24 Hours into the Sirius Decisions Summit and I’m humbled by the 3,000 plus attendees. It’s a nice reminder that no matter where we are, there are some universal challenges we all face. Ultimately, these are learning, evolving and finding better, quicker, smarter ways around the same goal.

So, after just 24 hours, here are my top 5 things I’m taking back to my teams to help our clients work smarter, not harder:

Take a breath

Moving at 100mph every second of every day is not sustainable, even Usain Bolt couldn’t keep up with that! We all know this but in our professional lives, we tend to forget and charge full steam ahead 4.5 days a week, 5 if you’ve mastered Mondays. It’s important to stop, take a breath and check the metaphorical map because you never know what route or journey you’re missing out on by following the same old route.

Don’t go it alone

The power of many can be a force to be reckoned with if you’re all in the right place and have had your morning coffee. In the last 24 hours, I’ve heard the folks at LinkedIn talk about the power of having the right partners in the right place to help them get to where they need to go. Even Tony Jaros of SD has spoken openly about B2B organizations neglecting the fundamentals of aligning sales and marketing and the “at odds” impact that going it alone has.

Be clear on your goals

It sounds simple but setting realistic, actionable, and objective goals are crucial to working smarter. Even if you miss them, at least you’ve set them and can learn from your mistakes or missed opportunities which is much better than if you hadn’t set goals at all.

Start small

With the Marketing, Sales and Product landscapes as broad as they are today, especially in B2B, trying to tackle every area at once is like trying to run in 100 different directions at the same time – physically impossible! Focus on the real drivers, the real areas that will help you hit your goals today, tomorrow and into the future – after all the journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step!

And my final thought after 24 hours with B2B Marketing’s elite is this…

BE BRAVE

the way you’ve always done it, then stop reading now and stay content with average. For the progressive leaders of tomorrow; crunch the numbers; set the goals; try new things; see new technology; test and learn – set the direction and find the quickest; strongest route there – you might not take the path well-trodden but you will blaze the fastest, smartest trail to success. We are all pioneers!