Actionable Books show

Actionable Books

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 The Education of Millionaires | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 9:10

“You can learn many wonderful things in college. You can be exposed to new ideas, broaden your perspective on life, learn critical thinking skills, and immerse yourself in the great intellectual and cultural treasures of the human mind and spirit. But,...

 So What? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 5:33

“The net result of reading this book is that you will instinctively know the best way to communicate your message to engage your audience so that they want to follow you.” So What?, page 5 How often do you need to influence someone? Think about it. I...

 The Impact Equation | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 7:43

Plato said, “Mathematics will draw the soul towards truth.” That’s because math can create a model for how everything works. And there’s always a ‘right’ answer. So when Chris Brogan and Julien Smith talk about an Impact Equation, they’re trying ...

 To Sell Is Human | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 9:07

"1. If the person you're selling agrees to buy, will his or her life improve? 2. When your interaction is over, will the world be a better place than when you began? If the answer to either of these questions is no, you're doing something wrong." To...

 Digital Leader | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 7:10

“…if this were your last day on earth, would you be happy with what you are doing and who you are as a person?” Digital Leader, page 89 I am literally reeling from reading Erik Qualman’s Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence. Qualman tells us that the first habit of digital leadership is to “Simplify” and then gives so many tips (along with numerous examples from companies, politicians, CEOs and others) for how to do that and the other four habits that I’m overwhelmed with exciting things that I know will work if only I did them.  He says that even he does his best to adhere to the principles he’s laid out but he’s a long way from following them consistently.  The only reason I kept reading after the hyperventilation state I had reached by the end of Chapter 2 (and these are short, easy to read chapters with lots of quotes, bullet points and white space) was the quote - “Once you accept the fact that you aren’t going to get every thing done, then you can better address what should get done.” The five habits of digital leadership: SIMPLE: success is the result of simplification and focus TRUE: be true to your passion ACT: nothing happens without action – take the first step MAP: goals and vision are needed to get where you want to be PEOPLE: success doesn’t happen alone These form the acronym STAMP because these are the habits that create your personal stamp -on your life and others’ lives. Qualman’s tips and examples of how real people implement them are primarily digital ones (social media, email) but all have components that people have followed for centuries as leaders. The difference now is the far reaching and the long lasting effect of your influence as a leader.  We all know this as we deal vaguely with how best to write an email so it’s not taken differently than it’s meant because it’s missing our facial expressions and tone of voice. Or, as we read about a potential employee who doesn’t get a job because their Facebook page has pictures of them doing some obscene gesture. But what really brought the long lastingness of our digital legacy to “I better take this seriously” level for me was this statistic: it’s estimated that ¼ of babies have sonogram photos posted online before they are even born. That means our parents (and their planning for our digital legacy or lack thereof) are shaping what people think of us before we can read this book and implement its ideas! We’re behind the game with words, videos and pictures describing us to the world before we start working on our legacy.  Whether I implement any of the specifics in this book or not I am absolutely committed to acting on the fact that leadership legacy isn’t what I leave people when I’m not the leader anymore – it’s what I do now. Golden Egg We are all mini-digital celebrities and heroes to someone “If you truly want a life that inspires, you need to change your leadership habits today to adapt to the new digitally open world.” Digital Leader, page 2 Now. It’s something I do now. It’s everything I do. It’s every second. There is no time off from my personal stamp in the digital age. So many more people are influenced by my actions compared to when it was just the people I saw, wrote a paper letter to or called on the phone.  In this digital age, I am influencing people who don’t know me, people I didn’t even intend to. These people don’t know my humor, they don’t know my history and so don’t know why I said or wrote something. And it’s not just what I write, it’s pictures even if they’re from my personal life. Before digital we did let people at work see our personal lives – think pictures on your desk. But those pictures came along with a person, in person, to mitigate whatever they saw in the pictures. Even if I choose not to be digital (close to impossible, but let’s assume I could not use email or the Web or social media) everyone I interact with may be posting about me (pictures and words).

 All In | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 6:15

“‘Do you believe I can cross the falls [Niagara] with this wheelbarrow?' he called out. 'Yes!' they yelled as one. 'Wonderful,' he said. 'Then who will get in?'" All In, page 4 The Great Blondin didn't settle for simply walking across a high wire strung above Niagara Falls. Back flips. Chairs. In the quote above, a wheelbarrow. There's a world of difference between what we say we believe and what our actions show we believe. The fans were delighted to watch. Participate? No thank you. One man did. Blondin's manager, Harry Colcord, climbed up and got in the wheelbarrow. That is the kind of belief which makes the difference between mediocrity and excellence. Golden Egg Beliefs are Emotional "Blondin had hoped his fans would believe, as he did, in his infallible prowess on the high wire. They said they did, but they really didn't." All In, page 4 Clinical psychologist Dr. Kevin Fleming points out that our brains are wired to feel right, not to be right. Most of us are masters of four methods of resistance which allow us to maintain existing beliefs: 1. Counter-arguing – Poking holes to rebut new information 2. Attitude bolstering – Focus only on the facts which support it 3. Selective exposure – Ignoring or avoiding new information 4. Disputing rationality – Insisting our beliefs don't have to be based on facts The authors provide a 7-step process to foster the kind of belief that got Blondin's manager into the wheelbarrow. But first, they provide 3 questions to identify who believes what in the first place. GEM #1 Engagement is Not Enough: Enable and Energize "A hamster on a treadmill is energized, for example, but it doesn't really accomplish much . . . an eager new military cadet may be engaged . . . but without training and the right support, he's unlikely to be of much use to his comrades. A teenager can be given all of the enabling freedom in the world, but if she isn't absorbed in an interesting challenge she . . . won't accomplish much." All In, page 47 To clarify the need for more than engagement, ask yourself these questions about the people you work with. They're worded as a manager assessing employees, but try them with reference to business partners, vendors, and hey, how about yourself? 1. Do you have employees who care about the organization but are burned out? 2. Do you have people who are energized to do big things but feel stifled and not able to run? 3. Do you have employees who care but aren't always focused on the right behaviors? These folks are certainly engaged, aren't they? But are they the people who'll take your business, your life, to heights of excellence? Hardly. Beyond engagement, people need to be energized and enabled. E + E + E. They need an environment which builds enthusiasm instead of burning it out. They need the tools to do the work. They need to be engaged, not just with the step they're taking now but with the dreams on the horizon. GEM #2 7 Steps to Create a Culture of Belief "How do you influence others to 'get in the wheelbarrow' ?" All In, page 19 You cannot create belief. You can, however, systematically create an environment where belief is a natural result. Gostick and Elton provide a 7-step process to create that environment, to foster a culture of belief. 1. Define your burning platform – Communicate your mission clearly and instill the proper sense of urgency. 2. Create a customer focus – Not the bottom line, not position and title, not the next social media fad: focus on the customer. 3. Develop agility – Being flexible is reactive. Agility is proactive, embracing change. 4. Share everything – Truth and transparency create trust which is vital to belief. 5. Partner with your talent – Publicly and personally recognize that your success hinges on the greatness of those you work with. 6. Root for each other – Belief can't flourish without peer appreciation and camaraderie. 7.

 Judgment | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 8:43

"With good judgment, little else matters. Without it, nothing else matters.” Judgment, page 5 In 1999, Jack Welch was named “manager of the century” by Fortune magazine. Through his leadership during his 20 year tenure as CEO, GE “had dramatically outperformed the economy, creating close to $400 billion of new market value”. When he took over in 1981, it was worth $13 billion. In 1997, AT&T was a $130 billion company when Michael Armstrong became CEO. Unlike Welch though, Armstrong wasn’t able to drive the same change and growth at AT&T. By 2005, it was “nearly dead-broke”. How was Jack Welch able to transform GE by such a great magnitude? And why wasn’t Michael Armstrong able to do even the fraction of that at AT&T? Well, as leadership experts, and professors, Noel M. Tichy and Warren Bennis explain in Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls, it all comes down to each leader’s judgment calls. “Whether we’re talking about United States presidents, CEOs, Major League coaches, or wartime generals, leaders are remembered for their best and worst judgment calls. In the face of ambiguity, uncertainty, and conflicting demands, the quality of a leader’s judgment determines the fate of the entire organization. That’s why judgment is the essence of leadership.” Noel and Warren have “watched hundreds of leaders making thousands of judgment calls”. They’ve witnessed the ability of great leaders like Jack Welch to articulate and share their storyline and vision for the organization with the rest of the company, as they use it to ultimately guide each decision they make. But perhaps more importantly, through these experiences with leaders such as Jack Welch, they also came up with the Framework for Leadership Judgment; a framework that leaders can use to make better judgment calls. Golden Egg Understand The Framework for Leadership Judgment "Good judgment calls are a process, not an event.” Judgment, page 17 Making judgment calls is an art, not a science. Each judgment call you make sets the stage for the next one you make as a leader, and ultimately the success of your organization. “Despite the implications of the word call, the judgment calls that leaders make cannot be viewed as single, point-in-time events. Like umpires and referees, leaders do, at some moment, make a call. They make a determination about how things should proceed. But unlike umpires and referees, they cannot – without risking total failure – quickly forget them and move ahead to the next play. Rather, for a leader, the moment of making a call comes in the middle of a process.” The following two GEMs highlight the two key elements of The Framework for Leadership Judgment. GEM #1 Be Aware of The Three Judgment Domains "These are the three domains that make the most difference to the survival and well-being of any institution. If they are unattended to or if bad calls are made in these domains, it can be fatal to an organization.” Judgment, page 22 No matter what industry you’re in, you need to be aware of three crucial domains where you will be making judgment calls: 1)      People Judgment Calls The way you not only manage, but also hire the people on your team, will have the biggest impact on your success as an organization; especially when it comes to your leadership team. You have to keep your organizations goals and vision in mind, and not let emotions complicate your judgment. Your number one priority is getting the right people on board. “While misjudgments in any of the three domains have the potential to be fatal, the one with the most potential is people.” 2)      Strategy Judgment Calls As the leader of your organization and team, it is your responsibility to direct the strategic direction. Like the saying goes, “You are the captain of your ship.” “The role of a leader is to lead the organization to success, so when the current strategic road isn’t leading toward success,

 Do the Work | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 6:14

“Resistance is the response of the frightened, petty, small-time ego to the brave, generous, magnificent impulse of the creative self” Do the Work, page 63 Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve being actively working on a project for a long time, putting your time and effort, your sweat and tears and your financial resources into something that you know will make the world a better place? You are about to approach the finish line, but then all of a sudden, something happens. All sorts of thoughts begin to rush through your head and you begin to question yourself and all your hard work. Such thoughts as “What in the world am I doing?” “This is the stupidest thing I have ever thought of....” “I cannot believe I invested so much of my own money and time into building this thing/book/play/song/business...” “Why didn’t anyone stop me?” “What was I thinking?...” If any of the above thoughts have ever entered your mind, then you have come face to face with the Resistance. According to Steve Pressfield’s book Do the Work, the Resistance is an ensemble of counterproductive thoughts that emerge in our minds with the aim to extinguish our creative ideas and prevent us from finishing our projects. Do the Work is designed with one purpose: to let us get back in control of our creative minds, break free from this Resistance, and ship our final products. Golden Egg Meaningful Work Can Lead to Resistance “Resistance is a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.” Do the Work, page 6 Now that we know what all these unproductive thoughts are, we can use the following tools to identify the characteristics of Resistance. We’re experiencing the Resistance when: We start to question ourselves and the foundation of our projects too often We feel negative energy flowing around us; we seem to lose our passion for the things we used to love doing everyday We become easily distracted and we start to procrastinate in order to avoid working on our ideas The hardest thing to do is to realize when the Resistance is working against us. Once we are able to identify it, then the fight becomes a lot easier to win. GEM #1 Conquer It Once and For All (Or Not) “Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.” Do the Work, page 9 When we understand that the Resistance is present, it is much more manageable to get back on our feet and re-immerse ourselves in that passionate state of mind that led us to start our projects in the first place. Here are three ways to fight the Resistance and never allow it to control us again: Stay stupid: Don’t allow yourself to think too much about the projects; instead concentrate on actually doing things Trust the Soup:  Trust that source of inspiration for our initial idea, and realize that we cannot control nor predict everything Understand that we are not alone at experiencing this Resistance. All great and successful artists/entrepreneurs/writers, etc. have experienced (and conquered) their own Resistance It is also important to understand that the Resistance is always present. Its sole purpose is to get in the way of our creativity and prevent us from finishing something significant. Even after we conquer it once the Resistance will come back and haunt us during each and every project we undertake. However, the mere realization that we will eventually confront it during difficult times, gives us sufficient power to ensure that its effects are minimized and our projects no longer get (fully) derailed. GEM #2 Be Ready For It When You Least Expect It “Ignorance and arrogance are the artist and entrepreneur’s indispensable allies.” Do the Work, page 12 The Resistance does not necessarily emerge when we’re about to finish something. Unfortunately, it can also prevent us from actually starting a project.

 Winning the Story Wars | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 7:28

“So many of the stories that have really stuck, that have shaped culture, are about one thing: people reaching for their highest potential and struggling to create a better world. If the test of time is our judge, stories with this formula have a near-monopoly on greatness.” Winning the Story Wars, page 5 We love great stories. They engage. They provide an outlet or a relation point. Stories bring us in and, at times, change us. This is what Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell (and Live) the Best Stories Will Rule the Future by Jonah Sachs celebrates. Our culture is pulled forward or changed through stories and the myths embedded in them. Myths are not lies; they hold us together around a set of common beliefs and values. “When myths are functioning properly, they bring us together and get us to act by using a specific formula that appears to be universal across all cultures” (pg 59). Stories play a central role in our culture, our life, and our marketing, so we need to get them right and empower their value.  And "getting them right", Sach tells us, is becoming more rare as stories are packaged as cheap marketing tools. Golden Egg The Story Test “We can create patterns of stories that lift audiences up to become evangelists for our messages and call them to participation in a creating a better world.” Winning the Story Wars, page 32 Stories are at risk. “Sins” are being committed. The sins include: Narcissism – Stories become self-centered instead of being about “us.” Authority – “Just the facts” lack emotional connection to the story. Insincerity – Stories that try too hard to please lose their core. Puffery – Stories with no substance fall flat. Gimmickry – Pursuing “going viral” can create a “falsity” to a story. The point is stories are in danger of losing their value and potential in engaging people. Marketers are guilty of attacking them in multiple ways, so we need to test our stories and ensure they are sin-free. We need to craft stories to engage honestly and personally. The story test includes: Tangible – Present information that people can “touch” and “feel.” Relatable – Include characters that people want to see rewarded or punished. Immersive – Develop the story so others can learn something of value. Memorable – Add scenes and metaphors that make it easy for people to recall the core message. Emotional – Elevate others in what they feel or learn. To prevent stories from committing sins, they need to pass the story test. The more the above elements are in a story, the greater the opportunity for the story to be powerful and engage a community. To create story evangelists, these elements need to be embraced fully in order to write a story that stands the test of time. GEM #1 Tell the Truth “Telling the truth – most importantly, the truth that human nature goes beyond our basest desires and orients to a higher potential – provides the foundation of a storytelling strategy that can build your next breakthrough communication – and your entire brand.” Winning the Story Wars, page 115 Why is it challenging to tell the truth in stories? The reasons may relate back to the sins, but telling the truth should be at the center of our stories. It is just solid marketing. Telling the truth needs to bring the brand to life and the author provides three tactics to do this. The first is to tell a more resonant truth. In the 1950s, when Cadillac was telling the story of personal achievement and fine taste, Volkswagen Beetle took a “Think Small” approach, changing the truth to living within your means. The second tactic is to emphasize the power of the audience. Nike launched a “Courage” campaign in which athletes tell their story of perseverance and overcoming the odds. The story is about the audience; it is a story about others that breathes life into the brand. The third tactic is inspiration. Inspired customers become brand evangelists.

 The Accidental Creative | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 7:57

“Working harder and staring more intently at the problem to achieve better ideas is like trying to control the weather by staring at the clouds. Rather, you need to incorporate practices that instill a sense of structure, rhythm, and purpose into your ...

 HOW | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 7:32

“Long-term, sustained success is directly proportional to your ability – as a company or an individual – to make Waves throughout evanescing networks of association, to reach out to others and enlist them in endeavors larger than yourself, and to do so while everyone watches you.” HOW, page 55 By his own admission, Dov Seidman declares: This is a HOW book, not a how-to volume. No formulaic answers for life here!  Rote steps don’t cut it in our complex world.   As Einstein is famously quoted saying, “We cannot solve the problems of tomorrow at the same level of thinking we used to create them in the first place.” In the 21st century, what any of us does or what we know no longer matters most.  Instead, everyone will ultimately be evaluated on how we do things. How we behave, consume, build trust and relate to others counts more than ever and in ways it never has before.  Those ahead of the curve understand that the best; most certain and enduring path to success plus significance in these dramatically new conditions now lies in getting our HOWs right over time. Golden Egg Out-Behave…NOT…Out-Perform “Reputation is the sum total of your HOWS.  In a transparent world, reputation leads.  It enters the room before you do, and remains after you go, either enhanced or tarnished.” HOW, page 186 Have you ever heard the term “out-behave” applied within a daily lexicon typically littered with domineering and military references?  “Business is war.”  “Information is power.”  “To the victor go the spoils.”  Via this one eye-opener so many accepted norms are over-turned.  Love it! Whether you’re a business or individual, private behaviour is a thing of the past.  Our see-through world of over-abundant information flows too easily to be out-controlled or out-foxed.  You can’t game the system and expect no one will find out. As such, qualities many still think of as “soft” – trust, respect, integrity, fairness, honesty, humility, transparency, purpose – have become the hard currency of achievement in a connected world – the drivers of efficiency, productivity and profitability. GEM #1 Leaders: Shift from “Command and Control” to Inspiring “How we do business is at least as important as how much business we do… You need to stop dancing around people and start leading a dance that everyone can follow.” HOW, pages 55 and 145 In organizational life, this sea change implies we will need to rethink the very nature of leadership itself. Consider tumbling engagement scores amongst U.S. and many global firms.  Seidman attributes this dismal state of affairs to outworn carrot-and-stick approaches – if indeed coercion, bullying, promise of external reward or avoidance of punishment were ever appropriate to ignite people with values plus missions truly worthy of their commitment. Creative behaviour simply can’t be commanded by a manager or codified by a policy manual – no matter how hard you might try to cajole or manipulate it. Evidence a Southwest Airlines flight attendant cheerfully announcing to a planeload disembarking in Las Vegas: “It’s a well-known fact that if you fold your seatbelts when you leave, your luck will improve at the casino tables.”  Everyone laughs and follows her suggestion.  Turns out, there’s an actual FAA regulation requiring folded seatbelts before new passengers can board.  The flight attendant could have done all this herself or (as she did) been inspired enough to connect and enlist collaboration.  In the process, an operational advantage to turn around the next flight faster was achieved. How about a common “ouch” example?  How often are corporate rules created in reaction to behaviors deemed unacceptable?  All the time!  When loopholes are revealed, they get revised.  The usual email edict is issued: “From now on all expense vouchers must be…” Someone has been caught cheating.  Now everyone must pay through added bureaucratic busywork.

 Make Your Idea Matter | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 4:48

"Ideas are formed in the mind but triumph in the heart." Make Your Idea Matter, page 7 Ever since I read Seth Godin's All Marketers Are Liars I've been looking for practical advice on how to tell my story better in business. I learned more in a 20-minute chat with Bernadette Jiwa than the rest of last year. Now, you can get an entire hour of Bernadette, three to five minutes at a time. While each bit of Make Your Idea Matter stands alone, they add up to a clear vision of personal connection as your best marketing strategy. Golden Egg Your Story, Their Point of View "The secret to the success of [various companies] comes down to one thing: the ability to stand in the customer's shoes and see the world from that person's point of view." Make Your Idea Matter, page 44 Communication is the art of taking the picture that's in my mind and getting it into your mind. Like travel directions, though, how to get there depends enormously, if not entirely, on where you're starting from. When we assume that others share our world view, communication fails. When we try to persuade them based on our perspective, it's like the old joke about how you get to Little Rock: you can't get there from here. You have to go somewhere else first. "Somewhere else" is that other person's perspective. Go there, and you can get them to come here. Genuine empathy is rare, which is one reason truly great brands are rare. To successfully convey how remarkable your offering is, start with a deep understanding of your prospect's world view. What drives them? What bothers them, and how much? What thrills them? What bores them? What problem would they give anything to solve? What desire do they dream of fulfilling? Tap into their psyche and they'll begin the journey the same place you do. Tell your story with emotion, and when you reach your destination they'll be right beside you. GEM #1 You Don't Have A Marketing Problem "If you are marketing a fabulous product, an innovative application or a life-changing coaching program that isn't selling, then your brand story isn't connecting your audience to the idea." Make Your Idea Matter, page 97 As the travelers cleared a path through the forest, one member climbed to the top of a tall tree to get a bearing on the sun. Once he was up there, he realized something was wrong. "Hey, guys! We're going the wrong direction," he shouted down. The answer came back "At least we're making good time." If you're on the wrong path, making better time does you no good. If you're spreading the wrong message, spreading it farther, faster, more efficiently does you no good. Is your message all about facts and figures? Is it about how much you love your service? Is it filled with jargon, high-falutin' talk? Does it assume that your target market is "everyone"? Don’t fix the method, fix the message.  GEM #2 Branding is Shorthand, Not a Shortcut "Everything you do . . . must amplify what you stand for, and communicate to the world why people should care that you brought this thing to life in the first place." Make Your Idea Matter, page 26 So, you've got a beautiful logo, an inscrutable company name, a flashy website, glossy business cards, fancy equipment, and a big advertising budget? Welcome to the dot com bust. Those companies had all that, and for a while, the shortcut to cool worked. Nowadays, nobody is paying any attention unless you show them immediately why your offering is going to change their life by solving their biggest challenge or fulfilling their greatest dream. Do that, and you can forget the rest. Get that wrong, and you're back in the opposite of GEM #1, moving fast in the wrong direction. When someone sees your simple logo, visits your easy-to-navigate website, Googles your name instead of keeping your business card, everything they see is shorthand for the last time they interacted with you. If the last time they spoke to you,

 Blue Ocean Strategy | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 6:34

How are you staying ahead of your competition and providing the most value to your customers? What are you doing to not only keep your market share, but also increase it? If your answer to these questions is grabbing a greater share of existing dem...

 The Connected Company | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 5:11

“A connected company must be able to respond dynamically to change – to learn and adapt in an uncertain, ambiguous, and constantly evolving environment.” The Connected Company, page 85 We see it all the time – companies that start out as small, nim...

 How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 7:42

“’Dealing with people is probably the biggest problem you face.’ This is the foundation of How to Win Friends & Influence People and it is still true today.” How to Win (Digital), Preface ix In 1936 Dale Carnegie said, “Dealing with people is probably the biggest problem you face.”  In 2012 it’s still true - because people are people. In fact it’s likely now that knowing how to effectively interact with people is an even bigger problem. Since the speed of communication is instantaneous, continuous and global we can interact with and affect more people a lot faster than we could in 1936 or even 10 years ago. And we have more formats in which to communicate than the 1936 face-to-face, telephone, letter, newspaper/magazine article.  In fact, the new formats, far from making Carnegie’s principles obsolete, make them more relevant than ever. The basis of winning friends and of influencing people is – people are people. If we don’t remember that we’ll think there’s something different about how we should communicate to win friends and influence people in the many new types of media (texting, email, chat/IM, social media). Interestingly (particularly in light of technological advances since 1936) Carnegie said in the original book that, “…the person who has technical knowledge plus the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership and to arouse enthusiasm among people – that person is headed for higher earning power.” Believe it or not, I’ve somehow made it through grad school, 3 leadership jobs, numerous board presidencies and 23 years as a trainer in a customized training company without reading Carnegie’s original book! What was I waiting for? This book is so easy to learn from with examples of how historical figures (Jesus to Lao-tse to Franklin D Roosevelt) implemented Carnegie’s principles and how ordinary folk like me can, too. Golden Egg The Right Foundation Will Save You “If you don’t begin with the right foundation, it is easy to send the wrong message, to offend, ….” How to Win (Digital), Preface ix The same timeless, straightforward principles that keep the original book on the bestseller’s lists are viewed in this book through the lens of today’s mediums. Just a few of the Foundational Principles:         Don’t criticize, condemn or complain         Talk about others’ interests         If you’re wrong, admit it quickly and empathetically         Let others save face         Acknowledge your baggage         Connect with core desires         Magnify improvement         and 20 more Amazingly the things Carnegie helped us learn almost 80 years ago are, for the most part, not only still true today but actually even more so. Now people have access to us all day and night. Now the new formats/mediums are more informal than ever and we can get a little sloppy causing people to take things differently than what we meant. Now the hyper-frequency with which we interact means way more communications per day, per hour than ever before. If you’re bad at people skills it’s now multiplied! Look at just the Foundational Principles listed above. What’s the same about each of them?  They, like the rest of the principles, are conveyed through communication.  So, this book is actually about how to communicate with others in order to win them as friends and influence them. Carnegie says that the two highest levels of influence are achieved when: 1) People follow you because of what you’ve done for them and 2) Because of who you are.  To make these two things happen you have to begin with the right foundation - that every communication (no matter if via new fangled digital or old school in-person/phone/letter) you use is filled with messages that build trust, convey gratitude and add value to the recipients. GEM #1 Small opportunities can make the biggest difference “Always leave people a little better and you might be surprised how big it makes you and how far it takes you.”  How to Win (Digital),

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