Are You A Corporate Mystic?
By John Alexandrov
"If we plant a seed in the ground we know that the sun will shine and the
rain will water, and we leave it to the Law to bring results...Well, the
desire you image is the seed, your occasional closing of the eyes in
imagery is the sun, and your constant, though not anxious, expectation is
the rain and cultivation necessary to bring absolutely sure results..."
Francis Larimer Warner, Our Invisible Supply: Part One (1907)
I am certain if you check the curriculum at Harvard Business School,
Wharton or the London School of Economics, you won't find a course on
corporate mysticism. After all, succeeding in business (real estate
investing or otherwise) is a competitive, numbers driven game that relies
on hard facts, financial analysis and exploitation of markets, isn't it?
What a vested interest many of us have in that belief. After all, could we
actually succeed in the data-oriented world of real estate by employing
our intuition; by tapping into a collective consciousness of readily
available signs and guideposts to bring our intended result? Believe it or
not, the evidence says yes.
* Next 37 17 investors only!
Although some of the methodologies and strategies that are taught at
Harvard and other revered institutions may be good measurements of how
well a company is operating, the overwhelming reason why business
decisions are made by the most successful company leaders and
entrepreneurs is "intuition' or "gut feelings."
Are you kidding me? Business decisions being made by "feel" rather than
cold hard data? Well it certainly is a growing trend. The evidence is all
around us.
Most people are familiar with the "odd stories" of Thomas Edison awakening
from a nap carrying the solution to a seemingly daunting problem. Or
Richard Branson "just happening" to be at the right place at the right
time to make the most of a business opportunity. Quite honestly, these
seemingly unrelated patterns or sequences are as natural as the sun rising
every day.
So what are today's keen property investors "tapping into" that propels
them from one successful deal to another with little or no resistance?
They are tapping into the collective wisdom that is readily available to
everyone. In his book, The Wisdom Of Crowds (Doubleday 2004), James
Surowiecki points out that this collective wisdom "has endless
ramifications for how business people operate, how knowledge is advanced,
how economies are organized, and how we live our daily lives."
Simply put, we all have cognitive powers that can be employed (in the very
real sense) to assist us in making important business decisions. After
all, how many times have you said to yourself in hindsight, "I just knew
it," or "If I only listened to myself and bought that piece of property."
The powerful truth is, you often know that a deal makes sense as soon as
you sit down with the homeowner... well before you go back to your office
and run the necessary numbers. Most of us have strong intuitive senses
about business decisions but we tend to override these senses with
"rational thinking." In these situations, there's a rule of thumb I
recommend: use your intuition to bring you to the decision and use data
to help you execute the strategy.
This methodology has been incredibly effective for many of the world's
great entrepreneurs. Steve Jobs used this strategy when launching IPod for
Apple. Lee Ka-Shing stated, "Actually, I don't consider myself a good
businessman." And Newsweek reported, Li's ability to "sniff out" good
deals is uncanny (see also, XL Magazine Volume 2, Issue 3 2006).
There's more. In their groundbreaking book, The Corporate Mystic- A
Guidebook For Visionaries With Their Feet On The Ground (Bantam 1996) Kate
Ludeman, PH.D. and Gay Hendricks, PH.D. studied hundreds of entrepreneurs
and business owners from companies such as Motorola, Dell and many more.
Their conclusion, "If you open up to being a source of integrity, vision
and intuition in your organization, you step into leadership regardless of
what niche you occupy. Many people wait to be instructed or reminded to
take full ownership of these powers. The Corporate Mystic knows that real
power and real fun comes from being a source. When you are the source, you
take full responsibility for bringing into being the corporate culture you
want. Everyone can be the source, and when they think they are, they are.
If you are willing to let go of your resistance to being a source, you
claim a type of spiritual power that others can feel."
Does this mean I must be the "spiritual" leader of my business? Well in a
sense, yes. Today, the way business is being conducted is changing
rapidly; particularly for those of us who work as solo professionals.
Experienced investors know that business today is all about collaboration,
not competition. It's about building a network of partners, clients and
others who share your vision and support your goals.
The dinosaurs of the business world were necessary. They served their
purpose. But now they are going extinct. Why? The leadership in these
companies forgot to be the source. They made decisions for short term
profits which in itself represses intuitive and inspired action. So decide
what it's going to be for you. Decide what your vision for your business
is and use you intuitive capabilities to see you through.
Here's a quick roadmap* to help you along:
- Focus on contribution. Be deeply concerned about the empowerment of
other people.
- Be on a continuous journey of self-knowledge and apply what you
discover to your business decisions.
- Stay out of theology in your business but focus on the unifying effects
of spiritual principles.
- Laugh a lot as you conduct your daily business.
- Get to know the pure essence of your clients and find ways to give them
what they want.
- Embrace change and use your intuitive abilities to create the change
that is most advantageous to your mission.
Last, keep in mind that investing is supposed to be fun. As an
entrepreneur you have one unequivocal responsibility; to increase the
value of life through the delivery of your business mission. Be eternally
conscious of and honor your personal spirit. Thereby you will expand
opportunities for everyone you come into contact with.
* See The Corporate Mystic.
John Alexandrov is an accomplished CEO, popular speaker and best selling
author. As the host of Charter Communications' CEO Forum he regularly
interviews CEO's of multi-million dollar companies as well as burgeoning
entrepreneurs that are succeeding in today's unique economic climate. John
is the founder and CEO of Legacy Capital Solutions, a Private Banking firm
and has presented inspirational and motivational speeches and related
presentations to over 100,000 people in the past few years. John has
authored the Best Seller, Affirmations of Wealth, as well as Your
Spiritual Gold Mind, and The Money Chi. Additionally, John has recorded
the very successful cd series, The Exact Science Of Attracting Money.
You can contact John Alexandrov via email at
johna@legacycapitalsolutions.com
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