The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy

195 Pages·2007·0.67 MB·English

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THE
ENERGY
BUS
10 Rules
Fuel Your Life, Work, Team
to and
Positive Energy
with
JON GORDON
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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ffirs.qxd 12/19/06 2:49 PM Page i
THE
ENERGY
BUS
10 Rules
Fuel Your Life, Work, Team
to and
Positive Energy
with
JON GORDON
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ffirs.qxd 12/19/06 2:49 PM Page ii
Copyright © 2007 by Jon Gordon. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used
their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties
with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and
specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales
representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained
herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a
professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Gordon, Jon, 1971–
The energy bus : 10 rules to fuel your life, work, and team with positive
energy / Jon Gordon.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-470-10028-8 (cloth)
1. Teams in the workplace—Management. 2. Employee motivation. 3.
Motivation (Psychology) I. Title.
HD66.G665 2007
650.1—dc22 2006024223
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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To my mother, Nancy Gordon Nicolosi
Your strength and courage in the face of cancer will
always inspire me. I love you from the depths of my heart.
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Contents
Foreword vii
Acknowledgments ix
Author’s Note xiii
Introduction xvii
1 Flat Tire 1
2 Good News and Bad News 9
3 The Long Walk Home 11
4 George Wakes Up 15
5 No Joy on the Bus 17
6 The Rules 19
7 You’re the Driver 25
8 It’s All About Energy 33
9 George Shares His Vision 37
10 Focus 41
11 The Power of Positive Energy 45
12 George Takes a Walk 51
13 One Great Golf Shot Theory 53
14 Bus Tickets 55
15 A Very Long Weekend 61
v
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16 Who’s on the Bus 63
17 The Enemy Is Negativity 67
18 No Energy Vampires on the Bus 73
19 The Ultimate Rule of Positive Energy 77
20 George Takes Control of His Bus 81
21 George Has a Dream 89
22 Better Today than Yesterday 91
23 Feeling Good 95
24 Lead with Heart 99
25 Chief Energy Officer 103
26 Love Your Passengers 113
27 Love Rules 121
28 Fear and Trust 125
29 The Next Day 129
30 The Team Gets Inspired 135
31 Game Day 139
32 The Presentation 147
33 Joy 151
34 It’s More Fun on the Bus 155
The Energy Bus Action Plan 159
Bus Tickets 165
Share the Energy! Get Your Team on the Bus!! 166
Index 167
vi
Contents
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Foreword
I
n many of my seminars I begin by asking people to
stand up and do two things. First, I ask them to greet
other people as if they are unimportant. After an initial
chuckle or two, there’s a dull hum as everyone walks
around trying to ignore each other. Then I stop them and
ask them to continue to greet people, but this time, to do
it as if the people they are greeting are long-lost friends
they’re glad to see. The room erupts with laughter and
the volume rises as people run around, smiling, hugging,
and chatting with each other.
When the people in the audience sit down, I ask
them, “Why do you think I had you do those two
things—besides the fact that I’m from California?”
After the audience laughs, I tell them that the answer
is positive energy. “To run a successful organization,” I
say, “you must learn to manage people’s energy, includ-
ing your own. When was there more energy in the
room—during the first activity or the second?”
Of course, everyone shouts out, “The second!”
vii