As a result of creating In The Zone - How Champions Think and Win Big, Clyde Brolin has peeled back the curtain and revealed why champions achieve ground-breaking results.

During his seven-year writing quest (yes, that’s right, seven years!), he interviewed hundreds of the world’s top sports stars including current Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, and one of Britain’s greatest ever Olympians, Sir Chris Hoy.

More insights from Clyde:

Clyde’s conclusion is that these winners Conceive, Believe, Achieve. They dream big, they visualise, they build their skill relentlessly, believing in themselves to go on and achieve remarkable feats.

I was discussing this recently with a mentor of mine, who expressed his mild irritation how visualisation is dismissed by so many. In our hyper-rational, data-driven world it is called mental preparation but is often dismissed as a bit “whacky” and “woo-woo”. Sceptics go further still and promote the disempowering belief that it only works for a select few.

It struck me that in the highly-prized legal profession, all is looked at through the lens of the past, with questions such as “What is the legal precedent?” Whilst this prism is essential in many contexts, it is not always the most helpful when trying to deal with the presently uncertain world, definitely not the optimal place to start when creating a compelling future – trying to create beyond what we think is possible for us – and certainly not helpful when trying to reach our potential.

As many of you know, when I get frustrated or hear others I care for getting frustrated, I get very curious and seek the truth. So, I decided to stop and reflect on whether this is ‘just for the few’ or whether we can all visualise and make our careers and lives more successful.

I did not have to look too far. One of my clients recently became deeply frustrated by the lack of opportunity in his current role. I too was frustrated because he deserves better, he genuinely cares about his customers and the service and technology experience being delivered. He has the ability to create an uncommon level of trust, so I knew he would connect well with those who could reinvent his career.

As he is always up for a challenge, I suggested to him that we could create a new job opportunity within three months. Whilst slightly reticent at the beginning, he threw himself into the process quickly. I knew he was ‘both feet in’ when he created a vision board of what his new role would look like within 90 days from now.

He started the process of connecting with senior decision-makers, identifying how he could solve their most pressing business problems. He had open, curious conversations, which led to deeper dialogue and gained further referrals. After 23 calls and follow-up actions, I am thrilled to say he has created a new role for himself! ‘The difference that made the difference’ was his attitude – having a vision and trusting the process.

In a recent interview for the Enterprise Sales Show, Rob Howes and I asked overachieving Sales Director Paul Evans, “How do you achieve 8-figure deals?”

Paul shared how a $27 million deal started out in the account executive’s mind as a $50,000 opportunity; it would have stayed there if they had not thought differently and asked:

“What could this deal mean at its largest?”...

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