Real Life Experience Vs Theoretical Leadership Training

Would you deem an Ontological approach to leadership more useful than a 6 year

Doctorate from a business school?

Is there a difference in Leadership ability or even mindset between a person who has been schooled via a classroom, examinations and a tutor and a person who has learnt through experience?

In short, an epistemological mastery (a from-the-stands mastery) of a subject is the theory, such as theoretical business models in university and college study or role-play in a training room, which leaves one knowing what a leader has to do.
An ontological mastery is a reality version (an on-the-pitch mastery) of a subject, as in absorbing more and more duties in a current employment position, facing challenges, dealing with potential issues until such time everyone else assumes you are in charge or you have grown into the role, which leaves one being in a leadership position.

Do we need to learn to lead or is Leadership something we all have within us that lies dormant until we need to 'take charge' because something needs to be done but nobody will do it until told?  Is THAT the moment we step over the line and become a leader.  Is that the time we light that leadership fuse?  In many cases that is the only time that fuse is lit.  Something will tip us over that point and we become a leader.

I do what I do because I saw so many other people coming into the Company I was leading to give management consultancy programs and I would think 'I know more than they do, I can do that, I can teach that'.  My tipping point came when I realised that not only did I know more than they did and I could present it better, I wasn't using my knowledge to its fullest extent in the role I had acquired over a number of years.  I had gone from salesman to Sales and Marketing Director with a sales team of 600 within two years.  I became the national sales trainer for Telewest and then decided to work for ANYONE...taking Leadership to a whole new level.

My belief is that if you have ever got someone to do something for you, or they have done something just because you have asked them to, then you have led.  We all lead others in our lives.  We have all been led by others too. 

Is it possible that one can learn something in theory without the reality of the role.  Is learning the theory of Leadership enough to make you a leader that can inspire, transform, motivate others to follow you?

Learning in an ontological format leaves one being a Leader which, in itself, allows for the development of self expression in the role.  If you think about what it takes to be the most effective leader you can be, to match the effective leader you hold yourself out to be, it really has to be about you and your natural self expression of who you are.

The important word in that paragraph is 'Natural'.

If you watch Rafa Nadal play Tennis or Lionel Messi play football I don't think for one moment they have to 'remember' how to play, the game is just a natural self-expression.  Of course they have technique, skills and ability but it is unconscious competence.  Their natural self expression makes them extraordinarily powerful and effective 'players'.

A natural leader can only become 'natural' in the role by being a leader.  It is only then can one understand, in the real world, what being a leader is all about.

A Leader needs very high levels of being and action.  Certainly if one is to plan a future, it will be based on certain conditions and elements that are in the current time. A target or goal is based upon our being now, when in fact it should be based on our being then. 

A persons 'being' and 'action' must be aligned and in unison to make them effective, as a tennis player, a footballer or as a leader.  When one is being a leader and exercising leadership skills this occurs through natural self-expression dependant upon how what that person is dealing with as a leader occurs to them.  The goal as a leader is: 'how am I going to get what I am dealing with as a leader to occur for me so that my natural self-expression as a leader can deal with it?'

So where do we get our being and action when creating a goal or a target?  Mostly we get our being and action from the contents of our brain, which is filled with experiences from our past or current existence and experience.  If we stand in the future, which is where our target or goal is situated, what the brain can draw on is imagination and creativity.  If we stand in the past we cannot see the pathways that lead to the success.  If we stand at the bottom of a mountain and look up, it is difficult to see how we could possibly reach the top.  I we stand at the top of the mountain and look down, we will see more than one way to get to where we are.

Standing in and leading from the future reveals a lot more possibilities for realising that future goal or target.

Outstanding leaders never come up with a future and present it to the people they are leading.  They find a way to get that future created from the people they are leading. 

If you came to me and said, 'Dave, this is the top of the mountain, this is where we are going and we are going to get there...' I have to buy into that.  But if I participate with you in deciding which mountain is the top mountain, that doesn't require any buy in from me.  Getting there belongs to me as well as you, maybe in a different way, but I am involved.   The leader will have had a lot to do with shaping meetings and conversations to enable their team to see and share the vision and decide which mountain is the one to go for.

The leader must be committed to the critical importance that the future really belongs to everyone, not just the leader.  Your people have been moved, touched and inspired not only by your input and leadership but by the fact that their contribution made a difference.  A combined noteworthy contribution on a shared goal will reap far greater rewards and this only compounds the basis of ontological learning.  You have to be part of it to get better.  All the theory in the world, all the textbooks in the universe will not make you the leader you are meant to be.

If you balance on a stool in your kitchen you can practice all the strokes and movements of being a swimmer but you will not be a swimmer until you get in the water.

How to Have, Be and Do ANYTHING you want! This Is The Sign!

My story is very unique.
I have lived a lifestyle most people

only dream about.

My achievements in business, health, my uncanny luck, and my lifestyle have amazed me and the people who know me. I have lived an amazing life.

Here’s what using these powerful secrets has done for me:

My associated companies have done MILLIONS of pounds in sales

I have owned Publishing companies, Sales companies and businesses in the UK and in many other countries

I have lived in million pound homes, all across the UK, and on 3 continents

I live a life that allowed me to drive cars like Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Jaguars, Bentleys and Mercedes

I have owned millions of pounds worth of fine jewelry, gold, antiques and art

I travel first class wherever I go (including jets, limos and the most expensive hotel suites)

I’ve had private chefs, drivers and bodyguards

I’ve dined in the finest restaurants and enjoyed the most expensive wine and champagne

I have associated with some of the richest, most powerful people in the world including Prime Ministers, Generals, business tycoons and Hollywood celebrities

I also have unreal human health (I virtually NEVER get sick)

The reason I tell you these things is

NOT TO IMPRESS YOU.

It is to IMPRESS UPON YOU that I know something YOU NEED TO KNOW!

 

If YOU learn what I have been taught, YOU could HAVE, BE or DO ANYTHING YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE!

But life was not always good for me!

 

I was an only child, born in a very poor part of East London.  My parents worked VERY hard to put and keep a roof over our heads.  I grew up in a very loving environment with the best parents anyone could wish for.

Things didn't get better until my Father became a Manager with a very large supermarket chain.  He became an area Manager and Director before he retired.  In the early days we had no bathroom, just a tin bath in front of the fire three times a week.  We had a toilet at the bottom of the garden lit by candles. We had no telephone until I was 12 and a colour TV didn't appear until I was 15.  My parents worked long hours to make money.  I went to work when I was 15. 

Before I discovered how to get everything I wanted and learned the secrets, I was just an average guy who grew up in a very poor and moneyless environment.

I never went to college, that was much later, and for years went from job to job. I did not have “connections.” I was dead broke and overweight. Life was a struggle. Making ends meet was tough. I was in debt and had trouble paying my bills. I couldn’t get a date. I was unhappy and unfulfilled. Things never went my way. I felt like I had a black cloud over my head. I was unlucky in everything. I felt like a curse was on me. (Maybe you can relate in some ways.)

I WAS KING MIDAS IN REVERSE…

EVERYTHING I TOUCHED

TURNED TO CRAP!

I was desperate to change my situation. I read over 1,000 self help books and went to every seminar I could, to learn HOW to be successful. The problem was that none of the people teaching me WERE successful! They all made their money TEACHING other people how to be successful! They NEVER did it themselves!

Everything I learned was THEORY.
It just didn't work in real life.

Worst of all, it was just a theory to the people who were teaching others.

But I was a young man who seemed to have potential. Although not a member of an elite privileged family, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who knew how to get what they wanted.  They also showed ME how it really works! It was a total fluke. I was at the right place at the right time. They gave me an offer I could not refuse. At the time I did not know WHY I was chosen to learn all of this.

When I received my invitation I immediately accepted! I studied and learned the secrets with more passion than anyone ever had in their history!

It turned out I was gifted with the unique ability, much like Einstein, at “crunching” or simplifying complex concepts and making them easy to understand and apply. I totally integrated the “secrets” into my whole being and life!

I even created what I call the “5 Second Miracle” from all this amazingly powerful secret information —— which is based on taking 100% responsibility for everything that happens in your life. I simplified the secrets I had learned, the information and secret keys to success.

One day, I felt I was READY to see if this secret information would REALLY work like they told me. Could it be true that by simply applying this foolproof, almost magical secret, I could HAVE, BE or DO ANYTHING I WANTED? Would it REALLY be that easy? Would it REALLY work so fast?

All these well-known, powerful, and super rich members told me it was true, and they had the physical proof it worked. They had the money, wealth, power, control, luck, health and status. It was definitely working for THEM. But would it work for ME?

It is a little like changing fonts and colours and margins on a computer.  It may look great but it will not be a permanent change unless you hit the ‘APPLY’ button..

and I hit ‘APPLY’ in my life!!!

Everything changed almost overnight for me! From the MOMENT I starting using this new knowledge, it worked – in fact, EVERYTHING in my life became better. It was almost magical! It was almost like I had found Aladdin’s Lamp and had a Genie that would grant me every wish I had!

 

Within a short time, I got out of debt. I started making more money than I could ever dream about. I became lucky at everything. I lost weight. My health became amazing! I had luxury cars, houses, jewellery and clothes. I bought my parents a home and a new car.  I travelled first class, and most importantly, I was HAPPIER than ever before. I was living a stress-free magical life

I felt I could see the future and predict events and will things to occur in my life with uncanny accuracy!

I also felt totally in control of all situations and people.

My confidence was at an all time high and I had no fear in my life!

I have attracted MONEY FROM ALL DIRECTIONS and have enjoyed a lifestyle that most people could not even imagine.

People all around me could not believe my success! It happened so FAST it looked like I hit the lottery! I became super “lucky!” Everything I touched turned to gold as if by magic.

Then one day, a person who worked with me came BEGGING to learn my secrets. He wanted to know HOW I was getting so lucky.

After three years of BEGGING, I reluctantly decided to teach SOME of the secret discoveries to him. This was AGAINST the rules of the PEOPLE WHO SHOWED ME! 

These discoveries and secrets were for THE CHOSEN FEW ONLY! But I felt I was only revealing a “FEW” of the secrets – NOT ALL OF THEM.

These secrets are SIMPLE and EASY to learn. He was a quick learner and he started applying these secrets right away.

Within a year, starting with ZERO, he became RICH BEYOND HIS DREAMS!

I could not imagine how good I would feel seeing another person succeed with this knowledge. It was fantastic!

NOBODY who had learned these secrets like me was supposed to pass them on to just ANYONE! This gives an UNFAIR advantage in life to the PRIVILEGED ELITE class. The “little” guy or “average” person is left out! I felt this was TOTALLY UNFAIR and just plain WRONG! So I decided to break the rules and teach some of the secrets to a few other people who were SERIOUS about doing whatever it takes to get a better life.

 

Could YOU also be one of those people?

 

To be continued....soon...

 

The Secret to Have, Be and Do Anything you want!

Let’s cut away the fallacy from the facts…

“These secrets are known to the chosen few people.” 
That is absolutely true.

“Who are these people?” 

They are members of Companies, societies and organizations around the world, but they are NOT the secret underground, Area 51, for your eyes only, stealth, need to know basis, loved by conspiracy theorists Gray Men people think are lurking in the background. 

They are people who belong to Companies, Businesses, organizations and groups who know these secrets and who pass this information on to a select few.  The average guy has no chance of gaining membership and receiving all the benefits from the knowledge, networking opportunities and associations these societies offer…UNLESS, they were invited, proposed and accepted.

That is one reason the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Most of the secret societies are not really a secret at all. It’s what goes on INSIDE the societies that is the big secret! It’s how its members work together that is a secret!

When you are a member of one of these organizations or societies you LEARN a new way of doing things,  of how to obtain incredible wealth, power, luck, control, happiness, romantic love… You learn how to CONTROL all situations in your life and how to make all events turn out for YOUR advantage. You are taught secrets that can allow you to HAVE…BE....and DO...ANYTHING and EVERYTHING YOU WANT!

These secrets,

WHEN APPLIED CORRECTLY,

CAN make all your dreams come true!

The questions I get asked are...

“WHAT exactly are these secrets?

“HOW do I apply these discoveries for wealth, power, luck, love and romance in my personal life and make it work for me?

AND —

How can I get this knowledge without being a member of these societies, companies or organizations, so I can BE, DO, and HAVE EVERYTHING I WANT “FAST?”

Now those questions are being answered! Whatever YOUR dreams in life are....they CAN be achieved!

I have been a member of some of these organizations and societies and my only reason for doing so was to get where I am today!  I joined to learn the secrets of making incredible amounts of money, having major successes in business and improving my life and the lives of the people around me in all areas.

I am now willing to REVEAL these secrets to a few select people including YOU. These secrets have been kept exclusive to members only — up until now!

These secrets are SO powerful

and work so fast

that they AMAZE all who use them.

When used correctly, whatever you want in life can come RUSHING to you like it is being pulled by a magic magnet.

WARNING! Money can come to you so fast and in such large amounts, it will frighten you!   (I know this sounds too good to be true, but it IS TRUE…and it is as good as it sounds!)

I am the ONLY person to have been given, and to have acquired this information who is willing to pass THE COMPLETE INFORMATION on to people outside of those organizations, businesses and societies.  Imagine having ME ‘PERSONALLY’ teach YOU how to apply this most powerful secret technology in YOUR life and help MAKE ALL YOUR DREAMS AND WISHES COME TRUE!

For the first time ever you will have revealed to you the secrets that were previously exclusive to members of these groups! Now, for THE FIRST TIME, someone is willing teach YOU exactly how to use these powerful secrets in YOUR life and make them WORK for YOU....in RECORD SPEED!  And that person…is ME!

You will learn how to HAVE, BE AND DO ANYTHING YOU DESIRE!

Imagine having ME as your PERSONAL mentor to teach YOU the secrets to making more money faster than you ever thought possible, have unlimited power in your personal life, have the most amazing romantic relationship you could imagine, have amazing health and vitality, become lucky in everything you do, control all people and situations in life, and have the financial freedom to enjoy your life like never before!

As you know, these companies, organizations and  societies include many wealthy and powerful people. I have talked with and confer with many of these members.

HERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT!

In all the books and seminars you have read or watched, in person, on tape, on DVD or on the Internet, you have ONLY EVER been given enough information to make you want more.  The people promising you answers are not going to give you THEIR secrets because they don’t want the competition.  They are just going to tell you enough to make a slight increase in the levels of your life so that you see an improvement.  So that you think ‘it worked’ but then…nothing else happens.  If you are happy with that then stop reading now.

Here is the difference that MAKES the difference:

I UNDERSTAND how it works AND I AM GOING TO SHARE THE COMPLETE PROCESS WITH YOU. 

So...

Here is the shocker, you better sit down:  Unlike the others I DON’T CARE HOW SUCCESSFUL OR RICH YOU BECOME because I don’t see you as a threat to ME…I KNOW THERE IS ENOUGH WEALTH IN THE UNIVERSE TO GO AROUND…IT IS ABUNDANT.  THERE IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE. 

The ONLY barrier to your success is YOU!

I have associated with some of the most successful and powerful people on the planet. This creates a “master mind” group – making the society even more powerful, and membership even more beneficial. When you associate and learn from super successful people, it actually DOES rub off on you —— YOU are changed for the better!

See it as the ULTIMATE CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE AND SUCCESS...And the best part of a circle is....?  BEING ON THE INSIDE!

Think about it…dream about it…AND watch for the next post when you will be given the opportunity of your lifetime.

In the mean time...think of this...

WHAT WAS YOUR LIFE LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO?

See you soon... 

You Can Have, Be and Do ANYTHING!

Have you ever read a book like The Secret, the Power, Think and Grow Rich, Ask and It is Given,

Rich Dad/Poor Dad and others.  Haven’t we all?  The bookstores on our high streets and online are turning over thousands of copies of these books every week.  One common factor runs like a thread through all of these books:  they promise to teach you how to make millions, be happy and manifest all your desires.

It is no surprise that they have been talked about on SkyNews, Oprah, CNN, NBC, The Today Show, Newsnight and written about in Time Magazine, The New York Times, GQ, Cosmopolitan and hundreds of other publications. Major celebrities, famous billionaires and members of Royal Families have admitted to using the information in these books to achieve riches and fame.

When you read one, or all of them, did you get the feeling that something was missing?  As if you had completed a 1000 piece jigsaw only to find that the most important piece was missing?  You are not alone in feeling like that!

These books are very good.  They explain a lot.  They show you what can be achieved.  But there is a problem with them…they ALL miss the most important secret key ingredient that makes the information REALLY work, and work FAST!

That’s why most people who read them do not get results. Most of the people who buy and read these books get all excited about their life changing, getting that new job, new car, new partner and that ability to have some salary left at the end of the month rather than some month left at the end of the salary!  Then, the reality sets in.  They do everything those books suggest and they wait, and they wait, and they wait…and NOTHING has changed! 

Quite naturally, people believe that they did one of three things:

1. They did something wrong…they didn’t!

2. They didn’t do it right…they did!
3. They missed something...no they didn’t…it wasn’t there!! 

The third one is almost right! In actual fact, they didn’t miss anything, it just wasn’t there!  It’s very hard to miss something if it isn’t there in the first place.

The fact is that there IS a MISSING KEY that has been PURPOSELY OMITTED from these books and others like them! This KEY INGREDIENT makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE!

I am about to tell you about the MISSING KEY to making ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE! Here is how I learned about this and why I am offering it to you now.

As I have revealed in my seminars and on my blog, I have spent many years studying just what it is that some people do that makes the difference that makes a difference.  Why are some people more successful than others?  Why do some people seem to have everything while others spend their lives wanting?  Why is it that some people seem to live high up in a rarefied atmosphere where wealth is all around them and yet, they don’t appear to be doing anything different than YOU?

How many times have you asked yourself: ‘Why can’t I be more successful?’ or ‘Why can’t I have what I want, live the life I want, and provide everything for my family?’

Get ready!

I am going to show you how to have, be or do anything you want!!

The next post will blow you away!

Authenticity! It cannot be Inauthentic!

In 2010 Domino’s Pizza made a decision to come out and tell the truth about their Pizzas. They agreed that they tasted like cardboard.


In 1991 during a speech to the Institute of Directors, Gerald Ratner, the CEO of Ratner’s Jewellers said ‘People ask, “How can you sell this (earrings) for such a low price?” I say, “because it’s total crap.”’

In both instances the business world was shocked at the honesty. I would assume the shareholders had a ‘moment’ too. Wow! If some leaders could just fake authenticity they would be happy but, there IS no faking it. With Domino’s it’s a consumable but it was only a recipe issue, the quality is not in question, nobody was poisoned, nobody had their health compromised.

With Ratners it WAS purely a quality issue, the goods were not worth the money. Domino’s merely agreed with/confirmed what people had been saying. Ratner admitted something nobody knew for certain. Domino’s continues…Ratners went down the tube.

Authenticity is not an easy subject to tackle and wrestle to the ground. One needs to step outside of conventional thought on authenticity. It takes a lot of courage to discuss authenticity/inauthenticity as it lifts the lid on things we may keep hidden, knowingly or unknowingly. Taking part in this chat will certainly broaden our awareness of ourselves, as a Leader and as a person.

A superficial description of authentic is being real, genuine, the “real deal”, honest. Would you be as honest as Ratners or Domino’s? If your business made a monumental mistake, it’s all very well admitting this to your people but would you admit it to the world, your clients or SKYNEWS? How far does authenticity go before we have to make a stand and be, to all intents and purposes, Inauthentic because the outcome may determine that we cannot be authentic in that instance?

The definition I use of Authenticity is: Being and acting consistent with who you hold yourself out to be for others, and who you hold yourself out to be for yourself.

The central definition is ‘who you hold yourself out to be’. It is NOT your personality, not your thoughts, not your feelings and not social protocols…it is more a DECLARATION that you make, a stand you take on yourself, a commitment to a set of values.

Bill George, Harvard Business School Professor of Leadership and author said:
“After years of studying leaders and their traits, I believe that Leadership begins and ends with authenticity.”

The cold hard truth is that because of certain situations, with certain people, in some ways and at certain times we can all be Inauthentic. Because we avoid at all costs confronting our inauthenticity’s, we are consistently inauthentic about being inauthentic. Is it possible for a person to determine when they are being genuine?

Above all else, Authenticity is CENTRAL to leadership and to being a leader.
Are you authentic all the time? Even when NO ONE is watching?

 

Energy Vampire or Mood Hoover?

Well, I doubt if anyone would say no to a REAL Vampire if it was Kate Beckinsale in Underworld but...

You have only one life to live. You want to be happy and to make your life meaningful.

You haven't got time to waste associating with negative people (Energy Vampires and Mood Hoovers) They will drain your energy and when they find a willing or captive audience, just like a real Vampire (Huh? Real vampire?) they won't let go once they have sunk their teeth into you.

Negative people may have justifiable concerns but too often they get over involved in minor matters and imaginary transgressions.

Negative people may be envious of your ability to succeed (you know who you are!!!).
They may also be scared of your ability as you could inadvertently outshine the 'leader' (She knows who she is too!)

They may feel guilty knowing that they aren't willing to pay the price that success asks.

Negative people are usually negative because they have given dominion to their happiness to others, often many others.

It's the boss, the neighbours, the kids, the politicians, and the police.
It's money.
It's the bills.

Be polite and encouraging to negative people. Listen to their complaints or stories but only once.

Give them a copy of this post. It may help. Chances are they will hate it. If their 'problems' are serious enough, guide them to professional help.

Don't judge. Empathise with them but avoid being drawn into their web of unhappiness.

Help those you can while realising that you can't help or save everyone. You can open your heart, be compassionate and still be strong enough to walk away.

You can say no.

Everyone has 'problems' but not everyone allows those things to rule them. You can offer a temporary safe haven without it becoming a permanent home. An Energy Vampire, or Mood Hoover, will suck the life, joy and energy out of any situation and leave it as dry as a desert.

They will infect everyone...negativity is contagious.  Remember that!

You do not have to sacrifice your life to the issues of another.

But what about you?

Are you negative sometimes? When you are let down, or disappointed, or passed over for promotion or being told 'I don't think we should see each other again'. So? What are YOU going to do about that.

Take a case in point.

Remember back to the first time that you had your heart broken, the very first time! Remember how bad you felt, remember the pain and the anger. At the time you really believed that it was the end of the world. You thought that you would never love any one as you loved that person. You thought that you would never be able to love again.

And you were wrong. Two weeks later you’re back out there on the prowl. How many ‘loves’ have you had since then?

Two, three, five or more?
Now if you’d hung on to the past, if you’d only focused on the pain and sorrow, you’d still be a sad, miserable bastard with no friends and one massive forearm.

But you didn't, you let go, and put the past behind you.

And that is what you need to do in every situation.

Focus on the positive aspects not the negative.

We will all make mistakes; we will all still get a broken heart from time to time. But it’s the here and now that we must focus on, not the past, and not what may happen in the future.

Everyone gets knocked down at some point...but only the STRONG ones get up!

Thoughts of a Dragon

Firstly, a big thanks to my friend Steve Drake for jogging my memory of this fine book by a great man.


Steve is a top rate Martial Artist as you will find if you click HERE.


Bruce Lee was not only the most influential and greatest Martial Artist who ever lived but he studied Philosophy and Psychology and his writings have been published in a series of books and this one Striking Thoughts - Wisdom for Daily Living is my favourite of them all.

A post on Steve's Facebook page reminded me to flick through the pages again. I have read this book over ten times since I bought it two years ago. Each time I read something I have read before but because of my mindset I read into it differently and the meaning comes alive.

For example:

Bruce Lee on Motivation:.....


Your Mind Determines the Effect.
It is not what happens in our life that is important, it's how we react to what happens.

That quote is just one of thousands that hit home. It was written long before the well known NLP phrase, Nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning you give it.
And again:.....
Become what you think.
What you habitually think largely determines what you will ultimately become.

This is the sales mantra, Fake It until you Make It!

It is also very closely linked with the Positive Mental Atitude teachings of Napoleon Hill, Bob Proctor etc....but this is Positive Mental Attitude training from Bruce Lee.

Wisdom like this is on every page:.....
•"Remember, I am no teacher; I can merely be a signpost for a traveler who is lost"
•"The ideal teacher - not 'what' to think, but 'how' to think.
•"Defeat simply tells me that something is wrong in my doing - it is a path to success and truth"
•"Where method is, freedom is not"

Four superb lessons are these:.....
1.Take my words and do with them what you will. Your milage may vary..
2.Observe and explore my process, not my content.
3.Failure is not only to be expected, but welcomed and even celebrated.
4.If you didn't hear me the first time, reread 1, 2, & 3!!

I would recommend anyone in personal development to grab a copy of this fine book. And check out Steve Drakes website too. Click the link above or HERE.

Psychological Sleight of Mind With A Dollar

Three housemates walk into an electrical store with the intention of buying a TV.  It has to be second-hand, it has to be cheap, and they have to be able to take it away today.


They see one they all like..................

They ask the store owner how much it costs.

The store owner tells them  it costs $25 so they decide to split the cost.  Each housemate hands over $10 and the store owner takes the three $10 bills to the back of the store where the cash register is to get their change while the three housemates look at the TV admiring their purchase.

The store owner has a brainwave.  He thinks to himself 'I can make a little more profit and no one will know.  I will tell them I messed up, the TV costs $27!'

So the store owner does this.  He deposits three $10 bills into the cash register and takes out five $1 bills, two of which he puts in his pocket.

He then goes back to the three housemates and tells them he made a mistake, the TV was $27 and not $25...and hands each of them back $1.

The three housemates leave very happy with what they consider to still be a bargain, the store owner is happy for conning them out of an extra two dollars.  Everyone is happy....

...Is there a problem here?

Three housemates hand over $30 and the storeowner returns with five $1 bills. He palms two for himself, and gives each housemate $1.  This means the housemates have paid $9 each....

3 x $9 = $27 + $2 = $29

Suddenly, there is $1 missing.....

If you cannot figure out this psycho-mathematical problem then you have just had your pressure points massaged...

Persuasion Engineering Part 2 - The Details

As I said previously Persuasion Engineering (Trans: Mind Hacking) I had made a number of discoveries...and why shouldn't I have...I regarded myself as some mad scientist who used other peoples brains and minds as my laboratories.  In doing so, what were some of the things I had discovered?

The brain responds excellently to pink.  This is a scientific fact, from a real research laboratory, not one of MY laboratories.  Pink is a very tranquillising colour which produces a pattern of brain waves unlike any other.

Put that one down to the evolution of Man....

Ancient civilisations would have seen a pink sky at sunset and sunrise and given the ambient light it would have associated pink with sleep and relaxation.  If you want to keep the status quo, keep everything in harmonic balance, Pink is a colour to have around 



A Baker-Miller Pink Polo Shirt
Even in my time off I was always
dressed for action!

There is one particular shade or hue of pink called Baker-Miller pink that is the most powerful.  It is also sometimes called 'Drunk Tank pink', as violent offenders moods have been calmed merely by putting them in a room painted this colour.  I only EVER wore shirts of that colour, be they business shirts or polo shirts as you can see from this photograph that appeared on the previous blog post:

The science that underlies all of this is on going.  Research focusing on metabolic changes in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine, or in the hormones serving the hypothalamus, that part of the brain that oversees the emotions, seem to show Pink as nature's Prozac.  Science lesson over....and relax!

Having sorted out my wardrobe I deploy a technique I describe as working the 'Three A's of Social Influence': Attention, Approach and Affiliation.

The Three A's are such a potent cocktail that ships so much psychology into the bloodstream of the brain that the recipient loses all resistance to persuasion.  It is the compliance equivalent of Rohypnol.

It really is a persuasion algorithm...

• The basic raw material of what you say...what your audience/client/customer pays ATTENTION to.
• How you deliver your raw material is a major factor and a predictor to how your audience/client/customer will APPROACH it.
• Social engineering factors relating to how your audience/client/customer evaluates you, how they feel a connection with you, how they accept what you say in relation to all other factors and their perception of who you are and what you stand for are the basis and parameters of AFFILIATION.

When these three align then barriers come down.

Take a cartoon of a famous person.  You can recognise who it is from barely nothing, the bare minimum of detail.  As long as the key lines are in the right place you will recognise it.  It is the same with persuasion.  If you know where the brain's pressure points are then you press them...or you draw the key lines...

Here is an example of very little detail but you'll recognise the face...:


This Algorithm has advanced into what is a major factor of my HPT-Transformation program.  Human Potential Technology incorporates the SPICE^© program. 

• Simplicity,
• Perception,
• Incongruity,
• Confidence,
• Empathy. 

That really is the Area 51, stealth bomber, of Persuasion.

To be continued...

Authentic Authenticity

AUTHENTICITY

Some people say that Authenticity is a big thing. I think it is bigger than we think.  In many cases it's the ONLY thing some people have.

An Authentic Leader is seen to be a beacon of hope, a strong example, an ethical person who does the right thing.  They are seen to be someone others aspire to be.  They are magnetic forces because others want to align with them for one or both of two reasons.

1. Trust

2. Hoping that some of the magic rubs off on them.

Having the strength to confront your inauthenticities is hard.  Some may say it's the hardest thing you can do because you are looking at yourself in a new way.  When you admit, to yourself and others, your inauthenticities then you are being AUTHENTIC about them.  Denying they exist is further compounding them.

"If you cannot find the courage to be authentic about your inauthenticities, you can forget about being a leader...The actionable access to authenticity is being authentic about your inauthenticities..."

At some point we are Inauthentic as well as being Authentic at other times.  Certainly, situations can determine who we are or what we say and do.  To be authentic we must discover and confront our inauthenticities.  We must also be honest, and tell the truth, to ourselves and others about when we are not being genuine (authentic).  But, how far do we go with that?

In 2010 Domino’s Pizza made a decision to come out and tell the truth about their Pizzas. They agreed that they tasted like cardboard.

In 1991 during a speech to the Institute of Directors, Gerald Ratner, the CEO of Ratner’s Jewellers said ‘People ask, "How can you sell these (earrings) for such a low price?” I say, "because it's total crap."’

In both instances the business world was shocked at the honesty. I would assume the shareholders had a ‘moment’ too. Wow! If some leaders could just fake authenticity they would be happy but, there IS no faking it. With Domino’s it’s a consumable but it was only a recipe issue, the quality is not in question, nobody was poisoned, nobody had their health compromised. With Ratners it WAS purely a quality issue, the goods were not worth the money . Domino’s continues…Ratners went down the tube.

Authenticity is not an easy subject to tackle and wrestle to the ground. One needs to step outside of conventional thought on authenticity. It takes a lot of courage to discuss authenticity/inauthenticity as it lifts the lid on things we may keep hidden, knowingly or unknowingly. Taking part in this chat will certainly broaden our awareness of ourselves, as a Leader and as a person.

A superficial description of authentic is being real, genuine, the “real deal”, honest. Would you be as honest as Ratners or Domino’s? If your business made a monumental mistake, it’s all very well admitting this to your people but would you admit it to the world, your clients or SKYNEWS? How far does authenticity go before we have to make a stand and be, to all intents and purposes, Inauthentic because the outcome may determine that we cannot be authentic in that instance? 

The definition I use of Authenticity is: Being and acting consistent with who you hold yourself out to be for others, and who you hold yourself out to be for yourself.

The central definition is ‘who you hold yourself out to be’. It is NOT your personality, not your thoughts, not your feelings and not social protocols…it is more a DECLARATION that you make, a stand you take on yourself, a commitment to a set of values.

Bill George, Harvard Business School Professor of Leadership and author said:
“After years of studying leaders and their traits, I believe that Leadership begins and ends with authenticity.”

The cold hard truth is that because of certain situations, with certain people, in some ways and at certain times we can all be Inauthentic. Because we avoid at all costs confronting our inauthenticity’s, we are consistently inauthentic about being inauthentic. What if you find yourself discussing ‘How does a person determine when they are being genuine?’

Above all else, Authenticity is CENTRAL to leadership and to being a leader.

Are you authentic all the time? Even when NO ONE is watching? 

If you are Authentic, or if you are aware that you are Inauthentic sometimes, then you have a very great chance of being an exceptional leader.

Undercover Boss Vs Visible Leader

Whether it is a failing of mine or not, I had never seen a program called 'Undercover Boss' before. I had heard of it, but had never sat thru an episode to see what it was all about.

To be quite frank, I thought it was about the head of a company going to look at OTHER companies, the competition, to see what they were doing. That may sound ludicrous to many people reading this but in Sales, that happens. Maybe not the Boss but certainly sometimes you get someone come along answering an advertisement for staff and you take them on, train them up, give them all manner of resources like pitches and details about the company, even so far as giving them access to databases and then, one day...they are gone! They never show up again. They don't write, call or send flowers. It was a scouting trip. A reconnaissance mission for information.  It happens and is an occupational hazard.

I heard a story once of someone who had done just that.  They had arrived at an advertising company in London and had told them they had experience so their training was minimal. This was a spy from another ad agency.  They got a desk and a phone.  They started work.  During the first few days they got all the paperwork and all the information. In fact, they stayed there for two weeks because they had made a few sales and the company paid weekly by check, which the salespeople took to the companies bank and cashed them by arrangement..  On the Friday, once they had cashed their check, they decided to bail out.  They had taken paperwork home the night before and had everything on a memory stick.  They gave some excuse about going to Starbucks to get a coffee.  Suddenly, EVERYONE in the sales room wanted coffee. The order ended up as 9 cappuccino, 6 Latte, 5 Americano.  So another guy went with the spy to Starbucks.  Naturally, everyone paid up first.  Average coffee price in the UK: £2.50/ £3.00.  Many of the salespeople handed over a £5 note and expected change when they got back.  The two guys, the Spy and his helper, went to Starbucks with over £80 in cash.

Naturally, when they got to Starbucks the Spy gave the helper the paper with the order on it and went to the mensroom.  Never to be seen again.  He got the paperwork, the information, he got paid in cash and he got an £80 tip in cash.  The salespeople are STILL waiting for their coffee.

So with that in mind, going undercover, calling up other companies for information, sending an agent behind enemy lines, it all happens in the UK.

I was amazed at 'Undercover Boss' because this is the head of a company, and I admit that some of them are quite large, going undercover in their OWN company.

I can't believe that they could, even with make up and a disguise. pull this off.  What struck me more than that was this....

Why would you need to go 'undercover' in your own company to find out who, what, where, when and why about your business?

When I was the Sales Manager and the National Sales Trainer for Cable London/ Telewest/ Comcast I was never in my office.  I went out and saw people, I pitched up in offices and found a desk and a phone and worked there.  I got a feel for everything.  I was approached all the time, I was known, I was visible.

I couldn't have gone 'Undercover' no matter WHAT the disguise. 

The reason?  I think the clue is in the title.  Undercover BOSS!

Leaders cannot work undercover.  They can't function undercover.  Leaders lead alongside their people. 

Bosses are unknown and faceless.

Leaders are obvious, and recognizable.  That's why people follow Leaders, they recognize them.

Who Is On Board your Leader SHIP?

Who Is On Your Leader Ship?

Have you ever been on board a ship?  It really doesn’t matter whether it’s a large cruise liner or a cross channel ferry.  The principle is always the same.

The Captain.  The captain or master is the ship's highest responsible officer, acting on behalf of the ship's owner. The captain is legally responsible for the day to day affairs of the ship as he is in command. It is his responsibility to ensure that all the departments under him perform legally to the requirements of the ships owner. The Captain represents the owner, or could also BE the owner.

The Chief Officer.  He is the head of the deck and second-in-command after the ship's Captain. The chief Officers primary responsibilities are the vessel's cargo operations, its stability, and supervising the deck crew. The Chief Officer is responsible for the safety and security of the ship, as well as the welfare of the crew on board. The chief Officer typically stands the navigation watch with an eye on the horizon. Additional duties include maintenance of the ship.  The Chief Officer also trains the crew on various aspects like safety, firefighting, search and rescue, and various other contingencies. The chief officer assumes command of the whole ship in the absence of the Captain.

The Second Officer. The second officer is usually in charge of navigation and is the next licensed position above third officer and below chief officer as third-in-command.  The second officer is typically the navigation officer aboard a ship.

Third Officer.  The third officer is primarily charged the safety of the ship and crew. The third officer is the next license position onboard the Ship, being fourth-in-command after the captain, first officer, and second officer.

Now let’s look at this in a different way. 

Let’s imagine we are not talking about a Ship.  Let’s talk about a company.  Your Company.

You have a Ship/Company that you want to sail.  You launch it and its full steam ahead.  Your passengers are your Customers.  If they enjoy the trip, and the customer service is excellent then they will book again.

The Captain is YOU! You are the Leader, the CEO. You are the one in overall command of the Ship/Company.  You are the one that decides direction and destination.  Your Crew/Team will come to you with ideas to make the cruise more enjoyable for the passengers/customers, and will run ideas past you as to new and exciting destinations for you to steer towards.  You need a great crew/team and your ability to recruit, mentor, promote and empower your people is the reason your ship/company will be successful.  They are the driving force, the lifeblood of your business.

The Chief Officer is your Director.  They have the day to day running of the company in mind.  The navigation, the speed, the training of your staff, the planning…yes, you are the overall person in charge but you have mentored and coached this person in such a way that when you ‘go ashore’ you are confident that what you would have done if you had been on board is being done while you are not on board.

The Second Officer is your Manager.  They maintain and steer your company on the course set by you and your Director.  They ensure that you arrive at the relevant port on schedule (your company hits target) and that the seas are navigated in a safe way (your customers have a smooth ride) while keeping an eye out for icebergs (challenges, roadblocks and complaints).  They report back regularly and advise you and your Director of the potential difficulties (competition activities, current trends, feedback from customers).  They also manage your team directly and monitor their performance.  They have targets to reach, staff levels to maintain and results to achieve.

The Third Officer is your HR or Compliance Officer.  They are in charge of the safety and compliance with the law of your company and its entire staff.  They ensure that the documentation, contracts, employment law and entitlements of all of your staff, and you, are adhered to in a manner that is conducive to all.

A Captain is usually someone who has started out as a sailor and worked their way up thru the ranks to Captain.  In doing so, they have a great understanding of how each section, from the Bridge to the Engine Room, works and they could, at any time, step in if disaster happens in ANY of those areas.

A great leader is also someone who can step in at any level because, not only do they have a deep understanding of what the business is and how it runs but they spend time walking around, talking, getting involved and relating to people at all of those levels.

If your Ship is called ‘Leader’ then the only way to ensure your ‘Leader-Ship’ is sailing on calm waters, fully crewed with full capacity of passengers at all times is to not only have a crew that you trust, but to have a crew that trusts you!  You are confident that when you 'step ashore' the ship is running EXACTLY as it would if you were on the bridge.

When your crew (and customers) feel safe, feel they can approach you, listen to you, admire you, know that you are decisive and that you are willing to listen to them AND include them because you consider their opinions and ideas relevant, you can sail any sea.

Bon Voyage! 

The Dragon Strikes Home

Firstly, a big thanks to my friend Steve Drake for jogging my memory of this fine book by a great man.


Steve is a top rate Martial Artist as you will find if you click HERE.


Bruce Lee was not only the most influential and greatest Martial Artist who ever lived but he studied Philosophy and Psychology and his writings have been published in a series of books and this one Striking Thoughts - Wisdom for Daily Living is my favourite of them all.

A post on Steve's Facebook page reminded me to flick through the pages again. I have read this book over ten times since I bought it two years ago. Each time I read something I have read before but because of my mindset I read into it differently and the meaning comes alive.

For example:

Bruce Lee on Motivation:.....


Your Mind Determines the Effect.
It is not what happens in our life that is important, it's how we react to what happens.

That quote is just one of thousands that hit home. It was written long before the well known NLP phrase, Nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning you give it.
And again:.....
Become what you think.
What you habitually think largely determines what you will ultimately become.

This is the sales mantra, Fake It until you Make It!

It is also very closely linked with the Positive Mental Atitude teachings of Napoleon Hill, Bob Proctor etc....but this is Positive Mental Attitude training from Bruce Lee.

Wisdom like this is on every page:.....
•"Remember, I am no teacher; I can merely be a signpost for a traveler who is lost"
•"The ideal teacher - not 'what' to think, but 'how' to think.
•"Defeat simply tells me that something is wrong in my doing - it is a path to success and truth"
•"Where method is, freedom is not"

Four superb lessons are these:.....
1.Take my words and do with them what you will. Your milage may vary..
2.Observe and explore my process, not my content.
3.Failure is not only to be expected, but welcomed and even celebrated.
4.If you didn't hear me the first time, reread 1, 2, & 3!!

I would recommend anyone in personal development to grab a copy of this fine book. And check out Steve Drakes website too. Click the link above or HERE.