Orrin Woodward Press

Team Orrin Woodward LIFE Leadership Business

Orrin Woodward Team

Orrin Woodward Team LIFE

Orrin and the new LIFE Leadership business are fulfilling dreams.
Recently, Orrin Woodward made some great points in a recent post which I wanted to share:

You might ask, “How can a leadership business fulfill a dream?’ This will be the first business in which the product is designed to build the dream. Simply revolutionary!
In the past, products were always the vehicle to the dream. For example, a person could sell pots and pans to get money to achieve their dream.
Perhaps the product was rubber eye lashes or a special soap. In the end, the product was a medium to achieve the dream. For the very first time, the product ( 8 F’s ) is connected with the dream. A business is the means to obtain a goal. Now, the business is the goal. Just ask someone, “Which two or three of the 8 F’s would you choose to improve?”

via team_orrin_woodward.typepad.com

The Common Cuckoo Bird: An Example of America's Lack Of Leadership

Recently I talked with Orrin Woodward about his vision for TEam LIFE (Living Intentionally For Excellence) and the following analogy came to my mind.
People are often like the Common Cuckoo bird in their desire for easy fixes and out of the box, soft-headed leadership.

How?

Consider that the Common Cuckoo is what's known as a brood parasite. The hen cuckoo waits for just the right moment then it swoops down, lays its eggs in the nests of other birds and abandons its young to the care of a host bird to raise and care for her brood without any supervision or sacrifice on her part.

Contrast the Common Cuckoo with that of the American Bald Eagle.

Eagles stay with their mate for life and as a team they build their nests usually in large trees near water.
Eagles produce between one and three eggs per year and both the male and female take turns incubating the eggs.
While one parent stays to protect and train their eaglets, the other parent hunts for food or looks for nesting material.
There simply isn't a comparison between Cuckoos and Eagles; Cuckoos produce more parasitic birds who have to rely on the merits and assistance of others, never really achieving true leadership. Eagles however; are trained to be eagles, to be the apex bird that commands the respect of others.
What does this have to do with Orrin Woodward and the LIFE Team?

Eagles Make Other Eagles

The overarching vision is to help people who desire to build themselves in their careers; in essence, eagles produce more eagles. Orrin's goal of reaching 1 million people is a lofty one however; remember, eagles don't lurk around in the reeds waiting for the chance to perpetuate more lies, eagles soar.

Orrin Woodward, Leadership Evidence

Orrin's vision for LIFE is to produce, train and send out leaders who will first change themselves, then their businesses and finally our nation.
Orrin and the LIFE Team are seeking to change the world starting with one person at a time whether they're part of TEAM or not.

Again, Orrin proves the Orrin Woodward scam allegations are a lie.
Living Intentionally For Excellence, LIFE, and all that it's about is building people and producing leaders who in turn, produce more leaders...our nation already has enough Cuckoo's who are roosting in nest which where built for eagles.

Do you feel this is evidence of Orrin Woodward's leadership? What examples have you seen of Orrin's leadership?

Orrin-Woodward-Leadership-Books

NYTimes Best Selling Author on Leadership Topics

First, Orrin Woodward is recognized internationally as an best-selling author by the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Weekly, USA Today, and Money Magazine.

How many of Orrin Woodward's critics or, those that claim Orrin Woodward is a scammer have as many best-selling books on leadership, team building and executive management?

Have any of Orrin's detractors taken their writing talents to pen something that lifts and edifies? No, they haven't.

He co-wrote the leadership best seller  Launching a Leadership Revolution: Mastering the Five Levels of Influence along with a number of other critically acclaimed leadership books.

Orrin Woodward Leadership Quotes

Orrin Woodward Quotes

Giving and Receiving

"People forget what you kept, but they will never forget what you gave." - Orrin Woodward, Leadership quotes

Mindset and Positive Thinking

"There are no dead ends in life, only dead end thinking." - Orrin Woodward, Leadership Guru

"If you fill your head with positive thoughts, there won't be any room left for negative ones." - Orrin Woodward, Leadership quotes

"Don't mistake thinking for action and don't mistake action for results." - Orrin Woodward, Leadership quotes

Mistakes and What To Do With Them

"If we're going to make mistakes anyway, we might as well learn from them." - Orrin Woodward, Leadership quotes

Success

"The limiting factor on your success is not the size of the obstacles, but the size of your dream." - Orrin Woodward, Leadership quotes

Orrin Woodward, LIFE and TEAM: Does it really impact people's lives for good?

Orrin Woodward, LIFE and TEAM

Does Orrin's leadership of TEAM really impact people for good?

I just came across an article from Qualified Remodeler magazine which mentions someone who's part of Orrin's organization and is apparently implementing the Living Intentionally For Excellence (LIFE ) principles which is based on Orrin's latest book, LIFE: Living Intentionally for Excellence.

Orrin Woodward's LIFE Leadership Principles

The article is about Bob Quillen (in photo), the owner of Quillen Bros. has implemented what he's learned from working with Orrin Woodward and the TEAM leadership.

(The article is in italics with my comments following)

"During the past two years when most of America is experiencing a recession and downsizing, Quillen Bros. Windows has increased its sales - 16 percent in 2009 and over 16 percent in 2010.  In only 12 years, Quillen Bros. has grown to be nationally recognized as the 106th largest exterior replacement contractor in the nation. Quillen Bros. Windows has also received two national awards from Qualified Remodeler and Replacement Contractor, and are the fifth largest in Ohio.

Times are tough right now. You can either get bitter or choose to get better! Over two years ago, we chose to focus on self-improvement vs. home improvement! Bob Quillen has introduced and implemented a leadership self-development culture in his company."

We focus on growing in five areas of our lives - Faith • Family • Fitness • Finances • Fun. When the person grows so does your company! “Build the man and everything he touches will grow,” says Mr. Quillen. “Change is inevitable, but growth is optional,” says Quillen.

Though Quillen doesn't mention Orrin Woodward, TEAM or Orrin's leadership of TEAM specifically, this is exactly what Orrin's discussing in a leadership video he's in on YouTube.

"If we grow personally in our leadership development now, when the tide turns and the economy gets better, we will be well equipped to recover a bigger part of the market share.
As the owner of the company, it is my responsibility to sell the vision and create systems that measure growth and accountability.  But I give all the credit to our team of 18 to 20 employees who brought into the vision and make a daily commitment to become a better person."

Quillen's arguement is true. Everyone's personally responsible for their own growth; no one can force you to become a leader and that's what I've seen in Orrin Woodward's leadership style...accountability.

A Leader with Vision

Imagine the serious competitive edge that Quillen Bros., Inc. will have after the economy changes.  Quillen understands what Orrin's been teaching for years: a true leader must sell the vision to those whom he or she leads.

Quillen's an effective leader with solid vision. His understanding that employees (such as these men in the picture to the left and below) aren't just 'there' as a line item in an accounting spreadsheet; they are actually people with dreams, fears and needs.

 

In Orrin Woodward's book, Launching a Leadership Revolution: Mastering the Five Levels of Influence he quotes George Barna,

"[Leaders] have to own the vision completely. It must be a perception of a coming reality to which [they] are totally committed." (Launching A Leadership Revolution, pgs. 8-9)

Orrin Woodward Leadership Evidence: The Law of the Harvest

I've talked to Orrin about what I like to call The Law Of The Harvest in relations to personal development and leadership. The Law of the Harvest is loosely based on Aesop's famous fable of the Grasshopper and the ants.

Essentially, you'll always reap what you've sown.

In the fable, the simple-minded grasshopper spent wasted away all his time during both Spring and Summer dancing and fiddling away his days rather than planting seed or gathering in food for the Fall harvest time as did the ants.

The grasshopper, in his smug arrogance mocks the ants for toiling away in the summer heat when there was so much fun to be had.

The ants, always head down and working would occasionally stop and scold the grasshopper for his idleness and prophesied that he would suffer the consequences of his choices not to prepare.

The grasshopper ignored the ants repeated warnings and continued to play until the cold, stark reality of Winter set in and he found himself completely unprepared.

Application of LIFE Leadership Principles

Quillen is intelligently taking what Orrin and the TEAM group are exposing in the LIFE philosophy....personal accountability and responsibility for your own destiny.

"Quillen Bros. is a local company that specializes in replacement windows and patio doors. We are experts in our profession and are proud of our model of “new world technology combined with an old world workmanship.
We assist and control all aspects of the job, from manufacturing, sales, finance, installation and service. We do not telemarket, and offer a variety of options from which to choose."

(Paranthetically, it's refreshing to see someone not doing telemarketing!)

"We are all about living LIFE: Living Intentionally for Excellence . We want to thank the local community for trusting us and allowing us to serve them."

Quillen sums it up as a true servant leader should; by thanking those who've helped his business weather the recession. Again, another kudo to Orrin's brilliance as a leader.

I'm about giving props to those who offer great service therefore if you're in the Ohio area, I suggest giving the Quillen Bros.  a call: 419-636-1303 or visit them online at www.quillenbrosinc.com

To true leadership!

Hannibal Noms deGuerre

 

LIFE – Living Intentionally for Excellence

Bestselling authors and top leadership gurus Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady have teamed up to launch the next chapter of their leadership revolution – L.I.F.E . All of us have two lives: the life we have and the life we desire. Somewhere along the line all of us are confronted with the choice to either accept life as is or grow ourselves to see what could be. The L.I.F.E. business will provide an opportunity for people that have enlisted in their pursuit of what could be.

At the core of L.I.F.E. will be intentional mastery in the following 8 F’s: Family, Fitness, Finances, Faith, Following, Freedom, Fun, and Friends. Are you ready to live intentionally for excellence? In a world full of so called “near death” experiences in one’s career, opportunity, or hope, on 11/1/11 you will now have a choice to come have a “LIFE experience.”

It’s been said that, “when opportunity and preparedness meet then success happens.” Here is a fifteen minute video of #7 Leadership Guru, Orrin Woodward, explaining how you can prepare yourself to take advantage of this incredible opportunity called L.I.F.E.

 

Thanksgiving: A One Time Noun or a Daily Verb

By: Matt Franks

The countdown to one of the most celebrated Holidays here in the United States is officially almost over. Thanksgiving, the third Thursday of each November is a wonderful collage of - fellowship, reflection, experiences, rest, football, and food. Today many families are making their final travel and meal preparations to share this special day with those they love.

For obvious reasons a spirit of “gratefulness” spreads throughout many of the living and dining rooms. Although it is great we take time out of our busy schedules to give “thanks” I wonder what would happen if we made this spirit a consistent everyday verb. My question is simply this: why is it so widely accepted for most people to wait for permission from a calendar before they give thanks – in other words, why is it a noun and not a verb? Giving thanks should be a way to live your life, not just a day in your life.

William A. Ward said, "God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" Over the course of my leadership journey I have discovered one very important distinction between ordinary and extraordinary leaders – it’s called appreciation. Anything of great achievement has been the result of collective hard work by others. I have heard my friend Orrin Woodward say many times, “Nothing of value has ever been created through efforts of my own….it has always been because of the team.” The extraordinary leaders are able to rally the troops towards a united vision because of their consistent intentional practice of being appreciative for the efforts and talents the people on their team invest.

To make the spirit of Thanksgiving a daily verb or practice in your life it is important to grow in the following four areas:

1. Humility – Bestselling author Ken Blanchard said, “Humility doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself, it means thinking about yourself less.” When you stop taking yourself so seriously it allows you to take value of others very seriously. When credit comes are you quick to accept it for yourself or reflect it on to others? Expand your humility so you can extend your influence.

2. Gratefulness – Being grateful is your heart’s appreciation imparted into the soul of others. Orrin Woodward opined, “You can tell the size of a leader by how big they treat the ‘little’ person.” Everyone plays a part in the achievement of a great victory. Be grateful for their unique contribution. The question is not “what part did they play”, but rather “did they play that part with excellence”. Someone’s personal best is always worth your gratitude.

3. Giving – We live in a society where ‘getting’ is overestimated and ‘giving’ is underappreciated. There is no ‘getting’ in Thanksgiving, only giving. All of us have three stages that relates to giving:

1. What we do give
2. What we could give
3. What we should give

Sadly some people rarely ever get to stage one. Why? Because one of the largest misconceptions is that giving is all about money. You could give your time, give your talents, or give your perspective to offer solutions. Life always reveals its treasures to you after you prove your stewardship in what you give. There is no “I” in Get, but there is in Give. Are you doing your part?

4. Forgiveness – When I was in High School one of the sports I participated in was basketball. During my junior and senior years I was fortunate enough to have been included as part of the starting five and lettered both years. Each year at the awards banquet we handed out an award to our Scorekeeper. He traveled with us everywhere we went and kept very detailed records of game stats and other relevant scores. He got rewarded to keep accurate scoring.

Unlike basketball, there is no room for scorekeeping in forgiveness. In order to develop a thankful spirit you can’t keep score when people do you wrong. Are you one that seeks revenge or do you take the high road? When you exhibit grace on those that do you wrong, your blessings double.

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving with your families! Remember giving and exhibiting your thanks doesn’t end after tomorrow, but tomorrow marks the beginning of gratitude for everyday during the rest of your life.

“Get Real…Would You?”

By: Matt Franks

How many of you growing up can remember someone saying the words, "Get real would you?" Normally it was directed to try and belittle your ambitions of what you wanted to do in your life. In other words, “bring you back to reality.” Dreams by their very nature are birthed out of possibility, hope, and desire.  They are fused together by out of the box thinking and imaginations.  However, for many high achievers, "Getting Real" is just what they needed to hear on their success journey. 

Consistently applying an unrealistic outlook to your dream only compounds the realistic price the dream requires you to pay.  Dreams are hard to achieve, but become almost impossible if you fail to face reality.  Orrin Woodward has said many times, "Leaders need to deal in reality."  Dealing in reality simply means not allowing the deep desire of achieving a goal emotionally blind us from what logically needs changed.  If you truly desire to achieve the dreams for your life then you will need to "Get real." So what separates a dream from a fantasy?   The answer is very simple: one requires reality and the other doesn't.  In fact, Rudy Ruettiger said, "Reality is the enemy of fantasies, but not of dreams."

A plan for the future based on an unrealistic view of the present will always lead to disaster. The more I talk to people the more I discover many of them try and function without confronting what needs confronted.  When you purposely fail to confront reality you end up taking one step backwards for every one step you take forward. The sum total of that journey leads to zero results.

So how do you confront reality?  William Arthur Ward once said, “The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, and the realist adjusts the sails.” Here are four ways to confront reality on your dream journey:

1. Manage your emotions – Orrin Woodward has said many times, “You can tell the size of the person by the size of the things that make them angry.”  Confronting reality takes a high level of emotional intelligence.  We live in a world that measures IQ, but dreams are decided by EQ (Emotional Quotient).
   
   
2. Accept who you are – In order for one to increase their value, they have to first accept their value.  Have you ever heard, “be comfortable in your own skin”? Facing reality is reserved only for the self confident.  There are few things as detrimental to progress than the effect insecurities have.  You have to be able to look into the mirror before you can ever expect to look up to the things you desire.
   
   
3. Look at your results – When I played football in college each game was played for one reason – to outscore the opponent.  When momentum wasn’t in our favor then we had to make adjustments or adapt our game plan to give us the desired results.  It is true that in today’s modern day culture it is unpopular to separate the winners from the losers.  However, life isn’t as soft skinned as today’s status quo. To change the scoreboard of your life then you are going to have to look at what has worked and what hasn’t.  It is the difference between working and winning.  Leaders observe their results so they can win.
   
   
4. Seek the truth – Remember in the blockbuster movie, A Few Good Men, when Jack Nicholson echoed his famous line, “You can’t handle the truth!”? On our success journey it is necessary that we seek the truth about our current situations. Although it is uneasy, not learning the truth carries with it a lifetime of bondage attached to the same issues.  When seeking the truth, I have discovered one undeniable fact: each impactful lesson I needed to learn the most, always happened to be the one I wanted to be revealed the least. 

Social Security - What Happened? Part 2

This post is a follow up to my friend Orrin Woodward's September 29th blog post entitled, "Social Security - What Happened?" As someone that is 30 years of age I received my social security statement this past year and my retirement is at a whopping $400 per month when I hit the government issued retirement age. Good thing I am not counting on that:). If this program is not a pyramid scheme then I do not know what is. Allow me to explain a bit further at the risk of sounding too fanatical. As Chris Brady says, “There is no negative or positive truth – there is only truth.” In the spirit of that quote I would like to help add some clarification to some of the issues going on right before our eyes.

For the past 5 years I have been required to "contribute" the maximum amount of tax into the social security fund. According to the government the maximum for a W2 employee is just over $6,600 per year ($13,243 for business owners) and to receive $400 per month after contributing $297,000 over an average lifetime career of 45 years is absolute highway robbery! Not only that, but I don't even get access any of the principal of that money.

Ronald Reagan said, "Facts are pesky things." Allow me to give you a few facts on the numbers I just shared:

Fact #1 - Receiving $400 per month on a $297,000 investment yields a .016% return.

Fact #2 - If you take $400 and divide it $297,000 you will see how I got that number. One side note.....right now Bank of America states that a savings account with them yields .05% interest rate. 3.4% times the amount!

Fact #3 - Just so I don't inflate the numbers I will not include the power of compounding interest over 45 years that would occur by keeping your money in a savings account. The difference between .05% and .016% is .034%. So if you took .034% and multiplied it out by the $297,000 you will see it translates into $841. Not only is that 3.4 times higher than the social security benefit, which is good – but we would still have access to the $297,000

Fact #4 – Ok I can’t help myself. Here are the real facts, including the benefit of compound interest; we would receive by being able to invest that S.S. money in a savings account. Investing 6,600 per year from the age of 25-70 at a .05% interest rate per year would equate to $1,166,023.13 dollars in the bank by the age of 70 years old. Beginning at 70 lets say you decided it was time to stop working. If you lived off the interest of the account, your annual income would be $58,301.15. That is higher than the average income in the United States! However, that is before taxes of course:) Oh yeah, I almost forgot….you still would have access to the $1,166,023 principal.

Does anyone think we need social security?! I made some pretty elementary assumptions because I didn’t even assume anyone has any other types of investments. I don’t know why it is so hard for voters to not understand this very simple concept. You say, “well Matt I don’t contribute $6,600 per year to S.S.” Then use the formulas above and I guarantee you that you will come out ahead every single time.

I just read Glenn Beck’s, Common Sense, book a couple of months ago and he had some pretty alarming statistics in the book. The book is worth it’s gold between pages 24 thru 30. Here is a snapshot of what we as Americans are faced with:

- Our interest payment to service our $11,000,000,000,000 in debt now stands at $26 Billion per month or $300 Billion per year!

- By 2019 our annual interest rate balloons to $806 Billion per year!

- How do we pay off the debt? Some people say….”tax the rich!” Lets analyze that for a minute: The total 2008 profits of Exxon Mobil ($45.2 Billion), General Electric ($17.41 Billion), Wal-Mart ($12.7 Billion), and IBM ($12.3 Billion) totaled $87.61 Billion. If we taxed those companies at 100% we wouldn’t even have 1/3 of the amount needed to pay the annual interest payment – let alone any principal!

- Our politicians have committed future generations to pay a combined $99.2 trillion just for our unfunded S.S. and Medicare obligations……notice without even considering the National Debt!!

- Each person’s share of the $99.2 trillion works out to about $330,000. A family of four will be saddled with $1.3 million (again, excluding the National Debt)……as a side note – the typical high school graduate will earn as much as $1.53 million over his/her lifetime!

Some of you might be saying, “Geeze Matt be a little more positive!” Well, I am positive – we are facing some serious issues and it is time for all of us to wake up! The statement “ignorance is bliss” is no longer accepted…Ignorance is expensive! For those of you that would like – please feel free to check all of these sources and learn them for your current situation.

I still believe in the American spirit and very thankful to live in a great country! This is a call to action for people to wake up and make this “Challenge Spike” our finest hour!

Orrin – thanks for blazing the trail buddy! Sure do appreciate your leadership and very proud to have opportunity to continually learn from you. You state, your blog is to generate thoughts, ideas, and conversation – and the messages you have been sharing with us has really made me stretch and think in ways that I am thankful for doing. Keep up the great work and look forward to seeing you soon.

God Bless, Matt

Top 10 Leadership Guru to follow on Twitter - Orrin Woodward

Recently bestselling author Orrin Woodward was named as a Top 10 leadership guru to follow on twitter! With a Twitter following of close to 110,000 people, Orrin is impressively making his mark in the leadership community both domestically and internationally. His teachings are timeless, impactful, inspiring, and most importantly applicable to anyone looking to better his or her leadership skills.

Below are just a few archived quotes that I wanted to share with the readers. A special thanks goes to my father Terry Franks for providing me with an archived document of these powerful phrases. Each week I will post more of these ‘Tweets’ in an attempt to continually add value to you.

Orrin Woodward: Don't be your own worst critic; there are plenty of other people willing to fill that position.

Orrin Woodward: Without courage, it doesn't matter how good the leader's intentions are.

Orrin Woodward: A low self-image is usually not based upon facts, it's mismanaged memory.

Orrin Woodward: The common denominator of success lies in forming the habit of doing things that failures don't like to do. -Albert Gray

Orrin Woodward: If you're interested, you will do what is convenient; if you're committed, you'll do what it takes. Assaraf

Orrin Woodward: It's not about what you're capable of. It's about what you are willing to endure.

Orrin Woodward: Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar.

Orrin_Woodward: It's easier to teach a hungry person how to be sharp than it is to teach a sharp person how to be hungry.

Orrin_Woodward: You cannot expect others to believe in you until you believe in yourself.

Orrin_Woodward: The ability to focus is the key separation point between those who move ahead and those who fall behind.

Orrin_Woodward The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes. -Proust

Orrin_Woodward: There are many shortcuts to failure, but there are no shortcuts to true success.

Orrin_Woodward: Your past cannot stop you from a bright future, but an improper interpretation of your past can be fatal to your future.

Orrin_Woodward: People will follow you when you build the character to follow through.

Orrin_Woodward: Unless a life is lived for others, it is not worthwhile. - Mother Teresa

Keep Leading - Matt Franks

H.O.P.E.: The Oxygen of Expectancy

Bestselling author Orrin Woodward said, “All leadership all boils down to hope.  You can live thirty days without food.  You can live three days without water.  You can live three minutes without air, but you can’t live three seconds without hope.”

Hope for a brighter future will arm you with expectancy in the present. Do you have your “hopes up” in anticipation for great things to come?  All of us have the seeds of greatness on the inside and many times all it takes to grow those seeds is hope and a steadfast belief that things will get better. Sadly, it’s hard for people to believe life’s best is in their deck of cards.

Today it is does not take a PhD in psychology to notice the lack of hope many people possess.  People have been sold a bill of goods this past year by politicians, corporate executives, and bureaucrats promising a “change or hope for the future.”  Due to poor results, false promises, and poor character choices; many people trusting those messengers have been left with a very poor taste in their mouth.  In fact, now a days it is more common for people to say, “Don’t get your hopes” because people are tired of being let down.

I am here to tell you it is okay to get your hopes up! For the remainder of this article I want to lay out four practical points to turn your HOPE into a promise, instead of hype. In fact, if you apply these four cornerstones of hope in your life I promise you will increase the odds of having your hopes fulfilled. 

All leaders have the innate ability to see the unseen or to see things in the future before they exist in the present.  That’s called having a vision. You see, a person that relies on what he/she can only see in the present will always be at the mercy of the person that has a hope or faith things will get better.  Why? What we chose to focus on compounds.  In other words, if you focus on the problems of today they will compound feelings of disappointment. On the flipside, if you focus on the treasures of what will result by conquering those very same problems, you will think of solutions to help get you out of the problems of today.  That vision is what causes hope and expectancy when life hits us the hardest.  

However, I want to be very clear that hoping and waiting is not a strategy that will yield positive results.  You have to hope and implement! By executing the four cornerstones of hope you will be rewarded with a realistic expectation of a brighter future

1. Habits – One time I heard a speaker say something that really impacted me.  He said, “All of us are here learning about success and right now all of us believe we can achieve our dreams.  How come then will very few of us will ever achieve them?” I was completely stunned that he said that. I mean, you just felt the air go right out of the auditorium.  Then I learned how important habits were to the achievement of my dream when he said, “The reason why many people won’t has nothing to do with talent, all of us are talented.  The reason is that our daily habits don’t align with our dreams.” I define frustration as having a big dream, but possessing poor daily habits.  You can’t acquire the dream before you develop the right habits; you have to develop the right habits before you acquire the dream.  Claim victory over your life and over time, with the right habits, you will have it.

2. Opportunity – Orrin Woodward has said many times, “Our greatest fear is not that we don’t succeed, our greatest fear is that we succeed at something that doesn’t matter.” Stop focusing too much on the good that it causes you to forget about the great. Focus on the great so it causes you to forget about the good!! Not all opportunities fit into our lives, but we can grow ourselves to fit into just about any opportunity. Most of what we do, to some extent, makes us stretch out of our comfort zone, but opportunities that give us the greatest hope never require us to stretch out of our gift zone- they require us to strengthen our talents! Opportunities that don’t align with your strengths are what should scare you. When you don’t do things that align with your talent then the best you can ever be is average.  What type of hope does average provide for any of us? 

3. Productivity – Like you, there are certain things I am good at doing and there are things that no matter how much work I put into them it still yields terrible results.  Let me give you an example - I am terrible at cooking.  There have been times when I have invested so much effort in the kitchen and after spending hours there was absolutely zero improvement.  That was a very humbling moment for me because it made me realize I don’t have to be good at everything, but I do need to be great at something.  Too many people are a mile wide with activities they take on, but unfortunately they end up being an inch deep in productivity or effectiveness.  I made a decision that I would rather be an inch wide and a mile deep in something that I was productive at doing and that made a difference in the lives of others.  For me, life is too short doing things that result in average accomplishments. It has nothing to do with me not believing in my abilities, but it has everything to do with me knowing my abilities!

4. Expectancy - Too many people believe the best things for their life, but sit around and wait for them to come to pass.  Believing is only half the story.  The rest of the story is making preparations and acting on your beliefs.  That is what living expectantly means.  Living your life should not be a passive thing.  When we live expectantly, we have anticipation for what the future will hold.

Apply these four cornerstones of H.O.P.E. and get ready to live life expectantly. 

Lead On,

Matt Franks

Orrin Woodward – New Top 25 Leadership Guru in the World!

This article is dedicated to my good friend, mentor, and best selling leadership author Orrin Woodward. Recently in an announcement by, TopLeadershipGurus.com, Orrin was selected as one of the Top 25 Leadership practitioners in the world! For many of the people that have had the privilege of hearing Orrin teach his relevant and impactful leadership principles this award comes as no surprise. However, for others that haven’t read any of Orrin’s bestselling books or heard him speak; I would like to take this opportunity to highlight why many business leaders and other leadership thought leaders have voted Orrin onto this list.

1. Never teaches beyond his example – Many leaders in today’s modern day culture know principles, but few live out those convictions. As a result they tend to lead on intentions rather then actual example. It’s rare to find someone that not only teaches timeless principles, but then goes out and acts on them. Orrin is one of the few thought leaders in the leadership industry that has actually gone out and built a business applying the principles he teaches instead of just writing about principles in a book.

2. Has a tremendous hunger to learn – One of the greatest coaches of all time, John Wooden, said “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” If leaders do not continue to grow and learn they will fall back mentally and in influence. There is no staying the same in leadership - you are either growing or shrinking. Many leaders become to confident and believe they have all the answers. I have heard Orrin say many times, “I hate the term expert because and expert has all the answers and we are really all students attempting to learn every day.”

3. Leads an organization without force – The purist form of leadership is when you can lead another person without force or fear. If a person can’t lead without a title then giving that person a title will yield the same results. Orrin has developed a worldwide business empire on a purely volunteer and pay for performance culture. In other words people follow his leadership not because they have to, but because they want to. He has constantly given his best to his organization and as a return he has gotten the best from his organization.

According to the, TopLeadershipGurus.com website, the Selection Criteria for inclusion on the Top 25 Leadership Gurus List is as follows:

1. Those listed must be full-time contributors to the field of leadership;

2. Those listed must be published authors on the topic of leadership;

3. Those listed must be frequent Keynote speakers on the topic of leadership

4. Those listed must have a credible personal brand based upon their digital footprint, public voting, quality and dispersion of publications and writing, etc.;

5. Those listed must possess outstanding character and professional reputation.

On a personal note, I have been in the corporate leadership development industry for many years and have frequently conversed and worked with several top corporate leaders and leadership authors. Orrin has come into the leadership world by storm over the past two years and his impact has been remarkable! In addition to his recent nomination into this prestigious leadership fraternity he has also achieved many other milestones over the past two years in the leadership community:

- Top 10 Leadership Guru’s to follow on Twitter

- Over 90,000 people following on Twitter

- HR’s Top 100 Blogs for Management and Leadership

- Top 10 Blog for Team Building

- Alltop Leadership Selection

- Universities Online Top 100 Leadership Blog

- “Top 250 Most Interesting People” on Twitter

Congratulations Orrin and know the applause of what you have done today will pale in comparison to the impact your leadership will have on the great assignments you have ahead of you to conquer!

Lead On,

Matt Franks