The Invisible Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Self-improvement’

In 2011, we’ll embark on a learning journey together where we will unite modern and ancient wisdom. Imagine the possibilities when we discover an ancient solution to a modern day problem.

How will we do that?

Review both contemporary books and those written decades and sometimes centuries ago. We’ll look at ways in which we can adapt solutions from one industry to another or one era to another.

And whenever you are consuming new information, whether it be reading a book, or listening to an interview, be open to learning something new. Have a pen and notebook handy, and always try to connect the new information to what you already know because nothing exists in a vacuum. Refer to the posts How to Use Interviews for Self-Improvement and Another Way to Use Interviews for Self-Improvement to get the most from the interviews that we conduct for you. And view each interview as a two-day workshop.

For the past three years or so, I have been learning a word a day. I subscribe to both Wordsmith – A Word a Day and Word of the Day, and the words are sent to my inbox every day. Many of the words you are unlikely to ever use so I have purchased the Ultimate Vocabulary software which I have to figure out how to use – haven’t tried yet. I purchased the Ultimate Vocabulary as part of a bundle with 7 Speed Reading, which I have started to use already. And remember to add RSVPs (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) to your browser toolbars to increase the words per minute that you read. Please refer to How to Read Faster While Reading Well to refresh your memory.

In Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale, he recommends that you read a book each week. I’m up to at least eight books a month. If I can ever get organized enough, I will give you a list of the books that I will be reading each month. The danger is that I often change my mind and read other books. If you can indulge me, I am willing to post a list of the books, on the condition that they are subject to change. But the good news is that, if you read the books, you can offer to write a review so that we may all benefit.

Let 2011 be the year when we deepen our connections for the benefit of all! How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.

Book links are affiliate links.

Here are the ways in which seven very accomplished people succeeded in their careers. The interviews are very detailed, and important information often gets buried so I like to extract information for your benefit. I have deliberately not included the fields where these individuals excelled because the information can be transferred to any field. And innovation often occurs when information is taken from one area and applied to another. What are your thoughts?

What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Steve Spalding

I made a lot of mistakes. It didn’t stop there though, in the wake of every failed idea or half-cocked project I tried to pull out that reason that everything went wrong. I think it’s OK to fail. I think that entrepreneurship of all stripes, especially in something as esoteric as the web, is about testing and iteration. That being said, I also think that all this embracing failure stuff only works if you understand the fact that you need to use your failures to make better decisions in the future.

Sometimes people listen to folks like me and get too comfortable failing. You should never be comfortable failing! I don’t want you to fail, ever if you can help it but most of us can’t and I want you to accept that and do your best to lose the fear, minimize failures and learn from the ones you can’t get away from.

Gina McAdam

Generally, I was never afraid to try something new and see where it would lead.  I didn’t have fixed ideas and notions about myself. When I did, I knocked on the right doors. But I was lucky always to have an orbit of good and wise people around me for support.

Deborah Koehler

Paying attention to where I spent my brain time.

David Gray

To be successful in my field one typically needs empathy, compassion, a conscientious work ethic and a background in HR. However, to be truly outstanding one additionally needs a great degree of life history in a variety of business settings as well as a high degree of intuitive and innovative intelligence in order to be able to work with people from numerous diverse backgrounds who are each struggling with very individual career and life challenges. In a word, one needs wisdom. And typically, that can only be accumulated over a long period of time after encountering a variety of challenging situations in one’s own career and life.

Michael McCleary

The big thing was really to make a decision that I was going to commit to my career choice and continue to pursue it even when times were tough.  By taking committed steps of action towards a goal, the path becomes clear, even when at first it doesn’t appear to be.

Lynn Kahle

Not so sure that I have but I do keep up and change the content of a course to be as relevant as possible.

Don Martelli

Good education. Staying grounded in my beliefs and vision for my future. Working with smart people that I can learn from. Helping others learn what I know.

How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.

Photo Credit: Google via Apture

Related Posts

The Invisible Mentor Interviews Steve Spalding Part 1, Part 2

The Invisible Mentor Interviews Gina McAdam Part 1, Part 2

The Invisible Mentor Interviews Deborah Koehler Part 1, Part 2

The Invisible Mentor Interviews Michael McCleary Part 1, Part 2

The Invisible Mentor Interviews Lynn Kahle Part 1, Part 2

The Invisible Mentor Interviews Don Martelli Part 1, Part 2

To get the most from a book, I often use a Book Summary Template which I created after conducting research. I do not always answer all the questions in the template for every book that I read, because some may not be relevant for that book. Before reading, decide why you are reading, is it for information, to further knowledge or for entertainment? If I am reading for entertainment, I never use the template.

After using the template for a while, it becomes second nature. The template below is taken from the Invisible Mentor Toolkit which I developed to assist you in acquiring information and knowledge from a distance. In the past few weeks, I have been reminded how important invisible mentors are. The interesting thing is that people are talking about invisible mentors but they are not calling them that because the term is not well known. In the blog post Are You Being Mentored by Cat Matson, can you spot where she talks about invisible mentors?

Book Summary Template

1. What is the book about?
2. What is being said in detail and how?
3. Is the author qualified to talk about this topic?
4. What problems is the author trying to solve?
5. Which of the problems that the author had to solve did he/she succeed in solving?
6. What are the author’s solutions?
7. How does the author’s ideas or solutions relate to your life and work?
8. Did you come across any different ways to solve every day problems?
9. What breakthroughs did you have while reading this book?
10. Does the document contain facts that are somewhat surprising because they are different from what you know?
11. Are there any rule breaking in the book? If yes, what are they?
12. What are the additional insights?
13. Is there a method of thinking, or metaphor implied in this book that I can adopt to solve problems?
14. What are the top 5 great ideas/takeaways from the book?
15. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?
16. Does the book leave unanswered questions? If yes, what are they?
17. In what ways can you use the ideas/insights/takeaways to increase the value of your products/services to my customers (internal/external)?
18. In what ways can you use the ideas/insights/takeaways to add value to your life?

Let me know what you think about the questions. In another post, I will give you a template that you can use when you are mastering a topic. It is my vow to assist you on your professional development journey. If there are additional ways that I may be of service please let me know.

Please add your thoughts in the comments box below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed.

Photo Credit: via Apture