Read Books with INTENTIONAL EFFORT #LeadersAreReaders December 2023

Perhaps the problem with our reading isn’t the lack of time or interest but how we approach books. Reading is a skill and it takes an INTENTIONAL EFFORT to read with a purpose. Eugene Peterson writes, “Among our ancestors reading involved a seeking after wisdom, becoming a mature person. With us, it is more likely to be a retrieval of information so that we can answer a question or do a job. Spiritual reading is not contemptuous of information, but it has wisdom for its goal: becoming true and good, not just knowing the facts of life...” (Eat This Book, pg. 241).

Reading for information may be necessary, but it won't make us mature. Reading, alongside spiritual disciplines such as prayer and meditation, can be life-giving! God will reveal Himself and His truth to us through these practices. Words have the power - especially the Scripture - not only to transmit information, but through the work of the Holy Spirit, they can supernaturally awaken our hearts and impact our lives. Books can draw us closer to the heart of God. So, read! Read with INTENTIONAL EFFORT.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #ReadWithIntentionalEffort #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Romans 1:5-7 The Chief End of the Gospel (#LetterToTheRomans)

"Through [Lord Jesus Christ our Lord] whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations" (Romans 1:5). There are four (4) things that we need to know about the Gospel ������✍ #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TheChiefEndOfTheGospel

To watch previous short studies of #LetterToTheRomans CLICK HERE ��� http://bit.ly/LegasiRomans 

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                       
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify         
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/     

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Why Does God Let Us Get Old and Weak?

A woman who was facing the difficulties of aging asked Bible teacher J. Robertson McQuilkin, "Why does God let us get old and weak?" He replied:

“I think God has planned the strength and beauty of youth to be physical. But the strength and beauty of old age are spiritual. We gradually lose the strength and beauty that is temporary, so we’ll be sure to concentrate on the strength and beauty which is forever. And so we'll be eager to leave the temporary, deteriorating part of us and be truly homesick for our eternal home. If we stayed young and strong and beautiful, we might never want to leave."

Are you just grow old or are you also getting more godly? Is your growing old making you any closer to Christ?

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #OldAgeMoreGrace #StillBearFruitInOldAge

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                       
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify         
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/     

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World (2014) by Orianna Fielding, Book Review

 
Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World (2014) by Orianna Fielding

I'm very interested in digital psychology and the impact of digital technology on our mental health for many years now (for book and TED Talk recommendations, see lists below). And thus, the research studies and the author's personal experiences, although some of the ways she processes the information are unique, are very familiar to me. But it's good to be reminded over and over again about the dangers of digital addiction and how to overcome it. "Connectivity now permeates every area of our lives," admits Fielding, an internationally recognized designer, and curator, "Technology has enabled us to do things that ten years ago were unthinkable. It has also completely changed many of the elements that historically formed the foundation of how we lived and interacted with each other, increasingly adversely affecting the most essential and fundamental elements of being human."

Granted, every one of us thinks about technology differently and our level of relationship to it is based on our context, purpose, and personality. Let's talk about the most familiar digital technology: social media on the smartphone. For example, I don't see any intrinsic value in Twitter because either the post is too trivial (mean useless to know) or abridge (mean too short to care). But for my friend, Peter, Twitter is just right because he only wanted to know the main headline of the news. I also see Instagram as non-beneficial for me because the Algorithm is specially designed for users to post as frequently as possible and looking at mosaic photos of myself is just weird (plus, I'm not that attractive). But for a businesswoman like Sarah, Instagram is a haven for potential customers, or Jilian, a social media model, Instagram is just the right tool to showcase her beauty and beauty products. However, I love YouTube and Spotify the most because they contain wide treasures of knowledge, information, and entertainment. I spent most of my time here as opposed to any other social media. So you see, the way we choose to connect with our social media is not one-size-fits-all. But do you know what is our similarity? To some degree, all of us are ADDICTED to social media - and generally speaking, to digital technology. Like it or not, "we are living in a culture dominated by digital excess."

At the beginning of the book, Fielding outlines 12 signs of digital overload. Let me share the 6 most frequent signs, in summary: 1) Checking your digital device first thing in the morning, getting up during the night to check for messages, and regularly using some form of digital device in bed; 2) Checking your smartphone while at a meal with others; 3) Spending little time outside and often eating at your desk; 4) Getting distracted easily even when offline and finding it hard to focus fully on one task; 5) Being with family members but spending most of your time at home on a device; and 6) Wanting to stop using your smartphone and finding that you just can't, having tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to control your internet use. If you can identify with most of these signs, then, this may be a good indicator that it might be the right time for you to unplugged, undertake a digital detox, and reboot your life. I believe it is not about letting go of digital technology altogether - in fact, if we want to progress in life, we must embrace it - but making sure that it doesn't control our lives. Fielding equips: "Unplugging is not so much a disconnection as a fine-tuning of our inner search engine. Practicing moderation by finding a workable balance between our digital connectivity and our real-life connections is the key to establishing a new digital protocol where we can be fully present in our lives while using our digital devices as the tools they were designed to be."

There are lots of tips, suggestions, and very useful digital detox ideas outline in this book. It is never mean to be taken literally but you must try it for yourself first (remember, our context, purpose, and personality are different) and modify your practices along the way. Think big, start small, go deep. Perhaps, you can join me in reading books!  #1Book1Week ��� I know you can if you read this till the end ��� It is possible! ��������� #Unplugged #DigitalDetox #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

 Book and TED Talk recommendations:

 1) Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success In a Distracted World (2016) by Cal Newport. CLICK HERE to read my review. Watch his TED Talk too.

 2) Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive In a World of Distraction (2018) by Christ Bailey. Watch his TED Talk too. I didn't manage to write a review for this one.

 3) Six Books on the Effect of Technology & Social Media. CLICK HERE to see my recommendations.

4) TEDx Talk: What You Are Missing While Being a Digital Zombie by Patrik Wincent https://youtu.be/TAIxb42FjwE  

5) TED Talk: Connected, But Alone? by Sherry Turkle https://youtu.be/t7Xr3AsBEK4 

6) How about documentaries? Let me suggest two - Disconnected (2017) directed by Salem Habbous https://youtu.be/MkIiMP--1h8 & The Social Dilemma (2020) directed by Jeff Orlowski on Netflix

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                      
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/              
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/    

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

 

What Happened To Your Dreams?

We are all born dreamers! When we were young, we were passionate about our dreams, we were excited about life and we truly believe we can be and do anything! But over the years, as we grow older, we are busy making a living and we are so caught up with the daily routines that we forget to dream anymore. Hey, what happened to your dreams? #ServeToLead #FeedYourDreams #LookForOpportunities #TakeActions #DreamBig

To watch other short videos on personal development, go to > http://bit.ly/LegasiSelfDevelopment 

To learn the 15th Law of Growth, go to > http://bit.ly/The15Laws 

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/ 

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/ 

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/ 

YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Do You Know Where Are You Going?

A man had difficulty with his memory. He went to the doctor. The doctor said, "The only way we can help your memory is to impair your eyesight. Which do you want to retain - your eyesight or your memory?" The man answered, "Don't take away my sight. I'd rather see where I'm going than remember where I've been."

Do you know where are you going? If you do, then start growing too. Watch my videos on The Laws of Growth on YouTube > http://bit.ly/LEGASItv #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #GoalsKeepYouGoing

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/ 

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/ 

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/ 

YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Lord, Heal My Tongue: The Reason You Have a Tongue (Part 8/9)

"Our tongues are our glory," said Derek Prince. You might ask why. The answer is because the Creator gave each of us a tongue for one supreme purpose - to glorify Him. The only reason for a tongue is that with it you and I may glorify God. That is why our tongues become our glory. It is the member by which, above all others, we may glorify the Creator.

[This is a reading from Derek Prince's Does Your Tongue Need Healing? (1986) by Derek Prince Ministries International. Published by Whitaker House] #ServeToLead #HealMyTongue

_____________

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/

YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv

Blog: https://www.richardangelus.me/

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

12 Rules for Life #7 Pursue What Is Meaningful, Not What Is Expedient (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by Jordan B. Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018). One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

“Order is not enough. You can’t just be stable, and secure, and unchanging, because there are still vital and important new things to be learned. Nonetheless, chaos can be too much. You can’t long tolerate being swamped and overwhelmed beyond your capacity to cope while you are learning what you still need to know. Thus, you need to place one foot in what you have mastered and understood and the other in what you are currently exploring and mastering. Then you have positioned yourself where the terror of existence is under control and you are secure, but where you are also alert and engaged. That is where there is something new to master and some way that you can be improved. That is where meaning is to be found.”

(Jordan Peterson)

Meaning is about the way you protect yourself from “all the suffering that life entails.” All people get emotionally wounded by life so they have to find something to make the pain worthwhile. According to Peterson, meaning is like an instinct or a form of vision that lets you know whether you are in the right place or not. The right place is somewhere in between chaos and order. If you stay safe within order all the time and facing only things you understand, you won’t be able to develop further and won’t grow. On the other hand, if you stay within chaos then you’ll get lost. The best choice is to leave your safe point and try to risk for anything that’s worthwhile, without losing your path to chaos. “We require routine and tradition. That’s order. Order can become excessive, and that’s not good, but chaos can swamp us, so we drown— and that is also not good,” writes Peterson, so, “We need to stay on the straight and narrow path.”

Expediency [synonyms for convenience] is what people do to get themselves out of trouble here and now, but the drawback of this is that “they sacrifice the future for the present.” That means that expediency is only good for temporarily escaping your problems. In order to countermeasure this – aim high. Stop doing whatever will make you avoid your problems temporarily and try to see around. Understand what things you can improve and improve them. You’ll eventually gain knowledge and more experience but be cautious not to fall in the trap of becoming arrogant and remain humble (I have to admit that is as hard as keeping the balance between chaos and order but both are worthy to keep in mind).

Peterson also mentions the importance of being aware of our weaknesses. These may be our secret resentments, cowardice, hatred and other failings. Learn to be lenient when you accuse others because “all people conceal evil impulses.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/

YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv

Blog: https://www.richardangelus.me/

The Power of Positive Leadership (2017) by Jon Gordon, Book Review

The Power of Positive Leadership: How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World (2017) by Jon Gordon

Jon Gordon is famous for his bestseller, The Energy Bus, his first book about a man whose life and career are in trouble until he learns great lessons from a unique bus driver and colorful passengers how to overcome adversity and be positive in his outlooks, leadership, relationship, and teamwork. The Energy Bus’s main character is based on Jon’s own life, and if you already read that book, you’ll appreciate this one because The Power of Positive Leadership is a book about how to turn from a negative zombie to a positive leader. As a leader, we will surely face obstacles, failures, and test daily and there are times when it seems as if everything in the world is turning against us. But take heart, we don’t have to be bitter and become losers. We can choose to be positive. “We are not positive because life is easy,” writes Jon Gordon, “We are positive because life can be hard.”

I love this one: “Positive leadership is not about fake positivity. It is the real stuff that makes great leaders great. Pessimists don’t change the world. Critics write words but they don’t write the future. Naysayers talk about problems but they don’t solve them. Throughout history, we see that it’s the optimists, the believers, the dreamers, the doers, and the positive leaders who change the world.” So true! I read lots of leadership books and dozens of biographies of the great (and worst) leaders and I never read about negative leaders who make the world a better place. There is no need for me to share what the research says about how positivity affects leadership, relationships, business, workplace, teamwork, emotional health, and productivity. The question is not WHY positive leadership is important, but HOW to be a positive leader. And so, with compelling stories (there are many good stories here), practical ideas and practices, Jon Gordon shares 9 Frameworks on how we can utilize and implement his positive leadership principles into action:

#1 Positive Leaders Drive Positive Cultures. “Culture is not just one thing. It’s everything” (Jon Gordon)

#2 Positive Leaders Create and Share a Positive Vision. “It is important to have a compelling vision and a comprehensive plan. Positive leadership – conveying the idea that there is always a way forward – is so important because that is what you are here for – to figure out how to move the organization forward” (Alan Mulally)

#3 Positive Leaders Lead with Optimism, Positivity and Belief. “The most important characteristic of a leader is optimism” (Bob Iger)

#4 Positive Leaders Confront, Transform and Remove Negativity. “Being positive won’t guarantee you’ll succeed but being negative will guarantee you won’t” (Jon Gordon)

#5 Positive Leaders Create United and Connected Teams. “It’s the leader’s ability to unite and connect people that truly creates great teams and organizations” (Jon Gordon)

#6 Positive Leaders Built Great Relationships and Teams. “Leadership comes down to taking care of the people in your organization and making them the best they can be, not giving up on them and never failing to be there for them” (Pete Carroll)

#7 Positive Leaders Pursue Excellence. “People think you have to choose between positivity and winning. You don’t have to choose. Positivity leads to winning” (Jon Gordon)

#8 Positive Leaders Lead with Purpose. “We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it” (Jon Gordon). This is my favorite quote!

#9 Positive Leaders Have Grit. “The number one predictor and factor of success is not talent, title, wealth or appearance. It is grit!” (Jon Gordon)

When I first read the title of this book, I think of Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking. While positive thinking will help me in my personal life, positive leadership will not only impact my own but also others’ lives such as my family, friends, Bible Study group, team and organization. As Jon Gordon ends this book, he writes, “When you become a positive leader, you will not only make yourself better, but you will also make everyone around you better – and that’s a great place to start!” I fully recommend this book not only to professionals and business leaders but to anyone who wants to be 1% more better every day. I also recommend that you subscribe to Jon Gordon’s Positive University Podcast too.  

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/

Blog: https://www.richardangelus.me/                  

YouTube: https://bit.ly/2phIDSN

Angelus' Quote: Get this Les Brown's Hunger Recipe!

"When you want something so badly that you refuse to let go, you will probably get it," says Les Brown, my favorite motivational speaker. This is what he called "hunger." Les believes that "when a person gets discouraged, and they will, it takes hunger to develop the courage to try again and again and never quit. Some people are naturally hungry. Others are not hungry enough."

I define "hunger" as a POWERFUL DETERMINATION, almost a consuming fire. When I was rejected by CF due to some outside influence, I cried, but get back up again. When my blog URL was blocked twice this year, I don't give up. When my writing was wrongly accused of causing trouble, I write anyway! I'm HUNGRY! 👇Learn this Les Brown's Hunger Recipe:

1) TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE 😎 Stop blaming other people and past negative circumstances for where you are. It is up to you to accomplish your dreams

2) READ AND LISTEN 👂😷 Les would say consume inspirational and motivational tapes. I would like to add, read books on your strengths and interest. Listen to audiobooks and podcasts too

3) DEVELOP A SENSE OF URGENCY 🕰 Take actions now that will move you toward your goals

4) GET AROUND SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE 😊 Find out what motivates them. Pick up their attitudes, especially. Include them in step 2)

5) DEVELOP COURAGE 💪 Overcome your fears. Push them aside. Unmask them and then master them

6) CONTEMPLATE YOUR MORTALITY 🙏 Predict the accomplishments you desire to achieve by the end of life. If you die today, are your life fulfilling God's purpose and desire?

7) PUSH YOURSELF 👊 Operate on a massive, relentless scale in order to accomplish your goals

"With a powerful hunger for your dreams driving you," Les believes, "you will be surprised at the ideas that will come, at the people you will be able to attract and at the opportunities that will unfold." You got to be hungry! #GrowingLeader

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/

Blog: https://www.richardangelus.me/

Angelus' Quote: Make the Most of Every Opportunity

In many ways, life is defined by opportunities seized or missed. As leaders, we are to take advantage of opportunities by responding with bold action when we recognize them (this is important) as God-given chances to participate in his purpose.

Respond quickly and work hard to maximize the situation you are in. Be willing to arrange your agenda in order to take advantage of any opportunity. Make yourself available and keep your eyes open for what God will bring your way 😉

_______________________

BUY CHEAP BOOKS: https://my.carousell.com/richard_angelus/

FB Page: https://web.facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/

Follow IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/

Blog: https://www.richardangelus.me/

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Leaders Don't Give Up When Leading Gets Difficult (Angelus Leadership Video)

[Video original source: YouTube, Little Zen Monkey🙉]

There come times in the lives of all great leaders when they are pushed to their physical, emotional, mental or spiritual limits. Fatigued, exhausted and drained by their experiences, they still relentlessly pursue their journey. They never give up. It is their attitude and mindset to hold on to their hopes, dreams, determination and life’s purpose.

Pause and reflect a moment on the words of other great leaders who shared their counsel and learning about giving up 💪🙃🙏:

“When you exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven’t.” (Thomas Edison)

“Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” (Albert Einstein)

“Having a rough morning? Place your hand over your heart. Feel that? That’s called purpose… you’re alive for a reason. Don’t give up.” (Melissa Joy)

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” (Vince Lombardi)

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” (Babe Ruth)

“Falling down is how we grow. Staying down is how we die.” (Brian Vaszily)

______________________

FB Page: https://web.facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/

IG: https://instagram.com/richard_angelus

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Engaging the Hearts and Minds of All Your Employees (2018) by Lee J. Cohan, Book Review

Engaging the Hearts and Minds of All Your Employees:
How to Ignite Passionate Performance for Better Business Results (2009, 2018)
by Lee J. Cohan

Truly this is the classic leadership guide to engaging and inspiring employees. I read this book from the perspectives of employer and employee. In this way, I get the most benefits. I asked myself this question, “Am I excited to come to work?” frequently when I read it. This question is important because Lee Cohan defines three different types of employees that may best represent what type of employee I am now. Which one are you? #1 Engaged employees love their work and look forward to it every day; #2 Disengaged employees “punch the clock” but are not involved in the work, and #3 Actively disengaged employees don’t like their work and let it be known throughout the workplace. If you’re a leader, you already know which category you want your employees or team to fall into (hint: #1). You see, engaging leader invest time and energy into the team because he/she knows that engaged team is more likely to: stay with the organization, perform at high levels, influence others to perform well, promote the organization externally, deliver unparalleled customer service, etc.

As a leader, you must avoid #2 and #3 (especially) at all cost. Why? Because as Lee Cohan points out, the disengaged employees will most likely bring harm and toxicity in the organization. “A Gallop poll found only 26% of U.S. employees are fully engaged at any time. At the other end of the spectrum, 19% of employees are actively disengaged, meaning they intentionally act in ways that negatively impact their organizations. The annual cost, nationwide, to employ this actively disengaged group exceeds $300 billion” (Gallop Management Journal, 2001). $300 billion! If we were to do polling in Malaysia, with the state and attitude of Malaysian employees nowadays, I think we can use the annual cost of disengagement to cover 1MDB lost in 3 years! Disengagement is very costly. Here are some symptoms of disengagement: increase turnover, missed deadlines, low morale, high burnout rates, complacency, finger-pointing and name-calling, lack of accountability and responsivity, and increased absenteeism. “Disengagement is simply the result of unfulfilled needs” writes Lee Cohan.

So in this book, Lee Cohan identifies the six basics needs to be required to fully engage your employees or team. Three (3) of these needs are emotional and the other three (3) are intellectual (refer to pic). “Engaged minds build employee performance,” explains the author, “engaged hearts ignite people’s passion.” By engaging the hearts AND minds of employees, they will achieve Passionate Performance. “Passionate Performance is about passion and performance” – this is what Lee called engaged employees. Let me summaries each needs one by one:

The Intellectual Side: Engaging the Mind. “Thought, not money, is the real business capital,” said Harvey S. Firestone. To engaged people’s minds, they need:

#1 Achievement. We all want to succeed at something. Two key strategies to fulfill your employees’ need for achievement include: 1) Eliminate barriers to achievement by ensuring that your team has the resources to achieve the result you want, get into the fundamentals, match authority and responsibility levels, and be decisive, and 2) Define crystal clear goals by using the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-framed).

#2 Autonomy. We all want to control our work. Two key strategies to fulfill your employees’ need for autonomy include: 1) Involve employees in improving their work processes such as making it easy for them to implement ideas and listen at least 50% of the time in order to prevent blind spots; and 2) Set broad yet clear boundaries, let your team determine the best methods to achieve their goals.

#3 Mastery. People have the need to develop expert skills and/or knowledge. Two key strategies to fulfill your employees’ need for mastery include: 1) Fit person to position for ‘highest and best use’ by designing sweet spot jobs; and 2) Seize teachable moments to coach employees to make them be better people, not just better employees.

The Emotional Side: Engaging the Heart. “It’s not the size of the man,” writes Evander Holyfield, “but the size of his heart that matters.” To engaged people’s hearts, they need:

#4 Purpose. We all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Two key strategies to fulfill your employees’ need for purpose include: 1) Create a compelling purpose for yourself and your team by asking “Why do we ultimately do what we do?”; and 2) Stay focused on activities that directly support your team’s purpose because time and energy are very previous.

#5 Intimacy. Everybody wants to feel like they belong. Two keys strategies to fulfill your employees’ need for intimacy include: 1) Maintain the sense of smallness by creating more, smaller teams as you grow rather than fewer larger teams; and 2) Create rituals and celebrations. Focus on only one or two new rituals to ensure 100% reliability in performing them and keep it simple.

#6 Appreciation. People want to be recognized for their work. Two key strategies to fulfill your employees’ need for appreciation include: 1) Find opportunities to appreciate employee’s contributions. Make your employee recognition personal, memorable, sincere and meaning full; and 2) Demonstrate a sincere interest in your employees as people. Remember: Leadership is [still] a high-touch job.

I love this book. Short, packed and full of wisdom. Read it and get ready to change your perspective!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

To WATCH my REVIEW of this book on YouTube, CLICK HERE: https://youtu.be/GW-6NTrAmRE

QUOTES ON LEADERSHIP LEGASI.tv: https://web.facebook.com/pg/LEGASI.tv/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/richard_angelus/

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-angelus/

CAROUSELL: https://my.carousell.com/richard_angelus/

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose (2010) by Tony Hsieh, Book Review

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose (2010)
by Tony Hsieh

I never heard of Zappos 2-3 years ago. As far as I can remember, I might have read a sentence or two about this unique company in the many books that I read in my entire life (well of course, since I’m really interested in entrepreneur and business books only last year). I never bought any shoes from Zappos. I was clueless to who Tony Hsieh is. In short, to be honest, I never thought that I will finish reading this book and enjoying it! As my learning habit, to maximize my understanding, along with reading the book, I will also listen to the author’s interviews on YouTube and Podcast. After I read and listened to Tony’s talks online, I became Zappos’ fan and loss for a word to describe what I have read. Thanks to Jonathan Haidt, his praise for this book echoes mine: “This book illustrates so many of Zappos’ core values: It’s open and honest, passionate and humble, fun and a little weird.” In his humorous, genuine spirit (he shares stories of successes and failures too) and geniusity (I just made up that word), Tony shows that a business is not just about money but it’s also about Delivering Happiness to the customers and employees.

“It’s important to constantly challenge and stretch yourself,” writes Tony, “and not be stuck in a job where you don’t feel like you are growing or learning.” Tony is born as an entrepreneur. When he was a kid, he started a worm farm business! In college, he running a pizza business. Then after few years graduating (and working), he quits a high-paid job to cofounded LinkExchange. In the first section of this book (entitled Profits), he tells stories of him growing up, adventures and rebellions as a young entrepreneur and eventually became a CEO of Zappos at the age of 20 something. In the middle of this book, Tony start to think about what’s matter in life, he writes, “I made a list of the happiest periods in my life, and I realized that none of them involved money. I realized that building stuff and being creative and inventive made me happy.” And so, in the second section (entitled Profits and Passion), Tony outlines how the philosophy of happiness and purpose infiltrate into the blood and bones of Zappos’ business systems. Company culture based on happiness is more important and influential than the marketing strategy. “What’s the best way to build a brand for the long term?” Tony asked, “In a word: culture.” “For individuals, the character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny.” “Your culture is your brand.”

To create a WOW culture, Zappos committed to these 10 core values:

1) Deliver WOW Through Service

2) Embrace and Drive Change

3) Create Fun and a Little Weirdness

4) Be Adventurous, Creative and Open-Minded

5) Pursue Growth and Learning

6) Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication

7) Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

8) Do More with Less

9) Be Passionate and Determined

10) Be Humble

In the book, Tony explains each of the core values in detail and share some stories from the employees as they applied the values into their work and life. Very inspiring. If you own a company or working in HR or thinking of starting a business, reading Chapter 5 Platform for Growth: Brand, Culture, Pipeline is worth your time and attention. The ideas, examples, and inspirations will make you think about how important customer service is and the culture in the company.

In the third section (entitled Profits, Passion and Purpose), Tony outlines the ‘marriage’ of Zappos with Amazon, Zappos’ vision for taking things to the next level, and how Zappos’ vision can become ours. “Zappos is about delivering happiness to the world.” The evolution of Zappos’ vision over the years is very interesting. 1999 – Largest Selection of Shoes; 2003 – Customer Service; 2005 – Culture and Core Values as Our Platform; 2007 – Personal Emotional Connection; 2009 – Delivering Happiness. “If happiness is everyone’s ultimate goal,” Tony asks his readers in the last chapter, “wouldn’t it be great if we could change the world and get everyone and every business thinking in that context and that framework?” Yes, let’s change the world. Let’s deliver happiness to the world by making yourself happy (by tapping into your passion and live with a higher purpose) and making others happy (that’s the real profit right there!).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.