Leveraging your fear to fuel achievement

It has been said the we either run away from pain or we run towards pleasure. It’s called the “Pain, pleasure principal.” by Sigmund Freud.

Running toward pleasure is easier, though running away from pain is arguably a stronger motivator. It can, however, paralyze. We are afraid of pain. It brings worry and stress. Meanwhile, it inspires courage and action… change!

Many memes and acronyms claim or suggest that fear is not real. One popular one is: False Evidence Appearing Real.

Fear is very… read more:

Vital Germaine

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Designing Success in the Workplace

What do you think it takes for Cirque du Soleil as a brand/company and the performers to go out and deliver amazing customer experiences?

This is a question I challenge audiences with during keynotes, employee trainings and workshops. There is a clearly defined top ten list of answers that audiences express. Their top ten list reads as:

1. TALENT

2. TEAMWORK

3. PRACTICE

4. COURAGE

5. RISK

6. COMMUNICATION

7. VISION/PURPOSE

8. MONEY

9. SPANDEX (always makes me laugh)

10. CREATIVITY

It was an honor to perform in 2 different shows (Mystere and Quidam) over the course of over five years and 2,000+ shows as a team captain in what has recently been called, “The new best show on earth.”

I observed and observed the approach and mindset of individuals and of the company. Here’s what I discovered.

Many perceive that the performers achieve beyond human feats (defying gravity and staring death in the face on a nightly basis)… and yes we do, thank you very much. However, the same traits that allow such athletes and artists to become extraordinary are the very same that apply to more traditional jobs, positions and successes.

When it comes to business success, it’s called leadership and team work, a.k.a. CULTURE. Cultures are built on systems and policy. The “best show on earth” is created on the same concepts of systems and policy; we call it choreography/artistic direction/production.

Success in any capacity is not random.

Success is choreographed, inspired and staged. Each amazing trick that has made you gasp during a cirque show took talent, courage, risk, dedication, vision, communication, creativity and commitment. The commitment is a KAIZEN thing (Masaaki Imai, a Japanese organizational theorist and management consultant, studied the Toyota Production System and its Lean principles and was the first to introduce the idea of Kaizen to both Europe and North America).

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning change for the better or continuous improvement. Kaizen sees improvement in productivity as a gradual and methodical process.

The Cirque culture parallels the Kaizen philosophy. Each dance step, acrobatic flip, lighting cue etc. had potential to become better. Throw in the element of fun and freedom (but not anarchy) and you have a recipe for highly forward-thinking, happy culture that thrives. Your organization will feel the impact… as will your clients.

“We’d love to help you design a happier more creative culture through our dynamic keynotes and workshops.” Contact us today.

Sincerely,

Vital Germaine,

President of ENGAGEteams360

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Elevate Your Leadership Worth With 2 Simple Behaviors.

It's common knowledge to say that company culture is at the heart of the success of every organization. The way in which your team interacts within itself heavily influences and determines how they will interact with your customers. However, as individuals we have the responsibility to not sit back and wait for leadership to spoon feed us on how to behave. 

As individuals we must have integrity and personal accountability in regards to our behaviors and standards if we want to succeed and elevate our value. 

Choose to "show up" for your own personal dignity and sense of integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing when no-one is watching. Doing and giving your best is always the right thing to do. 

1. INTEGRITY: Your personal accountability and integrity will create positive ripples, making you a leader by example and setting the tone for others to be inspired by. Behaviors and attitudes are contagious regardless of how high or low we find ourselves on the social food chain. We can elevate or deflate. It's a choice regardless of circumstance.

2. ACCOUNTABILITY: I once had what most might consider a bottom of the pyramid kind of job. I washed dishes!

Washing dishes neither held me back nor allowed me to lower my standards. I was neither ashamed nor did I lose motivation or belief. I still held myself accountable to deliver results with pride and dignity. I set a personal challenge and goal to be the best dish washer in town despite hating the job. Accountability is not always easy. Integrity is easily compromised. . 

Make it a habit to always deliver the best of you. Commit to being extraordinary. Always choose to SHOW UP. Elevate your leadership and human value by doing what’s right and acting with responsibility for your choices.

Consistency transforms action into habits and habits determine who you will or won't become. Stay focused and committed because that approach will influence, overlap and benefit you in all aspects of your life.

Vital Germaine

President of ENGAGE Teams 360

Learn more in the REVISED EDITION of: INNOVATION MINDSET, shaping the mindset of innovation and transformation for leaders and cultures.

In the REVISED EDITION you will get insight into Cirque du Soleil’s highly successful and industry-defining process.

You'll learn how to inspire extraordinary performance from your workforce. The book provides actionable tools for leaders to leverage in office-space scenarios.

The book also includes interviews with thought leaders from different industries: Tim Sanders, New York Times Best-selling author and former Yahoo executive. Jordan Adler, Best-selling author and MLM Millionaire. Randy Sutton, former police detective and TV News contributor. Dennis Bonilla, Executive Dean at UoPX and former U.S. Navy Nuke!“Creativity is not a skill or a talent. It’s a mindset. Find your inner Da Vinci!”

Learn about ENGAGEteams360's leadership and culture development strategies and solutions. We are different and definitely inspire transformation.

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The Power of Optimism

READ THE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT BLOG

Sincerely,

Vital Germaine

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Why Ego is not the enemy.

The ego is not always negative. It can be a great motivator for achievement and growth; a tool for empowerment. 

It can be a very healthy part of our individuality... the self, me... I. It's what fuels your sense of purpose; your "Why." But this ambition can turn negative when left unchecked.

Your "Why" is a Siamese twin connected at the hip, both arguably fed by the ego but in very different ways.

The first of those twins is the Altruistic "Why"—”the beautiful twin”. That’s the politically correct sense of purpose. It’s the generous giving part of your "Why". It’s the motivation that makes you the consummate social entrepreneur or humanitarian. It’s the part of you that cares and wants to provide a service that makes the world a better place. It’s the one you read of in company mission statements designed to capture the imagination of the consumer.

The second half of your purpose is the secretive and negatively viewed Ego-Driven "Why"—”the ugly twin”. It’s the selfish reward, applause-seeking and self-validating feeling you get from your achievement, even from your giving. It’s the selfish empowering emotions of feeling relevant, loved, powerful, important, rich, accepted, elevated, and beautiful and of value (all listed traits dependent on your personality type and values). There is no need to deny that “ugly twin”.

I am by no means condoning narcissism or total objectivism. Simply don’t let the “selfish” why get the better of you and control your decisions and actions. I believe in altruism as a foundation for a better society. The irony in being selfless, is that it makes the giver feel good about themselves, which we could argue is feeding the ego by bringing value or importance to the existence of that individual. It's a slippery slope worth thinking about.

Don't feel obliged to deny your deepest needs to be "politically correct" in an age drowning in undeserved trophies and awards for participation. Life is tough. Survival and self-actualization even tougher. Don't hesitate to put the oxygen mask on first and stay alive with humility and gratitude. The more empowered you are the more you can give and empower others. The “red herring” in the “put your mask on first” concept is that it is oftentimes leveraged to validate selfishness purely for the benefit of the ego and inconsiderate of others.

The Ego only becomes negative when it blinds us of the bigger and better picture of doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.

The ego is a complex matter.

What is simple is that the negative Ego invites conflict, greed, disengagement, disappointment, resentment, envy, bullying, jealousy, and misunderstanding due to lack of empathy. It feasts on fear and control. None of these are positive traits of empowerment or value-creation for others and society. 

Find the balance and thrive. The choice is yours as to whether the ego is the enemy or your friend.

If this blog was of value, please like or share. Feel free to comment, even if they are ego driven :)

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Vital Germaine