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THE ACHIEVEMENT DIGEST "TAD" Issue No. 50
A Unique Publication for Leaders
Editor Gene Griessman, Ph.D.
404-256-5927 www.achievementdigest.com
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AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE
On June 3, 4, and 5, I made three presentations aboard the USS ABRAHAM
LINCOLN. The first was a ceremony on the flight deck that included The
Gettysburg Address. This performance was videotaped and is now in the
ship’s archives.
Captain Andrew McCawley asked me to emphasize, in the June 4th
performance, the importance of making good choices, because the audience
would include many young recruits as well as veteran crew-members. On
the 4th, I gave a full-length Lincoln performance for over
1600 crew members in the ship’s cavernous hanger bay.
President Lincoln made the following points: Learn How To Learn;
Recognize The Value Of Diversity; Don’t Let Depression and
Discouragement Defeat You; Remember That Your Name Is Your Brand; and
Constantly Improve Your Communication Skills.
That performance received a standing ovation, a response that I will
long cherish.
On June 5th I conducted a seminar for the ship’s officers,
and shared with them 10 techniques that actors and professional speakers
use to effectively communicate with various audiences.
Finally, some of you know that I do sculpting, and study with the famous
sculptor Martin Dawes. I donated one of my sculptures—a bust of
Lincoln—to the ship.
In an upcoming issue of TAD, we will tell you how to view photos and
videos of the performances and the Lincoln bust. Meanwhile, here’s a
link to a wonderful article about the Lincoln programs in the ship’s
newspaper
The Penny Press. (In case the hyperlink doesn’t work, paste the
following address in your browser
http://www.cvn72.navy.mil/pao/penny/08Jun07.pdf)
Below are excerpts from two evaluation forms that crew-members gave me
permission to use:
“I liked the fact
that you gave formulas and ‘take-aways’ for leadership and
communication. The specific examples of helpful hints were, in fact,
very helpful and can be put to immediate use.” Emily Bassett, LCDR, USS
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
“I really enjoyed hearing and seeing ‘The Gettysburg Address’ presented
on board by Dr. Griessman dressed in top hat and chin beard. This was a
moment I’ll not soon forget. I loved the advice and plan to study the
works donated to the Lincoln Library.” Philip Vanderhoofven, LT, USS
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
QUOTABLE
QUOTES
***Patience
“How poor are they that have not patience!
What wound did ever heal but by degrees?”
William Shakespeare, Othello
***Patience
“Patience
is also a form of action.” Auguste Rodin
***Patience
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which
difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” John Quincy Adams
***Skepticism
“Few civic virtues
are as useful as skepticism, though it is rarely honored until too
late.” Jim Dwyer
***The Presidency
“Comedian Bob Hope once asked President Reagan how it felt to
actually be the President—to sit in the very Oval Office where Abraham
Lincoln paced during the Civil War. ‘Well,’ said Reagan, with his
characteristic smile, “it’s not a lot different than being an actor,
except I get to write the script.”
(Excerpt from the review of “The Reagan Diaries, by Ronald
Reagan, in “Vanity Fair,” June 2007)
***War
“He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be
victorious.” Sun Tzu “The Art of War”
***History
“The past is not dead. It is not even past.” William Faulkner
***”On The Ball”
Webb C. Ball was
such a gifted jeweler that he was called “the Tiffany of Ohio.” But he
was best known for his timepieces. After inaccurate timepieces led to a
deadly train collision in 1897, Ball guaranteed that the watches he sold
would be accurate to 30 seconds a month. Ball’s passion for accuracy
led to the expression “on the ball.” (Antiques Roadshow Insider, Vol.
5, No. 10.)
***Symptoms of Inner Peace
*An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment;
*A loss of interest in conflict;
*A loss of the ability to worry;
*Overwhelming episodes of appreciation;
*Contented feelings of connectedness with others and with nature;
*Frequent attacks of smiling;
*An increased susceptibility to the love offered by others, as well as
the uncontrollable urge to extend it.
(Adapted from material sent to me years ago by Brother Keshavananda of
the Self-Realization Fellowship; author unknown)
LINCOLN’S LOG: LINCOLN’S LESSONS FOR
TODAY’S LEADERS
THOSE WHO
HAVE THIS ABILITY WILL ALWAYS OUT-PERFORM THOSE WHO LACK IT
What is one big difference
between an ordinary leader and an extraordinary one?
An
extraordinary leader communicates better than an ordinary one.
There never was a great leader who wasn’t a great communicator.
Fortunately this is an ability that can be learned. But you have to
convince yourself that it’s an ability worth having. It is not enough
to work hard, or know a lot about your business. It is not enough to
make good decisions, as important as that quality is. If you make good
decisions, you have to be able to communicate your decisions in order to
gain their acceptance, their support, and their execution.
What does it matter if a leader has a plan that will save his land, if
he cannot convince his followers to accept it? What does it matter if
a physician has a cure for a deadly disease, if he cannot persuade his
patient to take it?
Jefferson
Davis, Lincoln’s counterpart in Richmond, was an impressive
man--handsome, highly intelligent, with many years of schooling, and
considerable experience in the military and in national politics. In
the South little girls skipped rope to the words, “Jeff Davis rides a
snow white horse. Abe Lincoln rides a mule. Jeff Davis is a
gentleman. Abe Lincoln is a fool.” Jeff Davis may have ridden a
snow-white horse, but he was not particularly skillful as a
communicator---and that hurt him.
It was a
wise man who said: He who cannot communicate his ideas stands at the
same level as he who has no ideas.
Communicating well is the way you multiply your own individual efforts
and talents. Communication is your lever. If you become a great
communicator, there’s no telling what you might be able to move. As
Archimedes said, "Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and
I can lift the world.”
Here is
one powerful concept that effective communicators use. (Lincoln was a
master at this.)
Use Stories, Analogies, and Imagery.
Using images—word pictures—is a powerful communication technique. They
can be easy to understand, they can make a point subtly but powerfully,
and they can be memorable. Let’s start with the story. One of the
best—and easiest—ways to become an effective communicator is to learn to
tell stories well. If you’re making a speech or presentation, one of
the best ways to get over initial stage fright is to tell a story. A
strong story is also a powerful way to end a presentation. And stories,
especially if they are short, allow space between blocks of information.
We have produced a training
film on the techniques and strategies that Lincoln used—ten of
them—entitled “Lincoln On Communication.” It is used by literally
thousands of universities, businesses, and many other organizations.
This DVD comes with a CD sound track, a training guide, and a set of
MemCards. The film is formatted into 10 self-contained tracks with
time codes, and is priced hundreds of dollars cheaper than many training
films on the subject.
To order. Or you can copy the following link and insert it in your
browser:
www.achievementdigest.com/lincoln%20on%20communication.html
FEEDBACK
From
the evaluations:
“I laughed. I cried. I listened. I learned. I hope to use it for
positive change.” Barbara Biller, President, Intellitech
“You’re doing important work.” John Starling, CEO, Smith Content
“Loved the whole thing. From reading out loud, to diversity principle,
to your name is your brand, on and on. Loved tools for effective
presentation.” Mike Rogers, CEO, Security Hunter
“Communication is a key to success. I liked the ideas.” Robert A.
Reynolds, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO, Graybar.
TRAVEL NOTES FROM A ROAD WARRIOR
Bonefish Grill
I enjoy great
one-of-a-kind restaurants, but I am not a snob about the chains. There
are some good ones, and Bonefish Grill is one of them. I’ve eaten
twice at their restaurants, in Greenville, S.C. and at Owings Mills,
Md., and have been favorably impressed both times—by the freshness of
the fish, the quality of the sides, the originality and tastiness of the
specials, and the training of the wait staff. The chain was started
just seven years ago, and has grown to several dozen restaurants,
located mainly on the East Coast, in the South, and on the West Coast.
The fish is cooked
over a wood-burning grill. I particularly liked the corn chowder with
lump crab (cup $6.50) and the tilefish ($18.50) that came with a side of
angel hair with Marinara. In case you don’t know tilefish, it’s a deep
water fish that is fairly plentiful in Florida waters. Tilefish have
firm, tender meat similar to that of grouper. Another of their
specialties is Cedar Plank Salmon, which is grilled on a moist sheet of
cedar to produce a delicious smoky flavor. It’s topped off with a
chorizo crust and drizzled with warm citrus butter.
Bonefish Grill has
an easy-to-use web site that provides a site locator and pdf. menus of
the particular restaurants that you choose. http://www.bonefishgrill.com/home.asp
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,
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The Inspirational Lincoln Quote Book
