Heavy title, huh? Let me say up front that George Lucas has nothing to fear. I’m not about to reveal secrets of how “The Force” works. Those are for me to know. I am going to tell you how to shape your destiny and the destiny of your company. So, tune in. There are some good turns here. And no, I’m not your father.
In yesterday’s article I revealed the only 3 resources that you will ever have. We talked about Talent, Treasure and Time ( a word of advice: if you didn’t read that one, you should read it now or you’re going to be real lost real quick).
If you remember, at the end of that article, I said that I would share 3 equations and tell you why the Entrepreneur is the richest person alive. Well, wait no more!
I’ll begin by telling you that when I figured out these equations and how to use them, it literally changed my life. For decades I had struggled to find direction and purpose like so many other people I knew.
I worked job after job for varying amounts of money developing whatever talent I needed to survive. But, somehow, I always ended up back where I started. I felt trapped, visionless, and slave to someone else’s dream. I longed to pursue my dream, but I didn’t know how or even what that dream was.
But, one day I realized that there was a way to change all that. I had already discovered the 3 resources and that was revelation in itself, but this was something more.
Seeing the way that they interacted and finally understanding that I could control that process, gave me hope that I could finally live free of the hamster wheel. I could actually escape the cubicle, the shop, the desk, and every other place that I had toiled endlessly in pursuit of another person’s purpose.
Now, because of what I learned, I live every day with the freedom to choose joy and do what I love. I decide what I do and when I do it. I no longer spend countless hours as a pawn in someone else’s world conquest.
I’m out there, Jerry! And Loooooovin every minute of it!
Universal Equations
I call these Universal Equations, for two reasons. One because they are universal in that they are the same for everyone. And two, because they are so powerful that they literally govern how things work in the universe. They are based upon the understanding that you can gain more of any one resource by combining the other two and they look like this:
Time + Talent = Treasure
Treasure + Time = Talent
Talent + Treasure = Time
Technicians, Managers, and Entrepreneurs Oh My!
Now, while that is soaking in, let me introduce another piece of the puzzle. In his book “The eMyth Revisited” Michael Gerber introduces us to three types of people found in any business. He calls them the Technician, the Manager, and the Entrepreneur.
The Technician is the person who services, fixes, build, cleans, assembles, or delivers. He is the guy on the front line doing the work and producing the product.
The Manager is the person who oversees the technician, minds the details, checks, double-checks, evaluates, allocates, and supervises. She is the one in the office insuring the process.
The Entrepreneur is the person who blazes the trail and decides where the company goes next. He sees the possibilities, casts the future vision, pushes past the limits, and “boldly goes where no man has gone before.” Assuming that every company needs these three personalities in order to succeed, one could suppose that there is a connection between them and the equations. And one would be right. Here is how they line up:
Time + Talent = Treasure (Technician)
Treasure + Time = Talent (Manager)
Talent + Treasure = Time (Entrepreneur)
The Technician’s goal is to attain Treasure. That is why he is satisfied to trade his Time and Talent for it. Technicians are not big on shouldering large responsibilities.
They just want to complete their jobs well and make a fair wage for doing so. They are motivated by higher hourly wages for overtime and holidays. They often measure a company’s appreciation of their contributions by whether they receive regular raises of their wages.
The Manager’s goal is to increase her Talent. That’s why she worked so hard to get that Six Sigma Black Belt and a dozen other certifications. Managers are responsibility junkies.
They are often willing to own boatloads of issues that aren’t theirs in hopes of impressing the higher-ups and gaining a promotion to another management position with even more responsibilities and so on. They are motivated by increases in authority, station, and salary through bonuses based on performance reviews. They measure a company’s appreciation of their contributions by how much the company trusts them to get done.
The Entrepreneur’s goal is to amass Time. He is almost always the owner of the company or at least a partner. He accepts the responsibility for the company’s vision, because he truly believes no one else can.
He’s not big on details, though. He’s in charge of the big picture and thinks in the future tense. He is motivated by time away (often spent in the pursuit of another venture). He measures a company’s appreciation of his contribution by how closely it follows his vision.
Three Big Questions
Now I’m going to ask you three questions that will set you on the road to mastering these equations and, ultimately controlling your destiny. Here we go.
1) Are you a Technician, a Manager, or an Entrepreneur at work?
Answer this question as it pertains to your current job. Choose the title that is most descriptive of the things you actually do on a daily basis professionally. The goal here is to define where you are.
2) Are you a Technician, a Manager, or an Entrepreneur at heart?
Answer this question as it pertains to how you feel about your work. Choose the title that is most descriptive of the things you want to do on a daily basis professionally. The goal here is to define where you want to be.
3) Which equation best represents your answer to question 2?
If this answer is consistent with the first two questions, congratulations! You’re probably enjoying your work and finding fulfillment in what you do. That is the best place to be and you are a rare individual.
If this answer reveals that you aren’t where you want to be, I’m sorry. But, hopefully, it also offers some explanation of why. Now, you just need to begin moving away from one equation to another.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to find a new job. Maybe you just need to adjust the way you operate or look at lateral moves within your company.
Now please understand that I place no greater value on any one of these titles than on the other two. All three of these people are essential for a company to be strong and successful.
Instead, I encourage you to think of them as existing on a horizontal spectrum. As we grow and experience different stages of our lives, we are likely to be all of these folks at one time or another.
You may find yourself in between stages at the moment. If you are running a small business, you may have to be all of these people at the same time while you grow. The purpose of this article is to help you see where you are right now and what you need to be where you want to be down the road.
With that said, I will now tell you why the Entrepreneur is the richest person alive. It is because he or she uses the reliable resource of Time and the renewable resource of Treasure to gain the most priceless and relentless resource of Time.
Time is the greatest wealth there is. When you have control of your time, destiny is easy.
In tomorrow’s post, I’ll explain a process that I have used to help tons of people find their focus. I’ll show you how it works and what it will do for you. And then I’ll just give it to you (no sales pitch, no strings, just FREE).
Do you find yourself wishing you had more Talent, Treasure or Time? What equation will you use to bring you closer to your goal? Share a comment and let’s talk about it.