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Create New Futures | How Leaders Produce Breakthroughs and Transform the World through Conversation

Welcome to Create New Futures. Every episode, best-selling author and host Aviv Shahar will explore ideas and insights that can awaken and inspire you to the opportunities you have to create new futures for you, your family, your teams, and for your business. Life is too short to not be engaged in fascinating conversations that open, inspire and unleash new ways of thinking and seeing possibilities and beauty. Through Create New Futures, Aviv will engage in conversation with leaders and experts to explore practices that you can use to create and shape the future. With his guests, Aviv will put a magnifying glass on strategies and frameworks that he has applied to help senior executives and their teams achieve significant breakthroughs that lead to game changing results. Ideas, strategies, breakthroughs and practices that you can apply. With his innovative ideas and frameworks, Aviv walks you through what you need to lead and transform an organization, and redesign your life to achieve new goals. Together with his guests, Aviv will explore how to develop strategy, how to lead to enable teams to unleash their brilliance and what is the inside work leaders must engage in to develop executive presence and charisma. More than ever, humanity now needs people who are open and prepared to imagine, create, and sustain new futures. This is a time of great transformative and disruptive change. It demands our best imagination, courage, and creativity. Through this podcast, Aviv will inspire you to be tomorrow's agent by creating conversations that birth new possibilities for you and for the people in your life. Through his concept of Architecture Thinking™, Aviv walks you through what is needed to lead change, transform an organization, redesign your life to achieve new goals, serve new needs and realize new possibilities. Leaders need to consider how to bring about and enable a compound set of outcomes by concurrently integrating multiple inputs.
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 12, 2018

Mark Levy is the founder of Levy Innovation, a position and strategy firm that helps organizations and thought leaders differentiate by using a “big sexy idea.” Mark’s field of expertise is in that of positioning, meaning he works to position individuals, brands and organizations in places where they can make their greatest impact. Mark also has extensive consulting experience, having consulted with CEOs of major brands, The History Channel, and Netflix. Beside his positioning work, Mark is a co-creator of the hit New York City show Chamber Magic, which has run for eighteen years with over 5,000 performances to half a million people.

In this episode, Aviv and Mark discuss the process of differentiation, from understanding conventional ideas to discovering the big idea that leads your work. Mark gives his definition of what constitutes a “big, sexy idea,” and describes his “27th Idea” strategy, which challenges organizations to cycle through a multitude of ideas before arriving at a solution. Aviv and Mark also highlight the importance of authenticity and congruency as it relates to shaping success. Finally, Mark discusses the importance of divergent thinking and breaking away from societal norms and standard routines in order to reach business epiphanies. 

  • 01:12 – Introducing today’s guest, Mark Levy
  • 04:13 – Mark shares one thing he is thankful for this year
  • 05:38 – Aviv defines what it means to find your 4.0 self
  • 08:20 – Mark discusses his concept of “The 27th Idea”
  • 09:45 – Mark explains what he means when he references a big sexy idea
  • 11:26 – What is the big sexy idea of Mark’s book, Accidental Genius
  • 13:27 – Mark provides an example of a big sexy idea that differentiates against conventional norms
  • 16:54 – Mark talks about the concept of “internal editors”
  • 20:30 – Mark’s strategy for getting past the obvious
  • 22:25 – The significance of a company’s backstory
  • 24:36 – Mark discusses the “open kitchen concept” of business
  • 26:20 – What Mark enjoys most about his work
  • 28:29 – Mark’s core beliefs that guide and inspire him
  • 31:23 – Mark describes his earliest formative memory
  • 36:02 – The concept of “all-positioning”
  • 37:25 – How Mark’s experience selling books helped shape his success
  • 41:23 – Mark’s consulting role on “Netflix’s Mystery Science Theater 3000”
  • 42:03 – Mark discusses collaborating on the hit New York City show “Chamber Magic”
  • 45:48 – The importance of divergent thinking
  • 49:35 – Parting words of wisdom from Mark
  • 52:14 – Aviv provides steps to create your new future

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf51

Dec 1, 2018

In this episode, Aviv discusses the means by which mastery can be achieved.The journey into mastery consists of three legs: awareness of a need, development practice and elevation mastery. In order to break down this journey, Aviv encourages the you to follow along as he draws a diagram image to serve as a journey visual. Aviv shows how each leg of the journey is meticulously interconnected and can have a great impact on your critical readiness. That critical readiness is the point where elevation to mastery occurs. Aviv demonstrates that mastery is not limited to business, entertainment or sport. Mastery can encompass the full range of endeavors, including teaching, coaching, leading, gardening, cooking, listening, caring and loving. Finally, Aviv urges listeners to focus on the need that drives you to embark on the development practice and patiently work toward readiness.

  • 01:02 – Introducing today’s topic, ‘How to Reach Mastery’
  • 01:27 – Aviv gives an example of a senior executive charged with establishing a completely new organization
  • 02:19 – The importance of resourceful and rapid application when creating a sustained impact
  • 03:53 – What’s holding us back from reaching our fullest potential?
  • 04:48 – Defining sapient sapience
  • 05:53 – Facing the Einstein puzzle
  • 07:21 – The three-legged journey into mastery
  • 08:04 – Aviv details a diagram of what this journey into mastery looks like
  • 10:17 – The first leg of the journey: Awareness of a Need
  • 12:32 – The second leg of the journey: Development Practice
  • 14:13 – Aviv uses the example of the Israelites wandering in the desert to show the purpose of resistance in catalyzing necessary change
  • 16:33 – The third leg of the journey: Elevation Mastery
  • 17:37 – Aviv recalls a story about Al Pacino to convey that elevation to mastery occurs only when one is ready
  • 20:50 – Mastery can be achieved in many different ways
  • 22:31 – Now it’s your turn, focus on the need that drives you

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf50

 

Nov 14, 2018

Monique Nolk is the Vice President and Worldwide Head of Alliances at Hewlett Packard. She has extensive experience in shaping and negotiating complex deals, leading change and transformation initiatives, and connecting and influencing multiple functions and levels of an organization. In her previous role, she was the Vice President of Operations and merger and acquisition integrations at HP, where she led the integration of the $3B Aruba network acquisition.

In this episode, Monique reflects on her current role and breaks down the components of successful alliance and negotiation tactics, where working towards building mutually beneficial outcomes is of the utmost importance. Aviv and Monique discuss the nuances that must be balanced in order to achieve win-win scenarios for both parties involved. Monique shares the insights she has gained over the course of her career to a provide a detailed roadmap on how to arrive at these win-win scenarios. Her strategies include understanding the needs and objectives of those involved in the scenario, simplifying the complex, making the process personable and helping others to navigate through the scenario. Monique is a proponent of fact-based management, as it eliminates emotions that may potentially cloud judgement. Aviv and Monique also define leadership styles and philosophies that they believe are key to success. Finally, Monique offers the importance of treating people with compassion, regardless of culture, age or background.

  • 01:04 – Introducing today’s guest, Monique Nolk
  • 02:48 – Monique discusses what she enjoys most about her work
  • 04:12 – Defining successful relationships
  • 05:31 – How Monique creates win-win scenarios
  • 08:02 – Monique describes working in a male-dominated field
  • 10:58 – How Monique cultivated her keen observation and assessment skills
  • 13:03 – The importance of facilitating others to articulate solutions rather than dictating solutions to them
  • 14:31 – Monique’s early career aspirations
  • 15:37 – Monique’s educational background
  • 16:47 – Spending time abroad in China
  • 18:08 – How Monique’s time in China shaped her world view and perspective
  • 20:17 – Monique recalls how she found her sweet spot
  • 21:54 – Cultivating a sense of humor, wit and a touch of sarcasm
  • 23:15 – How Monique’s career evolved after relocating to Houston
  • 25:30 – Monique shares how she embraces challenges and adversity and turns them into growth experiences
  • 28:56 – Monique’s leadership style and philosophy
  • 31:50 – Aviv and Monique discuss the polarizing impact of social media on society
  • 35:54 – Monique speaks on her passion for travel
  • 39:00 – The importance of compassion and humor
  • 39:46 – Parting words of wisdom from Monique
  • 40:59 – Aviv provides steps to create your new future

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf49

Oct 29, 2018

In this episode, Aviv identifies three leadership imperatives and explains them in the context of an economic cycle. These leadership imperatives include strategic innovation, operational excellence, and people development. Aviv shares his observation that strategic innovation is the natural focus when big opportunities and new technologies are introduced at the beginning of an economic cycle. Conversely, in the late phases of the cycle, the focus shifts to efficient execution and operational excellence. Finally, developing people and empowering them to take great ideas and execute them is also a vital throughout the economic cycle. In summary, Aviv provides listeners with a few competencies within each of the three leadership imperatives with the hopes that evaluating proficiency in each one will lead to personal and professional development and catalyzed growth.

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf48

Oct 15, 2018

Glenn Mattson is the CEO of Mattson Enterprise Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales and management productivity and effectiveness. He leads a team of consultants who provide solutions to agency leaders and sales people facing the challenges of achieving extraordinary success in highly competitive and overcrowded markets. He is also a successful keynote speaker, a gifted and respected platform trainer and author. His true passion, however, is coaching which allows him to help his clients understand where they are going and how best to get there.

In this episode, Aviv and Glenn discuss the myriad of ways to achieve, measure and sustain success. They talk about the importance of embracing challenges, setbacks and failures, as they are part of life and contain tremendous lessons for personal growth. Glenn identifies three interconnected factors that influence success: attitude, behavior, and technique. Attitude drives behavior and allows techniques to be utilized. Glenn details the processes he uses to help clients absolve and rescript their negative beliefs to catalyze meaningful change. Aviv and Glenn also broach the affinity addiction and workplace issues that can arise from the need and desire to be liked. They urge listeners to combat this by building self-esteem and working hard to gain respect through leadership, contributions, and values. Finally, Glenn shares his philosophies on growth motivation and the tactics that can lead to positive change in organizations.

  • 01:13 – Introducing Glenn Mattson
  • 02:01 – Services that Mattson Enterprise provides
  • 02:42 – Glenn discusses his passion for coaching
  • 03:49 – Three pillars of success: attitude, behavior, and technique
  • 06:12 – The affinity addiction
  • 11:01 – The distinction between a plan and an execution
  • 11:49 – Glenn’s ‘No Guts, No Gain’ program for success
  • 14:34 – Growth motivation
  • 16:08 – A setback that Glenn successfully turned into a learning experience
  • 18:04 – How Glenn motivates his clients to break out of their unsuccessful behaviors
  • 20:33 – Why Glenn looks at a company’s objectives, strategy, structure, staff, and skills
  • 22:38 – What Glenn means by ‘fixing the pain’
  • 24:22 – The advice Glenn gives to those who have their backs against the wall
  • 26:17 – The importance of failure
  • 26:50 – Glenn’s philosophy of ‘Pay Time’ versus ‘No Pay Time’
  • 27:25 – Preserving high self-esteem
  • 28:28 – Parting words of wisdom from Glenn
  • 30:55 – Aviv provides steps to create your new future

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf47

Oct 1, 2018

What problem are you trying to solve? In this episode, we hear a segment harvested from the audible of Aviv’s book, Create New Futures. Aviv uses an anecdotal example of a project manager, Tim, who is worried that his team is not motivated to embrace the company’s expanded mission. Aviv explores with Tim the possibility that he is misdiagnosing his team’s response and, if that is the case, he will have a difficult time implementing an effective intervention. Aviv frames the risks of developing a displaced analysis and the dangers that lie within this conundrum. He observes that intellectual laziness and lack of curiosity are more often the root causes of displaced analysis. Finally, Aviv discusses diagnostic thinking and poses four questions to Tim in order to help him define and implement a solution to his problem.

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf46

Sep 17, 2018

David Harding is an executive with over 25 years of technology leadership experience. David is the Senior Vice President and CTO of ImageWare Systems, Inc. Of his many accolades, David is credited with transforming this traditional software company into a leading cloud and software as a service provider, with services and products that are licensed and resold by some of the world’s largest corporations. He is an expert in the field of biometrics, identity management and enterprise security. In addition to his business acumen, David is also a prolific inventor, holding multiple patents with even more pending, and an avid musician.

In this episode, Aviv and David cover a variety of technology and business topics, ranging from blockchain to data breaches. David discusses his current role and breaks down the distinction between biometrics and identity management. He cautions about the ever-growing need for cyber security in our society and discusses the outdated nature of passwords. David also touches on government and private sector misuse of cyber security, even going so far as to describe the Equifax data breach as one of the most catastrophic in history. Aviv asks David about how he got his start in the software industry and what advice he would give his younger self. Finally, Aviv and David discuss the importance of passion, empathy, and learning to adapt in the workplace.

  • 01:07 – Introducing David Harding
  • 02:24 – David’s latest projects
  • 03:31 – What excites David about working in cyber security
  • 05:33 – Understanding the distinction between biometrics and identity management
  • 07:35 – Cyber security and the ever-evolving need to adapt to cyber threats
  • 09:28 – David discusses public and private sectors that use identity management
  • 13:30 – David explains blockchain technology
  • 16:42 – Why it is difficult for companies to transition into “software as a service” model
  • 19:05 – The practical application of transactional scalability
  • 20:26 – How music provided a source of inspiration for David
  • 22:17 – How the skills David learned while playing in a band transferred to business success
  • 25:48 – The importance of mutual trust and respect to business team success
  • 26:34 – When did David know that he wanted to work in software?
  • 29:28 – Why artificial intelligence (AI) overpromised and under delivered
  • 32:54 – Are we on the precipice of delivering on technologies such as artificial intelligence?
  • 34:53 – David’s innovation process looks to identify pain points to reach solutions
  • 37:22 – David describes a seminal experience that shaped his career
  • 42:35 – What the future holds for biometric technology
  • 46:07 – The rapidly growing fields of behavioral analytics and machine learning
  • 46:48 – David’s advice to his younger self
  • 49:15 – Parting words of wisdom from David
  • 51:00 – Aviv provides steps to create your new future

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf45

Aug 31, 2018

The Law of Becoming states that you become the object of your focus. In this episode, Aviv focuses on the importance of Law of Becoming and its impact on leadership. He uses historical examples and anecdotes to stress the benefits of standing for an ideal rather than against one. Aviv also reflects on defining the focus of one’s development and the four laws that govern and impact the results. He warns against the risks of displaced self-definitions, hollow victories and repeated behavioral patterns. By choosing to invest energy towards positive ideals, causes and goals, you can continue to evolve, creating new possibilities and enabling innovative opportunities. 

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf44

Aug 15, 2018

Colin Morgan is the founder and host of The Daily Grind Podcast. On his show, Colin interviews some of the world’s most successful business owners and entrepreneurs in order to inspire listeners to be the next great entrepreneurs. He explores with entrepreneurs their background, how they began their business, what obstacles and hardships they had to face, and what inspired them to do so.  

In this episode, Aviv’s interview with Colin Morgan is featured. Colin asks Aviv about what brought and inspired him to do the work that he does. Aviv reflects on the important decisions he made earlier in his life that have brought him to where he is today. He also speaks of his experience in the Israeli Air Force and its impact on his journey, what differentiates great leaders and the importance of personal growth and self-discovery. Colin and Aviv also discuss the topics featured in Aviv’s new book, Create New Futures: How Leaders Produce Breakthroughs and Transform the World Through Conversation.

  • 01:47 - Aviv gives a brief introduction of himself
  • 03:13 - What was the drive that led Aviv to start Aviv Consulting
  • 05:28 - Why learning quickly became first nature for Aviv
  • 07:36 - What was the core driver for Create New Futures, Aviv’s new book
  • 09:35 - What is your highest leverage as a leader
  • 11:22 - Aviv offers some tips and techniques to help you find and create your future
  • 17:33 - What would Aviv tell his younger self if given the chance to go back in time
  • 18:38 - What motivates Aviv to get out of bed everyday
  • 20:30 - Something Aviv does every day that contributes to his success
  • 22:28 - The difference between a high performing individual and an average performing individual  
  • 23:57 - Thought of the day

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf43

Aug 1, 2018

In this episode, Aviv discusses the seven principles for creating breakthrough in business and in life. He explains how leaders can experience meaningful transformations through the process of orchestrated serendipity and why it’s important to understand the motivation that propels us to do certain things. Aviv also describes what he does in his workshops to help leadership teams generate new ideas and create breakthroughs by stimulating fresh perspectives. By disrupting habitual patterns, carving a new conversation space, activating curiosity and new synaptic connections, alternating the foreground and the background, initiating zero-gravity explorations, and elevating the energy field and presence of the group, you can unleash profound breakthroughs, and discover a sense of shared purpose and inspired commitment.

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf42

Jul 16, 2018

Shelley Stewart is the Vice President of Sourcing and Logistics and the Chief Procurement Officer at the DuPont Company, delivering a portfolio of products and solutions in more than 90 countries. Before joining DuPont, Shelley was Senior Vice President of Operational Excellence and Chief Procurement Officer at Tyco International.

In this episode, Shelley speaks about the inspirations and role models that shaped his journey and his leadership insights. He frames the importance of learning outside of his comfort zone and how his network of peers, colleagues, and friends opened critical opportunities for him. Shelley offers that you should never let your aspirations control you. Instead, it is for you to manage your aspirations, while focusing on servant leadership, and on becoming the best you can be in whatever you do.

  • 02:23 - Aviv’s first meeting with Shelley
  • 03:32 - What is Shelley working on now
  • 05:12 - How did Shelley approach the challenge of the Dow-DuPont merger
  • 07:04 - Some of the big lessons Shelley has implemented to work effectively through conflict
  • 10:00 – Why reframing the conversation is so important
  • 13:35 - What inspired Shelley when he was growing up and his childhood neighborhood as a village
  • 16:01 - Shelley’s journey to getting his first job
  • 19:48 - Biggest lessons Shelley learned through his 19-year career working for United Technologies
  • 21:13 - Working with the Israeli air force
  • 22:43 - Learning outside of his comfort zone
  • 23:53 - Transitioning from United Technologies to Tyco
  • 26:41 - Working with a vast network of people leads to opportunities
  • 28:29 - Giving back to the community
  • 29:23 - What shaped Shelley’s leadership philosophy and the shift from doing to leading
  • 35:15 - Looking for intellectual curiosity in others
  • 37:58 - Shelley’s father mentored people and how that influence Shelley
  • 39:41 - Coaching advice Shelley gives to people early in their career
  • 41:58 - What provides Shelley with the greatest sense of pride
  • 43:08 - Parting wisdom Shelley would like to share

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf41

Jun 29, 2018

In this episode, Aviv Shahar discusses the distinction between the toddler learning experience and the anatomy of adult learning as well as explains the cause of breakdowns in the adult learning cycle that produce devastating loss of ROI. He also explains how you and your team can prevent the failures of collective stupidity and how collective stupidity can be detrimental to opportunities and the growth of individuals and teams. Aviv advises you to teach and coach your teams how to recognize the three points of learning failure, in order to maximize and realize their transformative potential.

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf40

Jun 14, 2018

David Gommé is the founder of Future Dynamics. For more than three decades David has been helping CEOs and executives get centered, develop clarity of progress, and operate at significantly higher levels and in better and more enlightened ways. David is a big picture thinker, an intuitive coach who brings game-changing insights to the human condition and to how leaders can unleash latent capabilities and translate ideas to produce sustained results.

He also produces a free insight periodical, The Fulcrum, to help emerging leaders focus on important objectives in understanding self-awareness, change, and leadership.  

David has helped coach and consult senior executives, leadership teams, and entrepreneurs understand the dynamics of change as well as their own potential in order to create new futures for their business.

  • 03:23 - The evolution of David’s work from Capable Dynamics to Future Dynamics
  • 09:24 - David wanted to utilize his skills in a new way to help leaders understand the essence of change and its impact on organizational systems
  • 11:44 - A reflection of a recent experience on the cycle of change
  • 12:49 - Stress produces adverse effects on the human body which prevent productivity
  • 15:44 - The Ten Actors Methodology and the fundamentals that shaped this approach
  • 18:33 - The hammer and the nail analogy for habitual responses
  • 22:08 - In each person, there is the lesser person and the greater person when reacting to stress
  • 26:42 - The developmental potential for human beings to unleash a wider range of skills
  • 28:17 - How David frames and shapes the journey of personal development for executives
  • 32:15 - White noise and distraction in the 21st century
  • 34:35 - CEOs reach out to David for help due to personal needs or help going through the journey
  • 36:15 - The level of intimacy in coaching CEOs initially shocked David
  • 39:50 - David’s explanation of his terminology: “developmental divergence”  
  • 46:31 - Having a different conversation can lead to a very different outcome
  • 47:18 - Feedback as one of the triads of organizational issues
  • 49:49 - David explains “The Missing Blue,” as mentioned in his newsletter, The Fulcrum
  • 58:44 - How humans were meant to think—to think with feeling
  • 1:00:49 - The Taj Mahal principle and the Law of Three Octaves
  • 1:08:21 - David’s advice for listeners to set themselves free and become creative in new ways

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf39

May 30, 2018

In this episode, I identify six attributes which make up the framework I use to best answer the question, “What are the measures of a life well-lived”.

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf38

May 14, 2018

Carl Gould is a business growth expert who advises organizations on how they can unleash their growth. By the time he was 40, he had already built three multi-million-dollar businesses and after attending a personal development seminar in 1990, he fell in love with the idea of helping others set and achieve goals and work/life balance. He knew right then and there that coaching and mentoring others was going to be part of his life going forward.

Carl has written seven books on business, strategy, leadership, and growth, including, The Seven Stages of Small-Business Success, which I discuss with him in detail in our conversation.

Together with a team of mentors and coaches, Carl has helped many entrepreneurs dramatically grow their businesses. 

  • 01:58 - What he’s working on that energizes and excites him
  • 02:58 - The biggest challenges he sees for business leaders today
  • 05:54 - When he knew that helping and coaching entrepreneurs grow their business would be the focus of his work
  • 06:42 - Why the experience of self-development captivated him so much
  • 08:30 - How he turned his excitement for coaching into his work of helping businesses grow
  • 11:03 - Carl explains why a business never gets off the ground and stays arrested in the Strategic Planning stage (stage 1 of his book)
  • 13:09 - Carl explains stage 2 of his book, the Specialty stage (when a job is born)
  • 15:46 - Carl explains why he calls stage 3 the Synergy stage, and what the leadership requirements are as businesses evolve to this stage
  • 19:03 - Why so many businesses fail to transition to stage 4, the Systems stage, and what must occur from stage 3 to stage 4 to build systems that enable the business
  • 21:32 - The distinctions between stage 5 and 6, the Sustainability and Sellability stage and the transitions and significance of evolving to these stages
  • 25:09 - What entrepreneurs must learn to be prepared for Stage 7, the Succession stage
  • 29:07 - How he helps leaders facilitate the alchemy that helps them realize their full potential
  • 32:30 – How did Tony Robbins and Ichak Adizes influenced Carl
  • 34:00 - Where he thinks he’ll be in 10 years
  • 35:01 - Carl shares his parting wisdom 

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf37

May 1, 2018

In this episode, I provide five ideas to help you reboot, energize and propel yourself to new growth.

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf36

Apr 16, 2018

Damion Lupo is an American Sensei and the founder of Yokido Martial Arts, a fusion of the practices of Yoga and Aikido.  He is also the author of Reinvented Life and leads three global companies with one unified mission: to free a million people from financial bondage.

By bringing the principles of Yokido, which means Lethal Kindness, and the presence and generosity of the martial arts to entrepreneurship, finance and business, Damion is helping countless people find their personal freedom and confidence so money doesn’t continue to control their lives. 

In this episode, you will learn how Damion got involved in the martial arts, how he teaches people to be present and grounded, how financial freedom is different from financial security as well as so much more. 

  • 01:37 - What Damion is currently working on
  • 01:57 - Why his mission of freeing a million people from financial bondage is so important to him
  • 02:43 - The most energizing part of his mission and work
  • 04:10 - What the quote he has on his email signature line means to him
  • 05:21 - His journey into his epiphany about self-responsibility
  • 08:47 - How he got involved in the martial arts
  • 10:11 - Damion explains becoming the martial arts
  • 11:01 - Yokido and the process that gave birth to it
  • 12:58 - The three guiding principles of martial arts
  • 15:33 - Power vs Force inside and outside the arena of the martial arts
  • 19:20 - The importance of developing somatic awareness and its role in the journey to personal mastery
  • 20:27 - How he teaches people to be present and grounded
  • 22:09 - How he went from a Yokido martial artist to coaching clients about personal and financial freedom
  • 26:15 - What he’s learned about fear, overcoming fear, and finding confidence
  • 28:42 - How he teaches and helps people face fear and find confidence
  • 33:14 - Damion gives an example of his process of releasing someone from their fear to finding their inner confidence
  • 35:45 - How he defines financial freedom and how’s it’s different from financial security
  • 40:38 - The golden rule and the silver rule
  • 42:52 - Saying “no” more than saying “yes”
  • 44:13 - What a sense of purpose means to him and how it guides him in his work and the way he designs his life
  • 46:43 - How asking yourself how you can be of service to more people can force you to disrupt yourself and your business
  • 48:50 - What he’s currently working on to better himself
  • 50:16 - Where he thinks he’ll be 10 years from now
  • 51:01 - The advice he would give himself if he was 25 again searching to find his professional path
  • 52:06 - Final thoughts from Damion

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf35

Apr 2, 2018

In this episode, I focus on the three jobs that leaders and their team members must take up in order for a business to realize their opportunities, create a transformative future, and achieve an ambitious business strategy.

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf34

Mar 15, 2018

This is a replay from the Build Your Network podcast where I was interviewed by Travis Chappell.  In our conversation, I discuss the two core premises of my book, Create New Futures, the keys to building my network, what high achieving executives struggle with the most, and Travis asks me a series of rapid, random questions I had fun answering.

  • 01:40 - What I’m most excited about
  • 03:32 - My book, Create New Futures and its two core premises
  • 05:54 - How I find my clients
  • 06:37 - The key to building my network
  • 09:07 - What high achieving executives in top, large companies struggle with the most
  • 12:14 - Whether I believe if who you know or what you know is more important and why
  • 16:16 - I share two examples where I made connections with people and they became champions for me in my life and helped me to succeed
  • 21:52 - How mentorships and mastermind settings have been important to me
  • 23:18 - What I would tell someone who has never had a mentor or been involved in a mastermind
  • 26:27 - Using one of your best assets: attention and focus
  • 29:52 - The three professions I think would be fun to attempt
  • 30:19 - Who I would sit with on a park bench (past or present) and speak with for an hour
  • 31:12 - My favorite medium for consuming content
  • 31:42 - What my typical morning routine looks like
  • 32:19 - My go-to pump-up song
  • 32:33 - What I’m not very good at

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf33

Feb 28, 2018

In this episode, I talk about and explain the five dimensions of integrity in response to a question put forward by a female manager concerned about maintaining her integrity in the face of others perceptions of her leadership style. 

As you will learn, there are five dimensions of integrity from which you can choose to respond in any given situation.  These five dimensions represent increasingly higher levels of integrity and versatility.  Understanding these five dimensions will allow you to personalize your communication and responses situationally. 

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf32

Feb 15, 2018

This is a replay from Hack the Entrepreneur podcast where I was interviewed by Jon Nastor.  In this conversation, Jon asks me about my clients and how I am able to attain 99% of them through referrals. I explain the three important decisions I made early on in life that led me to work and help the people I do today, saying “yes” to opportunities before having it all figured out, and I touch upon the process I went through to write my book, Create New Futures.

  • 02:21 - The one thing I do with my clients and the practice I engage in that has  been the biggest contributor to both their success and mine
  • 07:21 - What I do to stay in touch with my previous clients
  • 08:54 - How I am able to attain 99% of my clients from referrals
  • 11:27 - The three important decisions I made early on in my life that led me to work with the clients and businesses I do today
  • 17:55 - Saying “yes” to a job even without having all the answers and the “mental-bungee jump”
  • 19:46 - The process I went through in writing my book, Create New Futures
  • 22:25 - The three different audiences I wrote my book for
  • 25:48 - A toddler’s way of learning compared to adult learning
  • 27:13 - My 90/10 rule for adult learning
  • 28:20 - The four stages of adult learning
  • 32:45 - How I measure a life well lived

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf31

Jan 31, 2018

What is the future of leadership? How must leaders embrace change? How will our leadership role models evolve or remain the same in coming decades?

As the global landscape shapeshifts, society experiences rapid changes with the confluence of technological breakthroughs, economic and cultural tremors, and tectonic geopolitical transitions. If we are to leverage the opportunities that such volatility presents, our concept of leadership and our notions of how leaders operate must be tested and updated accordingly.

In a recent Create New Futures webinar I was asked what I admire about women who are in leadership positions. In addition to sharing my response in this article, my intention is to encourage you to build your own coaching and communication versatility by using that conversation to demonstrate how I apply framing and reframing skills to provide context for my responses. This is why the article’s format is different from my usual approach. Rather than report my comprehensive reply, I offer relevant value by sharing the thought process that led me to my response.

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf30

Jan 16, 2018

Greg Shoemaker is the Global Head of Supply Chain Central and Direct Procurement Services at HP. He is responsible for $23M in annual spend. In this engaging interview, I speak with Greg about the responsibilities of his position and key lessons he has learned. We get insight into his decision making skills, and understand how he's been able to cope with crisis events.

In this conversation you will learn how Greg got his start and what he's doing to keep HP successful.

  • 00:03 What does Greg enjoy the most in his role as Procurement Manager
  • 03:35 What were the early focus areas that put his team on the path to success?
  • 05:00 Greg shares key lessons learned while operating in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environment
  • 06:40 Greg comments on importance of understanding your markets well
  • 08:15 Insight into where a decision allowed Greg to take a important position in the market.
  • 10:00 What is Greg's philosophy  when it comes to sustaining relationships?
  • 13:20 Examples of crisis which tested Greg and his organization, and how he responded.
  • 18:15 What enables Greg to adapt and stay agile?
  • 19:45 A memorable negotiation story
  • 22:00 What else goes into the right kind of risk-taking in business?
  • 25:00 What's Greg's scariest personal adventure?
  • 27:00 How of this was a planned journey vs. a surprise?
  • 28:30 What advice would he give his 25-year old self?
  • 30:10 What are the 2 most important elements Greg derived from working with Aviv?
  • 32:00 Advice from a mentor which Greg has carried throughout life
  • 34:30 Where will Greg be in 10 years?

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf29

Jan 3, 2018

How are you debriefing the last 12 months? What learning insights will you take forward to apply and build on in the new year?

Reflecting on the past twelve months, I am grateful for an extraordinarily special year filled with challenges and opportunities. This was our best and busiest year ever, with exciting work that afforded us a myriad of learning and development opportunities. Working with clients who trust and believe in me is a special privilege. I learn and grow through my interactions with them, and I cherish their successes, development and growth. Here are eight learning insights that I plan to apply throughout the coming year: 

  1. Champion the leverage of leaders. Since I published Create New Futures in 2016, teams I worked with around the world quickly embraced the book's game-changing idea: because the currency of leadership is conversation, a leader's highest leverage is shaping the conversation. Constantly ask yourself these questions: "What conversation are we in? Is this the most critical conversation for us, or is there a better more important conversation we need to develop?"
  2. Catalyze a new future now. To help senior teams create new organizational and business futures, I teach them to pivot from displaced and disempowering discussions to creating effective conversations that resolve in purposeful agreements and actions. Although simple, this practice requires a profound behavioral shift. The transformative future state always begins right here, right now, in the way we connect the dots and in the conversations we create to enable the envisioned outcomes.
  3. Produce three streams of value. To maximize your contributions and their significance for your clients, constantly strive to create an impact at three levels: ecosystem, team, and individual. This focus will empower you to deliver exponential breakthroughs because it enables you to address the related three layers of value: 1) improved business outcomes, 2) enhanced organizational and team effectiveness, and 3) happier, more successful, and healthier employees.
  4. Discover the third alternative. Refuse to accept the first or second obvious response to challenges. During my daily run on the soft sand at the beach this morning, I developed a pain in the upper part of my right foot. After feeling the pain, I identified my response options. First, I could stop running, which would eliminate the stress on my foot. Second, I could accelerate my pace and push harder to run through the pain. Instead, I defined and chose a third alternative. I continued my gentle running without any visible change while focusing on the pain. I shifted my attention to my right foot. Becoming 100% attuned and present to the discomfort, I breathed into the pain. With a sense of curiosity, I sought to decipher the message my foot was sending me. In less than a minute the pain was gone, and I was able to complete my run. 

Occasionally you may experience interactions with people in much the same way that I suffered the pain in my foot. The key is to remember that you get to choose how you respond. For example, if the other person is frustrated and harsh, you can choose to disconnect and abort the conversation (option 1) or become harder and stronger yourself to push back (option 2). Depending on the circumstances, both alternatives can be legitimate approaches. Often though, a third option is likely to be more impactful: become fully present and attuned to the behavior. Don't resist or fight the other person. Instead, become curious about the "painful" behavior. If you breathe into the difficulty, you will discover you've released the struggle. Practice concentrating fully on the purpose of the interaction and on the concerns that need to be addressed to forward that purpose.
  5. Cultivate organizational resilience. As the environment continues to shift rapidly and uncertain, volatile changes unfold, organizations must develop and sustain a high level of resilience. Fostering high-trust networks and building flexible redundancies into the value chain enables them to avoid single critical failure points. Teams I worked with this year have focused on developing robust agility by cultivating personal and organizational resilience. They are developing the mission-critical muscles needed to thrive in a VUCA world by practicing discipline, maximizing their learn-ability, challenging assumptions, and accelerating the prototyping of solutions to address their customers' needs.
  6. Renew your energy. Embrace situations and people that energize you and elicit the best in you. Surrender to the process of personal renewal. Release habits and arrangements that hold you back. Life is too short to allow yourself to be consumed by people who suck the energy out of you, tire you out, engender frustration and fatigue, and dull the brightness of what you can do and who you are capable of becoming. Instead, surround yourself with high-energy people who are filled with optimism, can-do power, and confidence, people who renew you and help you see and seize opportunities.
  7. Trust your intuition and be confident. Obstacles, setbacks and challenges often are blessings in disguise. They can lead the way from a good option to a superior one. To see greater opportunities, you must disassociate yourself from and release outdated attachments. Let go of internalized narratives that no longer serve you well and/or that stunt your growth. You make these shifts by gathering your confidence and conviction, listening to what's arising in you, and trusting and acting upon your intuitive and creative process.
  8. Orchestrate serendipity. Enabling new futures to emerge now requires that you inspire and enable breakthrough experiences that lead people to surprise themselves with their own capability and capacity to be transformational. You must orchestrate and facilitate serendipity by elevating the team's presence, initiating zero-gravity explorations and guiding convergent and purposeful movement that unleashes hidden opportunities.

Now it's your turn. Turn the key. Champion the leverage of leaders. Produce three streams of value. Discover the third alternative. Cultivate organizational resilience. Renew your energy. Trust your intuition and be confident. Orchestrate serendipity that enables new futures to emerge now.

FULL SHOW NOTES: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf28

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