It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be by PAUL ARDEN

Just as Sun Tzu’s Art of War is read as a lesson in business strategy rather than fighting in a military sense, or Machiavelli’s The Prince is written about government but used as a guide to management, so this book uses the creative processes of good advertising as a metaphor for business practice.

Nearly all rich and powerful people are not notably talented, educated, charming or good-looking. They become rich and powerful by wanting to be rich and powerful. Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have. Without having a goal it’s difficult to score.

CONTENTS:

Why do we strive for excellence when mediocrity is required?
So how good do you want to be?
You can achieve the unachievable.
‘I want to be as famous as Persil Automatic.’
Have you noticed how the cleverest people at school are not those who make it in life?

THE FUNDAMENTALS

Energy
Do not seek praise. Seek criticism
It’s all my fault
Do not covet your ideas
Don’t look for the next opportunity. The one you have in hand is the opportunity
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Do not put your cleverness in front of the communication
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
Know your client’s aims
What do you do when your client won’t buy?
Don’t take no for an answer
When it can’t be done, do it
If you don’t do it, it doesn’t exist