Making of a Jedi Warrior

More
8 years 10 months ago #190350 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
http://www.frumi.com/images/uploads/leadershipfromtheinsideout.pdf

from the book "leadership from the inside out" by kevin cashman 1998

when i found the PDF it explained itself as a summary but as i read i felt "distillation" was a more appropriate word

its a bit of a read but very much worth it as it is quite excellent and relevant to the spirit of the thread


The Beginning of the Journey
Leadership is not just something we do. It comes from somewhere inside us.
Leadership is a process, an intimate expression of who we are. It is our being in action.
As we grow so shall we lead.
Our definitions of leadership tend to be externalized. Most descriptions of leadership (i.e.
vision, judgment, creativity, charisma, drive, etc.), do not get to the essence of leadership itself.
According to the author Leadership is authentic self-expression that creates value. Anyone
who is authentically self-expressing and adding value in an organization is leading. Some may
self-express and create value through ideas, others through systems, others through people,
but the essence is the same.
The purpose of this book is to guide the reader down seven pathways to the mastery of
leadership from within.
There are a few essential themes presented:
o As the person grows, the leader grows. The missing element in most leadership
development programs is growing the person to grow the leader.


Most definitions of leadership need to be turned inside out, moving from viewing
leadership only in terms of its external manifestations to seeing it from its internal
source.
o Helping leaders to connect with their essence, their character, is central to effective
executive development. Leaders who learn to bring their purpose to conscious
awareness experience dramatic, quantum increases in energy, effectiveness, and
fulfillment.
o Leaders who integrate personal power and results power with synergy power accelerate
their leadership effectiveness.
o Leaders who work on achieving center-life balance are not only healthier, but more
effective.
o Transforming leadership development programs from a series of fragmented, contentdriven
events to an integrated, inside-out growth process greatly enhances personal,
professional, and organizational excellence.
Leadership from the Inside Out involves awakening our inner identity, purpose, and vision so
that our lives thereafter are dedicated to a conscious intentional manner of living. This inner
mastery focuses our diverse intentions and aspirations into a purposeful flow where increased
effectiveness is a natural result.
Many of us are in slumber. Rarely questioning where we are going and why, we go about our
business and relationships day after day. Unfortunately, it often takes a divorce, a disease or a
crisis, to bring us out of the depths of our slumber. But why wait for a shocking awakening?
Why not choose to wake up gently now?


Pathway One: Personal Mastery
Leading through Authentic Self-Expression
Personal mastery is the ongoing commitment to unfolding and authentically expressing who we
are.
Learning to listen to the voice of Personal Mastery is a lifelong development challenge.
Each of us is challenged to master our own unique circumstances. Each of us is being called to
lead authentically connecting our own life experiences to the special circumstances we face.
Our ability to rise to the challenge depends on our understanding of our own life experiences
and how that have prepared us for our journey,
Personal Mastery is about growth toward wholeness. It is about appreciating our gifts while
unfolding underdeveloped or hidden sides of ourselves. Personal Mastery involves appreciating
the rich mixture of our life experiences and how they dynamically form our unique existence.
One of the most effective ways to take this journey to a more integrated, complete
understanding of ourselves is to explore deeply our personal belief system. Beliefs literally
create our reality; they are the lenses through which we interpret the world. Every belief we
have transforms our life in either a life-enriching or life-limiting way. Two distinct types of belief
systems operate in people. Conscious Beliefs and Shadow Beliefs.
Conscious Beliefs are the explicit, known beliefs we have. Although we can access these beliefs
on a conscious level, this does not mean we are always aware of them.


Shadow beliefs are subtler and more challenging to uncover. Doing so is crucial to high
performance. Shadow Beliefs are those beliefs which are manifestations of hidden, unexplored,
or unresolved psychological dynamics. A Shadow Belief is cast when we don’t want to deal with
something. These beliefs have some value – for example if you have high standards for yourself.
”I’m never quite good enough” will allow you to be driven to achieve. Shedding light on these
beliefs minimize their limiting effect.
Transforming Shadow Beliefs to Conscious Beliefs is crucial to Personal Mastery. If we don’t
deal with these beliefs we pay a high price. Addictive behaviors, difficulty in relationships,
imbalanced lifestyles, and health problems can be the costs associated with not dealing with
them.
Leaders either shed light or cast shadows on everything they do. The more conscious the selfawareness,
the more light leaders bring. The more limited the self-understanding, the more
shadows leaders cast.
The authors have developed seven clues to indicate if a shadow may be operating:
1. If other people often give us feedback inconsistent with how we see ourselves, a shadow is
present.
2. When we feel stuck or blocked with a real loss as to what to do next, a shadow is holding us
back.
3. As strengths become counterproductive, some hidden dynamics need to surface.
4. When we are not open to new information, new learning, or other people’s views, a
shadow is limiting us.
5. If we react to circumstances with emotional responses disproportionate to the situation, we
are right over the target of a Shadow Belief.
6. When we find ourselves forcefully reacting to the limitations of others in a critical,
judgmental way, we are often projecting our unresolved shadow issues onto others.
7. If we often experience pain, trauma or discomfort in our body, a shadow is attempting to
rise to the surface to seek reconciliation.
Authenticity requires a lifelong commitment to self discovery and self-observation.
Character is the essence, the being of the leaders, which is deeper and broader than any action
or achievement. It is the essential nature of the person. The purpose of character is to
transform and to open up possibilities and potentialities. Qualities of character include
authenticity, purpose, openness, trust, congruence, compassion, and creating value. When we
are In-Character, we transform circumstances and open up possibilities and potentialities.
Persona is the personality or “mask” we wear to cope with our life experiences. The purpose of
persona is to “protect us” and help us cope. Qualities of the persona include image, safety,
security, comfort, control, fear, and winning at all costs. When we are In-persona we seek to
cope with circumstances.

As leaders it is essential to learn how to build our awareness of when we are being guided by
character and when we are being guided by persona. For example, if we are guided by image
rather than authenticity we are In-Persona. If our actions are principally guided by safety,
security and comfort rather than purpose, we are In- persona. If our life energies are absorbed
in control rather than openness, we are In-Persona. These are only three examples. In life, any
number or combination of persona qualities could be impacting one or any combination of
character qualities. When we are In-Persona we tend to see the problems of life as existing
outside of ourselves. Lasting solutions involve dealing with our internal situation in order to
transform the external circumstance.
It’s important to note that personal mastery is not about eliminating persona. It is about
increasing character to such a degree that character is primary and persona is secondary.
Persona exists for a reason, to protect and cope, so we really don’t want to eliminate it
completely. It serves a purpose. But we do want to unfold character so that this essence of life
flows through us as our principal guiding force. To have character supporting persona, the inner
supporting the outer, is the goal of Personal Mastery.
PERSONAL MASTERY SUMMARY
Take Total Responsibility: No one else can validate your value. It is for you to give yourself.
Leaders can effectively validate and support others only if they have validated themselves first.
Practice Personal Mastery with Others: Risk sharing your genuine thoughts and feelings with
others. Avoid "creating others" in your image or being "created by others" in their image. Lead
with your own original voice.
Bring Beliefs to Conscious Awareness: Clarify Conscious Beliefs and uncover Shadow Beliefs.
Practice reinforcing the ones that open up possibilities and setting aside the ones that limit you.
As you believe, so shall you lead.
Develop Awareness of Character and Persona: Commit to being guided by the qualities of
character. Character transforms, persona copes. Transform how you lead and how you live by
making character primary and persona secondary.
Listen to Feedback: Sometimes other people hold keys to unlocking self-knowledge. Rather than
spending energy resisting feedback, look for the seeds of learning contained in people's
perceptions. Leaders grow proportionally to their openness to input.
Consider Finding a Coaching Process: Seek objective coaching support to accelerate your
growth as a leader. Willingly partner with an expert in personal growth much as you partner
with experts regarding business issues.
Be Flexible: Overdeveloped strengths may work against you as things change. Be prepared to
take a fresh approach. Be open to drawing out new personal potentialities to prepare for future
leadership challenges.

Pathway two: Purpose Mastery
Leading by expressing our Gifts to Create Value
Purpose Mastery is the ongoing discovery of how we express our gifts to add life-enriching
value to the world.
“Why” is one of the most powerful words in our language. It is the question that directs us onto
the path of purpose.
The “How” question can reveal purpose. How is the internal process of purpose.
If leadership is authentic self-expression that creates value, then purpose is how we express
ourselves to add value.

The real question is, “How do you express your gifts to make a difference in all parts of your
life?”
Purpose is present in how we show up in whatever activity we engage in.
To define the thread of purpose, ask “Why do I pursue the work-life I do?” and “How do I show
up during the most fulfilling, energetic times in my life/”
Purpose gives meaning and direction to all life. It is the context that frames all of our life
experiences into a meaningful whole. If we have it, all the challenging experiences of life serve
to forge our identity and character.
Purpose may be the most practical, useful connection to an effective life. It is bigger and deeper
than our goals. It is life flowing through us. Purpose releases energy. The higher the purpose,
the greater the energy. Purpose also frees us. The more profound the purpose, the greater the
sense of freedom. Purpose opens up possibilities.
Often the most crucial variable in personal and leadership effectiveness is purpose. Because
purpose is transformational, it converts average-performing organizations, families, or
relationships into highly effective ones. It transforms employees, spouses, and friends into copartners.
With purpose, managers become leaders.
Purpose is not a goal to be set. It is not something you create. It is something you discover. It
calls you.
The implications of discovering purpose go far beyond our profession or our career. It is the
broad context that integrates all of our life experiences. It is the defining thread that runs
through and connects life’s divergent experiences.
When we are certain of our meaning and purpose, it is very difficult to keep us from achieving
our objectives. Achievements come as natural by-products of our connection to our purpose.
PURPOSE MASTERY SUMMARY
There are eight points of awareness for leading by expressing our gifts.
Focus on How to Make a Difference: Connect with purpose by understanding how your gifts can
be of service to the world. Leadership is expressing your talents in the service of others.
Get in Touch with Your Values: Values will guide you to your purpose. Pay attention to what
interests, energizes, and excites you. The language of leadership is expressed through our
values; leaders remind people which values are important.
Act "On-Purpose": Dream it and then do it! Doubt your doubts and remember your dreams.
Courageous leaders are centered in purpose.
Be Purposeful in All Domains: Understand your purpose gaps - those parts of your life lacking
expression of purpose. Expand your purpose into all areas of your life.
Encourage Others to Find Purpose: Be a true leader by helping others connect with what is
meaningful to them
Seek the Goal: be careful not to mistake the path for the goal. Seek your own unique purpose.
The philosophies, techniques, or views of others are your tools, not your goal. Express your own
leadership voice.
Learn from "Failure": Be open to the purposeful learning contained in unexpected or
unintended life experiences. The truest test of your character as a leader is the manner in which you deal with failure.
Be Flexible: Even though your essential purpose will be a constant throughout your life, how
you express it will change as you evolve through various stages.

Pathway Three: Change Mastery
Leading in the flow
Change mastery involves embracing the purposeful learning contained in the unending,
creative flow of life.
Change is part of the price of admission to life. Every moment our atoms are changing; our
thoughts are changing; our emotions are changing; our relationships, our finances – change is
endless and constant. We have no choice in the matter except for one aspect of change –
mastering our ability to adapt to change.
Learning to be open to the purposeful learning contained in all change is no small task. Change
is dramatic and lasting when it is a purposeful growth toward who we really are.
Positive change requires letting go of old patterns and taking a fresh approach. It demands
going beyond our preconceived ideas.
Change in always our teacher, pointing new directions, suggesting new options, testing our
potentialities. Change challenges our current reality by allowing a new reality to rush in.
We fear change because it always involves both creation and destruction. Usually it is only after
change is thrust upon us that we accept it because we often realize our lives actually will be
better.
Even though the only “place” we can handle change is in the present, most of us live our lives in
the past or the future. Until we learn to live our lives in the flow of the present, we can never
really deal with change effectively. As we build our focus in the present, we begin to gain
confidence that we can handle the endless chain of present moments throughout our lives.
Change Mastery is about developing an unshakable inner confidence that we can handle
change and can learn from whatever comes our way.
Being able to maintain a sharp focus and broad comprehension simultaneously is one of the
most important qualities for both leadership effectiveness and dealing with change. Our
purpose and values are the rudders which help us to navigate through the raging whitewater of
change. Sometimes all we can do is learn to trust ourselves amid dynamic change.
Leadership development is measured by our ability to adapt. Our personal and professional
effectiveness is in direct proportion to our ability to adapt to change.
The Tao Te Ching captured the essence of Change mastery: “Whatever is flexible and flowing
will tend to grow; whatever is rigid and blocked will whither and die.” Getting the flow going in
an organizational level is a very challenging proposition. Individuals can wake up to their
potential rapidly; organizations awaken more slowly. While some organizations simply are
rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic, others are genuinely re-thinking the concept of “the
ship” together.

Organizations that are looking at process improvement, reengineering, and quality as a total
organizational and human development system will thrive in change. The courage to reengineer
the total organization (human and systemic) comes from the belief that people really are the
capital that drives performance.

All significant change comes with self-change. Moving our concept of change from an outside-in
paradigm to an inside-out paradigm has profound implications. From this perspective, change is
an internal dynamic – an internal process of learning and development.
The authors have observed Five Change Mastery shifts to enhance performance:
1. From problem focus to opportunity focus
2. From short-term focus to long-term focus.
3. From circumstance focus to purpose focus. Effective leaders maintain a clear purpose
regardless of immediate circumstances.
4. From control focus to adaptability focus. Effective leaders understand constant control is
not possible, but adaptability allows them to flow with change.
5. From doubt to trust focus. Effective leaders are more secure in themselves; they possess a
sense that they can handle whatever may come their way.

CHANGE MASTERY SUMMARY
Seven points of awareness for leading in the flow of change:
1. Be Open to Learning: Instead of spending your energy resisting change, look for the growth
and learning contained within the flow of change. The learning leader outperforms the
learned leader every time.
2. Practice Present-Moment Awareness: Success can be created only in the present. Learn to
focus deeply in the present moment to weave a series of present-moment successes into a
lifetime of achievement. Leaders balance their vision with an acute awareness of the
opportunities and learning available in the present.
3. Integrate Immediate Focus and Broad Awareness: Bridge the paradox of being fully present
without losing your broader purpose and vision. Leadership requires a localized focus
painted onto a broader, meaningful canvas.
4. Trust Yourself: As the pace of change intensifies, your inner sense of trust may be the only
bridge you have to straddle the leadership gulf between the known and unknown. Trust
bridges the leader to his or her vision.
5. Develop Resiliency Through Mental-Emotional Stretching: Your life expands or contracts in
relation to your personal flexibility. Stretching yourself in mundane circumstances builds up
your elasticity to handle major life and leadership challenges.
6. Practice the Change Mastery Shifts: Build awareness of the Change Mastery Shifts to move
from being a persona-driven leader to being a character-driven leader.
7. Take the Leap: In those fortunate moments of being able to choose change, step back; if the
choice connects to your values and purpose, take the leap. Leadership is the purposeful
leap into the future.

Pathway Four: Interpersonal Mastery
Leading through Synergy
Interpersonal Mastery is the dynamic blending of personal power with synergy power to create
value and contribution.

In a recent study of 6,403 middle and upper managers conducted by the Foundation for Future
leadership, men and women received their highest evaluations for their intellectual
competencies. Both groups also received their lowest marks for their interpersonal
competencies. This study validates that leaders must expand their competencies from simply
getting results to adding value through synergy.
Relationships are the bridges that connect authentic self-expression to creating value.
Leadership does not exist in a vacuum; it always operates in contest, in relationships.
All too often, successful, achievement oriented people mistakenly believe they are the prime
movers, the origin of accomplishments in their groups or organizations. Many driven leaders fail
to comprehend how nothing is accomplished without engaging people in relationships and
appreciating the unique contribution of many people.
One of the most crucial development challenges for most leaders is learning how to
authentically self-express in a manner that creates value. What is missing are results that are
adding value and contribution at the same time. Leaders need to make this crucial development
shift by balancing their personal power (authentic self-expression) with synergy power and
contribution power (creating value).
An organic approach to business sees people are the source of creativity and dynamism. In this
type of organization, personal power supports synergy power, which in turn creates valueadded
contribution to customers, employees, and the environment. This inside-out model of
organizations creates a purposeful culture where people are constantly thinking “How can I
make more of a contribution?” It’s a purposeful, dynamic approach to organizational leadership
that values and leverages the power of human capital.
The second step for leaders is to realize that we often lack full awareness of our impact on
others. We take for granted that others are receiving precisely our intended meaning. We
express ourselves, and then we are shocked when our messages are misunderstood. Becoming
skilled at receiving feedback from others becomes crucial to ensure that our self-expression is
adding value. Effective leadership requires us to constantly reduce the gap between intended
and perceived communication.
The tool most organizations use to help leaders deal with the intention-perception gap is
360degree feedback. With such programs, leaders are given feedback from multiple sources on
their behavior skills, and leadership approaches.
360 degree feedback in the absence of new-self-knowledge often has two limitations.
It can create a defensive reaction, and therefore no growth takes place.
It encourages people to simply deliver the desired behaviors without giving them the personal
insight to grow.
Personal Mastery and Interpersonal Mastery are intimately connected. As we grow as people,
we grow in relationship. As we grow in relationship, we grow as people. The intervening
dynamic between ourselves and others is our structure of interpretation – our unique set of
beliefs, fears, and personal constructs through which we process or filter our world. If we want
to become more effective in relationships, we need to become more aware of how we are interpreting these interactions.
Assuming the person you are relating to has positive or neutral intentions, if your behavior
opens up possibilities then you are probably In-Character and your interaction will lead you to
openness, compassion, inclusion, and win-win outcomes. If, on the other hand, your behavior is
shutting down possibilities, you are probably In-Persona and your relationships will be guided
by image, control, anger, conflict, restriction, and self-interest.
The most crucial quality of character in a leader is openness – openness to new possibilities in
the marketplace, openness to new approaches and strategies, openness to relationships,
openness to new ways of doing things, openness to letting people express themselves. Leaders
open up or shut down opportunities in direct proportion to how open or shut down they are to
themselves.
The goal of Interpersonal Mastery is to shift our focus from self-fulfillment to one of servicefulfillment.
It is centered in purpose – how we can serve others to make a difference in the
world.
Authenticity is the core of relationships around which synergy and trust grow. Authenticity is
the true voice of the leader as it touches other people’s hearts. There are Five Touchstones of
Authentic Leadership which are crucial to building the interpersonal bridge from authentic selfexpression
to creating value:
1. Know yourself authentically – if we want to be more effective with others, we first need
to become more effective with ourselves. Commit to getting to know your total self
authentically through Personal Mastery.
2. Listen authentically. Authentic listening is not a technique. It is centered in compassion
and in a concern for the other person which goes beyond our self-centered needs. It places the
other person’s self-expression as primary at that moment. Authentic listening is about being
open to the purpose and learning coming o us through the other person. Authentic listening
creates the platform for true synergy and team effectiveness. Being open to valuing and
attending to different perspectives from diverse sources results in a more complete
understanding of issues and more effective decisions. Authentic listening is the soul of synergy.
3. Express authentically. Integrity means total congruence between who we are and what
we do. Authentic expression is the true voice of the leader. We speak from our character, and it
creates trust, synergy, and connection with everyone around us. Expressing authentically is
about straight talk that creates value. It is sharing your real thoughts and feelings in a manner
which opens up possibilities. Expressing authentically is what Gus Blanchard, CEO of Deluxe
Corporation, calls “caring confrontation” – the unique blending of straight talk with a genuine
concern for people.
4. Appreciate authentically. Appreciation is one type of self-expression that creates value.
It energizes people and makes people want to exceed their goals and perceived limits. Criticism
is one type of self-expression that usually does not add value. What it does is add fear and
insecurity. Criticism may get short-term results, but it does not add long-term value. Acknowledge effort and intention even if the results are occasionally lacking. Trust that your
appreciation will energize people.
5. Serve authentically. Ultimately a leader is not judged so much by ho well he or she
leads, but by how well he or she serves. Leadership is a continuum of service. We serve our
organization. We serve our people. We serve our customers. We serve our marketplace, our
community, our family and our relationships.

INTERPERSONAL MASTERY SUMMARY
Build Relationship Bridges: Relationships are the bridges between authentic self-expression and
creating value. Leaders lead by virtue of who they are, but create value by virtue of their
relationships.
Balance Personal Power with Synergy Power and Contribution Power: Using your personal
power to get results is not enough. Balancing your personal power with synergy power to make
a life enriching contribution is the key to authentic leadership.
Build Awareness of Intention-Perception Gap: We often are not fully aware of our total impact
on others. Commit yourself to 720. Feedback to grow as a leader.
Personal Mastery and Interpersonal Mastery are Intimately Connected: As we grow as a person,
our relationships grow. As our relationships grow, we grow as a person. As both grow, we lead
more effectively.
Become Aware of Your Structure of Interpretation: Commit yourself to the endless discovery of
how you process your world. We lead and relate based on how we interpret our life
experiences through the lens of our personal beliefs.
Practice the Five Touchstones to Authentic Leadership: Know yourself authentically, listen
authentically, express authentically, appreciate authentically, and serve authentically.
Pathway Five: Being Mastery
Leading Through Being
Being Mastery is connecting with the silence and peace of the innermost depth of one’s
character to support more dynamism, effectiveness, and contribution.
Being is our true nature, our core, our source, our inner Self. Being is the essence at the
deepest level of our character supporting all action and achievement.
Exploring Being is an ongoing journey that is particularly helpful to leading from within.
Connecting with our inner Being to comprehend all sorts of life situations is so natural a
process, we may not even be aware of it.
Mastery of Being is about learning to transform our state of awareness to greater happiness
and satisfaction by ourselves. To be alive, to be effective, to be fulfilled, first requires a state of
Being. Being is consciousness in its pure form, the source of thought.
Being is the transformational journey from here to there. We open our awareness to our true
potentiality. Being is the awareness of the eternally present moment at the basis of our
experience. Most of us would agree that successful action is based on effective thinking. If our
thoughts are clear and focused, then our actions will be precise and effective. On the days we
do not feel well, our thoughts are less effective and our actions less successful. So feeling is
more fundamental then thinking; feeling gives rise to thinking, which gives rise to action.
To feel, to think, to act, we first must Be. The more we awaken our true nature – Being – the
more effective our feeling, thinking, and action. It is the foundation, the platform for a more
masterful life. Being is a state of alertness where the mind is fully awake in its own nature and
the body is deeply rested, even more profoundly than during deep sleep. As we stretch the
mind and the body to experience broader ranges of their potentialities, we eventually acquire
the natural experience of Being or pure Consciousness permeating the other three states of
consciousness. As a result, we truly begin to live life from the inside out. Every experience we
have is from the context of our awakened inner nature.
To arrive at a pure state of being, we want to learn to go beyond our thoughts – to transcend
meditation. Meditation is a technique for helping us arrive at this state naturally. The practical
value of meditation can best be understood in terms of its profound rest. We maintain our
awareness as we experience inordinately deep rest. We experience a state of restful alertness
where the mind is alert but settled, and the body is deeply rested, even more completely rested
than during sleep. Although meditation is a great way to connect with our inner potentiality, it
is not the only way. Others are through nature, music, present-moment awareness, love,
inspirational reading and traumatic events.
BEING MASTERY SUMMARY
Four points of awareness for leading from Being:
1. Take Your Own Journey into Being: Getting on the path to self-discovery is your own very
personal journey. Only you can decide what "vehicles" to take on your travels and how you
want to get there. Start walking and enjoy both the process and the goal. If you want to achieve
more as a leader, you first need to be more as a person.
2. Resolve Life Challenges by Going to a Deeper Level: Problems are just opportunities seen from a
limited vantage point. Learn to dive deeply within yourself to view your leadership and life
challenges from a more comprehensive perspective. Leaders navigate from the depths of their
Being; Managers tend to cope with the waves on the surface
3. Consider Learning to Meditate: Learning to revitalize your mind and body is the inner basis for
outer effectiveness. If you have a difficult time even considering the idea of learning some form
of meditation practice, then remember the equation for personal and leadership development:
resistance = need.
4. Integrate More Reflection into Your Life: Taking the time to reduce the noise in your life allows
you to hear and express the music in your soul. Profound insights and breakthrough ideas
usually arise from the stillness of the leader's Being.

Pathway Six: Balance Mastery
Leading by Centering our Life
Balance Mastery is the dynamic centering of our life to build resilience to enhance effectiveness
and fulfillment.
92% of the 53 CEOs Cashman interviewed selected Balance Mastery as the most challenging
personally.
Balance Mastery is an ongoing challenge. It’s a dynamic process. Once we are certain we have
mastered it, the change in our life accelerates, and the process may need to be deepened once
again.
Personal balance is a critical part of long-term effectiveness. Many executives minimize the
value of balancing their lifestyle to enhance leadership performance.
A five year study of productive 100-year olds found that they had mastered four common
characteristics:
1. Optimism –they tended to have a positive view of the past and the future.
2. Engagement – they were actively involved in life.
3. Mobility - they were physically active
4. Adaptability – they had an extraordinary ability to stay balanced by adapting to and
accepting change and loss.
Mastery of Balance is about finding ways to connect with our center so we can deal with all the
dynamics outside.
Most imbalances in our society come from two major sources. We tend to overdo our activity
and to underdo our rest.
Cashman has found ten points of balance Mastery that can help center our lives in an
integrated, holistic way:
1. Be on purpose, but be aware. As our passionate purpose burns strongly, our devotion to it
also can cause us to throw ourselves out of balance. Purpose is the balance point that
allows us to achieve multiple goals with ease.
2. Learning to exercise with ease – activities you enjoy bring balance. Activities you dislike
create imbalance.
3. Deal with life-damaging habits.
4. Avoid taking yourself so seriously. Humor and lightheartedness balance mind, body, and
spirit.
5. Develop mind-body awareness. Our body reflects everything that is going on in our lives. It
is the primary feedback mechanism to reveal the positive or negative impact of our
thoughts, emotions, or choices.
6. Manage stress more effectively.
7. Nurture your close relationships
8. Simplify your life. The underlying principles for simplifying life are to sort out needs versus
wants and connect with your purpose. Begin to simplify your life by making more choices that support the vision of the life you really want to live.
9. Take real vacations.
10. Integrate more reflection and introspection into your life.
BALANCE MASTERY SUMMARY
Choose Wisely: Every lifestyle choice adds or depletes energy from you as a leader. Replacing
life-damaging habits with life-giving ones provides the resilience needed to help you lead more
effectively.
Be On-Purpose: Connecting with your purpose can center and balance you as a leader.
However, be careful-single-minded career passion can throw you out of balance in other parts
of your life.
Rest and Reflect More: Balance your dynamic leadership demands with more rest and
reflection. If you want to do more, then you need to be more.
Exercise for Enjoyment: Find activities you love and learn to appreciate the effortless joy of
movement. Adopt a "No Joy, No Gain" exercise mentality. Build your fitness level to support
your stamina as a leader.
Simplify Your Life: Evaluate what is essential in the context of your values, purpose, and
character. Ask yourself, "Are these choices adding to my purpose? Are these choices characterdriven
or persona-driven?"
Loosen Up: Play creates balance. Stop taking yourself so seriously. Nothing is more uninspiring
than a. boring, rigid leader. Leaders who are fun, playful, and joyful tend to attract and retain
committed, motivated, energetic people.
Pathway Seven: Action Mastery
Leading as a Whole Person
Action Mastery is the ongoing commitment to creating value through enhanced authenticity
and self-expression.
Leading as a whole person means integrating and focusing the diverse learnings gained in each
mastery area, deepening authenticity, brightening self-expression, and increasing the value you
can add as a leader.
The three core principles underlying Action mastery are:
1. Authenticity: Authenticity is the foundation, the platform, for leadership from the inside out.
Action without authenticity can actually create more problems for a leader than doing nothing
at all. The need for leaders to face honestly all aspects of themselves is crucial. This is the basis
for others to trust us as authentic people and leaders. In every moment we are leading, life is
attempting to teach us. The principle variable is how open or closed we are. Shifting our
awareness from one of knowing to one of learning is the receptiveness required for
authenticity.
2. Self Expression: It’s possible to be authentic, but if we don’t express it, nothing happens.
Learning to risk sharing our gifts is central to Action Mastery. As leaders, we create the future
through action. Sometimes we self-express through our mere presence, but most often it is because we take the risk and do something. Most leaders need to work on two crucial elements
to express themselves more effectively:
I. Broadening the range of self-expression we will risk: One leader may risk getting things
done but avoid the risk of emotional intimacy. Another may build relationships but not
risk tough decisions.
II. Deepening our understanding of the inner dynamics supporting our outer actions: many
leaders will express themselves but without purpose.
3. Creating Value: Many leaders get results; fewer leaders create value. Creating value involves
broadening our range of interest. Creating value seeks to reconcile self-interest with the
common interest. To lead from the inside out we need to consider shifting our focus from
short-term, self-interested perspectives to longer-term, common interest perspectives.
Creating value versus achieving results requires that we ask ourselves in every moment of
leadership, “are we enriching life, or are we depleting life?”
Action Mastery is 75% preparation and 25% performance. Just like an athlete we need to go
into training” to strengthen our inner resources relating to self-knowledge, purpose,
relationships, balance, being, and change. If we build inner excellence, success will be
experienced in both the process and in the results.
To go “into training” to lead from within, start with these Action Mastery steps:
o Outline your growth commitments – identify five things you want to work on.
o Build your awareness and act on your growth commitments.
Seven points of awareness for leading as a whole person:
1. Seek the most essential first. Go deeply into your purpose and being.
2. Approach growth and development as a lifelong process. Dedicate yourself to personal
awakening leading to transformation instead of focusing on process leading to change.
3. Take total responsibility: Inside-Out success is a total paradigm shift. We accept
responsibility for our inner satisfaction and our outer circumstances. We are responsible for
the life we have created, and we are responsible for how we deal with every situation that
crosses our path.
4. Value consistency over intensity: leadership from the inside out works; but you have to
work it consistently, every day.
5. Set aside worry, doubts, and negativity. When we worry we are rehearsing our failure over
and over.
6. Don’t just walk the talk, become the talk. Leadership from the Inside Out is about
consistent, integrated, lifelong growth.
7. Build awareness through inside out journaling.
Reviewer's recommendation: Cashman’s book is an important wake-up call for those who are ready to
embrace authentic leadership. This book is a reflective, interactive journey with real tools for personal
and leadership transformation.

People are complicated.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago #190531 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
this conversation took place on the Wall;

Locksley: The most desirable outcome of any street fight is that it never happens.

OB1Shinobi: i appreciate the sentiment for peace - imo the most desirable outcome of any kind of fight is that one acts according to ones principles and does not lose ones mindfulness to fear or to bad temper

PaintedWarrior: Sometimes there is a need for violence to achieve Peace. However, this can only be achieved when the defender can realise when the line has been reached to sufficiency, and does not cross the line and become the aggressor.

Locksley Choosing to defend is a worthy cause, but a risky one, especially in the complex world we live in today. At what point is that line crossed? How will the defender know when he has crossed it? Will his superiors tell him? Will he tell himself? Defense can be altered to mean "strike first", but is striking first really defense? Is it sticking to the letter of the law, versus the spirit of the law?

Perhaps someone should create a thread to discuss this - it's interesting


so the basic issue is "when is it appropriate to fight?" and "what are the boundaries?"

im going on the following presuppositions

1) there is a part of our psyches which has developed specifically to be a hunter and a fighter.
the process of this development began whenever life began / in other words there is a part of us that is very, very old

2) most people have no form of prey except for other humans; as a result we turn this part of ourselves against our own species in various ways

3) it is not appropriate - generally speaking - to hunt other humans as prey

4) it is not appropriate to allow other humans to make us into prey

5) the dominance impulse and the predatory impulse can be separated as topics; certain things can be easily seen to fall into instances of ego battles or "pissing contests" on the one hand, and into deliberate predatory attacks on the other

6) the easiest way to understand the difference between them is that someone in predator mode is basically determined to impose their will upon their target, whatever that may be, without any sort of compromise being an option

whereas ego battles are actually more about NOT LOSING

when youre dealing with someone in predator mode there are only a few ways the situation can go

they get what they want
they curb their predatory impulse
they lose

one of those things is going to happen
exactly how any of them happen is situational

starting with ego

imo it is not necessary to "lose in order to win" in an ego situation
make it clear that you are not going to be dominated or pushed around but do it in a way that allows the other person to save face and not look bad and you will be fine

people defending their egos dont really want to fight - that is the defining characteristic of an ego confrontation
they dont want to be pushed around and they dont want to look like a weakling or a coward, and thats pretty much the extent of their psychological commitment

predators dont want to fight either but the predator is convinced he has a definitive advantage (and as a general rule he does) even if that is simply that he is sure that he can beat you if it comes to a fight

someone who really wants to fight is rare - most dont want the risk of a real fight, they just want to win, or to get something specific

anyone who is looking to take something from you - whether its your pride or your wallet/purse or your life - is considered a predator

the boundaries of how to respond to a predator are going to depend on what they want and what methods they use to get it

imo the first thing to do when you feel like a situation is dangerous, regardless of what that is, is to breath

sounds funny maybe - but everything begins with the breath, and how you breath is going to determine the way your system responds to the stress of the moment and that is a physiological fact, so BREATH

the next thing to do is to analyse

these rules apply to any situation that represents danger
when this means dealing with a person, look at them, judge them, appraise what state they are in and what they really want, not by what they say but by what you see

a big thing that people do when they get afraid is they cant bring themselves to really look at what theyre afraid of

no matter what the situation is, you have much more to fear from being too afraid to look closely at whats going on

you have to keep your mind in a state of ACTivity instead of REACTivity, and that starts with breath and then analysis

if you decide to fight against a predator my suggestion is that rather than seeing it as "fighting back" or "standing up for yourself" you view it as you being the predator and making them into a prey species

in most cases the situation wouldnt be happening if you had a fair chance to "win" so you need to get your head in the gear of how to really just straight out end their ability to hurt you in a quick and decisive way

if its ok to run away and you belive that you can outrun them then go for it if you get the chance

as far as the bounds of what level of force is appropriate, my advice is that you should allow ego battlers a way out without losing face and youll be fine

you should treat predators as being dangerous

if all they want is to humiliate you then you may be able to get them out of predator mode by making it very clear that you will be more trouble than its worth to them

if you have the ability to show them that you are a predator yourself then possibly you can get them to switch from predator brain to ego brain, or from the "im dangerous" feeling to the "im in danger" feeling

things that know they are in legitimate danger would rather compromise a truce than battle it out

if they want something material then its usually the smart thing to just give them what they want

imo its just as ok to give a mugger your wallet or a bully your pride as it is to put him into a coma; whichever you think is appropriate and you think you can do

some people are sad enough that i would rather give them my wallet than hurt them
some are mean enough that i would feel better knowing they were in a coma
some i wouldnt have a choice about either way because theyre just out of my league

youve got to make the determination of how to respond based on the person and the moment

what i hope all of us will always be able to do when we deal with people under any circumstance is to make our decisions based on what we calculate as being appropriate to the moment, rather than on the impulses of fear or rage
if you can keep to that principle then you should be ok

most places have "self defense" laws which allow you to protect yourself so long as you dont chase someone down and hurt them
or attack them from behind (if you shoot someone in the back as they run for instance)
and you dont use a weapon against a weaponless person unless they have you trapped
and you dont beat them too much after they are helpless

i suggest doing a web search or asking a LEO in your area to find out the specifics

People are complicated.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago - 8 years 10 months ago #190934 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
the guard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKxD5kdOkk0


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzbie1JeYQE


those first two are kind of introductory
this next video is like 3 hours long, but it is worth it
as a general rule, i dont recommend taking a self defense situation to the ground if there is a choice about it
its easy to stab someone to death when youre wrestling on the ground and it can be hard to get out of that situation if someone latches on to you

also it leaves you vulnerable to being attacked by their friends

but things happen

fights do go to the ground and its important to be able to handle yourself there

sometimes even a rudimentary knowledge of ground fighting is all it takes to handle someone who has a huge physical advantage over you in a striking exchange

also the ability to simply restrain someone may be useful at some time in your experience

obviously, youtube videos are not the same as formal instruction

simply understanding the fundamental concepts of the positions (staring with guard) and knowing even just a couple of techniques from each of them to better your position or to get up or to score a submission hold (break) put you way WAY ahead of anyone who doesnt have that knowledge

ive never had any formal instruction in bjj and im not in any way claiming to know bjj, but simply knowing about the positions and especially understanding hooks and sweeps and a couple of submissions has helped me in the past and i recommend AT LEAST that much to anyone who is interested in MA and SD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxW6vZUbWWY

People are complicated.
Last edit: 8 years 10 months ago by OB1Shinobi.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago - 8 years 10 months ago #190936 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
triangle choke from guard

2 mins

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


2 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr730pBy1tg


6 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80mqoNPw3Ko


6 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyc9HdQz0Ps

People are complicated.
Last edit: 8 years 10 months ago by OB1Shinobi.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago - 8 years 10 months ago #191060 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
2 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U537uIY6i8c


same technique in the next vid but the effect is much much quicker
he actually locks it on right at 1:04/1:05 and ref calls OUT by 1:13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHvwiXOHp7E


2 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CxPV5VmPko


2 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fQSjqEPx8w

People are complicated.
Last edit: 8 years 10 months ago by OB1Shinobi.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago #191063 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
3 mins

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

People are complicated.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago #191071 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
arm bar from guard


2 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khyJc2ktabY


2 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV9NorNMWl4


5 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqrtPTGm_Q8

People are complicated.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago - 8 years 10 months ago #191074 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
this is also known as the wrist lock or double wrist lock in catch wrestling and its emphasized as a break on the forearm and not the shoulder
i think thats better if you get it but its good to train the full spectrum of what the technique can do

this is one of the best submission techniques

3 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB00NBErEyw


4 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2FajIE2gHI


5 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnLuzJi23MA


also, this is kimura the person. its a quick read and very cool imo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masahiko_Kimura

People are complicated.
Last edit: 8 years 10 months ago by OB1Shinobi.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago - 8 years 10 months ago #191079 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
kimura from guard

2 mins

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


8 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqSdVL82QVk


6 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_p63AI8gww

People are complicated.
Last edit: 8 years 10 months ago by OB1Shinobi.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
8 years 10 months ago - 8 years 10 months ago #191097 by OB1Shinobi
Replied by OB1Shinobi on topic Making of a Jedi Warrior
i had meant to put this with the standing triangle

theres not a lot of standing darce vids out there


1 min

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


3 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9aKVC1Wd8Q


2 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wz62NL2JtM

People are complicated.
Last edit: 8 years 10 months ago by OB1Shinobi.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Moderators: ZerokevlarVerheilenChaotishRabeRiniTavi