It is important to stop and review The Pyramid of Business Success illustration again. You will note that the five attributes that make up the base of my Pyramid are Integrity, Hard Work, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Accountability.
These make up the base of the Pyramid for a very specific reason. For the most part, these attributes are ingrained in people from a very early age. Someone who has been dishonest and acts with no integrity all their life is probably not going to all of a sudden become an “Honest Abe”.
If they lack the desire to work hard on a day to day basis they are not going to gain it once you hire them. If they do not reach your organization with enthusiasm, resilience and a high level of personal accountability then they will probably simply be looking at your position as a “job” and not a “career”.
Important Point
Granted some of these attributes can be honed and sharpened through good management and leadership, but the core values/attributes must be there or you will lose a lot of time and effort trying to make unqualified and unmotivated people into the stars you want them to be.
If these attributes do not make up the base of your Pyramid then it will collapse from above. These are the fundamental building blocks for long term business success. The best product in the world being offered at a low price will not ensure a long term successful business unless these attributes are also rampant in your organization.
You will note that the subsequent level of the pyramid contain additional attributes that are also key to overall business success. The main difference, however, is that they are skills that can be more easily taught, refined and developed through good leadership.
© 2013 by Christopher Sopko
The Pyramid of Business Success