Ilja Grzeskowitz - The Changemaker Mindset: How Innovation and Change Start with Inner Transformation

The
Changemaker
Mindset

The

Changemaker

Mindset

How Innovation and Change
Start with Inner Transformation

Ilja Grzeskowitz

Mango Publishing

Coral Gables

All rights reserved. No reproduction, even in part, without the written permission of the publisher.

Copyright 2019 by Ilja Grzeskowitz
Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Cover & Layout Design: Jermaine Lau

Translation: Bernadette Geyer, Berlin | www.geyereditorial.com

Author Photo: Philip Reichwein

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The Changemaker Mindset: How Innovation and Change Start with Inner Transformation

Library of Congress Cataloging
ISBN: (p) 978-1-64250-091-2 (e) 978-1-64250-092-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019935690

BISAC category code: SEL027000, SELF-HELP / Personal Growth / Success

Printed in the United States of America

For my family.

The most important people in my life.

Table of Contents

Intro:

One Shot

Look. If you had one shot, or one opportunity.
To seize everything you ever wanted.
One moment.
Would you capture it, or just let it slip?

Eminem, Lose Yourself

I am not a particularly esoteric person. And yet I deeply and firmly believe that every single person is on this earth for a specific reason. That we have to fulfill a task that only we can do, because we are blessed with a certain talent or a special gift. What I dont believe in, however, are coincidences.

Picture this. Its a beautiful morning in the summer of 2013. Im driving through Los Angeles in my Dodge Challenger rental car, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of one of my favorite cities in the world. On the radio is Eminems hit Lose Yourself , whose words in the intro magically move me: If you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted. One moment. Would you capture it, or just let it slip? As I think hard about this question, I drive down Broadway and see a building that fascinates me because its so untypical of the City of Angels. On a whim, I stop and look at the sign on the facade. Its the Bradbury Building, which was designed by George Wyman. He was a simple draftsman who was working for five dollars a week for the original architect, Sumner Hunt, when he was asked by the millionaire Lewis Bradbury if he wanted to design the planned building for him. After initial doubts, he finally agreed. And, although he had no training as an architect, nor any past projects for reference, he created a building that has shaped the cityscape for over a century now and is admired by professionals all over the world. Wyman used his one shot to make a difference that was to outlast his own life. But it was to be his only success in the field of architecture, because shortly after the completion of the Bradbury Building, he faded from view and did not plan another building of importance for the rest of his life.

This story probably would not have had such a magical effect on me if I had not had the Eminem song in my ear at the same time. Because George Wyman, the designer of the Bradbury Building, perfectly embodied the words that the rapper, whose birthname was Marshall Bruce Mathers, belted out into the microphone in his own inimitable way: Look. If you had one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted. One moment. Would you capture it, or just let it slip? Since then, Ive been fascinated with the One Shot idea. The thought is that each of us gets a special shot with which we can make a difference. Some use it, others initially let it pass by, and then there are those who dont even notice it. I am firmly convinced that each one of us has this bullet made available to us. Maybe its even two or three. But always one that matters. That really counts. In business. In love. In life. And its our task in life to figure out what we use it for.

Unfortunately, far too many people can be distracted by the beguiling but misleading messages of the sirens around them and by waiting for the perfect time to finally get started. But, unfortunately, it will never come. We have no backup life at our disposal that we can use if things dont work out with the first. Theres also no dress rehearsal; instead, our lives are happening right now and in this moment. You too, dear reader, have a shot like this. You are in this world to make a difference, to touch other people, and lead a life that truly deserves that name. Whatever your specific task is, start implementing it today, or at least start searching for what it is. Put your bullet into the revolver. Set your sights on the target. And then fire and make a difference, as Wyman did with his building on Broadway in Los Angeles. In your own way. In your style. With your personality.

At this point, you might be asking the same question that first crossed my mind many years ago:

Is there really a reason why I am in this world? And if so, how do I find it?

For a long time, I waited in vain for an answer, for clarity, for any sign. But no matter how intensely I searched, I just couldnt find anything. Until I eventually came across a quote from Sren Kierkegaard, who aptly stated, Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward. It was exactly the same with me, and today I know that my one shot, my purpose, and my talent is to help people, businesses, and organizations use the power of personality as the number-one success factor to thrive in times of massive change.

In retrospect, I have to laugh about my search for this task, because dealing with people, understanding their motivations, and the talent to inspire those around me for change was my great strength at a young age. The signs were always there. I just didnt realize it. At the end of my time doing civil service, the head of the integrative kindergarten where I finished my service was quite astonished when I told her that I had decided to study economics and marketing. But Ilja, she said, confused, as sensitive as you are with children, you have to do something people-oriented. As Managing Director for Karstadt, Wertheim, and IKEA, I was particularly successful because I always put my employees first. Because I had teams by my side at various locations that would have walked through the fire for me. Additionally, in my work as a business coach and keynote speaker, the focus of my work is never on processes, theories, or models, but always on the individual with their distinct personality. Because I am firmly convinced of one fact:

Life is a mirror. We do not get what we want. We become who we are.

And thats exactly why the title of this book is The Changemaker Mindset . Because in this time of increasingly intense digitization of all areas of life, the return to personal relationships, team spirit, and the individualwith all their strengths and weaknesseswill be the most important success factor for the future. Although this is already my ninth book, its a very special one for me. And maybe this book is my one shot. It didnt originate on a drawing board, but the topic found me in an almost spiritual way. Over the past two years, Ive been interviewed for countless podcasts, magazines, and other media. Very often, I was asked this question at the end: Ilja, what important tip would you like to share with others? Every time, without a moments hesitation, I answered with the following sentence: