Orrin Woodward on LIFE & Leadership

The Team Book of the Month, “The Go Giver” by Bob Burg and John David Mann is an instant classic.  If you are not on the Team Direct Fulfillment system for book of the month and CDs of the month, then you are missing out big time!  I met Bob Burg many years ago when I was just beginning in community building.  I wasn’t making any money yet, but was hungry to learn.  Bob gave an inspiring talk that kept me going while I was learning to be effective.  Every single one of the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success is a must to learn.  Let me share the 5 Laws with some thoughts on each one.

 

1. Law of Value – Your true worth is determined by how much you give in value than you take in payment.

 

I have taught for years to give more than you receive.  The goal should be to deposit more into each relationship that you have than can possibly be given back.  This becomes harder the more relationships that you have and the more servant leaders that you have on your team.  With that said, the goal is still to give more than you receive.  When you add true value into people’s lives, people will want to add value into your life.  Are you giving more in value than you require in payment?

 

2. Law of Compensation – Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

 

Service comes first and rewards come later.  When you have a small team, you will receive a small reward in community building.  When you learn to serve a larger community though leveraging information and systems, you will receive larger rewards.  If you don’t like the money you are making, give yourself a pay raise by serving more people.  It is like Cavett Roberts said along time ago, “Your pay raise becomes effective as soon as you do.”  Are you serving all the people that you can and meeting your true potential?

 

3. Law of Influence – Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interest first.

 

You cannot have true influence with people until they know how much you care.  They will know how much you care by focusing on their interest first.  Your value, compensation, and influence are all related to taking your eyes off yourself and focusing on others needs, dreams and goals.  This is why a self centered person never achieves or maintains a high level of Leadership because they will never keep other people’s interest ahead of their own interest.  Are you placing others interest ahead of your own?

 

4. Law of Authenticity – The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

 

This is one of the hardest laws as it requires character and integrity to give of yourself.  Many people hide their true character behind an image of invulnerability.  With all the incredible gadgets to communicate in our modern world, people have never been more alone.  There are many ways to communicate, but it takes a listener to be really heard.  Everyone is talking, but few are listening.  Offering yourself requires a willingness to be the true you and not an image or a spin job.  Listen to others and be willing to be vulnerable by dropping your guard so they will drop their guard and true communication will result.  Are you a true friend to others or do you see them as objects for your own ends?

 

5. Law of Receptivity – The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

 

This is the toughest law for me personally.  I love serving others, but to be on the receiving end of someone else’s service is tough.  I have had to learn to receive and thank the giver who generously served.  My wife is an incredible server and it is very tough to out serve her.  I have a generous group of leaders surrounding me who may it tough to out serve them.  This is beyond, you scratch my back and I will scratch yours.  This is give because you have the ability to give and receive because others desire to give to you.  What make a team unstoppable is this servant spirit amongst all the leaders, where we can focus on giving all we have and sometimes receiving more back though the miracle of God’s Grace.  Can you accept others service and grace with a genuine thankful spirit?

 

These laws applied consistently into your life will have a transformational effect.  I believe all of these laws come out of Christ’s teachings and would bless our culture radically by implementing them in our personal and professional lives.  Let each person examine themselves.  Please share your thoughts where you have seen these laws at work in your life.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward