Gordon - The Jon Gordon Power of Positivity E-Book Collection

Jon Gordon

Cover image: The Jon Gordon Power of Positivity E-Book Collection
Cover design: Wiley

Copyright 2020 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, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

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 any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

ISBN 9781119747994 (ePub)

9780470893319 Energy Bus (ePub)

9780470550106 Shark Goldfish (ePub)

9781118234860 Positive Dog (ePub)

9781119351702 Positive Leadership (ePub)

9781119431046 Stay Positive (ePub)

JON GORDON

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.

In 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, theres 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 theyre 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 thingsbesides the fact that Im 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 peoples energy, including your own. When was there more energy in the roomduring the first activity or the second?

Of course, everyone shouts out, The second!

What did I do to change the energy in the room? I ask. Then I answer: All I did was change your focus from a negative thought to a positive thought, and the energy of the room increased tenfold.

What I just described to you is why Im excited about Jon Gordon and The Energy Bus. Every morning you have a choice. Are you going to be a positive thinker or a negative thinker? Positive thinking will energize you.

When you get to work, you have another choice. You can catch people doing things right, or you can catch them doing things wrong. Guess which of those two activities energizes people more?

If you want to fuel your family, your career, your team, and your organization with spirit, read this book. Jons energy and advice will leap off the page and help you cultivate positive energy in everything you doand you will make the world a better place for your having been here.

Thanks, Jon, for pumping us up and making sure we get on the right bus.

Ken Blanchard

Co-author of The One Minute Manager and Leading at a Higher Level

I truly believe that no one ever creates success alone. Everyone needs a positive team with supportive people at their side. I am thankful that I have been blessed with truly amazing people on my bus and journey through life.

First I must thank the driver of my familys bus, my wife, Kathryn. You are the glue that keeps us together. Your support has made all the difference. Without you I would not be the man I am today. And I thank my children, Jade and Cole, for reminding me what matters most. Every day you make me want to be a better father. My favorite part of the day is asking about your success at bedtime. I love you.

My parents get a big thank you for always cheering as my bus drove on. You were invariably there supporting and loving me every step of the way.

Thank you to my brother for always challenging me and helping me improve this book. Your ideas, suggestions, and encouragement helped make this book the best it could be. I look forward to seeing your book next to mine in the bookstore. Also, special thanks to my grandfather Eddy, who at the age of 89 inspires me to live young, have fun, and enjoy the ride.

Thank you to my Chief Energy Officer, Daniel Decker. You are not just a business partner, but a true friend who has helped me grow as a leader and as a person. I appreciate every ounce of energy you pour into our mission. I am thankful God brought us together on the same bus.

Thank you to my friends and agents, Arielle Ford and Brian Hilliard. You have helped me pave the way to do the work I am here to do and I am forever grateful. You helped open the gates so my bus could drive through. Thank you for your confidence in me.

Thank you to Kate Lindsay, Shannon Vargo, Matt Holt, and the incredible team at John Wiley & Sons for seeing my vision for the road ahead and for making it possible.

To the other members of my team who not only provided fuel for our bus ride but who also got out and helped push when the bus broke down: Francis Ablola, thank you for all your hard work and web site creation. Shawn OShell, thank you for your amazing talent and design. Vince Bagni and Jim Careccia, thank you for continuing to spread the energy. Susan, thanks for the gifts you share with others.