MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business Pascoe Sawyers Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 First published in 2007 by Lulu Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Pascoe Sawyers asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work ISBN 978-1-4303-1115-7 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the copyright owner Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Acknowledgements Thanks to all the people in my life – my Mum and Dad, other family members, friends, teachers, work colleagues, and even a few of my foes – who have been like sunshine and rain in helping MePLC to grow And especially to those of you who have contributed in a variety of ways to my thoughts on the development of this work – too many names to mention, but you know who you are Special thanks to Benjamin Wachenje for the front cover and his fantastic illustrations, which have helped bring the MePLC concept to life And to my editor, Elizabeth Farquhar, for her advice, expert layout and page design, and, most importantly, for sculpting my words The publication of this book would probably not have been possible without the ongoing guidance, encouragement and support that I have received from Seltzer Cole Thanks for making me make it happen MePLC is dedicated to Malcolm, Makeda and Munirah, the ever-ripening fruit of my most significant joint venture with my wife, business partner, and the love of my life, Hazel Finally, I give thanks and praises to the Creator for all things at all times Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Foreword Fast Everything today happens so quickly Whether it be high speed internet, instant access or tight deadlines, we all want everything yesterday it seems Weeks roll into one with Monday morning coming around before you can blink But how much time through this headlong rush, usually for other people, we focus on ourselves and what we need? Not enough I think As the first winner of the BBC TV show The Apprentice and subsequently working for Sir Alan Sugar for two years, I know all about running fast shall we say! I attribute my win and subsequent successes to a few choice mentors of which my Mother tops the list and being what I call “sensibly selfish.” I spent a lot of time working hard but now with that investment I can now focus on working smarter which means investing in my own personal development so I continue growing This means that I focus a lot of my energy internally understanding what I’m good at, accepting what I’m not so good at, and setting realistic targets which I believe I can achieve Success for me is not about where you come from, whether you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth or if you are nice to animals It’s about what you think is possible; it’s about what you believe Going into the Apprentice competition people always asked me did I think I could win I didn’t know if I would but I did believe I could That was enough to provide me with the focus I needed to overcome the obstacles I faced but it wouldn’t have been possible if I wasn’t FOCUSed After meeting Pascoe through a very good friend and being introduced to his vision which is this book there was much within MePLC that resonated with my own life and led me to accept his humbling offer to write this foreword MePLC provides some fundamental principles to help redress the balance between looking after other people’s business and minding your own Please take time out to invest in your business – you – and then what it really takes to be great: SHARE God bless Tim Campbell Founder, Bright Ideas Trust Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business Introduction––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The Power of FOCUS–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 13 F is for Fearless– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 21 O is for Optimistic––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 39 C is for Creative––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 61 U is for Unique–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 79 S is for Storyteller– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 101 Return on Investment––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 133 Resources––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 145 About the Author– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 153 Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007  MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world; As I grew older and wiser I discovered the world would not change, So I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change my country, But it too seemed immovable As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me But alas, they would have none of it! And now I realise as I lie on my deathbed, If only I had changed myself first, then by example, I might have changed my family From their aspirations and encouragement, I would have been able to better serve, And who knows, I might have even changed the world - Anonymous Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Introduction These days, it seems everyone wants to know more about being a better leader They want to become better leaders in their businesses, or of communities, or organisations, or sports teams, or even of their own families But most people, in the rush to become better leaders of “things,” fail to recognise one irrefutable fact: the journey to being an effective leader of others starts with developing the ability to effectively lead your own life I say this from the perspective of having worked in the public sector for over 20 years, and having been involved in leading teams to deliver services for people and organisations Most recently, as Director of the Leadership Academy for councillors in England and Wales, I have had the opportunity to develop my own understanding of how leadership works in theory and, more importantly, in practice This book aims to promote the philosophy of putting personal leadership first, and identifies a set of personal characteristics that will need to be developed by anyone who wants to be a successful chief executive or chairman in the business of their own life, MePLC Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007  MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business A Book of Principles This is not a cold and calculated manual prescribing exactly what you need to each step of the way in order to make your business – MePLC – the great success it has the potential to be It will not provide you with the A-Z of effective goal-setting strategies, teach you all you need to know about managing your assets, or reveal the secret of 50 practical ways to maximise your income in a week! This is a book of key principles, not a “how to” guide It recognises that each individual leader of MePLC has their own unique set of characteristics, skills, interests and, most important of all, objectives in life This book is designed to help you use those unique attributes to build an framework of purpose and clarity that will help point you in the right direction and protect you from deviations to the back and sides If you can get yourself in that position, then any movement will inevitably take you closer to your objectives Almost every book on self-improvement quite rightly emphasises the value of setting achievable goals as the key to achieving your objectives in life Goals are vitally important because, to use a football analogy, if you don’t have any goals, then how can you score? But being able to identify and see the goal is one thing – working out how you can move the ball around the field and through the “opposition team” so you can score is what really matters Rather than concentrating on the setting of goals, which I believe is the relatively easy part, MePLC is about creating the Me-FOCUS you’ll need to break down and cut through any external opposition you face in trying to achieving your goals  Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Return on Investment But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realised that it was the wind “How powerful it is!” he thought “I wish that I could be the wind!” Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it – a huge, towering rock “How powerful that rock is!” he thought “I wish that I could be a rock!” Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed “What could be more powerful than I, the rock?” he thought He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stonecutter Everything that you need to succeed is already within you All you need to become fearless, to live optimistically, to take joy in your creativity, to celebrate your uniqueness, and to tell your own personal story is in your heart, your hands, and your will I hope that this book has helped you realize just how much potential you have, and what the benefits of focusing on MePLC can bring to your life I know you’ll have a fascinating and rewarding journey The very best of luck to you Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 143 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business Life is difficult This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it Once we truly know that life is difficult – once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer difficult Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters - M Scott Peck, “The Road Less Travelled” Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Resources GENERAL Are You Ready To Succeed?: Unconventional Strategies For Achieving Personal Mastery in Business and in Life, Sirkumar Rao, Hyperion, 2006 Awaken The Giant Within, Anthony Robbins, Simon & Schuster, 1992 Creating You and Co.: Be the Boss of Your Own Career, William Bridges, Nicholas Brealey, 1997 From Kitchen Sink To Boardroom Table: Releasing Women’s Potential for Corporate Success, by Joan Blaney and Richard Scase, BlackAmber, 2003 Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t, by Jim Collins, Random House, 2001 Help Yourself, by Dave Pelzer, Thorsons, 2002 How To Be Rich, Ruskin Comics, The John Ruskin Foundation (www ruskinforall.org.uk) How To Get What You Want And Want What You Have: A practical guide to personal success, by John Gray, Vermillion, 1999 Leitch Review of Skills: Prosperity for All in the Global Economy, Lord Sandy Leitch, HM Treasury, 2006 (available from: www.hm-treasury gov.uk) Lessons in Living, by Susan L Taylor, Angela Royal Publishing, 1996 Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 145 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business Managing Oneself, by Peter F Drucker, Harvard Business Review MarchApril 1999 (available from www.sld.cu/galerias/pdf/sitios/revsalud/ managing_oneself.pdf) Managing on the Edge, Richard Pascale, Penguin Book, 1990 Million Dollar Habits: Proven Power Practices to Double and Triple Your Income, by Brian Tracey, Entrepreneur Media, 2004 (also available in audio CD format) Money For Life, by Alvin Hall, Hodder & Stoughton, 2000 Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman et al, Harvard Business School, 2002 Outstanding Leadership, 50 Lessons in Management Series, BBC Books, 2005 Spirit to Serve, by J W Marriot Jr and Kathi Ann Brown, Harper Business, 1997 The Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R Covey, Simon & Schuster, 1989 The Little Book of f-Laws: 13 Common Sins of Management, by Russell L Ackoff and Herbert J Addison, Triarchy Press, 2006 The Power of Focus, by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt, Vermillion, 2000 The Psychology of Achievement, Brian Tracy, Nightingale Conant, 1989 (also available in audio CD format) The Richest Man In Babylon, by George S Clason, Signet, 1988 146 Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Resources The Psychology of Winning, by Denis Waitley, Berkley, 1986 The Road Less Travelled, by M Scott Peck, Rider, 1985 The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want To Be, by Jack Canfield, Element, 2005 Why Leadership Is The Most Dangerous Idea In American Business, by Michael S Hopkins, Inc.com, October 2003, (available from: www.inc com/magazine/20030601/25522.html) Why Should Anyone Be Led By You?: What It Takes to be an Authentic Leader, by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones, Harvard Business School, 2006 FEARLESSNESS Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway, by Susan Jeffers, Rider & Co., 1997 Leading Transition: A New Model for Change, by William Bridges and Susan Mitchell Bridges, Leader to Leader, Spring 2000 (available from: www.leadertoleader.org) Starting From No: Ten Strategies to Overcome Your Fear of Rejection and Succeed in Business, by Azriela Jaffe, Dearborn 1999 Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, by William Bridges, Nicholas Brealey, 1996 Views from the Tightrope: Balancing Your Passion for Life and Your Fear of Change: Living Wisely in an Uncertain World, by Mitch Bobrow, Larson Publications, 1997 Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 147 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business OPTIMISM As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, 2001 (available as a free download from: www.asamanthinketh.net) Dynamic Optimism: An Extropian Cognitive-Emotional Virtue, by Max Moore, 1998, (available from: www.maxmore.com/optimism.htm) Law of Attraction: The Basic Teachings of Abraham, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, Abraham-Hicks Publications, 2007 Learned Optimism, by Martin E Seligman, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1991 The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent: Living the Laws of Allowing, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, Hay House, 2006 The Secret, Rhonda Byrne (Editor), Atria Books, 2006 The Power of Optimism, by Alan Loy McGinnis, Harper & Row, 1990 Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, Fawcett, 1960 (available as a free download from: www.selfstartersweeklytips.com/tagr.htm) CREATIVITY Facilitating Good Strategic Conversations, by Chris Nichols, Converse magazine, (issue 4, 2006), published by Ashridge Consulting Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Basic Books, 1997 The Five Faces of Genius: Creative Thinking Styles to Succeed at Work, by Annette Moser-Wellman, Penguin, 2001 The 80/20 Individual: The Nine Essentials of 80/20 Success at Work, by Richard Koch, Nicolas Brealey, 2003 148 Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Resources The Creative Brain, by Ned Herrmann, The Ned Herrmann Group, 1998 The Creative Personality, by Mihlay Csikszentmihalyi, Psychology Today July/August 1996 (available from: http://psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-19960701-000033.html Time Pressure and Creativity: Why Time is Not On Your Side, interview with Teresa Amabile, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge for Business Leaders, (available from (http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3030 html) Unleashing the Ideavirus, Seth Godin, Do You Zoom Inc., 2001 (www sethgodin.com/ideavirus) UNIQUENESS Affluenza, by Oliver James, Vermillion, 2007 Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman, Bloomsbury, 1996 Irresistibility: Secrets of Selling Yourself, by Philippa Davis, Coronet Books, 2001 Love Yourself, And It Doesn’t Matter Whom You Marry, by Eva-Maria Zurhorst, Random House, 2004 Me, Myself and Work: Self-esteem and the UK Labour Market, by Andy Westwood, Work Foundation, 2006 (downloadable from www.workfoundation.com) Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationship, by John Gray, Harper Collins, 1993 Psycho-Cybernetics, by Maxwell Maltz, Pocket Books, 1969 Soul Purpose: Self Affirming Rituals, Meditations and Creative Exercises to Revive Your Spirit, by Jackee Holder, Piatkus, 1999 Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 149 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business The Laws of Spirit: Simple, Powerful Truths for Making Life Work, by Dan Milman, HJ Kramer, 2005 The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, by Nathaniel Branden, Bantam, 1975 The Sixty Minute Father, by Rob Parsons, Hodder & Stoughton, 1997 STORYTELLING Funky Business, by Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell Nordstrom, Prentice Hill, 2002 Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets of Making Big Profits From Your Small Business, by Jay Conrad Levinson, Houghton Mifflin, 1998 Leading Out Loud, by Terry Pearce, Jossey-Bass, 2003 Lessons In Leadership, by Ben Page and Martin Horton, Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), 2006 (downloadable from www idea.gov.uk) Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable, by Seth Godin, Do You Zoom Inc., 2002 The Brand Called You, by Peter Montoya, Personal Branding Press, 2003 The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Rapport, and Leave a Positive Impression, by Dera Fine, Careertrack, 1997 The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling, by Annette Simmons, Basic Books, 2002 The Wise Fool’s Guide to Leadership: Short Spiritual Stories for Organisational and Personal Transformation, by Peter Hawkins, O Books, 2005 150 Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 Resources USEFUL WEBSITES www.4temperaments.com www.abraham-hicks.com www.academyofenterprise.org www.briantracy.com www.businessballs.com www.businesslistening.com www.businessxl.co.uk www.debonogroup.com www.drwaynedyer.com www.earlnightingale.com www.entrepreneurs.gov.uk www.fastcompany.com www.i-define.co.uk www.jimrohn.com www.lawofattractiontools.com www.leadership-tools.com www.lesbrown.com www.millionairemba.com www.myersbriggs.org www.mylifeismybusiness.co.uk www.nightingale.com www.thepracticeofleadership.net www.trans4mind.com/download.html www.valuescentre.com www.zigziglar.com Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 151 For information about hosting a MePLC workshop, designed to inspire and encourage participants to live their lives according to the principles outlined in this book, or to invite Pascoe Sawyers to speak at an event you are organising, write to: info@meplc.co.uk or telephone (+44) 07931 332 447 About the Author Who is Pascoe Sawyers? Pascoe Sawyers is Director of the IDeA’s (Improvement and Development Agency) Leadership Academy, where he is responsible for overseeing the design and delivery of a range of leadership development training programmes for councillors and local government managers in England and Wales He has over 20 years experience of providing leading-edge services in the public, voluntary and private sectors His achievements in local government include leading on a number of high-profile PR projects such as Brent Council’s work on promoting the new Wembley Stadium development, and the multi-award winning “Not Another Drop” anti-gun crime campaign in the early 2000s In 2006 he launched the UK’s first-ever radio programme for and about the work of councils and councillors The highly successful 12-programme series, Frontline, was produced and presented by Pascoe and broadcast on Colourful Radio Network over the web He is well known in local government circles and widely recognised as one of the sector’s most competent trainers and public speakers on subjects ranging from community consultation to the art of political leadership Over the years Pascoe has devoted time to working with young people, primarily as chair and coach of a local youth football club, and has been involved in running a variety of community empowerment initiatives These include organising a series of very successful self-improvement seminars and setting up the UK’s first African-Caribbean traders market in the mid 1990s He is an accomplished writer and journalist He published and edited The Alarm – a black current affairs and arts journal – for five years from 1993, and has worked as a freelance journalist for various mainstream publications including The Guardian, Observer, London Evening Standard and The Big Issue Pascoe lives in London with his wife and three children 153 Have a bias towards action – let’s see something happen now You can break the big plan into small steps and take the first step right away - Indira Gandhi ... Founder, Bright Ideas Trust Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business Introduction–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––... Discovering a source of this help is almost always a life- changing experience Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007 13 MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business Focus on MePLC The successful running of a business. .. chief executive or chairman in the business of their own life, MePLC Copyright © Pascoe Sawyers 2007  MePLC: Your Life Is Your Business A Book of Principles This is not a cold and calculated manual