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    Former Guinness World Record Holder for largest book signing ever, Orrin Woodward is a NY Times bestselling author of And Justice For All along with RESOLVED & coauthor of LeaderShift and Launching a Leadership Revolution. His books have sold over one million copies in the financial, leadership and liberty fields. RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions For LIFE made the Top 100 All-Time Best Leadership Books and the 13 Resolutions are the framework for the top selling Mental Fitness Challenge personal development program.

    Orrin made the Top 20 Inc. Magazine Leadership list & has co-founded two multi-million dollar leadership companies. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Board of the LIFE. He has a B.S. degree from GMI-EMI (now Kettering University) in manufacturing systems engineering. He holds four U.S. patents, and won an exclusive National Technical Benchmarking Award.

    This blog is an Alltop selection and ranked in HR's Top 100 Blogs for Management & Leadership.

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LeaderShift & the Power Pendulum

Posted by Orrin Woodward on March 29, 2013

Here is another snippet of the introduction I am working on for a future book on freedom. I received 10 copies of the final version of the LeaderShift book yesterday and I am so pumped. It looks great and it is going to have such an impact. I am loving LIFE and ready to help move the Power Pendulum back into concord! Here is a couple of paragraphs describing the Power Pendulum.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Mankind’s quest for concord (peace and harmony) within society is as old as human civilization. Concord, the ideal balance between force and freedom, lies between the extremes of chaos and coercion. The freedom and force movements in every society between chaos, concord and coercion is remarkably similar to a pendulum’s trajectory. As a result, the author developed the Power Pendulum to track the trajectory between force and freedom within society. Society is defined as a community of individuals who combine together to pursue common objectives. However, within any working society there must be a power strong enough to ensure justice internally and externally. To meet this responsibility, society forms a government (State) to apply force when any of societies members attempt injustice upon other members. While free societies secure the cooperation of most of its members through persuasion, the State is the watchman provided to protect its peaceable members from those who attempt to plunder others for personal gain. In other words, the state is given the power of coercion to ensure disobedience to laws is punished. The question becomes how much coercion is necessary to ensure internal and external peace without the government itself becoming the plunderers of its people.

In healthy societies, the Power Pendulum moves away from the radical edges (either chaos or coercion) into the center position of concord. The Power Pendulum measures the State force applied within society, ranging from too little on one side (leading to chaos) to too much on the other side (leading to coercion). The quested for resting spot of the Power Pendulum is concord – limited force applied only to maintain internal and external peace and justice. Indeed, society thrives when the pendulum is balanced in concord because sufficient power is present to ensure order-liberty, but not enough to drift the pendulum towards coercion and loss of liberties. Although the State is part of the Society, society is a voluntary organization while the State operates through coercion. The State and Society can be summarized in the following way. The State is part of society and they overlap in many instances. However, society uses the principle of voluntary cooperation, working through good will of its members. The State, on the other hand, uses the principle of compulsion, working with force or threatened force upon its members. Paraphrasing historian Ernest Barker, society’s method is elasticity while the State’s method is rigidity. But, if society is divided between methods of force and freedom, how can it remain free, especially when part of society (the State) is given a force monopoly? Isn’t this force just as likely to be used against society as for its benefit? The answer to this State/Society paradox is the key to resolving the Power Pendulum. Through ending the trajectory swings between chaos and coercion, Western Society can finally complete the 2500 year quest for concord.

45 Responses to “LeaderShift & the Power Pendulum”

  1. jammie said

    This forward is very informative. I’ve not heard these concepts explained this way or so clealy before. Thanks excited to read the book!

  2. Clint Fix said

    All these articles are getting me pumped for Leadershift. Too bad we have to wait another year or so for the follow up book! I read the first 3 chapters of Leadershift that are posted online and can’t wait to get the book to finish it.

  3. Awesome post! This trilogy you’re working on is exactly what this counrty needs to read and implement!
    We are so excited to get the LeaderShift book orders in our hands on Tuesday, April 16th! We will have them just in time for the Open meeting!

  4. Wow Orrin, this book your writing is stacking to be phenomenal. I have a few Libertarian friends that when first reading your articles thought you were being naive into thinking there can be anything good coming from a state… but everytime you write an article on the subject you show your understanding of how it’s based on coercion, but that there is still a need for something in place to protect our freedoms from utter chaos.

  5. Rob Robson said

    Very exciting Orrin! I read 50 or so pages of LeaderShift on Amazon and I am blown away! I can’t wait to read it and distribute copies to the far reaches of the earth. Thanks for your leadership!

  6. John HATCHELL said

    Often called in my world as “The thin blue line”…the line holding chaos from order..it’s often trampled on…

  7. SOUPIE Shaw said

    Thank you for reading and changing! Most of all for sharing and showing us what a real LEADER is!

  8. Excellent.

  9. MARIO VEGA said

    THANKS ONCE AGAIN ORRIN FOR THE FANTASTIC INSIGHT YOU SHARE. CAN’T WAIT TO READ LEADERSHIFT. LIBERATORS.

  10. Corey McMullin said

    The impact of the info in this and follow up books is immeasurable. Looking forward to putting the book in people’s hands. LEAD ON!!!

  11. Bob said

    Love it!!!

  12. Amy Antonucci said

    I can’t wait! I’ll be there to greet you at Lancaster’s book signing too!!

  13. Heidi said

    These books you’re writing are going to make a great history curriculum for us home schoolers as well. Thanks, Orrin!

  14. Alex Obiden said

    Orrin, I love your ability to take the complexities of systems and dissect them into parable components through which everyone learns easily. It’s absolutely awesome, and I greatly appreciate it now. The explanation of this topic will be simple evermore, and I’m pretty stoked about that. Thank you

  15. Marianne Ashton said

    So looking forward to the release of “Leadershift” Thank you to both you & Oliver DeMille for putting together a book that is much needed and is sure to start a ripple effect that will reach far and wide!

  16. Kevin Hamm said

    All of this has me dreaming of acquiring personal freedom so I can fully focus on being involved with the Leadershift.

  17. Esther Bontrager said

    There is so much to learn about freedom principles…. I’m so blessed to finally be aware of that fact n to have the resources to do it too. Thank you!

  18. J.J. said

    because society breaks down due to the FLDs (which are aspects of mans fallen nature?)society forms a state try to stop the decline. Is that right?
    So state power increase as society breaks down?
    If this is so, has there ever been a society that has successfully stopped the slide of decline before a major catastrophe, ( I am thinking of the founding genoration being so independent because they had to be there was no one to take care of them ) may be a better way to ask is if ” change occurrs when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain if change” I see LIFE as reducing the pain of change, how much of a increase in the pain of staying the same will it take to make a freedom shift ? And has one ever occurred by only working one side of the equation?
    Thank you so much for all that you do

    J.J.

  19. Orrin,

    I have never been more excited for anything in my life. I am 25 years old. Leading by Greg Johnson’s example, through your insightful eyes. I bought as many books as I could. LeaderShift, is exactly the antidote for our lost freedoms and modalities. I am so excited for the future of The LIFE Company. You are what Tim allured to about Paul Revere. I just want to help change the future of our country, as you are doing.

    Thanks!

  20. Jill Guzzardo said

    The thinking behind Leadershift and Power Pendulum is evidence that there is still hope for this country and it’s people. Thank you Orrin for leading the way for us to be able to educate ourselves and step up. The impact of Leadershift is going to be significant beyond imagination.

  21. Steve Duba said

    Thanks Orrin.Perhaps the “good will” of a group of say,a million,would be enough to reach concord.What a novel idea!
    Hmmmmm.We will.
    Happy Easter to you and your family.The High Priest is risen.Glory.God Bless

  22. Richard Kroll Jr. said

    Orrin, I love the way you take the complex and make it simple. The Power Pendulum seems to need periodic PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Adjust)to ensure “concord”. But history shows that without “adjustments”, the State will continue to increase coersion to the point of virtual imprisonment of society, and eventually destruction of itself. Thank you for all you are doing to help us understand what must be done if we want to return to a free and balanced state of CONCORD!!!

  23. Robert Daley said

    Outstanding blog…… When leadershift is launched we can better educate the masses with truth. Then the present and future leader in society can implement the truth to make the much needed changes in society ……. The more I read and learn about the vision of LIFE the more I am convinced of the genius of the leaders.
    Thank you Orrin for spending countess hours of your time to learn about the past failures from history and layout a game plan on what is needed to be done to change…
    God bless

  24. Dennis Cross said

    THANKS ORRIN, for all work you do for LIFE this what we all need to see to what is comming .

  25. Chad Waters said

    It is time!

  26. Alaysha said

    Another great blog Orrin!

  27. Steve Meixner said

    Orrin, I have never heard this explanation before..I guess you would say we are definitely in a State of Coercion! It sounds like your next book is going to cover more on this? I’m not sure how much is in Leadershift but I can’t wait to read both books. It is just terrific the way you explain this and I will be passing these lessons on! Thanks for making these Truths so easy to understand.
    Steve

  28. CJ Calvert said

    Orrin, I am so blessed to know you and learn from you. Thanks for another brilliantly insightful blog on leadership in society.

  29. Charlie Mallios said

    Orrin your messages are exactly what people need to hear to improve their lives and the communities around them

  30. AR said

    I believe that according to the condition of the population in a specific situation the role of the governing organ should be designed … I believe the PDCA process should be applied to society on a consistent base …

  31. Kaitlyn Fix said

    Great blog Orrin. Thanks for sharing!

  32. Adam Gonzales said

    Count me in!!!

  33. Tim Johnson said

    Thanks for another amazing blog, Orrin! I cannot wait for Leadershift to come out ina few weeks and am looking forward to reading the new book your are currently working on! Thanks for all you do!

  34. Elaine Mallios said

    Yay! Orrin!

  35. Elizabeth said

    I am so proud to be part of a community of men and women who are not only hopeful, but are taking action to achieve concord. Let’s continue to pursue internal and external peace and justice. It is so exciting to be in the trenches and find people that are so hungry for this information and our community.

  36. Can’t wait for April 16th 🙂

  37. Tracey Bishop said

    Thanks for another great blog, Orrin. Looking forward to the release of Leadershift..see you in London!!

  38. This is such an important principle that unfortunately is off of too many people’s radar. Because your explanation is so clear and relatable, these books are going to bring the principle of the proper role of government back into the mainstream American conversation.

  39. Bill Eder said

    Orrin: I have recieved the sample of lEADERSHIFT and am so looking forward to the rest of the book.
    Bring on the next book sounds great so far.

  40. Scott Buchanan said

    I’ve got my copies of Leadershift ordered and I can’t wait. Orrin and Oliver, you two are one amazing interdependent, synergistic, freedom defending, leading force that I’m excited to be acquainted with.

  41. Lene Jytte Hansen said

    WOW – You are brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!

  42. What a terrific illustration of nearly three millennia of history. It doesn’t take reams of paper, or long dissertations to cover such imperative themes, as this post and preview to the future book shows. I have a dream to read a ton more books on history, historical leadership, and freedom, and this book will surely join the list!

    Thank you, Orrin, for pouring your heart, spirit, mind, and time into studying these issues so the rest of us can learn, grow, and then pay it all forward to many more. Blessings!

  43. Lisa Mangold said

    Reading that excerpt proves I have a lot to learn! Great insights Orrin – this will definitely give many of us something to think about.

    Blessings,
    Lisa

  44. Jim Martin said

    Great post Orrin! Thanks for taking the time to post such great information.

    LT-IT

  45. Carrie Canniff said

    Great post Orrin! Our country seems to be in such a self-serving thought pattern. I can’t wait until Leadershift is released and learn more about contributing to a positive change for our country.

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