Attitude

When you hear the word attitude these days, most people probably think about the performance diva with sass as long as the Nile, ramping up the mojo/hubris/confidence/you-betta-not-mess-with-me-fore-I-smack-you vibe that makes even big linebackers rush to get out of her way. And maybe it is a good definition.

Except it is you, the small business owner, who is the diva, and you've got to be that way because you realize the wrong attititude will see you end up in the same place like Lehman Brothers, at the bottom of the sea, and you just can't afford to go there.

You realize you've got to be tough and strong as a small business person and if it kills you, you are going to deliver that attitude to your business. You realize you've got to have a boat load of confidence, that you have to be slightly self-absorbed. You've got to defy anybody to stop you from achieving the goals you've set for yourself and your little business. And their stupid obstacles? You realize you've got to be ready to kick those right out of your way and keep moving steadily towards your goals. And you intend to do just that, so help you god.

And yes, you realize the importance of staying positive. Especially in these times we are going through. How much easier it would be to lose faith. How much harder it is to persevere than to just say "fuck it."

Having the right attitude to achieve success takes focus and hard work. But make no mistake about it. If Dick Fuld and the other folks at Lehman had had the right attitude as that ship was sinking, Paulson may have been more bullish about a bailout. But rumor has it that they went into negotiations like dogs with their tails between their legs. They acted desperate, calling Paulson off the hook and he got spooked. They showed their fear. And the Feds went right out and bailed out AIG instead - because those boys went in smoking their cigars, as if they didn't have a care in the world...

The right attitude can make the difference between survival, and death, of your small business. I bet you Dick Fuld, in retrospect, would agree with you as he sits in his eight bedroom mansion in Greenwich, reminiscing about the good old days.