#legacydevelopmentblog

    I'm starting this week with a rare TED-related item from Huffington Post, rare for the fact that it's a response to a featured video, and not the video itself which I'm highlighting. The piece however is captivating, inspiring, and generally powerful so I am happy to share it. She discusses the various ways which she sees brain magic occuring in other people, and it usually is the way their passions maniferst into their work or creations – be it her software engineer husband or her child holding a stuffed animal recreation of the Titanic sinking. This little item (which is in response to the quite entertaining video included at the end of the editorial) is a wonderful reminder that yes – our legacy work can stem from the raw elements of those pursuits and passions which bring us the most joy. There really is not much more to add as the author's piece – Holly Robinson – has done a wonderful job of saying the rest. Read her editorial and see the video which inspired it here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-robinson/keith-barry-brain-magic_b_3728114.html

    My next item for you comes from Forbes and is titled “10 greatest Industry-Disrupting Startups of 2012”. I encountered this list while reading an article I've put off featuring until next week, because I'm hoping the '2013' edition of this list comes out soon. The companies on 2012's list features many of the same traits I've pointed out as being indicators of mastery and success in my previous entries – these are organizations which are developing legacies by shaping the way the world works. Kickstarter for example has brought venture capitalism to close-to-the-heart passion projects and inspires the poorest of advocates to donate what they can to launch a project they believe in. The whole list is inspiring, but the one which I thought best summarized these points I've been making over the last few weeks was Noodle.

    Noodle is a search engine and network for everything related to education resources from preschool through to graduate school. The network provides a resource with which one can easily locate tutors, home school improvement programs, financial resources, online copies of textbooks, and more. Wealthy or poor, easy access to education resources is now available for all. Once again, you have an example of passion driven success growing from an organization that is making it easier for people to connect with one another. Now, I am clearly a proponent of using this trend as inspiration for the legacy projects some of my clients will develop, but what is next? My question to you is, if connecting people is the current paradigm of success, what will the next one be? Even if you don't come up with an answer, I'm certain you'll find some inspiration as you think about the question. Look for me to post 2013's list when it becomes available, and in the meantime see the list in its entirety here:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2012/07/19/10-greatest-industry-disrupting-startups-of-2012/

    Finally this week I present an article which really gets to the heart (no pun intended) of the work I do through Mentoring the Masters. As I've explained before, many clients (though not all) have some kind of blockage when they first come to me. A significant enough portion of these blockages seem to come from an inability to access the excitement of being a young entrepreneur many of them had years before they become the Masters they are today. They've worked themselves away from their own sense of freedom, even if their freedom is firmly in their grasps. For that reason, I find more and more of the articles I've been posting feature Millenial dreamers and future Masters. This article - written by Deborah Mills-Scofield – was featured on the Lead Change Group blog. It explains how young millennial leaders inspire and instill hope in her. I'd like all of you readers – boomers and millenials – to read it and reflect on the thoughts she's had to offer. I found them to be valuable, and I am confident you will too. The article can be found here:

    For those of you I mentor and others whom have met me I am certain this week's first item might initially seem like a very unusual selection, yet its ties to Mentoring the Masters is unquestionable. I present to you another start-up company with a specific item which I think may change the world – The Omni. If you cannot find inspiration from this creation, I suggest calling me immediately for a consultation to see what is blocking you from dreaming!

     At first glance, The Omni seems like nothing more than a fancy video-game device working to turn the 1990's visions of virtual reality into, well... reality. Before going any further, I suggest you examine the explanation of the product here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGFuedKS9Mg

     While it may seem like just a big toy, the company - Virtuix - is clearly run by masters. These are people who have dreams, bring them to life, and change the lives of many others in the process. Beginning with a $125,000 goal, the organization raised over $1.1 Million in 48 days for a product that was not even in production yet. While the video and the kickstarter page I'll link you to feature only the video game prospects for use, the reality is so much more. People can program dreams – truly shaping and crafting worlds – then have users tour their dreams. Imagine Israelis and Pakistanis using this device to better understand one another by touring the neighborhoods of each others' countries without fear of violence or the hassle of crossing borders through a highly realistic experience. The possibilities are endless... and so are the chances to find inspiration from this company, their product, and their success. Read more about Virtuix and The Omni at their Kickstarter page:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1944625487/omni-move-naturally-in-your-favorite-game?ref=discover_pop

     Next this week is some insight into a wonderful new book that tackles an often neglected topic in leadership – the intergration of business with belief. Simply titled 'The Business of Belief', the book is summarized at the 'monetized blog' Leadership Now, with a few key points offered. The instant I knew I'd be linking to this book review and summary was when I read this quote from the book's author:

“Those skilled at motivating people to cross a new bridge to change their beliefs and behavior, are not trying to cajole or manipulate them against their will. Rather, they seek to guide them to a new destination, a transformed way of feeling, thinking and acting that's aligned with their personal desires and values”

     Clearly, this summarizes not only effective leadership... it also describes skilled mentoring. It would be fair to say that mentoring and leadership may often go hand in hand, though not always. There is a clear blurring of the lines, though that discussion is perhaps for another time (during a slow news week for the topics of mentoring, leadership, and legacy development perhaps). Overall, the brief summary of the book is fantastic, and I may just pick a copy up for myself! Either way, take a few moments to appreciate the context of the work that have been summarized for your easy consumption. Read more:

http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2013/07/the_business_of_belief.html

     Finally, a truly exciting endeavor was discussed by Margaret Spellings at the Aspen Institute Ideas Festival. Masters are working to build a community by creating infrastructure that will encourage the development of entrepreneurs into masters! This is certainly the type of work that can be defined as a legacy project! Additionally for your consumption, after the first five minutes a wonderful discussion on the definition and redefinition of success is presented. Usually I like to offer a summary, however I hope by holding back this week I'll encourage the more hesitant of you to click and experience the wonderful insights first-hand for yourselves! The interview may be viewed by clicking here:

    I don't know if the sentiment “Everyone wants to make a difference” is as true as we'd all like it to be, however the statement certainly describes each of my clients. This week's post from the Lead Change Group blog speaks more to the leadership of teams, yet I've found that many of the piece's points are easily adapted to introspective thoughts I present to my clients for them to meditate on. For example, the article's author Tal Shnall writes:

“Leaders have to invest in the development of the people they lead”

     I am likely to take a sentiment like this and suggest my client consider this from the aspect of the legacy project they are working on (I say 'legacy project' using the work 'project' only due to the lack of a better descriptor. There is a wide collective variety of intents and goals among those I mentor). As a legacy 'project' is developed, we work together to determine who will the legacy inspire and how will it inspire. You see, that work of inspiration is a form of leadership and this type of interpretation is what I ask them to meditate on. I hope you will take time this week to read the full article and meditate on it in a similar way for yourself. Tal Shnall's piece “Everyone wants to make a difference” is located here:

http://leadchangegroup.com/everyone-wants-to-make-a-difference/

     In a few of my recent writings, I've mentioned how it is becoming much more common for legacies and leadership to sprout from work that contributes to the growing global-interconnectedness. Recently, someone sent me a list of the 'Most innovative companies of 2012', suggesting the people I mentor may find inspiration for how they wish to develop their legacies from the work of these companies. I on occasion find myself reminding people that many of the legacies being developed through work at Mentoring the Masters will not be organizations or companies, so I has my reservations when I first navigated my way to the list. What I found was a dynamic pool of inspiration that I am happy to share not only with my clients, but with all of you as well. Many of the organization – especially those at the top of the list – are somehow deeply and intricately helping to further connect our world. While I'll skip mentioning the obvious ones, I found the inclusion of Square inspiring for its ability to allow artisan retailers the ability to sell their wares globally and easily. Another organization worth mentioning is Air BnB - a phenomenal way which cultural exchange occurs while allowing people to find financial supplements to their income. There are many more on the list of 50, so I hope you will find yourself inspired with ideas when you examine the list for yourself.

http://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2012/full-list

    Finally, I'd like to present you with another wonderful video from the Aspen Institute's Ideas Festival. This week I am highlighting an interview with Hibaaq Osman – founder of Karama. The interview starts off discussing geopolitics, but really starts to get to the topics I like to cover here at around the 7 minute mark. The first relevant item which comes up is Osman's views on male versus female leadership. She points to the historical differences that tend to occur between male and female leadership. While there is certainly truth to what she says, I feel it pertinent to point out that masters – including those I mentor – transcend this stereotype more often than not. In fact, it is there mastery of balancing their leadership styles and approaches which allows them to succeed exponentially more than other successful leaders. If you feel you lean more towards a gender-traditional leadership style though, fear not! This is the perfect opportunity for you to reflect on how being aware of that tendency can allow you to improve as you develop your mastery of leadership and success.

     The other portion I'd like to mention begins shortly after Hibaaq's comments on gender and leadership, in which she discusses her definition of success. To summarize, she explains that true success is not money or power - it is how you respect others, how you influence those others through respecting and identifying with them, and your level of influence in communities which stems from who you are, not what you have. Political and financial positive gains all eventually flow from true success, but you must 'walk amongst the people' before you will ever have a complete sense of 'success'. They are inspiring observations I am happy to share, so I hope you will listen to them for yourself by viewing the interview which is available here: