Champions

This is one of the greatest mornings I have experienced. I have two children, and as of 4:00 yesterday afternoon, both are team captains and contributing members of Indiana State Championship teams. My son’s swim team was the 2006 State champions and his medley relay also won. My daughter’s golf team, after finishing second for the past two years, is the 2008 State champions. In addition, she has been a contributing member of two state runner-up swimming teams as a diver.

While I am very excited, it also makes me reflect on the journey. It began with a decision to engage our children in physical activities. At the tender age of three or four, our decision was driven less from visions of grandeur then the desire to exhaust an endless supply of energy. Through the development phase, it was apparent that both of our kids were athletic and enjoyed competition. Nary was the activity that did not require their participation.

Over the years, we threw them into swimming pools; became devoted members of soccer, football and basketball teams and watched countless cross country, cheerleading, gymnastics and golf competitions.

Throughout the journey, there were several constants:

1. The coaches and mentors that cared about our children and took the time to teach them the intricacies of the sport and the importance of good sportsmanship, teamwork, pride and self confidence,


2. The long hours practicing when no one was watching,


3. The necessity for time prioritization and


4. The need for self sacrifice.

As kids compete, they tend to gravitate to those activities where they experience some success. Our son narrowed down his choices to basketball and swimming. The final selection came down to coaches. He was on the B basketball team for his Junior High and had a coach that would move A team players down to play in the B team games. Playing time was at a minimum and the coach was unwilling to discuss it. At the same time, he had a swim coach that was continually telling him he could be great if he would spend more time in the water. Even at this young age, he made the decision to go with the coach that truly cared about him as an athlete and a person. Swimming became his sport.

My daughter’s path was not as clear. At a very young age she selected gymnastics. She was fortunate to have great coaches and competed with a fantastic group of kids that have a special bond to this day. Unfortunately, her physique is not that of a gymnast. After having great success and a couple state championships in lower levels, she began to grow and experience several injuries. I was very surprised when she informed me that she wanted to quit gymnastics and take up golf. When I asked why, she informed me that she knew that I liked golf and it would allow us to spend more time together. My heart melted.

My wife and I have sat through disappointment, joy, attitude, anger, injuries, burn out and much more. We drove or flew countless miles, to go to lessons or competitions. But more importantly, we participated in our kid’s development through athletics and competition.

We were very fortunate that they went to a High School that valued athletics and held their athletes to a code of conduct. I am confident that this kept our kids out of trouble and focused. They were also very fortunate to participate with quality coaches and athletes. Both of my kids came to the realization in their sophomore years that their respective teams had the talent to win their state competitions in their senior year. This realization drove them to lead their teams with this goal in mind.

They both also knew themselves and the practice time they required. After my sons junior year, He informed me that he had no desire to compete in College, but his desire to win State still burned. In addition, he believed that swimming in the summer could possibly be detrimental to his performance in the high school season. He took the summer off and then attacked the high school season with a vengence. His coaches continually told me that nobody worked harder, that he led by example and infused an element of fun in an otherwise grueling sport.

My daughter on the other hand, knew that she needed to continually work on her golf swing. She went to countless competitions and spent hours at the driving range. Where swimming is a physically demanding sport, golf is a mentally challenging sport. Both are tough in different ways.

There is nothing better than the thrill of competing for your school in a state competition. Just to make the State meet is an honor. The thought of winning is a huge undertaking.

I will never forget my son’s senior year State Championship. The atmosphere was intoxicating. Unfortunately, I was very sick and had difficulty staying focused. Even so, I will never forget the excitement that followed the winning Medley Relay. As the first event of the meet, it set the tone for the remainder. I also will never forget the look that my son gave me when he finished sixth in the 100 backstroke and the excitement of knowing that his final swim was a best time that scored much needed points for his team. But the best feeling was the announcement that the goal he set as a sophomore had come to fruition.

The feeling was no less exciting yesterday. Going into the last day of State, my daughter's team was ten strokes out of the lead. At the end of the first nine, they had not cut into that lead. However, the back nine was a different story. The resolve of this team was not to be denied. In nine holes, they turned a ten stroke detriment into a ten stroke victory.

I am truly blessed. I am the proud parent of two State Champions, but more importantly, I am the proud parent of two great kids that have learned so many life lessons through competition. These are lessons I attempt to convey to others in my business dealings everyday. I am also blessed that so many fantastic people have taken interest in our children and been huge influences on how they conduct their day to day lives. Winning is not everything, but it sure feels good.

Power of the Master Mind

Pre-quote - The ladder of success is never crowded at the top

The Master Mind Group! The missing link to the entrepreneur! It is the unspoken dream of most people to be the boss, to control their own destiny, to not answer to anyone. That is until they take the plunge and begin on their own. Most then find the journey to be lonely and much more stressful and challenging than they ever thought it would be.

When I first read of the power of the master mind, I immediately understood the importance of the concept. I knew that I needed to establish a group of “experts” outside the Company that I could go to with issues.

As with many strong willed people, I had it half right and thought I had solved the mystery of business success. The part that I had missed was the most obvious. The master mind is not only external, it is also internal. Through out my childhood I had heard my dad make so many comments about his success being directly attributable to the people surrounding him. In his mind, this is what made him a good leader. How had I been so short sighted in my reading? I believe the answer lies in two places:

• My inability to control my ego (I have all the answers)

• My failure to turn on my creative imagination while reading this book.

Both these faults are very characteristic of entrepreneurs. To take the plunge into a business, they have to believe in themselves and their abilities. However, after starting the business, they get drawn into working in the business as opposed to working on the business.

I knew that some of my strengths were also my biggest negatives. My strong personality sometimes allows me to jump to conclusions and not see other acceptable options. In addition, it has the ability to negatively impact others and preclude them from offering a contrary opinion. This is a dangerous situation for any leader. The power of the master mind will not flourish in this environment.

The Definition of a master mind group is the coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people for the attainment of a definite purpose. It is interesting to see how a strong personality can take out the “spirit of harmony”.

The mastermind group has two very noticeable characteristics. They are:

• Economic advantages may be created by any person who surrounds themselves with the advice, council and personal cooperation of a group of men who are willing to lend him wholehearted aid in a spirit of perfect harmony.
• No two minds ever come together without, thereby creating a third, invisible, intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.

These two characteristics are supported by one important fact:

We take on the nature and the habits and the power of thought of those with whom we associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony.

I understand how I missed the “secret” that the master mind group is also an important factor in building a staff. Just because we spend more time with this group then we do with our families does not mean that they can influence our thoughts, our actions and the overall direction of the organization. A strong minded leader can change the course of the other associates who work at “ground zero” can’t they? Yea right!

Once this fact permeated the years of profound wisdom, it was obvious to me that my management style and the organization needed to change. I needed to improve the quality of the staff and give them the authority and power to make decisions and give advise. Our decision making process needed the infusion of the power of the master mind.

“The master mind principle holds the secret of the power wielded by people who surround themselves with other individuals of intelligence. When a group of individual brains are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through the alliance becomes available to every individual brain in the group.”

While it is important to have allies outside the organization it is just as important to build an internal team of bright individuals that are willing to come together for the common good of the organization. This is when the group of individuals becomes a team and the power of their thoughts grows geometrically. The desires of the individual cannot circumvent those of the organization. It is virtually impossible for one individual to have the necessary knowledge in all disciplines to successfully manage an organization.

If their plans are comprehensive, and if they contemplate large proportions, they must induce others to cooperate with them, before they can inject the necessary element of power. This power is the organized and intellectually directed knowledge that comes from intelligent people working in harmony for a common cause.

Running an organization is a very difficult undertaking. It is not for everyone. However, the development of a strong external and internal mastermind group with a commonality of purpose dramatically increases the chances of success and dramatically decreases the chances of mistakes.

I will leave you with one of my favorite passages from this book, “There exists a great unseen stream of power, which may be compared to a river, except that one side flows in one direction, carrying all who get into that side of the stream onward and upward to wealth – and the other side flows in the opposite direction, carrying all who are unfortunate enough to get into it downward to misery and poverty.”

“This stream of life consists of ones thinking process. The positive emotions of thought carry one to fortune and the negative side carries one down to poverty.”

“Poverty and riches often change places. When riches take the place of poverty, the change is usually brought through well conceived and carefully executed plans. Poverty needs no plan. It needs no one to aid it, because it is bold and ruthless. Riches are shy and timid. They have to be attracted.”

The Mystery of sex transmutation

Prequote - More gold has been mined from the thoughts of man than has ever been taken from the earth

As may be ascertained from the title, this was a very “interesting” chapter and one that is often misunderstood. Mr. Hill was not a sex monger or an advocate of polygamy. He believed that the human mind responds to stimuli through which it can be keyed up to high rates of vibration known as creative imagination. It was his contention that the leading stimulus is the desire for sex expression. He also believed that most if not all successful people were/are highly sexual and influenced by a person of the opposite sex.

However, to understand this chapter, you need to focus on the word --transmutation. The definition provided is “the changing or transferring of one element or form of energy, into another”. Within this definition lies the key to the chapter. It is not the sexual urge that Mr. Hill is touting as the stimulus, it is the ability to reroute this urge into the creative process. This is why he believes most men do not produce their best work until latter in life. Most young men can not control their urges. In his words, “the lives of many men reflect the continued dissipation of energies, which could have been more profitably turned into better channels.”

While this conversation of sex transmutation is interesting, I found his conversation of the sixth sense – Creative imagination and its correlation to genius to be the pearl of this chapter. Mr. Hill’s definition of Genius is “a person who has discovered how to increase the intensity of thought to the point where he can freely communicate with sources of knowledge not available through the ordinary rate of thought.” He contended that through natural or outside stimuli, the genus transmutes the power of the stimuli into this increased intensity of thought.

The ten stimuli identified that have the ability to increase creative imagination most freely were:

1. Desire for sex expression
2. Love
3. A burning desire for fame, power or money
4. Music
5. Friendship
6. Mastermind alliance
7. Mutual suffering
8. Auto-suggestion
9. Fear
10. Narcotics or alcohol

Eight of these stimuli are natural and constructive and two are destructive. Many examples were given of great works that were done under the influence of narcotics and alcohol. However, in almost every case, the genus was destroyed by these very stimuli.

The creative imagination is a power that the majority of people never use. It is the direct link between the finite mind and infinite intelligence. All discoveries of basic and new principles come from the realm of creative imagination.

Where do ideas come from? The new IBM commercial that shows people ideating keeps running through my mind. Mr. Hill believed that ideas come from four places:

1. Infinite intelligence
2. One’s subconscious mind wherein is stored all sense impression and thought impulse that ever reached the brain though the five senses
3. From the mind of someone else that has just released the thought, or picture of the idea or concept through conscious thought
4. From the other person’s subconscious storehouse.

To get to infinite intelligence, the mind is stimulated through one or more of the ten mind stimulants. This has the effect of lifting the individual far above the horizon of ordinary thought, and permits him to envision distance, scope, and quality of thoughts not available on the lower plane. While on this exalted plane of thought, the creative facility is given freedom of action. The way has been cleared for the sixth sense to function. It becomes receptive to ideas that could not reach the individual under any other circumstance.

As with any skill, the sixth sense becomes more receptive with use. Mr. Hill described the process used by one of the best inventors of our time. He had a room that was almost sound proof and arranged that all light could be shut out. Within this room was a table with a writing pad. The inventory called on his creative imagination by going into this room and concentrating upon the known factors of the invention. He remained in this position until ideas began to “flash” into his mind about the unknown factors of the invention. It sure sounds to me that he ideated.

This is the process of the creative mind. This method is available to all of us if we just know how to use it. In most instances that successful inventor will use some form of this process. They organize and combine known facts, ideas or principles accumulated through experience. If this knowledge is insufficient, they then draw on upon sources of knowledge available to him through their creative faculty. This is done by:

1. Stimulating the mind so it works on a higher plane
2. Concentrate on the known factors and create in your mind the perfect of the unknown factors. This picture is held in the mind until the subconscious mind takes over and the mind is cleared of all thought and the inventor waits for the answer to “flash” into his mind.

While this sounds very bizarre, we all know it works. Most of our best ideas come when we are relaxed and our mind is clear. Unfortunately, most the time we do not have the foresight to write these ideas down and they just fade away into oblivion until we see an invention similar to our idea.

Unfortunately, Ideation is becoming a thing of the past. Most of our inventions are objects that babysit our mind rather than spark creativity. It is incredible how much time is spent in front of TV, and video games. It is almost as if most people are afraid to spend time alone and challenge their brain to come up with solutions. They do not trust themselves to come up with solutions. The world or others owe them a good life an a solution to all of their difficulties.

As a business owner, this leads to working in the business as opposed to working on the business. In order to keep the business fresh, the owner must have the ability to get above the day to day issues and see the possibilities. Sometimes this involves reading. Sometimes this involves listening. Sometimes this involves discussions with trusted advisors. Sometimes it is just sitting and a room and thinking of all the possibilities. But regardless, it always involves getting out of the day to day issues and looking beyond the present. Ideation at certain levels can not and should not be replaced or undervalued.

Persistence

Prequote – No man achieves great success who is unwilling to make personal sacrifices

Mr. Hill identifies the four qualities necessary to develop persistence. They are:

1. Definiteness of purpose backed by a burning desire for its fulfillment
2. Definite plan expressed in continuous action
3. A mind closed tightly against all negative influences including negative suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances
4. A friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage one to follow through with both plan and purpose.

In looking at these four qualities, it makes me ponder what separates persistence from procrastination and how both can live and breathe in the same body. Why is it that certain actions get full attention and others “can always wait until tomorrow”? Could the answer be in the first quality of a “definiteness of purpose backed by a burning desire to fulfill it”?

We all have the tendency to gravitate to those activities we enjoy. Unfortunately, there often is not a correlation between what we enjoy what is necessary for success. Procrastination lives in all of us and continually calls for us to rationalize why immediate action is unnecessary.

In looking at this first quality, I wondered about the term “definiteness of purpose”. What is a definiteness of purpose and how does one go about getting one? Why is it that some people seem to know exactly what their “mission” is and others just let life control them? I am not a psychologist so I can not give academic answers to these questions. However, as a student of people, I can say unequivocally that a definiteness of purpose must come from within. Without internal conviction, there is little chance of igniting the burning desire and keeping it alive.

In order to find a definiteness of purpose it is important to keep an active mind and be aware of your passions and skills. Often, this definiteness of purpose is found where we least expect it. It often comes out of tragic events. It is all in our perspective and how we perceive these events. The important point is that definiteness of purpose will never come to those that do not continue the quest of finding that which sparks their passion.

Passion is the fuel that ignites the burning desire. However, once this desire is ignited, it is the definite plan that keeps the desire burning. I know of very few plans that do not require sacrifice, will not run into setbacks and do not need to be revised. All of these factors are contributory to procrastination. As they say; when the going gets tough, the weak can always finish the job tomorrow.

Procrastination is the very reason why the definiteness of purpose must be personal and why passion is required to light the burning desire. Nothing worth while comes for free and without sacrifice. By definition, a sacrifice is the surrender of something valued for the sake of something perceived as having a higher or more pressing claim.

Without a personal definiteness of purpose which is supported by a specific plan and fueled by passion, procrastination will seep into our lives and potentially destroy our ambitions. This trifecta is the secret of persistence. It is the driving force to success and the antidote for procrastination.

Mr. Hill mentioned the impact of negative influences and specifically the suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances. He stated that we should guard against those things that run contrary to our passions. This is why it is important to keep an active mind and be aware of your passions and surroundings. Who knows how many great ideas have been delivered stillborn because of the negativity and lack of imagination of these “confidants” who have never taken a risk in their lives.

I remember my own father, who I loved dearly, telling me that I should go into accounting because numbers always needed counting whether they were red or black. Wow that sure was a reason to pick a career. Unfortunately, my insight into my own passion was not developed and I took his advice. While I made a good living with my accounting education and it will always serve me well, it is not my passion.

You do not have to look any farther then any youth sports venue to find misdirected relatives and or coaches. What usually starts out as a love of a game turns into a child trying to please others. This almost always turns out bad. If the individual does not have the personal passion and desire to succeed, they will not be willing to make the necessary sacrifices. Their efforts are misdirected. The next step is usually the parent or coach forcing the individual to make the sacrifices. This turns into resentment and a dislike of the game they used to love. However, the biggest loss is the individual’s inability to focus on finding their true passion. While I have used sports in this analysis, it is prevalent in the arts, selection of career and any other area where people look for their passions.

While it is difficult to stand up to those we respect and believe they “have our best interest at heart”, an important component of finding your passion is to keep it your passion. However, once you have found your passion, it is just as important to find a support group or “mastermind group”. The roll of this group is to twofold. It is to be supportive and provide needed information and advice. In this roll the group will hold us accountable to our plan and provide suggestions on revisions. They will also demand we stay on task and be persistent in our endeavors. They act as a force field against procrastination.

The second role of these trusted advisor's is to be candid. Many times our passion overwhelms common sense. This is where a confidant with nothing to gain personally can provide valuable insight. They have the ability to see what our passion has blinded from us. The truth only comes to those that seek it.

Those who are persistent in reaching their goals defeat procrastination through the implementation of these four qualities rolled up in a blanket of passion. Without passion, we will end up on our couch watching those that have found the right venue for their passion to succeed.

Decision – The mastery of procrastination

Prequote - Conceit is a fog that envelops a man’s real character beyond his own recognition. It weakens his native ability and strengthens all his inconsistencies.

According to Mr. Hill, “lack of decision is near the head of the list of major causes of failure." "Procrastination, the opposite of decision, is a common enemy that practically every man must conquer.” “A study of successful people found that every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions quickly and of changing these decisions slowly.”

Many will take this to mean that these decisions were made without the proper amount of fact finding. This is not the case. Through the powers of organized planning and the mastermind group appropriate facts are accumulated. However, there is a point of diminishing return. The true leader will, at this point, step up, make a decision and stick to that decision.

It is important for the decision maker to use their own faculties to reach the decision. Close friends and relatives often feel compelled to give their “opinions” with "your best interest in mind". As stated by Mr. Hill, “Many people carry inferiority complexes through life because some well meaning and ignorant person destroyed their confidence through opinions and/or ridicule.”

One of the keys to success is the ability to make independent decisions. This does not mean that you do not solicit the assistance of those with more knowledge. It means those that you trust who possess more knowledge, become part of your mastermind group.

A decision maker must be a good listener and have the ability to filter information. If you talk more than you listen, you not only deprive yourself of the opportunity to acquire useful knowledge, but you also disclose your plans and purposes to people who could use that knowledge against you. It is better to tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it.

Finally, Mr. Hill provided the insight that the value of a decision is gauged by the courage necessary to make it. As an example, he recounted the story of the courage required by the 56 men who signed their name to the Declaration of Independence.

We all have life changing moments where the decisions we make will determine the road we take. The complete path of our lives is based on the decisions/choices we do or do not make. Most of these life changing decisions are made based on the price we are willing to pay for success. The signers of the Declaration of Independence were willing to give up their lives for their decision. The ultimate sacrifice.

I found the most interesting point of the chapter was Mr. Hill’s impression that the lack of decision making can be traced back to youth and the failure of the education system to incorporate the habits of good decision making. He stated that the result of this is that 98 of every 100 people are in their current profession because they lacked a definiteness of decision to plan a definite position and the knowledge to choose an employer.”

While I concur that the inability to make decisions can be traced back to youth, I do not believe that the educational system should shoulder all of the blame. The family structure is also a large contributor to the problem.

Parents always want to “give their children more than they had.” However, I see time and time again where this philosophy has hindered the youth’s decision making ability and promoted procrastination.

Many parents do not demand that their kids earn that for which they receive and the parents acquiesce too easily to that which their children want. This has led to an entitlement mentality and allowed the youth to abdicate their responsibilities back to parents. I feel comfortable in making these comments because I have followed this path and strongly believe I have done an injustice to my children.

It is important that we learn early that we are the captains of our own lives and that the decisions we make will have a great impact on the direction of that life. If I could change one thing in how I raised my children, it would be to require them to take more control of their decisions and not allow them to abdicate that responsibility back to my wife and me.

I would change our role from doer to advisor. I am very proud of my children, but they have led a blessed life that has allowed them to make mistakes without paying the immediate consequences of those mistakes. Life has a way of catching up and making you pay for your sins. My concern is that the long term consequence of not paying the immediate pertinence could be very detrimental to their future.

Put succinctly, we have devalued the decision making process by eliminating the courage component. We learn not only from our mistakes, but also from the consequences of those mistakes. If we do not learn this when we are young, we will have a tough time avoiding procrastination and making important decisions later in life.

THE PROCESS

In order to make good decisions, it is important that the decision maker call on the powers faith, desire, autosuggestion, specialized knowledge, imagination, organized planning and the mastermind group. It is difficult to make a good decision without an understanding of the desired outcome. This requires the decision maker to spend some time determining what they value and the path they will take get there.

I have found that most people are lazy and would rather have someone else tell them what is best. They talk to anyone that will listen and solicit opinions. Opinions are the cheapest commodity on earth. People with just a smattering of knowledge routinely try to give the impression that they have much knowledge. By abdicating our decisions to these undeserving assistants, we leave ourselves open for failure.

Often, the most courageous decision is to tell family and friends that they do not know what is best.

Only through a thorough self evaluation can the decision maker determine their passion. Following a path laid out by others is a sure recipe for an unfulfillied life. Once your passion has been uncovered, it is easier to use your imagination to develop an organized plan to achieve your stated goals. It is than easy to incorporate the power of autosuggestion to build the desire and faith necessary to make ultimate failure a remote probability. In addition, this focus on your passion will lead you to like minded people that will become your mastermind group.

In most cases, there is no such thing as having all the facts. Those that are paralyzed by indecision and/or are easily influenced by their surroundings will have a difficult time reaching their objectives.

Organized planning

Prequote – “Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it.”

Once an idea has been formulated, it cannot be activated without a definitive plan. Your achievement can be no greater than your plans are sound. According to Mr. Hill “no man is ever whipped until he quits – in his own mind and no one can succeed without temporary defeat. When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound.”

This chapter was very list driven. It starts out describing the process of building a Master Mind Group (MMG) and the importance of selecting the proper participants. It then concentrates on the qualities of a good leader and the major causes for leadership failure. It closes by reviewing why people fail to meet their potential, the importance of taking a self-inventory and a description of the components that should be included in this inventory.

Because of the nature of the content, I will hold my personal comments to a minimum and focus on the specific information Mr. Hill has so professionally articulated.

In the development of a plan, Mr. Hill believed that:

• To be of success, the paln must be faultless, and
• You must have the advantage of the experience, education native ability and imagination of other minds. No individual has all that is necessary to ensure the accumulation of that which you want without the cooperation of other people.

Therefore you must decide who to bring into your “Master Mind" Group (MMG). Mr. Hill believed that this was accomplished by:

1. Allying yourself with a group of as many people as may be needed for the creation and carrying out of your plan
2. Before forming the group, decide what advantages and benefits you may offer the individual members of your group in return for their cooperation. No one will work for inadequate compensation.
3. Arrange to meet with the members of your MMG at least twice a week until you have jointly perfected the necessary plan
4. Maintain harmony within the group. The Master Mind principle cannot obtain where perfect harmony does not prevail.
5. Once this group has been aligned, validation of the plan through constant testing and assessment are necessary. If the first plan does not work, replace it. Continue this process until you find a plan that does work.

Most fail because of a lack of persistence in creating new plans. No one can succeed with a plan that is not workable. Temporary defeat is not permanent failure. It just means the plan was not sound.

In developing the MMG, Mr Hill believed that you should only select those who do not take defeat seriously. As with any group, there will be those who decent and/or quit. It is at this point that the group needs a leader. You must decide if you are that leader or if you will abdicate the responsibility to one of the other members of the group. Most great leaders began as followers. They became great leaders because they were intelligent followers.

There are those that lead by consent and those that lead by force. Only those that lead by consent will have staying power and get the group to glean the power produced through cooperative synergy. The following are the attributes that Mr. Hill believed were important in a great leader:

1. unwavering courage based on knowledge of self and one’s occupation
2. Self-control – The man that can not control himself can never control others
3. Sense of Justice
4. Definite of Decision – without it, he shows he is not sure of himself
5. Definiteness of plans
6. Habit of doing more than is paid for – one of the penalties of leadership is the necessity of willingness to do more than is required of followers
7. Pleasing personality
8. Sympathy and understanding
9. Mastery of detail
10. Willingness to assume full responsibility
11. Cooperation – Leadership calls for power and power call for cooperation

In contrast, the following are the ten most common failures in leadership:

1. Inability to organize details
2. Unwillingness to render humble service – Willing to perform any service they would request of others.
3. Expectation of pay for what they know as opposed to what they do with what they know
4. Fear of competition from followers – More pay will be received from directing what others do than could ever be paid for ones own labor
5. Lack of imagination
6. Selfishness – A good leader gives praise to followers
7. Intemperance
8. Disloyalty
9. Emphasis on the “authority” of leadership – Leadership by force
10. Emphasis on title

This discussion of leadership took Mr. Hill to a introspective review of individuals and the determinants of success. He first reviewed the QQS system. This stands for:

Quality of service - attention to detail if the most efficient manner possible

Quantity of service – Rendering all the service that you are capable of at all times with the purpose of increasing the amount as greater skill is developed.

Spirit of service – This is the habit of agreeable, harmonious conduct which will induce cooperation from associates and fellow employees

The most important of the three is the Spirit of Service. A pleasing personality sometimes makes up for a deficiency in quality or quantity. Nothing however can be successfully substituted for pleasing conduct. The go-getter has been supplanted by the go-giver.

With all that has been conveyed so far, it is interesting that most people fail to attain that which they strive for. This is one of life’s biggest tragedy’s. Mr. Hill identified thirty one reasons for personal failure. However, the 31st was a catch-all for anything that was not included in the first thirty. They are:

1. Unfavorable heredity background – there is but little if anything that can be done for people who are born with a deficiency in brain power
2. Lack of a well defined purpose in life
3. Lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity
4. Insufficient education – Education consists not so much of knowledge, but of knowledge effectively and persistently applied
5. Lack of self discipline – Control all negative qualities
6. Ill health
7. Unfavorable environmental influences during childhood
8. Procrastination – Most of us go through life as failures cause we are waiting for the right time to act
9. Lack of persistence – Good starters not good finishers. Quit at first sign of failure
10. Negative personality – Will not induce cooperation
11. Lack of controlled sexual urge – sex energy is most powerful of all stimuli that move people to action. It must be controlled and converted into other channels
12. Uncontrolled desire for something for nothing
13. Lack of a well defined power of decision – Indecision and procrastination are twin brothers
14. One or more of the six basic fears
15. Wrong selection of a mate in marriage
16. Over caution – As bad as under caution. Those that take no chances must take what is left
17. Wrong selection of associates in business – We emulate those whom we associate most closely
18. Superstition and prejudice – Superstition is a form of fear and a sign of ignorance
19. Wrong selection of a vocation
20. Lack of concentration of effort
21. Habit of indiscriminate spending
22. Lack of enthusiasm
23. Intolerance – Usually means that one has stopped acquiring knowledge
24. Intemperance
25. Inability to cooperate with others
26. Possession of power that was not acquired through self effort
27. Intentional dishonesty
28. Egotism and vanity
29. Guessing instead of thinking
30. Lack of capital

All these years later, the quote at the end of this sdction in still relavent and in my mind, priceless insight. It should be read and understood by all. Mr. Hill stated, “You must know your strengths and weaknesses. It is one thing to want money – everyone wants more – but it is something else entirely to be worth more. Your financial requirements or wants have nothing to do with your worth. Your value is established entirely by your ability to render useful service or your capacity to induce others to render such service. “

To assist those that take this quote to heart, Mr. Hill provided a listing of 28 questions that can be used for an annual self analysis. Answering the questions is easy and will provide you with your perception of the truth. It becomes more difficult and exposing when coworkers and family are requested to validate your perceptions.

The 28 questions are:

1. Have I attained my goals for the year?
2. have I delivered service of the best possible quality?
3. Have I delivered in the greatest quantity possible?
4. Has the spirit of on conduct been harmonious and cooperative?
5. Have I permitted the habit of procrastination to decrease my productivity and if so, how much?
6. Have I improved my personality?
7. Have I been persistent in pursuing my plans?
8. Have I reached decisions promptly and definitely?
9. Have I permitted any one or more of the six fears to decrease my efficiency
10. Have I been over or under cautious?
11. Has my relationship with associates been pleasant? If not, has the fault been mine?
12. Have I dissipated any of my effort through a lack of concentrated effort?
13. Have I been open minded?
14. In what way have I improved my rendering of service?
15. Have I been intemperate with my habits?
16. Have I expressed any form of egotism?
17. Has my conduct toward associates been such as to induce them to respect me?
18. have my opinions and decisions been based on guesswork?
19. Have I followed the habit of budgeting my time?
20. How much time have I devoted to unprofitable effort?
21. How may I re-budget my time and change my habits to be more efficient?
22. Have I been guilty of any conduct that was not approved by my conscience?
23. In what ways have I rendered more service and better service then I was paid?
24. Have I been unfair to anyone?
25. If I had been the purchaser of my services, would I have been satisfied?
26. Am I in the right vocation?
27. Has the purchaser of my services been satisfied?
28. What is my present rating on the fundamental principles of success?

There is but one method of accumulating and legally holding riches and that is by rendering useful services. No system has ever been created by which men can legally acquire riches through mere force of numbers, or without giving in return an equivalent value of one form or another. The system does not and cannot promise something for nothing because the system, itself, is irrevocably controlled by the law of economics, which neither recognizes nor tolerates for long, getting without giving.

Imagination

Prequote – Happiness is found in doing, not merely possessing

According to Mr. Hill, imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man.

I again go back to the difference between being “in the groove” and being in “a rut”. Is it possible that the missing magic ingredient is imagination? Why is it acceptable to stop the creation process? Further, is it allowable to be creative in one portion of our lives and not in others?

I have observed, and I do not believe many would disagree, that children are blessed with incredible imaginations. I will never forget when my daughter at the age of ten informed me of the ride she had experienced in the corvette of one of my friends. Her story was so vivid. I could almost see the breeze blowing in her hair and the smile on her face. She described the route they had experienced and the awesome feeling of speed. I was so happy for her. There was only one problem. The wonderful ride had never happened. It was pure unencumbered imagination. Some would call this an unadulterated lie. I called it incredible. It also made me wonder why my imagination was in park. I could not remember the last time I had allowed myself the opportunity to use my creative talents.

Throughout life we are peppered with facts and figures and the “correct answer”. Please think of all the things we would not have in our lives if creative types had stayed “within the lines”.

An education and a career should ignite the creative juices. I would contend that in most cases it does just the opposite. We are taught how to conform and provide our prospective employers what they are looking for. Maybe, just maybe, these employers do not know what they are really looking for. Maybe, just maybe, it is up to the young and ambitious that have not had their creative juices thwarted by years of “that is not the way we do it” to teach us where we should be spending our money and energy.

While this is an interesting thought, why does it rarely happen? I believe it is because these young and energetic future leaders have not, for the most part, been allowed to exercise their influence or they have chosen not to.

Take the job selection process. The process has not changed much from the days when I graduated. Resumes are written that basically say “Please give me the chance to start at the bottom of your organization.” Visits to the placement office to see which Company’s will visit. This is the universe. If Companies do not visit, they do not exist. Signing up for those that look good and some cursory research. Finally, praying that someone will find us worthy of employment. This is not always the case, but for the most part it is the rule.

Mr. Hill did not believe this was the proper method of determining our future. He believed that it was important to study companies and determine the one that you believe is the best fit. Once this was determined, perform detailed analysis to ascertain exactly the value you would bring to that company. This analysis would then be transcribed into a definite, detailed plan on how it would be implemented. It was than sent to the decision maker and followed up. If there was more than one company, a different plan was sent to each company.

Again, it is important to understand that this book is over 80 years old. Maybe now it is not as easy to get to the decision maker. This brings us back to imagination. If we go about looking for our first substantial employment in a generic mundane manner, what message does that send? We still must find a way to stand out from the crowd. What can the prospective employee do? Internships, networking, early identification and research on their target – would any of these things work?

Most companies get more applications for employment than they could ever give justice. This means that most applications get a cursory review and are passed over. Applicants have a snapshot to get attention. If the best we can do is use thicker or different color paper, our efforts are woefully lacking. Imagination brings differentiation.

Mr. Hill states “Mans only limitation lies in his development and use of imagination”

It has taken me too much time to realize that the structure of most companies and educational institutions are not conducive to the development of imagination. We lay out exactly what is expected and dissuade active participation. More often then not we want to prove we are right rather that ask the questions “What do you think” or “How did you come to that conclusion.

If given the chance, most individuals will take the easy road rather than the road that requires the magic of imagination. There is rarely a day that goes by that I do not have someone state “I do not know how to do this” or “we have a problem.” It is easier to upward delegate the problem than it is to kick start the imagination and come up with a proposed solution.

The pre-quote from the chapter on specialized knowledge stated that “every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. By precluding the use of imagination, companies and educational institutions are robbing our next leaders of this greater benefit. We are not allowing them to learn from their mistakes and demanding the development of their imagination.

However, the blame is not all with Companies and the education system. It is my opinion that the joys of reading and writing are in danger of becoming lost talents. The use of video games, computers, cell phones and television as babysitters has created a generation that does not see the value of reading and writing. Granted, for some, these "distractions" have sparked the creative jucies, but most are inactive participants in the passing of time. There is little if any educational value transmuted.

The creative faculty becomes more alert in proportion to its development through use. The converse of this fact is that nonuse of this faculty leads to cynicism of ones ability to change ones position in life and resignation. One day becomes just like another and all that is wrong is happening to us by forces outside of our control.

All good things start with an idea which is an impulse of thought. Mix in a definiteness of purpose that trasmutes in to a passion and all things are possible.

Specialized Knowledge

Prequote: "Every Adversity, Every Failure, and Every Heatache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a grater benefit"

Specialized Knowledge

It is said that knowledge is power. This is not exactly correct. Knowledge is only power if it is intelligently directed through practical plans of action. In looking into the quality of knowledge, Mr. Hill determined that it could be bifurcated into general knowledge and specialized knowledge.

General knowledge is of little use unless it can not be transmuted into practical action. I have always been dumbfounded by individuals that offer up incredible volumes of information that is nice to know, but adds no value to their life. They are the Cliff Clavens of the world.

I recently read an article about a gentleman that was an MIT graduate. He was able to recite the statistics of sports teams with amazing accuracy. While this information was impressive on its own; it adds no value to life. However, that is not where this gentleman stopped. He used this information to handicap games and assisted teams in making draft selections. He has become one of the experts in this field. He was able to take general knowledge and transform it into specialized knowledge. He is now making a very handsome living doing what he enjoys

In looking at specialized knowledge, there are a couple of real fallacies. Most people believe that it necessary to go to college to become an educated person and for those that follow the path to a university, many believe the education process ends at graduation.

Unfortunately, there are a multitude of examples of the first fallacy in most institutions of higher learning. These are the professors concerned with tenure who have never been in the workforce or applied the principles they expound in the class room. Many of these are on “autopilot” and cruising to retirement. Unfortunately, they lack passion. The victims of this tragic comedy are the students that believe they are being prepared for the real world.

In another article I read about the fundamental failure of the American education system when compared to the Chinese and Indian systems. In China and India, the focus of the family is on education. The real competition is to be the best in specialized fields such as math and science. In America we focus on our children being the best in athletics. We spend a fortune on getting lessons for sports and then send our children to “free” public education. Even the amount of time our kids spend in classes is less than both India and China.

Each fall we witness the parade of kids going off to college at a cost of many thousand dollars a year and they do not have a clue of what they want to do. They have not found their passion. Why. In my case I did to little as a parent to motivate my children to this end.

Mr. Hill states “an educated man is one who has developed the facilities of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants or its equivalent without violating the rights of others.” Please note that the words college or university education are never mentioned in this definition of educated. In fact, we all know examples of people that we believe are educated that never finished college. Thomas Edison had but 3 months of organized education and Henry Ford had less than a sixth grade education. Granted, it is tougher to succeed today with this level of education, but not impossible. Mr. Gates is ample proof.

My point is not that a college education is a waste. It is that education for no other purpose but the accumulation of general knowledge is pointless. Higher education should be a tool for acquiring specialized knowledge to facilitate the transmutation of a passion into a predetermined benefit. For this to be the case, we need to focus our thoughts on determining our passions and direct our activities to complement these passions. Through these activities the necessary specialized knowledge will become apparent.

The final point with regard to higher education was very profoundly stated by Mr. Hill. He noted that “the truth is that schooling does little more than to put one in the way of learning how to acquire practical knowledge. The person that stops learning at the end of the schooling is destined to mediocrity.”

After several years in the workforce, it has been my observation that the key to success is the continued activation of the human mind. I recently listened to a class on selling by Jeffrey Gitimer. I had to laugh when he described the three levels of life. According to Mr. Gitimer, we start out with excitement and energy on our path to success we call this, “being in the groove.” We then get into a routine and minimize our quest for knowledge and end up in what we call “a rut.” Finally, we stay in that rut until our life is dull and pointless and we end up in “a grave”. All three stages are crevasses only differentiated by depth. The keys to staying "in the groove" are imagination and continuing the education process.

Mr. Hill went on to state, “Power is acquired through highly organized and intelligently directed specialized knowledge, but that knowledge does not have to be in the possession of just one man. The man who can organize & direct a mastermind group who possess knowledge useful in the specific endeavor is just as much a man of education as any man in the group.”

In most endeavors, those that are successful are able to meld mastermind groups into cohesive teams. Through the fusion of each members specialized knowledge, the creativity and overall knowledge base grows exponentially. However, working with groups brings a whole new set of difficulties. This is the reason that the successful leader must acquire specialized knowledge regarding the psychology of people in general and teams in particular.

The final thought was again the principle that we are the products of our own habits and those we decide to associate with. Mr. Hill stated, “We rise to high positions or remain at the bottom because of conditions we can control if we so desire. Both success and failure are largely the results of habits and the close association with those who refuse to compromise with circumstances they do not like is an asset that can never be measured in terms on money.




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Autosuggestion

Preceding Quote: A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits

Autosuggestion is the medium for influencing the subconscious mind.

Mr. Hill began the chapter on autosuggestion with the following comments:

“Autosuggestion is the term which applies to all suggestions and all self administered stimuli that reach ones mind through the five senses. Stated another way, autosuggestion is self-suggestion.”

“Through the dominating thoughts that one permits to remain in the conscious mind, the principle of autosuggestion voluntarily reaches the subconscious mind and influences it with these thoughts.”

We are bombarded throughout the day with so much information. It is actually amazing that our mind has the ability to remember anything. It is even more amazing that we have the ability to filter that which we want to remember. The conscious mind works as a gate keeper for the subconscious mind and only allows in that which we believe or are convinced is important. The conscious mind does not however differentiate negative from positive and it is obvious that not everyone exercises their ability to control what reaches their subconscious mind.

A perfect example of negative autosuggestion defeating the benefits of the subconscious mind is the impact of working with someone possessing a negative attitude. It is nearly impossible to remain positive when you are working next to someone that continually complains. In this case, the autosuggestion sent to the subconscious mind is negative and usually trumps any and all positive thoughts. This is why one naysayer can be destructive to the common goal of a team. It is important to either turn the negative attitude around or quickly extract the poison from the team

Those that desire to influence their subconscious mind with positive goals and desires enlist the power of autosuggestion. In the chapter on Desire, the six steps for getting what you desire were presented. Autosuggestion is the engine which fuels this process.

This process is very specific. It requires:

• that the item of your desire be stated in very specific terms
• that you define the exact price you are willing to pay and then
• set a definite timetable for its accomplishment.
• Once this has been completed, the system requires that a definite written plan for carrying out your desire be completed. This plan must include the specific description of that which is desired, the price you are willing to pay and the exact timetable.

The last step is where the power of autosuggestion is woven into the process. The system requires that you read the written statement aloud twice a day; once when rising in morning and just before retiring in the evening. However, reading alone is not sufficient. It is important to enlist the power of emotion and imagination. “Your subconscious mind recognizes and acts only upon thoughts that are well mixed with emotion and feeling.” In short, you must believe that your desire is within your reach and that you deserve to have it.

I believe the underlying message of this system is that you are the master of your own mind and your dreams and aspirations. It is a personal choice to control your thoughts and guard against the dark side called negativity. It is so easy to blame others or circumstances for your own shortcomings. It takes courage to decide that you are what you are because of the choices you make.

I recently was again reminded that even disciples of this system are not immune to the dark side. I personally made a choice to give my daughter total control of her preparation for the SAT exam. I did not “check in” to make sure she was on track. The result is not one I am proud of. At first I blamed her, the schools and anyone else I could think of. Finally I realized that it was my choice and that this choice could potentially harm my daughter. By taking responsibility, I granted myself the power to change the final result. I became engaged in her preparation and we will celebrate her success.

This morning my daughter and I discussed our new challenge and implemented a plan based on the six step system. She set her specific stretch goal for this exam. We discussed the process and time that would be necessaryand she committed to the price she was willing to pay. Her initial time frame is May 3, 2008. This is the next date the test is being offered. Finally, she has scribed this plan in her journal and committed to reading it out loud at least twice a day. I have done the same. Together we will build the vision of her success and begin to visualize this reality. Through the power of autosuggestion, we will train our subconscious mind to accept nothing less than success.

Please note that while we did devise a plan, I am certain that it is not perfect and that it will change. We did not allow this to hinder us from beginning. It has been said that the implementation of an average plan is far superior to a great plan not acted upon.

This process brought me to an interesting revelation. My daughter and I implemented the system as a team. This system is not just for individuals, it is for any entity that wants to succeed. The key to success for any entity; whether an individual, a team or a Company, is a specific goal that is always at the forefront of thought. By continually reinforcing this goal by the power of autosuggestion, the vision of the goal becomes reality and failure becomes impossibility. As a negative thought can destroy positive karma in an individual, a negative participant can infect the positive synergy of a team.

Faith

Preceding quote: There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge. Both Poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.

Before I write on the subject of Faith, I want to make it clear that I am not discussing Faith in its religious terms and do not intend to get into a deeper conversation on the topic. Although I believe Mr. Hill did attempt to make this correlation.

Hill believes that Faith is a state of mind that may be induced or created by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind through the principle of autosuggestion. This is the only known method of voluntary development of the emotion of faith.

He explains that any impulse of thought that is repeatedly passed on to the subconscious mind is finally accepted and acted upon by the subconscious mind which proceeds to translate that impulse into it's physical equivalent. From this statement it is apparent that the subconscious mind will translate into its physical equivalent a thought impulse of a negative or destructive nature just as readily as it will act upon thought impulses of a positive or constructive nature.

Hill is a firm believer that people who believe they are doomed to poverty and failure because of some strange force over which they have no control are actually the creators of their own misfortunes because of their negative beliefs which are picked up by the subconscious mind.

As discussed in my previous post on desire, the six step formula for transmuting desire into its physical equivalent has a better chance of success if the plan is specifically written out and read out loud at least twice daily.

Faith is the reason that these two steps are so important. The world is full of negativity. This dark karma can easily taint the subconscious mind and ruin any well thought out plan. Only by dedication to a definite of purpose and constant positive affirmation can the subconscious mind stay the course to deliver the physical equivalent we desire.

There are scores of examples where success has been pulled from the jaws of failure. Faith is the only known antidote for failure.

No plan will ever go exactly as envisioned forever. There will be setbacks and “issues”. This is the time when those with little or no faith give up. The subconscious mind makes no distinction between constructive and destructive thought impulses. It works with the material we feed it though our thought impulses. It will translate into reality a thought driven by fear just as readily as one driven by courage or faith.

Mr. Hills analogy was “Like the wind that carries one ship east and another west, the law of autosuggestion will lift you up or pull you down according to the way you set your sails of thought”

Mr Hill offers the following verse to describe the power of autosuggestion:

If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don't
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begin's with a fellow's will-
It's all in the state of mind

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
you've got to think high to rise,
You've to to be sure of yourself before
You can ever min a prize

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN.

Desire

Preceding Quote: Whatever the human mind can conceive and believe it can achieve

It is Mr. Hills belief that Desire is the starting point of all Achievement. By having a definite goal, placing all your energy, all your willpower, all your effort, everything in back of that goal, you can turn desire into the burning obsession of your life.

The core of the "secret" to transmuting the desire for riches into its physical equivalent consists of six definite, practical steps. They are:

• Fix in your mind the exactly what you desire. It is not sufficient to think in generalities. Be definite as to that which you desire.
• Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for your desires. (there is no such reality as "something for nothing"
• Establish a definite date when you intend to possess your desires.
• Create a definite plan for carrying out your desires, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
• Write out a clear concise statement of your desires, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
• Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. As you read - see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of that which you desire.

These steps were scrutinized by Thomas Edison who placed his stamp of approval upon them as being, not only the steps essential for the accumulation of money, but for the attainment of any goal.

These steps should not be revelations. For years I have watched athletes utilize this process. This is the beauty of competition. It provides the perfect incubator for us to perfect our skills.
Whether competing on a team or individually, the desire begins with the establishment of a goal. This is a specific goal as in "I want to be the best in this specific event".

In these competitions, the definite date when possession of your goal will become reality is normally established by outside forces. Competitions happen on specific dates.

This is a true benefit. This definite time horizon assists the novice dreamer in determining what they are willing to give in return for their desires. For example, the girl’s state swimming championship is normally the second weekend of February. That means that a person with the desire to win the championship in an individual event has approximately 11 months to train. This allows them to work backwards and design a training regiment to transmute this desire into a State Championship. This plan will include both the necessary physical and mental requirements.

It will become apparent very quickly the “sacrifices” that will need to be made. Nothing worth having comes without a price. There will be hours spent in the pool when friends are doing other things that would be more fun in the moment. There will be times when friends and family will tempt them with comments like “It is only one practice, what can it hurt?”

In so many instances, the difference between those who attain their goals and those that fall short lies in the last two steps of the formula.

Those that succeed write out their specific goals with the time frame, what they are willing to give in return and the plan for attainment. They then use this written plan as a tool. It is never out of their mind. By reading this plan out loud at least twice a day and visualizing possession of that which is desired, they invoke the powers of faith and auto-suggestion. Incredibly, their mind will begin to believe that it is already in possession of the coveted desire.

A sophomore boy, Kyle Whitaker beat a state record in the 200 Individual Medley this past year. There were many in the state that thought this record would never be broken. Not Kyle. Mr Whitaker was quoted in the paper the day after the state meet as saying “the race went almost exactly how I had visualized it.” Though this and several other comments, it was apparent that Mr. Whitaker had implemented the power of the six steps.

In the words of Mr Hill, “Wishing will not bring riches, but desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, planning definite ways and means to acquire riches and backing those plans with persistence, which does not recognize failure, will bring riches.” “The application of these steps does call for sufficient imagination to enable one to see and to understand that accumulation cannot be left to chance, good fortune and luck.” “You can never have riches in great quantities unless you can work yourself into a white heat of desire and actually believe you will possess it.”

Why is it that so many young athletes understand and implement the power of desire and so many grown adults can not implement this power in their professional and personal lives?

Think and Grow Rich

For the next 12 days, I am going to take one chapter of the book “Think and grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and discuss the contents.

This book was published in 1937 after over 20 years of research. Mr. Hill was urged by Andrew Carnegie to study the exceedingly successful and wealthy men of the time and write a book on the "secret" of making money.

In a latter chapter of “Think and Grow Rich”, Mr. Hill mentions that this secret is not just for making money. When questioned on why his focus was on money, he responded that people are paralyzed with the fear of poverty and that this fear limits their abilities to sustain their spirits. He readily admits that there are riches that can not be measured in terms of dollars, but if we are driven by this fear of poverty, we will be unable to implement the teachings. Therefore, Mr. Hill focused on the pursuit of money, fully aware that the secret is the key to anything the human heart could desire.

A quick glance at the title of the book and the titles of the chapters gives a profound clue as to the nature of the “secret”. The titles of the chapters are:

Desire
Faith
Autosuggestion
Specialized knowledge
Imagination
Organized planning
Decision
Persistence
Power of the master mind
The mystery of sex transmutation
The subconscious mind
The brain
The sixth sense
The six ghosts of fear

Isn’t it amazing how the “secret to success” has not changed over time.

Cooperation

Napoleon Hill stated "No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to ensure the accumulation of a great fortune without the cooperation of other people.”

We recently brought thirteen exceedingly dedicated associates together for an off site strategic planning meeting. Our purpose was to determine the direction of the Company through direct questioning, specifically designed exercises and constant interaction.

At first the personalities of the participants played out as anticipated. However, as the process and time progressed, the group morphed into its own entity. We began to feed off of each other. The thought process was awesome. We seemed to relearn the importance of precise communication and respect for our customers, vendors and fellow Guardians.

For the first time in several years, I was feeling the sprit of the “Guardian”. The commitment and dedication to the success of the entity “Sign Craft” was alive and well. We took the time to have empathy for our fellow Guardians and to respect the knowledge and talents they bring to the Company. In addition, we made a pact to hold each other accountable.

In order for Sign Craft to ensure the accumulation of a great fortune, the combined experience, education, native ability, and knowledge of each Guardian must be working in concert to deliver a product to our Stakeholders that meets or exceeds the value they anticipate.

A special thanks goes out to all who participated in our journey with added kudos to our facilitator. You all did an amazing job in setting the course for this Company. We must all now band together to make it happen. Remember, an average plan put into action is better than a brilliant plan that is not acted upon.

Born without eyes

I normally do not watch the show Extreme Home Makeover. I can not tolerate being yelled at. I understand that this is a gimmick and the show does great things, but personally it gets in the way of the message.

That small pet peeve aside, I was blessed to watch the show last night. For those that missed the show, copy the link at the bottom and select the Hughes Family.

The show demonstrated so well the benefits of the power of choice over resignation. The Hughes' are obviously very special people who refused to surrender to the injustices of life. When their first son, Patrick Henry, was born, the doctors stated that there were a "multitude of anomalies".

I remember when my son was born; I was hypersensitive to the words and actions of the docs and nurses. A comment like “multiple anomalies” would have made my anxiety level ring the bell.

As it turned out, Patrick Henry was born without eyes and his arms and legs were not capable of full extension. His parent’s initial reaction was predictable. According to Mrs. Hughes, she stayed up at night and thought of all the things her son would not be able to do.

I strongly believe that this is a necessary part of the healing process. However, so many never get past this “stage". They continue to wonder what they did to deserve a “disabled” child and how will they possibly cope.

This is the point where the words and actions of the family began to impact me.

Mr. Hughes stated that he and his wife came to the realization that this is what they had been handed and it was time to get to work. They were determined to give their son the same chances they would give an able bodied child. Mrs. Hughes stated that they did not hide or coddle him. They put him out there and pushed him to be outgoing. They did not dwell on the handicaps.

Mr. Hughes took a nighttime job so he could spend time with his son. Since he could not play ball with his son, he exposed him to music. This mutual admiration for music created a bond between father and son and music quickly became the center of Patrick Henry’s life. He plays the piano, trumpet and writes music. He learned to focus on his strengths and make the best of what he had.

In watching this show I believe that most would concentrate on Patrick Henry, and deservedly so. He is an incredible human being. However, my focus was on the parents.

The choices they made when Patrick Henry was born totally impacted the life their son is now enjoying. By not allowing negativity to rule their life, they created an environment where young Patrick Henry would be confident in his abilities and his place in this world.

In addition, many would talk of the sacrifices the parents made for their son. Not the Hughes. They believe they are blessed. While this may be true, I think they created their own blessing by making the choice to build an environment that was filled with love, but did not coddle their son. They pushed him to learn and use the assets he had and not focus on those he did not have. Most importantly they were there as his support system.

The Hughes’ are givers, not takers. At the end of the show it went almost unnoticed that Mr Hughes stated that the house is something that the family will continue to earn, they will continue to give back. That absolutely floored me.

At the end of the show, Patrick also made a couple of very profound statements.

• “God made me blind and unable to walk. Big Deal” and
• “My message to not only people my age but to everybody is that it doesn't matter what types of disabilities you are born with or the problems you face on a day to day basis, if you set your mind to achieving a goal, than you can do it.”

Now is that an attitude.

It is so easy for us to make excuses for not achieving our goals. Sometimes it takes the actions of people like the Hughes to show us the lameness of our efforts.

http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing?lid=ABCCOMGlobalMenu&lpos=FEP

Money’s impact on choices

It is interesting to me how money changes the dynamics of the choices we make.

We are currently in a transaction with another Company that has turned sour. I understand that I am very biased in this discussion, but the point is not who is right or wrong, it is the frame of mind in which the parties enter the negotiations.

The president of the other company is convinced that he is right and is unwilling to discuss anything other than the fact that he and his Company were wronged. For arguments sake, let’s assume that he is correct (which he is not). Let’s look at the positive choices he could have made:

1. Before the transaction, he could have provided the customer with such good customer service that they would never even think of going to another vendor. Keeping in touch with the needs and expectations of the customer is paramount in any business transaction.

2. He could have called his team together to review what happened and learned from the transaction.

3. He could take the information he learned from number 2 above and redesign his process to assure it would not happen again.

4. If he found in his review that they did everything right, he could write a letter or have a conversation with the customer explaining the value they brought to the transaction and request another chance.

5. He could understand that business and life are not fair, learn from the transaction and go get more business.

6. He could quit looking at it as a transaction and start looking at it as a relationship that needs to be protected and cherished.

Now let’s look at the negative choices that he could make:

1. He could call the customer and whine about how he was wronged.

2. He could call a lawyer to teach the @&#*^Q(%’s a lesson they will not soon forget.

3. He can be closed minded and not learn from the process.

4. He could blame another party for his misfortune and penalize them for his perceived wrongdoing. In this circumstance, he cannot possibly be enjoyable to be around. In addition, his anger will be a cancer to all around him and eventually it will infect all levels of his organization. This negativity will become the culture of the Company.

Unfortunately for all involved, he may make all four of the negative decisions. It will be his and his Company's loss. They have the potential to lose financially, but more importantly, culturally. Positive energy can not manifest itself in a negative environment.

It is my belief that this “gentleman” would have acted differently if this transaction did not have dollar signs attached to it. He started counting his money before he earned it. By giving your customer value before, through and after the transaction, you lock them up and they become an annuity. More importantly they become your advocates and you do not have to sell. They do it for you.

Teenage Attitude

“Your Attitude determines your altitude”

While I am not sure who coined this quote, I have had the privilege to meet the young lady that has brought it to life.

When Christina walks down a hall, she leaves a stream of smiles on the faces of all she passes. Her internal joy for living could not possibly be contained within her petite frame. It demands exposure. While others need a stimulus to be happy, not Christina…she is the stimulus.

Bringing joy to those around her is not her intent; it is just an added bonus she gives to the world.

At a very young age Christina learned that her attitude is her choice and she decided to love herself and enjoy life. She has had as many setbacks as those that choose to whine about life’s inequities; she just looks for ways to make them tolerable, if not enjoyable.

This weekend Christina led a group of girls into battle against the power house that is Carmel girls swimming. Although Carmel has an unbelievable string of State Championships (I think 21 prior to this year), the Southeastern Girl’s swim team believed in their chances of unseating the reigning champions. It is my belief that the fear of Southeastern, brought the Carmel team together for an incredible state meet performance.

The amazing part of the meet for me however was the maturity and spirit shown by the Southeastern girls. They may not have won the meet, but they swam and dived fantastically and enjoyed the moment. I took several photos and it was very apparent that the team morphed itself into a group of Christina’s. They took joy in each others successes and sympathized with those that did not meet their goals. Most of all, they enjoyed the camaraderie of their peers. This team will miss Christina in the pool but even more out of the pool.

I recently had a father of a fellow swimmer state that Christina gives him better hugs than his own kids. I could not agree more. While most kids have a goal to make millions of dollars, Christina’s goal is to make millions of people smile. She may have to change that “M” to a “B”. I think she has already made millions smile.

She also has a mission to find someone as “cool as her”. That will be very difficult. With several years head start, I have found very few in that class. Christina, I cannot thank you enough for the gift of your friendship.

Preparation

"In sales, or any business effort, or career position, the person who will emerge victorious most of the time, is the person who wants it the most. The victory we call success goes to the best prepared. It appears that there are very few people who are willing to put forth the effort to get from where they are to where they want to be. Most make excuses and blame others for their own poor choices" (Jeff Gitomer)

I could not state this any clearer. It continues to amaze me how often I hear of all the obstacles to success rather than the steps necessary to succeed. It is prudent when mapping the road to success to outline the barriers; however, this is only to develop plans to circumvent these challenges. It is not to build these threats into the 300 pound gorilla hiding in the closet with the sole intent to assure our demise.

This is a very important point. If we do not have a map and a vision of success, we can not possibly move from where we are to where we want to be.

Once we have that road map, we must make the choice that we will put in the preparation time to assure success. Recently, my daughter learned a new dive. She was so excited. When the next competition came, she attempted this dive with less than stellar results. She could not believe how much harder it was to execute the dive in competition. After the meet, she was able to successfully throw the dive several times.

The next day in practice, her coach had her throw the dive 30 times. She did not like it and came home and stated that he was punishing her for missing it in the meet. She obviously missed the point. Her coach understands that the road to success is through hard work, repetition and patience. By continually working on the proper mechanics of this dive in practice, she will be able to have her mind and body take over in competition.

The difficult part of this equation is that in this continual practice of the proper mechanics, there will be numerous bad dives. Most people would call these mistakes or failures. I prefer to call them learning experiences.

More is learned from mistakes than successes and many times more opportunities come out of adversity.

Financial Crisis Lessons

“He who is aggressive when things are dicey sometimes comes out ahead. The bank that pulls in its horns and doesn’t want to do anything is going to miss out” (Mike Renninger)

As with the rest of the country, the financial institutions in our area have been beaten down by the credit crises. These institutions are faced with some incredibly difficult decisions that could make or break their future. However, the structure of most of these decisions was made long ago. The strength of the institutions balance sheet will determine whether they can be a hunter or will be hunted.

By making sound decisions when all around them were driven by greed, certain financial institutions can now aggressively go after value opportunities in the market. In addition, they do not have the black eye of bad press on their lending loss write-offs.

Oh the beauty of a strong balance sheet. With it, you have opportunities. Without it you have many sleepless nights. The opportunities certain financial institutions will enjoy in the near future are the byproduct of good choices made in the past. These choices will allow them to add to their war chest at bargain prices.

This phenomenon is not isolated to the financial institutions. Every business goes through ups and downs. It is important to make good choices in both the good times and the “bad”. By evaluating market conditions, industry trends, competitors, products and many other factors, companies can get a competitive advantage.

It is interesting. I seem to find that those that are conservative during good times and aggressive during down times seem to get the advantage.

The Beginning

I sometimes feel that I am a person in conflict and for some unknown reason, I believe that I am not alone.

The world is full of choices. From the minute we get up until the minute we lay our heads down to attempt to go to sleep, we consciously or unconsciously make choices. I am a firm believer that we are the portraits of the choices we make in life.

Our successes and failures are based on the choices we make on a minute by minute basis.

WOW. What pressure! How can anyone deal with the realization that every second they are making a choice and it could materially change the outcome of their life.>>>WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD.

Each day I will look at something that happens in my life and evaluate the choice that I (or someone close to me) made and how that choice impacted me (or me and the other person).