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Give me a lever long enough and a prop strong enough.
I can single-handedly move the world.
—Archimedes
Hi,
In my last email I told you about the VUCA World we live in—a world of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.
In such turbulent and troubled waters, how can you and I take charge and steer the ship to the distant shore?
As a welcome gift, here is the link to my “12 Winning Strategies for Leading Under Uncertainty.” Download them now. (I recommend you print out the infographic and stick it on the wall or onto your PC monitor.)
Let me tell you the background story of how I came up with these strategies. It’s about why I do what I do, and why I’d like to help you do more with less—to achieve what truly matters with freedom, power and peace of mind.
It was a perfectly clear day in September 2001, an Indian-summer morning when the sky was deep blue. I sat on the Brooklyn Promenade—alone except for a few runners and dog walkers—and read Michel Houellebecq’s “Les Particules Élémentaires” (this is not an endorsement of that book, quite the contrary) when I looked up at 8:46 a.m. and saw something I’d never seen before: A plane hit the World Trade Center.
Smoke and millions of tiny metallic glitters were in the air; a light wind swept them toward me. The glitters turned out to be countless papers, documents flying across the East River. One of them was a page from a civil law book, blackened on all four sides (I still have that page as a reminder of that day). Another was a FedEx envelope with a contract that someone had presumably just signed a few minutes earlier.
About a half-hour later another plane flew in from Staten Island, right over the Statue of Liberty. It flew low and accelerated head-on toward those of us now gathered at the Promenade. It banked like a fighter plane, its dark underbelly visible—a terrifying sight that you usually see only in war zones or in movies. Suddenly the plane ducked behind a skyscraper, and a moment later disappeared into the South Tower. By this time there were about a dozen people watching, speech-less and transfixed. I called as many people as I could on my mobile phone, but got through only to my parents’ answering machine in Sydney before my phone went dead. Then I saw one tower collapse, then the other. My knees gave in; I staggered to a bench, sat down, and wept. It was hard to breathe.
The Portuguese-American neuroscientist Antonio Damasio has suggested the concept of “somatic markers” where emotions determine behaviors and decisions. 9/11 was such a moment for me: I call it a defining moment that alters how we see things and makes us who we are. It changed my world, and my life, for good. I started to worry about what kind of legacy I would leave. One answer: empower millions of leaders everywhere and arm them with strategies, tools and technologies for success.
Why do I share this story? The answer is simple: I want you to know me. And I want you to know that you can leverage my experience and assets.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Thomas
“I wish I’d had Zweifel’s tools 35 years ago when I was starting out.”
—Werner Brandmayr, President, ConocoPhillips Europe
PS: You may want to print out the 12 Winning Strategies and keep them close at hand as you tackle any challenge you face.
For additional details or if you’d like to schedule a complimentary session on how you can lead more effectively in uncertainty, and live a more balanced, fulfilled and happier life, please email us at coach@maximizeu.life. Thanks
