I had just dropped off Colby and Bianca at school and was driving to the office when I got an insight that made me pull over. So here I sit, off to the side of the road with my hazard blinkers on, hammering this out on my BlackBerry because I wanted to share it with you. The big idea: Leadership—and success—begins on the extra mile.

Ordinary people don’t spend much time on the extra mile. But who ever said you were ordinary?

Leadership is shown when a salesperson makes extra calls at the end of an exhausting day—not because it’s the easy thing to do but because it’s the right thing to do. Leadership is shown by the manager who finishes a report that has taken the very best from him, then goes back to it a little later to polish and improve it even more. Leadership is shown by a team that delivers on their value promise to a customer and then digs even deeper to wow them. And leadership is shown by the human being who fights the urge to stay under the covers on a cold day and throws on her running shoes to pound the pavement. Not because running miles on a frosty morning is fun. But because it’s wise.

Please think about this idea. I think it’s a deeply important one. Those among us who craft extraordinary careers and spectacular lives are those who spend most of their time giving their best out on the extra mile. Yes, ordinary people don’t spend much time on the extra mile. But who ever said you were ordinary?

Spending all your time working will not make you more productive. In my experience, and I’ve been at this for over 10 years, few people get their best ideas at work. I invite you to take a moment to think about that. Checking your email messages on your BlackBerry every 60 seconds will not make you more effective. Burning the candle at both ends doesn’t tap into your natural pool of creativity. Refusing to take vacations will not make you a star performer. Here’s a big lesson I’ve learned: I get my best ideas—the thoughts that have really elevated my business and revolutionized my life—when I’m relaxed and having fun.
There’s great value in making the time to chill out and do the things that fill your heart with joy. Newton didn’t come up with his breakthrough observations on the laws of physics while rushing to catch a subway. Einstein spent a ton of time sailing and connecting with his childlike self. The creator of the sewing machine came up with the idea while dreaming about an island native holding a spear with a hole in the end of it. I came up with the whole concept behind Leadership Wisdom from the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders while taking a long solo drive out in the country. When the idea hit me, I pulled over onto a dirt road and downloaded the ideas into my journal for more than two hours. An unforgettable experience for me.

I get my best ideas–the thoughts that have really elevated my business and revolutionized my life–when I’m relaxed and having fun.

I often joke with my audiences that I make most of my income on a ski hill. People smile. But they get my point. You need to make space for your genius to flow. We get our creative bursts, those idea torrents that take our business and personal lives to the next level, while we are skiing or drinking coffee in a Starbucks or walking in the woods or meditating with a sunrise. Those pursuits are not a waste of time. No way. Those pursuits are a superb use of your time. Creativity comes when you are relaxed, happy and enjoying the moment. And when it comes, it can bring ideas that rock your world. All it takes is one good idea to get you to previously unimagined results.

Relaxing, taking vacations and making time for fun actually makes you more successful.

And these pursuits make you money. Mireille Guiliano, the CEO of Clicquot, said it well: “We have to take ‘beach time,’ a space for ourselves every day, because we live in a world of burnout. Even if you take 20 or 30 minutes for yourself, you’ll be a better worker, a better colleague, a better person. It benefits the people around you as much as it benefits you.”

Get this: Hewlett-Packard recently noted that constant interruptions of technology actually took 10 points off the IQ of an average employee in a work environment. And the U.S. software firm Veritas saw something amazing happen after it introduced “email-free Fridays”: Friday became the most productive and creative day of the week.
So have some fun. Laugh with your co-workers. Go for a walk at lunch. Go fishing or swimming or golfing this weekend. Maybe sit on a beach for a week down in the Caribbean or visit the great museums in France and Italy. Or just take a nap and relax. And if anyone tells you that you’re wasting time, you have my permission to say: “But Robin told me I’m being productive.” And then go back to sleep.

Problems are servants. Problems bring possibilities. They help you grow and lead to better things, both in your organization and within your life. Inside every problem lies a precious opportunity to improve things. Every challenge is nothing more than a chance to make things better. To avoid them is to avoid growth and progress. To resist them is to decline greatness. Embrace and get the best from the challenges in front of you. And understand that the only people with no problems are dead.

An unhappy customer yelling at you might seem like a problem. But to a person thinking like a leader, that scenario is also a giant opportunity to improve the organization’s processes to ensure that doesn’t happen again and to get some feedback that may be used to enhance products and services. So the problem has actually helped to improve the company. Free market research.

An interpersonal conflict at work can seem like a problem. But if you think like a leader and use the circumstance to build understanding, promote communication and enrich the relationship, the problem has actually made you better. It has been fodder for your growth and served you nicely. Bless it.

An illness or a divorce or the loss of a loved one might seem like a problem. Sure it’s painful (been there, done that, on the divorce side). But I’ve been shaped by my saddest experiences. They’ve brought me depth, compassion and wisdom. They have given me self-awareness. They’ve made me the man that I am. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. The only people with no problems are dead.

Problems reveal genius. World-class organizations have a culture that sees problems as opportunities for improvement. Don’t condemn them—learn from them and embrace them. World-class human beings turn their wounds into wisdom. They leverage their failures to bring them closer to success. They don’t see problems. They see possibilities. And that’s what makes them great. Remember, a mistake is only a mistake if you make it twice.

One of the personal habits I’ve consistently observed in the star performers and extraordinary leaders I’ve coached is their commitment to ensuring that their surroundings reflect their devotion to being world class. They drive the highest quality cars, live in the best homes and wear the finest clothes. Their philosophy generally seems to be, “I stand for being the best so it only makes sense that I should invest in the best.” Now here’s the big idea: They held that belief even when they were not successful.

Greatness is, above all else, a state of mind. You need to believe in your potential and power before you can bring them to life. You need to feel like you are extraordinary before you can become extraordinary. I call this “emotional blueprinting.” To see spectacular results in your external life, you have to emotionally—viscerally—create a blueprint of your vision within your inner life.

One of the best ways I’ve discovered to achieve this feeling is to ensure that everything you surround yourself with is at the highest level. I remember reading a book years ago, written by a magician named Al Koran, called Bring Out the Magic in Your Mind. One of the ideas that stayed with me is his suggestion that, in order to be successful, it’s important to go where the successful people are. Even if you have only $10, go have a coffee at the best restaurant in your city. His point? Your surroundings shape the way you feel. And the way you feel drives what you do. Feel world class and you’ll behave world class.

Rewarding yourself with good things sends a message to the deepest–and highest–part of you. One that says “I’m worth it–and I deserve it.”

Invest in the best. Buy the highest quality goods you can possibly afford. Better to buy one superb pair of shoes than three cheap ones (they’ll last you longer and make you feel great while you are wearing them). I love the line: “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.” So true. When I was a young lawyer, just starting out, I took part of my first paycheck and invested it in a great watch. It wasn’t a Rolex or a Cartier. But it was a good one—the best I could afford. My thinking was that it would last for years, make me feel successful while I wore it and actually end up saving me money because it would rarely need repairs. One of my friends, who always looked for the cheapest deal, laughed at me. But I turned out to be right (that does happen to me from time to time). My watch is still working perfectly. Never needed even one repair. My friend has gone through six watches during this time. Not only has he denied himself the positive feelings that high quality would have brought, but he has actually ended up spending more money than I did. Missed the forest for the trees.

I’m in no way encouraging a senseless addiction to material things. All I’m saying is that if you’re really serious about standing for the best (and I know you are), then surround yourself with the best. Rewarding yourself with good things sends a message to the deepest—and highest—part of you. One that says “I’m worth it—and I deserve it.” One that will inspire you to reach even higher, work even harder and be even better. To anyone who says that our self-worth should be so strong that high-quality goods won’t affect how we feel, I’d respectfully suggest that such a statement misses the reality of human nature. I’m one of the most idealistic people you’ll ever meet. But I’m also a realist (“in all things balance,” observed the Buddha). Every one of us likes nice things. They bring us pleasure. They appeal to our senses, just like a beautiful sunset or a magnificent mountain. True, material possessions don’t bring lasting happiness. And there are many things in life that are far more important. But such things still are important.
The best invest in the best. I might not be popular with you for making this point. But I owe you my truth. Reminds me of the words of one of my clients: “My tastes are simple—I just want the best.”