Friday, January 31, 2014
The Greeks: Concord, Chaos, or Coercion
Below is an article from Orrin Woodward on the ancient Greeks. The Greeks learned from their neighbors while adding a unique blend of liberty into their society. The results were impressive. The Greeks surpassed all other ancient societies in innovation and culture. Similarly, LIFE Leadership is adding a higher level of liberty and interdependence into community building with impressive results.
Greeks & Persians at Marathon
Here is some research I am doing on the ancient Greeks and their love of freedom. How a small band of freedom-loving people stood and conquered the mighty Persian empire only to destroy one another in bloody civil wars is one of the keys to political science. In fact, the Five Laws of Decline (FLD), which I teach in my Top 100 All-Time Best Leadership Book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, predict the downfall of the Greeks. The goal of the LIFE Leadership is to prohibit the growth of the FLD through a performance-based culture where no special deals are allowed. Everyone is paid as they perform—period!
Harry Truman once said, “There is nothing new under the sun, only the history you do not know.” One of our goals in LIFE is to learn and apply the lessons of history so we don’t repeat its mistakes. Enjoy the article and please share how you avoid the growth of the Five Laws of Decline in your company.
Sincerely,
Orrin Woodward
In 481 BC, 10,000 Athenian warriors at Marathon blocked a Persian army rumored to be over 100,000 strong. Indeed, the Persians were the conquering force of the ancient world, having amassed an empire that included modern day Iran, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Turkey, and many more. In contrast, the entire Greek peninsula and islands added together are about 2/3 the size of Portugal. Moreover, the Persians were believed to be invincible in military expeditions, having recently conquered the Ionian Greeks (on the western tip of modern day Turkey) before invading the Greek mainland. In fact, no Greek state had successfully withstood the advance of Persia and many of the mainland Greek states had succumbed to the “earth and water” tribute demanded by Persia signifying Greek subjection to the Persian King. Nonetheless, the Athenian hoplites marched over 26 miles to the plains of Marathon to defend their precious freedoms from Persian tyranny while their families awaited word in Athens.
The ancient Greeks are unique when compared to the Asian people of Persia and Egypt. In truth, the “earth and water” demanded by the Persian King wasn’t entirely unpalatable, allowing the Greeks to live peacefully if they paid their tax tribute and provided military help when the Persian King desired to conquer more territory. While many races and countries chose enslavement and peace, the Greeks, led by Sparta and Athens, chose liberty or death. Politically, because of the unique geography of Greece – no navigable rivers and mountains physically separating communities – instead of one national government ruling over smaller units of sovereignty, Greece consisted of numerous city-state sovereignties that confederated together for defense, religious ceremonies, and sporting competitions. While the rest of the world worshiped God-like kings, surrendering their freedoms like ants within a colony. The Greeks, who lived too close to their kings to be fooled, pledged loyalty instead to their cities and structured monarchies, aristocracies, or even democracies for the benefit of the polis, not the political leader. By separating their religion from their King, the Greeks began to see each other as equals before the city-state’s laws, not serfs before God’s regent on earth. The effect of this revolutionary mindset is what led the Athenian’s to fight at Marathon. In other words, they valued their freedoms more than they valued living under slavery.
The Athenian Greeks defeated the Persians on the plains of Marathon, thanks to the courageous leadership of Miltiades. Several years later, the Greeks confederation defeated the Persians again in the naval battle at Salamis, capitalizing on the leadership strategy of another Athenian hero, Themistocles. Rarely, does one find a people like the Athenians, who willingly surrendered their city to Persian destruction, taking the citizens to the island of Salamis and the men into the ships to defend their city-less country. The Greeks didn’t just speak about the value of freedom; they lived it out in their lives. With the final defeat of the Persians on the Boetian plains, led by the Spartan King Pausanius, the Greeks were finally safe from Persian tyranny. Freedom loving people conquered against overwhelming odds thanks to great courage, leadership, and strategy. But this happy story doesn’t end so well. The Greeks, who had so bravely united to defend Greece, ended up destroying one another in a series of fratricidal wars that left mainland Greece exhausted and vulnerable to Macedonian empire building.
What went wrong? How could a people who valued freedom so highly destroy one another, consequently, losing their freedom? The answer is the Five Laws of Decline. The Greeks were the first people to quest after political concord. History has proven concord is a difficult objective since it lies between the Scylla and Charybdis, rocks of chaos on one side and coercion on the other. Before Greece, the history of human civilization is a litany of kings using absolute power to enforce obedient submission of his subjects or lack of absolute power creating chaos and war until a King built enough power to rule his subjects again. Accordingly, in studying the Greek failures, keep in mind that, in the history of the West, this was the first community to attempt a political solution of concord between chaos and coercion. With no historical precedents before them, the Greeks sailed blindly into uncharted seas, confident that they could solve human civilization’s dilemma. After all, hadn’t they just defeated an alleged invincible power and displayed a fierce defense of freedom and all it entails?
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 7:55 AM EST
Updated: Friday, January 31, 2014 7:56 AM EST
Friday, November 8, 2013
Culture, Current, and Leadership
George Guzzardo explains how the current creates culture in this leadership article. George and Orrin Woodward have been partners for 20 years culminating in the founding of LIFE Leadership.
A culture can be defined as a set of established beliefs and practices. Those practices reflect a system of values. When the culture demonstrates practices that break principles that were in place, you will begin to witness what Orrin Woodward and Oliver DeMille write in their best selling book Leadershift as “The Law of Diminishing Returns’. This type of negative result can be seen in relationships, businesses, and even our country. It’s much more difficult to restore behavior that leads to productivity than it is to maintain it.
If the culture demonstrates non - productive behavior it effects us and our lives. It’s reflected in the conflicts in our relationships, stress in our lives, and our economic conditions. A culture that exhibits poor behavior leads to a stagnant murky current. A stagnant and murky current can be measured as we witness the government’s health care insurance. With the government’s health care we can see ‘Gresham’s Law’ and the ‘Law of Diminishing Returns’ clearly in full effect from an incompetent bureaucracy. These practices and behaviors lead to the ‘Law of Inertia’ that makes it appear that a decline is inevitable. Although a non - productive culture is very difficult to restore it’s not impossible. That is why leadership is so valuable to our personal lives, our businesses, and our country.
The good news is that leaders create the culture. This creates the current where productive values, beliefs, and practices flow. This can be in our personal lives with relationships and finance or our businesses or even our country. Jim Collins who wrote the book Good to Great recognized that the upward trend a business took was when the leadership in that company took effect. This can translate all the way from our personal life to our country because the formula for a successful culture is leadership. Leaders learn, adjust, and grow. By performing they test their practices, make appropriate adjustments, and get results. They use a scoreboard as a measuring tool. A scoreboard gives feedback on how the culture is doing whether it reflects a relationship, business, or country Leaders are not driven by credentials. They are driven from principles and that correlates to character and integrity. When a culture is developed from principle it sets a standard where beliefs and practices develop. This establishes a current. A current is the speed of the culture. A positive current (unlike the murky, stagnant water from a culture that embraces non - productive behavior) leads to a deep, fast channel that magnifies growth and productivity.
In the LIFE Leadership LLR CD 587, ‘Louis Gerstner: Orchestrating a Turnaround’, Orrin Woodward notes the areas Gerstner addressed as his priorities when he took over to save the sinking company of IBM. Gerstner studied the key indicators better known as the scoreboard to determine where his business was winning or loosing. The first area he addressed was culture. He established that culture through relationships by improving communication. He set practices with the words and attitudes they used in the company. He established a learning culture. Leaders learn when they read, listen, and associate. The communication was conveyed to their constituents in what Tim Marks describes in the Life Training 67 CD as “Repeated small doses.” Gerstner also developed a culture of teamwork and service. He looked for other leaders who could solve problems and get results. When the right culture was established it created a deep, straight riverbed in which the principles and practices of success flowed throughout the environment with speed and strength. The positive current magnified and multiplied their efforts. Gerstner shows how any leader can orchestrate and manage change.
With the right leaders, system, and association, successful practices can be taught. I recently was invited to the Lennox heating and air conditioning yearly convention where my friend Dave Chatmon led a turnaround. I witnessed the results of his leadership and the use of the LIFE Leadership system. I learned that around four years ago he inherited a Territory where there was no leadership. This was reflected on the dealer’s behaviors and practices. Lennox Wisconsin was last in the nation in sales and service. Although it is very difficult to change a current, a leader recognizes what needs to be done and exhibits the leadership qualities it takes to develop the culture of productivity. I came to the convention and witnessed a turnaround. Granted it was not on the scale of IBM but it was on the state level. A leadership culture was developed over a four - year period with the assistance of the LIFE Leadership products. Now the Lennox Wisconsin current is moving and they are rated number one in sales in the nation. Needless to say the VP of Lennox global was in attendance and was taking notes. Again we see that leadership is where the value is for the company, whether on a local, state, national, or global scale.
Leaders create the culture. The culture creates the results. The results create the current. When the current is moving it magnifies and multiplies. People get caught up in effective and productive behaviors. Enhancements are noticed in people’s lives. Businesses become successful. Communities begin to thrive. The nation can be a place for a better future. This effects people. People begin to have hope in a better future. The people and a nation then see a vision of something better. They begin to expect a better future. They feel the effect of a leadership culture. God Bless, George Guzzardo
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:07 AM EST
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Raising the Bar
Bill Lewis expresses how to set, and then raise, the bar on yourself. Bill has lived these principles for the last 15 years working with Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady in LIFE Leadership. Are you raising the bar on yourself?
I wasn’t sure what to title this article, but “Setting the Bar” seemed the simplest. I also thought “Set a Bar” and then I started thinking, “For Goodness Sake Please Set Any Bar!” would be good. In other words, as I was thinking about the title, my blood pressure started to rise because it seems that the “new thing to do” is to set no bar at all. Say this next statement in your best Billy Madison voice. That way everyone will be happy. That is stupidity on steroids! I know what you’re thinking. Tell us how you really feel. Let’s me try to explain what I mean.
Some of the new age thought process is, let’s not keep score because we want everybody to feel like a winner. That’s genius…..not! There was a movie that starred Bill Crystal in which he played a grandfather. One day he goes to his grandsons baseball game. The grandson was pitching and proceeded to throw three strikes but the kid in the batters box stayed where he was standing. He stayed standing there because in these baseball games you get to swing until you get a hit. I sure am glad real life is like that. You’re single, asking a girl out on a date and you just stand there and keep asking because she has to say yes. Every sales call you go on, you don’t have to worry because you know they eventually will have to tell you yes. In the NBA you get to keep shooting free throws until you make both of them ( Shaq would have loved that). In school you get to keep taking the test until you get an A. The bar isn’t set to make people feel bad; it is set to let you know how you are doing! If you don’t have a real standard to compare yourself to, then everyone gets worse because everyone is faked out into thinking that they are doing okay.
Some people say that people who set the bar are doing it wrong or not making it fair. Even if that is the case, then the issue is the people who are setting the bar, not the bar itself. This is the problem with today’s society. We try to fix things by the easiest way possible. We don’t try to fix the real issue. We just want the quickest, simplest way of fixing it, even if we are attacking the wrong thing. If my children try something and are horrible at it they can either decide to work hard, study, and practice to get better or they can decide that it’s just not for them. We have fallen into the trap that everything is supposed to feel good. If you feel good about everything then you won’t get better at anything. Some sort of pain is always required to get better. Without that emotion there is no drive to push yourself. ”Pain is weakness leaving the body.” Most of my success comes from the fact that I always felt inadequate and felt like people were better than me. When I finally decided that it was time to do something, I used that pain to drive me to get better at my craft. We must have bars to jump over or we will all lose in the end. That is what I love about Life Leadership. It doesn’t matter where you came from, what color your skin is, how tall, how big, or who your daddy was. The bar is the same for everyone and everyone can develop themselves to jump over the bar.
Bill Lewis
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:41 AM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 8:45 AM EDT
Friday, October 4, 2013
The Power Pendulum
The following blog post is being reblogged from Orrin Woodward's blog. Orrin has a way of simplifying complex ideas so people can understand them. Here is his thoughts on the Power Pendulum.
Here are the questions to be studied and answered in my study of Western Civilizations greatest societies. This is really fun to ask and answer these question and see how the history of ideas affected how societies attempted to answer them. LIFE Leadership applies the same ask and answer concept to one’s life. What does a person desire to do? What does he need to do in order to move in that direction? When is he going to get started? In sum, the quality of one’s questions determines the quality of one’s results.
Sincerely,
Orrin Woodward
The Power Pendulum
John Locke’s Model
Western Civilization has, for the past 2500 years, been on a quest for concord (peace and harmony) within society. However, this quest remains unconsummated. For concord is achieved when the proper balance of force and freedom is maintained in a society and, although concord has been achieved for brief periods of time, it has never endured. Societal concord lies between the two extremes of chaos on one side and coercion on the other. In essence, the freedom and force movements within society behave similar to a pendulum’s trajectory – moving back and forth through various phases of chaos, concord, and coercion. Unfortunately, Western Society’s have been unable to rest the pendulum in the coveted concord region, thus the purpose of this book.
The author created the Power Pendulum (a visual indicator of the force/freedom ratio within any society) to track how various government policies affect the society’s level of force and freedom. A society is a community of individuals who choose to work together for personal, professional and societal gain. People in society, naturally work together to accomplish objectives without coercion. However, because of man’s willingness to exploit others, as society’s wealth increases, it must develop methods to check internal and external aggressors from plundering the production of others. In consequence, society forms a government and provides it with a “monopoly of force” to protect its members from acts of injustice, both internal and external. Where the rest of society secures cooperation through persuasion, the government, in contrast, is the watchman that secures justice by applying force to those who attempt to plunder others production. In other words, the government is the one segment in political society that is delegated a “monopoly of force” to restrain disobedient members from breaking the law and punishment to those who do.
The underlying questions that must be answered in order to produce concord within society is:
1. What areas of society prosper under freedom?
2. What areas of society need force to ensure justice?
3. How much force is needed in the proper areas to ensure justice reigns?
4. How does society check the delegated “monopoly of force” from flowing into areas of society better served by freedom than force?
Unfortunately, Western Civilization has never answered all four questions within one society. Nonetheless, the author still believes it is possible to do so. For history has recorded periods of concord within Western society and now must learn how to rest the pendulum in concord. However, in order to still the pendulum in concord, one must solved the paradox inherent within “monopoly of force” and limited-power. How, in other words, can an entity that is delegated a “monopoly of force” in specific spheres not use that monopoly to expand its power past the prescribed limits? Historically, when society delegates a “monopoly of force” to government, the initial limited government transforms itself, over time, into an all-powerful state. These are the underlying challenges that have hindered Western Civilization’s quest for concord.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 10:11 AM EDT
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
John Locke's State of Nature
Orrin Woodward continues to post enlightening content on his blog for FREE. Why would someone who has accomlished so much share his content free of charge without even collecting emails for future promotion of his materials? I believe it's because Orrin truly wants to make a difference and the way to do that is through providing information that changes lives. LIFE Leadership is changing lives daily and Orrin is leading the charge. Here is an example from his blog.
I am studying John Locke and his thoughts on the state of nature. It is fascinating to me how this ties in with the Five Laws of Decline (FLD). For every page I write, it seems I have to read 100 pages, but what I am learning is beyond anything I expected. Below is a description of man’s inalienable rights, why governments were originally founded, and what happens to these governments due to the FLD. LIFE Leadership goal is to build a community that checks the FLD and allows liberty to prosper. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have researching and writing.
Sincerely,
Orrin Woodward
John Locke: State of Nature
John Locke
In his Second Treatise of Government, John Locke described how people, before they form societies, are in a state of nature. In the state of nature, each individual has a right and responsibility to defend his life, liberty, and property to ensure justice. However, as people realize the productive increases through specialization within society, it becomes increasingly expensive and difficult for each person, family, or clan to ensure the justice of all of its members. Accordingly, governments are created and assigned a specific role in the division of labor, namely to specialize in the systematic defense of its members life, liberty, and property, replacing each individuals personal right and responsibility to fulfill this function. Indeed, when government does its role properly, it allows each member of society to focus more of his time, resources, and skills in his field of expertise producing even further gains for himself and society. In sum then, a government’s true purpose is the delegated, specialized, and limited task of defending the people’s inalienable rights in a systematic method within society rather than the previous personal method employed by the people in the state of nature.
The historical record, interestingly, in contrast to Locke’s theory, reveals the majority of societies did not form a government under these auspices. Instead, the productive society was attacked by an external foe who sought to exploit the wealth of its weaker neighbor. In the end, an all-powerful state was forced upon the defenseless productive society after it suffered defeat in war. Curiously then, in practically every case, it was not the will of the people, but edicts issued from an external enemy backed by force, that created the state’s ruling party. The victorious invaders created a state to rule over the defeated host for its benefit. Basically, the victors created the state to discover various methods to systematically plunder the wealth generated from the productive capabilities of the defeated society. Nevertheless, in either example, whether society created a limited-government or endured a hostile takeover by an all-powerful state, the power in society seeks an equilibrium point. For every society’s rulers learn that without the consent of the masses, the government cannot endure. For instance, if at any time the ruler’s oppression becomes unbearable to the people, they will withdraw their tacit consent and turn to rebellion against their master. No ruler desires to inflame the people into these drastic measures. In essence then, the power equilibrium point is the maximum oppression the people willingly endure without resorting to resistance.
Paradoxically, the power equilibrium point reduces the tyranny of the most oppressive states, but increase it in the less oppressive ones. For on one hand, the FLD drives limited-governments to increase their power and sphere of activities through the usurpation of functions not originally delegated to it. On the other hand, however, the all-powerful states slowly surrender morsels of power to ensure the masses consent to the state’s rule. In both examples, unfortunately, the people lose their inalienable state of nature rights as the state increases its power by slight degrees over time. Dismally, the masses consent to being plundered by the state for the right to exist in peace and enslavement. Every single example of limited-government, due to the effects of FLD and the power equilibrium, has transformed itself into an all-powerful state with time. These all-powerful states grant just enough rights to the people to provide the illusion of liberty, making the people’s submission to exploitation easier than rebellion for lost rights.
For an explanation on how this occurs, it is important to remember how government’s function is different than any other in society. For every other part of society is based upon liberty and persuasion to determine the division of labor. Government, however, is based upon a delegated “monopoly of force” allegedly to defend the people’s unalienable rights. Unfortunately, this delegated force never remains within its delegated sphere. When it flows into other areas, it quickly destroys the liberty that was responsible for society’s health. In other words, what liberty and concord produced (a productive society), the unlimited power, unchecked force, and coercive measures of the state destroy. The historical record reveals numerous examples of limited governments transforming into a tyrannical states. In fact, the failures appear to follow a similar pattern where society grows under the liberty of limited-government and dies under the bondage of an all-powerful state. How many more rise-and-fall examples are needed to prove this point beyond dispute? Despite the depressing track record, however, the author still believes the quest for concord is possible. If society’s leaders can comprehend the symbiotic relationship between the liberty needed to grow society and the force needed to protect it, then the proper steps can be taken to check the excessive growth of force which leads to society’s demise.
Another important difference between the state and other areas of society is that the state does not produce any wealth. In fact, it consumes the wealth of society even when the government is limited to protecting the life, liberty, and property of its members. The question boils down to how society ensures the people’s inalienable rights it brought over from the state of nature without allowing the limited-governments to seize these liberties by converting into an all-powerful state. Yes, liberty within society produces more wealth than oppression, but plunderers care not for the overall health of society, but focus more on personal power and wealth. Accordingly, each society must solve how to create wealth and ensure the parasitic plunderers are checked. And, since society operates most effectively under liberty, but the state uses force, the key is to limit the State to only the few areas where coercion is needed (protection life, liberty, and property). This leaves the rest of society free to prosper under the blessings of liberty. Only a free society can give and take away power based upon the satisfaction of the needs and wants. A limited government only uses coercion when a member’s life, liberty, or property is threatened by either internal or external aggressors; otherwise its sword is sheathed. Unfortunately, the state, driven by mankind’s love of power, has proven itself unable to resist the temptation inherent in the “monopoly of force” to benefit itself at the society’s expense.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 3:02 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 3:08 PM EDT
Friday, August 30, 2013
Orrin Woodward: Wiki or Government?
America appears to have lost faith in its spirit of voluntarism at the local community level. Interestingly, however, Orrin Woodward explains Wikipedia success as a direct result of voluntarism. Voluntarism, in a word, isn't dead, just dormant. Read Orrin's hilarious article and you decide whether government or voluntarism is right for America.
America was a land propelled by voluntarism in the early republic. Many social programs were formed by volunteers who saw a need and filled it. Voluntarism is the ability of citizens to handle their own needs through voluntary social means. In contrast, Government social programs require compulsion to get people to do and 'enjoy' the benefits of the latest Government program. As more Government is involved in our social life, the less voluntarism we see.
Why have American lost faith in the ability of Voluntarism to handle their needs, especially in the face of the explosive success of Wiki and other crowd favorites. Wiki is nearly an all volunteer online encyclopedia that has more searchable subjects than the largest purchasable encyclopedia at no cost to the consumer. How is that possible? It's possible because entrepreneur's like Jimmy Wales dreamed, worked and executed without government's support.
It's also possible because people love to volunteer their skills and abilities to help others. Recognition is a strong driver of behavior and proven abilities are rewarded by the crowd. Sturgeon's Law stated that 90% of anything is crud, but that still leaves 10% of the volunteers will do great work and freely lead the community to accomplish the tasks. 10% of millions of volunteers time lead to great products at nearly no cost.
The same Voluntarism could be used in our communities and reduce the oppressive load of government intervention in our lives.
For the sake of example, imagine if the Government instead of Jimmy Wales had started Wiki. Can we even fathom the cost and coerciveness involved in taking Wiki from concept to working online encyclopedia? The first thing that would happen is politicians would fight to have the project located in their state and millions would be spent before a project bureaucrat was assigned to lead the program.
Secondly, thousands of people would file for jobs to work the various areas of their expertise, subsequently raising the cost of the program into the tens of millions. Work would begin, but then politicians would argue over definitions and do a full investigation of the alleged propaganda or hate crimes against some of our historical figures and events. Congress would demand and oversight committee to ensure each subject article is covered in an acceptable style to the powers that be. Work would be delayed as some of the subjects are kicked around Congress and backroom deals are made to grease the skids.
The public grows weary as the promised 3 year deadline comes and few articles approved and online. A grassroots movement starts with a new group of politicians promising to go to Washington and clean up this Wiki mess. Politicians promise to reduce the bloated mass of rotting bureaucracy if only they were in power. The masses are promised free Wiki and more if they will show up and vote for change. The new politicians are elected in a landslide and they start the process over again.
The new politicians will fight over which state will house the new and improved Wiki project. Backroom deals will settle the dispute and the offices are not moved after months of negotiations between political powers. After more months of debates in Congress, a vote passes to water all articles down to not offend anyone and maintain unity of our nation. Plus there were concerns that some citizens would not understand the deeper concepts and since we are all equal, that would not do.
Six years and hundreds of millions of dollars and lost freedoms later, the Government announces the success of another Government program. How did they do it you ask? Instead of finishing with the Government employees writing the articles, the government reviews the Census data educational records and compels (drafts) volunteers to finish all needed articles. After making a few examples or recalcitrant's who would not cooperate with the IRS - Information Requesters Society - all articles were finished in another year under threat of fines, prison time, and higher taxes.
Politicians from both parties speak eloquently of the bi-partisan cooperation necessary to make Government work for all Americans. Wiki days are initiated at public schools to share how Big Government provides Rights to all Americans. TV stations run special reports and Congress states they can do even more if Americans are willing to give up just a little more of their freedoms and hard earned dollars. Through all the celebration and hoopla, a man like Jimmy Wales thinks to himself, "You know, if I was assigned to do that Wiki thing, I think I would have done things differently."
But Voluntarism is a concept dead on arrival wherever Government is involved. Entrepreneurs like Jimmy are not wanted in Big Government land; they just don't like to conform to all the rules.
Do we really need Government involved in all our social programs? Have they ever proven to get the job done without compulsion and threats? Have they ever hit a budget target? How many Government programs are ever terminated for lack of effectiveness? The good news is that our Government did not really do the Wiki project, but the bad news is that the Government is the odds on favorite to do our Health Care.
Go ahead Americans, it is time to sit back and ponder how we have been so lucky to enjoy the benefits of Big Government largesse in our lives. You shall reap what you sow and we are reaping the whirlwind.
God Bless, Orrin Woodward
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 4:20 PM EDT
Updated: Saturday, August 31, 2013 11:15 AM EDT
Monday, August 26, 2013
LIFE Leadership Products
Dan Hawkins, one of the founders of LIFE Leadership shares his thoughts on the world-class leadership training from LIFE. Orrin Woodward has stated publicly that Dan Hawkins is one of the hungriest students of leadership anywhere. His legendary story of mechanic to millionaire ought to be heard by all.
LIFE Leadership information that makes a difference
One glance around the lanscape of our country today can bring up a lot of concern. The financial problems both in
homes and in government. The divorce rate which has climbed in recent years to over 50%. Many young americans deciding not to get married or have kids. Unemployment, underemployment and people just giving up on finding work is staying stubbornly high. Moral decay at all levels of society which we can only imagine the impact on our children’s future.
At some point my wife and I decided we did not want to be just one of the statistics, another family managing a divorce and low resources. We realized that the information we have been consuming for 26 years just was not working. Both of us had college degrees and full time jobs, however, we still struggled in all aspects of LIFE.
About ten years ago we began learning principles from the best selling authors at the LIFE Leadership company. To say our lives are drastically better would be an understatement. We started our family deciding to only have one child because we could hardly afford one. We were afraid to bring a child into such a broken world and beside we already had no time how could we properly raise more than one! Now, through better information, we have created a successful business that allows us to be financially independent and have time to focus on our priorities. We have never been happier as a couple and have child 4 and 5 on the way. What changed? Our information!
Getting new information can change everything, in fact it is the only way to change anything.
No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.
Albert Einstein
LIFE Leadership gives you the edge
The LIFE Leadership company produces information that can give you the edge in your current profession. I am blessed to travel across North America and hear story after story about lives being improved using the LIFE information. Let me share one with you today.
A couple of weeks ago a young lady approached me at a LIFE LIVE event to share her testimony. She had been listening to the LIFE materials for a couple of months when the boss asked her to come into his office, he had something he had noticed. A little afraid of what this meeting was about due to others being let go as recent as last week, she went into his office. “What has changed with you over the last couple of weeks?” the boss asked. “Well, I have joined a group called LIFE Leadership.” she responded a bit timidly. “Well I have noticed a couple of things, your attitude has greatly improved, you are taking a leadership roll and getting people to work so well together. I have been very impressed, keep up the good work!” Walking out with a smile, this young lady had never receive such a compliment from her boss. The materials from LIFE are making a difference. Further more, if just being recognized was not enough, the boss called her back into his office two weeks later to give her a $5 an hour raise! The raise alone covered her monthly subscription in less than 2 hours of working one day a month! You see, getting better information makes a difference!
Get a better LIFE with LIFE Leadership
What areas of life would you like to see improved? Do you want to set yourself apart at work? Stop by the LIFE Leadership website today! Try one of our monthly subscriptions and let me know how it is changing your LIFE!
God bless,
Dan Hawkins
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 7:54 AM EDT
Updated: Monday, August 26, 2013 7:55 AM EDT
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Curtis Spolar: Mr. Entrepreneur
Curtis Spolar, LIFE Leadership new PC is personally mentored by Orrin Woodward. Mr. Spolar's principle-centered leadership is in huge demand across North America on LIFE stages. Here is an example of his teachings.
Mr. Entrepreneur has an idea.
Mr. Saver has the money.
Mr. Laborer has a job.
Mr. Entrepreneur has a dream to cure cancer. He feels with a few years of hard work and money to invest, he can fulfill his dream. Mr. Entrepreneur has no money, so he go’s to Mr. Saver. Mr. Saver loves Mr. Entrepreneur’s dream but also loves what he has saved and doesn’t want to lose it. Mr. Saver asks him if he has anything of value. Mr. Entrepreneur says his house is paid off. Mr. Saver says “Great! You sign your house over to me and if your idea doesn’t work I’ll get your house. Mr. Entrepreneur agrees to the terms. Mr. Entrepreneur spends countless nights falling asleep at his desk. Years have gone by and nearly all the money and finally he’s done it, a cure! Mr. Entrepreneur saves lives all over the world and creates tens of thousands of jobs. Society wants to recognize this achievement so every year in September we have something called Labor Day and celebrate the fact that Mr. Laborer gets a job.
Today’s society has been taught to punish the entrepreneurs and build up the fact that someone gets a job. Sam Walton is a great example of that. Some in our society want to criticize WalMart for having a handful of owners and around 1.4 million employees in the U.S. Sam Walton, like the Mr. Entrepreneur in the example, found a need and filled it and the people voted with their dollars his success. Some might say, “Building a giant retail company, is not on the same level as curing cancer”. We are not talking levels, we’re talking about finding a need, filling it, and creating a better quality of life for everyone and getting rewarded for taking the risk. This means that a single mother with four children can now walk into a WalMart and her $200 goes further. This is a good thing, this is a win/win for the entrepreneur and the customer. Mr. Entrepreneur found a need, filled it, got rewarded, and the customer received value.
At the start of this great country, most were business owners. We grew up on farms and we worked hard because we owned those farms. Today we are taught to count on an entrepreneur for a job and that business ownership is not something we need to pursue. Many never develop a strong desire to help make sure that the company they work for survives because they don’t own the company and after all it’s us against them. And if we don’t like the circumstances we can always vote new people into office to regulate that entrepreneur into giving us what is thought to be our fair share.
Sam Walton is to be congratulated not blamed for giving people a job. Blame should be given to an education system that enslaves a person into having victim mentality while thinking Mr. Entrepreneur is their enemy. If we change that type of thinking in our education system then we will empower more people to believe they can succeed.
LIFE LEADERSHIP is a new education system that helps people control their own destiny by changing the information they take in. I would like to thank LIFE LEADERSHIP along with all the other Mr. and Mrs. Entrepreneurs of this world for being part of the solution and not adding to the problem.
For a great talk on Sam Walton, go to the LIFE LEADERSHIP site under special order cd’s. ”Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame: Sam Walton” LLR-468 by Orrin Woodward.
God bless,
Curtis Spolar
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 1:03 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 1:05 PM EDT
Thursday, August 8, 2013
The Leadership Difference
George Guzzardo shares leadership truths in this article below. Orrin Woodward and George Guzzardo have been business partners for over 20 years now and business is good with LIFE Leadership. Indeed, Orrin and George both love reading books and leading people; thus, they make a great team.
Anyone looking at our world today sees a glaring lack of leadership. Life Leadership has developed an array of information designed to fill the leadership void seen in these times. Leadership qualities once developed will make a difference in our businesses, schools, communities, country, and the world. No one is excluded from leadership. Anyone can develop these qualities and the rewards are far beyond words. The internal satisfaction from growing leadership qualities is difficult to describe but the external effects are endless in the way leaders influence their world.
CHARACTER: I love leadership because it forces a person to come to grips with their own character development. A leader takes responsibility for their own status quo and challenges themselves to change and grow. A leader develops the character to confront when they see a need. Our communities can simply use more leaders. Leaders throughout history have always demonstrated the passion to right what they see is wrong. A leader becomes tired of those who make excuses or blame someone else. The lack of character we see almost every day in politics or business does not have to be the norm.
RESPONSIBILTY: Responsibility is key to leadership. Who is responsible? . Almost 50 % of the marriages fail for a lack of taking responsibility for one’s own performance.
According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America:
- The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%
- The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%
- The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%
Take finance for example. When you give a child an allowance, they are responsible for what they are given. When a business has a profit / loss sheet the owners are responsible for it. When the government is given a budget, they are responsible for it. What if the criteria for a bigger allowance, profit / loss, or budget was the stipulation that those who are responsible must learn to manage what was given first before they received more? In other words performance must be measured and in order to achieve a competent performance, a leader must have the character to accept responsibility. No passing the buck if you are a leader.
PERFORMANCE: I love leadership because a leader performs. You would not trust or follow a leader if this were not the case. A leader also resists the temptation of complacency. Far too many times a leader achieves success in an area only to level out and become average because they become amazed with their credentials. Think again if you fear the weight of leadership as being too heavy to achieve a high level of personal performance. Any time you stretch your performance beyond your perceived limits, you leave the comfort zone. Performance is how a leader grows. Leaders are constantly finding ways to grow. This forces a leader to leave their comfort zone, which is a previous accepted norm of activity. When a leader develops the character to accept responsibility they move into performance mode.
SCOREBOARD: Best selling author Orrin Woodward describes the scoreboard in his best seller Resolved 13 Resolutions. Leaders love the scoreboard. A leader looks at the scoreboard as a reality check. If the scoreboard measures the results of performance then a leader faces the facts. When a leader recognizes a relationship is going bad they learn conflict resolution. You can plan to have a better relationship and measure it. When finances are going bad the scoreboard gives a base line to move forward from. A leader is always measuring performance against the scoreboard. A leader learns and grows from what engineer’s call “failure mode analysis,” A leader will adjust their performance and make things right. When a leader makes a mistake they use it as a teachable moment. Confronting the brutal reality builds trust with the leaders constituents. A leader of character takes on the responsibility to perform and then uses the scoreboard to sharpen other qualities.
LEARNING: When we make the commitment to become responsible for our own actions it puts us in learning mode. In their best selling book Launching a Leadership Revolution, the authors state, “Level 1 leadership is being a student.” A student makes a habit of being in learning mode. A leader is always looking to solve a problem. They know that learning provides solutions. When one begins the process of discovery, they learn to think independently. They begin to see the world in a different light.
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY
A long-awaited federal study finds that an estimated 32 million adults in the USA — about one in seven — are saddled with such low literacy skills that it would be tough for them to read anything more challenging than a children's picture book or to understand a medication's side effects listed on a pill bottle
We see a soaring illiteracy rate in our society, which correlates to a lack of leadership, ability to think independently, and take responsibility for problem solving. Literacy has always been an enemy to socialism and a proponent of freedom. It gives the individual the means to seek knowledge independently. The first step to taking responsibility is being able to think independently and we can’t think independently if we don’t learn. If we don’t think independently someone else will do the thinking for us. There is a direct correlation to needing big government to take care of us, and our ability to think independently. Out of 117 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution, one in four went to college, they were educated by parents, church schools, tutors, academies, apprenticeship, and themselves.
Next time you think that leadership isn’t for you remember what Harry Truman said, “The buck stops here.” Don’t underestimate the importance of developing these leadership qualities. The leader knows the end result is making a difference in their lives, the community, and the country, and ultimately the influence we need in the world today. Isn’t it time to develop these qualities of leadership so we can make the difference we so sorely need? God Bless, George Guzzardo
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:05 AM EDT
Friday, August 2, 2013
Tim Marks: Starting Conversations
Tim Marks new book is one of the most talked about new releases in LIFE Leadership. There are so many examples of wisdom and encouragement that Orrin Woodward said it was one of his favorite reads of the year. Even if you hate to read, this book is worth reading. Here is another segment from Tim in his book.
Hey gang! Here is another excerpt from my new book, Confidence of a Champion, released through LIFE Leadership. One of the most powerful tools in your success journey is the ability to connect with people and strike up a conversation successfully. Here, I share 8 rapid-fire tips to make that happen!
God Bless, Tim
____________________________________________________
With the goal of helping you kick-start your progress towards meeting new people and creating new and amazing relationships, here are some tactics you can apply today to take action and get the ball rolling:
- Think “I Like You” in Your Head First. People can tell if you have warmed up to them and if you are feeling friendly towards them. If you are arrogant or stuck up, good luck on making new friends. Who would want to be around you?! And, who would want to stare up your nose at you while you are staring down your nose at them? (Especially if you haven’t trimmed the old nose hairs lately and you need a hedge trimmer to clear out the forest growing in there!) So, when you look at people, literally think the words to yourself, “I like you”. Your whole spirit towards this person will change, particularly if we are Christians and see the other person as God’s creation and want to bring a little joy into their day. (If the other person is grumpy, all the more reason. Remember, hurting people hurt people.)
- Believe the Other Person Will Like YOU! Les Giblin talks about this in his great book, How to Have Power and Confidence in Dealing with People. Assume they are warm and friendly and will respond in a positive way. So much of success is expectation! If you expect the conversation will go well, you’re halfway there. Will people always respond positively? Nope. But you sure can tip the scales in your favor by having an expectant mindset. If you’ve faced a cold shoulder before, don’t let a couple of bad experiences shape your whole view of meeting new friends!
- Be Cool. Don’t come across as too anxious, over-eager or desperate, or you will make them feel uncomfortable. (It helps if you aren’t actually feeling anxious or desperate to begin with.) If you’re eying someone like a piece of meat or a meal ticket, they’ll immediately sense that you have an ulterior motive and it will get weird really fast. Don’t come on too strong or too fast. Take it slow and easy. If you’re overeager, you’ll scare them away. A good way of visualizing this is to imagine feeding pigeons in the park. Pigeons want bread crumbs. However, if you run into the park waiving your arms and screaming, those pigeons will fly away in fear, even if they were starving! If we play it cool and take a sincere interest in others, we’ll have greater success in attracting them.
- Take a Chance! A great leader in our business community really pioneered this hrase a while ago. Take a chance! All of life involves a little risk, and that includes making new friends. The great thing about chances is that they can pay off huge rewards! Take a chance on the stranger next to you. Make the first move. Be bold. Have a backbone. Stand tall. Pursue victory. Refuse to give in to fear! Resolve to be a person of courage and character. Take control of the fearful little voice that is whimpering inside you, making excuses why you shouldn’t try to say hi. Squish that voice like a bug under your heel and take a chance!
- Play “Smiling Chicken”. It takes some effort just to make eye contact and smile, and then say “Hi!” When I first started doing this I thought my face would crack! It’s not normal for a choleric (a personality type which is hard driving and dominant ) or for an engineer to smile and “be nice”, and I still need to work at it today. In fact, to practice this I used to literally drive down the road and “smile talk” to myself in my rear-view mirror before speaking engagements. (It might sound crazy, but it looks even worse, particularly to passerby!) Although these might sound like pretty simple steps, it can feel overwhelming. Just look right at their face and let your face break into a big friendly smile. Smiling breaks the ice and opens the door to getting them to say “hi” back at you! Smiling tells people you are friendly, positive, and you are approachable, and these are all attractive qualities. If you are not used to doing this, you might want to try a fun game called “Smiling Chicken!” You’ve all heard of the game “Chicken”. With that game, you are driving your car towards your competitor at full-speed, and whoever flinches first and turns the car off of the road is declared the “loser”. (This is obviously a terribly dangerous game that I absolutely do not condone; I’m simply offering an illustration.) Now, here is “Smiling Chicken” game. The game goes like this: as you are approaching a stranger, your goal is to catch their eye, break out in a smile, and inspire them to smile back at you! Try doing this to ten strangers and see how many people you can get to smile… it can become a lot of fun!
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:24 AM EDT
Updated: Friday, August 2, 2013 8:32 AM EDT
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