Project Post-Mortem
The ONE who likes YOU
Core Values Exercise
Success is Mastery
A few years ago, as part of an employee coaching program I hosted a session on the book Mastery by George Leonard. Despite the fact that Mastery was written more than 20 years ago, I found its teachings to be timeless. I strongly recommend this read for anyone with the dedication to pursue this extremely disciplined path. I reference some of Leonard's material in Chapter 6 of Welcome to the Big Leagues, as the true advocates of mastery will never find themselves in a Slump.
You can find free links to download George Leonard's book online or purchase a physical copy on Amazon. I would post the free link here but do not feel right about giving away an author's copyrighted material. Instead, I will give you a free copy of the slide deck I created on the book to help keep the learning fun. Enjoy!
"Whenever someone is successful in a certain area of life, what that really means is they have mastered the laws of cause and effect in that particular area. For example, if you know someone who is successful financially, it should be pretty clear that they have mastered the 'cause' (what effort is required) to create the 'effect' (the result/outcome). If someone is successful with their health and fitness, they have mastered what it takes to create their body. Success isn’t chance, success is mastery." -George Leonard
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Recommended Reading
At the end of Welcome to the Big Leagues, I recommend 5 additional books to read. These will help to keep the learning streak alive and broaden your perspective on the world, and your role in it. I do not mention When Science Goes Wrong by Simon LeVay, but I will do so now, as it is an easy and enthralling read. In business, quality is everything. Simon's book is full of short, but true examples of great catastrophes and errors made by some of the most educated, if not brilliant. As an individual and as a species, we have all been known to face extreme setbacks on the road to success. The more we learn now, the better chance we have of dodging such bullets in the future.
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Colin Powell on Leadership
Return On Investment (ROI)
One of the most important practices in business is to gauge the efficiency of investments. The ROI calculation allows management to measure this performance. The formula is easy to remember:
ROI=(Gains of Investment-Cost of Investment)/Cost of Investment
If that wasn't basic enough, then there are also ROI best practices to follow for almost all types of investments. When considering new mergers or acquisitions, management will typically pay three to five times earnings. In an ideal scenario the rate of return would be approximately 35% per year.
As young business professionals and CEO's of your own careers, managing the ROI on your personal spend is equally as important. This exercise should have already been performed when comparing the costs of your undergraduate degree against your estimated future earnings (despite the fact that only 27% of graduates work in the field of their major). For a little more on the basic concept of ROI, check out this embedded YouTube video.
When writing Welcome to the Big Leagues, I thought of the books costs to the consumer and compared it to the value that it will bring to your career and life. In short the costs were negligible and the wisdom gained, priceless. 🙂
In its rawest form, I designed the blueprint of Welcome to the Big Leagues to consist of 9 innings. Where each would contain five key tips to help new entrants of the business world follow a path of sustained success. The original intent was to have a grand total of 45 key business tips; which would essentially cap the cost of each to roughly 50 cents. Similar to the price of one of those stale, brightly colored and hard as a rock gumballs you find in vending machines at shopping malls.
Welcome to the Big Leagues transformed into something greater than what I had initially intended. Yes, it is still packed with essential tips. The Top 25 Corporate Dos and Don'ts take this intent one step further, but the heightened value comes from the stories. The subject matter is addressed in a way that is digestible to everyone. Real world examples and life experiences make the material very easy and enjoyable to read. Chapter 7: The Stretch, focuses on wellbeing where limiting these tips to only new entrants of the corporate world is truly a disservice. That's fine, as you are the ones putting your best foot forward each day to make a difference. You deserve the insight and awareness on how to proactively avoid the obstacles and pitfalls of the journey ahead.
After reading Welcome to the Big Leagues, I encourage you to utilize this site's Forum to share your story and/or to post questions. Also, know that I view your feedback as a gift and ask that you provide yours on the Contacts Page. Encouraging testimony may be posted for all to see.
Welcome to the Big Leagues releases on 4/12/14. Be sure to support the launch and capitalize on the value of your personal copy.
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