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Ann Roulac

Developing Personal Mastery

David Wright (Wright)

Today we are talking with Ann Roulac, visionary, author, and speaker who serves as a catalyst for change, inspiring and empowering people to transform their personal and professional lives. Ann is nationally recognized for her strategic advice, and, as a trusted advisor, she has enabled thousands of entrepreneurs and executives to achieve extraordinary wealth. Through her research and working with clients, she has discovered the qualities and thinking that distinguish highly successful individuals—those she describes as pursuing the path to personal mastery.

She designed Personal Mastery Programs to support entrepreneurs and small business owners who are committed to creating highly successful businesses. Her mission is to empower her clients to actualize their authentic visions— visions that are energizing and spirit-enhancing—to achieve personal, professional, and financial freedom.

Ann, welcome to Discover Your Inner Strength.

Roulac

Thank you David, it is a pleasure speaking with you today.

David Wright (Wright)

What is the secret to developing personal mastery?

Roulac

During the last thirty years, I’ve had the privilege of working with countless successful men and women who lead balanced lives and make enormous contributions to their companies and communities. And yet, even though a number of them are among the wealthiest people in the world, many of them— like many of us—are not truly in touch with their own mastery and power.

Success is not the result of a particular level of intelligence or education. While a quality education and being very smart make the journey a little easier, they are not the main prerequisites for greatness. Some people make it look effortless, as though they had tapped into some magic or secret formula. The reality is that they have achieved personal, professional, and financial freedom by following their own convictions, personal truths, and authentic vision.

In my work with entrepreneurs, I have observed unique characteristics in those who are advancing on what I call the “path of personal mastery.” They have developed and embody certain qualities that allow them to make healthy changes in their lives and a positive difference in the lives of others. This development of mastery is not an event but a journey. It’s a process of deepening your vision to achieve your goals and purpose.

Everyone’s path to mastery is unique and we all have different lessons along the way. It’s unlikely that we will eliminate personal challenges that we need to deal with, but each problem presents an opportunity to learn and grow. Sometimes it’s necessary to stand still and reflect on where we’re going and what we’re learning. But other times it’s better to be in action, even if it means making mistakes, so we can bring about change.

Maryann Williamson said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.” The path toward mastery requires risk-taking and a leap of faith. It requires an act of courage and heroics to move forward in a new direction. It also demands that we release our addiction to instant gratification, the dream of winning the lottery, or quick solutions. Fast, temporary relief—whether we’re dealing with an illness, a weight-loss program, a life plan, or a new business strategy—produces only disappointment, not long-lasting results and well-being.

By developing personal mastery, you will access higher levels of inspiration and learn to consciously control your life in accordance with your desires, life purpose, and vision.

The only limitations to a fulfilling and rewarding life come from within. We are the sole impediment to our own mastery.

Wright

How did you become interested in personal growth and mastery?

Roulac

My fascination with the concepts of personal mastery began over twenty-five years ago when I started my first entrepreneurial endeavor. I had been working for a large bank as a lender to real estate developers and had developed expertise in a form of financing so complex that very few banks understood the process or even how they could benefit. I taught banks how to structure these transactions in a way that also benefited my Real Estate clients. From that initial idea, we expanded our services to meet the needs of our clients, which eventually included economic advice, marketing strategies, and management consulting and coaching.

My parents were real estate developers so I’ve always been interested in this field. Additionally, the complexity of development was attracting the best and the brightest from the most prestigious business schools in the country. This made my work challenging, exciting, and a lot of fun.

After several years, I began to notice that some executives were continually successful and others were not. I was fascinated by what they had in common and what differentiated them. They all came from solid middle-class backgrounds, had graduated from top business schools, were bright and creative thinkers, and were attractive and personable. Yet some excelled and became the leaders in their industry, and others failed miserably.

Clearly, what set these two groups apart was a set of personal principles, beliefs, and perspectives held by most of those who were successful—what I define as “personal mastery.” In my book Power, Passion & Purpose, I identified the qualities of powerful people. The seven key characteristics that my most successful clients had in common are that they:

Know who they are, what they want, where they are going, and with whom they want to spend time,

Are aware of their strengths, gifts, unique qualities, and what’s “right” for them,

Do what they say they are going to do and are clear about their priorities and values,

Stay in the present, neither dwelling on the past nor worrying about the future,

Believe in the power of something greater than themselves and/or feel guided or supported by God,

Have a strong sense of self but are not self-centered (i.e., life does not revolve around their needs and wants), and

Are passionate about making a difference in the world and giving to others.

Wright

What is the value in pursuing and developing personal mastery?

Roulac

We live in complex times. Every day presents innumerable ways to lose our balance and sense of control. Our busy lives leave little time for solitude or reflection, and whatever time we do have is usually spent seeking some kind of relief. Many feel they have no control over their daily lives, let alone their destiny and future. This sense of powerlessness can lead to disillusionment with their careers, stress-related diseases, transient relationships, and a general confusion of purpose.

When we experience the present as chaotic and the future as unpredictable, it’s easy to become befuddled and cautious about moving forward. In a climate of uncertainty, when we aren’t in touch with our purpose and our personal power, we become vulnerable to the well-meaning opinions of others—family, friends, neighbors, gurus and therapists, even the local newscaster. This is especially true in times of transition, when we’re stressed out and overwhelmed. Unconsciously, we may give away our power until there isn’t much left.

Joseph Campbell said, “The world is full of people who have stopped listening to themselves or have listened only to their neighbors to learn what they ought to do, how they ought to behave, and what the values are that they should be living.”

The development of mastery is a process of moving toward our highest potential and the discipline of clarifying and deepening our personal vision. Peter Senge said, “People with a high level of personal mastery approach their life as an artist would approach a work of art. They do that by becoming committed to their own lifelong learning.”

Like a story, we are each a unique work of art. And because the tale is never finished, we all have the capacity to re-envision our lives in ways that help us achieve our dreams.

Wright

So do you believe that anyone can achieve success and personal mastery?

Roulac

I believe that we each have a specific and important mission to fulfill in this lifetime, and that when we are not on track with our mission and purpose, we feel drained of energy, life, and spirit. When we develop a strong sense of who we are and when we begin to access our own personal power and inner wisdom, we will begin to manifest our deepest visions and dreams.

My lifework is anchored in a conviction that we all possess a unique genius. My passion is to support individuals to achieve their highest potential. Through my study of personal mastery disciplines and work with clients, I have discovered that as we become more aware of our true nature, our capacity to experience life-affirming shifts increases.

Anyone can attain higher levels of success through personal mastery, but you need a guide, a coach, or trusted advisor. One of the key aspects of successful entrepreneurs is that they ask for advice, and they’re always learning. Few people seem to have the insight and discipline to get there on their own. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to become an astute observer of oneself—that’s why people hire coaches. I began working with one when I started my business twenty-five years ago and that was a wise decision.

A study of Fortune 1000 companies showed that coaching programs returned nearly six times the original investment. It’s become common now for senior managers and executives to have coaches, and many public companies I work with are providing coaching for all of their employees. Numerous courses offered via the Internet provide coaching through teleseminars and webinars at affordable prices. You have to do your homework, however, to make sure you’re engaging someone with the knowledge and skills to benefit you. Internet marketing has made this a greater challenge, I believe, because some coaches advertise guidance services, but their main talent is nothing more than brilliant marketing.

Wright

Why do you believe understanding power is the foundation for creating personal mastery?

Roulac

Most cultures identify powerful individuals as those with the greatest amount of control over others. Political and business leaders certainly qualify, but the phenomenon of power isn’t limited to people in obvious positions of influence. It applies to anyone who claims a superior position due to race, education, net worth, physical strength, physical beauty, position of authority, or accumulation of assets. But true power comes from within. Those who are in touch with their own true power have a presence and a quality that affect the people around them. They impress, not because they want to, but because of the energy they radiate, which often has nothing to do with material accomplishment or career success.

Unfortunately, many of us feel power-less and unable to change our lives or make a difference in the world. When we feel power-less we don’t feel power­full. We desire what we think we don’t have, which we view as external to us. This is one of the reasons we emulate the lifestyles of those we perceive as having “made it.” We focus our attention—sometimes to the point of obsession— on pursuing the things they have: more money, more beauty, more toys, more authority. If we could just get a bit more of that, we could control our lives and feel safe and secure.

But these are only symbols of power. Real power is not about control or looking good or having more. Real power is about getting in touch with your strengths, skills, talents, and gifts—your unique purpose and contribution to the greater whole. To reclaim your power, you must let go of your fears of making mistakes and leaving your comfort zone, stop worrying about what others think, and open yourself to the constant flow of ideas, opportunities and energies that are available to every one of us, all of the time.

The tendency to look outside oneself for answers is largely a product of our materialist culture, spinning at breakneck speed. We’re addicted to the adrenaline rush of a 24/7 lifestyle, constantly responding to crisis and chaos with hardly any time to reflect on what we’re actually doing. And yet its dizzying pace makes us feel important and worthy. We’ve come to believe that if our time is in demand every minute of the day, if our days and nights are filled with activities, then we must be doing something right. These distractions and perceptions can lead to some very disempowering beliefs and habits.

Wright

How can our readers reclaim their personal power?

Roulac

The source of your personal power—your passion and life purpose—is what energizes you, enables you to create an extraordinary life, and allows you to tap into the wisdom of geniuses. When you are clear about your life’s vision, it will serve as a guidepost for all of your personal and business decisions and enable you to live with greater clarity and ease.

Those with a clear life purpose are not as vulnerable to workplace stress and the pressures of day-to-day living. They are able to see the big picture and observe how the decisions they make either contribute—or not—to their own personal growth, the life they want to lead, and the impact they want to make on the world around them. When you integrate power, passion, and purpose— the essence of personal mastery—you can accomplish great things.

Materialism and the quest for more money and possessions are motivating factors for many, but such goals are not life-sustaining. Achieving them provides only temporary satisfaction; they don’t feed the soul. I believe this is the main reason why many people who attain a high level of financial comfort and/or career success resort to mood-altering drugs to alleviate depression. In spite of their wealth and accomplishments they still feel empty, as if something is missing, and the pain of that realization is too much to bear.

Power is the ability to get things done—to take action and realize your goals and dreams. Personal power is the ability to create what you want in life. When you reach a greater understanding of who you are, it gives you power. The more self-knowledge you have, the easier it becomes to create what you want, rather than settling for less. If you don’t have the self-knowledge, you don’t have the power. If you don’t have the power, you can’t create what you want in life.

The process to regain power over your life is not for the timid. Taking the necessary steps requires a life-altering shift in your worldview. But why remain powerless when you can get in touch with who you are and gain a sense of your own personal purpose and passions—what truly makes you happy. When you align yourself with change and flow with the pace and energy of the universe, realignment occurs. You need only to strengthen your will to live life more fully.

And so instead of turning your life’s decisions over to others, commit to your own empowerment and to symbols of inspiration and guidance that you choose to follow. The challenge for each of us is to find that “missing” piece, to embrace our gifts and put them in service to a grander vision of who we can become and how we can contribute.

Wright

What are the disciplines that can support people to attain personal mastery?

Roulac

George Leonard, a pioneer in the human potential movement, said that taking up a regular practice or discipline—anything from aikido to gardening to Zen—can help heal us of our addiction to instant gratification. There are many disciplines that can access your higher levels of vitality and creativity and enable you to live in greater harmony and balance. But I believe it’s important to find the ones that best fit your lifestyle and personality, and then create an approach that is uniquely yours.

For example, I’ve studied the basics of tai chi with more than half a dozen teachers. When I follow someone else’s discipline, I usually get caught up in doing it their way—precisely and perfectly. In my own practice, however, I just move and allow the energy to flow through me. Sometimes my practice resembles tai chi, and sometimes it resembles an ancient Middle Eastern dance. Although we shouldn’t become sloppy in our applications, especially in the beginning, I believe there is always room for improvisation if that feels right to your unique body.

All transformation and change require an understanding of the principles of energy. The state of our personal energy affects all of our decisions, careers, relationships, investments, and health choices. We all have the capacity to tune in and access the most optimal choices and decisions that will lead us toward greater happiness, health, harmony, and a heightened state of awareness and insight.

Daily practices designed to increase, manage, and balance personal and collective energies were a routine part of life for many of our distant ancestors. These practices are still around today, offering numerous benefits to anyone who wants more control over his or her health and more wisdom for making the right decisions. Instruction in yoga, tai chi, feng shui, and meditation is now available in most major cities and towns. The basics are easy—even modest practice can provide great benefits—and most of them can be done by people of any age.

The more you understand the concepts of energy and how you are affected in both positive and detrimental ways by its movement and quality, the easier it will be for you to change your environment, relationships, and the health of your body. When you incorporate energy practices into your daily life, you will come to view what is sometimes called “miraculous healing” as logical and understandable, and not some kind of magic or mystery. Personal mastery and change need not be difficult or complex; it only takes a commitment to integrate energy practice into your daily routine.

Wright

Do you provide coaching for corporate employees or entrepreneurs?

Roulac

My commitment is to help individuals achieve personal, professional, and financial freedom, so there’s a greater possibility of that happening if you work for yourself rather than for someone else. J. Paul Getty, oil tycoon and once the richest man in America, said, “There is only one way to make a great deal of money; and that is in a business of your own.” Besides, I have a lot more fun working with entrepreneurs than with corporate employees, and having fun is one of my guiding principles.

I spent more than fifteen years employed within corporate America as an executive and was hired specifically for my mastery as a rainmaker. In my industry, everyone had great technical skills, but what differentiated my ability to produce extraordinary results was my commitment to learning and personal mastery.

While corporate employees certainly benefit from coaching, entrepreneurs can’t afford not to have a coach. If your business is not large enough to have an advisory board, you risk being overwhelmed by the pressure of daily decisions. The isolation can become very lonely.

I serve more as a trusted advisor and catalyst than a coach. There are many great professionals who are highly skilled at coaching, but may lack a technical business background, which I believe is an important element. My diverse experience in economics, finance, entrepreneurial strategies, as well as personal mastery knowledge and disciplines, enable me to help my clients achieve their highest potential.

The foundation of my own business has been to provide strategic advice to business owners who are committed to becoming leaders in their industry. My counsel has enabled them to create extraordinary wealth and achieve personal freedom. We’re currently expanding our training programs to incorporate what author Margaret Lobenstine described as “Renaissance Souls.”

Wright

What is a Renaissance Soul and why is this your current focus?

Roulac

In her book, The Renaissance Soul, Margaret Lobenstine describes this personality as one who continually pursues multiple passions and prefers variety to concentrating on just one activity. The fact that these people do not follow a linear path, are in touch with their emotions, and are masters at multitasking may equip them to thrive in our volatile economy. In a world where adaptability and creativity are fundamental to success, they may have the necessary skills to become future business leaders. In fact, I believe that if you don’t acquire the skills of a Renaissance Soul, you won’t succeed as an entrepreneur.

I consider myself a Renaissance Soul, so I can easily relate to the challenge that creative types have in staying focused. We’re currently offering Personal Mastery Programs that teach people how to think like Renaissance Entrepreneurs, but also help them to clarify and focus their vision.

Clearly a sea of change is occurring, since many emerging business leaders exhibit some of the characteristics of Renaissance Souls. They have learned to harness their energy and talents to achieve their vision and become successful Renaissance Entrepreneurs. Renaissance Entrepreneurs who have created enormously successful ventures include Sir Richard Branson, business magnate and founder of The Virgin Group; the late Anita Roddick, activist and founder of The Body Shop; and Michael Dell, philanthropist and founder of Dell, Inc.

Some of the key qualities that distinguish highly successful Renaissance Entrepreneurs include:

They are visionaries with exceptional focus who know how to call future possibilities into being.

They continually reinvent themselves in order to respond to changing market cycles and economic shifts.

They are masters at marketing and understand how to utilize both dynamic and magnetic manifestation strategies.

They appreciate the importance of staying inspired and energized and have mastered being fully engaged in life.

I believe that entrepreneurs who possess the attributes of a Renaissance Soul and who can create and actualize a clear, authentic vision for their business and life will emerge as future leaders.

Wright

What is the key to finding balance and creating life success in these turbulent times?

Roulac

Finding balance amid the chaos is an art, not a science, and there are no singular solutions. Yet, when you learn how to become more focused and balanced, you can make wise decisions and the right choices. The real key is maintaining internal balance and drawing from the principles of energy and the power of thought to change your reality. Whenever you take the time to evaluate your reactions, feelings, or responses in a challenging situation, you accelerate your growth on the path of mastery.

The more observant and conscious you become, the more you increase and expand your energy. When you begin to do this consistently, you will attract the right opportunities and people. And when you accept others, understanding that they are exactly where they need to be in their life work and process, you further energize your own growth.

The biggest challenge for entrepreneurs is the relentless demand to bring in more business and obtain new buyers for their products and services. In traditional business development models and marketing training programs, it is commonly believed that a start-up business will require that owners devote up to 75 percent of their time and energy on marketing. This would be true for those who have not honed their personal mastery skills. Old paradigm thinking will cause you to work longer hours and receive a lower return for your efforts. I’ve observed that many of the marketing programs currently being offered leave people exhausted and frustrated.

The speeding up of the world that we all struggle with also means that the dynamics of cause and effect—the maxim that every action creates an equal and opposite reaction—have also accelerated. The result: it’s getting easier and easier to manifest what you want in life when you use the right tools, but the impacts of wrongful actions are also more evident.

Individuals who have achieved a high level of personal mastery display the following traits:

They are selective in their activities and relationships and know how to release those that distract from their goals and drain them of energy.

They are continually reinventing themselves in order to respond to changing market cycles and economic shifts.

They are masters at marketing and know how to utilize both dynamic and magnetic marketing strategies.

They understand how to be of service to others and are clear about the contributions they make to their clients.

They understand the importance of staying inspired and energized and have developed mastery in being fully engaged in life.

When you learn how to slow down, simplify your life, and create an environment that nourishes your spirit, your life will be more balanced, harmonious, and fulfilling. When you become more centered, focused, and balanced, you can make wise decisions. You’ll then be able to discover the nature of your own particular genius, stop trying to conform to other people’s models, and learn to be your authentic, individuated self.

Wright

So what do you believe is the foundation of achieving higher levels of success and attaining personal mastery?

Roulac

Through my work with thousands of clients, including highly compensated business leaders and executives, what I know for sure is this:

When you identify your personal strengths—your unique genius—you can accomplish your goals with greater ease.

When you understand the source of your personal power, connect with your passion, and identify your purpose, you will produce extraordinary results.

The secret of successful individuals is to be fully engaged—mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

The only limitation to achieving life success is the extent to which you are committed to your own personal growth and mastery.

Having spent most of my business career in the fast lane, I know that I am as susceptible as anyone to loss of perspective and the stress that follows. I’ve also come to know that I have the capacity to balance myself and to make wise choices, to create a state of being where I’m in control more than out of control. This enables me to concentrate on more important life commitments without the discomfort and distraction of physical, emotional and psychological distress.

In fact, from my own experiences, observations and interviews with truly successful people, I know it is possible to work, live and even thrive in this hectic world of ours without compromising our health and principles. More importantly, I believe that by developing our “shape-shifting/shamanic” potential—the ability to change and control our state of being—we tap into a deeper source of balance and wisdom that can profoundly impact how we see ourselves and the purposes we choose to follow.

Successful people appear to manifest what they want in life with very little effort. And because it seems effortless, we believe it’s the result of long hours, advanced degrees, or a high level of mental intelligence. Ultimately, however, success, power, and the ability to manifest do not originate from such efforts or talents; they fall into the category of otherworldly, as they cannot truly be explained with any degree of accuracy or depth by the measures of a material world.

We live in a time when it has never been easier to initiate change or nurture creative ideas into existence. We have the power to alter our actions, our beliefs, and our lives instantaneously and for the better; we have merely forgotten that we possess these skills. They are part of our heritage, part of our DNA. We are the only impediment to our own mastery. We are the only limitation to living a fulfilling and rewarding life.

AS A VISIONARY, SPEAKER, AND AUTHOR, Ann Roulac acts as a catalyst for change, empowering people to transform their personal and professional lives. Roulac has provided strategic advice to entrepreneurs and executives throughout the world enabling them to develop highly profitable businesses. She served as a Principal and national director of Arthur Andersen and as a division president of Bank of America Mortgage and International Realty Corporation.

Ann’s experience as an entrepreneur, background as a corporate executive, and teacher of personal mastery disciplines give her a unique ability to support people to achieve their highest potential. Her sense of adventure and quest for knowledge have led her to the jungles of Guatemala, the mountain ranges of Nepal and Peru, and the pyramids of Egypt.

Roulac is the author of Power, Passion & Purpose, and How To Create the Life You Want. She is a co-author of Community Building: Renewing Spirit and Learning in Business. These books have been published and distributed internationally and have sold in excess of 40,000 copies.

Ann Roulac

Inspiring Visions and Strategies

709 Fifth Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Ann@AnnRoulac.com www.AnnRoulac.com

An interview with…

Dr. Ken Blanchard

Attitude is Everything

David Wright (Wright)

Few people have created a positive impact on the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Dr. Kenneth Blanchard. He is known around the world simply as Ken, a prominent, gregarious, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant. Ken is universally characterized by friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate men in business today. Ken’s impact as a writer is far-reaching. His phenomenal best­selling book, The One Minute Manager®, coauthored with Spencer Johnson, has sold more than thirteen million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Ken is Chairman and “Chief Spiritual Officer” of the Ken Blanchard Companies. The organization’s focus is to energize organizations around the world with customized training in bottom-line business strategies based on the simple, yet powerful principles inspired by Ken’s best-selling books.

Dr. Blanchard, welcome to Discover Your Inner Strength.

Dr. Ken Blanchard (Blanchard)

Well, it’s nice to talk with you, David. It’s good to be here.

David Wright (Wright)

I must tell you that preparing for your interview took quite a bit more time than usual. The scope of your life’s work and your business, the Ken Blanchard Companies, would make for a dozen fascinating interviews.

Before we dive into the specifics of some of your projects and strategies, will you give our readers a brief synopsis of your life—how you came to be the Ken Blanchard we all know and respect?

Blanchard

Well, I’ll tell you, David, I think life is what you do when you are planning on doing something else. I think that was John Lennon’s line. I never intended to do what I have been doing. In fact, all my professors in college told me that I couldn’t write. I wanted to do college work, which I did, and they said, “You had better be an administrator.” So I decided I was going to be a Dean of Students. I got provisionally accepted into my master’s degree program and then provisionally accepted at Cornell because I never could take any of those standardized tests.

I took the college boards four times and finally got 502 in English. I don’t have a test-taking mind. I ended up in a university in Athens, Ohio, in 1966 as an Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the Business School. When I got there he said, “Ken, I want you to teach a course. I want all my deans to teach.” I had never thought about teaching because they said I couldn’t write, and teachers had to publish. He put me in the manager’s department.

I’ve taken enough bad courses in my day and I wasn’t going to teach one. I really prepared and had a wonderful time with the students. I was chosen as one of the top ten teachers on the campus coming out of the chute!

I just had a marvelous time. A colleague by the name of Paul Hersey was chairman of the Management Department. He wasn’t very friendly to me initially because the Dean had led me to his department, but I heard he was a great teacher. He taught Organizational Behavior and Leadership. So I said, “Can I sit in on your course next semester?”

“Nobody audits my courses,” he said. “If you want to take it for credit, you’re welcome.”

I couldn’t believe it. I had a doctoral degree and he wanted me to take his course for credit—so I signed up.

The registrar didn’t know what to do with me because I already had a doctorate, but I wrote the papers and took the course, and it was great.

In June 1967, Hersey came into my office and said, “Ken, I’ve been teaching in this field for ten years. I think I’m better than anybody, but I can’t write. I’m a nervous wreck, and I’d love to write a textbook with somebody. Would you write one with me?”

I said, “We ought to be a great team. You can’t write and I’m not supposed to be able to, so let’s do it!”

Thus began this great career of writing and teaching. We wrote a textbook called Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources. It came out in its eighth edition October 3, 2000, and the ninth edition was published September 3, 2007. It has sold more than any other textbook in that area over the years. It’s been over forty years since that book first came out.

I quit my administrative job, became a professor, and ended up working my way up the ranks. I got a sabbatical leave and went to California for one year twenty-five years ago. I ended up meeting Spencer Johnson at a cocktail party. He wrote children’s books—a wonderful series called Value Tales® for Kids. He also wrote The Value of Courage: The Story of Jackie Robinson and The Value of Believing In Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur.

My wife, Margie, met him first and said, “You guys ought to write a children’s book for managers because they won’t read anything else.” That was my introduction to Spencer. So, The One Minute Manager was really a kid’s book for big people. That is a long way from saying that my career was well planned.

Wright

Ken, what and/or who were your early influences in the areas of business, leadership, and success? In other words, who shaped you in your early years?

Blanchard

My father had a great impact on me. He was retired as an admiral in the Navy and had a wonderful philosophy. I remember when I was elected as president of the seventh grade, and I came home all pumped up. My father said, “Son, it’s great that you’re the president of the seventh grade, but now that you have that leadership position, don’t ever use it.” He said, “Great leaders are followed because people respect them and like them, not because they have power.” That was a wonderful lesson for me early on. He was just a great model for me. I got a lot from him.

Then I had this wonderful opportunity in the mid-1980s to write a book with Norman Vincent Peale. He wrote The Power of Positive Thinking. I met him when he was eighty-six years old; we were asked to write a book on ethics together, The Power of Ethical Management: Integrity Pays, You Don’t Have to Cheat to Win. It didn’t matter what we were writing together; I learned so much from him. He just built from the positive things I learned from my mother.

My mother said that when I was born I laughed before I cried, I danced before I walked, and I smiled before I frowned. So that, as well as Norman Vincent Peale, really impacted me as I focused on what I could do to train leaders. How do you make them positive? How do you make them realize that it’s not about them, it’s about who they are serving? It’s not about their position—it’s about what they can do to help other people win.

So, I’d say my mother and father, then Norman Vincent Peale. All had a tremendous impact on me.

Wright

I can imagine. I read a summary of your undergraduate and graduate degrees. I assumed you studied Business Administration, marketing management, and related courses. Instead, at Cornell you studied Government and Philosophy. You received your master’s from Colgate in Sociology and Counseling and your PhD from Cornell in Educational Administration and Leadership. Why did you choose this course of study? How has it affected your writing and consulting?

Blanchard

Well, again, it wasn’t really well planned out. I originally went to Colgate to get a master’s degree in Education because I was going to be a Dean of Students over men. I had been a Government major, and I was a Government major because it was the best department at Cornell in the Liberal Arts School. It was exciting. We would study what the people were doing at the league of governments. And then, the Philosophy Department was great. I just loved the philosophical arguments. I wasn’t a great student in terms of getting grades, but I’m a total learner. I would sit there and listen, and I would really soak it in.

When I went over to Colgate and got into the education courses, they were awful. They were boring. The second week, I was sitting at the bar at the Colgate Inn saying, “I can’t believe I’ve been here two years for this.” This is just the way the Lord works: Sitting next to me in the bar was a young sociology professor who had just gotten his PhD at Illinois. He was staying at the Inn. I was moaning and groaning about what I was doing, and he said, “Why don’t you come and major with me in sociology? It’s really exciting.”

“I can do that?” I asked.

He said, “Yes.”

I knew they would probably let me do whatever I wanted the first week. Suddenly, I switched out of Education and went with Warren Ramshaw. He had a tremendous impact on me. He retired some years ago as the leading professor at Colgate in the Arts and Sciences, and got me interested in leadership and organizations. That’s why I got a master’s in Sociology.

The reason I went into educational administration and leadership? It was a doctoral program I could get into because I knew the guy heading up the program. He said, “The greatest thing about Cornell is that you will be in the School of Education. It’s not very big, so you don’t have to take many education courses, and you can take stuff all over the place.”

There was a marvelous man by the name of Don McCarty who eventually became the Dean of the School of Education, Wisconsin. He had an impact on my life; but I was always just searching around.

My mission statement is: to be a loving teacher and example of simple truths that help myself and others to awaken the presence of God in our lives. The reason I mention “God” is that I believe the biggest addiction in the world is the human ego; but I’m really into simple truth. I used to tell people I was trying to get the B.S. out of the behavioral sciences.

Wright

I can’t help but think, when you mentioned your father, that he just bottom-lined it for you about leadership.

Blanchard

Yes.

Wright

A man named Paul Myers, in Texas, years and years ago when I went to a conference down there, said, “David, if you think you’re a leader and you look around, and no one is following you, you’re just out for a walk.”

Blanchard

Well, you’d get a kick out of this—I’m just reaching over to pick up a picture of Paul Myers on my desk. He’s a good friend, and he’s a part of our Center for FaithWalk Leadership where we’re trying to challenge and equip people to lead like Jesus. It’s non-profit. I tell people I’m not an evangelist because we’ve got enough trouble with the Christians we have. We don’t need any more new ones. But, this is a picture of Paul on top of a mountain. Then there’s another picture below that of him under the sea with stingrays. It says, “Attitude is everything. Whether you’re on the top of the mountain or the bottom of the sea, true happiness is achieved by accepting God’s promises, and by having a biblically positive frame of mind. Your attitude is everything.” Isn’t that something?

Wright

He’s a fine, fine man. He helped me tremendously. In keeping with the theme of our book, Discover Your Inner Strength, I wanted to get a sense from you about your own success journey. Many people know you best from The One Minute Manager books you coauthored with Spencer Johnson. Would you consider these books as a high water mark for you or have you defined success for yourself in different terms?

Blanchard

Well, you know, The One Minute Manager was an absurdly successful book so quickly that I found I couldn’t take credit for it. That was when I really got on my own spiritual journey and started to try to find out what the real meaning of life and success was.

That’s been a wonderful journey for me because I think, David, the problem with most people is they think their self-worth is a function of their performance plus the opinion of others. The minute you think that is what your self-worth is, every day your self-worth is up for grabs because your performance is going to fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. People are fickle. Their opinions are going to go up and down. You need to ground your self-worth in the unconditional love that God has ready for us, and that really grew out of the unbelievable success of The One Minute Manager.

When I started to realize where all that came from, that’s how I got involved in this ministry that I mentioned. Paul Myers is a part of it. As I started to read the Bible, I realized that everything I’ve ever written about, or taught, Jesus did. You know, He did it with the twelve incompetent guys He “hired.” The only guy with much education was Judas, and he was His only turnover problem.

Wright

Right.

Blanchard

This is a really interesting thing. What I see in people is not only do they think their self-worth is a function of their performance plus the opinion of others, but they measure their success on the amount of accumulation of wealth, on recognition, power, and status. I think those are nice success items. There’s nothing wrong with those, as long as you don’t define your life by that.

What I think you need to focus on rather than success is what Bob Buford, in his book Halftime, calls “significance”—moving from success to significance. I think the opposite of accumulation of wealth is generosity.

I wrote a book called The Generosity Factor with Truett Cathy, who is the founder of Chick-fil-A. He is one of the most generous men I’ve ever met in my life. I thought we needed to have a model of generosity. It’s not only your treasure, but it’s your time and talent. Truett and I added touch as a fourth one.

The opposite of recognition is service. I think you become an adult when you realize you’re here to serve rather than to be served.

Finally, the opposite of power and status is loving relationships. Take Mother Teresa as an example—she couldn’t have cared less about recognition, power, and status because she was focused on generosity, service, and loving relationships; but she got all of that earthly stuff. If you focus on the earthly, such as money, recognition, and power, you’re never going to get to significance. But if you focus on significance, you’ll be amazed at how much success can come your way.

Wright

I spoke with Truett Cathy recently and was impressed by what a down-to­earth, good man he seems to be. When you start talking about him closing his restaurants on Sunday, all of my friends—when they found out I had talked to him—said, “Boy, he must be a great Christian man, but he’s rich.” I told them, “Well, to put his faith into perspective, by closing on Sunday it costs him $500 million a year.”

He lives his faith, doesn’t he?

Blanchard

Absolutely, but he still outsells everybody else.

Wright

That’s right.

Blanchard

According to their January 25, 2007, press release, Chick-fil-A was the nation’s second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in sales at that time. Its business performance marks the thirty-ninth consecutive year the chain has enjoyed a system-wide sales gain—a streak the company has sustained since opening its first chain restaurant in 1967.

Wright

The simplest market scheme, I told him, tripped me up. I walked by his first Chick-fil-A I had ever seen, and some girl came out with chicken stuck on toothpicks and handed me one; I just grabbed it and ate it; it’s history from there on.

Blanchard

Yes, I think so. It’s really special. It is so important that people understand generosity, service, and loving relationships because too many people are running around like a bunch of peacocks. You even see pastors who measure their success by how many are in their congregation; authors by how many books they have sold; businesspeople by what their profit margin is—how good sales are. The reality is, that’s all well and good, but I think what you need to focus on is the other. I think if business did that more and we got Wall Street off our backs with all the short-term evaluation, we’d be a lot better off.

Wright

Absolutely. There seems to be a clear theme that winds through many of your books that has to do with success in business and organizations—how people are treated by management and how they feel about their value to a company. Is this an accurate observation? If so, can you elaborate on it?

Blanchard

Yes, it’s a very accurate observation. See, I think the profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivating environment for your people. Very often people think that business is only about the bottom line. But no, that happens to be the result of creating raving fan customers, which I’ve described with Sheldon Bowles in our book, Raving Fans. Customers want to brag about you, if you create an environment where people can be gung-ho and committed. You’ve got to take care of your customers and your people, and then your cash register is going to go ka-ching, and you can make some big bucks.

Wright

I noticed that your professional title with the Ken Blanchard Companies is somewhat unique—“Chairman and Chief Spiritual Officer.” What does your title mean to you personally and to your company? How does it affect the books you choose to write?

Blanchard

I remember having lunch with Max DuPree one time. The legendary Chairman of Herman Miller, Max wrote a wonderful book called Leadership Is an Art.

“What’s your job?” I asked him.

He said, “I basically work in the vision area.”

“Well, what do you do?” I asked.

“I’m like a third-grade teacher,” he replied. “I say our vision and values over, and over, and over again until people get it right, right, right.”

I decided from that, I was going to become the Chief Spiritual Officer, which means I would be working in the vision, values, and energy part of our business. I ended up leaving a morning message every day for everybody in our company. We have twenty-eight international offices around the world.

I leave a voice mail every morning, and I do three things on that as Chief Spiritual Officer: One, people tell me who we need to pray for. Two, people tell me who we need to praise—our unsung heroes and people like that. And then three, I leave an inspirational morning message. I really am the cheerleader—the Energizer Bunny—in our company. I’m the reminder of why we’re here and what we’re trying to do.

We think that our business in the Ken Blanchard Companies is to help people lead at a higher level, and to help individuals and organizations. Our mission statement is to unleash the power and potential of people and organizations for the common good. So if we are going to do that, we’ve really got to believe in that.

I’m working on getting more Chief Spiritual Officers around the country. I think it’s a great title and we should get more of them.

Wright

So those people for whom you pray, where do you get the names?

Blanchard

The people in the company tell me who needs help, whether it’s a spouse who is sick or kids who are sick or if they are worried about something. We’ve got over five years of data about the power of prayer, which is pretty important.

One morning, my inspirational message was about my wife and five members of our company who walked sixty miles one weekend—twenty miles a day for three days—to raise money for breast cancer research.

It was amazing. I went down and waved them all in as they came. They had a ceremony; they had raised $7.6 million. There were over three thousand people walking. A lot of the walkers were dressed in pink—they were cancer victors— people who had overcome it. There were even men walking with pictures of their wives who had died from breast cancer. I thought it was incredible.

There wasn’t one mention about it in the major San Diego papers. I said, “Isn’t that just something.” We have to be an island of positive influence because all you see in the paper today is about celebrities and their bad behavior. Here you have all these thousands of people out there walking and trying to make a difference, and nobody thinks it’s news.

So every morning I pump people up about what life’s about, about what’s going on. That’s what my Chief Spiritual Officer job is about.

Wright

I had the pleasure of reading one of your releases, The Leadership Pill.

Blanchard

Yes.

Wright

I must admit that my first thought was how short the book was. I wondered if I was going to get my money’s worth, which by the way, I most certainly did. Many of your books are brief and based on a fictitious story. Most business books in the market today are hundreds of pages in length and are read almost like a textbook.

Will you talk a little bit about why you write these short books, and about the premise of The Leadership Pill?

Blanchard

I really developed my relationship with Spencer Johnson when we wrote The One Minute Manager. As you know, he wrote, Who Moved My Cheese, which was a phenomenal success. He wrote children’s books and is quite a storyteller.

Jesus taught by parables, which were short stories.

My favorite books are Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Little Prince. Og Mandino, author of seventeen books, was the greatest of them all.

I started writing parables because people can get into the story and learn the contents of the story, and they don’t bring their judgmental hats into reading. You write a regular book and they’ll say, “Well, where did you get the research?” They get into that judgmental side. Our books get them emotionally involved and they learn.

The Leadership Pill is a fun story about a pharmaceutical company that thinks they have discovered the secret to leadership, and they can put the ingredients in a pill. When they announce it, the country goes crazy because everybody knows we need more effective leaders. When they release it, it outsells Viagra.

The founders of the company start selling off stock and they call them Pillionaires. But along comes this guy who calls himself “the effective manager,” and he challenges them to a no-pill challenge. If they identify two non-performing groups, he’ll take on one and let somebody on the pill take another one, and he guarantees he will outperform that person by the end of the year. They agree, but of course they give him a drug test every week to make sure he’s not sneaking pills on the side.

I wrote the book with Marc Muchnick, who is a young guy in his early thirties. We did a major study of what this interesting “Y” generation—the young people of today—want from leaders, and this is a secret blend that this effective manager uses. When you think about it, David, it is really powerful in terms of what people want from a leader.

Number one, they want integrity. A lot of people have talked about that in the past, but these young people will walk if they see people say one thing and do another. A lot of us walk to the bathroom and out into the halls to talk about it. But these people will quit. They don’t want somebody to say something and not do it.

The second thing they want is a partnership relationship. They hate superior/subordinate. I mean, what awful terms those are. You know, the “head” of the department and the hired “hands”—you don’t even give them a head. “What do I do? I’m in supervision. I see things a lot clearer than these stupid idiots.” They want to be treated as partners; if they can get a financial partnership, great. If they can’t, they really want a minimum of a psychological partnership where they can bring their brains to work and make decisions.

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