Date read: July 2018
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
Go to Amazon.com to see the reviews.
My thoughts: Great parable about having a philosophy of abundance in your business and life.
My Notes:
I read this little book the other day on the urging of a great friend and client Shanda Sumpter. I had read it years ago but it didn’t have the impact on me then that it did this time.
I found the book to be profound philosophically. If not in its simplicity.
The Go Giver is a parable. It tells the story of a young man in business who is stressed out and can never seem to “make it”. He is doing ok but always seems to fall just short of his quota at his company.
He seeks advice from an old timer at his company named Gus… who then refers him to a man that he calls the Chairman. The man who Gus credits with all his success.
The protagonist (Joe) reaches out to the Chairman and is surprised to find that he is willing to meet him the next day. Upon arriving at the Chairman’s impressive estate, Joe is immediately impressed that something is different about this man.
They end up meeting together for 5 straight days for lunch. The Chairman changes Joe’s life as well.
I loved the little book and am currently getting all my kids to read it.
In the book there are several things that stuck out to me.
First off, the Chairman changed Joe’s life but did it in several ways.
1. The Chairman introduced 5 laws which changed Joe’s philosophy.
2. The Chairman required Joe to put each new law into practice before the next meeting.
3. The Chairman introduced Joe to amazing people who were already putting the laws into practice.
I think these three things are equally critical for the success of the protagonist. If Joe had just learned the 5 Laws but not actually DONE them and felt their truth – then he would have likely shrugged it off and went back to his own ways and life.
Meeting people who also were doing these things (and having success) is also very powerful. It provides social proof to Joe that what the Chairman was telling him to do wasn’t just theory. Meeting these people also led him to new opportunities and collaborations.
Lastly – the 5 laws themselves have the power to transform the way Joe (or anyone) does business. Here are the 5 laws:
1. The Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
2. The Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
3. The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
4. The Law of Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
5. The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
Each of the 5 laws is tied in with a meeting and a person. And the stories of those people and how they rose to success. It is quite a powerful parable. Especially in the world of online business today.
It is really easy to become focused on all the copycats and people stealing your content or ideas online. But I do believe that the go-giver premise is solid and that the way forward for business is to adopt these laws.
I see them at work in my own business.