Osama bin Laden Is Dead - Now What?

As you all know, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans, was slain in his luxury hideout in Pakistan early Monday in a firefight with U.S. forces.

Hundreds of jubilant New Yorkers gathered at Ground Zero, the site where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood before bin Laden's terrorist group flew two planes into the building, and reveled through the night, chanting "USA! USA!"

While there's much to celebrate about, there is also much to be learned from this undoubtedly historic moment.

First and foremost, success never occurs without proper planning, focus and effort. It took a solid decade of intense work for the United States to finally reach their goal of eradicating Osama bin Laden.

What does that mean for all of us working to make it in the world of business? When it comes to succeeding in business, the attributes of planning, focus and effort are absolutely crucial.

The remarkable growth of Wal-Mart didn't happen in a day; it took years of strategic planning to accomplish that feat.

Apple didn't gain legions of loyal followers by chance; it was by focusing directly on their vision that enabled it.

Zappos didn't blossom into a premier online footwear retailer accidentally; it required a tremendous effort to create an outstanding corporate culture that propelled it into a category of its own.

Here are a few Practical Pointers that can be applied to the internal operations of your business for maximum success.

• Plan For Success - Have a clearly defined goal in your mind. The American military's goal was to eliminate Osama bin Laden. What does your business goal involve? To boost sales by 25%. To attract 10 new customers each week. To increase customer satisfaction levels by 30%. Be precise and have a defined goal outlined that will enable you to map it out and achieve success.

• Focus, Focus, Focus - It's very easy to lose focus when things aren't going well. Had the United States decided to call it quits a few years back, Osama bin Laden would still be living in his lavish compound and actively planning more terror attacks. The military remained focused on their goal to capture bin Laden and ultimately came through. Likewise, when things are going rough in business, keep your primary goals in mind and ride them through until the end. It's not always easy...but it's the only way to truly achieve success.

• Keep On Going - While the chief goal of eliminating Osama bin Laden has been realized, America's work is not nearly done and the War on Terror will continue to eradicate those seeking to destroy our country and the democratic values it stands for. In the world of business too, accomplishing a goal doesn't mean all the work is done - it simply means that the next level can now be reached. There are always more improvements that can be made and additional ideas that can be implemented.

The demise of Osama bin Laden constitutes a major setback to terrorist organizations around the world. It also allows us to publicly offer thanks and recognize the brave soldiers for unflinchingly putting themselves in the line of danger to ensure the world remains a safer place.

And, for showing us how to make the world of business a better place as well.