Achieved Strategies

We live in a turned-on world with no off button. The effects on us can be deeply concerning.  We can become distracted, disconnected, deflated, hyper-vigilant, and even spiritually drained.

Now transfer these outcomes in a world with no off button to work and your life.  The truths, if you can take the time to hear them, can be devastating.  But it doesn’t need to be so.  In fact, these outcomes are our own creation.  And if we create them, we can certainly change the story.  Yes?

Yes. The antidote, however, requires us to find the mute button to silence the drowning sounds around us, in work and life.  Ken Blanchard and Jesse Lyn Stoner give us a recipe for our own antidote in their revised, expanded, second addition of Full Steam Ahead!

I’m not one to write reviews for books. I write about how they translate (or not) into our world – their relevance and place in our times today.  With so many of us going through personal and professional transitions and transformations brought on by the economy, for starters, I found the duo’s book a beacon in my own journey.  Here’s why:

• I am deeply dissatisfied at settling for a vague mental note of my purpose and direction in life and in my work.  Blanchard and Stoner provide a framework to go from mental notes to an articulated, shared story.

• I know my work is about serving to help others. The ambiguity in this can be enough to stop me from making it tangible.  The story in the book weaves a compelling, swift-butt kicker to understand my “Why.”  To articulate “Why” is to align my passion and my work into actionable steps.

• As a business owner and person who lives in service to help others, clarity on my personal vision, values and my company’s is vital.  They drive my decision-making, leadership, communication – including saying no – my planning, my partnerships, and my friendships.

The beauty of living in a turned-on world is the connectivity we have to each other.  We can be intentional with a larger tribe of people.  And within our work, we can become focused, connected, invigorated, peaceful, and spiritually fulfilled.

I had never read Full Steam Ahead! until now.  This second edition is so crucial to help businesses, their leadership, and their employees to navigate how to transition from one state to another or transform who they are and how they show-up in the lives of their customers, employees, shareholders, and communities.

The last thing I’ll say is this: Yes, my passion for this book is obvious. But don’t mistake my passion and effusive support for the book as some paid endorsement.  I believe this book holds a spark to your thoughts of growth and transformation.  You just need to be open enough to what your thoughts reveal and (re)engage in what you and your work can accomplish. And perhaps one of the simplest, profound messages in the book emerges for you: to move from success to significance.

Photo by hotburrito2