Friday 28 December 2007

Attitude, Attention, Appreciation with thanks to Alan Alda

My family and friends are well aware of my love of books and so it has become traditional for me to receive books as gifts and to read at least one over the course of the holiday season. This year my wife gave me Alan Alda's Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself. I have been a big fan of Alan's and admire his integrity and what he does to build a better world. His book has reminded me again of the immense power of what I call the three A's, attitude, attention, and appreciation and how having the right attitude, paying attention and being appreciative of each moment of our lives is key to living the best life we can. Alan's answer to the big question What is the meaning of life? is "the meaning of life is life." You will find a lot of great wisdom in the book.

Find out more about Alan and his books and work here. He is a builder of our new world.

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - insight-inspiration-ideas-innovation

Tuesday 18 December 2007

Expect More From 2008

I have great pleasure in offering you a free gift in the form of an e-book by 53 experts Expect More from 2008. It includes contributions from Remacue Community Members Gihan Perera, Anne Riches, Steve Wells, Terry Power, Candy Tymson, Keith Abraham, Glenn Capelli, Robyn Henderson, David Price, and Catherine Palin-Brinkworth.

My contribution is on page 13.

My best to you and yours. I trust 2008 will be your best year yet.

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - insight-inspiration-ideas-innovation

Friday 14 December 2007

Is technology your servant or your master?

More and more I see men standing at the urinal talking on their mobile phones!

Often I see teenagers gathered around comparing text messages in lieu of having conversations.

Frequently I am asked to help people feeling stressed by the number of emails they have in their inbox.

What on earth is going on? Technology being our master that’s what.

I love all of the wonderful things we can do because of the incredible advances in technology and the brilliance of the internet, however I value my life more and only use technology to enhance my life, not run it, or as is the case for many people, ruin it.

Is technology your servant or your master?

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - insight-inspiration-ideas-innovation

Sunday 9 December 2007

Jerry Seinfeld's 3 rules of life

Andrew Denton is a tremendous interviewer and his TV program ‘Enough Rope’ is one of my favourites. More on Denton in futue blogs. He recently interviewed Jerry Seinfeld and asked him “Do you remember the rules of life? You had three rules of life.”

Here is my edited transcript of Jerry’s reply “…I came up with bust your ass, pay attention and fall in love. Bust your ass is just basically whatever you do, work as hard as you can, only good can come of it. And pay attention is just notice enough about what is, you know, about what’s going on around you. You can absorb and learn from everything around you all the time. And fall in love wasn’t, isn’t, romantic love, rather it is like if I get a really good cup of coffee I like to just go, you know what, just hang on a second. This is a fantastic cup of coffee. Isn’t this a great, and I’ll ask everyone, isn’t this great coffee? Cos you know, it’s not always great. This one is great, you know.

This is one of the things that I really did learn from George Burns, and why I had such respect for him is that I will stop and make that moment, you know, you will enjoy life more if you do that. You know, you get a great parking spot, just go…Hold it a second, I mean look at that spot. I mean it’s, we could have been blocks away and we’re right here.”

You can download the full fantastic interview here

What remarkable achievements would happen if you “busted your ass, payed attention and fell in love" more?

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - insight-inspiration-ideas-innovation

Tuesday 27 November 2007

Just a one degree shift can make all the difference

One of my favourite movies of all time is Six Degrees of Separation. From it I learnt the fact that each of us is only six degrees away from everyone else on the planet. From further exploration I learnt the immense power of one degree. In my business for example I know that the best referral is to a person one degree away from the referrer.

I have also learnt from this concept that little things make the big difference. Just a one degree shift in what we feel, think, or do can make profound differences to our success.

You may enjoy the one degree website with its focus on climate change and how one degree shifts in what we do can save our planet.

Think about making one degree shifts in everything you do. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.

“If you don’t believe little things make a big difference, then you have never been to bed with a mosquito.” Anita Roddick

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - insight-inspiration-ideas-innovation

Monday 19 November 2007

John Elkington – sustainability pioneer

One of my heroes is John Elkington, the originator of ‘The Triple Bottom Line. His work was instrumental in my development of the five-fold bottom line. John’s company ‘SustainAbility’ has been at the forefront of helping businesses embrace sustainability since 1987. You will find some great insight on their website. Sustainability is arguably the issue we face for the foreseeable future.

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - insight-inspiration-ideas-innovation

Sunday 11 November 2007

‘Seachange’ happening in the attitudes of business leaders

Are you one who has changed your attitude?

I have been catching up on a bit of reading today. An article by Jennifer Hewett in The Weekend Australian newspaper of 27-28 October 2007 caught my eye, ‘Corporate captains to focus on society’. Hewett writes about the final address by outgoing President of Business Council of Australia Michael Chaney. One of Australia’s most respected business leaders Chaney is quoted “As business leaders, we need to do much more to incorporate objectives for social prosperity into the reform debate.” “We need to be equally proficient in the language of social prosperity as we are in economic reform.”

Great words. I am witnessing more and more business leaders living these words every day. Are you one of them?

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - insight-inspiration-ideas-innovation

Friday 2 November 2007

World Business Council for Sustainable Development

There is no doubt that sustainability is a major issue facing humanity. A group I admire for their work in this area is the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
I am a regular visitor to President Bjorn Stigson's blog (follow the link on home page above). One statement of his that occupies pride of place in some quotes on my office wall is "Business cannot succeed in a society that fails."

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - discovering and presenting insight people and planet profit from

Saturday 27 October 2007

Phillip Adams, an atheist who cares for humanity

I have just finished reading ‘Adams vs. God The Rematch’ a fascinating book by journalist, broadcaster, and social commentator, Phillip Adams. An atheist, Adams exposes the flaws of fundamentalism in some wonderful and witty ways and yet retains a strong sense of compassion for those with different views to himself.

I have been reading and listening to Phillip Adams for many years and believe he is a role model for one of the keys to living in the modern world, to value difference and to find a way forward together despite our differing beliefs, rather than insisting our way is the only way and being violent to those who have a different way.

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - discovering and presenting insight people and planet profit from

Monday 22 October 2007

Robin Williams ‘man of the year’

Another of my favourite actors is Robin Williams. If you want a laugh about world leaders who don’t lead, get the video of Robin’s film ‘man of the year’. It is a brilliant comedy about what most politicians should do that they don’t and how we the people can do something about ensuring we only put politicians who will help build our new world into power in the first place.

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - discovering and presenting insight people and planet profit from

Sunday 14 October 2007

Movies and plays help us see our future

Former US vice-president turned environmental campaigner Al Gore’s joint Nobel Peace Prize win with The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change proves the power that movies and plays have to help us see our future. Gore’s film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ has almost single-handedly put managing climate change on top of the world’s to do list.

Next time you see a movie or go to a play think about it in the context of what the story can mean for your own life. Stories are the fabric of culture and every time we hear, see, read, or listen to a story we have an opportunity to learn something about our own story and how to live it more authentically.

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - discovering and presenting insight people and planet profit from

Sunday 7 October 2007

Living our own story - no bettter example than Sir Ian McKellen

Sir Ian McKellen is regarded by his peers and critics as one of the greatest actors of his generation, if not all time. My wife and I watched one of his latest triumphs recently, the unheralded 'Neverwas'. It is a brilliant movie and like all of McKellen's work where he 'becomes' the character he is playing, he gives us great insight into living our own story. McKellen also has a very interesting online autobiography. I commend it to you. Visit here

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightpreneur™ - discovering and presenting insight people and planet profit from

Friday 28 September 2007

What does your brand stand for?

Is your brand remarkable, i.e. “conspicuously extraordinary”?

The latest technological craze is Apple’s iPhone. As I understand it there are better functioning phones yet Apple sells because of their branding. Apple stands for style and design and currently this is what people are buying ahead of functionality. What does your brand stand for? Builders of our new world know what they stand for and demonstrate whatever it is in their branding.

I stand for discovering and sharing insight people and planet profit from.

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightprenuer™

Wednesday 19 September 2007

Cultural Intelligence™

I have just read the latest issue of Cultural Intelligence™ a great newsletter that is always full of really good stuff about building workplace cultures that matter. The editor Steve Simpson is a friend and colleague who I have had work with my clients with remarkable results. Steve is another who is bringing our new world to life. Check out the newsletter here

Be remarkable
Ian

Tuesday 18 September 2007

Delivering on our promises

This morning I conducted a workshop for members of the board of Meeting Professionals International(MPI)chapter and some of their members. The event was held at the Royal College of Physicians in Regent’s Park whose tag line is “a genuinely unique venue”. The venue is true to this line. The room I worked in is so well designed it generates its own acoustics, and the staff were simply brilliant. I have spoken at 100’s of different venues, only a few have the design, ambience, and staff, that encourage a memorable and productive learning experience. All this combined to make it easier for myself and participants to be as good as we can be. People building our new world deliver on their promises. Are you a builder?

Be remarkable
Ian

Sunday 16 September 2007

Whenever you can buy fair trade products

I have been working in the United Kingdom for the past two weeks. My previous post was written after reading an article in The Times newspaper. It was about one of my hero's Anita Roddick who sadly passed away a few days later. In honour of Anita's huge and positive impact on better business practice I went and drank a fair trade coffee at another iconic business Marks and Spencer. I reflected on the great strides business has made to be fairer and my own priviledge this year to work with another seller of fair trade coffee, the fine folk of Oxfam Trading in Australia. Community trade is one way of eliminating poverty. In our new world there is no poverty. Whenever you can, buy products from places you know are involved in fair trade. This is one way you can play your part in building our new world. And when you do remember you are standing on the shoulders of people like Anita Roddick.

Be remarkable
Ian

Monday 10 September 2007

Anita Roddick - role model

L’Oreal and The Body Shop are household names. At one time it would be fair to say they were enemies. Since last year L’Oreal has owned The Body Shop. Many were horrified at the time of the sale and accused Anita Roddick of not just selling out of her company, but also the principles on which it was built. Seems this is far from the case if an interview with Roddick published in the Daily Telegraph recently is anything to go by. My view is this: Anita Roddick has made a difference. She proved businesses driven by a cause and not profits is the way of the future and she has influenced and is influencing a giant like L’Oreal. It will take a lot more Anita Roddick’s to build our new world. Which part of our new world are you building?

Be remarkable
Ian

Wednesday 5 September 2007

Emotion and logic when aligned are a powerful team

I spent much of the past two days traveling from my home in Australia to London. On the trip I read Al Gore’s latest book ‘The Assault On Reason’. It is a magnificent, common sense book about what we must do to ensure real democracy in our world and a future for us all we can be certain of, and proud of. I highly recommend you read it even if you are not an American citizen as I am not. Al Gore may not ever be President of his country (it’s not too late!) however I am in no doubt that he is a builder of our new world.

Be remarkable
Ian

Saturday 1 September 2007

How well we pitch is a key to turning possibility into reality

One of my business partners Kevin Ryan is widely known as the ‘Professor of Pitch™’. If you want to revolutionize your sales and communication ability then engage Kevin as your coach and watch your sales skyrocket. The way most of us try is sell is outdated and unfriendly for our customers and is in fact driving people away rather than attracting them to us. Kevin is one person building our new world in the areas of service and sales.

Be remarkable
Ian

Monday 27 August 2007

What Next Membership

I am thrilled to announce a new service and experience for builders of our new world that allows me to provide access to my life-long learning centre and to meet with you in person once a year, as the two main benefits. (there is also the possibility of tailoring your membership to meet with you up to four times per year). My life-long learning centre is a vault full of tools, tips, templates, techniques, checklists, e-books, e-handbooks, and podcasts that is added to monthly and is worth the small monthly investment required on its own. If you reside in Australia, Germany, Singapore, United Kingdom, or New Zealand check out this exciting service here, or download PDF here.

Be remarkable
Ian

Sunday 19 August 2007

When money lending is entrepreneurial and good for peace

We live in remarkable times. Who would have thought that a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and a money lender, as one in the same person, would be named by Business Week as one of "The Greatest Entrepreneurs of All Time." This is exactly what has happeed to Dr. Muhammad Yunus who founded a banking system 30 years ago to lend small amounts of money to the rural poor in Bangladeshi villages. Dr. Yunus is a builder of our new world, and one of my heroes.

Be remarkable
Ian

Tuesday 14 August 2007

Be, do, have, not have, be, do

I was speaking with a bloke (that's Australian for man) yesterday who is big on complaining about his lot in life. He's fond of saying "if only I had more I could be more and do more." I did my best to explain to him that life is about being, doing, having, not having, being, doing.

To build our new world we must be the best we can be first. We will then automatically start doing what we need to do, and then life will provide a return to us that will be many times greater that what we invested providing that is that we are not attached to what we get back.

Be remarkable
Ian

Sunday 5 August 2007

Contrarians and unconventional wisdom

Building our new world requires a letting go of much so called conventional wisdom and often means taking a contrarian position. There is no better person doing this than Alan Weiss, one of the great consultants and speakers in the world. I highly recommend Alan’s electronic newsletter ‘Balancing Act™’ You can subscribe here. Alan is another person who is building our new world.

Be remarkable
Ian

Wednesday 1 August 2007

The Elders

In 1999 Peter Gabriel had a conversation with Richard Branson. The rest as they say is history. A few days ago, on his birthday, Nelson Mandela announced the formation of The Elders, meaning Gabriel's and Branson's conversation became reality. Mr. Mandela and his colleagues Graca Machel, Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jimmy Carter, Li Zhaoxing, Mary Robinson, and Muhammad Yunus are remarkable folk, leaders in the greatest cause of all, building our new world. I have the press release about this great occasion on my office wall. It is a daily inspiration. What an exciting time to be alive.

Be remarkable
Ian

Sunday 29 July 2007

Celebrate the life of those you love while they are here

I recently attended a funeral where a commemorative bookmark with a photo of the person passed was given to everyone to remember their loved one. Printed on the bookmark was “Do not be sad that she has gone, but smile that she has been”

I thought this was a lovely gesture. I also thought how often we forget to celebrate the lives of our loved ones with them while they are still here! I made a promise to myself to do this more. I trust you will too. It is one small way to build our new world.

Be remarkable
Ian

Friday 27 July 2007

Jonathon Porritt - hero for sustainable development

One of the best books I have read recently is 'Capitalism – as if the World Matters’ by Jonathon Porritt' the Founder Director of Forum for the Future, and a leading writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development.

See Forum for the Future. For great insight into sustainable development and a just society I highly recommend Jonathon’s blog.

Be remarkable
Ian

Tuesday 24 July 2007

e-learning - one solution for time poor people

I heard the expression “I don’t have time.” so often that I took the time to develop an e-learning course. It is 26 blended learning “sessions” over 1 year. Commit to just 15 minutes a fortnight, apply your learning, and become the leader you always wanted to be. Check out the course here and sign up or take the 3 “sessions” free trial.

Be remarkable
Ian

Thursday 19 July 2007

Laugh a lot it is good for the soul

I spend a lot of time on planes and often observe people as they laugh at the sitcoms or whatever on the plane videos. I sat next to a guy yesterday who really belly laughed at the mindlessness that was on the screen. (He got me laughing as well!) We had a short conversation coming in to land and on the way to get our bags. He told me he didn’t laugh very often. I told him I laugh often, usually at the little things that happen every day, and at myself. How often are you laughing?

Be remarkable
Ian

Saturday 14 July 2007

Magnetic Messages

I have been a professional speaker for 17 years. The following is typical of the feedback that I have received in the past few months

“The best, most inspiring speaker that I've experienced since joining TEC five years ago”
“Couldn't be improved. Excellent at every level”
“Great personal learning. Very practical. I will use this”
“No points for improvement. It was perfect”
“Truly inspirational”
“Excellent perspective on business and life”
“One of the best speakers I have heard; excellent topic; great session”

You would think I would be very happy right? Wrong. I believe we can always be better. I just didn’t realise how much better I could be until I read Gihan Perera’s Magnetic Messages - the art and science of persuasive presentations. This book now has a permanent place on my desk. If you are a leader and you want to have more positive and productive influence get Gihan's book without delay.

Be remarkable
Ian

Friday 13 July 2007

Who makes you think?

Tom Peters is perhaps the management guru's guru. He makes me think. Today was partly a research day for me and I spent a lot of time at Tom's website. I recommend you visit. Plenty to make you think or to use Tom's word "re-imagine". Tom Peters is another person who is bringing our new world to life.

Be remarkable
Ian

Friday 6 July 2007

The solutions to many of our problems are in nature

Janine Benyus wrote a most inspiring book in 1997 called Biomimicry which is a new science that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. The biomimicry website is a fascinating place to visit. Janine and her colleagues are demonstrating unique ways to bring our new world to life.

Be Remarkable
Ian

Monday 25 June 2007

Real leaders ask great questions of themselves and others

One of the differeniators of real leaders from fake ones is the questions we ask ourselves and others. In the past 10 days I spent time with Paul Bridle my friend and fellow Remacue Director. Paul is a great questioner and challenged me on many fronts. I highly recommend his book 'question your thinking'. You can purchase it here You will find more great questions by enrolling in my monthly electronic newsletter 'Harmony Matters' and receiving my free e-book 'Harmony Matters 10 Year Anniversary Edition' as soon as you enrol.

Be Remarkable
Ian

Thursday 14 June 2007

Let Seth challenge your thinking

I visit Seth Godin's blog on a regular basis. I am not into a lot of the jargon Seth appears to be, he has a lot of different views to mine (how boring it would be if we all thought the same!) Seth is a guy who is always challenging the status quo and the conventional. I have read all of Seth's books. I recommend you check Seth out here he is one of the builders of our new world.

Be Remarkable
Ian

Sunday 10 June 2007

Don't wait for governments to do anything about climate change

Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery is building the new world. He says "You can in a few months rather than the fifty years allowed by some governments, easily attain the 70 percent reduction in emissions required to stablise the earth's climate."
Find out more by reading Tim's great book 'The Weather Makers'

Be Remarkable
Ian

Saturday 2 June 2007

Bono Brilliant

One of the people building the new world is U2 singer Bono. I was inspired recently by his speech to a TED conference. See it here. I am sure you will be inspired too.

Be Remarkable
Ian

Tuesday 29 May 2007

The world's pre-eminent problem and one solution

Fundamentalists are killing us, literally. In my view fundamentalists are people who believe their way is the only way. Today these folk of religious, political, business, and other persuasions are ruining our world. None of us has a mortgage on truth. And none of us has a right to use violence against anybody for any reason let alone because we believe something different or are following a different path.

In the new world being created we will honour everyone's path to meaning, whatever it is, and we will be tolerant of another person's way and co-exist regardless of our differences, indeed we will celebrate our differences.

We live in three worlds; the world in here, the world out there, and the world we share. In here our views are just that, out there are other people’s views. In the world we share are the views we agree on. In any successful relationship the world we share is the critical one.

Human conflict is fundamentally the result of failure to agree on the goal or failure to agree on the strategies to achieve the goal.

I guarantee that today all of our troubles, personal, local and universal, are fundamentally based in our perceived need to hang onto the world in here, our issues with the world out there, and, our failure to focus more on the world we share.

What makes life really worthwhile is when we can share our views (without ridiculing one another or being violent with one another) and come together with a shared view, which may mean we let go of things we previously held dear.

I trust that today and every day you will resolve to build more of the world we share and be less precious about the world in here or the world out there.

Be Remarkable
Ian

Sunday 27 May 2007

Three of a kind

Taking personal responsibility, having an attitude of gratitude, and pursuing a purpose beyond profit are 3 characteristics I observe in people who are making a real difference to our world. Check out ted.com for what some of the most remarkable people on our planet are saying.

Be Remarkable
Ian

Tuesday 22 May 2007

Personal responsibility

I was staggered when I went to buy some chewing gum at Canberra airport the other day. The shops there are not allowed to sell it. Apparently some people do bad things with gum so no one else is allowed to buy any! This is one of many examples where the majority suffer because a minority don’t do the right thing.

It is also an example of us allowing politicians to make silly laws rather than doing what needs to be done to hold people to account for their actions. I believe it is time all over the world to stop allowing a minority of people, including the politicians we elect, to spoil it for the rest of us. And we can accomplish this without violence of any kind, just excellent communication skills, courage to have our say, and a willingness to put in the sometimes hard yards of working with our representatives until they get it right or vote them out until we can vote the right people in.

Saturday 12 May 2007

Have an attitude of gratitude

30 years ago I was given 90 days to live. My doctor's advice surprised me to say the least. He said "The secret to getting well is to have an attitude of gratitude."
I have since learned, and I am still learning, a great truth, when we are grateful for what we've got, we can have more of what we want. Are you grateful for every aspect of your life? To be so is the first step to creating the new world that is waiting to be born. We can only begin with ourselves. We must compete with ourselves and cooperate with others. For 12 ways to maintain an attitude of gratitude click here

Be remarkable
Ian

Purpose beyond profit

Economic profit is not a reason for being in business rather a result of being good at business. To be remarkably successful in modern business we must know our purpose beyond profit. My purpose is to inspire business leaders to achieve a five-fold bottom line so that the world is a better place. I get paid and make profits only if my mentoring, speaking, consulting, and writing, delivers the value my clients demand, desire, and feel they deserve.

Be remarkable
Ian