Personal Development | forimpact.org

December 9, 2008 | Tom Suddes

Malcolm Gladwell, of TIPPING POINT and BLINK fame, writes an interesting book (Outliers: The Storry of Success) on what separates the ‘highly successful’ from everyone else.

Here are his five steps to SUCCESS:

Find MEANING and INSPIRATION in your work. (That’s easy if you’re working at a For Impact Organization!)
Work hard. (That seems to be a given in the 3rd Sector.)
Discover the relationship between EFFORT and REWARD. (This is where we need some work. 97% of funding comes from 3% of our people. Lions, Mice & Antelopes. The Triple Ask.)
Seek out complex work to avoid boredom and repetition. (I’m all about avoiding boredom and repetition. I’m not sure about the “complex” work. Think Big. Build Simple. Act Now. You won’t be bored.)
Be autonomous and control your own destiny as much as possible. (For Impact Leaders, Social Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs in General, Intrapreneurs, etc.)

Special Note: This may be the major reason I enjoyed this book. Gladwell writes that talent and IQ don’t matter as much as we think they do (vis-à-vis success). That means I’ve still got a chance.

Pick up this book. Gladwell’s style is easy to read, and full of insights.

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Sales Nugget 4: Selling Yourself

October 31, 2008 | Tom Suddes

Frank Sullivan used to say that he spent 90% of his time SELLING HIMSELF… and 10% of his time selling his product.

As a “young pup”, I’ll never forget Frank telling me how, early in his career, he would go to a prospect and say, “This is my background. Some day I’m going to be the most successful insurance salesman in our town, and I need you. Will you please help me grow?”

One of his most important lessons from his own experience was that if you are very honest with everybody and tell them you need their help, you will get it. (Amazingly, 30 years later, this “AUTHENTICITY” still works!)

Frank was also a big proponent of “INVESTING IN YOURSELF”! He believed, as I do, that personal growth, continuous learning, having a “life” outside your organization/business, reading, listening to audio tapes, etc. are all part of your ability to ’sell’ yourself.

Special Note (for Re-Enforcement):

In the “Little Red Book of Selling”, Jeffrey Gitomer shares his version of Frank’s lesson by listing the 12 ½ reasons “WHY PEOPLE BUY” (which, by the way, he says is one million times more important than “HOW DO I SELL”).

Here are six of his twelve.

I like my SALES REP.
I believe my SALES REP.
I have confidence in my SALES REP.
I trust my SALES REP.
I am comfortable with my SALES REP.

12½. I perceive that my SALES REP is trying to help me build my business in order to earn his. My SALESPERSON is a valuable resource to me.

I hope you “GET THIS”! It’s why the ‘OPEN’ in every FOR IMPACT PRESENTATION is about:

YOU!!!!

THEM

US (The Org)

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‘Focus On Your Strengths’ Reinforced

October 21, 2008 | Tom Suddes

Nick went to see Marcus Buckingham last week. This morning I was looking at my October Issue of Success Magazine and came across a great article about Buckingham called Play to Your Strengths.

Buckingham’s mentor at the Gallup Organization was Don Clifton, whose book back in the early ‘80’s SOAR WITH STRENGTHS had a profound effect on me, my life and my coaching.

Here’s a quote from Buckingham that should help you understand this whole “Soar With Your Strengths”, “Now Discover Your Strengths, Go Put Your Strengths to Work” thing.

“The most successful people are incredibly clear about what invigorates them and what doesn’t.”

My translation of that has been a CONTROLLING INSIGHT (another great Buckingham concept) for me.

Find the thing that you really, really, really LOVE to do… and then figure out how to make a life or a business or work around that passion.

In Bob & Melissa Blanchard’s words: “LIVE WHAT YOU LOVE!”

(I’m Tom Suddes, and I approve this message.)

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Challenge to Change

January 24, 2007 | Tom Suddes

Note: I’m working with an incredible FOR IMPACT organization in San Diego called Father Joe’s Villages. They SAVE LIVES … INSPIRE LIVES … CHANGE LIVES … every day.

One of the key elements of their national model is a program called ‘CHALLENGE TO CHANGE‘ … where they work with those in need to help CHANGE the way they think, feel and act.

Here’s my 2007 CHALLENGE TO CHANGE.

Every one of us is looking to make some kind of ‘CHANGE’ in their own personal life, our organizations, our relationships … or in the World.

This is the year.

To get you started, I would remind you of one of my absolute favorite quotes from one of my favorite people, Tim Kight:

“We are perfectly designed to get the results we are getting.”

Tim not only uses that in the ORGANIZATIONAL work that he does, but in his PERSONAL BEST seminars.

What does this really mean? Exactly what it says.
If you want different results, you need a different ‘design’.

Change or Die.

Alan Deutschman just expanded his provocative and challenging Fast Company cover story (May 2005) into a full-length book: Change or Die. I just finished it, and would strongly recommend this as a terrific place to get started on your 2007 CHALLENGE TO CHANGE.

Here’s a quick summary:

When given the real choice of LIFE or DEATH, the scientifically studied odds are 9 to 1 … AGAINST change!
Deutschman, on the other hand, says “People can change the deep-rooted patterns of how they think, feel and act.”
However, we need to replace the three misconceptions about change. (’FACTS’, ‘FEAR’ and ‘FORCE’) with what he calls the Three Keys to Change: RELATE … REPEAT … REFRAME (which create new hope, new skills and new thinking).

Nick and I are going to be writing about this concept of CHALLENGE TO CHANGE over the next few weeks. We don’t want this to be the standard’ NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION’, which merely fills up every athletic club in America from January 1st until January 11th; and then they’re back to normal.

Bertram Russell, the philosopher and political pundit, said:

“CHANGE is one thing. PROGRESS is another.”

Don’t just CHANGE TO CHANGE. We all want to make PROGRESS in our personal lives, our relationships, our organization and our teams.

Watch for more …

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You are what you think about

January 7, 2006 | Tom Suddes

WOW! Here’s one of the most profound “THOUGHTS” (pun intended) ever recorded:
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT.”

Earl Nightingale is literally the father of PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. THE STRANGEST SECRET was literally the seed from which this personal development industry grew.

Written in 1956, when Earl was 35 years old, he recorded this short message for a small group of salesmen one Saturday morning. The message had such a positive impact that everyone wanted copies to share with their friends and family. Earl Nightingale arranged with Columbia Records to duplicate this record and ultimately received a Gold Record for sale of a million copies. (This is in the 1950’s!)

I started to summarize this book but that’s very unfair. Just order your copy right now. It’s 19 small pages (the book) and takes only 30 minutes to listen to (the audio).

To whet your appetite:

“Men simply don’t think.”

“We become what we think about.”

“Success equals the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”

“Instead of competing, all we have to do is create.”

“Impact = Income!” (I swear it’s in there!) He calls it the Law of Mutual Exchange.

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