Leadership Training - the Universal Success Formula

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The Universal Success Formula

We all want to be more successful. But how does one do that?

Answer: Be guided by "success principles".

What are success principles?

Success principles are a set of generalised instructions that lay down the steps that you need to take, in order to achieve a certain goal.
There are success principles for every field of endeavour.

Here is a success principle for managing your money:

• "Spend less money than you earn and
• invest the difference in things that gain value over time" (gold)

Simple! If you did that, your money worries would decrease, over time.

Here is the opposite failure principle for managing your money:

• "Spend more money than you earn
• borrow the difference and
• blow it all on things that lose value over time (cars)

If you did that your money worries would INCREASE over time.

Get the idea?

Here is a success principle for managing your health:

Concentrate on the improving the following three elements of your daily habits:

1. Quality sleep
2. Quality nutrition
3. Quality exercise programme

If you did that your health would increase over time.

Here is an opposite Failure principle for mis-managing your health:

Concentrate the following:

1. Suffer with lack of sleep (continue to stay up late by watching TV into the small hours)
2. Poor nutrition (eat and drink far too much of the wrong things)
3. Keep to your "Non-existent exercise" programme.

If you did that, your health worries would increase over time.

There are success principles for everything!

"The universal success formula"

Here is a five-word universal success formula that describes the steps of all successful action:

1. Purpose
2. Plan
3. Action
4. Feedback
5. Change

All successful action is an expression of this universal success formula.
All successful action, whether it is biological, mechanical, man-made or natural will follow this same formula.

Example of nature using the universal success formula
Darwinian evolution uses the universal success formula in the following way:

1. Purpose

What is the purpose of a living thing?

Answer: To live long and prosper, and thus reproduce its kind.

2. Plan

The plan to achieve that purpose is encoded in the D.N.A. molecule which is the chemical blueprint for the construction, maintenance, and function of the organism.

3. Action

Upon fertilisation of the egg the D.N.A. code is activated and the body builds protein enzymes that operate as the catalysts for every action and reaction that your body enacts during your lifetime.

4. Feedback

The feedback comes in two kinds:

• Negative feedback - you fall sick and die.
• Positive feedback - you continue to live long and prosper!

5. Change

As a result of the feedback results the collective gene-pool of the species changes; It adapts to more successfully live long and prosper in its environmental niche.

So note the following:

In order to live long and prosper, you must continually adapt your plan, according to the feedback results your current actions are producing.

Example of man-made use of the success formula:

1. Purpose
2. Plan
3. Action
4. Feedback
5. Change

Place a man on the moon

1. Purpose

President John F. Kennedy's Special Address to Congress May 25, 1961

"First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth".

2. Plan

N.A.S.A. assembles a team of top engineers, mathematicians, physicist, and biologists and captured Nazis (!) (Werner Von BRAUN and his team of Nazi V5 rocket designers) to begin building detailed plans, procedures, protocols and policies; culminating in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programmes.

3. Action

The rockets were built and tested.

The men were selected and tested.

4. Feedback

The feedback came in two kinds:

• Negative feedback- in 1967 three astronauts perish: flight commander Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee, were burned up during the testing of Apollo I command capsule.
• Positive feedback- in 1969 Neil Armstrong steps out onto the moon saying "That's one small step for (a) man: one giant leap for mankind".

5. Change

The NASA program continues to adapt and change from the Apollo program to become the Space orbital shuttle program, and then the International space station and then....
to infinity and beyond!

Could you use the success formula too?

Yes! Here is how............

1. Purpose

Define and clarify your purpose. Know why you want it.
Clarify your purpose in clear written statements that you review and affirm every day. Be as specific as possible.
Let people know what you want.
Become serious about your own success and become even more successful.

2. Plan

Formulate your best plan in writing. Gather the best information available and formulate a detailed written plan. The written plan acts as a blueprint for action.
Writing the plan forces you to think more accurately.
It allows you to communicate the plan to others more effectively.

3. Action

The plan is only a guide to action. Gather your courage and implement your plan with determination. Remember, a plan will not work unless you do!

4. Feedback

Be sensitive to the feedback results your current actions are creating.
Perfect knowledge is impossible, so most plans do not work well the first time.
Notice where your current actions are "on target" and where you are "off target".
Then party or ponder.
Never mistake criticism, setbacks, or temporary defeat as permanent failure.
Instead, regroup, ponder the meaning of the result and come back stronger with a better plan.

5. Change

Make the changes necessary. Embrace change.
Forge ahead by constantly adapting, changing and improving according to the critical feedback information.
Even better, anticipate the changes necessary
Then you will feel you are powered on by the winds of change, rather than being buffeted by them.
By repetition of thought:

Plant "the universal success formula" into your subconscious mind and make it your "Standard operating procedure".

1. Purpose
2. Plan
3. Action
4. Feedback
5. Change

For more information about the success formula see our leadership training course visit the Corporate Coach Group website

About the Author: Chris Farmer

Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years’ experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.

Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.

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Further Reading in Change Management

• Why do people hate change?
  Humans find change difficult. Fundamentally, we are creatures of habit. We operate according to habits which we repeat every day and we find it difficult to change our habits, even our bad habits.
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• How to Manage Rapid Change
  In a rapidly evolving society, managers must acknowledge and adapt to technological, political, and social changes. Embracing change is crucial for improvement, and refusing to adapt carries consequences, so change management is a vital skill.
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• Effectively manage change
  Effectively Manage Change Change management training is important because there have been enormous changes in the way that we shop, how we entertain ourselves, how we spend our leisure time and how we do business. But for many, this change means a feeling of uncertainty. Most people don't like uncertainty: they...
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• What are the Principles of Change Management?
  The eight principles of change management are a useful framework for understanding how to manage change effectively. By applying these principles, organisations can make progress towards their goals.
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• Management training: Continuous improvement cycle
  Management training: Continuous improvement cycle The role of a manager is to induce the best performance from the team. If the manager is not inducing a better performance from the team, than what the team would have achieved if the manager was not there, then the manager is superfluous to need...
  Read Article >

Looking for Change Management Training?

Leadership training for new managers courses are popular. If you're interested, you may find this Change Management Training Course beneficial:

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In-House Course Available Call us on 020 3856 3037 to discuss your requirements or Read More >