Creator, Critic, & Crusader

"Find something you care about and do what it takes to be great at it. We all have something special about us. The hard and exciting part is figuring out what it is." - Mark Cuban | Shark Tank

Imagine being on ABC’s Shark Tank, standing in front of more than 200 years of combined business experience and more than $5 Billion dollars in net worth trying desperately to pitch a partner on your fledgling business idea and not knowing what you’ll say next.  From the comfort of our homes, we cringe when the Sharks ask questions that the entrepreneur has no answer for.  And yet, so many of us go through our lives in the same way; without a mission, vision, or a destination.

I was watching Shark Tank last week and Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of KIND Snacks laid out a brilliant vision for an entrepreneur.  He stated that there were three stages that an entrepreneur goes through:

• Creator | They must create their product or service.  They brainstorm and determine how to solve problems

• Critic | They must be the biggest critic to their plan, the devil’s advocate

• Crusader | Once the approach is determined, they must become the most devout, passionate crusader of the cause and create momentum

Given my role as a coach, I immediately related those three stages to personal and professional development.  Merriam-Webster defines an entrepreneur as 

“A person who organizes and manages any enterprise….usually with considerable initiative and risk”

Are we not all entrepreneurs when it comes to the path we choose in our development?  If we don’t consider ourselves in that vein, perhaps we might be more successful if we did.  In my opinion, those three stages of entrepreneurship fit perfectly in our development.  

• Creator | You must create a vision for your development.  That vision is aligned with those things that you value and care for most.  These goals become your guiding light.

• Critic | Assess yourself.  Assess your goals.  Identify the delta between the two and acknowledge and embrace the difference.  It is by recognizing our shortcomings that we can develop plans to overcome them.

• Crusader | Once the plans are established, you must be uniquely and completely committed to pursuing them.  You must draw in all of the resources that will help you accomplish them; education, mentors, and experience.  

I’ve always found this Apple spot about the crazy ones to be inspiring.  After getting a firm grasp on the three stages above, it became clear that these amazing people were all equal parts Creator, Critic, and Crusader. 

You can be too,

-ks

This blog was part of a series of articles co-written with Mike Mueller, PGA, Todd Smith, PGA, & Jason Boaz, PGA.