Before His Experience

David has just been assigned his first management position with one of the world's leading financial services companies. He is 31 years old. He is asked to run a regional office in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the US. It is the worst performing office in the region.

The office is spinning out of control, so much so that it recently received the lowest possible rating across every performance metric in the company. David enters a culture defined by distrust, disagreement and dissatisfaction; one filled with unhappy people; one void of success.

Like many individuals climbing the ranks David has learned to focus on what needs to be 'done' to achieve success. Once focused, he does it. If that means long hours; work them. If it means frustration, anxiety, or stress; deal with it. If it means personal sacrifice; accept it. David has his share of each. This isn't to say that David is not happy. In many ways he doesn't know any better. After all, don't long hours, personal sacrifice and pent up emotions come with the territory? Isn't this what it takes to be successful? It is the path that has been laid before him; a trail others have been blazing for decades. David follows it.

While impressive on paper David knows that his professional success prior to running the regional office is not reflective of his personal success. His climb up the corporate ladder is pushing him further down the physical (he is 100lbs overweight) and emotional wellness ladder. How long can he keep giving so much to what he is doing on the outside while giving so little to who he needs to be on the inside? David searches for answers in numerous self-help books and self-development programmes. While many good ideas emerge nothing empowers David to achieve the personal and professional success he desires.

David begins his coaching programme at the same time that he takes over the office. He knows that to grow personally and professionally he must invest in his self. He had, until his Experience, been unable to make an investment that delivered the returns he was looking for.

During His Experience

While David has enjoyed a successful career to this point he does not feel that his current management skills have prepared him for the task ahead. This creates fear, uncertainty and doubt and with it a lack of self-confidence. Not exactly the mindset needed to take control of an environment that is spinning out of it.

Through his sessions David quickly learns that his focus on 'doing' things is misguided. By believing, through the example set by others, that life is meant to be defined by what one does and what one has as a result David unconsciously ignores the sine qua non of life: self-knowledge. David knows a great deal about what he needs to do. He knows little about his self.

David begins developing the inner knowledge needed to fulfill his potential. He recognizes who he has been. He identifies and defines who he needs to be. In doing so discovers who he can be.

To fulfill his potential David knows that he needs to be dependable, responsible, respectful, tolerant, sincere, and kind; that he must maintain his integrity; that he must be wise. He defines his core values knowing that words alone are never enough. A lot of people throw words around. Few live them.

To bring his values to life David defines what each of them mean to him. Doing so from a being perspective allows David to better understand his self and others. As an example, his definition of respect becomes, 'To recognize, acknowledge and honor people for who they are.' In being this person David learns that much more about who he and others can be. To show respect for what lies within one's self is to acknowledge the possibilities of what one can do. As a lower level motivational need, without respect, self-actualization is limited.

To further the depth of his self-knowledge and the scope of his self-actualization David identifies and defines his purpose (To make people happy, beginning with my self) and his vision (To be someone who has the respect of people; someone that embraces life and lives it to the fullest; someone who inspires others and has a positive impact on the people with whom I interact). David has had 2 sessions. He is taking a new path. His.

David has a meeting later in the day with his District Director; a manager two levels above him. For today's session (his 3rd) David wants to talk about this meeting.

David runs through the typical talk-track for such a meeting. The Director will most likely ask how things are going and David will respond by telling her some combination of what he has done, what he is doing and/or what he is trying to do. The Director will respond by providing advice on the 'doing' and David will respond by acknowledging this advice. The two will (ideally) walk away feeling good about the discussion.

David will walk away with his perception of how 'good' this is and the Director will walk away with hers. David hopes that her perception is favorable.

Why wouldn't it be? David has been in his new role for a little more than a month and he has already closed a $1M account. He is making positive changes within the team and things are looking much better than they did before. This is good stuff, isn't it?

Depends on who you ask, more specifically, on who you tell. David realizes that telling his District Director all about the 'doing' creates limitations. This includes how she will perceive what he has done and the impact it can have on her perception of what he can do. To remove these limitations David removes his focus on the doing and focuses instead on the being. Instead of talking to the director about prospects, customers and assets he will talk about values, purpose and vision. After he communicates who he is being, and who is he leading the team to be, he will ask the director about her needs. In other words, after talking about his being he will demonstrate it.

Imagine this scenario; you meet with a manager two levels above you and talk about your values, purpose and vision; 'fluff' as someone people refer to it. Would you take the risk? What if it came with the rewards below?

The director walked away from the meeting with a great deal of respect and admiration for David. Her perception regarding David's performance was as high as it gets. When you communicate the value of who you are the value of what you do always goes up.

This is just one element of David's reward. By communicating and then demonstrating his values, purpose and vision with everyone, and then helping his team develop theirs, David leads his office from last to first in his region in one year. His office is the only one to earn the overall rating of 'Achieve with Distinction,' achieving a score of 99 out of 100 and earning David a five figure bonus. David evolves an environment from the bottom to the top of the success ladder in his first year as a manager. The rungs that he uses to bridge this gap are his values, purpose and vision.

David is quickly recognized for his achievements. He is asked to participate in the company's highly regarded Director Assessment programme. The (Fortune 100) firm only selects 10-12 individuals from across the country to participate in the programme each year. So much for the 'fluff.'

After His Experience

Through his Experience David is provided with a definable and repeatable process for achieving results in line with his vision. Building on the success realized leading the regional office David's ongoing results include:

Is one of a select few that moves on to Director training following his successful completion of the assessment program. David prepared for the programme by focusing on his values, purpose and vision. He communicates these elements of his self during the programme. His message is well received. A Regional Director commented to David's then-current manager on how nice it would be if the leaders of the firm knew their values as well as David did.

When asked during the assessment program to identify the one thing outside of work that has had the greatest impact on his success David identifies his Experience.

After being told that he would spend 2-3 years as an Associate Director (the title assumed when an individual moves on to Director training) David spends just one year. He is not only the first individual in his class to become a Director; he becomes the youngest Director in the company.

David takes over an ailing District and is advised by some to consider doing something else given the prospects the District holds. David knows something these and other people do not. David knows who he is, who he needs to be and who he and others can be as a result. He also knows that when he focuses on the being the doing takes care of itself.

David far exceeds his first-year goals in the District. being someone for others he enhances recruitment, individual and team productivity and retention. In David's words, 'I believe that I have a different conversation with people. We work together, focusing on what it means to be happy; to fulfill an individual's potential in who one can be.'

In the 4½ years since his Experience began David increased his then-current six-figure annual compensation more than 500%.

As with all cases of being David's results are not limited to his career. He is eating better and has lost weight. He is happy. He knows peace of mind well and knows little of the frustration and stress he once knew before.

When asked what he would like others to know about his Experience David states;

"The Experience is so well worth it that money is not an issue. The issue is time. You must commit time to your self. When you do you end up speeding up time in achieving and exceeding your goals. The one thing that you perceive as a liability suddenly becomes an asset. In the end the program provides you with confidence and security in the decisions you make; decisions that turn out to be the right ones."

Why did David change? In his words, "I am always looking to build my knowledge and grow. The DLS Experience is the one programme that has allowed me to do this."

David believes that the secret to his success is the focus on who he can be for his self and others. David can answer the question, 'Who are you?' He shares the answer with everyone he meets. He knows that doing so is a critical component of his leadership style, demeanor and ongoing success. He knows that being so is what it makes it so critical.