Quote of the Day!

Be the light you want to see in the world,

Be the strength you want to see in others,

Be the benchmark others are measured against

~ Dave Moore   

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What Mindset Do YOU Have?

Hi. It is 1984 and I have a great idea I want to share with you.  Listen carefully.  Tell no one about this as I want YOU to be part of this.  I have a plan…

I have designed something so GREAT that I reckon it will sell millions.  This is it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 
Well?  Great idea huh?
These turtles are big, human size.
They carry backpacks instead of shells and they keep all manner of stuff in them.
They are named after Italian Renaissance painters.
They wear blindfolds so nobody recognises them (!).
Their boss is a RAT!
They live in the sewers.
They ONLY eat Pizza.
They do Kung Fu.
They fight crime.
All I need is $20,000…are you IN?

I have a pretty good idea what most people would say.  ‘What? Are you nuts? $20K??’

Do you know who said ‘NO’ to that idea?  Every major toy manufacturer including Hasbro; the largest toy manufacturer at the time.  (They later changed their mind when they had become successful took over the merchandising.)

That stupid idea was seen as a great idea by a small visionary toy manufacturer called Playmates Toys and marketed.  The rest is history, to the tune of all manner of merchandise, TV series, movies, records and millions of dollars.

Napoleon Hill wrote, "You will never have a definite purpose in life; you will never have self confidence; you will never have initiative and leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them." He went on to say, "... imagination is the most marvellous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known."

SOMETIMES we read or see something that resonates more than anything else before.

A lot of the time people walk around on autopilot, with nothing going on upstairs.  They travel to work by car, bus or train and when they get there they have no recollection of the journey as they have been in an altered state. 

If everyone said exactly what was on their mind right now, most people would be speechless!

An image in your mind is the first stage of the creative process in life. From your imagination your visions and plans arise.

There is a concept called "Fantasy - Theory - Fact." The premise underlying this concept is that everything has its origination in the form of Fantasy, which some adventurous souls dare turn into a theory and then boldly turn into fact. Give this serious thought for a moment.

The idea of moon landings, communicating by email, traveling on jets, cellular phones or wearing synthetic garments was a very short time ago, sheer fantasy. Today, they are considered commonplace. The individuals who were responsible for the conception and creation of the email, cell phones and any of the thousands of modern conveniences we enjoy today had a highly developed imagination.

As Leaders, we realise that there is infinite possibility in our imagination.  No idea too big.  No idea too outrageous. Leaders have Vision. 

Some people have an ability that others don’t.  They have the ability to see opportunity and possibility in the most outrageous ideas.  A Leader needs a mindset of Can-Do, Anything is possible, opportunity is all around…

There is no such thing as a bad idea…only an idea that isn’t investigated and acted upon correctly.  If you, as a leader, are presented with, or have your own, wild idea you have to be able to see the big picture and realise that by rationalising and expanding a great idea or a stupid idea you could have a lifechanging success. 

If you don’t believe that then think of these two words…Spongebob Squarepants!  Would you have given me $20,000 for THAT one?

Part 4 - HPT for Prisons

.....Continued
DM: David Moore
P: Prisoners
Single Initials for aliases of prisoners speaking or asking questions.


Following on from the previous posts, this section comes from nearly one hour in to the HPT Keynote.  The inmates have taken some serious in roads into 'response-ability' and are actively getting involved.

DM. Many of you, if not ALL of you, have beliefs that the system is against you.  The courts were against you.  Prison staff are against you. Even your fellow inmates are against you. You probably think that I am against you.  It is VERY IMPORTANT that you REALISE that your FEELINGS... your BELIEFS, REAL OR NOT, have NO relation to REALITY.  YOUR REALITY DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS!!

You have to cut all that crap.  You have to concentrate on you, yourself. (DM points at an inmate with his hand up) Yes?

P-A. When I am being hassled by the screws (prison officers) then i cant just back down.
DM. Nobody is asking you to back down.  I am just telling you that you have alternatives.  I know that the agreement in here is that you have to be seen to be tough guys and moan about how bad things are in here...I want you to realise, I want you to get that THAT DOESN'T WORK!
Its like driving the wrong way down the motorway, weaving in and out of the oncoming traffic.  That traffic on the motorway doesn't give a damn about you!  I don't mean you have to give in or give up.  Just be responsible.  You have set all of this up.
P-A. Last week the screw on my landing mouthed off at me. When I was sentenced I had a shaved head so i have been growing my hair but he stopped me and said 'hey, get your hair cut right away'
DM. And what did you say?
P-A I told him to get f**ked!
(Inmates laugh.  DM smiles and nods)
DM. Good.  Did it work?
P-A. it felt great
DM. I bet.  But did it work?
P-A. Ya shoulda seen his face.
DM. I know, i can imagine.  But DID IT WORK?
P-A. No
(inmates laugh loud, including P-A)
DM Understand this.  You committed a crime.  You are a prisoner so you set this whole thing up.  you have set up the scenario that you are the prisoner and he is the officer.  That's it.  Nothing is changing that.  No amount of resistance will change that.  You are all the same here.  OK?  You can do one of two things.  Keep resisting it, which means you keep weaving in and out of oncoming traffic in the hope that a big articulated lorry doesn't come along and wipe you out in a head on collision, or...you choose it.  You take responsibility for it.  If you come to understand that you created this scenario you are living in, you caused it, that the rules around here are YOUR rules, you will run it instead of having it run you!  WHO CARES WHAT THE SCREW SAID TO YOU?  WHY DO YOU CARE?
That's the trouble.  You are more interested in being right about what an asshole that screw is than you are in making your life inside here work.  And the only one you are cheating, and getting one over, is YOU!
Let's say you buy me a present and when you give it to me I tell you I don't want it...Who owns it?  Not me...I said I didn't want it.  You own it.  In fact, you never gave it away.  UNLESS I AM WILLING TO ACCEPT WHAT YOU GIVE ME, SAY TO ME OR DO TO ME, WHAT YOU GIVE, SAY OR DO WILL MAKE NO DIFFERENCE TO ME WHATSOEVER!!!
(inmates all start agreeing and saying 'yeah')
P-A isn't that giving in?
DM. No, its taking responsibility for the way things are.  You should say 'Well, thanks for reminding me but I already thought about that. I was thinking exactly the same thing.  thanks for pointing it out though!'
Take the control back, don't give it away.  You created that prison officer.  The only way to make your life work is to support what you have created.  You will see that supporting people works better than making them wrong!
I told you earlier that you have no control over what is going on outside.  Worrying about something has never, EVER, changed the outcome.  All it has done is made you more angry or stressed.  You cannot change any of this in here.  The reason you want to act in a particular way, or the reason you want to appear tough are irrelevant.  REASONS ARE NOT REAL!  YOU MAKE REASONS UP TO JUSTIFY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

(Later one of the inmates, who will be known as P-B, stood up)

P-B Some days I can do nothing but wish I was out.  I cant do anything other than wish I was outside.
DM. Wishing is like worrying.  It won't change anything.  Why wish you were out when you cannot be out? Just relax into your space (this was an exercise done earlier), breathe and take the day as it comes.  Deal with what comes up.  One day, being out will come up...deal with that when it comes up.
The essence is taking responsibility for your behaviour.  Break up the word responsibility.  Response and ability.  YOUR ABILITY TO RESPOND DETERMINES THE EXPERIENCE YOU GET FROM WHAT YOU ARE RESPONDING TO.
You need to understand that taking responsibility may be the key to making places like this work.
If you guys find out that you are OK with being here, they may have to close this place.
(Applause and laughter and cheers from the inmates)
If you can take responsibility in here, in this environment, and you can take the control of your responses to whatever is thrown at you imagine how much better your lives are going to be when you get out of here.  If everyone here, YOU,  finds out that you like being wherever you are then not only will you lead a more valuable life outside of here but these sort of places may end up obsolete.
(A hand goes up, P-C, and DM points at him)
P-C the only problem is outside I have always got caught up in crime.
DM. In what way?
P-C i cant tell you.
DM. You can. What is it.
P-C i don't know.
DM I know you don't know.  But, IF YOU DID KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
P-C. Friends I mix with always get me involved.  They put me down and I go along with shit and end up getting caught.
DM OK
P-C I was told I would never be anyone.
DM You already are someone.
P-C I was told I wouldn't amount to much.
DM How much is an amount you want to add up to?
P-C I get caught up in things.
DM. You have a way of looking at the world.  A position you view the world from.  like a viewing platform.  It's a kind of filter.  You have taken the position of 'victim of others influence' right?
(Prisoner nods)
DM Some time in your life, something threatened you.  And in THAT MOMENT OF BEING THREATENED, like someone slapping you in the face you are off balance and you lose awareness.  You made a decision AT THAT MOMENT that you were inferior, a victim.  I want you to know just what that decision was for...
IT WAS USEFUL AT THAT MOMENT AS A WAY OF DEALING WITH THE THREAT...that's all.  BUT, what YOU DID is you TOOK IT AND TURNED IT INTO AN 'IS'!
(DM points at P-C and speaks to the group)
THIS IS HOW PEOPLE DESTROY THEIR LIVES - THEY TURN WORDS INTO THINGS!!

To be continued...

Part 3 of Transcript 'HPT for Prisons'

Following on from: http://themooreconsortium.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/partial-transcript-from-hpt-for-prisons.html

.....Continued
DM: David Moore
P: Prisoners
Single Initials for aliases of prisoners speaking or asking questions.


DM. In here you have time.  that's all you have.  the good thing about this situation is that you already know something it takes people outside a while to understand.  That is, worrying about stuff thats going on outside is pointless because you can do nothing about it.  Outside, it takes a while for people to realise that worrying about something THAT IS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL has never changed the outcome of something, ever...EVER!  BUT that doesn't stop them from still worrying though but worrying doesn't change a thing.  The whole reason i am here is because all of you, at sometime, are going to be back out in the REAL WORLD.  Some sooner than later.  But what are you going to do? Go back to crime?  End up back in here?
You! (DM points at one of the inmates who is smiling) What are you going to do?  Do you want to share with us?

P-D No.
DM. Share it, stand up. tell everyone what you're going to do.
P-D (standing up) I am going to go back to my decorating business.
DM. Good.  Is that what you were doing before you came in?
P-D Yeah
DM. You must have been the worst decorator in the world.
P-D (looks shocked as the others laugh) No. I was good.  I'm qualified
DM. But they put you in prison for it. 
P-D I didnt do anything.
DM You got arrested for doing nothing?  Wow.
(DM looks around the room)
DM Isnt that great.  He got arrested for doing nothing.  Thrown in prison for doing nothing.  just minding his own business, painting a door, and the police burst in and threw him in Prison. (inmates are laughing. P-D is staring at DM) That is REALLY something....wouldnt that make a great movie?  Innocent man painting a door is sent to prison.  Comes out after a few years and carries on painting the door. (Inmates laughing) Bit of a disappointing ending though.  No car chases, shootings...
P-D Look, I got involved with the wrong people and i got sent down.
DM No need to explain it to me pal. But let me just tell you this. There is NO WAY YOU CAN LEAVE HERE AND JUST GO BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE DOING BEFORE WITHOUT ADMITTING TO YOURSELF THAT IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT YOU GOT SENT HERE.
P-D It wasnt my fault
DM What a cop out that is!  We can all say that.  It happened but it wasnt my fault.  Take some responsibility.
P-D (sits down) F**k off
DM Annoyed?  Stand up and talk to me.
P-D F**k off I aint annoyed
DM Stand up and talk or get the hell out.
P-D Leave me alone.
DM Stand up you f**king liar.
P-D (stands up) I am not a liar. Call me a liar and I'll...(looks around at prison guards)
DM There ya go.  EXACTLY! You'll what?  Hit me? Will that work? You want to hit me and yet you tell me you're not annoyed.  You cant tell the truth and that makes you a liar.
P-D Leave me the f**k alone and do your training.
DM I am doing it.  I am doing the part where you realise what a liar you are to yourself.
P-D I'm not a liar.
(DM walks over and stands a few feet away from P-D)
DM But are you angry?
P-D Yeah i am.
(Silence for ten seconds)
DM Now THAT is the truth.  Congratulations!  thank you. GIVE THAT GUY A ROUND OF APPLAUSE
(Inmates applaud and make noises)
P-D (sits down) Yeah

DM Taking responsibility for your actions is a big thing.  Admitting that you are responsible is

freedom, it's liberating.  But you cannot go back and just do what you were doing before when you get out.  Not without knowing exactly who you are and that you can be whoever you want to be.  you have the time to look within yourselves and find a new you, a real you, any other kind of you other than the one that put you in here.  You need to create a situation, a way of being, in which you can change, regenerate, transform yourself into someone who will never EVER come back, purely by not putting yourself in a position where you come back.  The whole purpose of me being here is to show you that you can transform your ability to experience living so that all those situations you have been trying to change, or have put up with, like being in prison, clear up in the process of you living your life itself.

To be continued...

'HPT for Prisons' Part 2

Partial Transcript from HPT for Prisons. Sunday 14th April 2013.

Following   http://themooreconsortium.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/going-into-prison.html

.....Continued
DM: David Moore
P: Prisoners
Single Initials for aliases of prisoners speaking or asking questions.

DM. Thanks for coming here.  I know that you see quite a few people here who come into this place and spend time telling you how to write, act, dance and all that other stuff.  I also know that doing all those kind of things is a great way to use up time in here.  Using up time seems to be the norm.  Any way to make a few hours pass by quickly is good right?

P. (general agreement) yeah, right

DM. With a lot of time on your hands its natural that you waste it.  It's out of spite.  Another day behind you.  They can't beat me.  I can do this stretch standing on my head.  I suppose you are taking courses and going on whatever education classes they have here? (quite a few nod their heads) Why are you wasting that time?  Why bother?  You are making agreements that you have no intention of keeping.  You are signing up for French and German courses just to pass the time with no hope of using those languages when you get out.  Like taking an english literacy exam; why?  Or Yoga!  Ok I get that you want to stay fit but yoga?  I know you are only doing these things to kill time. 

P-A Better than sitting here listening to you! (laughter)

DM. So why are you?  You came here.  You put your name down.  (DM walks over to the prisoner and stands two feet away from him) You heard that some guy was going to come in here and talk for one hour about how you can change your life.  Here you are and here I am.  But no.  That's not why you are here is it?  It will be an hour out of my cell on a sunday night, let him babble on and on about changing our lives and then we can go back to our cells and punch the air and say 'Hey, I won, I am still the same, he didn't change me'

(some laughter, DM walks around)

DM. How long before you realise that YOU put yourself in here?  YOU got yourself arrested.  YOU got yourself sentenced. YOU have years to serve for your crimes.   All the French lessons in the world are not going to change that.  You can Yoga yourself into oblivion but you know what?  All you will be is a very flexible idiot who breaks the law and throws his life away.

P-B. Why the fuck should you care man?

DM. Me?  I don't.  I don't care why you are here.  I know you have friends, family, wives and girlfriends out there who are serving a sentence too because you are in here and they are out in the real world.  No, I don't care about you, why should I?  You don't care about you.  If you did, and if you cared about your family out there you wouldn't do something that puts you in here for ten years would you?

P-A I was a victim. Circumstances put me in here. (inaudible) put me here.

DM. Bullshit! You put you here.  You created the circumstances.  Just like you created the circumstances for you to be here tonight.  I was going to be here anyway.  YOU made you be here.  The prison was going to be here, you put yourself in it.

P-C, You sound like you are taking the piss out of us like the others do.

DM. (walking into the crowd up until the tenth row to the prisoner that spoke)  That's right.  For you.  For you, it sounds like I am taking the piss.  But that's your point of view.  Not MINE!  YOU are hearing me taking the piss.  That is YOUR creation, not mine.  It is not my intent.  I am just being honest with you.  I am telling you what I think.  What you hear is from YOUR perspective.

P-C Yeah thats right, it's my choice what I hear.

DM. Everything is your choice Brother.  Everything you do.  You coming here tonight.  You being sent to prison.  You thinking I am taking the piss.  You wanting to smash a chair over my head right now. (laughter) You going back to your cell and speaking french to the wall while you have your leg behind your head. (Louder laughter) But you know what is also your choice?  Everything else!

P-C. What do you care?

DM. What do I care?  I told you, I don't.  Well....I care about one thing....I don't care why you are here.  I don't care what you did.  I don't care about any of you.  (silence for ten seconds)  I CARE WHETHER YOU CARE ABOUT YOU!  If you did, you wouldn't be in here.  You wouldn't create circumstances that put you in here.  You would be doing something constructive with your time in here to ensure you don't come back in here because you value yourselves.

(general shifting around in chairs, people sitting more upright)

DM Like I said before, I know the score, I know the bravado.  You say it doesn't bother you being in here.  At least thats the impression you give out on the landings to others.  Well it should.  It should bother the hell out of you.  And all that 'I can do this sentence standing on my head' crap!  Stop it.  It's time to get back on your feet.  Time to stand up and say I ain't putting up with all this crap I am creating for myself.  NO MORE!  It is about being strong enough to look yourself in the eye in the mirror and say "This is all my fault".  It's about taking control of your life, even in here.....

To be continued...

Going Into Prison

Sunday April 14th 2013

After a couple of meetings with an education committee that works within the prison system it was suggested that I speak to a group of prisoners in what is known as the toughest prison in the Country.  Certain stipulations were made. 

• No video or recordings made at the event can be uploaded or distributed' to anyone or to anything'.
• A written transcript of the 'seminar' can be used.
• No identifying by name of any prisoner or member of staff.

Quite a short list but certainly no room to manoeuvre. 

I was told that the talk would be advertised on all of the wings in the main prison.  This meant that no Rule 43, sectioned inmates would be able to attend which effectively meant there would be no inmates there who had committed any sexual crimes.  As one officer said, 'Only clean crimes, like robbery, drug importation and dealing, burglary, grievous bodily harm, arson, fraud, manslaughter and murder!' 

I was told the size of group who sign up for these talks is normally 30 inmates.  I said I didn't mind how many.  When I arrived I was told there were 296!  It was 7pm and we went in.

After going through the extensive security searches and having mobile phones, keys and valuables deposited in lockers I, and one of my guys Michael, entered the prison itself. 

The sports hall had been set out with rows of chairs in a semi circle.  300 men sat staring at us as we walked in.  Most of them had shaved heads.  Many had tattoos.  Some had obviously spent a lot of time body building.  Many had a ghostly white pallor.  Some looked like they hadn't eating in months.  300 prisoners with sentences ranging from 4 years to 25 years with a couple of exceptions.  Some only there for a short while before being transferred to an open prison as they pose no threat.  Some there for the entire length of their sentence.  I was told afterwards that three of them, the exceptions, were serving a minimum 45 years each.  If they all decided to riot there was nothing we could do.  There was me, Michael and six prison officers, one of whom locked the door behind us.

HPT is a program I designed to help instill a belief system in people that anything is achievable.  By making people more responsible, more aware and to take a self-determinative approach to life.  I had been using elements of it in all of my work, from sales training to firewalking but now I run courses on the entire HPT program which focuses on Transformation and Regeneration.  Here was an opportunity to make a serious difference.  A radical change.  Change that would be life changing, mind changing and future changing.

There were two very large white wipe boards, one either side of a chair on the stage. I put my filofax down on the small table to the left of the chair, stood in front of the chair, looking at the crowd and waited.

After 20 seconds or so I said 'Good evening everyone. My name is David Moore.  Thanks for coming this evening.  This will be like no other talk you have attended.'

To be continued..........

Speaking with Prisoners

How HPT transforms the mindsets of hundreds of Prisoners in Londons Toughest Prison.
The full transcript of the talk with 300 Prisoners about how they can change their lives...coming soon...

HPT-TRANSFORMATION FOR PRISONERS

Challenge Thinking

If nobody challenged thinking...then thinking would never change...
and nothing new would be achieved.

Think about THAT!

(c) David Moore

HPT-Transformation

The Circle of Life

The Circle of Life

BOSTON

Beautiful city...
Beautiful people...
In a beautiful country...
We are thinking of you...

Communication Breakdown

The value of your words Vs your tonality Vs your Body Language.  If you sell by telephone...make every word count...

Crowd Mentality Vs Solo Artist

You were not meant to fit in...you were born to STAND OUT

If you want to Stand Out, you have to BE OUTSTANDING!

HPT-Transformation

 

F.E.A.R. False Evidence Appearing Real

Onassis and Me

The Aristotle Onassis Model

In 1970 Aristotle Onassis was relaxing in the bar of the London Palladium during a performance. The variety show on stage held no interest for him, he was most likely with Jackie and some friends and he had removed himself from the audience and was now enjoying his customary Johnnie Walker Black Label.

At the Interval the audience started to fill the bar and a man and woman walked in with their 8 year old son. Onassis looked at the boy, who was wearing a suit and a tie, and smiled, walked over to the couple and said in his gruff voice something along the lines of, 'You have the smartest young man I have seen in a long while'. He then patted the boy on the head and gave him a five pound note. Then, with a smile, a slight nod and a wave he walked off to meet his party of guests. People looked at the couple with their son and the man said to his wife, 'You know who that was don't you?'

£5 was a LOT of money in 1970. The evening out for the couple and their son had been something the man had been saving up for for two months. The suit the boy was wearing (a blue two tone single breasted) came from the Peter Pan Outfitters for children in the Commercial Road in East London.

The couple were my Mum and Dad.
If ONLY I had kept that five pound note Onassis gave me!

Ever since that moment I have been interested in the life of Aristotle Onassis.

Aristotle Onassis was one of the most successful, publicized and examined people in the world during the middle of the 20th century. Today, 38 years after his death, he is principally remembered as an ultra-rich shipping magnate, touring the world on his magnificent yacht and for his romance with the diva soprano Maria Callas and marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy. Before he attained business and social heights, however, he was a very rough, uncultured, non-work of art. His effort to change a dim future is worth a look: and is instructional as a teaching aid that anyone can utilize in pursuit of success.

Onassis was born in Smyrna of Greek parents. At the end of World War I he, along with millions of others, was forced into refugee status and arrived in Argentina as a penniless immigrant. His Spanish was minimal, his education limited and his skills on offer were not highly prized. Nevertheless, he examined his circumstance realistically and with deep analysis. He recognized that out of post-war chaos would come opportunity for the agile and creative entrepreneur. Being broke was just an obstacle, not a closed, door to Onassis.

As Onassis learnt the ways of Argentine society and business he noticed that there were specific clubs, restaurants, hotels and theatres that were almost exclusively frequented by the successful business and political class. Always a keen observer of human nature, he realized that contacts and friendships of value to an ambitious fellow like himself could only be nurtured in this rarefied realm. Onassis was determined to find a way in.

He worked mundane jobs, including a stint as a telephone operator. However, he was different from co-workers and other immigrants. He immersed himself in all things Argentine and he saved every cent he earned that was not needed for basic sustenance. Most importantly, he recognized the old saying; “the rich are different from you and me” was so true. He needed to emulate the rich in order to become rich. He never looked at successful people as the enemy. He had aspirations, not jealousy in his heart.

Onassis became addicted to quality in all areas of life. While still poor, he saved every peso until he could afford a Saville Row hand cut suit. He only had one suit, but it was elegant. He also observed that the rich seemed to appear healthier, happier. They seemed to sport suntan skin as a badge of their fortunate lifestyle. Onassis developed a lifetime addiction to pursuit of the perfect suntan. His tan was internationally famous long before the actor George Hamilton gained similar fame. To this day, a suntan is an emblem of the good life for the successful class.

A Saville Row suit, quality personal furnishings and a suntan that reeked of idle leisure and success were only a start. Onassis was still a rough diamond. Nevertheless, he believed in his ultimate destiny. He would have a drink every night at the bar of the Intercontinental Hotel in Buenos Aires, the cities finest. Only one drink, because that was all he could afford. He still worked as a telephone operator, but he kept his parallel lives as a blue-collar worker and social status seeker firmly differentiated.

His nightly visits to the Intercontinental Hotel bar gradually lead to his building a network of business and social contacts. The famous Argentine soprano Claudia Musa frequently visited the hotel. She was an adored opera star and a cultured beauty. Onassis was basically a nobody and a poser. And yet, he pursued the beautiful singer, and with his usual tenacity he won her heart. This drive to win would be displayed in every area of his long and exciting life.

Onassis recognized that Argentine women preferred a type of sweet Turkish tobacco that was not widely available in South America. Utilizing his newly found relationships; he brokered an import deal for an inventory of the tobacco. He assembled the capital necessary to organize a small factory and began to market several brands of Turkish cigarettes. This small, but successful deal was the basis for his later international business prominence.

Onassis recognized that World War II was imminent. The movement of war materiel was going to become crucial to the Allies winning the war. Shipping would be highly profitable, if he could find an inventory of ships to purchase. With customary elan, he found a small fleet of sturdy but well used freighters on the St. Lawrence Waterway and arranged a tight line of credit to purchase the motley flotilla. He was on his way to becoming the most famous shipping magnate in history.

Entrepreneurs, in order to succeed, often must change elements of their personal lifestyle. We have all heard the old adage, “success breeds success”. No one practised this truism more fully and instructively than Aristotle Onassis. He bought one high quality suit. He squired beautiful women. He went to the finest clubs, even though he could not afford much more than one drink. He used his new environment, new contacts and network to benefit his single-minded pursuit of success. Why did Willy Sutton rob banks: because that was where the money was! Onassis also made the elemental decision to hang out where the money was.

One of the most difficult aspects of the entrepreneurial process that must be overcome is the need to adjust lifestyle. Sacrifice today will pay dividends tomorrow. Venture capital usually will not be found in a pool hall. The necessity to improve one’s self-presentation and to network continually is paramount. You must be constantly closing the sale, improving your skills and totally focus on achieving your goal.

Aristotle Onassis worked blue-collar jobs, spoke Spanish as a third language, was a displaced immigrant on a strange continent and had zero personal assets. Nevertheless, he organized a personal plan to overcome his obstacles and lead a life of legendary accomplishment.

I spend a great deal of time training and coaching people and corporations to overcome hurdles. Some easily recognize the need to change habits and to utilize pieces of the Onassis template. They often have the ability to succeed. Many more unfortunately, decide that they know best, markets will adapt to their wants and a shortcut to success can be taken. They always fail. This is an absolute observation.

At the harbour of Nidri is a statue of the man who has inspired me and, through my work, inspires others. You can also see Skorpios from there. There is no way I can visit his grave as he is entombed with his two children on the private island but the statue is the nearest I can get to 'The Great Onassis' again in person.

Quotes:

“To be successful, keep looking tanned, live in an elegant building (even if you're in the cellar), be seen in smart restaurants (even if you only nurse one drink) and if you borrow, borrow big.”

“If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.”

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.”

“The secret of business is to know something nobody else knows”

“After a certain point, money is meaningless. It ceases to be the goal. The game is what counts.”

“I have no friends and no enemies -- only competitors.”

“Get a sun lamp to keep you looking as if you have just come back from somewhere expensive”

“Find a priest who understands English and doesn't look like Rasputin.”

“The more you own, the more you know you don't own.”

“Always carry a notebook. Write down ideas and information. Write down everything you know and hear about a person you meet. That way, next time you meet them, you know how much time to give them.”

The Success Indicator via The Huffington Post

I just wanted to share with you an amazing and very incisive graphic by MaryEllen Tribby about what make some people more successful than others.

It seems to boil down to one thing...successful people 'get it!'

 

One other thing to notice...

The successful person is a female figure and the unsuccessful figure is a male figure.

That seems endemic in society at present, from graphics like this right the way up to furniture ads on TV.  The female is seen as capable and organisational and the man justs drifts around doing nothing or just does the wrong thing, sometimes surprised by the actions of the female.

Surely just accidental...   ;-)

 

Are you the business? Shame.....

In the world of personal development most of the companies rely on the main person.

Otherwise known as...

The face of the company.
The owner.
The person who writes the programs.
The person who delivers the training.
The person people want to see, hear or be trained by.

I have that challenge.

Many other companies have that challenge.

I know what you are thinking; "You say that like it's a bad thing!"

It is.

Not now...but in the future.

If you have a company and you are considering selling it, retiring and hoping it will continue, or even considering floating it...bad news.

You are the Company. People are buying you.

You need to take yourself out of your business.

You need to remove yourself from the daily running of your business.

Why? Because otherwise you will remain a vital element of the company and you will never be able to sell it without you going along as part of the package. You need to delegate all your tasks within the company to other people, so that the business can function effectively on its own without you being involved.

Your business will never be able to grow beyond what you can physically do yourself.

A buyer will only want to buy the business if you come along with it. Your plan to spend your time on a yacht sipping champagne has been well and truly scuppered. You are now an employee (albeit a very well paid one).

If you can teach what you do to a like minded person who works for you, do so. You must ensure that the business is capable of continuing while you take time out.

If your business is like this, do it now; I am.

If it's a new business you are starting then look closely at your business model and make sure it is scalable.
In other words, can it grow without you being there?

If the answer is no, it's a non starter. Think of a new idea.

Celebrate a Life

Tonight I shall go and have a drink for Margaret Thatcher's life. I shall raise my glass to the night sky, and THANK HER, and celebrate her life. A large Talisker, her tipple.

 

Some people seem to have a very strange view of history. So here are a few little nuggets with how and more specifically WHY a lot of industries were destroyed by her, and what's more, ...destroyed with the MANDATE OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE.

 

The seventies were blighted by the trade unions waiting for winter and then coming out on strike at it's heart. Holding the country to ransom for ANNUAL pay rises of up to 36% ABOVE inflation. This was the likes of Scargill and co. And they bled us dry. We were bankrupted by them. And then the Winter of Discontent happened. And they ALL came out. Miners, power workers, transport workers; even funeral directors, everything tied into the TGWU came out. One of my Grandparents lay on a slab for 2 months waiting to be buried. The entire country was a ruin. Rubbish not collected for months, rats everywhere. And the unions laughed, and brought down Callaghan's Labour Government.

 

And Thatcher stood up at the General Election and made ONE SIMPLE PROMISE.

 

Elect me. And THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. ELECT ME AND I WILL DESTROY THEM.

 

She won a landslide. On that promise.  And she became the last elected Prime Minister to actually hold true to her election promise. She did exactly what she said. She utterly destroyed the unions. Obliterated them. The cost was those industries. We knew that would be the price. But we would not allow them to hold us to ransom again. What she did, she did with our BLESSING. The socialists and people who backed those strikes have only themselves to blame for what happened.

 

Baroness Thatcher didn't destroy those industries and communities for fun or as part of a class war. She did it to stop them holding the country to ransom again. And then she held the purse strings tight and re-built the economy and the country and Britain again stood tall and thrived. And we won back the global respect we had lost while the left wing ruled.

 

In the Falklands they were thankful for her being in office. Those who went 'south' in '82 did so knowing they had a leader who would not - and did not- interfere. She sent the military and allowed them to do their job. Gave them money, the equipment and most of all THE FREEDOM to get the job done. Our lands had been invaded. We had a gun up our nose. SHE led us.

 

Frankly Thatcher took a very broken Britain by the hand like a strict old fashioned Matron and LED THE COUNTRY BACK TO WHERE IT HAD ONCE BEEN.

 

We were the worlds 3rd major power in ALL respects. And as for the world, it has NEVER been safer than when Thatcher was in Downing Street, Reagan was in the White House and Gorbachev was in the Kremlin as the three spoke DAILY.

 

They laid the ground for the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Russians were TERRIFIED of her. And the world again feared/ respected Britain.

 

And lets not forget that she gave people the full right to buy their own council property. Her vision was that the TENNANT and the tennant alone could buy that property.As soon as her party stabbed her in the back the feeding frenzy began as under her the famous Tory grandee greed was held in check. So they stabbed her, led by the europro traitor Heseltine - who didn't have the guts to face her openly and alone - they arranged her removal. And we have been a broken patsy for europe ever since.

 

So yes, tonight I will celebrate the life of Baroness Thatcher, with thanks, with respect, and with sadness, because she allowed me to know what we could be, what we could achieve, what it meant to be BRITISH.  She Didn't just LEAD Britain.  She SAVED Britain.  She made Britain GREAT again, and all we have done since she was removed from power, is let 'them' mess it up again.

 

RIP Baroness Thatcher...and THANK YOU!  No one else in the Government has the nerve to do what you did.

RIP Baroness Thatcher

I am greatly saddened to hear of the passing of our greatest Peacetime Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher. She was truly a great lady and a major influence of mine. I have practically every autobiography and book about her in my Library.

I can remember being 17 years old walking around London and seeing bags of uncollected rubbish piled high in the streets. We, as a country, were financially crippled. We had high unemployment, unrest, strikes...you name it, we had it.



Aunt Betty and Margaret Thatcher

Then, when Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979, Britain was classified as a dirty dump, “the sick man of Europe” and on the brink of total economic collapse. When she left power in 1990, it was one of the financial capitals of the world. She defined the 80's 'loadsamoney' mentality. She is associated with her political philosophy of Thatcherism, based on low taxation, low public spending, free markets and mass privatization. I, personally, love Margaret Thatcher for her honesty, bluntness, strength of character and her radicalism.

I took this pic at the Conference

Many others hate her, though, mainly on the left of politics who believed that she destroyed workers rights and slashed public spending. During her tenure she had to deal with mass unemployment, out of control inflation, endless strikes, a war with the Falklands and an attempted assassination by the IRA. In February 2007, she became the first British Prime Minister to be honoured with a statue in the House of Commons while still alive; a testament to her incredible legacy.

Here are some classic quotes from Margaret Thatcher...

1. Pennies don’t fall from heaven – they have to be earned here on earth.

2. No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions; he had money as well.

3. Economics are the method; the object is to change the heart and soul.

4. My policies are based not on some economics theory, but on things I and millions like me were brought up with: an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay; live within your means; put by a nest egg for a rainy day; pay your bills on time; support the police.

5. Defeat? I do not recognise the meaning of the word.

6. I, personally, have always voted for the death penalty because I believe that people who go out prepared to take the lives of other people forfeit their own right to live. I believe that the death penalty should be used only very rarely, but I believe that no-one should go out certain that no matter how cruel, how vicious, how hideous their murder, they themselves will not suffer the death penalty.

7. Socialists cry “Power to the people”, and raise the clenched fist as they say it. We all know what they really mean—power over people, power to the State.

8. There’s no such thing as society.

9. A man may climb Everest for himself, but at the summit he plants his country’s flag.

10. (to Conservative backbench MP John Whittingdale) The trouble with you, John, is that your spine does not reach your brain.

11. For every idealistic peacemaker willing to renounce his self-defence in favour of a weapons-free world, there is at least one warmaker anxious to exploit the other’s good intentions.

12. Constitutions have to be written on hearts, not just paper.

13. If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.

14. To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects.

15. To wear your heart on your sleeve isn’t a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best.

16. Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.

17. I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.

18. If you want to cut your own throat, don’t come to me for a bandage.

19. There can be no liberty unless there is economic liberty.

20. I usually make up my mind about a man in ten seconds, and I very rarely change it.

21. It pays to know the enemy – not least because at some time you may have the opportunity to turn him into a friend.

22. It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.

23. I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.

24. Popular capitalism is nothing less than a crusade to enfranchise the many in the economic life of the nation.

25. Imagine a Labour canvasser talking on the doorstep to those East German families when they settle in on freedom’s side of the wall. “You want to keep more of the money you earn? I’m afraid that’s very selfish. We shall want to tax that away. You want to own shares in your firm? We can’t have that. The state has to own your firm. You want to choose where to send your children to school? That’s very divisive. You’ll send your child where we tell you.”

Two StandOuts.....

26. I don’t think there will be a woman Prime Minister in my lifetime. – BBC interview, 1973

27. Geoffrey Howe asked me why people take an instant dislike to him. I told him "Geoffrey, it saves so much time!"

Kill The Monster Early.....

I have a friend who got a parking ticket. He stuck it in a drawer to deal with later. You know, later? When he had the time?

Three days later he pulled the ticket out and saw that he was being fined £40. He had a week left to pay it. He put it on the hallway table and went to work.

A week later it was still there. When he remembered to look at it he had one day left before it increased to £60.

Should he reschedule his meeting so that he could go and pay the fine now? In his mind he did a quick calculation.
“It’s only another £20 for heavens' sake!”
Hmmm. Is it?
“I spend more than that on cigarettes each week!” he thought.
Well, that’s that rationalized!

Another week went by. And then another.
He forgot all about it.
He went on holiday.
When he got back his car had been lifted and impounded and to get it back he had to pay the costs on top of the original fine.

The fine, if he had dealt with it straight away, was only £40.
He paid out £480.00 that day to get his car back.

Kill the monster early.
In business we make choices every day. We decide what direction we are going to take, what strategy to use, who to send on a particular job. All those choices are pro-active. We have to react in the same positive way. When something happens we have to decide right away a course of action otherwise things change.

Some people tend to sweep things under the carpet.
Someone causes a problem or a challenge? Sweep it under the carpet.
Some people keep on doing that again and again until nobody can open the door because of a huge pile of crap under the carpet.

Problems (£40 fine?) can be brushed off or ignored for a while. They turn into concerns.
Concerns (£60 fine increase) cause a little consternation and can be time consuming but, some people deal with them by delaying action. The concerns turn into a crisis!

A crisis (car towed and £480 bill) is when and only when some people act. All that trouble and financial cost and yet, back in the days of the £40 it would have been so simple. Just deal with it at the time and get rid of it. Do it NOW!

In business, never ever let anything just sit and rot away. Always deal with things immediately if that can be done. Never, ever, put things off to another day. Do the tough stuff first and then do the easy stuff.

Here’s a case in point...

You must have seen the Alien films.

They are great and I always get a kick out of watching them. Do you remember that scene in the first film when Cain has that alien burst out of his chest?

The pic at the top of this post is the scene.
I always think of how different it would have been if I had been on that spaceship....
 

Just as the little alien runs across the table I would have smashed it with a sledge hammer and flattened it.

Turn to camera and say:
“If we had let that out of the room it would have killed everyone!”

Roll credits!

Strong or Weak?

I like things strong.

I like challenges.

I will take on any situation.

I have no fear.

Fear is, False Evidence Appearing Real. That's all.

It's not reality.

I know a lot of people who give it large, the big'un, all the front. Most do it by letter or online because that's where they belong, in the dark, hidden, safe. Some have the nerve to do it in person but when push comes to shove, or punch, or kick...they crumble like dust.

I understand fear. I understand strength. I understand courage.
Courage is not the absence of fear, it's the ability to act in spite of fear.

If someone is trying (thats one of their words - try(ing) - they can never 'do') to impose fear or frighten you. If someone is threatening you physically, verbally, business wise...so what? What can they do to you? Nothing? Well, actually, they can do something. It's called 'only what you let them'.

Realise one simple fact. They are behind/ below you. So far behind you all they can dream of is being you.

In fact they are so far behind you, the only reason you can see them is because you are lapping them!

Who cares what they say or do; it doesn't matter, they are irrelevant.

 They don't know what they are doing. THATS the level of intelligence they have.

And it ain't much! ;-)

If I gave you a present, and you said 'no thanks', who owns the present? That's right; I still do. Thats what you do with the low lifes, the scum, the idiots, the mood hoovers, the energy vampires, the people who want to hold you back, the people who want to derail you or your business.

Remember: there is no need to dream up all manner of torture for these people. No point in thinking up ways to harm them.

Why? Because anything you dream up in those dark moments when you feel that you have been sleighted or harmed will be eclipsed by the damage they will do to themselves on a regular basis.

People look at them and laugh.

There is nothing to FEAR. Be strong...they hate it, because they cant be strong...

The reason they don't like you is simple...it's because they can't be you! 

Authenticity Vs Inauthenticity

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?

 

Attitudes Are Contagious, Is Yours Worth Catching?

What do you see written here?...

Do you see ‘Opportunity is Nowhere’?
Good. If you like that sort of thinking…..But, do you know what is better? What you SHOULD be reading?

‘Opportunity Is Now Here!’

It’s your choice, you decide, your conscious and unconscious minds conspire to read whatever it thinks you want to read. If you are wired to see ‘nowhere’ then your attitude is going to stop you from seeing Opportunity all around you.

How important is attitude to a Leader? How important is attitude, period? Underlying EVERYTHING we do is attitude….How we do what we do, how we engage with people, how we see and plan the future (our own and our company) and what we takeaway from any situation.
Bad attitudes are infectious. One person in a company with a bad attitude can infect the entire team until one day everyone is sitting on the steps outside with their office in a cardboard box asking ‘what happened?’ Have you ever gone to a meeting, or a party, and thought, ‘this is going to be a total waste of time’? It was wasn’t it? You made it so. You pre-conditioned your mind.

Somewhere between starting school and getting our first set of business cards printed we lost the importance of attitude. We focus on learning, skills and ability. But great attitude is infectious too. It breeds other great attitudes.

Try this….My New Years gift to you?

I am going to take you away from your job for six months and let you stay all expenses paid on my private island. All meals, drinks, entertainment, expenses: all covered. How cool is that? Not just for you but for ALL your family. What a deal? Am I a great guy or what?

I am also going to pay you your salary…as long as you do ONE thing….

Place an advert in the newspaper for your replacement. They have to be good. They have to be BRILLIANT at being you for six months. If they mess up, share prices drop, staff go on strike or they are just hopeless in the role….it will be your fault and I am bringing you back to reality in 12 hours…1^st flight home (economy).

You have TEN words in this advert to describe what you do. Ten words that define what you do as a leader. Ten words that sum up the attributes that person must have to take over from you while you sunbathe and walk on that white beach and swim in that blue ocean.

Does your list look like a little like this one?

1. Conscientious
2. People person
3. Punctual
4. Good with numbers
5. Smart
6. Confident
7. Good listener
8. Decisive
9. Positive
10. Can train staff

That’s a list a group of insurance salespeople wrote on a whiteboard last month and it is almost identical to the list I always get.

Notice anything?

For one thing, the 80/20 principle.

8 out of the 10 attributes are clearly ATTITUDE!

The other two have a foot in both the attitude and the skill camps.

We teach SKILLS…we assume people bring great attitudes with them.

As a leader our attitude is the most important facet of our being. It is the Mindset of a great leader. It is a magnet for success.

MOVE!

Flow, like water...Be flexible...whoever has flexibility in a situation controls the situation....

but remember that as Leaders we must move forward, and keep moving...

and never, EVER, stop moving...

Is That A Pack of Dogs in my Boardroom/ Office/ Timeline?

If you are a Leader and you want to be followed blindly, without question, with obedience, servitude and adoration...get a DOG!

Friends are great.  Of course they are. And people who agree with you are good too, as long as they really mean it.... adoring sycophantic acolytes are to be avoided at all costs.

Why would you, a real leader, surround yourself with people who just blindly agree and nod their head at everything you say and do?  A group of people who, to all intents and purposes, are JUST LIKE YOU!

Why would you want a team or group of people who do nothing but blow sunshine up your ass?

Do you REALLY think that you will make ANY progress in life or business by having a support group around you who do nothing but tell you 'You're right!' or 'I agree!' or 'Fantastic idea!' and never EVER question you about ANYTHING?

How long before you start to think 'I wonder what they say when I am not around?'...'I wonder what they DO when I am not around?'  It won't be long before you start thinking that as soon as you shut that door or put the phone down, they all throw their heads back and laugh like maniacs.

It's not paranoia, it's human nature.  Surely there comes a time when all that ass kissing makes you think, 'Is this for real?'

I have always subscribed to the belief that if two people in your organization say the same things, do the same things, have the same opinions, think the same things, believe the same things...sack one of them....they are walking overhead!

What you need to do as a leader is mentor, drive, empower and teach your team how to fly. I am a believer in teaching people how to 'think different'.  In doing all of that, you are going to learn a lot from them as well as them learning from you. 

What the hell are you going to learn from a group of people who can't think for themselves and rely on you to give them an idea or a thought that they can agree with?

If you go through life surrounded by people blowing sunshine up your keister then you are going nowhere.  And it will not be long before you start to believe your own hype. 

Again, I quote Monty Pythons Life of Brian:
Brian: You are all individuals...
Lone Voice in Crowd: I'm not!

You need a group or a team of people with their own minds, own ideas, own brains, who interact, question, agree with you only when they really do agree with you, and are there to learn and to teach others (including you).

If nobody disagrees with you, questions your motives and ideas, or tells you 'thats a really bad idea' you are going to start believing that you can do no wrong and, guess what?  YOU CAN DO A LOT OF WRONG!!

There are a lot of tribes, clubs, cliques, communities, groups and teams who empower, enrich, push, mentor, drive and coach each other to do more, do better, and go further.  It is all down to the Leader encouraging that.

If you are part of a 'my way or the highway' collective....its a highway to nowhere....you deserve better!

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.