The Power to Transform: 90 Days to a New You [Hardcover]

Chris Majer (Author), John Brant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

  What if you could design your future instead of having it just happen to you? The Power to Transform teaches you the strategies corporate, military, and sports leaders have used to do just that for themselves and their organizations! Yes, you can have the life of your dreams—here’s how.

  Chris Majer has designed large scale transformational programs for the US Army, and Marine Corps, Amgen, AT&T, Microsoft, Intel, Allianz, and Capital One, and a host of others to revamp the way they do business. Organizations Majer has put through his process have seen measurable and dramatic increases in their performance and profits.

  In The Power to Transform, Majer tailors his program to you the individual, sharing the methods he has developed over two decades that have made him one of the leading innovators in the field. The book distills complex philosophical and linguistic concepts into easy-to-use practices that produce transformational change. Readers have reached a plateau in their personal or professional lives know that there is something more to life. They are committed to real change will find considerable power in:

-Building the practices for authentic learning

-Seeing that learning isn't about "knowing and understanding," it is the development of "embodied competence"

-Learning how new action, not new thinking, is the cornerstone of change

-Facing down the most daunting challenges and making consistently powerful choices

-Building a practice that will enable you to stay calm while the world around you swirls in confusion

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

CHRIS MAJER is founder and CEO of The Human Potential Project, a pioneer in the design and delivery of transformational education for athletes, the military, and corporate organizations. Majer's innovative work has been written about in Time, Esquire, and Leaders Magazine. As a result of his stunning successes, he has been featured on Today, The News Hour, and Charlie Rose. He resides in Spokane, Washington.

John Brant is a frequent contributor to Inc., the New York Times Play Magazine, Runner’s World, and Best Life. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and two children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594869510
• ISBN-13: 978-1594869518
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #675,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chris Majer is the founder and CEO of the Human Potential Project. He was born and raised in Spokane Washington. From an early age he demonstrated a great capacity for leadership or trouble making - depending on your point of view. In high school he played a bit of football, played in a rock band and was going steady with the home coming queen. At the University of Washington in the spring of 1970 he was leading anti-war protests while back home his father was chairman of the draft board. At the U of W he captained the Rugby team, was elected to the student governing council and got deeply interested in politics as the means to bring about change in the world.

He earned a BA in political science and went on to study organization development, earning an MPA from the school of public administration. Along the way he worked with the new county executive to make a transition to a new form of government, spent time in Alaska flying around to native villages to help set up village corporations and governments as part of the implementation of the Native Claims Settlement Act, and took an active role in a host of political campaigns.

In the early 80's he started the first iteration of HP2, SportsMind in Seattle. The company had early success with individual athletes and sports teams, and that success attracted the attention of the military. For some three years Chris and his team worked with the Army to redesign the way the kept soldiers ready for combat. The work was so successful that it in turn caught the attention of the Special Forces and Chris and his team designed and delivered a six month long classified project with the 10th SFG in which they had a programmatic blank check to push the boundaries of human performance.

At the conclusion of the project Chris announced that while doing the work with the military was the most challenging and rewarding of his career he didn't intend to spend his life living in the bachelor officer quarters on various military bases.

In the mid 80's he set his sights on the corporate world and opened a new chapter in the saga of HP2. He and the team developed an initial corporate program, tested it on a sub-contractor of Boeing's and amazed everyone with the results. Their next customer was AT&T and the work that they did there came to be known as "Project Miracles.' In 18 months they put 6,000 managers through a 5 daylong Intensive program and over the course of 48 months the Consumer Products Division went from being at break even financially to generating over $ 3 billion in profit for AT&T. As you might imagine this caught the attention of a host of companies and over the next 15 years Chris and his team designed and delivered large scale transformational projects for companies that included: AT&T, Intel, EDS, Microsoft, Capital One, Cargill and a host of others.

In 2000 Chris decided it was time for a change and re-branded the company as the Human Potential Project as that more accurately reflected the mission of the company - the develop of the latent potential that lies in every individual and organization. Since then he has continued to design leading edge programs for companies like: Amgen, Allianz, Columbia House, OneCall and others.

Over the course of the years he and his team have delivered programs in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, France, the UK, Australia, India, and Malaysia. As a result he brings to the world a deep and profound body of work that has been finely honed by years of hard earned experience in taking individuals and organizations through rigorous process of transformation.

On the home front he has continuously been active in his communities. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of Seattle Community Youth at Risk, a board member of the Mt. Zion School, the Chairman of the Mobius Science Center in Spokane and continues to work with and support political leaders who are committed to building a better world.

He is the proud father of a 12 year old daughter - Cheyenne and is married to the most extraordinary Kendra Oliver.

He currently lives in Spokane Washington - because he can.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Website Support, February 26, 2010

By 

R. Robinson "Soundad" (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Power to Transform: 90 Days to a New You (Hardcover)

Several of the reviews cite the website that goes along with and supports the book. In fact the website is integral to several of the assignments. The problem is that virtually nothing that the book says to do, or reference at the website actually exists there. The blog goes unattended by any moderator, and there is no way to get the concerns and missing components attended to. E.G., Important references to videos on "centering" (which Chris Majer says cannot be described verbally, so he simply sends you to the website, and then you have no idea from the point forward what he is talking about!). My question is, if the other reviewers who cited the great website are not simply plants to promote the book, what website did they go to? The one given in the book cannot be the one they are using. It is my desperate hope (because otherwise I've reached a dead end with this book) that the author or the publisher occasionally looks at these reviews and does something about the problem. If they do not, then "Caveat Emptor", proceed with your purchase recognizing that you cannot accomplish major tasks in your quest to transform. You've unfortunately not been given the full power. Check it out:[...] the password is HP24U
If you can make it work, let all the rest of us know how in the blog!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new you, September 18, 2009

By 

Steve Burns (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Power to Transform: 90 Days to a New You (Hardcover)

The author Chris Majer writes this book to take the reader on a journey to transform themselves. The book emphasizes that true learning comes from training the body through doing, not idly reading and thinking you will absorb knowledge if you do not put it into action. So there is a focus on the importance of doing the assignments through out the book to truly learn the principles of the book. The book explains how words can shape our mental reality and the importance of understanding the difference between real truth and declarations, assertions, assessments, requests, promises, and offers. Do no confuse reality with some one's perspective or opinion. The book takes you through a chapter on how to cultivate awareness. The author shows that no matter what the circumstance that we find our self in, we always have a choice in how we react to it and what we do. You will see that we must have both ability and willingness to accomplish our goals, having only one will result in failure. You will learn the powerful lessons of accountability, commitment, trust, honesty, and integrity. Finally to tie it all together you will be asked to search your mind, heart, and personal history to discover your ultimate stand. What do you stand for that is so powerful that you literally become your stand? It is something that makes you become single minded and keeps you on a straight path filled with passion and purpose. Read this book if you are interested in transforming yourself into a person of focus and character, do the assignments in it to prepare yourself for success.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do-It-Yourself Life Coaching, January 1, 2010

By 

Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Power to Transform: 90 Days to a New You (Hardcover)

This book, sent to me for reivew, exceeded my expectations.

I really liked the way the author notes the 3 types of responses to their change initiatives in corporations. People respond as learners, skeptics or prisoners. I would add that these responses aren't as much about the people as about their previous experiences. If they've been through a dozen "flavor of the month" management programs, they're likely to be skeptical of a new one.

Overall, Majer encourages readers to accept responsibility and recognize where we have choices. The message isn't new but some of the exercises and approaches seem original. I especially liked the first exercise, which involves separating assessments from assertions. I like the emphasis on centering (and the opportunity to learn from the website). The chapter on honesty offers some unusual perspectives on establishing "the truth." I'm reminded of Byron Katie's distinctions.

My inner skeptic began sounding alarms as the author warns against saying things like, "It's too late..." or, "I can't..." I do believe that people have natural talents and strengths. When we say we can't do something, we may be able to learn. However, some skills are more teachable than others. Some are harder to learn as you grow older.

Ironically I picked up this book right after I had just talked to a stranger, someone in my gym who was unemployed. When I asked if she had tried this place or that opportunity, she responded with excuses. It turned out that her severance was especially generous and she had done nothing, yet she claimed, "There are no jobs."

At the same time, I've read Philip Zimbardo's studies of the power of the situation. It is important to retain a context for accountability and what Majer calls "claiming your birthright." I've heard people use these ideas to wave away issues of discrimination and injustice. Many people triumph over amazing odds but we need to recognize what we're asking them to do.

I'd also emphasize that the blame game forss part of many organizational and corporate cultures. Watch any reality show (especially the Apprentice series).

Majer's ultimate contribution is to take some concepts that can easily be dismissed as woo-wooey and set them in a left-brained framework. I'd have liked to learn more about what he actually does on his consulting engagements, although I realize there are issues about confidentiality and proprietary programs.

Definitely I'd recommend this book, especially if you (or someone you know) tends to feel blocked. It's usually to see in others the problems that Majer attempts to solve. Mostly I would recommend it to coaches for use with clients; Majer encourages readers to work with partners, and I have found that's often easier said than done.

My main reservation is that the book that requires work. I suspect most people read self-help books with the hope of finding a single line or idea that magically transforms their lives. Sometimes that happens, e.g., when we get a new way to view a situation. But I have a feeling a lot of readers will tuck this book away sometime in the first three chapters and discover it on their shelves years later, covered with dust. I hope I'm wrong on this one.

I'm also wondering just what kind of outcomes to expect after investing time and energy in these exercise. Majer refers to increased potential and growth. He's probably trying to avoid the kinds of wild claims many experts make in this field. I can see how the book would help friends and colleagues of people who complete the program, so they can create a "no whining" zone.

Still, I am considering about working through the book myself. I'm intrigued.