Wednesday 31 March 2021

Valued, Values and Value

In the very best organisations people feel valued, live values and deliver and exchange value.

To co-create such organisations requires wise leaders.

In the two minutes and 38 seconds video below I overview the 5 ways we can work together to make this happen in your organisation. 


The detail is here and below.


I present a 90 minute seminar online in February, April, June, August, and October.

Details and registration always here.

The above are complimentary for members of Wise Leaders Community.

Learn more about the community here.

Bespoke private seminars also available. 90 minutes, half day, and full day options available. 

Please contact me on +61 418 807 898 to discuss your very own seminar. 

Up until the end of May 2021 I'm offering a fee less presentation. All you have to do is buy a copy of my Heart-Leadership book for each participant. You can download details of this very special offer here.


I co-present and facilitate a two hour symposium online in May, July (August in 2021), September and November.

Details and registration always here.

My colleagues in May 2021 are Simone Boer and Glenn Capelli.

In August Peter Merrett and Paul Schmeja will be joining me.



I'm the moderator and facilitator for online peer groups that form the Wise Leaders Online Village.

The village is part of Wise Leaders Community.

You can get to know the current Residents and more about the Village here. 

We are a safe and creative place to become the wise leader you want to be for leaders on Boards or Family Councils, and in Business Teams, Sports Teams, Peer Groups, Community Groups, Online Communities. 

We are focused on being who we are, and becoming all that we're capable of becoming.

You can read the Value Promise for the whole Wise Leaders Community here.


In addition to the Wise Leaders Online Village there is also Book Club and Egalitarian Membership levels.

You can learn more about these two levels here.

Both are accessible via monthly subscription. 

Being able to participate in Wise Leaders Online Seminars is one of the key benefits of membership at both levels. 

At both levels Wise Leaders Cafe is included. 

Wise Leader Q & A is included with Egalitarian membership.

I provide bespoke group mentoring with 1:1 support to both members of Wise Leaders Community as well as to private clients.

Group mentoring and 1:1 support requires additional investment.

Learn more here.

Mentoring can include my signature after-action-reviews and/or advice as you integrate new perceptions with what is already working well for you.

Become the wise leader you want to be.

Ian

Monday 29 March 2021

What is your value promise?

According to my dictionary a proposition is "a suggested scheme or plan of action, especially in a business context", or "a statement or assertion that expresses a judgement or opinion."

The same dictionary says a value proposition is "(in marketing) an innovation, service, or feature intended to make a company or product attractive to customers."

Further my dictionary says a promise is "a declaration or assurance that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen."

When I google value promise I get stuff about value propositions!

For me a value promise is far more powerful than a value proposition.

What's your value promise?

Here's my Wise Leaders Community Value Promise. You can download it here.

The short version of our promise is below. I've found it valuable to have both a long and short version yet never any more than one page. You can download both the short and long versions here.



What is your value promise?


Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian

Friday 26 March 2021

Overcoming Resistance

Listen to the podcast version of this post 

Each Friday's podcasts are always under 10 minutes.

One of my favourite books is Steven Pressfield’s ‘Do The Work’.  It’s about overcoming resistance. 

Steven believes, and I agree, that the pain of running away from doing what we know we should is greater than actually doing the work.

Here's Steven in a great interview with Marie Forleo. 

Steven says that overcoming resistance is more important than having talent.

To overcome self-sabotage, imposter syndrome and anything else that may cause me to resist doing my work my process is the same as the journey I describe in my Heart-Leadership book. Its Harmony, Heart, Head and Hands in this order. The result is happenstance (i.e. coincidence, synchronicity, serendipity).

I know that harmony is present in my life and work when I feel in flow. Anytime I don’t feel in flow I stop whatever it is that I am doing and put my hand over my heart to feel again my unique rhythm.

I know I’m hearing my heart when I feel calm and in my rhythm.

Then it’s about trusting myself. My head can tell me this won’t work or that's dangerous or whatever thought that is all based on past experiences. Yet if I ask my head how in the now I can trust the answers or help I can give myself. 

I’m in the habit too of asking other people for help when I need or want further clarity or to nuance my thinking.

Then its patient, one quantum leap (small yet significant shift) at a time work.

Feeling in flow, feeling calm, and being trusting of myself and other people means that I can engage my hands in a slow and deliberate way which is what works for me.

How about you? What’s your best way of overcoming resistance?

Do Your Work.

Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian

Wednesday 24 March 2021

Live Events For Wise Leaders

In the 2 minutes and 28 seconds video below I overview my live events including the recent additions of Wise Leaders Cafe, Wise Leaders Q & A, and Wise Leaders Symposiums. 

You can download all the details here or check out via the links below.




For a few years now I've been hosting a sparkenation conversation every first Wednesday usually at 3.30 PM Australian Eastern Time.

The time can vary to suit special guest timezones. Every time I have a special guest who is a sage in their field.

Recently I began recording these complimentary events.

I feature the next conversation and recordings of the past four here.


I host these every second Wednesday at 8 AM and 6.30 PM Australian Eastern Time.

The AM time means it's good for you if you are in USA, New Zealand and Australia, and the PM time makes it good for you if you are in Asia, UAE, Europe and UK.

The purpose of the cafe is small group conversations about life and work while enjoying your favourite beverage. 

Wise Leaders Cafe is complimentary for Book Club, Egalitarian and Online Village Member of Wise Leaders Community.

Learn more about the community here.

Details of the next cafe's always here.


Wise Leaders Seminars are also complimentary for Wise Leaders Community Members.

Each seminar is for 90 minutes and you choose a time to suit you 

Third Tuesday’s 10 AM start. Third Wednesday's 3.30 PM start, and Third Thursday’s 6.30 PM start.


Wise Leaders seminars are held in February, April, June, August, and October.

Details and seminar registration always here.

I co-present and facilitate Wise Leaders Symposiums with two other experts. Usually my colleagues have been a special guest in a first Wednesday conversation.

Symposiums are two hour experiences and you choose a time to suit you.

Fourth Tuesday’s kick-off at 10 AM, Wednesday’s 3.30 PM, and Thursday’s 6.30 PM.

Wise Leaders Symposiums are held in May, July, September and November. 

Details of the next symposium are always here.

Every fourth Tuesday at 6.30 PM Australian Eastern time I co-host a special Q & A session

Questions are requested in advance by participants.

We explore up to 7 questions and every participant gets the opportunity to provide input as well.

Wise Leaders Cafe is complimentary for Egalitarian and Online Village Members of Wise Leaders Community. 

Details and registration are always here.


Wise Leaders Online Village is the inner circle of Wise Leaders Community.

We meet as peer groups of six to twelve people per group by arrangement. The whole village also meets quarterly.

I also conduct special seminars for members as well as provide private mentoring to members who have chosen this service.

Membership in the Online Village is by invitation only from myself or a current member. You are very welcome to contact me on +61 418 807 898 to arrange a 30 minute conversation on Zoom to explore being invited. There is also a complimentary trial option we can explore where you get to participate in two conversations with a group.

Learn more about the Online Village here.

Very special offer

You can create your own event and have me do a presentation or host a conversation. Minimum 8 people. Maximum 80 people at tables of 8.

Available for any venue you choose in Ballarat, Geelong, Melbourne or Werribee, Victoria. Cost of venue and catering your responsibility. Of course you can use your own venue.

Conditions of offer are that you buy each participant a copy of my book ‘Heart-Leadership Become the wise leader you want to be’, and that you book your event before 31st May 2021.

Fee is $22 per person including GST or you may like to invest $23 or $46 per person and thereby give participants one months membership of Book Club or Egalitarian in Wise Leaders Community.

To take up this very special offer please telephone me on 0418 807 898.

PS There are also online options. They involve you buying the books direct from your local Amazon or favourite bookstore. Please talk to me about this should online be your preference.

PSS I can also make this work in person when I visit family in Adelaide and Perth.

Become the wise leader you want to be.

Ian


Monday 22 March 2021

Are our systems our gods?

My wife and I were proud to join the march for justice last week. We were inspired and left with a feeling that this issue of how women are seen and treated, will rightly not go away, and that lasting change is inevitable.

Later I listened to this Full Story podcast with The Guardians Gabrielle Jackson, Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticher. I also read the many great articles referenced below the podcast by Katharine Murphy from the Guaradian, author Tim Winton, and others.

As referenced in the podcast one thing that struck me at the march was the number of men who marched. My sense is such men supporting women will be a catalyst for lasting change that will lead to equality.

This all got me contemplating that our systems are our gods.

Our political, religious, legal, educational, business, you name it, systems are mostly biased against women. All are in the way of progress and fairness in general.

While reflecting on how best I can contribute through my cause of eliminating injustice, and doing further research into equality and justice, I came across this article by Thomas Frank also a Guardian columnist. 

He says 

"Our politics has been a bath in bullshit since forever. People pitching the dumbest of ideas prosper fantastically in this country if their ideas happen to be what the ruling class would prefer to believe."

All of the above went into the melting pot as I prepared for my first in person presentation in more than a year.

Harmony Day

Yesterday was International Harmony Day. I got to celebrate it in part by giving a speech at a luncheon in Ballarat, my birth place, where I spoke about harmony with self and others as the beginning of the journey to justice and equality and one pathway that of Heart-Leadership.


I feel that our systems of become our gods. They are based largely on bullshit (ideologies) that keeps the ruling class as our rulers. Heart-Leadership is one way to defy these gods and to lead a life of civility where everyone has equity of opportunity.

Who will you become? What will you do next?


Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
Buckminster Fuller

Friday 19 March 2021

Being a wise leader in your own best way

Welcome to podcast and post number 100.

Listen to the podcast version of this post 

Each Friday's podcasts are always under 10 minutes.

My first podcast was about wisdom workers who I believe are the people we need a majority of in all workplaces. Here's the first podcast and blog post.

Today is also the day that I begin the official launch of the next phase in my work of focusing on wise leaders and on helping you to become the wise leader you want to be.

In my short video this Wednesday, I mentioned the five ways that I recognise wise leaders:

1) The great questions you ask and the timing of when you ask them.

2) How you put aside bias and reach a shared-view with other people.

3) How you make people feel valued.

4) How you live your values behaviourally.

5) How you deliver and exchange value with the people who are within your circles of influence.

Since publishing the video and asking for comments I've received the following:

From my colleague Sue Heatherington "#wiseleaders take the long view and are clear on their underlying purpose - why they are here."

From my colleague Glenn Capelli "Wise leadership creates sustainable high performance learning environments- Group Genius."

From my colleague Claudia Brose "a way to recognize #wiseleaders would be for me also: wise leaders truly LISTEN.  The don't listen in a way so they can come up with a counter-thought/argument...but listen because they want to understand the other side."

What would you add?

My favourite insight into great questions come from the Egyptian write Naguib Mahfouz


Two of the great questions that my clients and myself ask regularly are 

What’s worth celebrating? And What can be better?

A daily question is What am I grateful for today?

You will find 96 more great questions here.

Putting aside bias and reaching a shared-view with other people is an essential skill of wise leadership. 

This is so much so that I am currently right a book about this that will explore the organisational seven areas of significance for sustaining shared-view I have already written about with some new insights, plus I will be introducing personal and relationship insights. Here's a short self-directed online course you can complete with my compliments on the work so far.

People feeling valued, living values and delivering and exchanging value are of course central to Heart-Leadership. 


They are outcomes of people leadership, process innovation and progress sustainability.

Videos and podcasts on Heart-Leadership are here.

Living Value and Delivering and Exchanging Value

Here you will find a blog post and a video that I posted on February 6th 2012. I think it demonstrates the longevity power of living our values behaviourably and focusing on delivering and exchanging value.

Who will you become? What will you do next?

In the ancient divide and conquer world there were wise leaders. They were called heretics and were often derided and even murdered for their standards and insights.

Today we are a little more civilised and yet divide and conquer and keeping people in fear still dominates our landscape. 

I believe there has been a great shift. It began perhaps in the 1960’s. It gained further momentum this week when thousands of women marched for justice in Australia.

In this new world wise leaders are recognised, revered and respected.

How will you become the wise leader you want to be and in your own best way?

Become the wise leader you want to be.

Ian

Wednesday 17 March 2021

How do you recognise wise leaders?

We know a wise leader when we see, hear or meet one. In this video I suggest five ways that we recognise wise leaders.


In my 100th podcast coming out this Friday I will share more including resources to help you.

Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian

Monday 15 March 2021

Really glad I've reinstated my monthly newsletter

On February 15th I recommenced providing a complimentary monthly newsletter.

You can read 15th March edition here and subscribe to receive future issues below:


.

Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian

Friday 12 March 2021

What’s your favourite list?

Listen to the podcast version of this post 

Each Friday's podcasts are always under 10 minutes.

This week I finalised refreshing and updating my six complimentary self-directed online courses. You'll find links to each one here.

I noticed as I was doing this how much I love venn diagrams and lists. I also recalled how great both are as teaching aids and how well they help people to learn, remember and to apply learning in your own best way.

Also during the week I watched a brilliant conversation between two of my heroes Tom Peters and Steve Farber. Watch yourself here.

Tom says his books are basically lists. His new book 'Excellence Now Extreme Humanism' I just ordered.

I realised in my books there’s lots of lists and diagrams. I know from what readers share with me that they are one of the reasons people buy my books!

Then this morning I read this article by comedian Alistair Baldwin where he says all comedy can be broken down into two categories: Sensible Venn Diagrams and Absurd Lists.

So, What is your favourite list and what is your favourite diagram?
How do they help you to sustain a high level of engagement and energy in your life and work?

My favourite lists tend to be seven or eight items. Like the seven areas of significance for sustaining shared-view:

1. Reality.

2. Possibility.

3. Purpose.

4 Strategy.

5. Execution.

6. Progress.

7. Culture.

The complimentary self-directed shared-view online course is here.

As I am currently writing a book about shared-view where I will add personal and relationships aspects to the work I have already produced for organisations, this list of seven may become:

1. Truth-telling.

2. Vision.

3. Principles.

4. Compass.

5. Experiments.

6. Meaning.

7. Virtues.

My favourite diagram is the three overlapping circles of Heart-Leadership and particularly the three pieces that join them people feeling valued, people living values and people delivering and exchanging value.

So, What is your favourite list and what is your favourite diagram?
How do they help you to sustain a high level of engagement and energy in your life and work?

Who will you become? What will you do next?

Become the wise leader you want to be.

Ian

Wednesday 10 March 2021

Self-directed online courses

In the past month I've been refreshing and updating all my six self-directed online courses.


Each course is complimentary. All are accessible via this web page. Each course involves a combination of reading, watching and listening.

You can go to courses direct via the links below

Heart-Leadership Become the wise leader you want to be (28 videos (24 under 5 minutes) and 24 podcasts (all under 10 minutes).

Magnificence (short course to discover your essence).

Reasons, Relationships and Routines Guarantee Results (short course including a small workbook).

Remarkable Workplaces (108 page workbook, videos and podcasts).

Sustaining shared-view in the seven areas of significance where the most successful leaders stand out (7 videos (all under 5 minutes) and 7 podcasts (all under 10 minutes, plus a one page diagnostic).

The Appreciative Leader (89 page handbook, videos and downloads).

Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian

Monday 8 March 2021

Simone Boer and setting yourself free from your limiting beliefs

 Below is the recording of last Wednesday's sparkenation conversation with special guest Simone Boer, on the subject of setting yourself free from your limiting beliefs.


You can watch recordings of previous first Wednesday events and register for the next one via this web page.

Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian

Friday 5 March 2021

The great energy shift

Listen to the podcast version of this post 

Each Friday's podcasts are always under 10 minutes.

In last weeks post and podcast I referenced Margaret Heffernan’s new book ‘Uncharted”. I’m now well into reading it and highly recommend that you do too.

There are many wonderful case studies in the book about how experiments turned into wonderful outcomes for human progress.

I quote from the book in the podcast about two case studies involving citizens conventions in Ireland. One relates to same sex marriage becoming law and the other to the liberalisation of abortion up to twelve weeks becoming law. Both of these extraordinary outcomes came after referendums overwhelming approving them.

These are great examples of people power. 

I believe that there will be many more of these kind of gatherings because I sense that there is a great energy shift happening in our world. It’s a shift away from power being in the hands of the few to being in the hands of the many. Crucially this shift is coming from love, the creation force, and the most powerful force in the universe.

Heart-Leaders hold, enhance or shift energy and are coming from a place of love. 

Here you will find a video and blog post that I published this week about love and other resources that will help you to engage in this great energy shift.

Who will you become? What will you do next?

Become the wise leader you want to be.

Ian 

Wednesday 3 March 2021

Do everything from love

In this video I quote from the Hal David/Burt Bacharach 1960's song 'What The World Needs Now'.

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love

It's the only thing that there's just too little of

What the world needs now is love, sweet love

No not just for some, but for everyone."


In a great book Steve Farber says 'Love is Just Damn Good Business: Do What You Love in the Service of People Who Love What You Do.' Get the book here.

When I first read 'Do What You Love in the Service of People Who Love What You Do' in Steve's book 'The Radical Leap' over a decade ago I stayed silent for what seemed forever. It was a game changer for me. It took me many years to learn to live these words, and many more before it has become a way of life.

In my Heart-Leadership book I refer to love as one of eight heart qualities. You can get the book here. Just as importantly at the link you can access 28 videos (24 are under 5 minutes) and 24 podcasts (all under 10 minutes) that will help you to lead with your heart. I believe leading with heart is what all wise leaders do, in your own best way.

My work is helping people to become the wise leaders you want to be. My best advice is "Do everything from a place of love." Writing a review for a book you've just read, write it from love. Going into a supermarket, walk with love. Whatever you do, do it from love. 

Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian




Monday 1 March 2021

Introducing Wise Leaders Online Community

Today I'm excited to announce the completed formation of Wise Leaders Online Community. 

Wise leaders live a life that is meaningful for you, has deep value for people within your circles of influence, and leaves a legacy in the now.

There are now three levels of membership as described below. You can download the levels here. 

1) Book Club Members receive:

✓All my books.

✓A place at 6 by 90 minutes online seminars.

✓Monthly live stream events (Northern and Southern Hemisphere time options).

Your investment is $275 p.a.

2) Egalitarian Members receive:

✓All my books.

✓A place in 6 by 90 minutes online seminars.

✓Monthly live stream event (Northern and Southern Hemisphere time options).

✓ Quarterly Q & A sessions (60 minutes).

Your investment is $550 p.a.

3) Online Village Resident Members receive:

✓All Book Club and Egalitarian Member Benefits plus

✓Membership of an of up to 8 people online peer group who have a regular conversation at a time that suits you with a special seminar from me once a month.

Your investment is $1100 p.a.

Membership For All Of The Above is by Invitation Only from a current member or myself personally.

You're very welcome to contact me to explore further. My number is +61 418 807 898.

My bespoke group mentoring and 1:1 services remain available.

Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian

NB The joining fees will increase substantially in 2022. Now is your opportunity to lock in the low investment.

Wise leaders live a life that is meaningful for you, has deep value for people within your circles of influence, and leaves a legacy in the now.

PS All of the above involve you engaging in my 8 stages of guaranteeing innovation (pictured below) in your own best way. Learn more about the stages here.