Firestarters: How Innovators, Instigators, and Initiators Can Inspire You to Ignite Your Own Life - Softcover

Davis Jr, Raoul; Palokoff, Kathy; Eder, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1633883477 ISBN 13: 9781633883475

Verlag: Prometheus Books, 2018

Inhaltsangabe

Based on interviews with entrepreneurs and leaders in many walks of life, this self-help book gives readers the tools for finding success in their careers, businesses, organizations, and private lives.

What is the difference between those bold enough to pursue their dreams and others who never get comfortable enough to ignite their lives? The doers are "Firestarters" and, because of them, the world is a much different, and often, better place.

This motivational how-to book provides insights into the crucial difference between people who make things happen and those who only think about making an impact. Based on research from many disciplines and interviews with professionals at the top of their fields, Firestarters creates a complete roadmap to achieve personal success and make an impact in the world.

The heart of the book features stories about successful entrepreneurs, CEOs, organizational leaders, and forward-looking thinkers from a variety of professions. They describe the factors and conditions that ignited their lives and helped them become achievers. Some are known to the public; others will be completely new. But all the stories demonstrate how they became--and you can become--a Firestarter.

The authors provide pragmatic advice on how individual readers can ignite the qualities that will lead them toward pursuing and realizing their dreams. Self-assessment exercises, checklists, and other tools will help readers apply Firestarter insights to their own lives. Also included are group exercises and discussion guides so the book can be used in business and nonprofit settings to develop the skills that help companies grow.

Whether you're an individual seeking ways to realize personal ambitions or a leader trying to motivate your team, you'll benefit from the Firestarter methods featured in this inspirational book.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Raoul Davis Jr. is a partner at Ascendant Group, which helps CEOs, retired athletes, and executive leaders dramatically increase their visibility in front of their target audience through CEO branding. He is considered one of the foremost experts on CEO and executive branding.

Kathy Palokoff is a founder and partner at goFirestarter, a coaching and consulting company that helps individuals and organizations ignite, fuel, and accelerate their growth and fulfill their passion. She is also a founder and partner at CUSTOMERicity, a creative agency that helps businesses increase revenue through customer-centric marketing and branding.

Paul Eder, PhD has over fifteen years of experience as a strategy and management consultant focusing on optimization of organizational structures and work environments. Paul is certified as both a Project Management Professional and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. He has presented at top-tier conferences and published peer-reviewed articles and papers on strategic planning, employee performance, and creativity.

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Chapter 1 - WHY WE BECAME CURIOUS ABOUT FIRESTARTERS

Some people start jobs; others start companies. Some wear clothes; others start trends. Some wish for power; others become world-class leaders. Some join a cause; others create movements.

Some fan the flames; others spark the fire. We call these unique individuals Firestarters. They are the Innovators who create things, Instigators who disrupt things, and Initiators who start things. Together, they make the world a much better place.

They are individuals who spark change globally and who are powerful forces in their local communities. Some focus on being leaders in established disciplines. Others break ground in new areas of discovery. Some use social ventures and nonprofits to improve the lives of others. Others build strong companies that change the world.

So, who are these company-building, cause-creating, trend-starting,  influence-wielding renegades? They are athletes, writers, mothers, fathers, scientists, philosophers, business executives, entrepreneurs, politicians, doctors, inventors, teachers, and people from a multitude of other walks of life.

All are Firestarters. Within ten minutes of talking with them, you can tell they are different than your average person. You discover that they inspire all of us to be just a little better than we are.

How do Firestarters make such an impact? What makes them so different from anyone else? What can we learn from them so that we can become Firestarters ourselves? What is the difference between those who dream and those who do?

We turned to multiple sources of wisdom for the answers. First, we examined the extensive research that is being conducted across disciplines in motivation and entrepreneurship. Second, we turned to the Firestarters themselves. We wanted to learn from the nuggets and themes that made up their unique stories and perspectives. Finally, we reviewed the lives of Firestarters throughout history.

Because we are so passionate about this topic, we talked to and read about hundreds of people who start ventures, ignite communities, and further causes. We searched for elements that make up the Firestarter experience—Igniters that start the fire, Fuels that feed the fire, and Accelerants that spread the fire. We also examined Extinguishers, the elements that threaten the fire.

WHY FIRESTARTERS?

Why do we want to know how Firestarters ignite their lives and yours? Because so many people have dreams, yet so few are willing to take action. We need more Firestarters willing to make things happen. We want to find the secret sauce, learn the recipe, and pass that knowledge on to create a blazing fire across the globe.

Without Firestarters, the world would still turn. However, economies would not thrive in quite the same way. Social reform would not happen as quickly. New frontiers would remain unexplored for longer periods of time. Over a billion people wouldn’t be connected on Facebook, and there wouldn’t be such a big deal over 140-character tweets. Your lifespan would likely be shorter by a few years, and it definitely would not be filled with as many modern wonders.

In a world filled with complex and daunting problems, it would be wonderful to have a large army of Firestarters attacking challenges such as disease, hunger, poverty, violence, wildlife preservation, water and air quality, energy shortages, terrorism, racism, crimes against women, and the host of issues facing our communities and nations.

What exactly does it take to become a Firestarter? In this book, we aim to peek into their brains, find the Firestarter switch, and teach you how to turn it on. The insights we share will enable you to ignite the movement inside your heart that is waiting for a spark.

Here’s what we believe. There are characteristics that individuals possess that can be amplified in the right situations to help them on the road to becoming a Firestarter. For example, Firestarters exert freely chosen effort that is not undermined by persistent ridicule. Firestarters find their own drive and motivation from the effort expended, regardless of the outcome achieved. Accordingly, these individuals grow and become more resilient to potential setbacks.

This book is not about personality per se as that is a less malleable construct. We believe that being a Firestarter is accessible to all. Do Firestarters have a certain DNA? We believe so, but not in the genetic sense. The factors that distinguish Firestarters are much more situational than genetic. The DNA of a Firestarter is found in the unique way in which an individual interacts with his/her environment rather than the unique way genes are arranged.

Firestarters systematically seek out experience and learn from situations that reward them for high levels of productive effort. They perceive a high degree of control over their thoughts and actions and freely choose endeavors that allow them to capitalize on the type of effort that is most personally motivating.

When the right combination of personal attitudes meets the right situation, they become individuals whose passion and motivation for excellence dwarf those of the typical person. The drive for excellence for the Firestarter is a lifestyle, not an outcome. Consequently, they tend to outpace and outachieve others in the long run, even those who possess an outcome-focused mindset.

THREE EXAMPLES OF FIRESTARTERS

As stated, we have talked to and read about hundreds of Firestarters since beginning this project. One of the first questions people ask us about Firestarters is, “Do you mean ‘entrepreneurs’?” The answer is yes and no. Entrepreneurs obviously make up a subset of Firestarters, but Firestarters are so much more. Here are three well-known names that epitomize what we call Firestarters and how we define Innovators, Instigators, and Initiators.

Innovator Elon Musk revolutionized online payments leading to the establishment of PayPal. If that was not enough, he then founded Tesla, which has modernized the car industry by successfully putting some of the first cars not dependent on gasoline on the road.

For most people, this level of innovation would be their life’s work; however, Musk was just getting started. His next venture was his most ambitious yet. Space X was created to take humans to Mars. Asked why he created Space X, Musk decisively answered, “[B]ecause if we can become an interplanetary species, the likelihood of humanity ever being wiped out by an extinction level event decreases significantly.”

Mother Teresa is often known for her kindness, which is a stature she definitely earned. However, Mother Teresa was an Instigator and a missionary renegade. She was never shy to make her voice known to the powerful and elite in the world. She would call on them to recognize their guilt for the crime of poverty they created. She was slow to compromise and quick to fight for those without a voice.

Mother Teresa built an organization with thousands of people running orphanages that cared for alcoholics, the blind, disabled, flood victims, and others considered the most vulnerable in society. After a person’s death, there is a normal five-year standard before a nomination for sainthood is given. In Mother Teresa’s case, this time frame was waived, and even her critics honored her for her accomplishments.

John Adams, the second president of the United States, was the ultimate Initiator. Adams wasn’t known for his creativity but instead for his willingness to act and be first. He famously agreed to serve as lawyer for the British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre out of fierce devotion to the principle of law.

During the Continental Congresses, Adams was on more committees than anyone...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Prometheus Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2018
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1633883477
• ISBN 13: 9781633883475
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 325
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Simon and Schuster Netherlands BV; info@simonandschuster.nl; ; Herculesplein 96; Utrecht; 3584 AA; Niederlande