Many of you reading my blog will know that Dr John Demartini is not only a friend but one of my most influential mentors. John has written several International best selling books, but for me this is not only his best book, it is the most important book I have ever read!
In reading ‘The Values Factor’ you will discover some of the reasons that over 250,000 people to date have been inspired to attend and re-attend Dr Demartini’s profound Breakthrough Experience events and why I have been inspired to assist him at 17 of these events over the last 10 years (including 23rd and 24th of this month in London)
Here are just a few examples of how the understanding of values set out in this book, will empower you:
- Understand that every individual has a unique hierarchy of values. There are 13 key questions provided in the book that will help you to elicit any individual’s highest values.
- Have greater clarity of your own highest values and what truly inspires you.
- Create an even more purposeful and inspiring vision than the one you currently have.
- More clearly identify other people’s highest values and gain greater clarity about what does and does not inspire them.
- Get insights as to how to lead and inspire people to achieve a vision by communicating with them in terms of their highest values.
- Release yourself from any (judgmental) frustrations you may perceive of your own or someone else’s under-achievements, by having a greater understanding of ‘mis-aligned highest values’.
Ultimately ‘the value we give other people as individuals lies in our own highest values’ just as the value a business provides it’s customers and other stakeholders lies in the collective values (culture) of the business. Values is at the heart of understanding human behaviour and being an effective leader.
Before I left my role as a Project Manger for BBC Technology (SBS) 11 years ago to do what I do now, I had been researching the subject of values in my spare time for a number of years. I realised the profound importance of values in life and in leadership, but I was also amazed at how fluffy and inconsistent the information about values was. I attended numerous events to learn about values and was baffled by the incoherency of many of the teachings from some of the most acclaimed teachers.
Try this out for a pointless values exercise… ask a room full of people to raise their hand if they have a high value on ‘integrity’ or ‘honesty’! Inevitably everyone will usually raise their hand telling you absolutely nothing about any of the individuals in that room. The same is true if a business states that it has ‘a high value on honesty’, it is simply a social idealism that tells you little about the ethos and attitude of the people of that business, yet this is typical of the manor in which values are ineffectively taught and communicated.
This was so typical of how ineffective values teaching and application was that I researched further and I discovered that ‘the study of values’ was in fact known as ‘Axiology’ and that the numerous people I had encountered ineffectively teaching values had not even heard about axiology, let alone studied it. This led me to seek out the greatest teacher of axiology, which led me to a gentleman called Dr John Demartini. The first time I heard Dr Demartini speak in 2006, was the first time that I really began to understand what values really are and how to apply this understanding to generate profound personal and professional transformation.
When you read this book Dr Demartini will share with you a very practical perspective of understanding an individual’s true highest values based on what that person actually does in the real world. Rather than looking at aspirational, non-practical values that are typically expressed by people and business leaders such as the examples I previously mentioned ‘integrity’ and ‘honesty’.
Dr Demartini shares 13 questions that can help you to elicit your true and unique hierarchy of values, these include questions I have been using in my vision, purpose and values work for the last 10 years. Questions such as the first one, which is … “What do you do with your time?” In answering this question you should look at your diary and make a note of what you actually did last week, hour by hour. Don’t include anything aspirational, such as what you think you should have done, but what you actually did do.
I am assisting Dr Demartini at his Breakthrough Experience event later this month in central London on 23rd and 24th September.
If you are interested in attending this event or a future one in the USA, UK, or South Africa I can answer any questions if you e mail me at info@certainprogress.com and I can also provide my subscribers with a special deal should you wish to attend.