering your passion, and living on purpose.

That can be a big part of it, but it is about something greater. It is about, as Don Miguel Ruiz described it in his powerful book, “The 4 Agreements”, Always Doing Your Best.

Ruiz explains that your best can change from day to day BUT if you always do your best on that given day, you can be proud that you have left nothing on the table.

The benefit of always doing your best is that you will live without regrets, and the wonder of, could I have tried a bit harder.

And, it means your example will inspire, influence and impact others in the process.

Making big things happen, living your dreams, and influencing and impacting others in a positive way, this is the spot where significance truly begins.

I guess the big question is, when will you begin?