4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Personal Development Book, March 28, 2009
This review is from: Strategic Acceleration: Succeed at the Speed of Life (Hardcover)
The book starts out with a very bold statement, "It will forever change the way you think about getting results and will increase your effectiveness in all you do". This certainly sets a high bar.
It starts with clarity. Without clarity you will resist strategic change. Reminds me a bit old fashioned goal setting. It also talks about perception being a reality even if it is not the truth.
The author goes on to explain how to develop clarity which is very easy to say but much harder to do. From that clarity it talks about setting the vision. A clear vision is critical to successful effectiveness. Interesting enough it goes back to understanding the why of clarity which is a point that I would have thought would have come before the vision. I do know however understanding the why makes the vision much more powerful.
It talks about focus which is the opposite of distraction. (Sort of the myth of multitasking)
It talks about production before perfection. More people fail from lack of action than from doing things that are not perfect. Excellent propensity of action he is proposing.
The most valuable part of the book came in the exercises that were in the appendix. Of course the challenge with exercises is you have to be willing to put in the work and do the exercises in order to get the value from the book. On the other hand, why not if you are interested in making a change.
I think the book is appropriate in turbulent times when the need to change is greater than ever before.
I would recommend the book and think it is a good read; however, I am not sure if it lives up to the expectation that it tries to set of being life changing unless you have never read a personal development book before.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This action-packed field guide, putting Newton's Laws to work - making personal breakthroughs - will surpass your expectations, September 14, 2009
'Strategic Acceleration: Succeed at the Speed of Life',
by Tony Jeary
Having the title of 'Strategic Acceleration' in a book certainly catches one's eyeballs, especially in today's era of information anxiety.
In my case, I was really intrigued as I could co-relate it immediately to Newton's Laws, which brought me back to my secondary school days when I had to grappled with my Physics lessons.
Today, Newton's Laws with their virtually unlimited applications are an essential part of our daily lives, physically as well as emotionally.
As a matter of fact, Newton was right: "Objects at rest tend to remain at rest".
In short , we must always get started, in order to make our lives better. Once we do, then the other part of Newton's Laws - "Objects in motion tend to remain in motion" - begin to work for us.
In a nut shell, as I see, Newton's Laws boil down to understanding inertia, momentum or acceleration, & forces of change.
Once we break down the bonds of negative thought patterns, & habitual routines along with destructive self-limiting beliefs, we can move forward, gaining forward momentum, so to speak.
Forward momentum is the creation of congruency & synergy between our personal & professional lives, in the pursuit of our fondest dreams.
So, the great news for all of us is that life coach & strategist Tony Jeary, the brilliant author [he has been described as a "gifted encourager" who facilitates positive outcomes for others in his role as a strategic collaborator] of 'Strategic Acceleration' has distilled his more than twenty years of studying distinctions that characterise top-performing high-achievers into a proven methodology to help us achieve what we want, when we want it.
More importantly, to help us create personal breakthroughs.
In driving our forward momentum, the author's methodology is systematically anchored on three critical personal change initiatives, as a tripod, which in totality captures the essence of 'Strategic Acceleration':
1) Clarity: you must be clear about your vision & what you really want;
2) Focus: you must pay attention to high leverage activities that you move you forward;
3) Execution: you must execute by elevating your ability to persuade & influence others;
The entire book describes the three change initiatives in elaborate detail, via eight superbly written chapters:
Chapter 1: The Speed of Life & What You Believe;
Chapter 2: The Pulling Power of clarity - Vision;
Chapter 3: Understanding the Why Produces Clarity;
Chapter 4: Focus is the Opposite of Distraction;
Chapter 5: Finding Focus & Producing Real Results;
Chapter 6: Persuasion Matters;
Chapter 7: Production Before Perfection;
Chapter 8: The Persuasive Influence of Strategic Response;
What really stands out when compared with other personal development books are the carefully crafted hands-on exercises, over 60 pages, to help you create your clarity, focus & execution blueprints. These are worth the price of the book alone.
Also, I love the four questions that must be asked:
- what do I need to do more of?
- what do I need to do less of?
- what do I need to start doing?
- what do I need to stop doing?
More critically, the execution part of the methodology - standing on the tripod of 'Persuasion', 'Production' & 'Presence' - is extensively illustrated in the book, especially with regard to the concepts of exceeding expectations & completing tasks &/or projects in reduced time frames.
This is often a feature not found in most personal development books.
To paraphrase the author:
"The expectations we exceed today become the seed for new opportunities in the future."
"You can think your way into bad action, but you can act your way into right thinking".
For me, these two statements frame the author's point of contention beautifully.
Reading the book is a breeze, because at the end of each chapter, there is a crisp chapter summary, coupled with 'Very Important Points' to take away.
This is not just a book to be read, but an action-packed field guide, to create superior results in your life!
If you want a preliminary or initial feel of the content tapestry of 'Strategic Acceleration', or to know your 'Strategic IQ', take the free assessment at his corporate website.
To conclude my review, I like to say this:
At equilibrium, acceleration is zero. Acceleration is directly linked to your forward momentum, which is sustainable by your clarity, focus & execution.
This book, which I have enjoyed very much, will surpass your expectations!
[Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, Optimum Performance Technologies, September 2009]
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