Dale Furtwengler - The Invaluable Leader: April 2008

The Invaluable Leader by Dale Furtwengler

Big Dreams
Monday, April 28, 2008

Powerful force?

Or source of frustration?

A very talented young lady, poised on the threshold of tremendous success, said "Sometimes I think I expect too much of the world."

All of us have felt the frustration of working diligently toward a dream, sometimes for extended periods of time, without any result to show for it. Yet our personal histories demonstrate, repeatedly, that our dreams do become reality; just not in the timeframe we'd like. So how do we avoid these feelings of frustration while awaiting our inevitable success?

The answer lies in a Joseph Addison quote "A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man (or woman) can enjoy in this world."

It's counter-intuitive, but the key to determining whether big dreams are a powerful force or a source of frustration is our ability to enjoy the success we've already achieved. Begin each morning experiencing the joy in your life and big dreams will become the second most powerful force in your life, right behind a contented mind.

Share your dreams with me at dale@furtwengler.com. I'd enjoy applying counter-intuitive thinking to help you and other readers realize those dreams more quickly.

Please join me on Monday, May 5, 2008, 5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. when I present 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE. It's a Kirkwood Des Peres Chamber of Commerce opening ceremony for Small Business Week. The program is proceeded by a networking/happy hour at 4:45 p.m. sponsored by AMG Corporate Offices at their location 1610 Des Peres Rd., Suite 150.

Directions: Take 270 to Manchester Rd. Go west to the Des Peres Rd. exit. Turn right onto Des Peres Rd. and another quick right into the Corporate Hill office park. 1610 is the farthest building on the right. I hope to see you there!

Embracing the Bizarre
Monday, April 21, 2008

When you want breakthrough growth, who do you call?

Lunatics!

Sorry, I couldn't resist mimicking the old Ghostbusters' theme song.

In his book, The Story of Philosophy, Will Durant refers to Anaximander (610-540 b.c.) who was the first Greek to make astronomical and geographical charts. Here are some of the conclusions Anaximander reached as a result of his studies:

the universe began as an undifferentiated mass, from which all things had arisen by the separation of opposites (big bang theory?)
that astronomic history periodically repeated itself in the evolution and dissolution of an infinite number of worlds (parallel universes?)
that the earth was at rest in space by an internal balance of impulsions (the law of gravity applied to planets?)
that life had first formed in the sea, but had been driven upon the land by the subsidence of water (Darwin's theory of evolution?)

What fascinated me about this piece was how much insight Anaximander had without benefit of the scientific tools we have today or the 2,500 years of cumulative knowledge that have been gained since he made these observations.

He must have been considered a lunatic in his time. Yet he was able to envision what today's scientific studies are affirming. So what's the message?

Don't be so quick to dismiss the bizarre ideas you hear, they may contain the elements needed to achieve a breakthrough. It's counter-intuitive, but we need to embrace the ideas of those on "the fringe" of conventional thinking if we want to experience breakthrough growth.

If there are business issues you'd like me to address, email me at dale@furtwengler.com.

Please join me on Monday, May 5, 2008, 5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. when I present 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE. It's a Kirkwood Des Peres Chamber of Commerce opening ceremony for Small Business Week. The program is proceeded by a networking/happy hour at 4:45 p.m. sponsored by AMG Corporate Offices at their location 1610 Des Peres Rd., Suite 150.

Directions: Take 270 to Manchester Rd. Go west to the Des Peres Rd. exit. Turn right onto Des Peres Rd. and another quick right into the Corporate Hill office park. 1610 is the farthest building on the right. I hope to see you there!

Acknowledging Vulnerabilities
Monday, April 14, 2008

A sign of weakness?

Quite the contrary.

Albert Einstein, after reading Morris Cohen's book, Logic and Scientific Method, said "The intellectual honesty of the author makes us share the inner struggle of his mind."

Einstein was fascinated with the fact that Cohen had not provided ready-made answers. Instead Mr. Cohen led the reader through a series of "contrasting possibilities of conceiving the matter."

Our human nature wants to position us as the guru, the answer person, the resident expert. We want others to be blinded with the brilliance of our ideas. How often does that happen?

The reality is that people find our ideas more credible when we admit our vulnerabilities, the mistakes we made and the struggles we faced in developing those ideas. Why?

We're more real when we admit our vulnerabilities
We demonstrate a higher level of confidence than most people possess
We are more open to input from others which opens the door to better solutions
We give others a chance to shine

It's counter-intuitive, but you gain greater respect and quicker implementation of your ideas when you acknowledge the struggles you had in developing them.

Tell our readers how acknowledging vulnerabilities helped advance your ideas by posting a comment.

If there are topics you'd like me to address, email me at dale@furtwengler.com.

A reminder that I'm going to be presenting the opening session of the Kirkwood-Des Peres Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week event at the AMG Corporate offices, 1610 Des Peres Road (Northwest Corner of Manchester and 270), Monday, May 5, 2008, 5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. The topic is 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE.

Selling During Trying Times
Monday, April 07, 2008

What do you do when selling becomes more difficult?

Change your focus.

When we're experiencing the kind of economic shock that the subprime market has created, when sales are declining in almost all economic sectors, what do you do?

Unfortunately the natural tendency is to push harder for sales, cut prices or explore new markets. Let's look at the reaction we can expect from each of these approaches:

push harder - when your customers are struggling, they're looking for ways to cut cash outlays, not increase them; further pressure on your part will antagonize them and cause them to look for a more sympathetic partner
cut prices - while this may be appreciated by your customers, it places your company's survival at greater risk - you're absorbing price cuts while already experiencing sales declines
explore new markets - when all segments of the economy are suffering diminished sales, your message is likely to fall on deaf ears since they, too, are looking for ways to reduce cash outlays

So what's the answer? Shift your focus. Stop trying to sell!

Instead, approach your customers with questions like:

What changes are you experiencing in your customers' behavior?
What are your customers' expectations of you today?

Look for ways to help them overcome these obstacles and meet their customers' new expectations. In doing so you'll become a valued partner. They'll remember that you were there for them when times were tough. That memory will result in increased sales for many years to come.

It's counter-intuitive, but the best thing to do during trying times is to stop selling.

Is there a problem or an opportunity that you'd like to see addressed? If so, email me at dale@furtwengler.com. I promise that I'll address the issue without divulging the source of the question.

I have the good fortune to be presenting 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE at the opening ceremony of the Kirkwood-Des Peres Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week. It's scheduled for the evening of May 5, 2008. I'll forward details as they become available. I hope you'll join us in the celebration of the value small business owners afford their customers and the service they provide to the community.

Dale Furtwengler

Dale Furtwengler is an internationally acclaimed author whose work is recommended by:

University of Glasgow
University of New South Wales
Australian Institute of Management

If you'd like to make your life easier while creating enviable results, subscribe to my special reports for step-by-step instructions on becoming invaluable. Back issues are available.

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	Big Dreams Monday, April 28, 2008 Powerful force? *Or source of frustration?* A very talented young lady, poised on the threshold of tremendous success, said "Sometimes I think I expect too much of the world." All of us have felt the frustration of working diligently toward a dream, sometimes for extended periods of time, without any result to show for it. Yet our personal histories demonstrate, repeatedly, that our dreams do become reality; just not in the timeframe we'd like. So how do we avoid these feelings of frustration while awaiting our inevitable success? The answer lies in a Joseph Addison quote "A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man (or woman) can enjoy in this world." It's counter-intuitive, but the key to determining whether big dreams are a powerful force or a source of frustration is our ability to enjoy the success we've already achieved. Begin each morning experiencing the joy in your life and big dreams will become the second most powerful force in your life, right behind a contented mind. *Share your dreams with me at* *dale@furtwengler.com. I'd enjoy applying counter-intuitive thinking to help you and other readers realize those dreams more quickly.* Please join me on Monday, May 5, 2008, 5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. when I present 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE. It's a Kirkwood Des Peres Chamber of Commerce opening ceremony for Small Business Week. The program is proceeded by a networking/happy hour at 4:45 p.m. sponsored by AMG Corporate Offices at their location 1610 Des Peres Rd., Suite 150. Directions: Take 270 to Manchester Rd. Go west to the Des Peres Rd. exit. Turn right onto Des Peres Rd. and another quick right into the Corporate Hill office park. 1610 is the farthest building on the right. I hope to see you there! 0 comments Embracing the Bizarre Monday, April 21, 2008 When you want breakthrough growth, who do you call? Lunatics! Sorry, I couldn't resist mimicking the old Ghostbusters' theme song. In his book, The Story of Philosophy, Will Durant refers to Anaximander (610-540 b.c.) who was the first Greek to make astronomical and geographical charts. Here are some of the conclusions Anaximander reached as a result of his studies: the universe began as an undifferentiated mass, from which all things had arisen by the separation of opposites (big bang theory?) that astronomic history periodically repeated itself in the evolution and dissolution of an infinite number of worlds (parallel universes?) that the earth was at rest in space by an internal balance of impulsions (the law of gravity applied to planets?) that life had first formed in the sea, but had been driven upon the land by the subsidence of water (Darwin's theory of evolution?) What fascinated me about this piece was how much insight Anaximander had without benefit of the scientific tools we have today or the 2,500 years of cumulative knowledge that have been gained since he made these observations. He must have been considered a lunatic in his time. Yet he was able to envision what today's scientific studies are affirming. So what's the message? Don't be so quick to dismiss the bizarre ideas you hear, they may contain the elements needed to achieve a breakthrough. It's counter-intuitive, but we need to embrace the ideas of those on "the fringe" of conventional thinking if we want to experience breakthrough growth. If there are business issues you'd like me to address, email me at dale@furtwengler.com. Please join me on Monday, May 5, 2008, 5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. when I present 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE. It's a Kirkwood Des Peres Chamber of Commerce opening ceremony for Small Business Week. The program is proceeded by a networking/happy hour at 4:45 p.m. sponsored by AMG Corporate Offices at their location 1610 Des Peres Rd., Suite 150. Directions: Take 270 to Manchester Rd. Go west to the Des Peres Rd. exit. Turn right onto Des Peres Rd. and another quick right into the Corporate Hill office park. 1610 is the farthest building on the right. I hope to see you there! 0 comments Acknowledging Vulnerabilities Monday, April 14, 2008 A sign of weakness? Quite the contrary. Albert Einstein, after reading Morris Cohen's book, Logic and Scientific Method, said "The intellectual honesty of the author makes us share the inner struggle of his mind." Einstein was fascinated with the fact that Cohen had not provided ready-made answers. Instead Mr. Cohen led the reader through a series of "contrasting possibilities of conceiving the matter." Our human nature wants to position us as the guru, the answer person, the resident expert. We want others to be blinded with the brilliance of our ideas. How often does that happen? The reality is that people find our ideas more credible when we admit our vulnerabilities, the mistakes we made and the struggles we faced in developing those ideas. Why? We're more real when we admit our vulnerabilities We demonstrate a higher level of confidence than most people possess We are more open to input from others which opens the door to better solutions We give others a chance to shine It's counter-intuitive, but you gain greater respect and quicker implementation of your ideas when you acknowledge the struggles you had in developing them. Tell our readers how acknowledging vulnerabilities helped advance your ideas by posting a comment. If there are topics you'd like me to address, email me at dale@furtwengler.com. A reminder that I'm going to be presenting the opening session of the Kirkwood-Des Peres Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week event at the AMG Corporate offices, 1610 Des Peres Road (Northwest Corner of Manchester and 270), Monday, May 5, 2008, 5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. The topic is 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE. 0 comments Selling During Trying Times Monday, April 07, 2008 What do you do when selling becomes more difficult? Change your focus. When we're experiencing the kind of economic shock that the subprime market has created, when sales are declining in almost all economic sectors, what do you do? Unfortunately the natural tendency is to push harder for sales, cut prices or explore new markets. Let's look at the reaction we can expect from each of these approaches: push harder - when your customers are struggling, they're looking for ways to cut cash outlays, not increase them; further pressure on your part will antagonize them and cause them to look for a more sympathetic partner cut prices - while this may be appreciated by your customers, it places your company's survival at greater risk - you're absorbing price cuts while already experiencing sales declines explore new markets - when all segments of the economy are suffering diminished sales, your message is likely to fall on deaf ears since they, too, are looking for ways to reduce cash outlays So what's the answer? Shift your focus. Stop trying to sell! Instead, approach your customers with questions like: What changes are you experiencing in your customers' behavior? What are your customers' expectations of you today? Look for ways to help them overcome these obstacles and meet their customers' new expectations. In doing so you'll become a valued partner. They'll remember that you were there for them when times were tough. That memory will result in increased sales for many years to come. It's counter-intuitive, but the best thing to do during trying times is to stop selling. Is there a problem or an opportunity that you'd like to see addressed? If so, email me at dale@furtwengler.com. I promise that I'll address the issue without divulging the source of the question.** I have the good fortune to be presenting 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE at the opening ceremony of the Kirkwood-Des Peres Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week. It's scheduled for the evening of May 5, 2008. I'll forward details as they become available. I hope you'll join us in the celebration of the value small business owners afford their customers and the service they provide to the community. 2 comments	Dale Furtwengler is an internationally acclaimed author whose work is recommended by: University of Glasgow University of New South Wales Australian Institute of Management If you'd like to make your life easier while creating enviable results, subscribe to my special reports for step-by-step instructions on becoming invaluable. Back issues are available. March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008