John's Blog

  The Myths and Magic of Influence in Leadership Leadership cannot be assigned, delegated, or awarded. Rather, it is recognised within someone by their ability to influence people, organisations, situations, and paradigms.  The essence of true leadership lies in influence. A leader is measured by their ability to influence, and this cannot be “passed on” to someone else. Instead, leadership and influence must be earned. All the skills and strategies one learns as a leader are aimed at influencing effectively. The Myths of Influence Three common myths feed misconceptions about the source of influence: The Management Myth: Managers are Leaders This myth assumes that managers are automatically leaders. However, management mainly involves processes, systems, and administrative controls. While managers can maintain the direction set by a leader and assist in moving people forward, they are not inherently leaders. In rare instances, managers can fulfill a leadership role, but this d...

I'm doing a "100 Articles in 100 Days" challenge, with approximately sixty five articles left. "Why 100 days? Why not just 30 days like all the other challenges," I hear you ask. Let me explain:  First, leaders forge mastery, then, Mastery creates leaders.  The unique leadership model, the U49, guides potential leaders through a growth program, aimed at fostering focus, momentum and mastery, establishing reliability and reputation along the way. All of these elements need time and effort to grow ... enter the 100 Challenge.   The strength of the 100 Challenge is in the incredible personal growth and understanding the leader gains as they establish momentum in their core skill. It takes a minimum of forty days exercising a skill for it to become grounded. In other words, in the first forty days, you just start to understand the subtly of the tasks you do.  The next sixty days of the Challenge takes the growing leader beyond mere understanding, past s...

Sometimes, love is like giving water to someone that has a cracked cup. They can't quench their thirst, because they are broken, and incapable of drinking the water.   People are offended when those of low self worth don't respond to love in an expected manner. The offence comes from the inherent belief that love cures all: "If I love a broken someone, they should heal, and blossom." Love does indeed heal all things, and it does make people whole, but sometimes that love isn't in a shape you recognise.  It's not hard to understand that people from different walks of life view success differently. Some people regard fast cars and big houses as symbols of winning. Others want success to create happy families and caring spouses. Both views of success are okay. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that some people need a different expression of, and respond differently to, love.  Many people accuse the "broken" of being selfish, even contro...

Hundreds of thousands of new ventures, fresh visions and infant businesses die, because the leader didn't know how to get it going. Of all the things your "new life" needs to survive, momentum is crucial.   Without a doubt, a clear future vision defines why we do it. Growth gurus want us to diligently sort a one year, a three year, and a ten year plan, because it's the "year of vision." Pffft! Those plans will be a fat load of useless if you dont action it tomorrow.  The saying, "objects at rest want to stay at rest," applies to your vision too. Have you noticed the tiny steps given by the strong man as he starts to pull the heavy truck? These little steps focus all his power to move the truck forward just an inch. Our vision needs tiny steps of focused power to get the first sign of movement. Focusing on just "the next step," creates the initial movement in our vision.  The following step will need less force to move the visi...

We all look up to and admire a good leader, impressed by their skill, tenacity, and authenticity. We recognise that rallying people behind a single objective in a mutually beneficial way is extremely difficult. We even recognise that not everyone can be a good leader, and that it takes a special kind of person to fill leadership shoes.  So, why is it that we call leadership a "soft skill"? Why is it that a "leadership course" shouldn't be longer than four days? Why is it that the teaching of leadership, a skill globally recognised as prolific and difficult, is treated with such contempt? Maybe insecure people in leadership positions don't want competition and downplay proper training. Maybe labelling leadership as a soft skill was a marketing mistake made universities and educators.  Soft skills...! Don't talk stupid.  People don't enlist for leadership training for two main reasons: first, leadership is horribly misunderstood. Second, lead...

Let's take a moment to pause on this day, World Cancer day, and say, "I care," to those that continue to fight against the disease. We remember, and pay tribute to those that have fallen in this terrible battle.  World Cancer day offers the opportunity to highlight another subtle and deadly form of the disease, the cancer of caring. It has oozed it's way into the deepest fabric of our societies, infected the bone marrow of our social economies, and eats away at the very core of our coexistence. You may think the claim is crazy, and have possibly never noticed the symptoms, but I promise you; the disease has already infected you.   I first diagnosed the cancer at a breakfast with Ben. He is an elderly gentleman with a kind heart, and a lot of wisdom to share. Once a week, Ben and I go for breakfast at a popular restaurant chain. Each week, we are greeted by friendly faces always eager to wait at our table. As usual, Ben will greet each waiter by their name, mak...

"Overnight succes;" "so lucky;"and "instant fortune" are the excuses the lazy and uninspired slap on those that are successful, oblivious to the hours, the sacrifices, and the growth it took to reach the top.  "Let's imitate them," is a great strategy to duplicate success, but you can't start imitating where they are now in hopes of an equal results. You have to start at the same point they did and follow their original path.  All of a sudden success, fame, and fortune, with all the trimmings doesn't sound as attractive! "Oh, it's still attractive, it's just the 'effort' thing that's not going to happen."  The general population would rather slog it out for a boss, in poverty, before they invest time, effort, and education in their own success. "I'm tired" is the greatest motivator of the unmotivated to do nothing in life.   The perception is that life and success needs work, cre...

Walking along a desolate sandbar on the shores of an Indian river, Payeng's heart broke as he wept aloud for the death he witnessed.  All forms of reptiles and birds had died of exposure to a terrible storm on the river banks just days before. The cruel sandbank offered the animals no protection from the elements.    Fourteen year old Payeng went home and devised a plan. It was simple, he would plant and nurture saplings on the desolate sandbank until there was enough habitat to offer protection to all the animals. This plan would also prevent soil erosion on the largest river island, Majuli.  Thirty years later, Mr. Payeng has planted enough trees to create a forest covering 550 hectors, the equivalent of fifteen football stadiums. The Molai forest, created by Payeng, is now home to deer, tigers, rabbits, birds and more. How is this possible?  The dedication of one person to do something each day that may only make a small difference in the moment,...

"WTF!" This was my standard response to the "your-daily-habits-are-the -foundation-of-your-success" type leadership quotes, that is, until I discovered the power and purpose of mission.   My dad was a "stand up" guy when it came to work ethic. He would get up at four in the morning, do his daddy chores and still be in the office at 06:30 sharp. He was committed, determined and loyal towards his job, but he was just an average man and for all of his hard work, he never amounted to much.   I don't mean to sound ungrateful, nor am I attacking what my dad did to support his family. The point is that leadership quotes often imply that success is the result of hard work, but evidence in the real world suggests that success needs something more.   Shaun's dad was also commited to family and job, but with very different results. Shaun's dad worked hard at cultivating an attitude of service to others. He also worked to deliberately grow his s...

When explaining basic firefighting to beginners, we teach them that the "fire triangle" represents the three core elements of a fire, namely; oxygen, heat and fuel. If you effectively remove one of these three elements, you will extinguish the fire.  Similarly, a developing leader has a "fire triangle" with three core elements: Value, mission and engagement. Remove just one of these elements and the developing leader will be extinguished.  The first "leader triangle" element is value, which talks to the value perceived by all the role players around the leader's vision. In other words, if people believe in your vision and see the need, they will invest in it. If people benefitting from your vision have the need, they will gladly receive it.  There is no point in selling your vision to an audience that doesn't recognise the need that your vision addresses. Weak or random needs will not attract a talented team nor inspire "customers...

Get out of the box - Part 3 - Principle rules Precedent.  If we are fortunate enough to overcome the first limitation of our paper prison, the lack of instant feedback, then we need to deal with the 2nd wall limiting our growth: allowing precedent, our past experience, to rule our judgment.  "I tried it, but it didn't work" has become the anthem for those unwilling to work their way out of the rut. We use this excuse to pardon our failure and to justify our lethargy.  It's time to admit that weak and uninformed attempts at bringing about change are NOT "proof" that the method, recipe or principle doesn't work, but is infact evidence that we are not really willing to change.  There is nothing new under the sun. Everything that is, was. Everything that was, will be.  I promise you: someone somewhere has successfully achieved what you want to attempt, and they have the right laws, principles, and methods for you to duplicate the success.  Gett...

The call on each person to "influence and leadership" is not about bringing change to THE world, but rather, to change YOUR world.    The concept of leadership is misunderstood by most people to mean "those with global power and universal influence that control all the other little puppets in the world," instantly excluding themselves from the sphere of leadership and influence.    When thinking about leadership, most people imagine "world changers," like Ghandi or Bill Gates, but see themselves as having little or no influence. As a consequence, people believe that they are not leaders.    This perception is simply wrong.    When you realise that Ghandi and Bill Gates did not start their journey as "global influencers," but were merely people with a dream, you will recognise that they both answered a call to change their own individual worlds first.    Stepping out and acting on their personal dream allowed their influence t...

Our personal development and life success is directly linked to the statement: "I am the way, the truth and the life."    Each of our missions in life uses this legendary quote as a map to growth through: focus, momentum and mastery.    Just in case the process is not clear: focus equates the way, momentum equates the truth, and mastery equates the life.    Some people incorrectly hold the belief that we must first discover truth, which then magically opens "the way" for us. In reality, we need to progress along the way in order to discover our personal truth.    Testing the leadership model, the U49, I set out on a personal growth path, exercising my mission as I went. I had preselected a random mission as part of an experiment to prove the effectiveness of the leadership model.    The experiment required me to dedicate one hour a day of focused time and effort, performing the various tasks within my selected mission, for a p...

"Know thyself" is a critical key to success in life, love, work and play.     Success is like programming a journey on a GPS, it wants to know where you're going, and it wants to know where you are in order to pick the best route.    For the most part, people will clearly tell the success-GPS where they want to go. However, defining where they are - not as simple! The task of self-discovery can become a complicated and draining process when left in the hands of beginners.    "Well, I don't need self-development. I'm happy where I am." Okay, then you had better be happy forever more with where you are, because any change must come from within.     You can only take out of a bag that which is already in it. What's currently in your life-bag produces the life you have. If you want something else from life, you will first have to put something else into your life-bag.     Choosing what to put into th...

In the dying seconds of the game, the team's star player does a twist, fooling the opponent. The star sidesteps another challenger, and with a flourish - scores again!    In the after-game interview, the star player tells how being in the "zone" gave them "move-prediction" powers, supported by super strength and stamina, making winning a sure thing.     As "fans" we swoon at the thought of our star's abilities on the field, and at their charisma off it.    With glittery admiration we wish, oh, we so wish we were them for a day! Would you want to have the skills and abilities of a great sportsman or woman for a day?    Would you like to jog onto the pitch, walk into the office, or swagger into the arena, knowing you were empowered with your hero's abilities, skills, or focus? Of course you would! We all would like some hero's ability in one form or another! That's not the question we should be asking. The real question is: wh...

Being honest and walking in your truth are two very different things.   Most people are quick to pick out honesty as a quality they want in others, all with good reason.   We want people to be honest about their intentions and actions in relationships. No one wants to expose their heart only to realise we've been played.  Honesty allows us to trust the owner of the hand we shake in a business deal. Honesty puts our hearts at ease, knowing where are loved ones are really, and what they are doing.    As much as we want and offer honesty, how many people actually walk in their own truth?    Walking your truth is realising your shadow, and owning it. Truth is recognising your full potential, and polishing it.   Truth is understanding the greatness of your dreams, and preaching it. How open and forthcoming are you about your hope's, dreams and ambitions? How frank are you with what you believe about God, love, life and other concepts t...

So, what's the purpose of laws? We have general and specific laws. General Laws are set in place to help govern the general population, and to create a certain level of predictability.  What do I mean by predictability?  If we consider traffic laws, as a example, you quickly realise that knowing the laws, and assuming other drivers know the laws, we gain an ability to predict what other drivers are thinking or are going to do. When everyone follows the laws, we know cars will stop at red lights, allowing us to go safely. Indicators gives us insight into people decisions and we adjust accordingly. Speed limits help us evaluate and predict how we should join the flow at a junction.  Following the laws allows us to "prophesy" about peoples intended driving behaviour. However, if drivers intentionally or unintentionally break the laws- chaos follows!  Laws, however, are not physical forces controlling our behaviour. Laws are cognitive ideals that require...

How well would you fare in the Dragon's Den?  Inspired by the TV show, where entrepreneurs stand in front of potential investors to ask for money for a share of the business, I started to wonder ...  Not that I'm starting a company and need investment. No, I wondered how I would fare in front of a panel pitching me, and what I believe about the world and all in it. I'm not one to be easily swayed by the opinions of others. I past needing validation from people a long time ago. I wanted to know: if I was "the company," would people choose to invest or not. Cowardness, or fear of the truth or (maybe) both, caused me to forego a panel of real people. Instead I elected a panel of mirrors.  I took the tall, thin mirror from the hallway. In my mind this mirror represent a tall, thin man, experienced in business, especially finance, intelligent, and maybe a little mean and a little cold.  I took the rectangular mirror with its pine frame from the bathroom....

Life and love don't get meaning from ckearly written definitions. Life and love get meaning from principles.    I watched a documentary of a man, who once played Jesus of Nazareth in a movie, in search of the real Jesus. In the documentary, the actor told of how he researched every portrayal of Jesus he could find, because he wanted to get the "character" just right. He wanted to portray Jesus perfectly.     In the movie, the actor puts very little into the actions or emotions for the character of Jesus, choosing rather to only imply action, emotion and intent, leaving the character of Jesus open to interpretation.     The actor knew that viewers would project their own meaning and intent onto the character.      In the reviews, critics and fans called it the best movie of the life of Jesus ever made. It would have to be so ... because the actor gave us "our own version" of Jesus... we would have to award it the best rendition ever...

My mantra for 2020: focus, momentum and mastery! Don't be misled - there is no such thing as multi-tasking, especially when it comes to pursuing your dreams. Multi-tasking dilutes your energy and resources making you less efficient and less effective.  Your dreams deserve laser-like focus, which translates into drama-ignoring commitment and relentless dedication to achieving what's needed today! The law of inertia tells us that a moving object needs less energy to keep it moving. Starting the process is tough! Suck it up buttercup ... create the momentum, get that goal rolling now and the rest will be easier!  Neither focus nor momentum has any value if you do a half-ass job! It's not good enough to "do your best!" Your dreams need ... no .... demand excellence! Become the best at what you have to offer and the best will be returned to you as an offering!!!  Package focus, momentum and mastery as part of your motivational drive this year and you...