Book Summary By Bud Roth

The Paradox of Success By John R. O’Neil “When winning at work means losing at life”

A summary by Bud Roth, December 19, 2000

The essence of the book is the Cycle Of Renewal learned in Fredric Hudson’s book, Life Launch.. O’Neil places leaders in the cycle. The leader can be from a one-person business or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Of course, as we learned, this stuff transcends to any one of our lives.

The last chapter summarizes the key principles. O’Neil also demonstrates the old management systems not performing as well as the “servant leaders” of today and tomorrow. The “long-distance leader” needs to reinvent their own approach when they reach the “observation point” where learning starts to slow and plateaus are emerging on the horizon. The enlightened leader plans new learning experiences.

The leader who thinks they know it all may fall into the hubris trap and eventually has their world fall apart around them, personally and/or professionally. Hubris is the ego becoming swollen with success, a sort of psychological blindness. Hubris can pull us off course from achieving a higher purpose or mission where altruism finds genuine satisfaction. Jekyll and Hyde is a dramatic example of hubris becoming all-consuming.

O’Neil uses the “shadows” in our life as we know “boulders”. The parts of our lives that are in the shadows are not clear, but we benefit if we bring them forward to examine them. Jung calls finding this “pure gold”. Healing starts when we admit we have pain. Letting go of denial is necessary for opening new learning channels and into another cycle of change. “Shadow-work” is done effectively in a variety of retreats, i.e., meditation or after a significant changing life experience.

The leadership essentials (a short list) are: energy, stamina, curiosity, persistence; common sense, capacity to trust and engender trust; a balance of self-assurance, compassion, courage, natural modesty, ability to listen closely and communicate effectively; commitment to ethics and aesthetics, and a high regard for individual differences. The leaders of sustainable organizations must have a deeply internalized knowledge of renewing practices and their value. They also learn from their mistakes and are self-forgiving. They also extend this tolerance to others.

Other endearing messages for us are to: be your own fool (humor), keep a sense of perspective (low ego) and share the credit. Long-distant leaders focus their learning on: shared pursuit of mastery (envision opportunities), generative learning (the unexplored), and encouraging and celebrating diversity (providing new patterns…). The enlightened leader wins without others losing, is self-aware, self-accepting (faults and all), free of guilt and uses creative imagination.

O’Neil ends with a hope for a self-renewing society. This can only be accomplished on a one by one approach. Global problems will find solutions if long-distance leaders are developed and take charge soon. You can join the ranks of self-renewing leaders. As a matter of fact, you’re already signed up.

This summary is compliments of Roth Consulting Group

Roth Counsulting Group, LLC
5914 Silas Moffitt Way, Suite A, Carmel IN 46033
ph: 317-843-9521 webmaster@rothcg.com

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