THE ACHIEVEMENT DIGEST "TAD" Issue No. 49
A Unique Publication for Leaders     Gene Griessman, Ph.D. Editor
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 QUOTABLE QUOTES
***God and the Scientist 
“The scientist is possessed by the sense of universal causation….His religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.   This feeling is the guiding principle of his life and work, in so far as he succeeds in keeping himself from the shackles of selfish desire.”  --Alfred Einstein  (physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 1921; 1879-1955)

***Hypocrisy   
“Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit.   It cannot, like adultery or gluttony, be practiced at spare moments; it is a whole-time job.”—W. Somerset Maugham  (novelist 1874-1965)

***War
“With men, the normal state of nature is not peace but war.”  --Emmanuel Kant (philosopher, 1724-1804)

“No man is so foolish as to desire war more than peace: for in peace sons bury their fathers, but in war fathers bury their sons.”—Herodotus   (historian, 484 -425 BC)

*** Wisdom 
“Since a wise man can be mistaken, and a hundred men, and many nations, yes, and human nature is mistaken for many centuries about this or that, what assurance have we that sometimes it stops being mistaken, and in this century it is not making a mistake?”  --Michel de Montaigne, French essayist and social philosopher; 1533-1592)

***Honesty
“I know how easy it is for one to stay well within moral, ethical, and legal bounds through the skillful use of words—and to thereby spin, sidestep, circumvent, or bend a truth completely out of shape.  To that extent, we are all liars on numerous occasions.”  --Sidney Poitier (Oscar-winning actor, b. 1927, in response to a question:  “On what occasion do you lie?” In Vanity Fair, February 2007)

“My dad believed in honesty. Extreme honesty.  Extreme ethics, really.  That’s the biggest thing he taught me…. I never lie, even to this day. Not even a little.”  Seven Wozniak (author of iWoz: How I Invented The Personal Computer, Co-founded Apple And Had Fun Doing It; b. 1950.)  

***False Praise, Hype
“In our culture of hype, the currency of praise has been so de-valued that no one credits it, even when deserved.   --Peter Biskind (film historian in Vanity Fair, April 2007)

***The Limits of Power
“Polybius believed that the Republic’s constitution, which was carefully balanced to prevent any one individual or section of society from gaining overwhelming control, granted Rome freedom from the frequent revolution and civil strife that had plagued most Greek city-states.”
--Adrian Goldsworthy, Caesar: Life Of A Colossus. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. (Polybius, a Greek historian who lived a generation before Caesar’s birth, wrote a Universal History to explain how Rome’s dominance had been achieved.)

***Change
“I have already lost touch with a couple of people I used to be.”
--Joan Didion (writer, b. 1934, written in “On Keeping A Notebook” when she was twenty-seven)

LEADERSHIP LESSONS
How To Say It
I’m constantly on the alert for effective ways to communicate.  For years I have kept a folder entitled “How To Say It” in which I place skillful and powerful ways to express one’s self.

I started the practice years ago when I was doing research on sales superstars.   I discovered that ordinary sales people will occasionally stumble upon a powerful way to describe a product or service, but the ordinary ones say it once and forget it.   The superstars discover powerful ways to describe what they sell, but having chanced upon it, they write it down so that they can use it over and over again.   In effect, superstars make success repeatable.

The greatest insurance salesman of all time Ben Feldman was a master of this technique.  Feldman was a shy man who spoke with a lisp, yet year after year Feldman wrote more insurance policies than did some entire companies.   One of Feldman’s secrets was what he called “power phrases.”  Feldman perfected the technique of using effective words and phrases over and over again.  After Feldman found a power phrase, he would practice it with a recorder so that it would sound natural and not rehearsed when he used it.

For example, Feldman sold life insurance, but he never used the word “death” with a prospect.   Instead, he would say, “When you walk out, I walk in and pay all your bills.”

This may seem like a silly way to describe death, but Feldman found from experience that his choice of words made a difference in the way prospects responded to his message.   

One secret of communication success is to find words and phrases that work for you, and after you find them, keep on using them. 

Here are three power phrases from Herb Cohen, author of Negotiate This, to use if you are negotiating for something:  One.  “How did you come up with that number?”   By asking this question, you may get a better understanding of the way the other person is thinking.  Two  “Huh?  What”  If you appear not to understand, the other person may talk and reveal information that could be critical to the success of your effort.   Three.  “If things change, give me a call.”  Be willing to walk away, Cohen advises.   Put the burden on the other party.   

Recently I learned a power phrase from my friend Hervey Ross.  Ross, who has made millions in the insurance business, told me that whenever he purchases anything, he will ask, “Can you do any better?”  Ross does it even in places such as department stores, which seem unlikely places to negotiate for anything.

I have begun to use this question and found that it really works.   Not long ago I purchased a beautiful set of luggage at an exclusive shop in Buenos Aires.  I decided to use the question.  The clerk replied that she could not cut the price, but she could arrange for me to get two free dinners and a box of chocolates    Not a bad return for saying just six words! THE ACHIEVEMENT DIGEST--TAD, March 2005--A Unique Newsletter For Leaders

Facts Worth Noting
***Less than 5 percent of Americans held college degrees in 1945.  Fewer than two of every five US soldiers had finished high school.”  What made the difference?   The G.I. Bill.
--Edward Humes, Over Here: How The G.I. Bill Transformed The American Dream.  Humes observes:  “It is one of the great ironies of American history that the generation that benefited from the greatest social welfare program the country has ever seen—the GI Bill—would so thoroughly undercut efforts to pass on similar…benefits to later generations.”

***More than two million Americans are behind bars.  For most of the 20^th century about one American in a thousand was confined to a cell.  In the mid-seventies the numbers began to rise and have been rising for 28 consecutive years.  There are now seven Americans in every thousand behind bars.  This is seven times higher than most of Western Europe. 
--Jason DeParle  “The American Prison Nightmare,” The New York Review of Books, April 12, 2007

LINCOLN'S LOG  
Here’s a communication technique that Lincoln used that you can use too. 

Read what you plan to say out loud. 

Lincoln learned to read in little schools on the frontier that were called “blab schools.”   These schools got their name from the common practice of requiring students to recite their lessons out loud. 

Even after Lincoln became a successful lawyer, he did most of his reading out loud, much to the annoyance of his law partner William Herndon. Lincoln told one of his law clerks, “I write by ear.   When I have put my thoughts on paper, I read it aloud, and if it sounds all right, I just let it pass.” 

Lincoln did not abandon the practice in the White House.   A White House clerk stated after Lincoln’s death that it was Lincoln’s custom to read his manuscripts over aloud to see how they sounded as he could hardly judge of a thing by merely reading it.” 

I used to wonder why there are so many commas in Lincoln’s speeches—far more than the grammar books require. 

Lincoln’s Superintendent of Public Printing felt the same way and stated that Lincoln’s “use of commas was excessive.”  “I had frequently to labor with him to reduce the number.”  

Why so many commas?   Because Lincoln was writing to be heard, and the commas are where he wanted to place the pauses. (Douglas L. Wilson, Lincoln’s Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, pp. 30, 86, 180, 181)

We have produced a training film on Lincoln’s communication techniques, including the one just described, entitled “Lincoln On Communication” that is widely used by universities businesses, and many other organizations.   This DVD comes with a training guide and a complimentary set of MemCards.   For information www.achievementdigest.com/lincoln%20on%20communication.html

FEEDBACK
***“Wow! Thanks so much for your presentation Saturday. And speaking of thank you's -for a number of years I've been trying to read two personal/professional growth books a month. I have had The Achievement Factors on my list for a while now and I finally started it. I love it! And what a grand time it must have been interviewing those folks! p.s. As usual, this month's newsletter is wonderful.   Roy Lantz   Lantz is a speaker, author, trainer and friend whom I have known and respected for many years.  His website is www.RoyLantz.com. 

(Editor’s note:  The Achievement Factors is currently out of print. It went through a number of printings and used copies can be obtained at www.amazon.com as well as an audio book based on it entitled “The Path To High Achievement.”    The CD “Lessons From Legends” is also based on The Achievement Factors and can be obtained at www.presidentlincoln.com, www.amazon.com and www.cdbaby.com )

*** “I felt you brought Lincoln to life.  You let me see just a small amount of what Lincoln the man was like.  I thought the topics were great.   I am inspired to continue to bring history to life in my classroom.  I create historical presentations for my students.   Throughout my 20 years of teaching I have heard many speakers and you are one of the very best.”  C. Kussman

*** “This was fun to hear, made me think, but most importantly, inspired me. I am so impressed.”  Kari Suchet

*** “Great performance!   Reminder to live life to the fullest and learn as you go.  Lessons of life very powerful!”  Ted Borelli

*** “I enjoyed the ‘play’ and felt good that some of your suggestions to be more successful are strategies that I also use.  The stories made the presentation enjoyable.”  E. Soveroski

TRAVEL NOTES FROM A ROAD WARRIOR
International Travel
***Travelers Checks  For years I have purchased travelers checks for travel abroad, but exchanging them has become difficult and expensive.   On my most recent trip abroad, I found that most merchants would not take them and the exchange bureaus added a surcharge (from 3% to 10%) to cash them.  The American Express office exchanged them with no surcharge, but I had to wait in a long, slow-moving line to make the transaction.  What to do?  Even though credit cards are widely accepted, you will need cash for taxis, tips, etc.  One possible solution.  Take some money in travelers checks as a safety net, but use your hotel safe for cash and other valuables.  When you go out, take with you only one credit card and a small amount of cash. 

***Duty-Free Shops  If you’re tempted to purchase an exotic liqueur or a fine wine at the duty free shop, forget about it unless you have a direct flight back home.  If you have to make a connection and your beverages are carry-on baggage, you will say bye bye to them at the security check point.  Your beautiful beverages will be tossed into the garbage can.  As for electronic gear, you will probably be able to get a better deal back home or on the Internet. 

***South America
Most Americans don’t give South America much thought as a tourist destination, which is a pity because some of the most stunning travel destinations in the world are in South America—and at reasonable, sometimes bargain, prices.

Argentina and Brazil are good examples.    Buenos Aires has the feel of a beautiful, safe European city. It reminds me of Madrid or Barcelona.  I stayed at the Marriott Plaza Hotel, the city’s first grand hotel, which the Marriott chain has brought back to its original glory.  For an inexpensive upgrade of $10 per night, I got a handsome, high-ceilinged large room overlooking the beautiful Plaza de San Martin.   The service was flawless.  Another good choice is the Hilton, a newer hotel of striking post-modern design located in the chic Puerto Madero district,just a short walk from scores of excellent restaurants and shops.  At two to three times the cost of the Marriott or the Hilton is the elegant Alvear Palace Hotel-- the hotel by which all South American hotels are measured.  The Alvear Palace is near the entrance to the Recoleta Cemetery, which is a tourist destination itself.   Evita Peron’s grave is there, inscribed with the words:  “Don’t cry for me, Argentina.   I remain quite near you.”

I spent three nights at an “estancia”—the Argentine name for the fabulous country estates of Argentina’s super-rich.   A few of these are now available for overnight stays.  I chose La Figura, which was the boyhood home of one of Argentina’s presidents in the 1800s.  La Figura has eight sumptuous bedrooms and suites, a pool and its own 9-hole golf course.  Guests can ride horses, bike, and hike or just relax and enjoy three wonderful meals plus tea every day (good wines included for lunch and dinner).  Cost:  $870 for three nights with all meals and transportation included.   I now understand why Argentina’s estancias are included in Patricia Schultz’s popular book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.  (www.estanciasargentinas.com.  Click on “English version; www.estancialafigura.com.ar  This is a beautiful site; click on the English version.)

I highly recommend taking an excursion to Iguaçu Falls.  If you watch the classic movie “The Mission” with Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons, you will need no further recommendation from me.  (That movie is based on historical events; guides can take you to the Jesuit ruins of the mission.)

Wider and more spectacular than Niagara, the cataracts contain 280 separate waterfalls.  Located where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet, a great, meticulously tended national park was created in the 1930s on both sides of the river.  Iguaçu is a world treasure filled with exotic birds, tens of thousands of butterflies, and stunning views.   The main waterfall, called The Devil’s Throat, is beyond belief. 

If you wish to go to the Brazil side, which is worth doing, you will need to purchase a visa. 

The best prices for most everything are currently on the Argentine side, although I booked an excellent hotel on the Internet in Foz do Iguaçu Brazil, about 15 miles from the falls, for the amazing price of $70 per night with superb buffet breakfast included. (The Grand Hotel Internacional Foz, which is a member of the Accor Chain.)  I read reviews of this hotel before booking.   The price I paid was about half the published rate.

IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN PLANNING AN UPCOMING MEETING, SALES CONFERENCE, CUSTOMER-APPRECIATION EVENT OR SEMINAR, PLEASE TYPE "YES" BESIDE THE ITEM/S BELOW AND RETURN THIS EMAIL IN ORDER TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:
___Lincoln-Leadership
___Personal Productivity-Time Management
___Macroforces and Trends in American Society
___Keynote Presentation LESSONS FROM LEGENDS (Powerful stories from interview with famous high achievers)
___Executive Coaching   (For a description of the program, click here.  http://www.theamericans.us/Executive%20Coaching.html
 
YOU MAY ALSO CONTACT US BY CALLING 800-749-4625 OR CLICKING HERE: www.theamericans.us/ContactGene.html
Click here to watch excerpts from the Lincoln presentation in streaming video.
www.presidentlincoln.com/1.html  

VALUABLE RESOURCES 
***THE WORDS LINCOLN LIVED BY www.achievementdigest.com/thewordslincolnlivedby.html
 
***TIME TACTICS OF VERY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE www.achievementdigest.com/timetacticsofverysuccessfulpeople.html
  
***99 WAYS TO GET MORE OUT OF EVERY DAY: www.achievementdigest.com/99waystogetmorecd.html
 
***"AN EVENING WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN" VIDEO www.achievementdigest.com/aneveningwithabraham.html
 
***"LESSONS FROM LEGENDS" CD AUDIOBOOK www.achievementdigest.com/ProductOrderForm.html
 
***"LINCOLN ON COMMUNICATION" DVD-CD  www.achievementdigest.com/lincoln%20on%20communication.html

 “Lessons From Legends”  recently was name “Best Educational Album” in the 2006 JPF Music Awards.   It is a recording before a live audience of several thousand people in which I tell stories from my exclusive interviews with celebrities.  If you’d like to obtain multiple copies of this CD, contact us directly for a quantity price.  The best way to obtain a single copy of the CD is from CD Baby.  You can hear an excerpt on-line before ordering. http://cdbaby.com/found?artist=griessman&soundlike=&album=lessons+from+legends&style=

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THE ACHIEVEMENT DIGEST--TAD, March 2005--A Unique Newsletter For Leaders