Sample Chapter

Chapter 1
IT'S ZING! TIME

“You can't move people to action unless you first move them with emotion.
The heart comes before the head ”
- John C. Maxwell

When you wake up one day with the revelation: You wouldn’t hang out with you if you didn’t have to -- it’s time. If the blandness in your world is brightened up by adding more beige -- it’s time. No more complaining you are consistently overlooked, underpaid or bored. No more compartmentalizing the various aspects of your life (i.e. your marriage, friendships, parenting, career, involvements or academic pursuits) because it prevents you from having to be honest about the overall quality of your life. Despite the many things you’ve accomplished in your lifetime, if you are tired of feeling invisible, average, or perceived by others as “less than,” the time has come to take control of your destiny and maximize your potential for greater happiness. To summarize: It’s Zing! time.

Definition of Zing!

Zing! is an “approach, attitude and action package” for making yourself more influential and productive with the ultimate goal of making the world a better place. It is not only a mindset, but the translation of that mindset into actions, positive energy and influence. Zing! is a way to live and lead through enhanced confidence and charisma which necessitates living and leadership with an exclamation point. By definition, Zing! is “the ability to override competing forces to positively influence others towards a greater social good.” Zing! is the “it” you wish you had when you needed it!

The Zing! People

There are people who just seem to naturally come by Zing! or “it.” Described as “the movers and shakers,” “up and coming superstars” or “going places people,” these individuals have a unique ability to make things happen. They possess a clear and unique sense of self – free from insecurity, doubt and excuses, and appear self-confident, determined, and spiritual while maintaining an authentic sense of self. Life itself is a gift they cherish and intentionally put to good use. Leadership is viewed as a blessing, not a burden.

Like the invisible force of a magnet, people working on their Zing! (such as students, parents, educators, professors, business leaders, employees, or anyone wanting more out of life) effortlessly draw you into their world; get you to support their ideas or motivate you to embrace their vision. Their techniques are intriguing, if you can actually describe what they possess as a “technique” in the first place. There seems to be more to their personal magnetism than the positions of leadership or influential status they seek or hold. Is it a personality thing or natural charisma? Is it their relationship building skills? Is it the predictability of their actions? When around such individuals, you can’t help but feel a sense of “reverence” towards them or be in “awe.”

Those who have “it” -- this thing called Zing! -- leave those around them feeling better about themselves, more energized and inspired. You want to be around them – even like them. In their presence you feel welcomed, valued and worthy. You feel as if your opinion’s count and your life matters to them. This conclusion is reached because they are genuinely more interested in your goals and direction in life than talking about their own. Despite the fact these appealing personalities have many different kinds of relationships, and are often very well connected, their appeal is enhanced by the fact they always take time to connect with complete strangers, as well as, with those they know.

One of the most significant characteristics of someone with Zing! is their ability to never make someone feel like a distraction, interruption or “less than” anyone else in their world. They clearly treat you with unconditional positive regard, and provide equal access to the people they know. Amazingly, they can walk into a room of one hundred people and make each feel as if they are the most important person in the room!

Those with this unique ability to override competing forces to positively influence others clearly want to share the wealth. It’s not about them; it’s about doing good things for others and proceeding with a collective spirit, not one rooted in competition. Accompany Zing! is a clear sense of purpose; to enthusiastically (and often quietly) empower others by enhancing their feelings of self-efficacy and ownership in any number of outcomes. For very good reason, when around people with Zing! you might have a natural tendency to be skeptical or proceed with caution, yet it’s surprisingly effortless to whole heartedly trust their intentions without really knowing why.

Zing! is not an evil “power” or some kind of “spell” found in people like Ken Lay of Enron, Bernie Ebbers of WorldCom, or Frank Lorenzo of Eastern Air Lines who used their apparent charisma to build blind faith in their abilities, then proceed to ruin so many lives and leave hard working employees without retirement benefits. Zing! comes with a moral responsibility; an awareness and respect for their potential influence and accept the opportunity, as well as, the obligation, to make a positive difference in the world.

At the very heart of people with Zing! is concern for the welfare of society, raising up those less fortunate and using their talents, resources and time to leave the world better than they found it. Whether they flip burgers at McDonalds or spread sheets on Wall Street, there is room in their lives to make others better people, spread encouragement and be productive contributing members of society. They are the leaders and the followers who know the truth: “The one with the most toys at the end of the day doesn’t know how to share!” It is from a place of abundance, not scarcity they live, and consequently, lead.

From a personal perspective, Zing! individuals often gain reverence and respect because they have overcome the tragedies, hardships, and challenges life has given them with a huge amount of grace; choosing not to ask, “Why me?” or complain. They rarely notice what materialistic possessions they lack and others appear to have. Their life story is used to help others get through their struggles with less pain; an approach clearly rooted in a powerful faith, a belief in treating people equally, and in a strong commitment to keeping their lives simple. Family is a priority. Not only do they donate their time and talents, they give of their resources.

Discovering the Benefits of Zing!

Zing! can be the driving force – or energy – behind your life and leadership. You can adopt this unique perspective or internal dialogue for making a difference, if you really choose to change your personality and behaviors. At any given moment in time, you can make a conscious decision to take your life and leadership to a more meaningful level; you can decide right now to re-examine your personal effectiveness and commit to doing what it will take to become the person you want to be, capable of influencing others in a desired and good direction. Zing! has many benefits. Do any, or all, of the following appeal to you?

Take good relationships and make them great;

Create opportunities for others to connect;

Accomplish goals more efficiently;

Recruit involvement and support in a particular organization;

Inspire others to be more productive;

Establish and build new relationships;

Serve as a role model or mentor to inspire others;

Greater ease initiating conversations with strangers;

Enhanced ability to facilitate connections;

Put self in greater positions of opportunity; and/or

Enhanced happiness.