“I couldn’t wait for success… so I went ahead without it.” Jonathan Winters

Taking action, being bold, having gumption is usually necessary for success. Placing an ad and waiting for the phone to ring is seldom an effective marketing program. We need to go out and get business.

Jim had an unstoppable zeal for finding new business. Whether in the office, at a networking event or over dinner with friends, he never missed an opportunity to sniff out business. What he lacked in education and expertise he made up for with enthusiasm. He believed in “nothing ventured, nothing gained” and he applied it fearlessly to his work and his life.

Tanya was an expert in her field. She was well known and respected and had a wall full of awards for accomplishments at work and in the community. A new consultant, Tanya was shy about promoting herself and her services. She believed that her talents, skills and reputation would sell themselves.

Who do you think was more successful? I’d put my money on Jim.

The rarest of talents is the willingness to take action. What separates the highly successful from the merely successful and the unsuccessful is often the bias toward action especially when the outcome is in doubt.

Few of us hesitate to take action on something positive. We can’t wait to call a customer with good news, to tell to the boss about landing a great order or to report good numbers to the shareholders. Yet when the outcome may be negative, the prospective customer says no, the numbers are bad or the customer’s order is late, we hesitate. If we act without hesitation in positive situations, what causes us to hesitate in negative situations?

The simple answer is fear. The difference between Jim and Tanya is fear. Jim is fearless, Tanya is fearful. The fearless will almost always conquer the fearful. Jim is more successful because he jumps at every opportunity while Tanya is less successful because she waits for opportunity to jump at her.

But fear is too simple an answer. Is Jim really fearless? Is Tanya really fearful? In any given situation each of them faces either positive or negative potential outcomes. Jim is driven to accomplish positive outcomes while Tanya is driven to avoid negative outcomes. Jim is not always fearless but he always acts despite any fear or misgivings. Tanya is not always fearful but she wants to act only when she is sure she can handle any negative outcomes.

The rarest of talents is the willingness to take action. What separates the highly successful from the merely successful and the unsuccessful is often the bias toward action especially when the outcome is in doubt.

Jim has gumption. He is bold enough to act no matter the risk of failure or embarrassment. The potential for negative outcomes does little to stop him from seizing opportunities. He knows he can handle whatever happens. Even if he is nervous he will walk up to a stranger at a party and strike up a conversation. Even if he thinks there is little chance of getting an appointment with a potentially lucrative account he won’t hesitate to try.

Some people are born with gumption. Most of us need to manufacture it. We develop gumption through trial and error as we grow and mature. The amount of gumption we develop depends on whether we are striving to accomplish positive outcomes or to avoid negative ones.

If you are lacking in gumption it is easily obtained through practice. At networking events make it a point to walk up to the most important person in the room and say hello. The next time someone gives you a lead, call the prospect immediately rather than mulling over how you will approach him. Chances are, he will be open and friendly. People don’t become the most important person in the room by snubbing others. When a customer leaves a voice mail, return the call immediately even if it is bad news. When being shown to a less desirable table in a restaurant, ask for the one you want. If the $30 steak is medium when you ordered medium rare, send it back. Gumption in the end is only a matter of speaking up and asking for what you want. You might just get it.

If you are avoiding negative outcomes, note that they are rarely painful. Negative outcomes just come with the territory. The very best hitters in baseball strike out 70 percent of the time (and earn multi-millions of dollars ever year). The National Sales Executives Association reports that only 2 percent of sales are made on the first call. 80 percent of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth call. In high tech industries, closing rates are as low as one in twenty presentations. The only way to make the one is to go through the other nineteen. Having gumption means learning how to let the negative outcomes bounce off. The more negatives you experience, the easier they are to handle so go out and get lots of negative experiences so that you no longer avoid them.

Do you have gumption? Are you quick to take action or do you need to contemplate the situation? Gumption is not a requirement for success but it makes success much more likely. Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.