Defeatist Thinking

I have a friend with a surefire system for meeting and talking to CEOs. He takes them out for coffee and picks their brain a little. But most people seem to have an issue with contacting CEOs. As if CEOs were somehow above them and beyond their reach. Even before they pick up the phone, they tell themselves that no CEO would deign to talk to them.

To this I say: thank you for those defeating thoughts. It makes it easier for people like me to get through to them.

Defeating thoughts will sabotage you more surely than anything else. You can’t let them rule you or hold you back — and they’ll try! But put them right out of your head. Don’t let them cripple you. And don’t let them stop you from getting ahead.

I have one friend who was trying to contact a CEO for an informational interview the other day. While he was dialing the phone, he was already talking himself out of the idea that he could reach any of the CEOs on a list that he had created. He was lost before he even started.

What every person in the business industry should remember is this: everyone, at some time, has been in your shoes. That CEO you’re so intimidated by started on the bottom rung of the ladder too. Like you, he probably networked with other CEOs or had a mentor that helped him on his way up the business ladder. To be honest, he could very well want to return the favor for young and ambitious businessmen. CEOs are not untouchable.

In order to get over this fear of trying to network with CEOs, I recommend trying to contact one three times a year. Don’t let defeatist thoughts get in your way. Don’t talk yourself out of it. Don’t let a good opportunity slip away. Just do it. If nothing else, you’ll meet interesting people. Who knows? Maybe one of them will be the business contact you were hoping for.