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Lethargy

October 2, 2011 –

I had the privilege of being on a call with Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler this week. It was a small group of people and we had the opportunity to write in questions. I really liked Carl’s answer to one of my questions and wanted to expand on it. Here was my question:

“What are the biggest problems you see that Beachbody needs to solve as it continues to grow so rapidly? IT, Customer Service, etc. “

Carl’s answer was not what I expected, but was actually quite brilliant and insightful. His answer?

‘Lethargy”

The Weber dictionary defines lethargy as “the quality or state of being lazy, sluggish, or indifferent.” Lethargy leads to the demise of any organization (large or small) and to any of us as as individuals. When we become complacent, lazy, and unwilling to be a catalyst for ourselves and others we stop changing, we stop challenging the status quo, and we stop being leaders.

Change is hard and for some it is really really hard. And so we become lethargic. Fundamentally as humans, we are all bright and intelligent beings. I believe that most of us know right vs. wrong and what we should be doing vs. what we should not be doing. However, success follows those that decide to fight lethargy and laziness.

Many of you know that I work in the mobile phone business. This is one of (if not the) most fast-paced areas in the tech industry. New and more powerful phones come out every month or two. It is a game of leap frog where you are king of the hill one moment and very quickly came become outdated with the launch of a competitor’s phone. Lethargy will put you out of business. And in my business, it has done this to many companies.

Carl has the right attitude. He has the hottest products in the health and fitness industry with Shakeology, P90X, Insanity, and Turbo Fire. Many companies would ride on their laurels. Many companies believe that once they have reached the top, they can let off the gas. Guess what? The target on your back is even bigger than it was before.

So whether it is in the workplace or with your individual growth and success, remember to fight lethargy. Never be complacent. Never be satisfied. Always look for a better way to do things. Always look for ways to improve. Always challenge the status quo. And always look for ways on how you can lead and challenge others. It is those traits and those personal characteristics that make us all leaders.

15 Responses to “Lethargy”

  1. Vivek Chawla says:

    This is so true! Well said Mike.

  2. Coach Greene says:

    Great post Mike. I deal with this alot in my customers and potential customers.

  3. Indo says:

    Great post. I think Carl is a genius…would love to meet him

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