Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Character Produces Results
Character produces results. Why? Because without character nobody will follow you, thus nothing significant ever gets accomplished. It takes teams to win in business and life. The LIFE Business is a team of people who are tired of watching work-ethic and principles drop. Instead of joining in the decline, the LIFE community has followed the principles taught in Orrin Woodward's book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE. The book is an All-Time Top 100 Leadership Book and walks a person through the steps of change and growth. George Guzzardo is an excellent example of this transformation and here is a superb article from him.
How long has America and for that matter the western culture gone without producing a viable leadership model? The names of leaders that compare with those of the past are conspicuously absent from the records over the last fifty years outside of names like Ronald Reagan. What makes a leader different is not that the majority vote for them but rather that they stand on timeless principles regardless of the popular trends. Remember that any of the qualities of a leader can be developed. Who wants to sign up for that position?
The study of leadership is legion. Words to describe leaders abound in all the leadership literature and studies. I’ve had the opportunity to work with top leadership expert and best selling author Orrin Woodward over the last eighteen years so I’ve had a front row seat to see some of the top qualities that makes a leader worth following. What qualities give the leader influence?
Many studies report and I would agree that the top leadership quality is character. Character being the number one quality because it defines you. Just who are you? How many of those in a position of influence have succumbed to a moral lapse of judgment? How many have been forced to resign, be investigated for impeachment or are suspect of conspiracy to hide facts? These people simply lack character worth following. This leads right to the number one quality required to master character and that is courage. Moral courage is the courage to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement. Winston Churchill said, “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” Unfortunately there is evidence of a lapse of moral courage in the world today.
Competency might be listed as the second most important quality because once people respect your character you better darn well know what you are doing. Competency is the ability to get the job done and complete the project. Competency does not mean getting straight A’s. It means being able to do the task. No one will follow anyone who can’t do the job.
Becoming a leader of character who is competent requires work ethic. Courage is needed to perform while facing the fear of mistakes until you learn the necessary skill. It helps to learn from a mentor who has developed the habits you are looking to gain. That mentor can also give advise about how to adjust your performance after you’ve made some mistakes. Author Robert Kiyosaki who studied under the great professor Buckminster Fuller was educated that the deepest learning arises from mistakes. Associating with a like - minded group who are learning how to improve their own qualities in addition to books and audios also gives reinforcement. Associating, reading, and listening gives instruction on how to do the task and belief that you to can do it. The Team system of open meetings and seminars are integral for the leadership model of the LIFE business.
There are numerous testimonies from those who have used the LIFE business products describing how they have been helped to nurture these qualities in their life. Many of them are now leading their households, ministries, teams and business. The LIFE buisness becomes a multiplier to who they are becoming and what they do. They find themselves performing better in their roles of life from marriage to parenting and even their jobs. I believe we are witnessing the business of the future right now. Somehow we need to fill the leadership void that has become evident throughout our culture. We need a principled base leadership company that helps people develop these qualities in their lives. The Life business has been created to fill the void. Who wants the position? God Bless, George Guzzardo
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 3:06 PM EST
Updated: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 3:10 PM EST
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Dan Hawkins has become one of the top leaders because he is one of the top students. For instance, he set a goal to develop his writing skills for when he writes his first book and the rapid improvement is impressive. Dan has followed Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady's philosophy that hunger makes the difference. Because Dan is hungry, his skills and results continue to progress. Dan's article below shares the proper respect one ought to show to the words one uses. Unfortunately, few people understand or follow this principle; however, top leaders will never become top leaders or have large communities if this principle is violated. In fact, when people speak ill of others, it's typically the gossiper that has the real problem.
Do you use your words for good or evil? Do you even realize you have that power? One of the key principles we teach in the LIFE business and the Team training system is the power of your words to uplift those around you. We can choose to lift up or tear down people we interact with, but we must consciously choose daily.
It saddens me to even write this article, but anyone who becomes aware of this problem can begin to help solve it. We have all been in a situation where words were used like a sword in battle, cutting someone to the bone and causing a great deal of pain. Why does it seem that when we find ourselves in a verbal conflict, we so often reach for the weapon of harsh words that hurt instead of grabbing uplifting words that heal?
We all suffer from the same human affliction, the tendency toward sin. It seems we tend to judge others by their actions, but only judge ourselves by our intentions. It amazes me to see the amount of gossip and slander taking place online today. People seem to think it is their “duty” to share their perspective on a topic; however, words that are filled with gossip and slander are less about truth and more about revenge or blame!
I recently grabbed a book off of my shelf that I decided to reread because of the impact it had on me. The Weight of Your Words by Joseph M. Stowell is a powerful book to help us understand our tendencies toward using hurtful words and why others choose this destructive path. Once your thoughts become words that you express either in verbal or written form, they become irretrievable.
A young man once asked a monk, “I’ve sinned by telling slanderous tales about someone. What should I do?” The monk replied, “Put a feather on every doorstep in town.” The young man did just that. He then returned to the monk, wondering if there was anything else he should do. “Go back and pick up all those feathers,” the monk told him. The young man replied excitedly, “That’s impossible! By now the wind will have blown them all over town!” Said the monk, “So have your slanderous words become impossible to retrieve.”
In my experience, if someone is constantly using gossip and slander as a weapon, the problem lies more with that person rather than the person being attacked! Just the other day, I was reading an article in which the authors were attacking others for their character, business, friends, and so on. I started to notice that they thought everything bad that happened to them was someone else’s fault! Now, the only way for that to be true is if these people were claiming to be perfect or without fault. Anyone with any common sense will realize within a matter of minutes that something is very wrong with this picture.
Let me explain. There is not a single rational person who would believe any problem is totally one-sided. A normal disagreement always has two sides with the truth usually hanging out somewhere in between the two; no side is without fault.
So why would someone attack verbally, spreading rumors and unjustified criticism that can destroy others? Joseph M. Stowell explains what he calls “the self-centered six,” six reasons people fall into this trap:
- Curiosity – Some people travel down this road just because they are curious. We all know curiosity killed the cat!
In and of itself, curiosity is a good thing; it is why science grows, inventors invent, and theologians gain understanding. But we also need to be discerning about where our curiosity leads us. - Idleness – In the Bible, Paul explains that people with time on their hands may be prone to malicious speech. People who are constructively involved with their own responsibilities have little time to be nosy about the responsibilities of others.
- Desire to be the center of attention – Gossip and slander tend to draw the attention of others, like an accident on the side of the road that everyone slows down to gawk at. Some people love to be the center of attention so much that they will risk the reputation of others just to be noticed.
- The opportunity to elevate ourselves over others – So many live by the theory that it is easier to tear others down than it is to build themselves up. The story is told that if you put one crab in a bucket, you need a lid or it will crawl out; however, if you put two crabs in a bucket, no top is needed. Every time one crab begins to crawl out, the other crab pulls him back in. Sadly, some people live the same way.
- Bitterness – Selfishly withholding forgiveness opens the door to a vengeful spirit, and slander is the tool of revenge.
- It soothes our own anxieties – Misery still loves company. When a person chooses to lose in life, he wants others to lose as well; that way, they can blame others for their problems together.
Scripture is very clear in its denouncements of slander: “Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judges your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12, NASB)
I hope this article hits you like the book hit me—like a ton of bricks. We have been given the gift of encouragement and love. Let us begin to work together to watch our words and be a light in a dark world.
Find someone to forgive, someone to uplift, and someone to encourage. Be slow to speak and quick to listen. Catch your thoughts before they become words that are as impossible to retrieve as feathers in the wind. Guard your heart from bitterness, and beware of those who are bitter; for remember, misery loves company!
God bless,
Dan Hawkins
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 10:25 AM EST
Updated: Thursday, November 8, 2012 10:30 AM EST
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Mental Fitness Challenge: Making a Difference
The Mental Fitness Challenge (MFC) has impacted thousands upon thousands of people's lives. Based upon the All-Time Top 100 Leadership Book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE by Orrin Woodward, the MFC is one of the most impactful personal development programs ever. Developed by the dynamic collaboration of Orrin and Chris Brady, the MFC is a step-by-step program for personal transformation. Here's an article from Chris describing further details.
Living the Life You've Always Wanted
The Mental Fitness Challenge: We’ve all heard about physical fitness programs since time immemorial. Nearly everyone has a product or program designed to help people get and maintain their fitness. Some of these are quite excellent. However, our physical condition is subservient to our mental condition. In other words, in life, to get and stay physically fit, one must ultimately become mentally fit. This applies in all the categories in which we live out our lives, such as finances, relationships, and the like. If we are not thinking correctly in these areas, aka “mentally fit,” then we will not have any real sustainable fitness in those areas.
Enter the Mental Fitness Challenge. Designed around the 13 resolutions put forth in Orrin Woodward’s best selling book, RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, the Mental Fitness Program helps people live the life they’ve always wanted to live. This is accomplished the way adults learn and grow – not through expensive conferences in tropical locations, or danger simulations and artificial adventures, or even high-priced concert/seminars with public figures – but rather through small, incremental, daily steps implemented according to timeless principles, as explained in Orrin’s book. After all, it’s the formation of new habits that brings lasting change, and this begins with exercising the mind and becoming mentally fit.
Just as a physical diet requires the elimination of bad foods and the increasing of the consumption of nutritious foods, so too does a mental fitness diet. With the Mental Fitness Challenge, participants are encouraged to begin bringing in small, daily doses of mentally nutritious information. At the same time, participants are encouraged to eliminate much of the bad information, or “junk food for the mind” that is often so thoughtlessly allow in.
Additionally, when learning something new, it is helpful to set goals, track progress, and receive encouragement from others. All this and more is structured into the process of the Mental Fitness Challenge. To begin, participants will be able to take a Self Assessment Test, in which they will establish a baseline for their life in each of the 13 resolutions. Also, if desired, 360 degree feedback can also be obtained through the same test, in which others can take the test on the participant’s behalf and have their opinion anonymously displayed.
There are many other features of the Mental Fitness Challenge, including audio, reading, and video training. More details can be found here.
The Mental Fitness Challenge: Challenge yourself to live the life you’ve always wanted!
Sincerely,
Chris Brady
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 10:42 AM EST
Updated: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 10:46 AM EST
Thursday, November 1, 2012
LIFE Thinking
George Guzzardo shares his thinking on thinking in this enlightening article. Orrin Woodward has created an environment where hungry students can grow into top leaders. Claude Hamilton is quickly becoming one of the top community builders in the world though the LIFE Business training. It all begins with thinking and George describes it well below.
Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business have combined to provide an information age business under the newly created concept of compensated communities. How we think makes a difference in peoples lives. That’s why people from all over the North America are using this information to help them think and grow in the areas of family, marriage, parenting, finance, economics, history, and leadership. The testimonies on the front page of the LIFE web site are examples of people who apply new ideas that come from thinking. This begs the question, “how is this done?” You can find a big clue by examining the first recommended book in the Team training system. That book is ‘The Magic of Thinking Big’. Orrin, Chris Brady, and I all started our businesses with ‘The Magic of Thinking Big’ as our first book. That book is now listed in what the Team training system calls the ‘Top Five’ recommended books.
Thinking is arguably the most critical aspect to a successful, prosperous, and happy life. Thinking makes the difference. If anyone has room to grow toward the life they always wanted, then thinking will make it so. Looking into the concept of ‘thinking’ opened my eyes. In addition to the Magic of Thinking Big, another best selling book in the area of personal development and success is titled, ‘Think and Grow Rich’. One of the top Leadership experts, John Maxwell’s best selling book is titled, ‘Thinking for a Change’. Bill Gates wrote his best seller, 'Business at the Speed of Thought'.
Here is just a sample of what some of the greatest minds have said about thinking:
David, “As one thinketh in his heart so is he.”
Emerson, “Great men are those who see that thoughts rule the world.”, and “Life consists of what a man is thinking about all day.”
Milton, “The mind as its own place and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven.”
Shakespeare, “There is nothing either good or bad except that thinking makes it so.”
John Allen, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”
Leo Tolstoy, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
Jon Adams, “Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.”
If you are a compensated community builder read the ‘Magic of Thinking Big’! David J. Schwartz Ph.D. wrote in his book, “You’re a product of your own thoughts”. “Your mind is a thought factory.” “What are you feeding the assembly line?” “Thinking guides your intelligence.” “Thought deposits become your memory.” “Memory supplies raw materials for new thoughts.” Adding the Team CD of the week program is the best raw material for building compensated communities in the information age.
Unlike popular theory, thinking does not come from true or false tests or multiple choice answers. The founders of the longest lasting Republic were very literate. They did this without compulsory schooling. Expanding ones thinking comes from reading. Words are the raw materials of thought. Words lead to images and visualization. This opens up the sub conscious mind where thinking lives. This leads to creativity. New ideas and insights provide answers to the problems we encounter in our daily situations. Remember what Schwartz writes, “Excellent ideas are not enough. The idea must be acted upon.” Many of our problems today could be a result of the high degree of illiteracy from an increase in propaganda from daily T.V. watching and technology that bombards with over information? Who has time to read? This is one critical reason why the LIFE business products are so important to our lives and our future. Until then, thanks for reading this blog. God Bless, George Guzzardo
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:56 AM EDT
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
LIFE Community Association
Orrin Woodward's prolific blog has so many outstanding points that I decided to repost this piece on association. His all-time top 100 leadership book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE is filled with nuggets of wisdom to help someone live the life he has always wanted. Here's the article.
The older I get and the more I study the more I realize the full truth of the statement – Birds of a feather flock together. Indeed, I learn as much, if not more, about a person from his associations than I do from spending time with him personally. Why is this so? Because people can play a role for a period of time, but their association gives them away their true interests.
One of the most significant reasons why the Mental Fitness Challenge (MFC) is sweeping the nation is the power of the community groups to help the changes stick. In other words, even if a person works on his attitude, if he still associates with whining, complaining, stinking-thinking attitudes in his free time, he will struggle greatly in his personal transformation. In contrast, Will Rogers stated, “A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people,” so a person must associate with others who sharpen him.
Roger’s quote explains how a person can overcome tough personal circumstances and still succeed in life. Simply put, by changing his information and association inputs, he or she will start to change the result outputs. This doesn’t mean a person should ditch his old friends, but it does mean he should be discerning of the environment so his new inputs influence his friends, rather than the old inputs influencing him. The LIFE Business is a step-by-step program to change the inputs, association, and outputs, in order to win in life thanks the the LIFE Business Compensation Plan.
Success isn’t easy, but then again, neither is failure. However, the price of success is paid in easy monthly installments of desire, discipline, and deeds, while the price of failure is ignored until it becomes an unmanageable mountain of debt, destruction, and despair. I walked down the failure path for years; but thankfully, by God’s grace, I was turned back from the precipice of purposelessness and detected my magnificent obsession. Laurie and I want to reach one million people plus with life-changing truths that make a difference in their lives. What is your magnificent obsession?
Sincerely,
Orrin Woodward
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:42 AM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 8:43 AM EDT
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Athenian Empire: Five Laws of Decline
Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady are more than just top leaders and founders of the LIFE Business. They write intelligently on more subjects that any leadership authors, at least that I'm aware of. Anyway, as an example, here is Orrin explaining the Delian League and how the Athenians changed from freedom fighters to freedom killers. The Five Laws of Decline explain so much. Here's the article.
The Greek City States Alliances
The Greeks were a small band of city-states bound by racial ties, but without a coercive federal union. The Five Laws of Decline (FLD) were held in check by the divided sovereignties of the Greek city-states; however, this changed with the unifying effect of the war against Persia. Initially, Sparta and the Peloponnesian League led the Greek alliance, but after the Persian’s retreat from mainland Greece and the Greek’s counterattack and victory march into the Ionian (Greek) colonies of Asia Minor, the Persian War was effectively over.
The Spartans, to their credit, wanted to terminate the alliance and enjoy some peace and tranquility. Sadly, however, once the Greeks realized the capabilities inherent in united action, the divided sovereignty stage of Greek life ended, and the empire, along with the FLD, began. With the Spartans backing out of leadership, the Athenians, led by their commander Xanthippus, vowed that if no one else would protect the Ionians of Asia Minor, then the Athenians would, especially since Asia Minor, for the most part, originally consisted of colonies from Athens.
The Delian League
In 477 BC, on the island of Delos, the Athenians led a congress of over 150 states to create a new alliance called the Delian League to fight against the Persians. This league changed the character of the Greeks forever as it launched the ravages of FLD on a scale previously unknown. Without realizing the inherent dangers associated with FLD and empire building, the Greeks formed an offense-minded league to plunder gains from weaker enemies and replace their conventional defense-minded leagues of the past. Despite the noble official aim of the Delian League, “to avenge the wrongs they suffered by ravaging the territory of the king,” in actuality, the league existed to “utilize the burgeoning might of [the] new Athenian Empire to expropriate unjust gains from league members and various victims in surrounding areas.” 
Basically, there were three main objectives of the Delian League: defend against further invasions by Persia, avenge Persia’s invasion, and divide the spoils of war gained by the allies. Each ally was given a choice to either offer armed services or pay a tax into the league treasury. Given the strength of the Athenian forces and the fear of the Persians, most of the states chose to pay the tax in lieu of providing men and ships. The FLD grew rapidly under this fertile field for plunder. As the Athenians realized the ability to reap profit without efforts, the taxes quickly increased, the alliance of friendly states turned into Athenian hegemony over its weaker brethren, and the Athenians ventured out with a funded, aggressive, and victorious military seeking further plunder.
Thucydides commented on the transformation of Athens from ally to empire builder:
Of all the causes of defection, that connected with arrears of tribute and vessels, and with failure of service, was the chief; for the Athenians were very severe and exacting, and made themselves offensive by applying the screw of necessity to men who were not used to and in fact not disposed for any continuous labor. In some other respects the Athenians were not the old popular rulers they had been at first; and if they had more than their fair share of service, it was correspondingly easy for them to reduce any that tried to leave the confederacy. The Athenians also arranged for the other members of the league to pay its share of the expense in money instead of in ships and men, and for this the subject city-states had themselves to blame, their wish to get out of giving service making most leave their homes. Thus while Athens was increasing her navy with the funds they contributed, a revolt always found itself without enough resources or experienced leaders for war.
The Five Laws of Decline (FLD)
By analyzing the behavior of Athens, one quickly identifies the FLD (discussed in my book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE in the Legacy chapter) at work helping to destroy Greek liberty.
First, because of Sturgeon’s Law, it was only a matter of time before the absolute power derived from the Athenian’s dictatorial position drew proto-Machiavellian operators into the leadership positions. The Delian League’s political structure would have required angels, not men, in order to limit the possibilities of aggrandizement inherent in the Delian League’s design.
Second, Bastiat’s Law bloomed when the Athenians realized that, since they were receiving the taxes (tributes) and providing the protection, they also could dictate the terms of the “alliance” because he who has the gold makes the rules. Naxos, was the first island to realize its error and challenge the Athenian political control by attempting to withdraw from the league. The Athenians (the former lovers of liberty) viciously attacked and defeated Naxos, forcing the inhabitants to tear down their wall, surrender their fleet, and lose their vote in the Delian League. Naxos, in other words, was no longer an ally in the Delian League, but rather a prisoner of the Athenian Empire. Other states quickly read the tea leaves, and Athens resorted to threats and attacks to subjugate any allies brave enough to question Athenian hegemony.
Third, Gresham’s Law reared its ugly head by driving any noble politicians of liberty underground. Consequently, the only politicians remaining played power politics games to run the coercive league for personal and professional gain. By 461, the conservative Greek Cimon was ostracized, leading to further influence from the democratic elements led by Ephialtes and Pericles. This signaled the end of the official alliance with Sparta and the beginning of preparations for war between the two rival factions of Greeks – Peloponnesian and Athenian. Easy gain and plunder drove out the character-based conservative leaders and replaced them with plunder-hungry Machiavellian war leaders who catered to the democratic masses.
Fourth, as the Delian League digressed from an alliance into an empire, the Athenians invested time into two plunderous activities: further empire building and continued repression of any “allies” who objected to the Athenian dictates. The Athenian League grew in size and repression. Therefore, the Law of Diminishing Returns (LDR) hindered its effectiveness. In addition, the fear of the Athenian League drew a multitude of rivals to unite under the equally strong Peloponnesian League. Guess what happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object? LDR drained the resources of the Athenian and Peloponnesian Leagues while they fought one another for decades in a dispute over greed, plunder, and power – all initiated thanks to the corrosive effects of FLD.
Fifth, the Law of Inertia ensured that the liberties enjoyed by the former independent Greek city states would be difficult, if not impossible, to revive. Each city was forced to choose between one league or the other, as the risk of facing either empire was too great on any one state’s meager resources in comparison with those of the empire. The era of independent city states was finished, and the inertia slammed the door on the previous liberties as powerful alliances were the only way to ensure protection against subjugation. Ironically, the independent city states, in other words, surrendered their independence for fear of losing their independence.
The subsequent Peloponnesian war weakened both leagues, leaving all of the Greeks prostrate before Macedonia and Alexander the Great. Liberty was snuffed out by innate desire for plunder caused by allowing the FLD to work unchecked. The Greek people would remain subjugated to the Greek, Roman, and eventually the Turkish Empire - their ignoble reward for ignoring the Five Laws of Decline.
Sincerely,
Orrin Woodward
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 7:37 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, October 25, 2012 7:42 AM EDT
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Community Association Makes the Difference
Orrin Woodward continues to blaze a leadership trail. His first leadership book, co-authored with Chris Brady, hits the NY Times bestseller list. His bestselling solo book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE made the All-Time Top 100 Leadership Books list. In addition, in 2011 he was awarded the IAB Leadership Award of the Year and launched his second multimillion dollar leadership company called the LIFE Business. The interesting thing about the LIFE Business is the low cost of entry - only $49.99 to get started changing your life. Here is one of Orrin's articles on community.
The older I get and the more I study the more I realize the full truth of the statement – Birds of a feather flock together. Indeed, I learn as much, if not more, about a person from his associations than I do from spending time with him personally. Why is this so? Because people can play a role for a period of time, but their association gives them away their true interests.
One of the most significant reasons why the Mental Fitness Challenge (MFC) is sweeping the nation is the power of the community groups to help the changes stick. In other words, even if a person works on his attitude, if he still associates with whining, complaining, stinking-thinking attitudes in his free time, he will struggle greatly in his personal transformation. In contrast, Will Rogers stated, “A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people,” so a person must associate with others who sharpen him.
Roger’s quote explains how a person can overcome tough personal circumstances and still succeed in life. Simply put, by changing his information and association inputs, he or she will start to change the result outputs. This doesn’t mean a person should ditch his old friends, but it does mean he should be discerning of the environment so his new inputs influence his friends, rather than the old inputs influencing him. The LIFE Business is a step-by-step program to change the inputs, association, and outputs, in order to win in life thanks the the LIFE Business Compensation Plan.
Success isn’t easy, but then again, neither is failure. However, the price of success is paid in easy monthly installments of desire, discipline, and deeds, while the price of failure is ignored until it becomes an unmanageable mountain of debt, destruction, and despair. I walked down the failure path for years; but thankfully, by God’s grace, I was turned back from the precipice of purposelessness and detected my magnificent obsession. Laurie and I want to reach one million people plus with life-changing truths that make a difference in their lives. What is your magnificent obsession?
Sincerely,
Orrin Woodward
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 7:44 AM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 7:54 AM EDT
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The Four Personality Types
Tim Marks, one of the LIFE Business founders recently wrote on the four personality types. Learning and applying these principles into one's life will make a huge difference. Orrin Woodward teaches that man's mind once stretched by a new idea never returns to its original dimensions. Here's Tim's post.
As we each build our leadership communities, one thing that quickly becomes obvious is that people are unique! Everyone has their own history, their own list of accomplishments, their own family situation, their favorite sport, favorite food, and their own personality style. Despite all of the differences, when you start spending a lot of time with a lot of people over the years, you start to see some patterns in behavior emerge. For example, you see that certain people are shy, and certain people are really confident. Some people really love details and tasks, and some people just love to be around friends. With practice, you can start to recognize the general patterns in people’s personalities, it can help you understand them a little better and relate to them more successfully.
Recognizing the different personality styles is nothing new. People have been studying other people for as long as people have been around! For example, a very famous Greek Philosopher named Hippocrates (after whom the Hippocratic Oath for medical practitioners is named) believed that in order to be healthy, your body needed equal amounts of four specific liquids. He called these liquids “humors” and they listed them as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm (“flem”), and blood. If you got sick, Hippocrates and his students thought it was because you had too much of one of these humors. So, they tried to cure you by removing some of those fluids! (Not always successfully, mind you, and not a very wise decision to begin with. Just imagine the conversation! “Hey Pythagoras, you still sick? Well, let’s drain off a few quarts of that yucky blood stuff you’ve got inside and see if that doesn’t put some spring in yer step!”)
Fast forward a few thousand years and we humans are still trying to figure out ourselves and the people around us! Luckily, some very smart people have done a lot of the heavy lifting for us. A wonderful author, Florence Littauer, has written a great book to help us understand the four personality types. That book is Personality Plus, available through the LIFE website, and I really recommend you get a copy and start to master your understanding of the four personalities! Why take the time to learn more about our personality style, as well as the people around us? Because by 
better understanding ourselves, we know who we really are and why we react the way we do in certain situations. We can recognize our strengths and amplify them, and we can be aware of our weakness and manage them more effectively. When I got started in community building, my upline leaders Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady both took me aside and gently suggested that I learn more about the Choleric personality and study some people skills books, because my demanding choleric nature was a definite weakness for me! So, let’s dive into our four personality styles: Melancholy, Phlegmatic, Sanguine, and Choleric! (And yes, Melancholy’s, I know that isn’t in alphabetical order… it’s not the end of the world!)
Sanguine
This is the outgoing, people-oriented social-type. Sanguines are also known as the “Popular” type. They enjoy fun, socializing, chatting, telling stories – and are fond of promising the world, because that’s the friendly thing to do. A Sanguine gets on well with people and can get others excited about issues, but cannot always be relied upon to get things done. They love interacting with others and play the role of the entertainer or center of attention in group interactions. They have a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver. A Sanguine would benefit from LISTENING more and letting other people tell stories… and not trying to upstage them! As well, if you are a Sanguine and don’t know the correct answer, DON’T make up the numbers… the Melancholy’s will spot you doing it and you’ll lose their respect! Some famous examples are Bill Clinton, Robin Williams, Kelly Ripa and Richard Simmons.
Melancholy
This is the reserved, task-oriented cautious type. Melancholies are also known as the “Perfect” type. Their typical behavior involves thinking, assessing, making lists, evaluating the positives and negatives, and general analysis of facts. They love maps, charts and graphs. They are usually the most intelligent of the four types; however they tend to dwell on details. A Melancholy is a planner, making sure things happen, although sometimes they can paralyze themselves with over-analysis. Lists and “doing things the right way” are characteristics of this personality type. Melancholy’s need to loosen up and let their hair down. No one is perfect, even if a Melancholoy tries to be. Don’t be so hard on yourself when you make a mistake… you are probably your own toughest critic. Probably no one else noticed, so you don’t need to point out your error. Remember that Cholerics and Sanguines are bored to tears with details, even if you find the details interesting. When presenting to them, try to summarize the key points and move on. Some famous examples are Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, and Beethoven.
Phlegmatic
This is the reserved and people-oriented type. They are easy going, laid back, nonchalant, unexcitable and relaxed. Desiring a quiet and peaceful environment above all else. They tend not to actively upset people, but their indifference may frustrate people. They try not to make decisions, and generally go for the status quo. They are good as mediators because they don’t usually have many enemies. Phlegmatics are also known as the “Peaceful” type; they tend to want everyone to get along and not rock the boat. They also have a “dry” and quick sense of humor. Phlegmatic leaders may not move as quickly as real Cholerics, but they can be just as—or even more—effective. They may not work harder, but they just may work smarter! If you are a Phlegmatic, you don’t have to say “yes” to every request… sometimes other people will take advantage of you if you don’t set up some boundaries and say “no” once in a while. Some famous examples are Calvin Coolidge, Tim Duncan, and Keanu Reeves (Not his Matrix action-hero character, mind you… His Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure surfer character.)
Choleric
I’ve put Cholerics last so that they can practice being patient and recognize that they aren’t always the alpha male in the room! :) This is the outgoing and task-oriented style. Choleric are dominant, strong, decisive, stubborn and sometimes even arrogant. Cholerics are also known as the “POWEFUL” type. They tend to be good leaders because they are driven to get things done. Unfortunately, they might offend some people along the way by not taking their feelings into account and stepping on some toes. We joke that they are often wrong but never in doubt! Cholerics often have the answers; they know what to do; they can make quick decisions; they bail others out in a jam—but they can struggle with being popular because their assurance and assertiveness make others feel insecure, and their ability to lead can easily make them appear bossy. Powerful Choleric should try to soften their approach with people while maintaining their amazing work ethic and results so that others will celebrate the Cholerics and not be offended by them. As Orrin Woodward’s amazing wife Laurie Woodward has said, “The #1 job of Cholerics is to love your people.” Some famous examples are Donald Trump, General Patton and Bill O’Reilly.
So we’ve briefly touched on each of the four personalities, but it gives you a good introduction to them. It’s my hope this blog inspires you to devour Personality Plus. One thing to always remember: no personality style is better than the other. Each has strengths and weaknesses. Each style is complemented by someone else…. Which is why working as part of a team can be so powerful! If you haven’t done so, take the time to read this book and learn about these styles. If you’ve read the book once, read it again and master it! You’ll discover the people around you are amazing!
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:02 AM EDT
Updated: Sunday, October 21, 2012 8:05 AM EDT
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Chris Brady: A Month in Italy
Chris Brady shares some of his thoughts from his new book A Month In Italy. Between the wisdom of this book and Orrin Woodward's RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, anyone who is a hungry student can win and enjoy life at the same time. Here is the article:
In A Month of Italy: Rediscovering the Art of Vacation, I wrote about the accidental joy that resulted from poor Internet and cell phone connections. "Going dark" electronically was one of the biggest blessings of our "radical sabbatical."
This topic seems to be gaining more and more momentum, as people everywhere are waking up to the danger of non-stop connection. Just because technology can do something doesn't necessarily mean it should - at least - not all the time.
In strategy + business, a recent article by professor Henry Mintzberg and Dean Peter Todd considers the concept from the perspective of effective management. One of the most poignant excerpts from the article is:
Indeed, managers who are in touch only through their keyboard are out of touch with the vast world beyond it. They risk substituting breadth for depth. Recent research shows that we may have more connections today, but fewer relationships.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 5:42 PM EDT
Updated: Thursday, October 18, 2012 5:46 PM EDT
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Corporate America vs. Compensated Communities
This is an hilarious picture of most of corporate America. The LIFE Business evens the playing field by its pay for performance LIFE Compensation plan. Anyone can win if he or she is willing to grow and change. Are you tired of all the crap (pun intended) you deal with in corporate America? Then perhaps Orrin Woodward and the other LIFE Founders can help you find your entrepreneurial genius.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:22 AM EDT
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