The Secret to Long-Term Success
The Entrepreneurial Journey: From Pulling Weedsto Nine-Figure Exits
Lee Benson's entrepreneurial journey began at a young age, pulling weeds for 25 cents an hour. This early exposure to the value of hard workand exchanging effort for compensation laid the foundation for his future success. From there, Benson's entrepreneurial spirit blossomed, leading him to found and lead seven companies, including Able Aerospace, which he grew from 2 to 500 employees and 2,000 customers in 60 countries, culminating in a nine-figure exit in 2016.
Benson's approach to entrepreneurship has always been centered on value creation, rather than solely focusing on personal gain. He sees value creation as a holistic pursuit, encompassing not just material value, but also emotional and spiritual value.
The Three Pillars of Value Creation
Benson identifies three key pillars of value creation:
- Material Value Creation: This is the most tangible and easily measured aspect of value creation, where businesses exchange products or services for monetary compensation. Benson emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong focus on material value creation to sustain a healthy lifestyle and continue growing.
- Emotional Energy Value Creation: Benson believes that emotional energy is the scarcest commodity on the planet, and that intentionally cultivating high-energy, productive engagement within an organization is crucial for success. This emotional energy can energize teams and leaders, creating a powerful X-factor that drives performance.
- Spiritual Value Creation: The spiritual aspect of value creation involves cultivating deeper connections with one's communities, friends, family, and oneself. Benson emphasizes the importance of understanding oneself and maintaining a sense of purpose and meaning, which can then be channeled into creating value for others.
Benson believes that true holistic value creation requires a balance and intentional focus on all three of these pillars. He has found that organizations and individuals who are able to achieve this balance tend to experience the greatest success and fulfillment.
Shifting from Extrinsic to Intrinsic Motivation
Benson is critical of the current cultural trend of "virtue signaling," where individuals and organizations prioritize outward appearances and extrinsic motivations, such as wealth and status, over genuine value creation. He argues that this approach often leads to a disconnect between what is said and what is actually practiced.
Instead, Benson advocates for a shift towards intrinsic motivation, where the primary drive is to create value in the world, rather than to accumulate personal wealth or status. He believes that when individuals and organizations adopt this mindset, they not only create more value for others, but also experience a greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in their work.
The "Mind" Methodology: AcceleratingValue Creation
Benson has developed a methodology he calls "MIND," which stands for "Most Important Number and Drivers." This approach helps organizations identify the single most important metric that defines their success, and then aligns all team members and functions to continuously improve that metric.
The key aspects of the MIND methodology include:
- Identifying the "Most Important Number" that best describes the value of the organization
- Ensuring that this number drives the majority of the right behaviors and decision-making
- Cascading this "Most Important Number" down to all teams and functions within the organization
- Empowering teams to take ownership of their own "Most Important Number" and continuously improve it
Benson has seen this methodology drive remarkable results, with organizations often doubling their profitability within a year of implementation. The MIND approach helps teams stay focused on creating value, rather than getting caught up in vanity metrics or traditional goal-setting that often fails to drive meaningful progress.
Cultivating a Culture of Value Creation
Benson is passionate about spreading the message of holistic value creation and helping individuals and organizations adopt this mindset. He has launched his own podcast, "Show Your Value," to continue the conversation and share the stories of those who have successfully implemented value creation strategies.
Benson believes that by teaching children the purpose of education and the importance of creating value, we can shape the next generation to be self-reliant, critical thinkers who are driven to make a positive impact on the world. He sees this as a crucial step in "fixing the kids to fix the world," and is committed to driving this change through his work and advocacy.
In a world that often prioritizes extrinsic rewards and short-term gains, Lee Benson's message of holistic value creation is a refreshing and powerful reminder of what truly matters. By focusing on creating material, emotional, and spiritual value for others, individuals and organizations can unlock their full potential and make a lasting, positive impact on the world around them.