The Greatest Transfer of Executive Power is Happening Now
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every single day, and this is expected to continue into 2030. This means that nearly seven baby boomers are turning 65 every minute (Note 1).
These people have worked hard over the past 25-35 years and are welcoming their transition out of full-time work into other projects and horizons. This has created the largest opportunity in history for you to be ready to step up and claim a key leadership role within your organization.
Organizations Today Are
Starving For Effective Leaders
I recently met with an executive (call him John) of a large organization who was trying to hire a new senior level director to help strengthen their leadership pipeline. John had received over 200 resumes. Human Resources took 6 weeks to narrow this down to 3 final candidates for John to interview.
John was excited to meet the three finalists and soon presented an offer of employment to his top choice. At the eleventh hour, the prime candidate backed out of the lucrative job offer. John was upset because he was now 10 weeks out from the initial job posting.
John was forced to go back to the drawing board and ask Human Resources to start a new search.
I asked why he didn't go with someone internal?
John noted that nobody internally seemed to be ready for the next level role that he had created, so they were forced to "go outside" of the organization in search of the right leader for the role.
Right Now, 80% of Executives Are Searching For
Their Replacement
The second problem is the amount of executives who are eligible for retirement but their organizations are trying to handcuff them into staying longer. Organizational loyalty or guilt makes some stay longer. Others are offered flexible transitions to part-time retirement so that they can stay on and provide key client support or groom the next level of leaders.
Either way, this means that your leadership team is currently looking in your organization for the next generation of leaders. If you are poised and ready, you can claim the next leadership role to help you advance your career.
But be warned: they are most likely looking outside of your organization as well in their search to find the most qualified leader.
You have two decisions to make right now:
1. Decide that you are worthy of stepping up into your next level of career growth. This means getting noticed and recognized for the value you contribute to the organization.
2. Make sure that you get on their list and believe me, all executive leaders have lists even though they don't openly disclose this. Later on in this letter, I will show you how to do this.
Are You On Their Shortlist - or
Are You Being Ignored?
Ten years ago, I was working in a prominent corporate leadership role. I was responsible for an entire branch operation that managed over 30,000 customers, 200 clients and managed 200 employees.
Like my executive friend John, I was searching for a manager who could come in and assist me with the day to day operations of the business. I was at lunch with my Senior Vice President when he asked me this question:
"Based on who works for you today, who would you promote tomorrow for the role?"
I immediately gave him my answer which shocked him. He for sure thought that another person in the business was the sure winner for the role. He then grilled me over the next hour as to why I favoured my candidate over his.
This happens all the time.
18 months later, I promoted my preferred candidate to the assistant manager position. My candidate was a lesser known fellow who was equally qualified as the Senior VP's candidate. The one thing my candidate had going for him was the fact that he sought out my mentorship and support to help him develop the skills to assume the role.
The reality is that your executives and people who will influence your career are out at the coffee shop, lunch table or in behind closed doors deciding who will succeed them.
Either they are talking about you or they are not.
You are standing at this moment in time where you can choose which category you want to be in. But you're not alone because I know what it's like to be in both camps throughout my career.
I was fortunate early on to make the bold choice to investigate and pursue becoming a leader worth following.
I'm Shane Fielder
Modern-Day Samurai
& Business Transformation Coach
Twenty-four years ago I made two decisions that have impacted my life in unimaginable ways that I am truly grateful for today.
I decided to become a black belt martial artist. This was a tough feat for an overweight, out of shape guy. Even my girlfriend back in 1994 fell down on the ground laughing when I told her that I was taking up martial arts. Nobody believed in me at the time that I could do something so foreign to me.
Now, I am a modern-day samurai who has earned a 4th degree black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.
At the same time in my life, I set out to explore how small businesses grow into large national brands.
From entry level to senior leadership roles in start-ups, franchises and businesses with over $100 Million of revenue per year, I discovered the answers to my questions.
The simple answer is that structure equals freedom and focused leaders create repeatable and highly profitable results. I help leaders get focused on creating the structures and systems needed to break free from overwhelm so that they can rise to the top of their industries and take control of their lives.
1999 Was The Year I Became a Leader
It was 1999 and I was the Food & Beverage Manager of a large, upscale movie theatre company. Our theatre was the busiest theatre in town with average attendance of 7,500 people per day and gross revenue of $100 Million plus per year. It was a happening place to be part of.
One calm Sunday afternoon, I was nearing a break on my shift and I walked into the manager's lounge. As I opened the door, laying on the ground heavily crying and shaking in the fetal position was Adam who was one my supervisors.
I was absolutely shocked. Here was an 18 year old grown man on the ground, literally crying and convulsing. Adam confessed that he had just been bullied by another operations manager named Steve. I helped Adam calm down and soon after, I left to go get Adam a Pepsi from the concession.
On the way back to Adam with his Pepsi, I saw Jim. Jim was my general manager who had quickly stopped in on his day off to pickup some personal effects from the managers lounge. At this point, I did not know that he had already been in the managers lounge and saw Adam's state of despair.
Jim approached me and asked me what happened to Adam. At that point, I went into Jim's office and confessed that Steve verbally bullied Adam.
As a result of my confession, Steve was heavily reprimanded over the situation and as would be expected, he was really irate with me over the situation.
This was the day that I realized the power of being a leader who acts with integrity in any situation.
It was a bit painful.
But guess what?
By growing in my role as an authentic leader, Steve ended up becoming one of my best friends. Adam went on to earn a big promotion at the theatre and I am still in touch with both guys to this day.
10 Years Later, I Was Promoted Two Levels Up Into a Senior Leadership Role
I will never forget February 2009 when my Senior Vice President came to town to have lunch with my manager and I. At lunch he explained that he had an opportunity for someone who was willing to take a senior leadership role with the company.
He laid out how the job would be challenging because it was a turnaround situation. This situation required me to takeover leadership of a large city operation that needed a leadership and cultural change.
I was offered a role that was two levels up from where I was at.
Little did I know that my actual interview for the role was 6 months earlier at the awards gala.
Almost a year prior to this day, I entered an industry wide award competition. I submitted into the Pinnacle Award for Innovation category for companies who create innovative solutions to industry wide problems. My submission won the award for our province.
I then met our CEO, President and Senior VP at the national awards gala six months later. That trip heightened my exposure in the organization as a leader who got results. My Senior VP later told me that he started thinking back then that he had other areas of the organization that my talents could be used.
The key thing here is that this was the result of wanting to contribute more value to my stakeholders and at the same time solve a major problem for our industry.
I will show you how you can do this too.
How Do You Ensure That You Get the Next Seat At The Executive Table?
Every leader from the emerging leader to a legacy leader has three major challenges that they have to overcome in order to grow as a competent leader that inspires others to follow them. The good news is that the solutions to these challenges comes down to a balance of mindset and systems that can be leveraged.
What are the three key challenges?
- Organizational priorities competing against the leader's priorities.
- Focus: The leader's ability to be highly focused on what needs to be done today as well as steering the ship in the right direction in order to prepare for long term sustainability.
- Minimizing distractions to the core mission of the organization and leader.
This is a high level categorization of leadership challenges because which I am sure that you could list off many more.
How do I know this?
Last year, I surveyed my Dojo Members (subscribers) at Samurai Innovation. Our members are an elite crowd. We have a wide variety of highly skilled professionals and business owners who allow us to support them. From this survey, these three challenges were among the top recurring comments and issues reported on the survey.
You ensure you get a consideration for the next seat at the executive table when you learn how to make inroads into these three areas. When you focus on embracing three essential mindsets and two simple systems, the doors will fly open welcoming your opinion and solutions to challenges. Meanwhile, you will be working with new freedom from people and systems that previously tried to hold you back from moving forward in your career.
It's Great That
Everyone Around You is
Fighting to Manage
Huge Levels of Competing Priorities
So many people feel overwhelmed and buried these days by the seemingly increasing amount of output required from teams than even five years ago. Technology was supposed to help, but that doesn't seem to be the general case. Resources are being squeezed from all sides at every budget review done each year.
This is good news for you.
What? Did I just tell you that this is good news for you?
YES.
Yes because while everyone is dealing with managing huge loads of competing priorities, it will be the leaders who take advantage of this opportunity to rise to the top of their careers.
You will win if you can be a leader who...
Is able to be courageous even when you are not in comfortable territory, but will emerge as the go-to person for the project or to lead the department, division, region or the company.
Is able to embrace new mindsets toward how things will get accomplished through greater levels of cooperation among the new generation of employees who are entering the workforce today.
Is keen on being smart and strategic about which projects you involve yourself in so you can rise to the top in a less competitive crowd. How about being offered the next leadership role versus having to compete for it, are you up for that?
Is able to learn new ways to get the right things accomplished without sacrificing the support that you give your teams. People who feel in touch with their leader and supported by them are willing to go the extra mile for you. This is a key differentiation that will get you noticed and talked about at the next succession planning conversation.
Knows that in order to rise to the top, it's a lot easier if you have several options for people that can replace your former role. You get to this point when you help your people operate more independently from you. To do this requires establishing a system to build and develop your future leaders.
Don't worry, I have a blueprint that you can follow to do all of this.
But there is one key question I hope you have been asking yourself thus far...
Who's Helping You Get Promoted?
When was the last time your supervisor, manager or other influential executive talked to you about your career aspirations?
My guess is that they rushed through your last performance review because not many leaders enjoy sitting down for a human resource mandated annual review process. This is not always the best time to get advice and support on how you can rise to the top in your organization or industry.
Ever think that the same thing holds true for the people you lead?
But what if you are the one person who changes this?
What if you are the leader who starts caring more for your people and it starts showing in the results that your teams put on the board?
In order to do this and more, you need to implement your own silent advisory team. This advisory team should consist of people who want to invest their knowledge, skills and experience into your career growth. They are out there and most likely, they would consider helping you if they are approached the right way.
There are really two paths to building a silent advisory team.
First is the organic, free route. Perhaps you might find these people in your organization, online, through an industry association or via your local chamber of commerce. The downside here is getting people who truly care to help you advance your career. You have to have a compelling reason for them to invest into you.
Often times, I augmented the organic approach and joined paid business groups to be able to be connected with the right people for the right project or season of my career.
This is an awesome way to do it, but there are two conditions that you need to accept with this strategy.
- Knowing where to find such exclusive groups.
- The price tag to join these exclusive business groups. I know some colleagues who have paid $30,000 to $50,000 per year in membership dues to use this strategy. Normally, this has a measurable ROI.
I have done this in my career and know the huge benefits of putting together your own silent advisory team. In my experience, it was sometimes awkward to figure out who to approach and how to approach them.
I don't want that confusion for you.
How about we fast track your ability to rise to the top of your career?
I would like to be the first person on your silent advisory board. Here is my proposal to you as to how I am able to help support you in becoming a Leader Who Can't Be Ignored.
Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept it, is Over The Next 10 Weeks to
Integrate the 3 Critical Mindsets and
2 Productivity Systems That
Will Help You get Promoted.
I am excited to introduce you to Leaders Who Can't Be Ignored.
I have spent the past six months creating this leadership development program that will help you solve the major problem of getting noticed and promoted.
Wouldn't being offered the next job promotion be easier than having to compete for it against outsiders who want to come into your organization and be your new boss just because you weren't visible enough?
When you apply the Half Workday Solution™, you will finally take control of your time and life which will free you from overwhelm so you can rise to the top. Along the way, your people and teams will become more impactful and productive because you will be developing Autonomous Managers™ in your business.
Even better yet, will be the new level of work-life harmony that you will achieve. When this increases, you will get home earlier, more often and have more fun with the people in your life who mean the most to you.
Introducing:
Leaders Who Can't Be Ignored
You will gain access to an experience product class that starts on February 7, 2019. I will set the time of the class based on the majority of the students who join to ensure we can meet most the time zones being served during convenient hours.
Your learning will take place over five modules as shown below.
You will also have live access to me to lead, guide and coach you to becoming a Leader Who Can't Be Ignored. Each live session will have ample time for you to get personal one-to-one help from me.
I promise to keep each client group to a group size of less than 12 people so that you get as much private attention from me to assist you personally. Here's what we will be covering together in each module.
Module 1:
Courageously Uncomfortable
There comes a time in every leader's work where a specific situation requires an innovative or never done before solution.
Armed with your new mindset and skills, you will be able to move forward to find, source or create the solution that will help you and your team create momentum that gets noticed by everyone around you.
Module 2:
Winners Mindset
There is one master enemy that is lurking around trying to put the brakes on your next award or promotion that is likely overdue. Your enemy’s sole job is to keep you jumping from one thing to the next “big thing” in the search for success.
You will use our key strategies to stop your enemy cold in his quest to smother your success. You will accomplish more in the next 3 months than you have in the last 3 years because you'll be in the best training environment to help you finally break out of the rut of procrastination and end your feelings of daily overwhelm.
Module 3:
Rise to the Top
Working harder or longer is a race between getting to the top and your pending mental breakdown.
Once you are exposed to the Rise to the Top Manifesto, you will have over 15 principles that will align your team to your heart and mission. Your competitors will be inviting you to lunches and coffee meetings, earnestly tempting you to give them the goods that helped you up into the next level of your successful career.
Module 4:
Half Workday Solution
All great leaders are in the highest demand from their stakeholders.
Once you employ the 50-40-10 strategy and other elements of the Half Workday Solution, you will create the focus, energy and space to get more work done between you and your team.
Distractions and ever seeming changing priorities will be a thing of the past because you will discover how to get and stay on top of things.
Module 5:
Autonomous Manager
When was the last time you wished everyone in the office would vanish so that you could get some real work done?
You will learn how to transform your team to become independent problem solvers who don't require constant hand-holding. Imagine how your transformed team of problem solving collaborators would move your mission forward while exceeding your goals.
How I Will Take Care of You
Many other leadership programs in the market offer you a distance learning model with 5-12, recorded modules by the content expert. You normally get a few workbooks, PDF sheets and maybe some supplemental bonus materials.
You rarely get any private attention from the content expert. If you are lucky, you get on a call once a month with a few hundred other people. What is the likelihood that your questions will be answered? Slim to none is the answer.
These programs range from $297 to $1,497 to be part of a stand-alone, self learning program with no support to help you make the necessary changes to integrate the learning and get a reliable outcome in your life.
You Will Get All of This:
How You Can Join Us
You got to this point because you are someone who cares about the impact that your leadership can make in your personal life and your career. The greatest gift you can give yourself and others is the gift of expanded leadership.
This will happen for you when you join me over the next 10 weeks to radically transform your mindset and leadership capabilities so that you become a Leader Who Can't Be Ignored.
What is the cost?
The only cost you pay is the cost of staying with the status quo as it is now for you.
What is the investment?
There are two investments I am asking you to commit to:
1. Your time and energy to join the program.
2. Your capital investment of $997 (USD) which allows us to bring you the 1-to-1 support that I am committed to giving you.
I am all in for and with you.
Get Notified First
Leaders Who Can't Be Ignored is currently out of session. We are planning to offer this program in the near future. When we do offer it, we will have limited seats for the next Transformation Program Group.
You have a greater chance of getting into the program by adding yourself to the wait list now. You will be added to the First Priority Notification list when we are ready to open the next round of the program.
Decisive Action Bonuses ($1,489 Value) That You Can Receive When You Join
Your Better Than Money-Back Guarantee
You will finish our 10 weeks together with a life directional statement. This is the prelude to making a mission and vision statement. You don't need to spend months and years crafting some elaborate mission and vision statement. You need a directional statement now that changes your focus and puts you on the trajectory of new and stronger leadership results. Your key stakeholders will notice the improvement in your ability to lead when you implement this one single action.
You will craft your own Leadership Manifesto by personalizing 4 of the 12 Leadership Manifesto Elements so you can be on your way to never being ignored as a leader.
If by the end of the program, you have attended 50% of the live group coaching sessions and completed 50% of the assignments and your leadership score has not increased by 20 percent based on the leadership assessment that I give you, then:
I will work with you 1-to-1 by providing you with four, 30-45 minute, private 1-to-1 coaching sessions. I will help you strategize a custom plan to help your leadership effectiveness significantly increase. These four sessions need to be claimed within 90 days of completing the program.
The reality is that if you show up and you invest your energy into adopting the new mindsets, implementing the productivity strategies and helping your teams become more autonomous, incredible change will happen.
You'll gain a new sense of clarity and direction for your work and your life that you may never have had before. Your greater impact as a leader is ultimately inevitable. You'll become a leader who can't be ignored. So you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain when you get started today.
No Person Left Uncoached Guarantee
You will be part of a small team of less than 12 people.
I have been part of programs where 150-200 people per class show up. You ask a question and get discouraged because the class leader can't get to your question.
This demotivates your growth in the program, which ultimately gives you a reason to get discouraged, give up and move onto something else. You don’t get the results that could be yours.
I am going to make sure that everyone, every session can receive my coaching and guidance. This will be part of your bonus exclusivity.
I guarantee that I will answer your question each session, every session. It's my No Person Left Uncoached Guarantee to you.
How Ready Are You To Take Advantage of The Greatest Transfer of Executive Power?
If you are a leader who wants to expand your leadership and take advantage of the next lucrative career move, then you need to become a Leader Who Can't Be Ignored. Too many great leaders out there don't get the recognition and promotion they deserve because they are essentially invisible to the decision makers.
This doesn't have to be the case for you.
Perhaps you are an experienced leader who feels you have learned everything there is under the sun about leading. Maybe, but what are you doing to leave the impact of your legacy? I call you a legacy leader. Too many great experienced leaders out in the world leave smaller legacies than they should.
Being a Legacy Leader Who Can't Be Ignored will help you imprint your leadership for years to come.
Regardless of the style of leader you are, you have the same challenges as every other leader.
Isn't it time you decide to break free from overwhelm and take control of your time, energy and your life?
Then take me up on the incredible offer I have given you. Make sure to review the guarantees that I am committed to. There is a complimentary set of decisive action bonuses waiting for you.
Begin leading in a more effective way at work and in your personal world. There are many people counting on you to show up, lead well and leave your mark of leadership. This happens when you become a Leader Who Can't Be Ignored.
The greatest transfer of leadership power is now underway. The window of opportunity is starting to close as the baby boomers set off into retirement. Once they do, it will be another 20 years before this opportunity comes around again.
Your senior management are making lists right now as to who will succeed them. You still have time to make sure your name is on their list and that you get your chance to claim your next level career move.
Thank you for your attention here to this opportunity to join me in becoming a Leader Who Can't Be Ignored.
Domo Arigato,
Citation Notes:
Note 1: https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/07/29/9-baby-boomer-statistics-that-will-blow-you-away.aspx
https://www.aarp.org/