Author Chris Brady's Blog

"Exposed: The Financial Matrix" by Orrin Woodward

What follows is the Foreword I wrote for Orrin Woodward’s latest book.  It’s a great read, and obviously one I would highly recommend.

Congratulations on picking up this book. I guarantee you have never read anything like it.  What follows in these pages is jolting, thoroughly researched, and painstakingly reasoned out.  At first it may even strike you as a bit out-of-the-blue, especially when compared to the issues the national media and other gatekeepers of information flow seem intent on making our priority.  As you will discover, this is no accident. The very fact that we hardly hear anything at all about what you are about to read screams loudly for its validity. As the saying goes, “The greatest trick the Devil ever played was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” 

Make no mistake; what you are about to learn is indeed very real, and it affects all of us in meaningful ways every day. This book will show you that. It will uncover and document systemic plunder and rampant unfairness. Like an engrossing Agatha Christie mystery, it will expose an insidious plot and explain the crime with several “smoking guns” of evidence, taking you deeper and deeper with one stunning reveal after another. By the end you will view money and the economy, and especially your own particular financial situation, in an entirely new and unexpected way. In short, you will be changed. You will have a new perspective and arrive irreversibly at a new place. To borrow from the 1999 hit movie The Matrix, as does this book, you will have taken the “red pill” and learned life-changing truth. The financial world will never so readily fool you again.

As with all information, however, one must always ask, “Who says?” The credibility of the messenger must be proportional to the magnitude of the message. And that’s the other astonishing thing about this book; it very likely could not nor would not have been written by anyone else. Orrin Woodward writes as Marco Polo returning from a journey to a distant and unknown land, as having “been there” and experienced it all firsthand. Growing up in a blue-collar home in a tiny rural village in Michigan, Woodward was out of the house at age eighteen and paid his own way through college, often living on a few dollars a week. He had no family wealth, connections, prospects, sponsors, patrons, or even fans. But somehow in approximately a decade and a half, he had won national engineering awards, built several successful businesses, become a millionaire many times over, written New York Times best-selling books, been listed in Inc. Magazine’s Top 20 Leaders in the world, and even set a Guinness Book World Record. It was precisely this journey from obscurity to notoriety and fortune that taught him the main thesis of this book: the financial system is intentionally rigged against the unsuspecting masses of people who strive futilely within it. If Woodward had not struggled so mightily himself to rise up and climb the slippery slope from lower middle class to the 0.5% income earners and beyond, he would never have seen it. Further, he would not have had the freedom to invest the thousands of required hours of study and research to gain the insights and find the evidence for what is here presented. Finally, Woodward’s broad knowledge and experience as an engineer, entrepreneur, consultant, counselor, writer, speaker, world traveler, international business owner, investor, theologian, philanthropist, economist, and all-around modern polymath make him uniquely qualified and positioned to sound this clarion call.

The message of this book is important, timely, and necessary. What happens as a result of its publication could be hugely important for mankind and the world’s economy, but even more so, for you. Read on and don’t miss a thing, and prepare to “see” many things for the first time, anew.

The Ten Financial Danger Zones

The following excerpt was taking from the book, Financial Fitness, written by co-author, Chris Brady.

There are some financial problems you need to beware of: the danger zones of personal finance. Specifically, there are ten things that are probably the most dangerous moments in someone’s financial life. Whenever you get near any of these ten things, stop, think about it, disengage your emotions, and engage your logic because all of these are thin ice.

1. Taxes – Make sure you get a good tax adviser because the tax code can be pretty complicated. Never break the law. Never skate the edge. But make sure you understand the tax laws so you don’t waste a bunch of money that you’re not required to pay.
2. Home Ownership – We have been taught that homes are great to own. Maybe that is true for some people in the right circumstances, but being a homeowner is one of the most expensive things you will ever do. Not only is the upkeep a significant expense, but property taxes and insurance are very costly. In societies with weak or struggling economies, increased property taxes will be one way that cities, municipalities, and other local governments attempt to stay afloat. And despite popular myths, homes do not always go up in value. This was the big idea that got popped during the last housing bubble. Many people have found themselves upside down on their homes, meaning they owe more than the home is now worth. This is a bad place to be. It is not our advice to own a home, or to avoid owning a home, but rather to be very wise. Do not make the mistake of seeing your home as a major investment, and think through the financial ramifications before you buy.
3. Divorce – Don’t divorce him! Don’t divorce her! Work it out! If you don’t, it is going to cost a lot of money. Of course, you need to do what is right for you and your family. Our point is simply that this can be a very dangerous financial move, so think it through from all angles. It might be the most expensive thing you ever do.
4. Credit Cards – Many people need to stay away from credit cards. We discussed this earlier in the book, several times in fact, but if you have not yet followed our advice, then (for crying out loud) put the plastic back in the wallet. Cut them up. Get rid of the things. Freeze them. Lock them up. Just stop using them. Credit cards are fine for people who have proven their ability to be disciplined with their finances. But for those with challenges in this regard, this warning is properly aimed.
5. Lawsuits – They are very expensive, and they can distract from your work, business, family, and other important facets of life. If you are living the principles of financial fitness, you will have the best and only real preparation for lawsuits: savings and financial discipline. Avoid lawsuits whenever possible, and never look at them as a way to gain something financially.
6. Uninsured Accidents and Sickness – Look, we know this is a tough world. But we have literally seen people cancel their health insurance because they “can’t afford it.” Yet they have tons of credit card debt, a flat screen TV, recreational vehicles, fancy cars, boats, etc. Get yourself some insurance. Sell some stuff. Walk around in a barrel in you have to! Get insured, even if it is just major medical insurance that kicks in if you have a big emergency. Protect yourself and your finances. Too much insurance is a waste and too little is a risk. Avoid both extremes. It is wise for people to look into getting the following kinds of insurance: home/rental, car, major medical, life, disability, long-term care, and identity theft protection. Also look into what insurance is needed for your kind of business. Protect your assets.
7. Status Living – Having to keep up with the Joneses (or the Zhangs, as they increasingly say in China) can really kill your financial fitness. If you haven’t noticed, the Joneses are probably broke. Following their example is bad for your finances. Actually, to tell the truth, the Zhangs are spending only a little and saving a lot. Keeping up with the Zhangs, and not the Joneses, is a really good idea. To repeat what we already said: Stop buying things you don’t need with money you don’t have to impress people you don’t even like.
8. College Education – We use the word “education” kind of lightly, depending on what college and where you go. College has become ridiculously expensive, partly because of all the scholarships given out, but mostly because of the ease with which kids can get government loans. This tends to drive the whole market price up. Be very careful that you get what you pay for. Take some time to think it through before you plunk down all that hard-earned money on a college just for reputation. Turn on your analytical brain, and treat it like an investment. Either make sure you (or your kids) get trained in something that will really bring the return you want, or focus more on getting a great education and less on getting a degree. To be clear, we think you should get a truly excellent education. This is one of the most important investments you will ever make. We just don’t believe this happens in college as often or as well as many people expect it to. If you do choose college, be sure you get the education you really want—or go and find it elsewhere. Note that the costs of college rise about 8% annually, while statistics show that the cost of a college education isn’t a very good investment anymore. A large percentage of people never work in the field of their degree, but they leave school with thousands of dollars in student loans. Ironically, as schools focus increasingly on narrow job training instead of broad education, people are getting less in the way of education and also using their expensive degrees less after graduation. For example, 85% of people who graduated from college in 2011 were unable to find a job and moved back in with their parents. Even more stayed away but still could not find good employment. It is increasingly common to find people with prestigious college degrees working in menial or fast-food jobs. Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, recently offered a number of $100,000 grants to students who were willing to drop out of college and start a business. Many top leaders are increasingly seeing college as a waste of time. As college becomes more expensive and less valuable, we expect to see more such alternatives that work for people better than college. Again, if you do go to college, focus on your education— not the conveyor belt requirements of the system.
9. Addictions – Very often when we talk to people and they have some serious holes in their finances, we find out there is some type of addiction behind the scenes. Fight those off. Get professional help. Get treatment. As tragic as these things are personally and to the family, they are also just as bad financially. Clean up your life.
10. Investments – The rule on investing is “buyer beware.” If those seeking your investment need your money, they do not qualify for it. If you don’t retain 100% control of your money, you are going to lose a whole lot of it; we promise. We have learned this through sad experience. The best investments are found on the YOU, Inc. Investment Hierarchy. About 95% of North Americans should not be in Kiyosaki’s “I” quadrant, which is investors only. Most should be in the “B” (business owner) quadrant. Those who try to become investors too soon are usually trying to invest like millionaires while earning like the middle class. This is the opposite of the real goal, as discussed earlier: to earn like a millionaire and live like the middle class. Also, amateur investors generally get slaughtered by the professionals.

Be very, very careful as you make decisions about the danger zones: taxes, home ownership, divorce, credit cards, lawsuits, insurance, seeking status, college, addictions, and investments. Get good advice from your financial mentors, and study things in detail before taking action.

As you become financially fit, do your best to avoid the financial danger zones, and be extremely careful as you make decisions when they do present themselves.

Effective Public Speaking - Part 2

The following excerpt was taken from SPLASH! A Leader's Guide to Effective Public Speaking. [Introduction written by Chris Brady]

Beginning public speakers usually think there are three main types of speakers: good, bad, and somewhere in between. Advanced speakers—those who really know how to read every crowd, speak to each person’s heart and mind in a way that moves them deeply, and leave the listeners forever changed.

For top leaders, public speaking is about SPLASH!

In truth, splashes are amazing. They cause immediate waves, followed by a lot of ripples. And in the process, many people get wet or even muddy. If you’ve ever visited Sea World and watched the giant splashes from the whales arch far into the sky and then drench a stadium full of people, you know what a successful speech is all about.

In fact, if you watch a Sea World crowd, even the people far up in the top bleachers, who don’t get a drop of water on them, react to each huge splash by jerking backward, covering their faces, and acting in other ways as if the wave were coming right at them.

Every drop from a big splash causes a series of ripples. People go home and share what they learned and, even more important, what they felt. SPLASH speaking is an essential part of what we call Level 5 Leadership: developing leaders who develop leaders.

Indeed, the memories created by effective SPLASH speaking endure for a lifetime.

Just think of the best speech you've ever heard. Picture the event in your mind. Did you hear it in a stadium, at church, in the car, or somewhere else?

What made it so great? Was it the ambiance? The lighting and cheering? The message? An electric energy in the room? The force of nature that seemed to emanate from the speaker? The notes you took and how they changed you later? A specific quote or phrase that seemed to switch on a light bulb in your mind? Or something else?

Whatever your answer, one thing is certain. Great speeches, SPLASH speeches, leave you different than you were before you heard them. You feel something, and the feeling has a lasting impact on you and your life. The ripples of what you felt and learned during the speech continue in your life long after the big waves have come and gone.

Beginning speakers often try to “break the ice” by using jokes, visual aids, gimmicks, or other techniques to pique the interest of the audience. Top leaders know that there is a better way, that in fact, gimmicks are really just gimmicks and that the same joke or visual aid will be mediocre when used by a struggling speaker but burn a lasting memory when employed by a great speaker.

It’s not the techniques, it’s not just the preparation, and it’s not even the message that matters most. It’s the SPLASH that causes real change, that leaves listeners different, that ignites those in the crowd and sways their future.

So what exactly is SPLASH? In addition to symbolizing how to become a speaker who touches every person in the audience and leaves a lasting memory, SPLASH is an acronym for the following guidelines of truly effective speakers:

Say something that matters.
Prepare the speaker, not just the speech.
Leave it all backstage.
Audience is everything.
Simplicity is power.
Happen!

Note that SPLASH speakers aren’t born; they’re made. It takes effort, practice, and repetition to become a great speaker. Sitting in an audience listening to a world-class speech, it is easy to get the false idea that the speaker is just plain gifted. Certainly, there are people with various gifts that help their public speaking, but nobody ever became an excellent speaker without hard work.

For example, attend a professional football game or a nationally recognized orchestra performance, and you’ll be amazed at how some of the athletes and musicians make their work seem so simple. But what they do is actually far from easy. If you knew the long years of practice, workouts, lessons, failures, struggles, sweat, and effort that brought them to this moment, you’d be amazed.

Any true success is built on a genuine foundation of intense and consistent work.

The same is true of great speakers. That said, understanding SPLASH will help you fast-forward past years, even decades, of trial and error.

Mentoring is incredibly powerful for this very reason: An experienced mentor can help you jump ahead by applying his wealth of experience and skipping many hurdles along the way. 

If you begin applying the principles of SPLASH speaking right now, today, your public speaking will start improving by leaps rather than baby steps.

There is an old saying that “practice makes perfect.” This is actually only partially true. The reality is that the right kind of practice makes perfect. In other words, practicing skills incorrectly tends to lessen them and reduce your effectiveness.

Those who apply the principles of SPLASH speaking can start practicing the right way, and this will drastically accelerate their learning curve. Moreover, if you have ever stressed about public speaking or felt nervous before a speech, SPLASH speaking will help you conquer your fear and forget about yourself.

Indeed, this is a hallmark of great speakers: They tend to forget about themselves and immerse their delivery in the needs of their audience. SPLASH speaking will teach you how to do this simply, immediately, and effectively.

There is much to learn, but becoming a better public speaker will help you in countless ways. So get ready to get wet—because a SPLASH is coming!

To purchase the book SPLASH! A Leader's Guide to Effective Public Speaking, click here.

[Posted by Kristen Seidl, on behalf of Chris Brady]

Effective Public Speaking - Part 1

The following excerpt was taken from SPLASH! A Leader's Guide to Effective Public Speaking. [Foreword written by Chris Brady]

I sat in my little metal folding chair absolutely petrified. My hands were sweaty, my posture slumped, and I couldn’t hear a word the presenter was saying. All my faculties were consumed with the fear of my impending doom.

What was so downright terrifying?

I was about to give my first official public presentation! I was eighteen years old and an engineering co-op student at General Motors. More for our benefit than anything else, at the end of each semester, we co-op students were required to give a review of our work assignments and accomplishments that term.

They were despicable affairs, to be sure, with a dim little old-fashioned bulb-type overhead projector and amateur flimsies comprised of lots of really unimportant information. One by one, each victim would get up and grind through a horrid three minutes.

Soon it would be my turn.

My memory blanks at this point. Perhaps it’s some sort of protection mechanism, the kind of thing that eliminates our past tragedies from memory or at least preserves our self-image by refusing to remind us of times when we made complete fools of ourselves! At any rate, I can’t recall one detail about that presentation except for how scared I was beforehand.

This condition didn’t go away anytime soon, either. Year after year, we went through the same drill, and I was just as scared each time.

Fast forward to today, where I basically make my living speaking in front of audiences around the world. I give approximately fifty public talks a year to  audiences of all sizes and have been doing so (and often more) for almost twenty years. Now, I don’t even break a sweat. I am not only not scared by speaking in public; I actually relish each moment!

What happened?

If you’re like me at all, you probably can relate to the fear and trepidation I describe above. For some reason, most of us feel that way when we’re asked (or forced) to get up in front of a group and deliver any kind of message.

For me, the fear gradually dried up as I found myself in business for myself and confronted by the necessity of delivering information to other people through the spoken word. The proverbial “time on the water” did a lot to calm my nerves and make me feel comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. 

But overcoming the fear of public speaking is only one part of the equation. The second, much bigger consideration is to overcome the tendency that afflicts almost all public speakers at some point in their development—namely, that of being boring and ineffective. Sadly, it seems as if the vast majority of public presentations are somewhere between merely adequate and downright sleep-inducing. There are reasons for this.

In the book SPLASH, you will become acquainted with specific steps you can take to put together and deliver engaging, entertaining, informative, and inspiring public talks. You will be encouraged to practice your ability to speak in public (by doing it often—the only sure way to finally get rid of those nerves) and equipped with the principles and specifics of how to make your talks truly effective.

I am convinced that public speaking is something anyone can master. As with many other things in life, it doesn’t really matter where you start but only that you do actually start! And once you’ve thus begun, the goal is to improve as quickly as you can. Put the thoughts and concepts to work for you, and take your public speaking to a whole new level.

Finally, imagine a speaker getting ready for a major speech to a large audience in a full arena.

He feels no nerves, no worries. Instead, he is excited to share his message. As the time for his speech arrives, he gets ready to go onstage.

He listens to the current speaker, taking notes and thinking about how to apply what she’s saying to his own situation. When they call for the break, he smiles and stands up. A friend walks past and asks, “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” he asks curiously.

“For your speech?”

“Oh.” He is genuinely surprised.

“What are you going to speak about?” the friend asks while the technician attaches the microphone to the speaker’s belt and tie.

“I’ve got a new concept I want to share,” he says. Then he asks about his friend’s work and family. He hasn’t seen him for a while.

When the master of ceremonies reopens the convention, he pulls out his note cards and glances at his outline. He’s been through it so many times in his mind that he doesn’t get past the first line. He immediately starts thinking of better ways to share it.

He stops himself, puts the note cards into his briefcase, and then leaves it on the table. He walks to the side of the stage, ready to head up the stairs to speak. He can see part of the audience from his vantage point, and he can already feel their energy, which only adds to his own excitement to share this vital message with them. “I love this!” he says to himself. “I can’t imagine being anywhere I’d like better.”

“This is so much fun. I’m ready to speak.…”

And you will be too. This is the goal for great speakers, along with delivering a transformational speech that really makes a difference to everyone in the audience. This is what we call SPLASH speaking, and is something we can all work toward as speakers.

More to come...

To purchase the book SPLASH! A Leader's Guide to Effective Public Speaking, click here.

[Posted by Kristen Seidl, on behalf of Chris Brady]

Gossip and Defending Someone's Honor

The following excerpt was taken from EDGE, co-authored by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward. 

We heard a great saying one time that went like this: “Don’t be like everyone else—even if you’re the only one.” This is especially true when it comes to talking about other people behind their backs.

In the course of life, it will be common to find yourself in situations in which people are gathered and discussing someone who is not present. This is fine, as long as what is being said is positive and nice. Many times, however, this won’t be the case. For some reason, people just love to drift toward the negative and point out everything they think is wrong about another person. This is a terrible, terrible habit and must be avoided by anyone who wants to live a worthy life and have great relationships.
Talking about others behind their back, gossiping about what they did or what they said, is like stealing; it’s stealing a portion of their good reputation. Perhaps people do this because they think that by tearing another person down, they somehow are making themselves look better. But remember: when you throw mud, you will always lose ground.

Instead, be the kind of person that refuses to speak ill of other people when they are not present. Even more so, become the one who defends those who are not present. Throw in a little, “Let’s not talk about Sally when she’s not here,” if things get out of control. You may think people will be slightly offended by you stopping their gossip train in such a way, but actually, deep down inside, they will be making a mental note that you are trustworthy and will likely defend them if anyone ever gossips about them.

Posted by Kristen Seidl, on behalf of Chris Brady.

The Wealthy Fisherman: Define, Learn, Do

The following excerpt was taken from EDGE, co-authored by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward. 

We once heard the story told of a young man who worked at a sporting goods store. He was in his second year of college and struggling to pay for tuition and room and board. One day, a wealthy older man walked into the store and purchased a large amount of fishing gear for a fly-in fishing trip. The young man helped carry the mountain of purchases out to the parking lot and immediately noticed the expensive luxury car the older man drove. Impressed, the younger man asked a very penetrating question.

“Sir, if you don’t mind, could I ask you a question?”

“Certainly,” replied the elder gentleman.

To which the young man asked, “How do I get to be where you are financially some day?”

Hesitating briefly to ensure the young man was actually sincere, the older gentleman thought for a moment and formulated his answer carefully.

“First, define what you really want in life. Second, find someone who has accomplished that exact lifestyle and learn from that person how he or she did it. Third, go do exactly what he or she did.”

With that, the older man got into his luxury car and drove away.

We first heard this story told by a man who claimed to have been that young man who worked at that sporting goods store and to have used the very advice he received that day to succeed at a very high level. We are not sure, but the story may even be allegorical. That makes no difference. The truth remains that the principle taught by this nice little anecdote is profound.

Think about it. Most of the world has this equation exactly the other way around. Have you ever been asked a question something like this?

“What do you want to DO when you grow up?” or “What are you going to DO after high school?” Of course, we all have. It’s an indication that the person asking the question is using the following equation:

1. Determine what you think you would like to DO.
2. Then LEARN how to do it.
3. And finally, allow it to DEFINE your results in life.

But what the wealthy fisherman taught was exactly the opposite:

1. DEFINE the life you would like to have.
2. Find someone who has accomplished that life and LEARN from that person how to do it.
3. And then DO it.

You see? While most of the world falls into the rut of DO, LEARN, DEFINE, the super successful switch it around backward to DEFINE, LEARN, DO!

What does this mean for you? It means that at ANY AGE, you can run the equation the way the super successful do. You can DEFINE the exact life you’d like to live. Such a definition should be very specific, very exciting, and cover many categories, such as financial rewards and lifestyle, contributions to society
and charity, involvement in community groups and church, family relationships and love, even down to things like where you’d like to live and how you’d like to be remembered. The list is really endless and as individual as each person is unique. However, very few people will take the time to truly define where they want to go in life. But for those who do, it throws the equation of how to live entirely upside down!

Try it and see if it isn’t liberating to do as the late Stephen Covey taught, to “Begin with the end in mind.” DEFINE how you’d like to live right down to the very detail. Be in tune to any calling you feel on your life. Pay attention to any natural affinities or talents you possess. Package these all together, to the best of your ability, into a vision for where you’d like to go with your life. Only then, and we mean ONLY then, should you move on to the next step, which is also profound.

The next step is to find someone who has succeeded in achieving a life much like the one you now envision for yourself. This may be difficult, but don’t give up. Usually, successful people are the type who are constantly on the lookout for people to help, AND they almost always appreciate it when they come across someone who is eager to become like them. So look around and see if you can find mentors in key areas of your life who have achieved the types of results in those categories you’d like to accomplish yourself. Learning from such people is absolutely priceless. This is because they will think and act very differently from “everyone else.” And usually in life, you are forced to spend a lot more time with the “everyone else's” than you are those who have achieved the stellar results of which you are dreaming. Ultimately, you will think and behave a lot like the people you hang around the most. So take the advice of the wealthy fisherman and choose people to be around that are where you want to be in life.

Finally, it is time for the DO step. Take massive action toward your goals and don’t grow weary in the pursuit. Anything worthwhile takes significant time and effort. Expect that. Stay persistent. Keep your eye on the accomplishments you hold dear in your heart. Run for the approval of those you’ve chosen to emulate, NOT of those who don’t understand what you are trying to achieve. Remember, most people will think you’ve got it backwards. But actually, they’ve got it backwards.

So DEFINE your life, LEARN from those who’ve achieved that kind of life already, and DO what they did with all your heart. It will be worth it. We promise! And who knows? You might just become a wealthy fisherman to some future young person, too!

Posted by Kristen Seidl, on behalf of Chris Brady.

The Lesson of Initiative

The following excerpt was taking from Chris Brady's critically acclaimed book, Leadership Lessons from the Age of Fighting Sail.

One trait common to all leaders is initiative. Leaders don’t have to be told to do something. They don’t need managers above them. They don’t wait for all the lights to turn green before departing on a trip. Leaders don’t waste time waiting and wondering if they should act. They take responsibility and take action. There is an old line that there are three types of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. Leaders are the ones in the first group making things happen.

A component in initiative is the courage to act. Another is decisiveness. Leaders display a willingness toward action, seeing what needs to be done and doing it without delay. Initiative is not to be confused with recklessness. Instead, it is a mixture of a spirit of enterprise, courage, and competent decisiveness.

What separates a leader from the rest is not only his ability to see what needs to be done but his unhesitating execution of it, even while others watch or deliberate. Leaders feel just as much trepidation as others, but they are able to muster the courage to press on anyway. This is why when the going gets tough, people look for a leader. They want someone with the courage to confront challenges and hit obstacles head on, thereby inspiring them to do the same. A leader absolutely must be courageous. As John C. Maxwell wrote, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” This cannot be done without courage.

There is a spirit of enterprise distinctive of all true leaders, who see what needs to be done and do it without hand-holding or waiting for orders. Action is a keystone of leadership.

The very concept of initiative stands upon the platform of accepting personal responsibility. Leaders function while called upon to make decisions in often confusing situations and possibly dangerous environments, without adequate time and/or information, making decisions to the best of their ability and then striving to make those decisions right. In short, leaders must be able to decide and then take full responsibility for their decisions.

The initiative of a leader also births creativity and ingenuity as the objective remains frozen and the means are molded toward its purpose.

Further, great leaders must have the grander picture in focus, being sure to serve the vision while serving their own interests and keeping the two aligned. This happens automatically when a leader acts according to the convictions of his or her character.

(Posted by Kristen Seidl, on behalf of Chris Brady)

The Power of Goal Setting

The following excerpt was taking from Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward's NY Times bestselling book, "Launching a Leadership Revolution".

It is important to be hungry and have ambition to change the status quo, with a clear vision of what is to be, but that energy must be directed at something specific. That is where goals enter the picture. David Schwartz, author of The Magic of Thinking Big, writes, “A goal is more than a dream; it’s a dream being acted upon.” In the words of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, “You will miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” We must assume he was referring to shots on a goal. Without specific goals at which to direct energies and ambitions, all efforts will be wandering generalities at best. Henry David Thoreau
wrote, “It is not enough to be busy, so too are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?” A leader must know the goal of his or her efforts. A leader must know clearly what is to be achieved. In short, leaders use the process of goal setting.

The story is told of two men who set out to accomplish similar results. One invested the effort to set goals properly and the other did not. At the end of a period of time, both men had worked diligently, but the one who had set a specific goal by far outperformed the other man. This is because everything the goal-setting man did was unconsciously directed toward his goal. If there was something to be done, it was first determined if it would assist him in accomplishing his goal. If it would, then he did it. If it would not help him hit his goal, he would not do it. You see, the goal-setting man had the advantage of priorities over the non-goal-setting man. He also had the advantage of channeling his efforts more effectively through the power of focus. On any given day, there are a number of “good” things to be done, but there are only a few “great” things to be done. And there can be only one “best” thing to do. A leader knows and does the “best” things on a regular basis.

As with hunger, goal setting is a discipline. It should never be a haphazard affair. As Tom Garriga, president of Tang Wei Martial Arts Institute, tells us, “A goal is an enemy to be conquered with a battle strategy and the commitment of a warrior. The leadership process is founded on resolve and commitment.” With this in mind, there are several components to the proper setting of goals that every leader should embody.

Goals Must Be Specific

Goals must be clear and exact. A leader cannot passionately pursue a generality. Examples of proper specific goals would be: “to win the Boston Marathon” or “to become president of the company” or “to sell one million dollars’ worth of products this year.” These are clear and precise. Examples of goals that may not be specific enough are: “to become a better parent” or “to improve in leadership ability” or “to maximize performance at work.” These are general feelings of what could be accomplished, but terms like “better parent” or “improve ability” or “maximize” are not specific enough to trap the leader into performing. Loose terms like these provide “wiggle room” for the leader. How can one know if he or she really became a better parent or improved his or her ability or maximized? Being specific with goals not only gives the leader a clear target at which to shoot, but it also leaves no room for doubt as to whether the target was hit. That is what it means to be specific.

Goals Must Be Written

A goal is not a goal until the leader has written it down. This may sound trite, but it is vitally important. As with goals that are not specific, goals not written down leave the leader room to maneuver if things don’t go as planned. But a written goal is hard to avoid.

Goals Must Be Set in Stone

The purpose of having a goal in the first place is to organize a leader’s thoughts and provide something specific for which to strive. The setting of a goal must be backed by commitment, or the whole process breaks down. Therefore, goals must be “set in stone.” Once decided upon, goals should not be changed. There is a saying, “Goals are etched in stone, but plans are drawn in sand.” As will be shown in the “Game Planning” section, it may be necessary to modify plans for how to attain a goal, but the goal itself must remain firm. Commitment says that whether the goal is accomplished using Plan A or Plan Z, the goal remains.

Goals Must Be Measurable

If a goal is to exert a motivating force upon the leader, then there must be a clear, quantifiable method to determine when the goal is accomplished. Can it be measured? How? How easily, and by whom? How quickly upon completion? These are the types of questions to answer when setting a goal to ensure that the leader knows when and how a goal is achieved. The ability to measure progress toward a goal also enables midcourse corrections and the ability for a leader to confront brutal reality concerning his or her progress.

In sports, there is nearly always a scoreboard that is big and obvious to all contenders and fans alike. It is present all the time with a constant, specific, measurable update on how the participants are performing toward the goal of winning. Goals for leaders must be just as clear and measurable.

Goals Must Be Realistic

A leader is not a leader without a vision for a better reality, but in the area of goal setting, this can be taken too far. It is one thing to have a big vision for a better future reality. And it is okay for that vision to seem wild and crazy to anyone except the leader. But the proper way to use goal setting to accomplish that enormous vision is through gradual steps. Each of these steps is represented by realistic, attainable goals. If the goal is too far beyond the leader’s reach, the leader will eventually become exasperated at his or her repeated failure to accomplish that goal. Goals must be realistic enough that the leader believes them achievable and is energized to do whatever it takes to accomplish them.

Goals Must Provide Motivation

On one hand, goals must be realistic, but on the other, they must be enough of a stretch to inspire the leader. They must be challenging. They must cause discomfort on the part of the leader and provide an impetus for increased performance. The best way to set a goal is to make sure it is between the ditches of “too enormous” on one side and “too easy” on the other. The leader must believe that he or she can accomplish the goal while at the same time being uncomfortable at the increased level of performance required to do so.

Goals Must Be in Line with Priorities and Values

In the struggle for achievement, there will always be temptations to “sell out” or compromise one’s beliefs. There may be conflicts of interest that crop up along the way, but under no circumstances whatsoever should a leader set goals that don’t ring true 64 WHAT A LEADER DOES with his or her true priorities and values in life. As the Bible says, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). Every leader should take care when setting goals to ensure that the goal itself is not at cross purposes with his or her core beliefs and that what’s required to accomplish the goal does not compromise his or her honor.

Goals Must Be Prominent

The leader must develop systematic ways of regularly reminding him- or herself of the goal. This can be done with signs or placards placed around the home or workplace or even in the car. This may mean telling a spouse or friend or work associate about the goal so he or she can continue to bring it up in conversation. [This step should be done cautiously, however. The Bible warns against casting “your pearls before swine,” (Matthew 7:6), which means be careful with whom you share your most cherished thoughts, including personal goals. Sharing of goals should be done only with the closest of trusted individuals.] Certain music or thoughts can trigger a leader to focus time and again on the goal. The point is that a leader should devise methods of keeping the goal prevalent and in view until the goal is achieved. A goal forgotten is a goal missed. Great leaders know to put pressure on themselves by developing creative reminders of their commitments to achievement.

Goals Must Have a Specific Time Period

Once a leader sets a specific goal, writes it down, commits to it, determines how to measure it, makes sure that it is realistic and motivational and in line with priorities and values, and devises methods for making it prominent, it is crucial that an appropriate time limit be determined. If a goal is set without a time limit, it becomes nothing more than a wish or fantasy. A time limit applies the final pressure on the leader, like a clock ticking during the running of a race. Motorcycle racers say, “When the gate drops, the talk stops.” That’s how it is with goals once a deadline has been established. A leader bolts from the starting line headed toward the goal and racing against the clock. The pressure of the clock is necessary to avoid the old saying, “When all is said and done, there is usually more said than done!"

(Posted by Kristen Seidl, on behalf of Chris Brady)

The Adroitness of Mastery

Rascals are able to boldly march in their own direction because of the confidence derived from their competence. Getting good at something is a great way to gain assuredness of direction. The better one gets at something the harder it is for anyone or anything to knock one off that path. Stated more simply, the harder you work at something, the harder it is to quit it.

Mastery is a concept little understood in today’s world. We tend to glorify top-level athletes as “gifted,” top business pioneers as “geniuses,” and top leaders in many fields as “born” leaders. While there may be some truth to this, there is a lot of research to suggest that success is more about mastery than it is about inborn ability. Malcolm Gladwell wrote, “The question is this: is there such a thing as innate talent? The closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play and the bigger the role preparation seems to play.”

This is why it is so important to understand the difference between being busy and being focused; anyone suffering from the effects of busyness will never be able to muster the focus required to obtain mastery of a certain subject. This is because mastery is the product of applied and focused practice over time. No focus, no mastery.

Most people do not understand the power of incremental improvements over time. The compounding effect of effort over the long haul is staggering to behold. The fact is that success requires mastery in one’s chosen field. Mastery utilizes the compounding effect of effort over time. And there is a certain type of effort that is required: passionate and perfect.

Passionate effort is the kind that has heart behind it. There is a drive and a desire for success that empowers the development process. Half-hearted effort and practice is useless. If one is not passionate about what he is doing, some other area of endeavor should be chosen. As the mountain bikers say, “Go big or go home.” Life is too short to fumble along in the wrong vocation. Rascals find something they can be passionate about, then pour their whole self into its mastery. They show up to practice early, work hard, demonstrate a desire to learn with a positive attitude, and push on through the pain of getting better.

Perfect practice is the other component, as it is the only kind of practice that leads to improvement. Anything else is wasted time at best, counter-productive at worst. Practicing for the sake of practicing, or simply to “put in the time” is not really practice, it is dishonesty. No one is served by a partial commitment. Also, practice that doesn’t lead one to mastery of the fundamentals and to a mastery of proven techniques is also wasted time, because it leads to the learning of bad habits and ineffective methods. This is why the quality of coaching or mentorship is so important. A student on the journey toward mastery needs expert guidance and proper fundamentals. 

The concept of mastery should be stimulating. This is because the message is that anyone can become great if he is willing to put in the time and effort over the long haul to fulfill his calling. Sure, there may be those who are bigger than you, faster than you, smarter than you, or better positioned within society than you. The facts are, however, that it doesn’t matter. Victory goes to the one who decides to accomplish his dreams, then sets out consistently to master his craft, working hard over the long haul without faltering. What this all means is that achievement comes about as a result of commitment, and commitment is a choice. You can literally choose to become great because you can choose to master your craft.

Sincerely, 

Chris Brady

Caption Contest 2017.8 and a Winner Announced!

We want to congratulate the winner of the recent Caption Contest 2017.7! Here is the winning entry:

Jennifer Dibala said...

“Choosing the location for the next major function.”

 

Jennifer: Simply comment on this blog with your mailing address (which will remain confidential) and you'll receive a free, autographed copy of Leadership and Liberty, by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward. Congratulations!

And now, without further delay, here's the next Caption Contest! The winning entry will receive an autographed copy of Leadership Lessons from the Age of Fighting Sail, by Chris Brady.

(Click to enlarge)

(Posted by Kristen Seidl, on behalf of Chris Brady)