Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 09/30/2024
I have a category on my blog (Alan Weiss’s Contrarian Consulting®) called DASM: Dumb Ass Stupid Management. I wanted to title one of my books that way, but the publisher was too frightened and called it Our Emperors Have No Clothes.
There are myriad schemes and graphs and charts on social media depicting best practices in leadership, not one of which was produced or written by a great leader. The authors are generally academics, struggling consultants, and people with nothing better to do. (There are exceptions in publishing, such as Peter Drucker, one of my heroes. But even Warren Bennis had to write Why Leaders Can’t Lead when his own principles failed him as president of the University of Cincinnati.)
I view Herb Kelleher (Southwest Airlines, now a wreck under others), Lou Gerstner (brought in from the food industry to save IBM), Fred Smith (genius founder of FedEx), Lee Iacocca (resuscitating Chrysler), Estée Lauder (for her cosmetics empire), as examples of superb leadership at various times.
The Baby Boomers and the subsequent GenX have held the vast majority of leadership roles in business and industry, politics, and academia since about 1993. Now that’s changing and, in what I hope is objective candor, I don’t think we see the same degree of leadership today (especially in business, in politics, and in academia). This is a “sea change” that I hope doesn’t become a seismic one.
From the current Southwest Airlines to Boeing, from GE to Wells Fargo, from the Democrats to the Republicans, from Rutgers to Harvard, (and in these two presidential candidates for November) I’m not seeing enlightened or inspired leadership.
Perhaps it’s environmental, perhaps societal, perhaps generational, perhaps technological—or maybe it’s just the “perfect storm” for leadership.
Philip Sheridin was a great Union general in the Civil War. Someone needs to call him. He commanded the cavalry.
I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. —Alexander the Great
When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat. —Ronald Reagan
If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever. —Thomas Aquinas
Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. —Peter Drucker
NEW: The Esteem Machine: Low self-esteem creates high stress levels, guilt, and fear, and “masks” natural talents. You can never succeed to the utmost of your abilities if you’re worried about being “found out” and constantly concerned about how to “wear a costume” pretending you’re someone else.
Join me for 90 minutes and I’ll help you design a program for yourself that you can implement and follow by yourself, daily, to create a far greater sense of confidence and certainty about your true value and worth.
I’ve been helping people do this for 25 years in both corporate and entrepreneurial settings. However, this is the first time I’ve codified it so that, once the process is mastered, you need no further coaching or external support.
In other words, I’ll help you gain the esteem to perpetually power your Esteem Machine.
Oct 8 via Zoom, 10:30 to noon US eastern, recording provided. $450
https://alanweiss.com/growth-e
New Newsletter: Not Without Honor…. (Begins October 15) “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” —The Gospel of Mark, 6:4
Join me for a monthly newsletter that will explore, analyze and predict ramifications of issues and events in global societies. Each issue will focus on topics that will include politics, social mores, the arts, sports, technology, financial affairs, and other contemporary issues.
Develop the ability to discuss current issues with dexterity and insight and become an object of interest to others, whether clients, colleagues, or friends. The discussions will be brief and focus on several issues per edition. Letters and commentary from readers will be welcome.
For example, as we are undergoing the dynamics of morbidity outpacing fertility in most developed countries, there will be a profound labor shortage if actions are not taken rapidly. This includes such diverse political systems as China and the US. There are three key areas, that must be utilized to accommodate what is apparently a multi-generational problem. We’ll discuss what they are and analyze what must be done to successfully resolve the dilemma.
You get the idea. The first issue launches in October. The fee is $500 for the year of newsletters, including all back issues if you join during the year. . https://alanweiss.com/growth
NEW!! The Spontaneous Session: People laugh today when I tell them I’ve “prepared” for a Zoom or live session. They know my speeches are mainly riffs, and that I never change a word or phrase when I’m writing my books. (My all-time best-seller, Million Dollar Consulting, through six editions, has had exactly one paragraph changed by the publisher.)
What I want to do on Halloween is give you a treat by showing the tricks of my trade. I will actually demonstrate how you can be spontaneous and also highly impressive, controlled, and effective. You will walk out of the morning able to use spontaneity in business meetings, social and civic settings, in speeches and presentations, and in conflict. If you stay for the afternoon, you’ll be able to practice this with your colleagues and then with me. If you can do this with me, you can do it with anyone!
If anyone else is providing this kind of help, I don’t know about it. If you stay for the afternoon, I’m buying lunch. And at the end of the day we’ll vote as a group on the best extemporaneous performance of those remaining and I’ll provide a credit for your entire fee to use for any of my future programs.
Stop saying, “I wish I had said….” or, “Next time what I’ll do is….” You don’t have to risk $200,000+ (as I once did) and I guarantee you won’t be risking this tiny investment either in freeing yourself to be even more successful immediately.
October 31, 2024. Las Vegas, venue TBD 9 am to 4 pm (afternoon optional) Full day $1,250, Half day $950 Lunch included with full day. https://alanweiss.com/gro
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World: I’ve provided 14 modules with videos from me, from your colleagues globally, slides, and text. They include everything from launch to self-esteem, proposals to fees, closing business to creating a brand. No upsells! It’s only $115. What do you think about a 10,000:1 ROI? We have over 500 people from 47 countries. https://milliondoll
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World ADVANCED: The new program contains over 60 videos and has 15 modules focusing on what to do in the buyer’s office, overcoming crises, financial planning, and much, much more. https://alanweiss.com/gr
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World: GRADUATE: Another 12 modules with videos by me and your peers on contemporary issues such as Raising Fees Aggressively, How to Be Consistently Interviewed, Maximizing Happiness, and Managing Multiple projects. Join the people from 57 countries who are availing themselves of this inexpensive way to dramatically grow their businesses in any economic times. How does 100:1 ROI sound? https://milliondollarco
Want to join me for my Book Sprint? In 60 days complete a proposal for an agent or an acquisitions editor (or the outline and marketing plan for a self-published book). We have an 80%+ “hit rate” for obtaining book contracts, complete with my introductions. The schedule is flexible and I’ll create one around the first people to register. The fee is $4,500—we meet weekly by Zoom with assignments in between and a common Drop Box to review each other’s work. Write me at [email protected].
2024 Virtual Workshop Series: Major Growth Issues for Professional Services Providers
I’ve designed this series around the most frequently asked questions in my global coaching program, and from the advice I’ve provided that has most rapidly propelled people to much higher income and far less labor intensity. Everyone enrolled in each 90-minute program will receive a recording. I also encourage questions in advance. You can choose individual sessions to attend. If you join during the series, all prior recordings will be sent, as well.
All sessions are on Mondays at 10:30 US Eastern time so that you can begin your week with new approaches. The sixth session is intended to create a far more powerful 2025.
Session One: Ghostbusters (recording available) July 22, 2014: Learn how to prevent people from “ghosting” and what to do in case they do refuse to return calls and emails. However, my methods for avoiding this entirely are highly effective, and can be applied immediately—in fact, as soon as you leave the workshop or video. People call me back because they can’t afford not to.
Session Two: The Real Story: August 26, 2024 Story telling has been proven to be one of the most effective and high impact methods to influence others. Learn the three components of any great story, how to create them, introduce them, deliver them, and exploit the results. Discover the events in your life that are great stories that you don’t even realize you own. And learn how to immediately recall the appropriate story when needed extemporaneously.
Session Three: Brevity: September 23, 2024 Learn to shut up.
Session Four: Achieving and Sustaining Results Leadership: October 21, 2024 Step away from the hackneyed “thought leadership” (Does that mean you have more thoughts than everyone else?) and into the rarefied atmosphere of unequivocal achievements and concomitant brand power. Believe it or not, the thinking didn’t go into creating drills, but rather how to create holes.
Session Five: How to Be A Contrarian and Live to Tell About it: November 18, 2024 You need an “edge,” the ability to unsettle people. There IS such a thing as “too much quality,” and “overly happy employees.” The customer is NOT always right, and while the early bird may get the worm, it’s the early worm that gets eaten. Follow me right to the edge without falling over it, and learn how be a constant object of interest.
Session Six: The 20-Hour Week, the Million Dollar Year: December 9, 2024 Some people say, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” I say, “The smarter I work, the luckier I get.” Learn how YOU can create a 20-hour-a-week approach to your profession and/or practice, and how that can create a million dollars (or more) annually. These are not metaphors. I’m serious. You don’t believe that? Well, what if a thousand people bought this entire series that you are considering right now? That’s over a million dollars for me “working” 90 minutes a month for six months. If you think I can do that, but not you, I thank you, but shame on you! Don’t you think you ought to invest enough to see what you’re capable of, and if it’s possible for you? I mean, even if it’s 25 hours….
All sessions are recorded and distributed promptly as part of the program. The Special Sessions (below) are arranged with me at mutually-convenient times over the ensuing 12 months.
Single Session: $350
Two Sessions: $650
Three Sessions: $900
Four Sessions: $1100
Five Sessions: $1,200
Six Sessions: $1,300
Register for all and you’ll receive videos of any you’ve missed.
Special Sessions: All six plus six 30-minute Zoom coaching calls with me, one-on-one: $2,500. These appointments will be adjusted to accommodate differing time zones.
