Team Orrin Woodward

WHAT WE WERE, WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WILL WE BE

Thanks to the Mental Fitness Challenge and Orrin Woodward I have witnessed how new information is helping people achieve better results in relationships, finances, business production, job performance, and parenting just to name a few.  You can read the testimonies on the LIFE site about those achieving life - changing results.  Application of new information appears to be making a difference in their lives. People are finding progress with important components of their lives.  Up till now, they were doing what they were taught. Were the principles we were taught prior to this wrong?  This is demonstrated by the lack of effectiveness of the current information throughout our society.  Is it possible that a great majority throughout our Western Civilization don’t have a clear understanding of the principles that had been effective for so long?  Studying the past one can see a marked difference in values, morals, and principles when compared to where we are today.  Nothing wrong with new values, morals and principles if that’s what we want, but let’s not confuse the values, morals and principles that were valued when the West was founded.  With the current changes in beliefs, one might expect different results.

For example, our country went to war over a three cent stamp tax because we weren’t represented.  Today we want higher taxes as long as it’s taken ‘fairly’ from those who can afford it. We want more government programs that cost more. We push the debt issue down the road for future generations.  Who will take responsibility for those decisions?  A society that doesn’t have the courage to take on responsibility falls into decay.  Is that what we are witnessing? Instead of looking at government for a fix, what if we look at ourselves?  Tough medicine?  When men and women work for their own improvement,  they work on what is best for them.  That is what the Mental Fitness Challenge is all about.  People make the choice to target specific goals for personal improvement.   Let’s compare some of today’s trends as a result of changing beliefs and underlying principles.

          1.   * Private property is becoming less abundant as result of the real estate bubble and mismanaged lending.            

          2.   * A progressive income tax is being put into effect (40% +).   Income tax is a form of private property confiscation. 

          3.   * Privacy laws are being abolished.  Privacy is another form of private property.

          4.   * The state has monopolized banking and credit by creating the Federal Reserve Board.

          5.   * We have a monopoly in the communication system as demonstrated by the TV networks that dictate what we should think about.                              

          6.   * The state has acquired (bale out) factories and other means of production as example in General Motors. 

          7.   * The state has married education and schooling with industrial production, in essence eliminating classical liberal education for career training.

 Principles at the time of our founding include:

1. Rights come from God, not government
2. All political power comes from the people
3. A limited, representative republic protects liberty.
4. Consent of the governed requires a written constitution.
5. Power must be balanced and checked.

Are we seeing a drift from the democratic republic that our country was founded on?  Are the political branches of power becomes unbalanced? In ‘Kelo v.City of London’ (2005), the United States Supreme Court said government could take property from one private owner and give it to another private owner if it was for the public good, which included such a simple objective as higher tax revenue. Many of us are not aware that we were not founded as a democracy.   A Written constitution limits the majority and provides safeguards for individuals and minorities.  John Adams wrote, “There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”  James Madison wrote,  “Democracies have in general, been short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”   Polybius called it ‘cheirokratia’ meaning mob rule.  Alexis de Tocqueville called it, “tyranny of the majority.” The word democracy is not found in the Constitution.

Where are we going?  Although we all lead busy lives maybe its time to dig into information that educates us about how our country got started and why those principles were used.  We may not want take responsibility but at least we can be informed.  There are those who are up for the challenge.  By taking the Mental Fitness Challenge we begin to take the responsibility for ourselves.  Information affects our lives.  Where will the future generations be?  Based on the current information they receive,  we will see.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

* See Communist Manifesto

 

 

 

 

 

MENTAL FITNESS CHALLENGE = IDEA POWER

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE community recently added the Mental Fitness Challenge to their arsenal of innovative ideas.  We have all heard of the “resolutions to lose weight”, or “quit smoking”.  Resolutions to effect our health are common place.  What if we took the most important area of our life to “Resolve” to change?  The mind is arguably the most important area to nurture and grow.  In fact, as a past medical provider, I would say that decisions to improve our health become successful when we master the mind power of the resolution.  Until now there has been no systematic way of evaluating and targeting  Mental Fitness.  Your journey has ended.

Innovation is the generation, acceptance, and implementation of new ideas, processes, products, or services.  The innovative Mental Fitness Challenge is having revolutionary effects.  Just witness the comments on the blogs found on the LIFE business web site. After a few weeks of being involved with the Mental Fitness Challenge and the Challenge Groups,  we are hearing powerful comments about how people have experienced growth in areas they felt were meaningful to their lives.

We begin with the Mental Fitness Assessment.  We learn that we can have a happier more successful life if we just evaluate target growth areas.  For example, we can have a happier marriage if we improve our attitude.  We can have better finances if we learn how to keep score.  By developing a vision of a better life, our energy changes just by adding a little hope in our life.  Many people seem to be winding out the clock without hope for a better future.  We can develop a clearer mental picture of our future by evaluating our present.  When we have time tested information that comes in the form of CD’s or books , we develop the insight necessary to make change.  Challenge groups become the secret weapon as a majority of resolutions progress dramatically when we have the positive support of others who are also on a journey of self - development. 

Orrin Woodward has said, “When the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change, we change.”  Leadership expert John Kotter says, “Discomfort creates motivation.”  The motivation to change is that which excites the mind to volition.  The will is always determined by the strongest motive.  Things that exist in view of the mind have strength to excite the will.  We can learn to excite the subconscious part of the mind.  Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more powerful than knowledge.”  A great book called the “Ant and the Elephant” has given people insights about how we can empower ourselves to change.  The ‘Ant and the Elephant'is also available on CD.

Vision, determination, character, and a humble dependence on God are a few tools to take along the journey with your Mental Fitness Challenge.  There is nothing like taking the Mental Fitness Challenge assessment again and seeing progress.  People around you become curious about why you are different for the better.  Thankfully, Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady have pioneered a systematic program any of us can use to improve the meaningful areas of our life.  Think about what success means to you.  Picture it.  Look at your children, parents, marriage, relationships, finances and start out on a path to create the LIFE YOU ALWAYS WANTED.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

INCENTIVE TRIPS

At the Spring Leadership Convention in Columbus, Ohio, LIFE was thrilled to introduce one of its most prodigious new programs: Incentive Trips! Rewards don’t get much bigger or more sensational than this! Read on to learn more about the fabulous trip options available and the criteria necessary for LIFE Members to qualify for one of these splendid world-class vacations.

 

Incentive #1: 6,000 for 6 Trip

Qualifications

1. Trip tracker - 200 Personal/Customer PV each and every month. For existing LIFE Members, Trip Tracker can start in April or May. For new Members, Trip Tracking begins with the first month in business. If one month is missed, including even the first month for the new member, then the member is no longer eligible for this trip.

2. PV - 6,000 Total PV for 6 consecutive months with a minimum of 4,000 PV in Team #1 and an additional 2,000 PV, including personal and customer volume, outside of Team #1.

3. For example, a new member that was enrolled in May would start trip tracking in the month of May and continue to do 200 PV each month through the six month consecutive PV requirement.

4. I in the months of January - March 2012 a member has not met the PV requirements, they are eligible to qualify for the 6,000 for 6 trip.

Trip Options

1. Disney World, Orlando, Florida - 4-day/3-night stay at Disney's Beach Club Deluxe Resort. Disney's Beach Club Resort is a New England-style Disney Deluxe Resort, shaded by broad oak trees and lapped by the gentle waters of the 25-acre Crescent Lake. This trip includes a round-trip airfare credit, Disney Park Hopper Passes, Disney dining meal plan, transportation to and from the airport, and transportation to all Disney properties and theme parks.

2. Arenal, Costa Rica - 6-day/5-night stay at the Arenal Kiori Suites and Spa hotel. Perched one thousand feet above the Arenal Valley, the Arenal Kiori allows for incomparable views of the Arenal volcano, the lush valley, and the surrounding towns that sparkle at night. This trip includes an airfare credit, daily breakfast, canopy tour, volcano hike, and safari boat floating.

3. Oasis of the Seas, Bahamas Cruise - 8-day/7-night balcony cabin cruise. Experience the ship that revolutionized cruising; its revolutionary and breath-taking design includes seven distinct neighborhoods tailored to create the ultimate experience of enjoyment for all passengers.

Incentive #2: Leader 6 Trip

Qualifications

1. Trip Tracker - 200 Personal/Customer PV each and every month. For existing LIFE Members, Trip Tracker can start in April or May. For new Members, Trip Tracking begins with the first month in business.

2. PV - 15,000 PV for 6 consecutive months with a minimum of 9,000 PV in Team #1 and an additional 6,000 PV, including personal and customer volume, outside of Team #1.

3. If in the months of January - March 2012 a member has not met the PV requirements, they are eligible to qualify for the Leader 6 trip.

Trip Options

1. Disney World, Orlando, Florida - 6-day/5-night stay at Disney's Grand Floridian Deluxe Hotel. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a Victorian-style Disney Deluxe Resort distinguished as the flagship hotel of the Walt Disney World Resorts and offering world-class dining, entertainment, and luxurious accommodations in its six striking red-gabled buildings. This magnificent hotel sits along the white-sand shores of Seven Seas Lagoon. This trip includes a round-trip airfare credit, Disney Park Hopper Passes, Disney dining meal plan, transportation to and from the airport, and transportation to all Disney properties and theme parks.

2. Maui, Hawaii - 5-day/4-night stay at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, which is located between two beautiful beaches with pristine white sands and endless blue water. This trip includes a round-trip airfare credit, transportation from the airport to the hotel, Lei greeting, and a helicopter tour ride.

3. Ocho Rios, Jamaica - 5-day/4-night stay at the Beaches Boscobel, which takes advantage of its stunning seaside locale to infuse all of its accommodations with the flavor of Jamaica. This trip includes a round-trip airfare credit and access to Pirates Island Water Park. Parent magazine voted Beaches Boscobel among the Top 10 Best Beach Resorts.

4. Celebrity Cruise - 10-day/9-night trip package, including a 7-night cruise from Seattle on the Seattle Celebrity Solstice, 3 nights at a 4-star hotel, and a Mount Rainer sightseeing trip.

5. Princess Cruise - 10-day/9-night Alaskan cruise on the Coral Princess. This trip includes a 7-day voyage of the glaciers cruise, 1 night at Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, 1 night at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, a natural history tour, and a 1-night Fairbanks with Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise. This Cruise is perfect for a witnessing all that Alaska has to offer.

One of the keys to launching the Mental Fitness Challenge was to provide significant incentives for the newer LIFE Members to develop proper business habits. When a person is trip tracking, he or she qualifies for a trip at the ridiculously low level of 6,000 points! All the qualification details are described above. People are going to begin the Mental Fitness Challenge program and resolve to go on a dream trip within the first year of starting their business. LIFE has never been better! What goals have you set, and which trip are you taking?

I would love to hear about where your Dream Trip takes you!

God bless ... George Guzzardo

What if the challenges we face in life are just disguised as ways to develop practical wisdom? The Chinese word for crisis is defined as ‘Opportunity’.  There is a Korean saying, “Pain is the penalty of violating the principles of nature.”  Engineers, like Orrin Woodward call it PDCA  (Plan, Do, Check, Adjust).  The point is to make your challenge the opportunity to learn, grow and become wiser.  The LIFE business prepares us for the tough times we know will come by helping us to gain the knowledge to handle the inevitable challenges. 

Wisdom is essentially practical application of knowledge. I used to tell a story about a patient who came in to the clinic complaining about a pain in his eye.  The first step was to make an objective measurement.  I noticed that the patient held his finger in his eye.  When I asked him to take his finger out of his eye he reported a significant relief of eye pain.  I told him I felt we discovered his problem.  I prescribed an exercise to relieve his pain.  “Take you finger out of your eye three times a day for thirty days”, I told him.  After you perform an activity for thirty days you develop a habit.  Most of our pains or challenges in life are caused from a faulty habit. The same principle applies to opportunity.  We can learn to perform habits to have a better life and less conflict.

Common  areas of conflict include problems with relationships and finances can be linked to a knowlege deficit in those areas.   Marriage struggles, for example,  may be helped by books like 'The Five Love Languages',  'Love and Respect' , or 'Cracking the Communication Code'.  Fanacial challenges may be eased when applying what is taught from books like 'The Richest Man in Babylon' or 'God's Plans for Your Finances'.                  These are examples of information from the Team leadership system and the LIFE business.  

Part of the opportunity in a crisis is being open to mentoring.  Someone who may have had success with your particular situation.  Consult with your mentor for a thirty - day game plan on how to apply the right actions, and get the right information.  Information may also come from specific CD’s.

Finding yourself in the same challenge or conflict for a long period of time can also be looked on optimistically.  For example, you are obviously strong - willed.  Strong - mindedness is not a bad trait.  It just means you have not discovered the solution to your conflict.  Remember that the number one quality to success is persistence. However, the length of time to solve a conflict should be progressively less once you learn to identify the goliath that stands in your way.  You'll inevitably become the ultimate goliath slayer. 

Once you begin to see that conflict is just opportunity your perspective of your problems will change.  You will realize that you are really living in a great time of opportunity. Not only that,  but you will position yourself to be able to help your friends and associates identify this same formula for success and high achievement. It may be the ultimate Mental Fitness Challenge.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

What is the answer on how to achieve your dreams and goals in this LIFE?  Is there a magic answer? In ‘Launching a Leadership Revolution’, best selling authors Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady describe “Hunger” as the number one quality.  Hunger can also be described as “Drive”.  The “Hunger’ or “Drive” is ultimately transformed into the work required to achieve the goal.

I remember a story about an Asian girl who left everything back in her country just to have an opportunity to come to the United States and achieve her freedom.  She was able to secure a marketing job where she had to make a quota of exposures each day.  There were a few minor challenges.  First, she didn’t know anyone and second, she didn’t speak any English.  What were her odds of succeeding?  When the drive is strong enough, the facts don’t count.  Today, this Asian woman leads what most would call a successful life.

 What has happened to the drive, innovation, and creativity that comes from tbe internal motivation to achieve something despite the odds?  Has anyone witnessed a gradual shift toward apathy or dependency in the countries of the West?   Does it seem like people are more concerned with their rights than their duties?  Studies in democracy find that once the population discovers it’s ability to vote in politicians who promise benefits and subsidies, it marks the beginning of the end.  Get ready for socialism.  People become so concerned with their rights and benefits that they are willing to forfeit their freedoms.  Like the frog in the pot of water not aware that the heat will ultimately boil it to death, the frog enjoys the comfort of it’s nice, warm, moist environment.  The frog does not recognize its fate until it’s too late.  Beware of the politician who stands on the platform of leveling the playing field or providing some form of benefit at the expense of the few. 

Cicero, the famous Roman orator and politician,  knew in his heart that his country would never return to it’s roots as a republic.  He was still committed to the preservation of the freedoms that remained. The trends he was up against were very similar to the ones we see today where people voted for free grain distribution and more entertainment. People were becoming very apathetic because of the government policies.There is a direct relation to the socialist trends of today and the number of people with the drive to achieve their dream. It’s not a surprise to see an economy declining because of a willingness to pass our responsibilities on to the next generation.  How sad to see a country that was built on opportunity regress toward dependency. 

To achieve a dream we must go back to a nation committed to work ethic.  We need to remember civilizations past. They have gone through these cycles we are witnessing today. Remembering our history should stir up the courage to make tough decisions even if they don’t appear to benefit us at the present.   Not surprisingly, answers are being found in LIFE.  Has anyone had their life improved from the  LIFE materials like the ‘Finance Pack’, or ‘Economics 101, 201, or 301’ by Larry VanBuskirk?  Who has become more aware of the economic trends from listening to ‘The Camel in the Tent’ by Chris Brady?  How many of our lives have improved from listening and applying the information from ‘The Ten Laws of Financial Management’ by Orrin Woodward? 

Are we hearing the cries for help from those who have not succumbed to hopelessness?  Call it what you will, exposures, showing the plan, or movie trailers, the information to help transform a person's life must get out.  We can be the Cicero's of our time. The bottom line is that if the dream is big enough the facts don’t count.  Do you think the government will turn down the heat from the pot of water?  Do you think your life will improve by watching a mindless late night comedian?  The water in the pot is getting warmer.  Is there anyone else out there in LIFE?  God Bless, George Guzzardo  

 

This Easter weekend is a great opportunity to describe what many of us feel is the most important part of LIFE, the AGO (All Grace Outreach) subscription. This subscription provides information on a variety of Faith based issues.  My friend and business partner, Tim Marks has headed up this program although all of the PC members (Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady, Claude Hamilton, Bill Lewis, Dan Hawkins, and George Guzzardo) provide valuable input.  The subscription comes with a monthly CD and a book.

Most would agree that we’ve been taught not to discuss politics or religion in public, on the job or at school.  This teaching has been the norm for about one hundred years now.  It shouldn’t surprise anyone that if these subjects can’t be discussed, then there will be limited exchange of views and knowledge in these areas.  Maybe that is why our society has never been less informed in the areas of politics and religion.  Without any substantial information transfer, this opens up the media and entertainment industries to spread their ignorance throughout our civilization.  Also, under the umbrella of being informed comes the myriad of ideas that float throughout the internet, making us the most ‘over informed ‘ society in the world. 

The founders of LIFE are transparent about their Christian views.  Whether you share their beliefs or not, their openness about how they think is refreshing since so many political, educational, and lay leaders keep their views hidden from their constituency.  The LIFE founders have put in years studying Faith and Theology and are mentoring with some of the top theologians in the country.   They have spent years researching to be able to bring the highest level of information into the AGO subscription.    

In addition to the personal moral character and the theological knowledge gained from the AGO series, all corporate profits are given in the form of charitable donations.  These charitable donations are at the local level.  Each PC spends time researching locally.  This is an area that has really opened my eyes over the last year.  There are a lot of people hurting in the world today.  It’s hard not to see an area in each of our communities that don’t need a helping hand.  As more LIFE community members achieve the PC level, more local charities will be effected. 

Whether or not you share in the belief of the Christian faith,  I’m sure we can all agree that spreading more love throughout the world will be a good thing to do.  Regarding love, Augustine said, “What does it look like?  It has hands to help others, feet to hasten to the poor and needy, eyes to see misery and want, ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.  That is what love looks like.”

In the words found in Revelation 1:17 -18, When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.  And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”  Have a great Easter weekend.  George Guzzardo 

 

There is something significant about Orrin Woodward placing the chapter on purpose in his Resolved book as the first chapter. Purpose is important.  How many of us have actually thought about what their purpose is?  How many of us have discovered their purpose?  What is purpose?  Commitment to your purpose would logically be the most powerful thing to master in a persons LIFE.  Pursuing one's purpose will be the most fulfilling endeavor.  If that is true, then we simply have to discover our purpose and be committed to it.  Simple is not easy though.  How many of us have actually thought about what their purpose is?  What have you committed your life to?  What is commitment?

Purpose is the discovery of the reason for your existence.  It is defined as the original intent for the creation of a thing.  Purpose gives birth to leadership.  A leader is born when purpose is discovered and destiny is understood.  Purpose reveals one's calling.  A calling is an essential part of the sense that characterizes a successful life.  It brings about a true sense of self.  It reveals self – significance.

Do you think that many people in the world have detected their purpose? If not, then this one missing piece may be the single most important reason why there is a prevalence of hopelessness and apathy in the world today.  How would we detect if someone has discovered their purpose?  Purpose ignites conviction and stirs the passion within.  In creates a focused life toward the fulfillment of their vision.  How prevalent in the world are people with passion?

Passion produces the resiliency that is missing in the world today.  Passion overcomes resistance and pain.  Passion is the source of determination.  Passion is the incubator of courage.  Passion is stronger than the opposition.  Why is it that passion is so powerful?  Because it comes from purpose and you can’t stop the reason you’ve been created once you find it.  Success then is just the journey to fulfill your purpose and grow in your potential.

Once purpose is discovered commitment is revealed through steadfast perseverance. Commitment and growth are connected. Commitment creates fixed determination.  To build on commitment it is important to verbalize it.  Invest in it.  Make it a priority. Rewards for being committed are the qualities of confidence, integrity and courage.

It appears as though the world is wondering aimlessly.  It is important to connect with people who are pursuing a purpose.  The first step is to find an association that is committed to pursuing purpose in order to focus on yours.  What is your purpose for your marriage, your family, your finances, or your faith?  Each of the important parts of our lives can have a specific purpose.  That is precisely what the LIFE business is all about. God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

 

Leaders take on a challenge and move on.  They don’t blame LIFE for their lot. They pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and learn from their experiences.  You only lose when you stay down and blame.  I’m sure Orrin Woodward has had his challenges, although working closely with him in the LIFE business you’d never know it.  I believe that taking responsibility is his strength.  When one accepts responsibility they have the foundation to build a lifetime of learning.  When one begins to blame, that is where learning ends.

I just love this story from Orrin Woodward’s new book ‘Resolved 13 Resolutions for LIFE’.

     “A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung in the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.  At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

    Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.  And miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

    After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.  “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.  I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.  Because of my laws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

    The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?   That’s because I have always known about your flaws. So I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you’ve watered them.  For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.  Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”  Wouldn’t it be great if there were more people with this type of mental perspective and less people who blame.”

Closely related to blame is self pity because they are both rooted in pride.   “Please feel sorry for me.”  The reason self pity does not look like pride is that it appears to be so needy.  But the need arises from a wounded ego.  Self pity says, “I deserve admiration because I suffered so much.  Author John Piper says, “Bear no grudge.  Forgive from the heart.  Decide to drop a grievance."  Start with the heart to correct the problem of blame or self pity.  It takes responsibility to work on your own heart. 

I’ve learned that in LIFE you’re the project and the project begins with your heart.  By always keeping your heart as the issue, you’ll never have to worry about blame and self pity.  In one sense there is another level of fitness to your heart.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

We all want a healthy LIFE so fitness should be a concern. Fitness is defined as: The quality of being fit, the capacity of an organism to survive.  The word ‘Wellness’ is also closely associated with the word fitness. We all know the importance of fitness but what if we took fitness into an area it’s not usually associated with?  What if we associated fitness with our mental capabilities.  Many of us have never set target goals for our mental fitness. The LIFE business has brought fitness to the next level by adding the mind, body and soul.

Have you ever thought about targeting your mental fitness for growth like you would target a diet or exercise?  I’ve watched many people grow in the area of their personal development with the use of the LIFE products.  Measurable results can be seen in areas that include, relationships, family, and fincance.  In essence, one can grow their character. Growing in these areas is critical.  For example, improving the way parents relate to their children will help the child relate to other people.  What happens when a child develops more respect and trust? Children can then learn what it takes to earn respect and trust. They can become a positive inluence themselves. They can create a ripple effect that is endless and generational.  We can also take this to another level when we become part of a compensated community. No one has spread this type of information throughout a community better than the Team leadership system. They have mastered the ability to use CD's, books, and association in a systematic way. This concept of developing communities is timely.

Challenging your thinking can be done similar to how an athlete works their muscle fitness. They apply resistance to challenge the muscle and make the muscle work harder.  The recovery process makes a physiological response that increases the muscles work capacity and improves the muscles fitness level.  What if we could challenge our mental capacities in the same way?  Just think of the possibilities.  You could learn how to develop the life you've always wanted.  Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to unequivocally measure our mental fitness?  This a revolutionary way of educating people in the areas of life that really matter. 

The LIFE community is commited to developing an association where more and more people meet others who are resolved to make the world a better place. As Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady say in their book 'The Business of Life’, “ “Helping people build communities of people (who offer LIFE changing material to those in need) by helping them develop their leadership abilities is our hedgehog concept.” Let’s start by getting fit for LIFE.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

 

 

In Orrin Woodward’s book ‘Resolved 13 Resolutions for LIFE, he describes Ludwig Von Mises as a man with “Indomitable Character”.  Orrin describes how a man of courage can make a difference.  Von Mises stood on principle despite going against the popular trends of big government.  Reading chapter 2 of Orrin’s book made me want to learn more about what Von Mises stood for.

Von Mises ( 1881 – 1973 ) was the leading spokesman of the Austrian school of economics. “Mises identified the long – term consequences of socialist and fascist errors, strengthening the growing intellectual resistance to Statism.  Let’s see if we recognize any trends today that relate to his perspectives.

 -      Each individual acts according to their goals and values.

-       A nation is most prosperous when it allows people to do that.

-       One method of producing wealth is by serving consumers.

-       Entrepreneurs owe their wealth to those who utilize their business.

-       People in general are ignorant about economics.

-       The result of this ignorance is that people ascribe all improvements in economic conditions to – natural science and technology. 

-       Capitalism encourages the innovator.

-       Profit is successful methods.

-       Loss is penalty of obsolete methods.

-       Recognize the prevailing bigotry of the molders of public opinion.

-       Watch out for the “progressives” who pretend that they are working for what is described as progress.

-       They recommend…credit expansion

                                     Increase amount of money in circulation

                                     Minimum wage rates. (enforced wage controls)

                                     Aim at middle – of – the road solutions, central          

                                     planning, welfare state, and socialism.

-       The coming of an age of central planning is inevitable.

-       They call themselves progressives

-       They pretend that they are working for the realization of what is desirable.

-       The history of western civilization is the record of a ceasless struggle for liberty.

-       The age of capitalism has abolished all vestiges of slavery and serfdom.

-       There’s a passionate endeavor to eliminate the classical studies from the curriculums of education and thus destroy the character of western liberty, and revive servile ideology.

-       No intelligent man could fail to recognize that what the socialists and planners were aiming at was the most radical abolition of the individual’s freedom and the establishment of government omnipotence.

 Orrin Woodward finishes his chapter on courage with a powerful statement in his book ‘Resolved 13 Resolutions for life’, “When enough people, with character and competence, join together, they create trusting communities, changing the world, one person and one team at a time.  God Bless,  George Guzzardo                                  

 

 

House meetings are the staple to growing a leadership community.  In many cases, the first exposure to the leadership community comes from the framework of a house meeting.  A leadership growth group (house meeting) brings the foundation of fellowship and connects members with common purpose. Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 

 Today there are many people who wish to align their values with their daily activities.  A very high percentage of the population has sacrificed  quality time with loved one’s because of on the job or business commitments.  After years of living on the edge of burnout, they find themselves looking back through a remorseful lens.  Attending a leadership growth group meeting brings people together who are making their values and actions line up.  There is something very special when hope is restored as people share what they are learning from the cd's and books.  I recently met a man who was separated from his wife.  Learning about the LIFE products and how they could teach conflict resolutions is priceless.  After a few hours of listening to the information from the CD’s that came out of a leadership growth group, he decided that divorce was not an option and a solution must be found to keep the relationship together. 

When someone joins a leadership community,  they can choose to target specific areas for growth.  The LIFE business describes these areas as the 8 F’s.  They can also choose to participate in the development of these leadership groups.  The Team leadership development system makes an apprenticeship option available.  This develops leadership skills in potential leaders.  As the leadership group expands,  they can utilize the Team Cast’ or ‘Open Meetings’ to learn how this ties into the potential to create a systematic income while helping make a difference in people lives.  

People are finding that ‘Community’ is the missing link in today’s world.  Community brings people together in a way that has been missing from our culture for many years. Within the framework of a leadership community,  people can connect more effectively. They can find a place where the leadership qualities like ‘trust’ are found.  

Because of the widespread loss of the community concept, people are more alone.  People feel more isolated today than ever before.  In the past, communities were the staple of our country.  Robert Nisbit said, “We are entering a new Age of Pessimism.”  It appears there is more aloneness and insecurity in our world today.  ‘Man’ has become more alienated from ‘Man’.  Loss of community brings disorganization, personality disintegration, and individual strife.    The advances of technology appear to be creating a complex world of isolation.  When was the last time you took the time to associate with a leadership group and made some fun time?  Leadership expert Tom Peters said, “He wouldn’t hire a person with a 4.0 grade point average.  He is not against intelligence; he just feels that a 4.0 is an indicator that the person has not been playing enough. There may not be balance there.” The restoration of the "Community" can lead to regeneration.

 Leadership growth groups are just one aspect of a leadership revolution.  This concept is critical to restoration of the loss of community.  The LIFE business powered by the Team leadership development system is filling this void.  God Bless, George Guzzardo   

 

 

The following article is dedicated to George Guzzardo.  George is one of the hungriest students I have ever met.  His ability to learn and grow is inspiring to me and many others.  George exemplifies a learning individual and has created learning organizations wherever he leads.

“The only significant competitive advantage is your organization’s ability to learn faster than the competition.” – Peter Senge

 I love this statement and I believe this is the key advantage of one organization over another.  Without the ability to learn and grow quickly—changes in the marketplace will diminish your ability to compete.  The only way to have this competitive advantage is to have leaders who develop teams inside of the organization.  Without leaders and teams your organization is a dinosaur waiting to go extinct.  Take a look where you work.  Do you see teamwork or a bunch of individuals attempting to get ahead?  No group of individuals will ever consistently beat a team working together.  In order to build this teamwork—you must teach service before self.  This is not a natural condition and requires discipline from the leader and team to accomplish.  This is another reason why leadership is so essential in today’s marketplace.  Leaders create the culture and the culture sets the norms and values expected from the team. 

 Learning faster is so important because everyone has access to the latest technology and management techniques.  It isn’t the ideas themselves, but the implementation of the ideas that make the difference.  I have been part of great learning organizations and I have been part of terrible learning organizations and the contrast is glaring.  In a learning organization, new ideas are sought out and discussed.  The attitude is, “If it ain’t broke, break it!”  Learning organizations know the competitors are changing and growing and they must also to be competitive.  Learning organizations take pride in dealing with change and love pushing the envelope for self and team improvement. 

 Non-learning organizations are another matter completely.  The dinosaur organizations believe the only good ideas come from the top of their corporate hierarchy.  They do not believe they must sell their ideas to gain the law of buy in.  Typically, they only have a couple of ideas per year—because ideas mean possible change and dinosaurs do not like change.  Because their dread of change, these slow organization will petition government or create rules to stop people from innovating.  They know they cannot compete on the open market and so develop barriers to continuous improvement.  The people stuck in these cultures become frustrated and stop creatively thinking.  The shameful part is the organization is not using its greatest resource.  The people and the ideas they have are every organizations greatest wealth.  To not partner with the people and create a team culture is corporate suicide. 

 Look at where you work.  Is your management hungering for new ideas and creating a team to develop and implement best practices across the organization?  Or is your organization a dinosaur that resist change and feels threatened by anyone who suggest improvements the managers did not develop?   The leaning organizations are the future and the non-learning organization will be relegated to the junk yard of history.   Wherever you are working, managing or leading—help develop a learning culture.  Step up your personal leadership and get your team on good books and CD of the week.   A learning organization has learning individuals that have been molded into a team.  This is your assignment if you plan to live a life of meaning and excellence!  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Re printed from 2007 article

Building leadership communities is a Team game.  Maybe that’s why so few have reached the pinnacle of community building like Orrin Woodward.  Simply speaking, Orrin makes the Team better.  He’s kind of a Tim Tebow and Vince Lombardi mixed together.  Like Tebow and Lombardi, he's a winner.  “Leadership is not just one quality, but rather a blend of many qualities.  While no one individual possesses all of the needed talents that go into leadership, each man can develop a combination to make him a leader”, Vince Lombardi.

 Within the Team community building system resides many leaders all working together for the overall goal, a million people.  This drives each one of those leaders to be in constant pursuit of their personal best. I remember just a few years ago when the Team was expanding outside of its roots in Michigan.  They play a game called ‘Top Gun’, an award that is given to an individual team within 'the TEAM' that brings the most of it’s members to a major convention.  Knowing that a major convention has made the most impact on developing a leader, each of us knows the importance of promoting the event and takes it very seriously.  At that time no one had ever won the award outside of Michigan.  Running into the convention back early in 2002 was a rag tag group coming on strong from Wisconsin.  The numbers to attend the convention were growing in Wisconsin and it looked like Michigan would not retain the title of ‘Top Gun’ winner much longer.  It actually symbolized how the Team was maturing.  Leaders were beginning to build communities away from the Michigan home base at that time.  Orrin Woodward made a sweep through Wisconsin to put the “icing on the cake” for the first ever ‘Top Gun’ win outside of Michigan.  Teams of leader’s who play games play to win.  But a funny little twist occurred.  Orrin being the crafty strategist that he is informed my good friend Bill Lewis that he was about to lose the race by about seventy tickets.  This brought out one of the most memorable two - minute drills that I’ve ever seen.  Bill and his good friend and partner Mark Huber went on a run of meetings with a ‘battle cry’ that resembled William Wallace from Braveheart.  The final tally found Bill coming out ahead by two tickets, a major come from behind victory.  Through this series of events the overall Team matured as demonstrated by the first leadership community from a state outside of Michigan.  Eventually, Wisconsin won several ‘Top Guns’.  And since that time, Teams have risen to win ‘Top Guns’ all over the country.

 What does it take for a team to win?

1. A team must learn to work towards its goal or a purpose.  All winning teams have had a mission to accomplish.  Each winning team buys into the teams purpose to accomplish the goal.  Creating a target for your team to hit creates a group allied in singleness of purpose.
2. Internal improvement to make sure that each individual is being the best self.  In the community building industry this requires listening, reading, and associating to get the most out of personal growth.  An example would be a pack of bike racers, each biker must make sure of their internal capability to keep pace with the pack.
3. Intercommunication skill within the team is critical.  Team members work interdependently. Relationships and conflict resolution are a few of the communication skills necessary to develop.
4. Work ethic is the final piece.  The concept in community building is called ‘go getter’ or fifteen exposures over a thirty - day period.  This is where the pads are put on and you can apply the information that you learned on the field.  Lombardi said, “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary”.

Building leadership communities is different than football.  During that experience you will cry, and laugh.  You’ll learn about people like never before.  You’ll celebrate with people as they improve their finances, relationships, parenting skills, and marriage.  Most of all you’ll learn about yourself.   As Lombardi said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”  Welcome to the business of LIFE.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

 

One of the striking differences coming a week out of the Team leadership conventions is a quiet calm.  The most common comment heard from those who attended was, “There is something different.”  People left the convention with an air of confidence that comes from the feeling that you know that you know. With help from the RT and PC speakers, those who attended have a sense of clarity about what is needed to build a leadership community. The steps have never been more clear:

1. Application of the Team training system information.
2. Apprenticeship
3. Become a Power Player
4. Begin to grow a leadership community
5. Fill your community with leadership and team system information

 There are two things that can happen from being in the LIFE business and Team Community building system.

1. Develop yourself
2. Develop a leadership community

When developing yourself you will notice the quality of the LIFE CD’s.  How could there be such a striking difference in the information from a personal development business?  Aren’t they all alike?  The reason for the difference is that when a leader produces LIFE media, they have the experience from building communities as opposed to other self - development materials that comes from theory.  When developing a community, the leader learns how to use the Team leadership tools to help teach leadership qualities that can be applied to Marriage, Friendship, Relationships, and Finances.

People are falling in love with making a difference.  It can pay well too!  Check out the LIFE compensation plan.  There are nice financial rewards for building a community and developing other leaders.  Outside of income as a motivating factor, one can find hidden benefits from growing a community.  You can grow your own leadership.  There is nothing like improving your own personal leadership qualities like trust, loyalty, integrity, persistence, and perhaps the most important, service.  If one quality is shockingly missing from our world today it would be service.  Giving is the key to a better life.  Instead of the “What’s in it for me attitude” that permeates today’s world, one can improve marriage, friendship, relationships, and yes, even finances with a service first attitude.  I can’t think of a better example of servant leadership than top leadership guru and LIFE founder Orrin Woodward. 

There is something different about life.  Join LIFE and feel the difference.  God Bless,  George Guzzardo 

 

 

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business are the recognized bench - mark for building leadership communities for over ten years.  The Team system is the most successful model teaching the art and science of building leadership communities.  The secret of building a large community lies within a system of information from CD’s, books, and association.  Anyone can learn the necessary how to skills to build a large community. 

The most unique aspect of community building is the association, the ability to bring a large body of people together in one common event and learn from each other.  All of the biggest leaders in the community building industry will say that they made “the decision” to move on to a higher level of leadership from attending a major leadership convention.  There, they not only receive the details on how to build a community but they become inspired as to why they want to be part of their team’s leadership. When someone attends these large events like the one’s coming at the end of January in Columbus, Ohio and Visalia, California, they will learn the two most important aspects of building a community, leadership and systems.

The most important reason to be part of a community building business system like the Team is the ability to achieve uncommon goals.  The majority of people today have their future goals limited by time and/or money.  It’s interesting that most people will use time or money  (the very obstacle that they want to overcome) as their excuse for not attending the next leadership event.  I’ve learned from working with Orrin Woodward and other big leaders in the community building industry that the obstacle standing in your way is actually the reason to go.  An example would be not having enough money to attend the event.  Finances won’t change by doing the same thing you've always done.  New knowledge applied = different results.  Make your motivation to achieve new results larger than the obstacles that are holding you back from attending this year’s winter leadership convention.

 The most strategic method for building big numbers at these events is to play a game called,  “Each One – Reach One” (EORO).  The game is played when you sell your event ticket to someone who has not attended a leadership convention before.  Some teams play a game of hot potato with their ticket and sell their ticket several times between the quarterly conventions.  Team 48, ‘Building Numbers’ is the best CD in the Team system on the what, how and why of how to EORO.  I encourage everyone to listen to this CD on a regular basis. It's found in the Power Player CD pack.   Teams that build large leadership communities play the EORO game the best.  Some teams have special promotions for those who do the EORO the most.  There is also a team recognition at the convention called the ‘Top Gun’.  The Top Gun award signifies the Team that builds the biggest community, which fits into the overall philosophy of building leaders. Teams that win this award are the most respected among their peers.  

 Why is it important to encourage someone to attend this up and coming event?  Those of us who have experience with building large communities know how attending one of these events has affected a person’s life.  The word most appropriate to describe what happens when someone attends these events is “transform”.  Making a difference is another way of describing why we place importance on attending the convention.  Just think of the possible difference to a persons finances, marriage, relationships, family, or freedoms it will make by going to an event like this.

There is no better investment in the 21^st century than investing in YOU!   Developing leadership qualities makes a difference in all aspects of a person’s life.  The single most concentrated way of getting the information necessary to make a difference in your life is attend the winter convention.  As you can tell I am already excited about what I feel will be the single most impactful event for us to attend in the year 2012.  Make sure you seek out Orrin Woodward or one of the LIFE PC (Policy Council) members and shake their hand and let them know how January’s event has affected you.  God Bless, George Guzzardo     

 

 

 

 

 

Please join with me congratulating Orrin Woodward for his award as the number one leadership website from the Independent Association of Businesses. The 2011 Top Leadership Website Award goes to:

Orrin Woodward : http://www.orrinwoodward.com/  This organization represents a million plus member organization of small business owners. 

Check out the list of the other 9 nominees.

 Jim Collins

John Maxwell

Stephen Covey

Ken Blanchard

Robin Sharma

Marshall Goldsmith

Tom Peters

Anthony Robbins

Jack Welch

 This is a phenomenal recognition for Orrin.  It represents originality, practicality, presentation, and impact of ideas.  To be voted number one among this list of high profile leaders is a significant milestone for Orrin.  As one of the founders, I have witnessed a man with an incredible vision for the future.  He has pioneered the Team leadership development business system.  He has recently opened the leadership and self -development business called LIFE.  Both of these are having a significant impact on each person who learns and applies the information.  In addition to having a big vision, a leader needs to have an uncommon level of integrity.  I have personally witnessed Orrin in situations where it would have been in his best interest to make different decisions but he stood by principles that he was doing the right thing.  I have seen Orrin work behind closed doors, watching him and how he relates to the founders PC.  He inspires us to be our personal best.  He also has taken some of the strongest personalities and has forged a partnership among the founders where we work together interdependently for the good of our mission to go to a million.

 I would like to personally thank Orrin on the positive impact he has had on our lives.  I know he has impacted thousands of people but he has been an inspiration to me and my family by the way he leads by example as a Christian.  He has given many of us the most important ingredient from his Christian example, which is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  With that comes a compelling purpose to be our very best and to make a difference in the world we live. 

 I feel this award will be the first of many.  Next time you see him, thank him for the difference that Orrin Woodward and the Life business has made in your life.  God Bless, George Guzzardo    

 

“We will never transform the prevailing system of management without transforming our prevailing system of education.”  In that statement, Dr. Deming connected work with education.  “The relationship between the boss and subordinate is the same as the relationship between a teacher and student”, according the Dr. Edward Deming.  I will paraphrase educator and author, Peter Senge, “ The only competitive advantage for the company of the future is its speed of learning.”  The LIFE business powered by the Team leadership system has created just that… a learning organization.

Is your life a masterpiece in progress? Which areas have you targeted for growth in the New Year?  Yes, the world has created busy people but are we to busy to be better? Which of the 8 F’s categories are worthy of continued focused improvement in the future?   Does it make sense that someone would quit improving their own life?  Olympic gymnast Peter Vidmar said, “People who get into something for the money, the fame, or the medal can’t be effective.  When you discover your own desire, you’re not going to wait for other people to find solutions to your problems.  You’re going to find your own.”

According to the Washington County Literacy Council as many as 23% of the adult population (40 -44 million) is functionally illiterate.  Adult illiteracy costs society an estimated $240 billion each year in lost industrial productivity, unrealized tax revenues, welfare, crime, poverty, and related social ills. In George Leonard’s book ‘Mastery’, he states, “The typical school or college classroom, unhappily, is not a very good place to learn.  It’s sad that over the past hundred years almost every aspect of our national life – industry, transportation, communication, computation, entertainment – has changed almost beyond recognition, while our schools remain essentially the same.” Any historian will tell you that an illiterate culture is a culture in decline.  All thriving societies have literacy as a common denominator. Oliver DeMille sites Allan Bloom in his book, ‘Closing of the American Mind’ when he taught at the University of Chicago in the 1950’s and 60’s.  He could tell what the national books were by asking students what books formed the core of their lives, the basis of society.  The two answers he always got were the Bible and The Declaration of Independence.  Demille states, “There is no true national book in America today.  No national books means no culture: and this is ominous for the future.  Any society which loses its national book declines and collapses in ignorance, dwindles and perishes in unbelief.”  

 Reading the book of the month may be the single most important part of your LIFE subscription.  If your schedule was anything like mine, I just didn’t have time to read.  I had all my time filled before I started on my LIFE subscription.  My mentor Orrin Woodward told me that the Team leadership system has a program for busy people like me.  I could fit in fifteen minutes a day somehow.  This eventually became a habit.  I was then able to add another fifteen minutes of reading time for a total of thirty minutes.  I eventually finished a book a month. I have witnessed how this program has worked for thousands of people.  Check out the ‘Testimony’ link to hear how this reading program has impacted people’s lives.

 When you join the LIFE business you’re going to get more than what appears at first.  It’s not every day that you get to partner up with Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady, two of the top 15 world’s rated leadership gurus.  You’re joining a learning community, a network of relationships with a strategy that produces leadership.  You’re joining a learning culture with you as the end product.  The result is leadership in all areas of your life.  By understanding more, you get different results. Mortimer Adler calls this, “The art of discovery, keenness of observation, readily available memory, range of imagination, and of course, an intellect trained in analysis and reflection.”  You become the masterpiece, a learning machine.  This is the year that you become the goal! God Bless,  George Guzzardo 

 

The Life business and Orrin Woodward have made available the basics for community building.   Building a community is different than Network Marketing.  Building a community goes beyond the goal of ‘signing people up’.  It’s not just about making a sale and moving a product.  Two dimensions are required to build a community.  Leadership and systems are the areas to be mastered.  When developing leadership, 'we' actually become the product, as personal development is tied with one's leadership influence. 

In their best selling book, ‘Launching a Leadership Revolution’, Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady go on to describe the concept of the ‘Tri – Lateral Leadership Ledger’.  It goes without saying that relationships and people skills are critical areas of leadership development.   Dale Carnegie’s best selling book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’,  describes relating and being relatable.  When I first read the book I was determined to improve in these areas.  I would take each chapter and spend a week applying what I had learned in an attempt to be more relatable.  These chapters go beyond just technique.  Connecting with people starts with being likeable.  Carnegie describes six ways to accomplish this.

1. Be genuinely interested in others.

2. Smile

3. Remember their name.

4. Be a good listener.  Give exclusive attention.

5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interest.

6. Sincerely make people feel important.

 The Team leadership development system recommends the top five books as a foundation to learn and Carnegie’s book is one of them.  ‘How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Sales’ by Frank Bettger is another cornerstone of mastering relationships.  In his first chapter, he says that enthusiasm made the biggest difference with his success. Who wants to be with someone who doesn't put energy into the relationship?  He goes on to say the single most important area to master is to find out what is most important to other people.  Go figure.  Find a need and fill it.  Doesn’t  building a relationship come down to helping a friend get what they need?  Wouldn’t it be cool if all our friends helped us get what we wanted?  Boy, I bet we would like our friends a lot better. 

Unfortunately, people skills are not taught in the school system.  In fact, many of us would agree that our bad habits were learned in school. The LIFE business, however, is a business that supplements  the current school system and teaches what many feel are the most important qualities that a person should master. 

 It’s a great time to learn from the past and reset our goals for the future.  I’d guess that people skills and relationships are on top of the list of areas to improve on.  Give the gift of enhancing a persons relationships by letting them know about the LIFE business and The Team system.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

The Team Community building system developed by co founders Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady is one of those intersectional innovations.  It differs and is similar to Networking in many ways.  Networking is defined as word of mouth marketing.  Most everyone would agree that a business expands the fastest from word of mouth referrals.  Although advertising is helpful, there is nothing like a personal recommendation.  Why did you choose your doctor or your mechanic?  Most would answer that it was word of mouth.  Building a community goes farther than word of mouth marketing in that it develops an association with a set of practices and beliefs.  That community can also expand its membership by attracting people who have similar values.

It takes leadership and systems to be an effective and sustainable community builder.  The Team has become known as the bench - mark for community building.  This should not surprise anyone since Orrin and Chris, two of the top 15 of the world’s rated leadership gurus have pioneered the Team Leadership development system.  Over a period of years, the method to build a community using the Team leadership system has been power player.  Power Player is a systematic way to build a community.  It allows for an apprenticeship which gives a student of community building time to learn,  develop competency and ultimately duplication.  Power Player breaks down each community you build into teams.  Those teams learn to work together for the development of that particular community.

A system is an orderly way of doing things.  It also allows for a process, which gives indicators on how to improve to develop “best practices”. 

 

1. Everyone does things the same way.
2. Each step is determined - the best way.
3. Objective is to perform with “0” variation.
4. Task becomes baseline for continued improvement.

Leadership is a more complex subject since it’s the personal attributes that give a leader influence.  In Orrin and Chris’s best selling ‘Launching a Leadership Revolution’, they talk abou the Tri – Lateral Leadership Ledger.  They describe three categories that the leader is always developing which include character, task, and relationships. Through personal development we increase our influence.  We become someone worth following.

Overall, a power player demonstrates mastering the basics of systems and leadership.  A big indicator of a master community builder is one who not only masters power player but develops multiple power players in each one of the their teams.

In essence, it’s not how many or how fast you can sign them up which has been associated with the concept of ‘Networking’.   It’s developing yourself and others using leadership skills in a systematic way to enhance a person via personal development.  This leads me to encourage you to join the LIFE leadership and personal development business powered by the Team community building system.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

One of the many unique aspects of the LIFE business with Orrin Woodward is the ‘Follow Through’.  Follow through is part of the five - step pattern that includes:

 

1. Making a List
2. Contacting or Making an Appointment
3. Showing the Plan
4. Follow Through
5. Rotating the Pattern

Using a predictable pattern of activity is an example of a systematic process  which anyone can learn to follow. This process is important for all members in the Team community because it creates a predictable series of activities that anyone can do.  Another great dimension is that there is ‘no close to the sale’ as in the typical sales business.  In fact, the follow through is actually an opening to develop a business relationship.  This relationship has in many cases gone on to become a solid friendship.

 The success of the follow through can be traced back to how the person is contacted and how the plan is shown.  There are a number of factors that improve the result of the follow through such as posture, connection, and most importantly, know what the LIFE opportunity can bring to the people who see this plan.  Remember, the most important question that needs to be answered by the person looking at the information is, “What’s in it for me?” 

 The apprenticeship pack contains the ‘Follow Through’ CD by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward.  In this CD, these top 25 leadership gurus produced the ultimate teaching on this subject.   In addition, the top five books are loaded with information that will aid you during the follow through.  It helps to read the top five books with specific intent on what you’re trying to learn.  Although the techniques found from these training materials help achieve results, connecting from the heart, that you really care about helping them get their goals, is the real feeling that must be transferred.  Remember to close with the most important rule for a follow up and that is “book a meeting from a meeting”.

 I think follow through is the glue to developing communities because it’s the foundation for developing a solid relationship.  I look at all of my closest business partners and find that’s where I have the strongest relationships.  The ‘Relationship Pack’ (found under the LIFE shopping icon) should be listened to regularly to help remind us that people are the most important part of community building.  The concept that the dream is the product is unique to the LIFE business.  The product of a better you is the means to the end.  Orrin recently wrote: The LIFE founders have resolved to learn from our previous networking experiences, vowing to creatively destroy any parts that we did not believe satisfied or exceeded the customers’ expectations. We plan on doing this through applying free enterprise principles in the marketplace, not feeling the need to resort to reputation assassinations of our former associates. Perhaps both sides would benefit from applying this highroad principle. Certainly, the consumers would benefit by enjoying the freedom to study the pros and cons of each potential business models on its merits. So, follow through with more information so you can make a difference with Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

One of the most enlightening experiences you’ll have working with Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business is a deeper knowledge about relationships.  We would all agree that improved relationships would make the world a better place.  Making personal development in the area of relationships should be a priority for all of us.  Improved understanding of relationships is the starting point.  Relationships are also the glue for building a leadership community like the – Team leadership system has been noted for. 

 Business thrives when creating a product that enhances a person’s life or when providing a solution to a person’s problem.  What if the product was information to help enhance relationships or solve conflict between people?  What value would we place on such a product?  Enter the LIFE business powered by the – Team leadership system. 

 In Orrin’s new book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions For LIFE, he describes eight essential principles for building and maintaining long - term friendships.  You’ll get your money’s worth from that book on chapter 7 alone.  He goes on to discuss constructive ways to handle conflict in chapter 10.  Is there anyone out there like me who wishes they would have handled a conflict with a person differently?  Orrin goes on to reference several books found in the LIFE leadership and self development business like ‘Courage’ by Gus Lee, ‘Speed of Trust’ by Steven Covey, and ‘Crucial Conversations’.  With all the watered down books on relationships out there, isn’t it great to have one of the world’s top 10 leadership gurus willing to give us his personal references?

 One of my favorite books about relationships is ‘Personality Plus’ by Florence Littauer, also found in the LIFE book list.  I’m sure this book saved my marriage, many of my friendships, and my business.  I knew people were different, but I never knew why.  This book explains it.  After I learned why I was drawn toward certain personality types and repelled by others, my understanding of people deepened.  Now, my knowledge of personality types has softened some of my rough edges and I hope has made me easier to get along with.  I also find myself being attracted to people who used to rub me the wrong way.  Learning about personality strengths and weaknesses has widened my scope of understanding of people of all backgrounds.  People, like books, have a lot to teach.

Peter Senge from MIT and author of ‘The Fifth Discipline’ describes learning organizations as the key to the business of the future. Relationships are the keys to friendships, leadership, and all of life.  Make personal development in the area of relationships your goal and you’ll love the information found from Orrin Woodward and LIFE leadership and personal development business.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business have opened up an opportunity for information to help us with the meaningful areas of our lives.  One of the 8 F categories to learn more information about is ‘Fitness ‘.  This one typically gets the least attention in most people’s lives because in a busy world it gets placed low on the priority list.  Although most people tend to prioritize everything else in their schedule over fitness, without fitness we would have trouble in all the other areas of our lives.  Becoming a member of the LIFE business is a commitment to learning how to enhance our mind, body and soul. Let’s take a look at the body.

Fitness is the quality and state of being fit.  It is directly related to our health and wellness.  The opposite of being healthy is illness and sickness.  Most of us don’t pay attention to our health until we lose it.  Learning about and becoming more fit will help us in all the other aspects of our lives.

 All of our tissues are living cells.  Exercise and diet are intricately related to our health.  Much of disease and illness is related to lack of exercise and poor diet.   Prevention of poor health starts with the right attention to exercise and diet.  Start by learning.  Follow by developing a routine that fits into your life. The LIFE business uses a variety of media sources to teach in areas of self - development.  An example of the information being taught can be found in the 8 F’s introductory pack which includes a great talk fromMark and Jen Paul on fitness.  Make fitness a ‘Big Rock’.  The key is to begin.  Be regular for over thirty days so the activity becomes a habit.

 Recommendations prior to starting an exercise program include getting a check up if you’ve had health problems or are over forty years of age.  Start with short and simple exercises that gradually progresses to a feeling of exertion.  Learn how to check vital signs like your pulse and blood pressure. 

 Exercise is simply a bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness.  It is performed or practiced in order to develop, improve, or display a specific capability or skill.  There are three general areas to work on when exercising.  Each of these is equally important so they should all be addressed when designing your program. 

 I put flexibility as the starting point since it’s important that you should be able to move to exercise.  When you move your arms or legs you should learn to understand what your normal range of motion of a joint is. Stretching into muscle tightness should be done slowly with a sustained stretch no less than ten seconds.

 Stability is the strength or the firmness of a muscle or joint.  Strength is related to the ability of a muscle to do work. This is where dumbbells, elastic, or weight machines come in.   Strengthening exercises requires resistance so start light with more repetitions before hitting the heavy weights. 

Aerobic exercises involve the heart or the cardiac system.  By working on this area you will affect your endurance or ability to sustain an effort or activity.  Begin gradually.  The goal is to increase an activity like walking between 15 and 30 minutes every day. Change your pace or the incline to make it more difficult.  

 Nutrition is critical to your health.  Diet is related to weight loss or gain.  Diet also effects your energy.  What you eat can even affect the way you think.  Nutrition is the value or worth of food to nourish your cells.  Energy that is consumed is measured in calories.  Learn to understand calories.  Calories may be empty which means the food is worthless because the food has no nutritious value.  By understanding the types of calories in food,  you can learn to ingest foods with essential vitamins and minerals.   

 Think about the content of the food you eat.  Nutrition will be divided up into:

1.  Water : 60% of our body weight so water intake is critical to say the least.   One of the simplest ways of improving fitness is by drinking water at convenient times and locations through out the day.
2. Carbohydrates: compounds such as sugars, starches, and cellulose, (plants).  Contrary to popular fad diets, carbohydrates are a necessary staple for our nurition. Learn what a complex carbohydrate is.
3. Minerals: substances formed from the earth such as salt, iron, and zinc, and occur naturally in certain foods.
4. Lipids:  get a bad rap because they are associated with fat.  Not all fats are bad and some fat is critical to our health.  Fats includes oils and butter but are found in beef and other meats too.
5. Proteins:  hold the key to biological activity and serve as structure for the cell.
6. Vitamins:  maintain normal metabolic (factory) functions of the cell.

 This is not an all inclusive article but designed to wet your appetite for more information. Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business are making this information available to enhance a person’s life.  Take the next step for better health.  God Bless, George Guzzardo 

 

The success of Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business is being revealed again by showcasing the concept of intersectional innovation.  This is achieved by finding the gap between two previously established industries and combining them in a way that has never been done before.  The impact from this is not small and gradual, but huge and immediate.

 LIFE combines four major industries:

1. Personal Development:  (Includes Leadership and Self Help) est. $400 Billion industry
2. Life coaching:  est. $1.5 Billion
3. Networking:  est. $100 Billion
4. Community Building:   (Includes Church, Social Media, and other organizations)

 When evaluating the up side of this business model, keep in mind the foundation that it stands on.  LIFE is built on four pillars of support, which includes:

1.  Competence: Over 100 combined years in the networking industry.  Worldwide recognition and appearances.  College textbook references.
2. Credibility: NY Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today best selling authors.  Top ranked leadership gurus.  Sourced by consultants.  International training companies using video content.
3. Compensation: Outrageously competitive.  Quick potential for new participants.  Lucrative for the long term.       
4. Cost Competitiveness: Industry – leading value.

 This industry will not be without its critics however.  Developing a business that uses the concept of intersectional innovation also puts pressure on models that are resistant to changing with the times.  Those older models may be reluctant to change, since early members have already developed their ‘nest egg’ and haven’t reexamined their priorities.  Changing with the times often pushes people out of their comfort zones.  People can be anxious and resistant to change and this is typically how companies decline.  Older business models that once grew because they adopted innovative ideas many times fall into a bureaucratic management style.  This limits growth and outdates the company.  These companies can become zealous to stay the course no matter what happens.  Instead of growing from innovation and ideas they resort to slinging negative, often from assembling a social media group to try character assassination of their competitors.  This is very similar to the political games being played on the media today.  Unfortunately for them, slanting information toward the negative is ineffective as it reflects right back on them.  The public quickly discerns the need to stay away from those who resort to throwing negative darts.   

 Some of the success principles that the Team Leadership system utilizes are:

1.  Teamwork and interdependency
2. Life – long learning commitment and a learning culture
3. Creative visioneering
4. Empowerment
5. Adaptive behavior
6. Minimal bureaucracy.

 The foundation of success is more than ideas.  It’s doing the right thing because it’s right.  Long- term success depends on character.  Developing a leadership community over the last eleven years is in direct proportion to standing on principles, learning from mistakes, and turning disadvantages into greater advantages.  The leaders have learned, studied, and prayed.  All this has lead to an opportunity that will be just in time to help people financially and relationally.  And remember that the success from the launch of the LIFE business with Orrin Woodward has just begun.  God Bless, George Guzzardo                                                

 

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE leadership business should be commended for making ‘Friends’ as one of the 8F’s categories.  The 8F’s are the categories of information that LIFE subscribers can receive to help them enhance their lives.  Chris Brady remarked recently that while walking through book stores, he noticed that books about friendship are extremely rare.  In an attempt to solve the friendship issue,  social networking has made ‘friends’ the central focus.  But what really are the important ingredients to making true friends?

People from around the country who come from a wide variety of social backgrounds are scratching their heads in wonder asking, “Just how the Team leadership community has stayed together for twelve years”?  The infrastructure to develop friends and keep communities together is rooted in loyalty that comes from trust.  But just how has this culture been created?  I believe this environment was developed from 4 components:

1. Integrity
2. Servant leadership
3. Vision
4. Competency

These four components form the friendship that holds it all together.  Friends start with having the right heart toward each other.  They have joy in each other’s successes.  This eliminates envy.  Friends lend a hand when others are in need and distress.  Acts of kindness builds trust.  Friends say, “Thank you” because they appreciate you.  Friends are genuinely interested in each other and they ask questions and listen intently.  Friends demonstrate humility by honoring one another.  Friends don’t just show the actions of love, they have the desire to love.  Out of the desire to love comes forgiveness.  Yes, even forgiveness of ones enemies who attempt harm.  We must be the change in the world that we want to see.

Thousands attended the Sunday service at the Columbus Ohio leadership convention last week to see Pastor Davey.  It easily could have been the largest Sunday service in the country.  There, the secret of how the LIFE culture of friendship was revealed.  Influence from the Team leadership community and theLIFE business comes from the top down.  I have had a front row seat with Orrin Woodward and the Policy Counsel leaders and can testify that it is because they are committed to pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Orrin Woodward and the leaders of LIFE have gone all the way to the top.  That’s how friendship happens.  God Bless, George Guzzardo 

 

 

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE leadership business exploded on the scene this weekend in Columbus Ohio.  A packed stadium was in attendance at Nationwide Arena to see an impactful first night featuring the Founders Policy Counsel, Dallin Larsen and tons of recognition showcasing people who are achieving results with the Team Leadership development system.  Outside of the numerous Round Table recognition today, Oliver Demille had a huge impact on the audiance.  Oliver is past founder of George Wythe University and currently director of www.thesocialleader.com .  

A summary of his talk includes a thorough discussion of freedom and power shifts in history. Every 80 to 100 years there are a few who influence the direction of cultures.  The west is undergoing a shift right now and freedom is in a precarious position.  He noted that the decisions to pass the 16th and 17th amendment in 1913 are having a profound effect on the current western culture. Those amendments were influenced by a small percentage of the population and yet had massive remifications on increased taxation, government spending, and debt.

Noting that a small percentage of the poplulation influences a big portion of our future,  there are things that can be done to secure our freedom.  

1. Become a successful entrepreneur.  Free nations are made of business owners.
2.  Voracious readers become independent thinkers.
3. Become community builders.

These three solutions represent exactly what the LIFE leadership and self development business is doing.  The LIFE business represents a low cost entry with a potential high yield upside.  People who join start with subscriptions to media that includes CD's and books in areas of self development.  As people use the Team leadership system to build their communities,  they receive a percentage of the subscriptions in a monthly bonus.  Their bonus  percentage increases by how many people are helped to learn in what are called the 8 F's, categories that include: faith, family, finance, fitness, fun, following, freedom, and friends.  

People know something is happening to their freedoms today.  They feel financial pressures. They can see how more and more people have become isolated socially.  People are looking for solutions and education is the answer.  This type of education is in the areas of LIFE skills that matter to people.  

More to come from this weekend at Columbus as Orrin Woodward and the LIFE leadership business explodes on the scene.  God Bless, George Guzzardo 

 

CONFLICT OR OPPORTUNITY

What if the challenges we face in life are just disguised as ways to develop practical wisdom? The Chinese word for crisis is defined as ‘Opportunity’.  There is a Korean saying, “Pain is the penalty of violating the principles of nature.”  Engineers, like Orrin Woodward call it PDCA  (Plan, Do, Check, Adjust).  The point is to make your challenge the opportunity to learn, grow and become wiser.  The LIFE business prepares us for the tough times we know will come by helping us to gain the knowledge to handle the inevitable challenges. 

Wisdom is essentially practical application of knowledge. I used to tell a story about a patient who came in to the clinic complaining about a pain in his eye.  The first step was to make an objective measurement.  I noticed that the patient held his finger in his eye.  When I asked him to take his finger out of his eye he reported a significant relief of eye pain.  I told him I felt we discovered his problem.  I prescribed an exercise to relieve his pain.  “Take you finger out of your eye three times a day for thirty days”, I told him.  After you perform an activity for thirty days you develop a habit.  Most of our pains or challenges in life are caused from a faulty habit. The same principle applies to opportunity.  We can learn to perform habits to have a better life and less conflict.

Common  areas of conflict include problems with relationships and finances can be linked to a knowlege deficit in those areas.   Marriage struggles, for example,  may be helped by books like 'The Five Love Languages',  'Love and Respect' , or 'Cracking the Communication Code'.  Fanacial challenges may be eased when applying what is taught from books like 'The Richest Man in Babylon' or 'God's Plans for Your Finances'.                  These are examples of information from the Team leadership system and the LIFE business.  

Part of the opportunity in a crisis is being open to mentoring.  Someone who may have had success with your particular situation.  Consult with your mentor for a thirty - day game plan on how to apply the right actions, and get the right information.  Information may also come from specific CD’s.

Finding yourself in the same challenge or conflict for a long period of time can also be looked on optimistically.  For example, you are obviously strong - willed.  Strong - mindedness is not a bad trait.  It just means you have not discovered the solution to your conflict.  Remember that the number one quality to success is persistence. However, the length of time to solve a conflict should be progressively less once you learn to identify the goliath that stands in your way.  You'll inevitably become the ultimate goliath slayer. 

Once you begin to see that conflict is just opportunity your perspective of your problems will change.  You will realize that you are really living in a great time of opportunity. Not only that,  but you will position yourself to be able to help your friends and associates identify this same formula for success and high achievement. It may be the ultimate Mental Fitness Challenge.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE IN LIFE

What is the answer on how to achieve your dreams and goals in this LIFE?  Is there a magic answer? In ‘Launching a Leadership Revolution’, best selling authors Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady describe “Hunger” as the number one quality.  Hunger can also be described as “Drive”.  The “Hunger’ or “Drive” is ultimately transformed into the work required to achieve the goal.

I remember a story about an Asian girl who left everything back in her country just to have an opportunity to come to the United States and achieve her freedom.  She was able to secure a marketing job where she had to make a quota of exposures each day.  There were a few minor challenges.  First, she didn’t know anyone and second, she didn’t speak any English.  What were her odds of succeeding?  When the drive is strong enough, the facts don’t count.  Today, this Asian woman leads what most would call a successful life.

 What has happened to the drive, innovation, and creativity that comes from tbe internal motivation to achieve something despite the odds?  Has anyone witnessed a gradual shift toward apathy or dependency in the countries of the West?   Does it seem like people are more concerned with their rights than their duties?  Studies in democracy find that once the population discovers it’s ability to vote in politicians who promise benefits and subsidies, it marks the beginning of the end.  Get ready for socialism.  People become so concerned with their rights and benefits that they are willing to forfeit their freedoms.  Like the frog in the pot of water not aware that the heat will ultimately boil it to death, the frog enjoys the comfort of it’s nice, warm, moist environment.  The frog does not recognize its fate until it’s too late.  Beware of the politician who stands on the platform of leveling the playing field or providing some form of benefit at the expense of the few. 

Cicero, the famous Roman orator and politician,  knew in his heart that his country would never return to it’s roots as a republic.  He was still committed to the preservation of the freedoms that remained. The trends he was up against were very similar to the ones we see today where people voted for free grain distribution and more entertainment. People were becoming very apathetic because of the government policies.There is a direct relation to the socialist trends of today and the number of people with the drive to achieve their dream. It’s not a surprise to see an economy declining because of a willingness to pass our responsibilities on to the next generation.  How sad to see a country that was built on opportunity regress toward dependency. 

To achieve a dream we must go back to a nation committed to work ethic.  We need to remember civilizations past. They have gone through these cycles we are witnessing today. Remembering our history should stir up the courage to make tough decisions even if they don’t appear to benefit us at the present.   Not surprisingly, answers are being found in LIFE.  Has anyone had their life improved from the  LIFE materials like the ‘Finance Pack’, or ‘Economics 101, 201, or 301’ by Larry VanBuskirk?  Who has become more aware of the economic trends from listening to ‘The Camel in the Tent’ by Chris Brady?  How many of our lives have improved from listening and applying the information from ‘The Ten Laws of Financial Management’ by Orrin Woodward? 

Are we hearing the cries for help from those who have not succumbed to hopelessness?  Call it what you will, exposures, showing the plan, or movie trailers, the information to help transform a person's life must get out.  We can be the Cicero's of our time. The bottom line is that if the dream is big enough the facts don’t count.  Do you think the government will turn down the heat from the pot of water?  Do you think your life will improve by watching a mindless late night comedian?  The water in the pot is getting warmer.  Is there anyone else out there in LIFE?  God Bless, George Guzzardo  

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE

This Easter weekend is a great opportunity to describe what many of us feel is the most important part of LIFE, the AGO (All Grace Outreach) subscription. This subscription provides information on a variety of Faith based issues.  My friend and business partner, Tim Marks has headed up this program although all of the PC members (Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady, Claude Hamilton, Bill Lewis, Dan Hawkins, and George Guzzardo) provide valuable input.  The subscription comes with a monthly CD and a book.

Most would agree that we’ve been taught not to discuss politics or religion in public, on the job or at school.  This teaching has been the norm for about one hundred years now.  It shouldn’t surprise anyone that if these subjects can’t be discussed, then there will be limited exchange of views and knowledge in these areas.  Maybe that is why our society has never been less informed in the areas of politics and religion.  Without any substantial information transfer, this opens up the media and entertainment industries to spread their ignorance throughout our civilization.  Also, under the umbrella of being informed comes the myriad of ideas that float throughout the internet, making us the most ‘over informed ‘ society in the world. 

The founders of LIFE are transparent about their Christian views.  Whether you share their beliefs or not, their openness about how they think is refreshing since so many political, educational, and lay leaders keep their views hidden from their constituency.  The LIFE founders have put in years studying Faith and Theology and are mentoring with some of the top theologians in the country.   They have spent years researching to be able to bring the highest level of information into the AGO subscription.    

In addition to the personal moral character and the theological knowledge gained from the AGO series, all corporate profits are given in the form of charitable donations.  These charitable donations are at the local level.  Each PC spends time researching locally.  This is an area that has really opened my eyes over the last year.  There are a lot of people hurting in the world today.  It’s hard not to see an area in each of our communities that don’t need a helping hand.  As more LIFE community members achieve the PC level, more local charities will be effected. 

Whether or not you share in the belief of the Christian faith,  I’m sure we can all agree that spreading more love throughout the world will be a good thing to do.  Regarding love, Augustine said, “What does it look like?  It has hands to help others, feet to hasten to the poor and needy, eyes to see misery and want, ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.  That is what love looks like.”

In the words found in Revelation 1:17 -18, When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.  And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”  Have a great Easter weekend.  George Guzzardo 

 

COMMIT TO YOUR PURPOSE

There is something significant about Orrin Woodward placing the chapter on purpose in his Resolved book as the first chapter. Purpose is important.  How many of us have actually thought about what their purpose is?  How many of us have discovered their purpose?  What is purpose?  Commitment to your purpose would logically be the most powerful thing to master in a persons LIFE.  Pursuing one's purpose will be the most fulfilling endeavor.  If that is true, then we simply have to discover our purpose and be committed to it.  Simple is not easy though.  How many of us have actually thought about what their purpose is?  What have you committed your life to?  What is commitment?

Purpose is the discovery of the reason for your existence.  It is defined as the original intent for the creation of a thing.  Purpose gives birth to leadership.  A leader is born when purpose is discovered and destiny is understood.  Purpose reveals one's calling.  A calling is an essential part of the sense that characterizes a successful life.  It brings about a true sense of self.  It reveals self – significance.

Do you think that many people in the world have detected their purpose? If not, then this one missing piece may be the single most important reason why there is a prevalence of hopelessness and apathy in the world today.  How would we detect if someone has discovered their purpose?  Purpose ignites conviction and stirs the passion within.  In creates a focused life toward the fulfillment of their vision.  How prevalent in the world are people with passion?

Passion produces the resiliency that is missing in the world today.  Passion overcomes resistance and pain.  Passion is the source of determination.  Passion is the incubator of courage.  Passion is stronger than the opposition.  Why is it that passion is so powerful?  Because it comes from purpose and you can’t stop the reason you’ve been created once you find it.  Success then is just the journey to fulfill your purpose and grow in your potential.

Once purpose is discovered commitment is revealed through steadfast perseverance. Commitment and growth are connected. Commitment creates fixed determination.  To build on commitment it is important to verbalize it.  Invest in it.  Make it a priority. Rewards for being committed are the qualities of confidence, integrity and courage.

It appears as though the world is wondering aimlessly.  It is important to connect with people who are pursuing a purpose.  The first step is to find an association that is committed to pursuing purpose in order to focus on yours.  What is your purpose for your marriage, your family, your finances, or your faith?  Each of the important parts of our lives can have a specific purpose.  That is precisely what the LIFE business is all about. God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

 

A LEADER MOVES ON

Leaders take on a challenge and move on.  They don’t blame LIFE for their lot. They pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and learn from their experiences.  You only lose when you stay down and blame.  I’m sure Orrin Woodward has had his challenges, although working closely with him in the LIFE business you’d never know it.  I believe that taking responsibility is his strength.  When one accepts responsibility they have the foundation to build a lifetime of learning.  When one begins to blame, that is where learning ends.

I just love this story from Orrin Woodward’s new book ‘Resolved 13 Resolutions for LIFE’.

     “A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung in the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.  At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

    Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.  And miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

    After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.  “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.  I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.  Because of my laws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

    The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?   That’s because I have always known about your flaws. So I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you’ve watered them.  For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.  Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”  Wouldn’t it be great if there were more people with this type of mental perspective and less people who blame.”

Closely related to blame is self pity because they are both rooted in pride.   “Please feel sorry for me.”  The reason self pity does not look like pride is that it appears to be so needy.  But the need arises from a wounded ego.  Self pity says, “I deserve admiration because I suffered so much.  Author John Piper says, “Bear no grudge.  Forgive from the heart.  Decide to drop a grievance."  Start with the heart to correct the problem of blame or self pity.  It takes responsibility to work on your own heart. 

I’ve learned that in LIFE you’re the project and the project begins with your heart.  By always keeping your heart as the issue, you’ll never have to worry about blame and self pity.  In one sense there is another level of fitness to your heart.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

LIFE FITNESS

We all want a healthy LIFE so fitness should be a concern. Fitness is defined as: The quality of being fit, the capacity of an organism to survive.  The word ‘Wellness’ is also closely associated with the word fitness. We all know the importance of fitness but what if we took fitness into an area it’s not usually associated with?  What if we associated fitness with our mental capabilities.  Many of us have never set target goals for our mental fitness. The LIFE business has brought fitness to the next level by adding the mind, body and soul.

Have you ever thought about targeting your mental fitness for growth like you would target a diet or exercise?  I’ve watched many people grow in the area of their personal development with the use of the LIFE products.  Measurable results can be seen in areas that include, relationships, family, and fincance.  In essence, one can grow their character. Growing in these areas is critical.  For example, improving the way parents relate to their children will help the child relate to other people.  What happens when a child develops more respect and trust? Children can then learn what it takes to earn respect and trust. They can become a positive inluence themselves. They can create a ripple effect that is endless and generational.  We can also take this to another level when we become part of a compensated community. No one has spread this type of information throughout a community better than the Team leadership system. They have mastered the ability to use CD's, books, and association in a systematic way. This concept of developing communities is timely.

Challenging your thinking can be done similar to how an athlete works their muscle fitness. They apply resistance to challenge the muscle and make the muscle work harder.  The recovery process makes a physiological response that increases the muscles work capacity and improves the muscles fitness level.  What if we could challenge our mental capacities in the same way?  Just think of the possibilities.  You could learn how to develop the life you've always wanted.  Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to unequivocally measure our mental fitness?  This a revolutionary way of educating people in the areas of life that really matter. 

The LIFE community is commited to developing an association where more and more people meet others who are resolved to make the world a better place. As Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady say in their book 'The Business of Life’, “ “Helping people build communities of people (who offer LIFE changing material to those in need) by helping them develop their leadership abilities is our hedgehog concept.” Let’s start by getting fit for LIFE.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

 

 

LUDWIG VON MISES...ONE MAN WITH COURAGE

In Orrin Woodward’s book ‘Resolved 13 Resolutions for LIFE, he describes Ludwig Von Mises as a man with “Indomitable Character”.  Orrin describes how a man of courage can make a difference.  Von Mises stood on principle despite going against the popular trends of big government.  Reading chapter 2 of Orrin’s book made me want to learn more about what Von Mises stood for.

Von Mises ( 1881 – 1973 ) was the leading spokesman of the Austrian school of economics. “Mises identified the long – term consequences of socialist and fascist errors, strengthening the growing intellectual resistance to Statism.  Let’s see if we recognize any trends today that relate to his perspectives.

 -      Each individual acts according to their goals and values.

-       A nation is most prosperous when it allows people to do that.

-       One method of producing wealth is by serving consumers.

-       Entrepreneurs owe their wealth to those who utilize their business.

-       People in general are ignorant about economics.

-       The result of this ignorance is that people ascribe all improvements in economic conditions to – natural science and technology. 

-       Capitalism encourages the innovator.

-       Profit is successful methods.

-       Loss is penalty of obsolete methods.

-       Recognize the prevailing bigotry of the molders of public opinion.

-       Watch out for the “progressives” who pretend that they are working for what is described as progress.

-       They recommend…credit expansion

                                     Increase amount of money in circulation

                                     Minimum wage rates. (enforced wage controls)

                                     Aim at middle – of – the road solutions, central          

                                     planning, welfare state, and socialism.

-       The coming of an age of central planning is inevitable.

-       They call themselves progressives

-       They pretend that they are working for the realization of what is desirable.

-       The history of western civilization is the record of a ceasless struggle for liberty.

-       The age of capitalism has abolished all vestiges of slavery and serfdom.

-       There’s a passionate endeavor to eliminate the classical studies from the curriculums of education and thus destroy the character of western liberty, and revive servile ideology.

-       No intelligent man could fail to recognize that what the socialists and planners were aiming at was the most radical abolition of the individual’s freedom and the establishment of government omnipotence.

 Orrin Woodward finishes his chapter on courage with a powerful statement in his book ‘Resolved 13 Resolutions for life’, “When enough people, with character and competence, join together, they create trusting communities, changing the world, one person and one team at a time.  God Bless,  George Guzzardo                                  

 

 

LEADERSHIP GROWTH GROUPS

House meetings are the staple to growing a leadership community.  In many cases, the first exposure to the leadership community comes from the framework of a house meeting.  A leadership growth group (house meeting) brings the foundation of fellowship and connects members with common purpose. Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 

 Today there are many people who wish to align their values with their daily activities.  A very high percentage of the population has sacrificed  quality time with loved one’s because of on the job or business commitments.  After years of living on the edge of burnout, they find themselves looking back through a remorseful lens.  Attending a leadership growth group meeting brings people together who are making their values and actions line up.  There is something very special when hope is restored as people share what they are learning from the cd's and books.  I recently met a man who was separated from his wife.  Learning about the LIFE products and how they could teach conflict resolutions is priceless.  After a few hours of listening to the information from the CD’s that came out of a leadership growth group, he decided that divorce was not an option and a solution must be found to keep the relationship together. 

When someone joins a leadership community,  they can choose to target specific areas for growth.  The LIFE business describes these areas as the 8 F’s.  They can also choose to participate in the development of these leadership groups.  The Team leadership development system makes an apprenticeship option available.  This develops leadership skills in potential leaders.  As the leadership group expands,  they can utilize the Team Cast’ or ‘Open Meetings’ to learn how this ties into the potential to create a systematic income while helping make a difference in people lives.  

People are finding that ‘Community’ is the missing link in today’s world.  Community brings people together in a way that has been missing from our culture for many years. Within the framework of a leadership community,  people can connect more effectively. They can find a place where the leadership qualities like ‘trust’ are found.  

Because of the widespread loss of the community concept, people are more alone.  People feel more isolated today than ever before.  In the past, communities were the staple of our country.  Robert Nisbit said, “We are entering a new Age of Pessimism.”  It appears there is more aloneness and insecurity in our world today.  ‘Man’ has become more alienated from ‘Man’.  Loss of community brings disorganization, personality disintegration, and individual strife.    The advances of technology appear to be creating a complex world of isolation.  When was the last time you took the time to associate with a leadership group and made some fun time?  Leadership expert Tom Peters said, “He wouldn’t hire a person with a 4.0 grade point average.  He is not against intelligence; he just feels that a 4.0 is an indicator that the person has not been playing enough. There may not be balance there.” The restoration of the "Community" can lead to regeneration.

 Leadership growth groups are just one aspect of a leadership revolution.  This concept is critical to restoration of the loss of community.  The LIFE business powered by the Team leadership development system is filling this void.  God Bless, George Guzzardo   

 

 

A TEAMS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

The following article is dedicated to George Guzzardo.  George is one of the hungriest students I have ever met.  His ability to learn and grow is inspiring to me and many others.  George exemplifies a learning individual and has created learning organizations wherever he leads.

“The only significant competitive advantage is your organization’s ability to learn faster than the competition.” – Peter Senge

 I love this statement and I believe this is the key advantage of one organization over another.  Without the ability to learn and grow quickly—changes in the marketplace will diminish your ability to compete.  The only way to have this competitive advantage is to have leaders who develop teams inside of the organization.  Without leaders and teams your organization is a dinosaur waiting to go extinct.  Take a look where you work.  Do you see teamwork or a bunch of individuals attempting to get ahead?  No group of individuals will ever consistently beat a team working together.  In order to build this teamwork—you must teach service before self.  This is not a natural condition and requires discipline from the leader and team to accomplish.  This is another reason why leadership is so essential in today’s marketplace.  Leaders create the culture and the culture sets the norms and values expected from the team. 

 Learning faster is so important because everyone has access to the latest technology and management techniques.  It isn’t the ideas themselves, but the implementation of the ideas that make the difference.  I have been part of great learning organizations and I have been part of terrible learning organizations and the contrast is glaring.  In a learning organization, new ideas are sought out and discussed.  The attitude is, “If it ain’t broke, break it!”  Learning organizations know the competitors are changing and growing and they must also to be competitive.  Learning organizations take pride in dealing with change and love pushing the envelope for self and team improvement. 

 Non-learning organizations are another matter completely.  The dinosaur organizations believe the only good ideas come from the top of their corporate hierarchy.  They do not believe they must sell their ideas to gain the law of buy in.  Typically, they only have a couple of ideas per year—because ideas mean possible change and dinosaurs do not like change.  Because their dread of change, these slow organization will petition government or create rules to stop people from innovating.  They know they cannot compete on the open market and so develop barriers to continuous improvement.  The people stuck in these cultures become frustrated and stop creatively thinking.  The shameful part is the organization is not using its greatest resource.  The people and the ideas they have are every organizations greatest wealth.  To not partner with the people and create a team culture is corporate suicide. 

 Look at where you work.  Is your management hungering for new ideas and creating a team to develop and implement best practices across the organization?  Or is your organization a dinosaur that resist change and feels threatened by anyone who suggest improvements the managers did not develop?   The leaning organizations are the future and the non-learning organization will be relegated to the junk yard of history.   Wherever you are working, managing or leading—help develop a learning culture.  Step up your personal leadership and get your team on good books and CD of the week.   A learning organization has learning individuals that have been molded into a team.  This is your assignment if you plan to live a life of meaning and excellence!  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Re printed from 2007 article

A TEAM GAME

Building leadership communities is a Team game.  Maybe that’s why so few have reached the pinnacle of community building like Orrin Woodward.  Simply speaking, Orrin makes the Team better.  He’s kind of a Tim Tebow and Vince Lombardi mixed together.  Like Tebow and Lombardi, he's a winner.  “Leadership is not just one quality, but rather a blend of many qualities.  While no one individual possesses all of the needed talents that go into leadership, each man can develop a combination to make him a leader”, Vince Lombardi.

 Within the Team community building system resides many leaders all working together for the overall goal, a million people.  This drives each one of those leaders to be in constant pursuit of their personal best. I remember just a few years ago when the Team was expanding outside of its roots in Michigan.  They play a game called ‘Top Gun’, an award that is given to an individual team within 'the TEAM' that brings the most of it’s members to a major convention.  Knowing that a major convention has made the most impact on developing a leader, each of us knows the importance of promoting the event and takes it very seriously.  At that time no one had ever won the award outside of Michigan.  Running into the convention back early in 2002 was a rag tag group coming on strong from Wisconsin.  The numbers to attend the convention were growing in Wisconsin and it looked like Michigan would not retain the title of ‘Top Gun’ winner much longer.  It actually symbolized how the Team was maturing.  Leaders were beginning to build communities away from the Michigan home base at that time.  Orrin Woodward made a sweep through Wisconsin to put the “icing on the cake” for the first ever ‘Top Gun’ win outside of Michigan.  Teams of leader’s who play games play to win.  But a funny little twist occurred.  Orrin being the crafty strategist that he is informed my good friend Bill Lewis that he was about to lose the race by about seventy tickets.  This brought out one of the most memorable two - minute drills that I’ve ever seen.  Bill and his good friend and partner Mark Huber went on a run of meetings with a ‘battle cry’ that resembled William Wallace from Braveheart.  The final tally found Bill coming out ahead by two tickets, a major come from behind victory.  Through this series of events the overall Team matured as demonstrated by the first leadership community from a state outside of Michigan.  Eventually, Wisconsin won several ‘Top Guns’.  And since that time, Teams have risen to win ‘Top Guns’ all over the country.

 What does it take for a team to win?

1. A team must learn to work towards its goal or a purpose.  All winning teams have had a mission to accomplish.  Each winning team buys into the teams purpose to accomplish the goal.  Creating a target for your team to hit creates a group allied in singleness of purpose.
2. Internal improvement to make sure that each individual is being the best self.  In the community building industry this requires listening, reading, and associating to get the most out of personal growth.  An example would be a pack of bike racers, each biker must make sure of their internal capability to keep pace with the pack.
3. Intercommunication skill within the team is critical.  Team members work interdependently. Relationships and conflict resolution are a few of the communication skills necessary to develop.
4. Work ethic is the final piece.  The concept in community building is called ‘go getter’ or fifteen exposures over a thirty - day period.  This is where the pads are put on and you can apply the information that you learned on the field.  Lombardi said, “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary”.

Building leadership communities is different than football.  During that experience you will cry, and laugh.  You’ll learn about people like never before.  You’ll celebrate with people as they improve their finances, relationships, parenting skills, and marriage.  Most of all you’ll learn about yourself.   As Lombardi said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”  Welcome to the business of LIFE.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

 

SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT LIFE

One of the striking differences coming a week out of the Team leadership conventions is a quiet calm.  The most common comment heard from those who attended was, “There is something different.”  People left the convention with an air of confidence that comes from the feeling that you know that you know. With help from the RT and PC speakers, those who attended have a sense of clarity about what is needed to build a leadership community. The steps have never been more clear:

1. Application of the Team training system information.
2. Apprenticeship
3. Become a Power Player
4. Begin to grow a leadership community
5. Fill your community with leadership and team system information

 There are two things that can happen from being in the LIFE business and Team Community building system.

1. Develop yourself
2. Develop a leadership community

When developing yourself you will notice the quality of the LIFE CD’s.  How could there be such a striking difference in the information from a personal development business?  Aren’t they all alike?  The reason for the difference is that when a leader produces LIFE media, they have the experience from building communities as opposed to other self - development materials that comes from theory.  When developing a community, the leader learns how to use the Team leadership tools to help teach leadership qualities that can be applied to Marriage, Friendship, Relationships, and Finances.

People are falling in love with making a difference.  It can pay well too!  Check out the LIFE compensation plan.  There are nice financial rewards for building a community and developing other leaders.  Outside of income as a motivating factor, one can find hidden benefits from growing a community.  You can grow your own leadership.  There is nothing like improving your own personal leadership qualities like trust, loyalty, integrity, persistence, and perhaps the most important, service.  If one quality is shockingly missing from our world today it would be service.  Giving is the key to a better life.  Instead of the “What’s in it for me attitude” that permeates today’s world, one can improve marriage, friendship, relationships, and yes, even finances with a service first attitude.  I can’t think of a better example of servant leadership than top leadership guru and LIFE founder Orrin Woodward. 

There is something different about life.  Join LIFE and feel the difference.  God Bless,  George Guzzardo 

 

 

EORO FOR LIFE

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business are the recognized bench - mark for building leadership communities for over ten years.  The Team system is the most successful model teaching the art and science of building leadership communities.  The secret of building a large community lies within a system of information from CD’s, books, and association.  Anyone can learn the necessary how to skills to build a large community. 

The most unique aspect of community building is the association, the ability to bring a large body of people together in one common event and learn from each other.  All of the biggest leaders in the community building industry will say that they made “the decision” to move on to a higher level of leadership from attending a major leadership convention.  There, they not only receive the details on how to build a community but they become inspired as to why they want to be part of their team’s leadership. When someone attends these large events like the one’s coming at the end of January in Columbus, Ohio and Visalia, California, they will learn the two most important aspects of building a community, leadership and systems.

The most important reason to be part of a community building business system like the Team is the ability to achieve uncommon goals.  The majority of people today have their future goals limited by time and/or money.  It’s interesting that most people will use time or money  (the very obstacle that they want to overcome) as their excuse for not attending the next leadership event.  I’ve learned from working with Orrin Woodward and other big leaders in the community building industry that the obstacle standing in your way is actually the reason to go.  An example would be not having enough money to attend the event.  Finances won’t change by doing the same thing you've always done.  New knowledge applied = different results.  Make your motivation to achieve new results larger than the obstacles that are holding you back from attending this year’s winter leadership convention.

 The most strategic method for building big numbers at these events is to play a game called,  “Each One – Reach One” (EORO).  The game is played when you sell your event ticket to someone who has not attended a leadership convention before.  Some teams play a game of hot potato with their ticket and sell their ticket several times between the quarterly conventions.  Team 48, ‘Building Numbers’ is the best CD in the Team system on the what, how and why of how to EORO.  I encourage everyone to listen to this CD on a regular basis. It's found in the Power Player CD pack.   Teams that build large leadership communities play the EORO game the best.  Some teams have special promotions for those who do the EORO the most.  There is also a team recognition at the convention called the ‘Top Gun’.  The Top Gun award signifies the Team that builds the biggest community, which fits into the overall philosophy of building leaders. Teams that win this award are the most respected among their peers.  

 Why is it important to encourage someone to attend this up and coming event?  Those of us who have experience with building large communities know how attending one of these events has affected a person’s life.  The word most appropriate to describe what happens when someone attends these events is “transform”.  Making a difference is another way of describing why we place importance on attending the convention.  Just think of the possible difference to a persons finances, marriage, relationships, family, or freedoms it will make by going to an event like this.

There is no better investment in the 21^st century than investing in YOU!   Developing leadership qualities makes a difference in all aspects of a person’s life.  The single most concentrated way of getting the information necessary to make a difference in your life is attend the winter convention.  As you can tell I am already excited about what I feel will be the single most impactful event for us to attend in the year 2012.  Make sure you seek out Orrin Woodward or one of the LIFE PC (Policy Council) members and shake their hand and let them know how January’s event has affected you.  God Bless, George Guzzardo     

 

 

 

 

 

ORRIN WOODWARD RECEIVES TOP LEADERSHIP AWARD

Please join with me congratulating Orrin Woodward for his award as the number one leadership website from the Independent Association of Businesses. The 2011 Top Leadership Website Award goes to:

Orrin Woodward : http://www.orrinwoodward.com/  This organization represents a million plus member organization of small business owners. 

Check out the list of the other 9 nominees.

 Jim Collins

John Maxwell

Stephen Covey

Ken Blanchard

Robin Sharma

Marshall Goldsmith

Tom Peters

Anthony Robbins

Jack Welch

 This is a phenomenal recognition for Orrin.  It represents originality, practicality, presentation, and impact of ideas.  To be voted number one among this list of high profile leaders is a significant milestone for Orrin.  As one of the founders, I have witnessed a man with an incredible vision for the future.  He has pioneered the Team leadership development business system.  He has recently opened the leadership and self -development business called LIFE.  Both of these are having a significant impact on each person who learns and applies the information.  In addition to having a big vision, a leader needs to have an uncommon level of integrity.  I have personally witnessed Orrin in situations where it would have been in his best interest to make different decisions but he stood by principles that he was doing the right thing.  I have seen Orrin work behind closed doors, watching him and how he relates to the founders PC.  He inspires us to be our personal best.  He also has taken some of the strongest personalities and has forged a partnership among the founders where we work together interdependently for the good of our mission to go to a million.

 I would like to personally thank Orrin on the positive impact he has had on our lives.  I know he has impacted thousands of people but he has been an inspiration to me and my family by the way he leads by example as a Christian.  He has given many of us the most important ingredient from his Christian example, which is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  With that comes a compelling purpose to be our very best and to make a difference in the world we live. 

 I feel this award will be the first of many.  Next time you see him, thank him for the difference that Orrin Woodward and the Life business has made in your life.  God Bless, George Guzzardo    

 

LEARNING FOR LIFE

“We will never transform the prevailing system of management without transforming our prevailing system of education.”  In that statement, Dr. Deming connected work with education.  “The relationship between the boss and subordinate is the same as the relationship between a teacher and student”, according the Dr. Edward Deming.  I will paraphrase educator and author, Peter Senge, “ The only competitive advantage for the company of the future is its speed of learning.”  The LIFE business powered by the Team leadership system has created just that… a learning organization.

Is your life a masterpiece in progress? Which areas have you targeted for growth in the New Year?  Yes, the world has created busy people but are we to busy to be better? Which of the 8 F’s categories are worthy of continued focused improvement in the future?   Does it make sense that someone would quit improving their own life?  Olympic gymnast Peter Vidmar said, “People who get into something for the money, the fame, or the medal can’t be effective.  When you discover your own desire, you’re not going to wait for other people to find solutions to your problems.  You’re going to find your own.”

According to the Washington County Literacy Council as many as 23% of the adult population (40 -44 million) is functionally illiterate.  Adult illiteracy costs society an estimated $240 billion each year in lost industrial productivity, unrealized tax revenues, welfare, crime, poverty, and related social ills. In George Leonard’s book ‘Mastery’, he states, “The typical school or college classroom, unhappily, is not a very good place to learn.  It’s sad that over the past hundred years almost every aspect of our national life – industry, transportation, communication, computation, entertainment – has changed almost beyond recognition, while our schools remain essentially the same.” Any historian will tell you that an illiterate culture is a culture in decline.  All thriving societies have literacy as a common denominator. Oliver DeMille sites Allan Bloom in his book, ‘Closing of the American Mind’ when he taught at the University of Chicago in the 1950’s and 60’s.  He could tell what the national books were by asking students what books formed the core of their lives, the basis of society.  The two answers he always got were the Bible and The Declaration of Independence.  Demille states, “There is no true national book in America today.  No national books means no culture: and this is ominous for the future.  Any society which loses its national book declines and collapses in ignorance, dwindles and perishes in unbelief.”  

 Reading the book of the month may be the single most important part of your LIFE subscription.  If your schedule was anything like mine, I just didn’t have time to read.  I had all my time filled before I started on my LIFE subscription.  My mentor Orrin Woodward told me that the Team leadership system has a program for busy people like me.  I could fit in fifteen minutes a day somehow.  This eventually became a habit.  I was then able to add another fifteen minutes of reading time for a total of thirty minutes.  I eventually finished a book a month. I have witnessed how this program has worked for thousands of people.  Check out the ‘Testimony’ link to hear how this reading program has impacted people’s lives.

 When you join the LIFE business you’re going to get more than what appears at first.  It’s not every day that you get to partner up with Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady, two of the top 15 world’s rated leadership gurus.  You’re joining a learning community, a network of relationships with a strategy that produces leadership.  You’re joining a learning culture with you as the end product.  The result is leadership in all areas of your life.  By understanding more, you get different results. Mortimer Adler calls this, “The art of discovery, keenness of observation, readily available memory, range of imagination, and of course, an intellect trained in analysis and reflection.”  You become the masterpiece, a learning machine.  This is the year that you become the goal! God Bless,  George Guzzardo 

 

TEAM COMMUNITY BUILDING BASICS

The Life business and Orrin Woodward have made available the basics for community building.   Building a community is different than Network Marketing.  Building a community goes beyond the goal of ‘signing people up’.  It’s not just about making a sale and moving a product.  Two dimensions are required to build a community.  Leadership and systems are the areas to be mastered.  When developing leadership, 'we' actually become the product, as personal development is tied with one's leadership influence. 

In their best selling book, ‘Launching a Leadership Revolution’, Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady go on to describe the concept of the ‘Tri – Lateral Leadership Ledger’.  It goes without saying that relationships and people skills are critical areas of leadership development.   Dale Carnegie’s best selling book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’,  describes relating and being relatable.  When I first read the book I was determined to improve in these areas.  I would take each chapter and spend a week applying what I had learned in an attempt to be more relatable.  These chapters go beyond just technique.  Connecting with people starts with being likeable.  Carnegie describes six ways to accomplish this.

1. Be genuinely interested in others.

2. Smile

3. Remember their name.

4. Be a good listener.  Give exclusive attention.

5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interest.

6. Sincerely make people feel important.

 The Team leadership development system recommends the top five books as a foundation to learn and Carnegie’s book is one of them.  ‘How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Sales’ by Frank Bettger is another cornerstone of mastering relationships.  In his first chapter, he says that enthusiasm made the biggest difference with his success. Who wants to be with someone who doesn't put energy into the relationship?  He goes on to say the single most important area to master is to find out what is most important to other people.  Go figure.  Find a need and fill it.  Doesn’t  building a relationship come down to helping a friend get what they need?  Wouldn’t it be cool if all our friends helped us get what we wanted?  Boy, I bet we would like our friends a lot better. 

Unfortunately, people skills are not taught in the school system.  In fact, many of us would agree that our bad habits were learned in school. The LIFE business, however, is a business that supplements  the current school system and teaches what many feel are the most important qualities that a person should master. 

 It’s a great time to learn from the past and reset our goals for the future.  I’d guess that people skills and relationships are on top of the list of areas to improve on.  Give the gift of enhancing a persons relationships by letting them know about the LIFE business and The Team system.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

COMMUNITY BUILDING AND NETWORKING

The Team Community building system developed by co founders Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady is one of those intersectional innovations.  It differs and is similar to Networking in many ways.  Networking is defined as word of mouth marketing.  Most everyone would agree that a business expands the fastest from word of mouth referrals.  Although advertising is helpful, there is nothing like a personal recommendation.  Why did you choose your doctor or your mechanic?  Most would answer that it was word of mouth.  Building a community goes farther than word of mouth marketing in that it develops an association with a set of practices and beliefs.  That community can also expand its membership by attracting people who have similar values.

It takes leadership and systems to be an effective and sustainable community builder.  The Team has become known as the bench - mark for community building.  This should not surprise anyone since Orrin and Chris, two of the top 15 of the world’s rated leadership gurus have pioneered the Team Leadership development system.  Over a period of years, the method to build a community using the Team leadership system has been power player.  Power Player is a systematic way to build a community.  It allows for an apprenticeship which gives a student of community building time to learn,  develop competency and ultimately duplication.  Power Player breaks down each community you build into teams.  Those teams learn to work together for the development of that particular community.

A system is an orderly way of doing things.  It also allows for a process, which gives indicators on how to improve to develop “best practices”. 

 

1. Everyone does things the same way.
2. Each step is determined - the best way.
3. Objective is to perform with “0” variation.
4. Task becomes baseline for continued improvement.

Leadership is a more complex subject since it’s the personal attributes that give a leader influence.  In Orrin and Chris’s best selling ‘Launching a Leadership Revolution’, they talk abou the Tri – Lateral Leadership Ledger.  They describe three categories that the leader is always developing which include character, task, and relationships. Through personal development we increase our influence.  We become someone worth following.

Overall, a power player demonstrates mastering the basics of systems and leadership.  A big indicator of a master community builder is one who not only masters power player but develops multiple power players in each one of the their teams.

In essence, it’s not how many or how fast you can sign them up which has been associated with the concept of ‘Networking’.   It’s developing yourself and others using leadership skills in a systematic way to enhance a person via personal development.  This leads me to encourage you to join the LIFE leadership and personal development business powered by the Team community building system.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

FOLLOW THROUGH WITH LIFE

One of the many unique aspects of the LIFE business with Orrin Woodward is the ‘Follow Through’.  Follow through is part of the five - step pattern that includes:

 

1. Making a List
2. Contacting or Making an Appointment
3. Showing the Plan
4. Follow Through
5. Rotating the Pattern

Using a predictable pattern of activity is an example of a systematic process  which anyone can learn to follow. This process is important for all members in the Team community because it creates a predictable series of activities that anyone can do.  Another great dimension is that there is ‘no close to the sale’ as in the typical sales business.  In fact, the follow through is actually an opening to develop a business relationship.  This relationship has in many cases gone on to become a solid friendship.

 The success of the follow through can be traced back to how the person is contacted and how the plan is shown.  There are a number of factors that improve the result of the follow through such as posture, connection, and most importantly, know what the LIFE opportunity can bring to the people who see this plan.  Remember, the most important question that needs to be answered by the person looking at the information is, “What’s in it for me?” 

 The apprenticeship pack contains the ‘Follow Through’ CD by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward.  In this CD, these top 25 leadership gurus produced the ultimate teaching on this subject.   In addition, the top five books are loaded with information that will aid you during the follow through.  It helps to read the top five books with specific intent on what you’re trying to learn.  Although the techniques found from these training materials help achieve results, connecting from the heart, that you really care about helping them get their goals, is the real feeling that must be transferred.  Remember to close with the most important rule for a follow up and that is “book a meeting from a meeting”.

 I think follow through is the glue to developing communities because it’s the foundation for developing a solid relationship.  I look at all of my closest business partners and find that’s where I have the strongest relationships.  The ‘Relationship Pack’ (found under the LIFE shopping icon) should be listened to regularly to help remind us that people are the most important part of community building.  The concept that the dream is the product is unique to the LIFE business.  The product of a better you is the means to the end.  Orrin recently wrote: The LIFE founders have resolved to learn from our previous networking experiences, vowing to creatively destroy any parts that we did not believe satisfied or exceeded the customers’ expectations. We plan on doing this through applying free enterprise principles in the marketplace, not feeling the need to resort to reputation assassinations of our former associates. Perhaps both sides would benefit from applying this highroad principle. Certainly, the consumers would benefit by enjoying the freedom to study the pros and cons of each potential business models on its merits. So, follow through with more information so you can make a difference with Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

LEARN RELATIONSHIPS FOR LIFE

One of the most enlightening experiences you’ll have working with Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business is a deeper knowledge about relationships.  We would all agree that improved relationships would make the world a better place.  Making personal development in the area of relationships should be a priority for all of us.  Improved understanding of relationships is the starting point.  Relationships are also the glue for building a leadership community like the – Team leadership system has been noted for. 

 Business thrives when creating a product that enhances a person’s life or when providing a solution to a person’s problem.  What if the product was information to help enhance relationships or solve conflict between people?  What value would we place on such a product?  Enter the LIFE business powered by the – Team leadership system. 

 In Orrin’s new book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions For LIFE, he describes eight essential principles for building and maintaining long - term friendships.  You’ll get your money’s worth from that book on chapter 7 alone.  He goes on to discuss constructive ways to handle conflict in chapter 10.  Is there anyone out there like me who wishes they would have handled a conflict with a person differently?  Orrin goes on to reference several books found in the LIFE leadership and self development business like ‘Courage’ by Gus Lee, ‘Speed of Trust’ by Steven Covey, and ‘Crucial Conversations’.  With all the watered down books on relationships out there, isn’t it great to have one of the world’s top 10 leadership gurus willing to give us his personal references?

 One of my favorite books about relationships is ‘Personality Plus’ by Florence Littauer, also found in the LIFE book list.  I’m sure this book saved my marriage, many of my friendships, and my business.  I knew people were different, but I never knew why.  This book explains it.  After I learned why I was drawn toward certain personality types and repelled by others, my understanding of people deepened.  Now, my knowledge of personality types has softened some of my rough edges and I hope has made me easier to get along with.  I also find myself being attracted to people who used to rub me the wrong way.  Learning about personality strengths and weaknesses has widened my scope of understanding of people of all backgrounds.  People, like books, have a lot to teach.

Peter Senge from MIT and author of ‘The Fifth Discipline’ describes learning organizations as the key to the business of the future. Relationships are the keys to friendships, leadership, and all of life.  Make personal development in the area of relationships your goal and you’ll love the information found from Orrin Woodward and LIFE leadership and personal development business.  God Bless, George Guzzardo

 

 

FITNESS FOR LIFE

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business have opened up an opportunity for information to help us with the meaningful areas of our lives.  One of the 8 F categories to learn more information about is ‘Fitness ‘.  This one typically gets the least attention in most people’s lives because in a busy world it gets placed low on the priority list.  Although most people tend to prioritize everything else in their schedule over fitness, without fitness we would have trouble in all the other areas of our lives.  Becoming a member of the LIFE business is a commitment to learning how to enhance our mind, body and soul. Let’s take a look at the body.

Fitness is the quality and state of being fit.  It is directly related to our health and wellness.  The opposite of being healthy is illness and sickness.  Most of us don’t pay attention to our health until we lose it.  Learning about and becoming more fit will help us in all the other aspects of our lives.

 All of our tissues are living cells.  Exercise and diet are intricately related to our health.  Much of disease and illness is related to lack of exercise and poor diet.   Prevention of poor health starts with the right attention to exercise and diet.  Start by learning.  Follow by developing a routine that fits into your life. The LIFE business uses a variety of media sources to teach in areas of self - development.  An example of the information being taught can be found in the 8 F’s introductory pack which includes a great talk fromMark and Jen Paul on fitness.  Make fitness a ‘Big Rock’.  The key is to begin.  Be regular for over thirty days so the activity becomes a habit.

 Recommendations prior to starting an exercise program include getting a check up if you’ve had health problems or are over forty years of age.  Start with short and simple exercises that gradually progresses to a feeling of exertion.  Learn how to check vital signs like your pulse and blood pressure. 

 Exercise is simply a bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness.  It is performed or practiced in order to develop, improve, or display a specific capability or skill.  There are three general areas to work on when exercising.  Each of these is equally important so they should all be addressed when designing your program. 

 I put flexibility as the starting point since it’s important that you should be able to move to exercise.  When you move your arms or legs you should learn to understand what your normal range of motion of a joint is. Stretching into muscle tightness should be done slowly with a sustained stretch no less than ten seconds.

 Stability is the strength or the firmness of a muscle or joint.  Strength is related to the ability of a muscle to do work. This is where dumbbells, elastic, or weight machines come in.   Strengthening exercises requires resistance so start light with more repetitions before hitting the heavy weights. 

Aerobic exercises involve the heart or the cardiac system.  By working on this area you will affect your endurance or ability to sustain an effort or activity.  Begin gradually.  The goal is to increase an activity like walking between 15 and 30 minutes every day. Change your pace or the incline to make it more difficult.  

 Nutrition is critical to your health.  Diet is related to weight loss or gain.  Diet also effects your energy.  What you eat can even affect the way you think.  Nutrition is the value or worth of food to nourish your cells.  Energy that is consumed is measured in calories.  Learn to understand calories.  Calories may be empty which means the food is worthless because the food has no nutritious value.  By understanding the types of calories in food,  you can learn to ingest foods with essential vitamins and minerals.   

 Think about the content of the food you eat.  Nutrition will be divided up into:

1.  Water : 60% of our body weight so water intake is critical to say the least.   One of the simplest ways of improving fitness is by drinking water at convenient times and locations through out the day.
2. Carbohydrates: compounds such as sugars, starches, and cellulose, (plants).  Contrary to popular fad diets, carbohydrates are a necessary staple for our nurition. Learn what a complex carbohydrate is.
3. Minerals: substances formed from the earth such as salt, iron, and zinc, and occur naturally in certain foods.
4. Lipids:  get a bad rap because they are associated with fat.  Not all fats are bad and some fat is critical to our health.  Fats includes oils and butter but are found in beef and other meats too.
5. Proteins:  hold the key to biological activity and serve as structure for the cell.
6. Vitamins:  maintain normal metabolic (factory) functions of the cell.

 This is not an all inclusive article but designed to wet your appetite for more information. Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business are making this information available to enhance a person’s life.  Take the next step for better health.  God Bless, George Guzzardo 

 

LIFE SUCCESS

The success of Orrin Woodward and the LIFE business is being revealed again by showcasing the concept of intersectional innovation.  This is achieved by finding the gap between two previously established industries and combining them in a way that has never been done before.  The impact from this is not small and gradual, but huge and immediate.

 LIFE combines four major industries:

1. Personal Development:  (Includes Leadership and Self Help) est. $400 Billion industry
2. Life coaching:  est. $1.5 Billion
3. Networking:  est. $100 Billion
4. Community Building:   (Includes Church, Social Media, and other organizations)

 When evaluating the up side of this business model, keep in mind the foundation that it stands on.  LIFE is built on four pillars of support, which includes:

1.  Competence: Over 100 combined years in the networking industry.  Worldwide recognition and appearances.  College textbook references.
2. Credibility: NY Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today best selling authors.  Top ranked leadership gurus.  Sourced by consultants.  International training companies using video content.
3. Compensation: Outrageously competitive.  Quick potential for new participants.  Lucrative for the long term.       
4. Cost Competitiveness: Industry – leading value.

 This industry will not be without its critics however.  Developing a business that uses the concept of intersectional innovation also puts pressure on models that are resistant to changing with the times.  Those older models may be reluctant to change, since early members have already developed their ‘nest egg’ and haven’t reexamined their priorities.  Changing with the times often pushes people out of their comfort zones.  People can be anxious and resistant to change and this is typically how companies decline.  Older business models that once grew because they adopted innovative ideas many times fall into a bureaucratic management style.  This limits growth and outdates the company.  These companies can become zealous to stay the course no matter what happens.  Instead of growing from innovation and ideas they resort to slinging negative, often from assembling a social media group to try character assassination of their competitors.  This is very similar to the political games being played on the media today.  Unfortunately for them, slanting information toward the negative is ineffective as it reflects right back on them.  The public quickly discerns the need to stay away from those who resort to throwing negative darts.   

 Some of the success principles that the Team Leadership system utilizes are:

1.  Teamwork and interdependency
2. Life – long learning commitment and a learning culture
3. Creative visioneering
4. Empowerment
5. Adaptive behavior
6. Minimal bureaucracy.

 The foundation of success is more than ideas.  It’s doing the right thing because it’s right.  Long- term success depends on character.  Developing a leadership community over the last eleven years is in direct proportion to standing on principles, learning from mistakes, and turning disadvantages into greater advantages.  The leaders have learned, studied, and prayed.  All this has lead to an opportunity that will be just in time to help people financially and relationally.  And remember that the success from the launch of the LIFE business with Orrin Woodward has just begun.  God Bless, George Guzzardo                                                

 

FRIENDS FOR LIFE

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE leadership business should be commended for making ‘Friends’ as one of the 8F’s categories.  The 8F’s are the categories of information that LIFE subscribers can receive to help them enhance their lives.  Chris Brady remarked recently that while walking through book stores, he noticed that books about friendship are extremely rare.  In an attempt to solve the friendship issue,  social networking has made ‘friends’ the central focus.  But what really are the important ingredients to making true friends?

People from around the country who come from a wide variety of social backgrounds are scratching their heads in wonder asking, “Just how the Team leadership community has stayed together for twelve years”?  The infrastructure to develop friends and keep communities together is rooted in loyalty that comes from trust.  But just how has this culture been created?  I believe this environment was developed from 4 components:

1. Integrity
2. Servant leadership
3. Vision
4. Competency

These four components form the friendship that holds it all together.  Friends start with having the right heart toward each other.  They have joy in each other’s successes.  This eliminates envy.  Friends lend a hand when others are in need and distress.  Acts of kindness builds trust.  Friends say, “Thank you” because they appreciate you.  Friends are genuinely interested in each other and they ask questions and listen intently.  Friends demonstrate humility by honoring one another.  Friends don’t just show the actions of love, they have the desire to love.  Out of the desire to love comes forgiveness.  Yes, even forgiveness of ones enemies who attempt harm.  We must be the change in the world that we want to see.

Thousands attended the Sunday service at the Columbus Ohio leadership convention last week to see Pastor Davey.  It easily could have been the largest Sunday service in the country.  There, the secret of how the LIFE culture of friendship was revealed.  Influence from the Team leadership community and theLIFE business comes from the top down.  I have had a front row seat with Orrin Woodward and the Policy Counsel leaders and can testify that it is because they are committed to pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Orrin Woodward and the leaders of LIFE have gone all the way to the top.  That’s how friendship happens.  God Bless, George Guzzardo 

 

 

LIFE FREEDOM SHIFT

Orrin Woodward and the LIFE leadership business exploded on the scene this weekend in Columbus Ohio.  A packed stadium was in attendance at Nationwide Arena to see an impactful first night featuring the Founders Policy Counsel, Dallin Larsen and tons of recognition showcasing people who are achieving results with the Team Leadership development system.  Outside of the numerous Round Table recognition today, Oliver Demille had a huge impact on the audiance.  Oliver is past founder of George Wythe University and currently director of www.thesocialleader.com .  

A summary of his talk includes a thorough discussion of freedom and power shifts in history. Every 80 to 100 years there are a few who influence the direction of cultures.  The west is undergoing a shift right now and freedom is in a precarious position.  He noted that the decisions to pass the 16th and 17th amendment in 1913 are having a profound effect on the current western culture. Those amendments were influenced by a small percentage of the population and yet had massive remifications on increased taxation, government spending, and debt.

Noting that a small percentage of the poplulation influences a big portion of our future,  there are things that can be done to secure our freedom.  

1. Become a successful entrepreneur.  Free nations are made of business owners.
2.  Voracious readers become independent thinkers.
3. Become community builders.

These three solutions represent exactly what the LIFE leadership and self development business is doing.  The LIFE business represents a low cost entry with a potential high yield upside.  People who join start with subscriptions to media that includes CD's and books in areas of self development.  As people use the Team leadership system to build their communities,  they receive a percentage of the subscriptions in a monthly bonus.  Their bonus  percentage increases by how many people are helped to learn in what are called the 8 F's, categories that include: faith, family, finance, fitness, fun, following, freedom, and friends.  

People know something is happening to their freedoms today.  They feel financial pressures. They can see how more and more people have become isolated socially.  People are looking for solutions and education is the answer.  This type of education is in the areas of LIFE skills that matter to people.  

More to come from this weekend at Columbus as Orrin Woodward and the LIFE leadership business explodes on the scene.  God Bless, George Guzzardo