I know, I know…I’ve been a little light on blog posts for the past few weeks (as in I haven’t written any). I’ll get back in the swing soon, I promise. In the meantime, here’s something for your listening pleasure: an episode of my Blog Talk Radio program about Steven Pressfield’s new book “Do the Work” (which is brilliant, by the way…if you haven’t read it, go get your copy now!)
A friend reminded me the other day of the parable (variously attributed to Alexander the Great, Cortes and others) of the adventurer who, on landing on the shores of his destination, burned his ships to send a message to his men that there was no turning back. She had recently had a “ship-burning” moment of her own and was at the same time ecstatic and nervous.
I had mine last Wednesday, and I know exactly what she’s talking about.
You see, setting the ships on fire is fun: you get to play with matches and lighter fluid, which is always a good time. It’s only when you’re standing on the shore, watching the flames engulf every last scrap of wood, that you get the sinking, “Oh shit!” feeling in your stomach and begin to wonder if you did the right thing and whether you remembered to pay the insurance premium this month.
Don’t get me wrong; I know that burning the ships was the right thing to do. If I hadn’t, I don’t think I’d ever have broken away from some of the things that have been holding me back. I’m simply acknowledging the fear, owning it, staring it in its ugly face, getting ready to let it go.
Neil Senturia is not your typical…well, he’s not your typical anything, at least as far as I can tell from his new book I’m There for You, Baby – The Entrepreneur’s Guide to the Galaxy, Volume 1 (WARNING: affiliate link). What I can tell you for certain, though, is that Mr. Senturia knows how to tell a story.
I haven’t had this much fun reading a book since I was a kid reading They Shoot Canoes, Don’t They? by Patrick McManus (yep, another affiliate link…sorry, but it’s just easier than logging out of Amazon). I don’t often laugh out loud when I read business books, but this one had me chuckling, snickering and, occasionally, guffawing (I may have just made that word up…sorry about that). Even better, I learned a thing or two along the way.
The book is a series of stories built around The Baby Rules, a set of entrepreneurial truisms culled from Senturia’s experiences as a real estate mogul, venture capitalist, Hollywood writer and all around deal-making addict. But don’t make the mistake of believing everything you read; Rule #109 states “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.” Senturia’s grasp of the ridiculous, his razor-sharp wit, and his blunt-force-trauma style of truth-telling make for a great read.
One of my favorite lessons, and one that made me stop and think about my own journey, is Rule #19: “Entrepreneurs do not do it for the fame or fortune – they do it for revenge.” I’ve been thinking about that one ever since I read it; it’s been dogging my steps, haunting my sleep, and generally driving me nuts for weeks.
When I first got my preview copy of Guy Kawasaki’s “Enchantment” (yes, I got a free copy, and yes, that’s an affiliate link), I wasn’t sure what to expect. I don’t really know that much about Guy, and I haven’t read any of his other books (sorry Guy). I knew he was something of a big deal on Twitter and that he was the guy (no pun intended) behind Alltop.com, but that was about it.
In other words, I started “Enchantment” with zero expectations. I only tell you that so you’ll understand that what I’m about to say isn’t colored by my being a long-time Guy Kawasaki fanboy.
Now that we understand each other, let me just say this: whatever you’re doing, stop now for as long as it takes to jump over to Amazon and buy this book. Yes, it’s that good.
Guy has distilled the art of getting people to support your cause down to simple, manageable steps. Whether it’s a business, a charity, a product or an idea, enchantment is the art of rallying not just support but commitment from those you lead or those in the trenches with you. In Guy’s own words, “if you need to enchant people, you’re doing something meaningful. If you’re doing something meaningful, you need enchantment.”
The days are blurring together. Literally. I sometimes forget whether it’s Monday and I should be writing a proposal for a new computer network, or Saturday and I’m supposed to be recording a podcast and setting up someone’s blog, or Thursday and I should be at a networking mixer, or Tuesday and I should be on a conference call about an upcoming Intel Hybrid Cloud event.
Sometimes, I just want to stop. It would feel really good, I think, to take a week off, sit in a chair on the beach, and catch up on some reading. But then I remember: I love what I do, and I love my life. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
My friends and family (especially my family) keep telling me that I need to slow down. I love the fact that they’re concerned about me; I really do. The funny thing is that they come across like they think my life sucks. I promise you though: it doesn’t. I’m tired, I don’t really have much of a social life (unless you count the networking, which pretty much rocks if you live in Sacramento), I have two day jobs and a part-time business, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
The biggest reward of using the “The Go-Giver” as one of our Bob Burg International Consultant coaching programs is that not only do I get to read the book, I get to devour it (while being mentored by the author), and then I’m priveleged to share it with others. There is true power in knowing your craft well enough to teach it to others.
In a short 30 minute chat with Jerry Kennedy on his Blog Whisperer Radio program it has solidified my belief that business as we’ve known it for the last two decades (more or less, your mileage may vary) is so antiquated that to continue “as it’s always been” is maybe the most deadly thing you can do to your business.
If your business has stagnated over the last 12 months, if it’s slowed down to “just getting by”, or if you have serious concerns if you’ll be in business 12 months from now you can cheer up! Pick up the book and follow along as we discover and APPLY these “Five Laws of Stratospheric Success”.
The first Law, The Law of Value states; “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value that you take in payment”.
I’ve barely been here 2 hours, and I can already tell that this is not where the real innovators are hanging out. The folks here at CES might be showcasing ‘new’ products, but as my lunch table companion pointed out, most of the products I’ll see on the showroom floor have been in development for several years. Couple that with the fact that the booth trolls are in charge, and you can see why I don’t hold out much hope of bumping into the next game-changer.
Why?
Because he or she is probably holed up in a garage somewhere, trying to figure out what else can be sold to pay for the materials needed to bring the dream to life. Don’t get me wrong: there are some amazing products on display. But the really amazing ideas, the ones that will really blow the doors off the future? They’re still out there, waiting to be brought to life…maybe by you?
Well, what are you waiting for? What would it take for you to get started?
“If we’re going to take this walk together, we need to start by facing the same direction.” –Pindar,
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
As I was reading Chapter 2 in “The Go-Giver“, reviewing the material for one of my Mastermind Groups, I thought “Hey, you didn’t make sure everyone is facing the same direction!” Here’s why it’s important.
Imagine you and and I are standing at a cross-roads. I’m facing North and you’re facing West. I tell you we’re going to take a six month journey and say “Let’s go”. Do you think, after taking the road in front of us for that amount of time, we’d end up in the same location? Nope, not a chance.
We need the same map to arrive at the same destination. Simply put, the book is the map, the directions are each of the “Five Stratospheric Laws”, but they require a secret key to unlock their power.
I’m a few chapters into “Changing the Conversation” by Gary Klaben, who was kind enough to contribute a guest post here yesterday (full disclosure: yes, they did send me a free copy of the book).
The book is great so far, and I’m looking forward to the rest of it, but this paragraph caught my eye and made me want to write a quick post:
“We want a relationship. A relationship that begins with a conversation well-grounded in authority and trust. A conversation that is about us. A conversation that leads to a tailored solution based on our specific needs. That adds value. That fulfills a purpose. We want to be convincingly yet gently pulled to a decision.”
Think about your own experiences as a customer; isn’t that exactly how you want to be treated? Let me ask you this, though: when was the last time you actually were treated that way? Chances are pretty good that it stands out in your memory because it doesn’t happen very often.
Gary Klaben
Today, there is a strong pull between the profit maximizers and the purpose maximizers. It is not that working on Wall Street or Main Street for large companies is all about profit maximization, or that starting a small business is all about purpose maximization. It is about the tide turning towards purpose, while maintaining profit.
In Daniel Pink’s recent book, Drive (2010), he identifies and discusses three types of motivation. Motivation 1.0 is the basic need to survive. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors spent nearly all their time fulfilling this need. Motivation 2.0 involves seeking rewards and avoiding punishment. From the time of antiquity through the 20th century, this was the primary motivator after achieving survival. Finally, motivation 3.0 seeks internal, intrinsic satisfaction — the fruit of personal freedom, challenge and purpose. What we like to call MVP (meaning, value & purpose).
Ours is a motivation 3.0 world. The unexpected and unpredictable will increasingly occur. Change is the only constant. Continual surprises! Microsoft’s digital Encarta encyclopedia — a profit maximizer — lost out to tens of thousands of online hobbyists writing and editing topics in Wikipedia’s open-source, interactive encyclopedia without pay — a purpose maximizer.
You can now get the Motivation 101 Blog delivered right to your Amazon Kindle! Click on the image above to subscribe today.
Download Step 1 of "Motivation 101: Five Steps to Activate Your Potential in Any Economy" absolutely free...I won't even ask for your email address!
