Leader of the pack
I will follow: Bond girl Michelle Yeoh is just one celebrity who is a fan of Sharma's philosophy
Friday February 15 2008
'Some are born great; others have greatness thrust upon them." So goes the old saying. But Canadian success coach Robin Sharma does not subscribe to that for one nano-second.
He believes that good leaders are made, not born, and plans to reveal all of his theories and practices in a day-long leadership workshop called Lead Without Title, in the Leopardstown Pavilion, this Monday.
Sharma has written several self-help books and staged leadership sessions in over 50 countries to date. This is his first professional appearance in Ireland. Speaking from his native Toronto, he says: "What I'm trying to do is help people become world class and create a better workplace in the process. I feel that every single employee needs to feel like a leader. In the workshop I will display my ideas on leading without title.
"This is for everybody, from the managing directors to the regular employees of a company. I would describe myself as a leadership consultant and just a few of the major companies I've worked with are IBM, Microsoft and British Petroleum. I find that people leave organisations because they are just not engaged."
And just in case anybody thinks that Sharma is all about the mighty work ethic and devoting yourself 24/7 to your job -- he is quick to refute this.
"It's also about life, health and family. I'm passionate about my own private life. Right now, the most important things in the world to me are my two kids who are sleeping upstairs as we're talking.
"You can be world class in both your career and in your family life. One doesn't have to exclude the other. I've coached ordinary business people and I've coached billionaires, rock stars and royalty, as well as leading entrepreneurs and chief executive officers. In the course of my work I've come across a lot of very unhappy people.
"So I like to turn ideas into reality; to bring things down to a daily reality. I think that every single employee needs to feel like a leader. There are so many ideas out there."
And Sharma, who was supposed to talk at a recent seminar in India with Bono and Bill Gates, has a lot of time for the U2 singer and agitator.
"Unfortunately the seminar was cancelled, but I have a lot of time for Bono. I'm very impressed by him. He is elevating people with his work. He's a great example of a leader without a title in my opinion."
Celebrity fans of Sharma include rockers Bon Jovi and Ricky Martin, Hollywood actress Michelle Yeoh and former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres.
And his own favourite quote is: "The tragedy of life is not death. The tragedy of life is what we allow to die inside while we live."
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and The Greatness Guide are some of Robin's most successful books to date. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is now set to be made into a movie. In the last five years alone Sharma has sold one million books.
The Greatness Guide Part Two has just been published in Canada, and should be available in the US and Europe later this year.
And while he has been to Dublin before for a short holiday, this will be his first working trip here.
"I always like to get out and about in a city, to soak up the atmosphere and the people. And this trip will be no different.
"The last time I was in Dublin I stayed in the Clarence Hotel, which I believe is owned by Bono. I also discovered some great restaurants in the Temple Bar area. I always insist on having a cool hotel and the time to visit some art galleries."
For details on 'Lead Without Title' in the Leopardstown Pavilion on Monday, tel. 086 8117650 or visit www.celticguru.com .
It's instant Sharma - Robin’s top 10 tips for achieving greatness;
- Don’t lounge in bed after your alarm clock goes off. The more time you lie in bed after the alarm, the greater the likelihood that the chatter of your mind will say something like ‘Stay in bed, sleep a bit more. The bed is warm. You deserve it.’
- You can’t get to the top of Mount Everest by jumping up the mountain. You get to the top by taking incremental steps. Step-by-step you get to the goal.
- A person who tries to do everything accomplishes nothing.
- If you think something cannot occur in your life, there’s no way you will take the action required to make that goal a reality. Your ‘impossibility thinking’ manifests itself.
- Reading a book by someone you respect allows some of their brilliance to rub off on you.
- There’s no safety in being the same person that you were yesterday. That’s just an illusion that ends up breaking your heart.
- What distinguishes people with an extraordinary character from the rest of us is how they respond when life sends one of its inevitable curves.
- Business is about loving the people who do business with you and giving them more value than they have any right to expect.
- Remember that every great leader (or visionary or brave thinker) was initially laughed at. Now they are revered.
- The more successful you and your organisation become, the more devoted and humble to your customers you need to be.
- Richie Taylor
