Tuesday, July 18, 2006

LIVE BLOG: Entrepreneurial Readiness: Fitness for Entrepreneurs and How to be Self-Reliant in a Networked World

Introductions...attendees represent small manufacturing, Chinese language translation, IT, small business connections, bike stations.

Mental toughness of leaders is a subject reserved not just for a military environment. Mother Teresa, for example, is probably one of the world's toughest leaders.

Jim Herget, our leader today, spent most of his time working and growing up in Xerox - a typical, first curve, heirarchical model - and understands there is a new model of leadership that involves collaboration. Corporations are learning trust is a major component of successful business development today.

Our forum today focuses on how entrepreneurs and leaders can go beyond expectations and age. Lessons are drawn from the Navy SEALS and referenced authors. (Throughout the forum, Jim suggests books for in depth reading.)

READ: Younger Next Year: A Guide to Living Like 50 Until You're 80 and Beyond, by Chris Crowley, Henry S. Lodge

With effort, discipline and taking care of your physical health, entrepreneurs can be effective in new ways. This approach represents a scaling up to meet the new demands of global market environments. What can an individual do to wind up our body, mind and spirit? Everything is about self discovery - we are born complete as human beings - but need to strengthen our physical, mental and spiritual assets.

DIET: THREE BIG IDEAS
1) Do not diet
2) Read labels
3) Smaller portions

NAVY SEAL NUTRITION The SEALS model: developed by President Kennedy. Navy SEAL nutrition. There are no bad or good foods - it is just how we make our choices. Maximize the good food and minimize the bad food. Move a little more and eat a little less.

EXERCISE: THREE BIG IDEAS
1) Get a physical
2) Long slow distance (LSD)
3) Six days a week

MEDITATION/PRAYER: THREE BIG IDEAS
1) Max the moment/"Awareness"
2) Breathing/ "Aliveness"
3) Visualization/"Openness"

READ: Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World, by Lama Surya Das

READ: Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Meditation exercise...

One SEAL is worth 200 soldiers; this is the exponential affect of SEALS techniques. 75% of SEALS do not make it. The valuable lesson is that people find out who they are and are not driven instead, by their dream of themselves. Live your life like your life depends on it.

IN RELATION TO SELF
1) Be a volunteer (not a victim)
2) Be Aware
3) Be Yourself
4) Be tough

Whatever you do you should be your fullest. There is nothing "laid back" about practicing Zen.

IN RELATION TO TEAM
1) Be committed (steadfast): Bound emotionally and perhaps spiritually to an idea, principle or person
2) Be an operator (anywhere/anytime): Extraordinary pro/ multi-talented/multi tasker; master the details; reliable in all circumstances
3) Be a teammate (succes is a group effort)

The best idea wins; not agendas.

IN RELATION TO SOCIETY
1) Be disciplined (trainable): trust your mentors; learn from everyone; humility helps
2) Be willing to fail (or part of success): SEALS Ethos: "If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every once of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission."; Be "at one" with your commitments so there is "zero recovery time" between failures; "No one can make you feel inferior w/o your consent"
3) Be interrelated/resourceful; reach beyond your team as necessary; keep it simple; be practical/improvisational

READ: Awakened Mind System 2.0, by Dr. Jeffrey D. Thompson

Humans are set up to live palenlithetically

Spiritual Awakenings

Man's Search for Meaning

Commentary:
Be mindful of the power of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

How do we distinguish between those we can trust and those we cannot?

Be your best - dieting, physical development, etc. - and then be your best in the team. As a leader, your best contribution is to teach others to be their best. This is all about being who you are and being reliable. A SEALS motto: "Fail Forward".

There is no easy way round the hard stuff in life and business. Find your passion and move forward.

Be in line with things that make sense to you and continue to move forward.

READ: This is reinforced in Jack Ricchiuto's book, "Appreciative Leadership." Download this excellent book to your desktop here.

READ: "Unleash the Warrior Within: Develop the Focus, Discipline, Confidence and Courage You Need to Achieve Unlimited Goals," by Richard J. Machowicz

From the SEALS website: "Navy SEALs have distinguished themselves as an individually reliable, collectively disciplined and highly skilled maritime force." What if this were to describe a new breed of entrepreneurs? Teams built to collectively target and succeed in initiative objectives?

READ: "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner," by Dean Karnazes

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