Authors: Bob Burg, John David Mann
Book is 123 pages of great advice for both business and personal use. It’s a quick read, great story and totally worth the time!
Rating: 5 Stars
I don’t know if it set the tone of the book for me, but the book was dedicated to the parents and one was named Myrna. Since my name is very rare to find, I’m sure I started the book with a grin.
I loved that the book was based on a fictional story using the ideas presented by the authors to increase your value in both business and personally which ultimately generates increases in our bottom lines. The general idea of the Go-Giver, is all about giving, but not in the material realm entirely, or in the “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” scenario, but in giving value to others in whatever their interests may be.
Giving = Success
Value is then defined throughout the story as the authors introduce the five key laws that will help you become a Go-Giver. There are 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success:
- Law of Value – True worth determined by what you give then you take.
- Law of Compensation – Income determined by how many and how well you serve others.
- Law of Influence – Influence determined by how much you place others interests first.
- Law of Authenticity – Best gift to offer is your true self.
- Law of Receptivity – Effective giving requires open receiving.
When we think of giving, we think of gifts and presents, but the authors provide other ways of giving by offering thoughtfulness to others and their situations, attention to others interests, presence in time and energy and other non-materialistic ways that let others know you are there for them and are trustworthy to engage in matters. Being your honest and true self absolutely helps in this regard.
The Go-Giver helps you understand if you give with the expectation of receiving you will fall short because giving is a voluntary thing. If there’s an expectation behind it, it’s merely just tit-for-tat or backscratching and that doesn’t ever really produce amazing long-term results.
Burg and Mann propose that income is determined by service and not always the service your business provides or you, yourself can provide. Sometimes we know someone that can help and we can simply introduce or provide a solution without anything gainfully coming back to us from the situation at hand. Everything comes back to us eventually and not in each and every situation we throw ourselves into. The story provides a great thread of how people’s lives were changed based on others making things actually happen for them.
The last Law of Stratospheric Success is truly the hardest, at least for me. I’m good at giving my time, talents and other things, but I lack in the ability to accept giving from others. It’s hard to accept because in my mind, I feel like I’m asking for help because I am unable to do it myself. The Go-Giver has provided a great explanation as to why I need to overcome these feelings and a good friend offered me great advice as to why I need to overcome them. Yes, she’s a Go-Giver too and it frustrates her trying to give me anything because I’m so negative about it, even though she’s a close friend. She explained in the simplest way that by me “not allowing her to give to me, denies her the opportunity to be a Go-Giver herself!” It’s like denying someone blessings, who is trying to be a blessing to you. Not fair at all! I have since corrected my ways, but I confess, it’s still a struggle.
I loved this book; I enjoyed Joe’s journey and realizations during his guidance from Pindar. I think everyone should have or search for a Pindar in their lives. Pindar is definitely a Go-Giver and a beautiful gift in the book. Learning from him and striving to be more like him and Gus is an excellent life plan.
Myrnadez 