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Doug Gray, the Passionate Action guy

Fact:  We all aspire to be a superhero

Fact:  I have written a book with a purple cover called “Passionate Actiuon: 5 Steps to Creating Success in Life and Work” (2007)

Fact:  There is no sex in the book.  Sorry.

So what does it mean to be the Passionate Action guy?

1.  Passions are expressions of strong emotion.  They help us create.  Passions lead to something else.  Think of any relationship– there are passionate impulses at the start, yet relationships are hard to maintain over time.  Think of any business- there is a passionate focus at the start- yet it is hard to maintain most businesses over time.  Sparks start fires.  But they do not maintain fires.

2.  Actions require focused accountability.  Nothing sexy involved.  Daily habits lead to results.  Make your sales.  Focus on delivery.

This is HOW I help my clients make money and serve others.  Call me at 704.895.6479 for details.

My experience is that we create success when 1) luck meets 2) prepared opportunity.

In that formula, the only thing I can control is preparation.  And so I continue, day after day, year after year.  Since 1997.

Success starts with the physical actions.  Like running and yoga stretching.  Like daily calls to prospects.  Like KPIs.

So why wait?  Call me at 704.895.6479 with your story.

Most of us need a little more passionate action in our lives.

 

 

 

Are you a GOMO?

GOMO stands for Going Through the Motions.

Some 70% of workers are dissatisfied with their jobs.

Some 50% of marriages end in divorce.

Some 20% of people make a living doing what they love… Huh?  Yes, it is possible.  Here are two stories.

1.  One of my clients, Matt, co-founded an IT company that provided a unique service.  Over 10 years they were acquired by 3 companies.  Matt was the principal architect of the software.  But he was getting restless.  His young family was not happy in the D.C. metro.  He was tired of being a GOMO.  We had worked together 6 years previously.  So he re-hired me to explore “what’s next?”  He realized that several of the executives on their team were working remotely.  In short, he could live anywhere.  So within 4 months he relocated to Colorado.  And he re-designed how he managed his product development team.  That process occurred in months, not years…

2.  Another client, Allen, had been an HR manager for many years, but he aspired to be a global talent director of a nearby F500 company.  We met at a Vistage International meeting.  Shortly thereafter he realized that he could not imagine staying at his current employer.  He felt trapped.  There was no evident career ladder.  He struggled each day, and hated the fact that he called himself a GOMO.  So we explored options.  He did not want to move.  His divorced wife, and their children, were nearby.  So he designed a virtual talent recruitment program, using former HR colleagues who wanted to work from home.  He built the system and sold services to F500 clients.  In short, he developed and moved into his dream job.

So how about you?  Are you feeling stuck as a GOMO?

If ready to explore what’s next, then call me at 704.895.6479 now.

There is no wisdom in waiting.

Success Tips from John Maxwell

You may know that John Maxwell has written several best sellers, including “Developing the Leader Within You” and “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.”  At one time he managed two leadership training companies-  one in the business world, and one in the christian world.  IMHO, no one bridges these worlds better than John Maxwell.  He has been called the leadership guru of the century.

He defines “leadership” as influence, nothing more or less.

I have trained teams and individuals using the 5 levels of leadership content:  1.  position based upon rights, 2.  permission based on relationships, 3.  production based on results, 4.  people development based upon reproduction, 5. personhood based upon respect

Here are some of his gems:

1.  You can’t export what you don’t have.  Specifically, you can’t be a “leadership consultancy” unless you have proven expertise leading others.

2.  My greatest leadership challenge is not leading others, my greatest leadership challenge is leading my self.  Nothing is harder.  And nothing is more important.

3.  Examples prove concepts.  When I use an illustration it “brings the cookies to the lower shelf” so that everyone has access to the cookies.  See the point?

4.  Leaders are readers.  There are so many great ideas that others have explored.  We need to sift through those books and blogs and determine what we need, so that we can serve others.

What are some of your favorite gems from John Maxwell, or others?

2012 Energy Leadership Project results: Top challenges in the next 12 months

In February, 2012, we surveyed 24 energy industry leaders in the Charlotte, NC region.

Here are their responses to the question:  What are the most significant challenges facing your company in the next 12 months?

What do you think of this data?

 

1.  To see the complete survey results from the 2012 Energy Leadership Project, reply here.

2.  To be included in the 2013 Energy Leadership Project, click here.

3.  For comments or questions, call Doug at 704.895.6479.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do poor people smile more often?

Recently I watched a Netflix video on the Dalai Lama…

And he stated that poor people smile more often.

If the reincarnated Buddha, a fountain of wisdom and mystery for hundreds of thousands of people, were to hit me with a hammer, then perhaps I should listen.  Is that true?  Do poor people smile more often?  He certainly made me think…

The Dalai Lama explained that westerners, and wealthy people in particular, do not smile as often.

With higher net worth comes fear of protection.  He called it “excessive greed.”  Hmmm….

Is that true?

So I did a quick “Thought Experiment.”  Just like years ago in graduate school.  I imagined two isolated control groups and tested this thesis.

Group 1:  A recent gathering of parents and independent school students.  Dressed to kill for Prom.  At a private backyard.  With a photographer. Spectacular flowers and layers of gardens.  Private waterfall.  Limos waiting outside.  Dozens of spectacularly dressed young people.  Casually dressed parents.  Gnoshing on appetizers, wine, beer, cake pops on a stick. Casual conversations.  Smile factor among the higher net worth crowd:  4 out of 10.

Group 2:  A recent gathering of college students at an independent coffee shop.  Gatherings of 1-3 people.  Macbooks and ear buds.  Light music.  Sunlight cascading through the hexagonal shaped room.  Windows retrieved from some ancient church.  Plants overflowing from colorful ceramic pots.  Ripped jeans and tatoos.  Black grunge tee shirts sitting next to red flannel shirts.  Occasional outbursts of laughter.  Smile factor among the lower net worth crowd:  6 out of town.

These results are inconclusive.

What do you think?

Do poor people smile more often?

Call me with your story and examples… at 704.895.6479