New ‘Firestarters’ Book Reveals Innovator, Instigator, and Initiator Insights to Help Ignite Your Own Life and Career
New book offers advice from successful ‘Firestarters’ (serial ‘doers’) on what it takes to start, create, and even disrupt to realize dreams and spark fire vs. simply fanning the flames; Authors offer three key professional and personal strategies to get your own fire burning right now
What is the difference between those bold enough to pursue their dreams and others who never get comfortable enough to ignite their lives? The doers are “Firestarters” and, because of them, the world is a much different, and often, better place.
No matter if you are moving up the corporate ladder, starting your own company, or championing a professional cause, chances are that there are times you ask yourself: “Will I make a difference?” “Can I ignite myself and others? “Can I fuel the passion and drive that will lead me to success?”
The answer to these questions is an emphatic “yes,” as exemplified by those who are already lighting up the world. More than 40 of these individuals are profiled in a new book called “Firestarters: How Innovators, Instigators, and Initiators Can Inspire You to Ignite Your Own Life”(Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY).
In it, notable Firestarters share advice on what it takes people to start, create, and even disrupt in order to achieve their dreams. Their stories, along with psychological, organizational, and business research from The Firestarters Framework, provides unique insights into what makes some people just fan the flames, while other spark the fire and realize success.
“This motivational how-to book provides insights into the crucial difference between people who make things happen and those who only think about making an impact,” notes book co-author Kathy Palokoff, a serial entrepreneur and educator. “Based on research from many disciplines and interviews with professionals at the top of their fields, Firestarters creates a complete roadmap to achieve personal success and make an impact in the world. It features stories about successful entrepreneurs, CEOs, organizational leaders, and forward-looking thinkers from a variety of professions who describe the factors and conditions that ignited their own lives and helped them become achievers. Some are known to the public; others will be completely new. But all the stories demonstrate how they became–and how you too can become–a Firestarter.”
Palokoff, along with her co-authors Dr. Paul Eder, organizational effectiveness researcher; and Raoul Davis, Jr., CEO brand strategist, offer numerous insights on how to become a Firestarter. To wet your proverbial whistle, here are three of their pragmatic strategies:
-
Ignite, fuel, and accelerate success. There are factors based on personality, situations, and environment that you need to recognize in yourself and optimize to be successful. For example, what igniters trigger an “aha moment?”Is it freedom, passion, talent or something else? What fuels such as prestige, opportunity, luck, or money can you use to propel an idea, business, or cause? How can factors including collaboration, mission, and competition help accelerate you to the next level?
-
Replicate accomplishments to gain confidence. Look for connections between seemingly disparate events, learn what works across situations, and generalize this knowledge to other activities. By looking for patterns of achievement, Firestarters replicate their success, which then creates an overall sense of positivism and confidence.
-
Plan for inevitable extinguishers. People are often unaware of how bumpy the road to success can be and how inevitable extinguishers can crush them. You can avoid obstacles, however, by actively planning to reduce their impact. Successful people expect extinguishers and develop mechanisms to cope with discouragement and mistakes.One important way is to have a life filled with supporters who can nurture, protect, and even challenge.
Recent Comments