Grit in Your Craw by Robert Luckadoo (book review)

Grit in Grit in Your Craw
The 8 Strengths You Need to Succeed in Business and in Life
Author:  Robert Luckadoo
Publisher:  Southern Flair Communications
Published:  2015
Genre:  self-help/business
Source:  a copy was provided by Cadence Group Marketing in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
ISBN:  9780990785606
Available http://www.amazon.com/Grit-Your-Craw-Strengths-Business/dp/0990785602/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Do you have confidence, discipline and a sense of purpose?  Are you diligent, resilient, tenacious, optimistic and flexible?  We all do, and we all have what it takes to succeed.  All that¹s required is a willingness to dig deep and a personal commitment to achieving your highest goals.  And of course, a little "grit in your craw" as they say in the south. 

 You¹ll be enlightened and entertained as author Robert Luckadoo¹s life stories tug at your heartstrings and inspire you to dig deep inside yourself to find the eight strengths you need to succeed in your personal and professional life.  This book will leave you with a tear in your eye, a big southern smile in your heart, and a recharged desire to be your best and find your true purpose in life.

My Thoughts:

Lately I have been enjoyed a few business and self-help books and you'll be seeing some of the reviews here.  The latest read was Grit in Your Craw by Robert Luckadoo.  It's a quick read which reiterates a lot of what you already know but in context which makes you realize how important diligence, optimism and/or resilience (for example) really is in your personal and business life.

Luckadoo teaches there are eight strengths you can't succeed without.  He doesn't believe in luck, good or bad.  He believes you can create your own fortune and he explains how he did it using eight essential qualities: diligence, tenacity, optimism, flexibility discipline, resilience, confidence and purpose.  Luckadoo has strong Christian values that come through in his writing; but don't worry, he's not preaching to you. These values are the foundation for his success.

His mother is his first example of a role model who taught him diligence, tenacity, and perseverance...she embodied all the traits he adapted for success in his own life.  When he was still in school his father died of a sudden heart attack and his mother, who had stayed at home with the kids, went to school and got her teaching degree.  She went further and got her master's for education.  She continued on as a "postgraduate student in the WCU education administration program."  She taught her children to persevere through the trials and triumphs of life and to focus on their blessings.

A private pilot who learned how to land a Cessna without barrel rolling, even in a cross-wind; a basketball coach; former insurance sales person; geophysicist and racing cars for fun; Luckadoo has worn many hats and has overcome and accomplished a lot.  

"Carry your vision with great pride and enthusiasm.  Go into every day with an optimistic outlook, and always check your troubles at the door to your office....bring lots of energy with you."  - One of his best pieces of advice.

This isn't rocket science, in fact some of it is common to human nature.  All of it can be learned behaviour which makes this book a universal resource. Whether you are looking to succeed in business or in life, Grit in Your Craw is worth the read.

The Power of Why by Amanda Lang

The Power of Why

Author:  Amanda Lang

Published:  October 2012

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Pages: 273 including an index, notes (acknowledgements/sources)

Source:  borrowed
Genre:  business

ISBN 9781443413183

Why are some people able to get so much more done in so much less time than others? Why do some companies flourish in tough times while others fail? Why are some countries more productive than others?

Through an entertaining mix of examples from the business world, insights from innovation gurus, little-known research, the experiences of business leaders and her own candid stories of life off-camera, Amanda Lang explains how asking the right questions has changed the world and how it can change you, too. From the invention of the curved shower curtain rod to the introduction of an elevator that creates electricity as it moves from floor to floor, The Power of Why persuasively spells out the connection between innovation and productivity that is so crucial in the knowledge economy.

Instead of obsessing over working smarter, we ought to focus on the instinctive urge to question that?s so natural for young children. As Lang shows, it's possible to reignite that instinct at any age and to become more innovative and productive, as well as more fulfilled in our jobs and happier in our relationships. That's the power of why.

Review:

"... paradoxically, the less willing you are to make mistakes, the more likely you may be to make them because you've narrowed your mind and drastically reduced your openness to new opportunities." (page 116, The Power of Why) 

Discussing the innovations of curious minds including one who developed a safety feature that ensures a saw will stop when it comes in contact with human flesh, another few who developed a new "chain" for Otis elevators, a man who made his hotels the epitome of hospitality.  All of these and more are discussed in The Power of Why as examples of how one can become innovative when we allow ourselves to ask questions, think beyond the typical boundaries, be creative and unafraid to fail.  

As children, we were all curious and full of questions.  The favourite word for a five year old is usually "why?"  Not because they are trying to be difficult, but because they really want to know.  Over the years spent in the educational system children are discouraged from being disruptive, the fear of failure grows and children are less inclined/discouraged to ask questions.  Amanda Lang's theory of The Power of Why encourages that childlike wonderment, the curiosity, the lack of fear of failure, and a desire to learn.  By allowing ourselves, our employees, our co-workers, our family members to think laterally, to embrace the challenges, and to respectfully question, we unleash the power of innovation and creative solutions.  

The more I read The Power of Why, the more I realized that I fit into the "play it safe" category.  I do ask questions to better learn reasoning, but I fear failure in a big way.  I don't take risks, at least not many.  Upon reading this powerful little book, I feel a little more emboldened to take on new tasks and embrace the opportunity to learn, to grow, to think laterally and to make mistakes.  Okay, that last word is still painful.  Maybe I need practice with the whole concept.

The Power of Why goes against the norm.  Author Amanda Lang encourages the reader to question why and how.  To think outside the box.  To think laterally.  The chapter on working as a team and the mentality of an employee who feels valued really struck me.  I recommended this book at work as an essential read for all employees.  The Power of Why could be an amazing tool in building a team with common aspirations and a mindset in which they acknowledge their role as valued, as an important member of a team.

Highly recommended whether you are a parent, an employee, an entrepreneur (especially!), a manager.  Whatever your role, The Power of Why is enlightening!

Now there's a book I really have to read!!!

"I Shouldn't Be Telling You This by Kate White is on my must read list!!  Though she shouldn't be telling you all her secrets, for instance: how she increasedCosmopolitan's circulation per month by half a million copies, or how to use to your advantage "bitch envy". She is giving away her trade secrets, perhaps she shouldn't but in "I Shouldn't Be Telling You This," she is. 

A successful editor of Cosmopolitan magazine brings you a sexy, intelligible if somewhat sassy guide for women in the work force.  Kate White includes advice and strategies from her own experiences in the very demanding and always competitive US magazine publishing industry.  For every career woman, here is the book to help you how to succeed!

Book Review: Reflections of a Successful Wallflower by Andrea Michaels

Reflections of a Successful Wallflower

Author:  Andrea Michaels

Copyright:  2010

Publisher:  Outskirts Press, Inc.

Pages: 310

Genre:  Biography/Business

ISBN 978-1-4327-4909-5

Source:  A complimentary copy was provided by Andrea Michaels and Bostick Communications in return for a review.  This in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

http://www.outskirtspress.com/andreamichaels/

Extraordinary Events web page:  http://www.extraordinaryevents.com/ee_main.html

From the back cover:  Who is Andrea Michaels and What Does She Know That We Don't?

Andrea Michaels is literally one of the backbones of the special events industry.  Launching her business when there was no formalized or defined marketplace, she was and still is a trailblazer, pioneering the way for others to follow.....

Reflections of a Successful Wallflower can only be compared to reading Andrea's diaries.  This first inductee into the industry Hall of Fame shares, openly and candidly, not only the public wunderkind but the inner woman.  Discover the workings of one of the foremost event producers in the world.  You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll be in disbelief and fascinated at the same time.  She is a storyteller, and her stories and her life are great lessons for everyone.

My thoughts:  Reflections of a Successful Wallflower:  Lessons in Business Lessons in Life by Andrea Michaels is a visit to that wonderland of the special event industry.  The events her company, Extraordinary Events, organized include none other than the grand opening ceremonies of BC Place in Vancouver, Canada; corporate merger events; NASA space shuttle three-day conference and trade show; corporate holiday events; opening of the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas; incentive trips; and even the award show gala for her industry.  Andrea Michaels conjures up images spectacular to the mind including laser shows, pyrotechnic displays, grand staging, performances and so much more that you wish you could be there in person to witness it all.  Not only does she write of these events that her company staged; but she includes challenges, solutions, side notes and lessons learned along the way.  Some lessons are professional, some personal and some both.  Andrea loves what she does and in Reflections of a Successful Wallflower she shares her tips to keeping her cool under stress, like the time their tour bus was run off the road and bandits, high on drugs, robbed the passengers at gun point.  Andrea had the forethought to remove her passport, credit cards, ID, some cash and necessary items before the gunmen boarded the bus and she calmly handed over her purse without harassment.  How many people can keep their cool in a situation like that and have the forethought of mind to make sure she maintained her necessary papers and cards?  She, incidentally, was the only one on the bus to have retained her passport and necessities.

Reflections of a Successful Wallflower has invaluable advice for the event planner, the business person and the average reader alike because most of what she shares can be transferred to our daily lives.  She is inspirational, humble, smart and funny and writes an incredible memoir/guide that will have you laughing and shaking your head in disbelief.

Reflections of a Successful Wallflower is an entertaining read for all; well worth your time for the lessons and the entertaining value therein.

Highly recommended  4/5/5 

About Andrea Michaels

Andrea Michaels, an international meeting and event producer, is the President/Founder of Extraordinary Events and winner of 33 Special Event Gala Awards. She is the first inductee into the Special Event Industry Hall of Fame and a winner of both the SITE Crystal and MPI Global Paragon Awards, among many other recognitions. All of these are for impeccable and innovative meetings and events. Prominent events include the openings of Las Vegas' Venetian Hotel and that city's Town Square, Lumiere Place in St. Louis and G.M. Place in Vancouver, and international road shows for The Hong Kong Tourist Board, as well as a variety of clients globally. Additionally her seminars on Creativity, Sustainability, The Profitability of Doing Business and Anatomy of an Event have earned her international kudos. In a few words, she sets the trends; others follow.

Are We Headed for A Global Depression? Book Review: 21st Century Great Global Depression by Orest Andrew Harrison

21st Century Great Global Depression The Perfect Economic Storm
Author:  Orest Andrew Harrison
Copyright 2010
Publisher:  Outskirts Press Inc.
Genre:  Business & Economics/Financial
Pages:  136
Includes:  Forward, Disclaimer, General Outline, Table of Contents, Quotes and Expressions
ISBN 978-1-4327-5807
http://www.surviveandthrivenow.com/
Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, http://www.outskirtspress.com/, and other online retailers.

From the back cover:  How will the coming years play out? 21st Century Great Global Depression is presented not only as a historic analysis of recent economic events but also as a prognostication tool with the intended purpose to serve both as a warning and a wake-up call to our country's leaders, representatives, politicians, etc. highlighting our dire need for fiscal and political reform. It is imperative that we face our crippling budgetary problems head-on and without delay before it's too late.  Do we as a nation have what it takes to make the necessary reforms to allow the American Dream to thrive on and to ensure prosperity for future generations of Americans, or do we maintain the status quo and preside over the abject collapse of our global economic system?

My review:  This book is "a study in how we got here, what's in store, and how we as a nation might emerge from the darkness."  The darkness refers to the economic problems facing the country of the USA and in larger part, the majority of the world over.  The author, Orest Harrison, predicts a deep recession to come that will last a decade or two to work through.  Mr. Harrison says "It's time as a nation to face the music, and face our grim fiscal reality."  He goes into depth about mortgages that have become higher than the value of the homes, bail-outs for companies, consumer debt and government debt.  At the rate described herein, one is given to believe economic collapse is imminent.

However, unlike other doom and gloom books predicting an apocalypse of the financial sector, Mr. Harrison dissects the problem and offers insight to recovery.  The biggest means of which just may be for the population of the country to cut back.  Quit living beyond their means, quit living on credit, and make whatever cuts are necessary to see a financial recovery.  This advice applies to the government and business sector too, not just the consumer.  The author states that the debt of the USA is so great that if the government were to sell all it's crown owned land, they still wouldn't break even.  So far, US's largest creditor, China, has been patient in debt recovery.  Will it remain so if and when the recession becomes full blown?

Mr. Harrison states in his final chapter, "A severely humbled nation, America emerges less influential, no longer the purveyor or world reserve currency, no longer the word's sole superpower (perhaps not a superpower at all).  America is forced to go back to her roots of sane fiscal stewardship as she emerges leaner, smarter, wiser, more mature, and a more fiscally responsible nation among nations."

Despite the economic crisis, the increased crime rate, social upheaval, soaring joblessness and homelessness; America will emerge...America will not cease to exist.  Are you listening?  Now if only those in a position to do something about it, even greater than the consumer - the governing bodies, perhaps an economic downturn won't be so stark and bleak as Mr. Harrison warns.  Is this the wake-up call?

Though this book is heavy on the gloom and doom factor, it certainly does make one ponder their own financial situation.  If this creates a desire for change and a call to action for all who read, then this book has in part achieved a great goal.  I recommend you read it.  And not just those who reside in America.  No country nor person is immune to financial collapse.

Rated 4/5