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performance catalyst to business.

He simply kicks the hell out of the sacred


cows that keep individuals and businesses stuck.”
TOO
LS F
OR
L
IVIN
G

DUSAN DJUKICH
ii
iii
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

v
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE THESE ARE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS ................................... 1
INTRODUCTION THE GEOMETRY OF SUCCESS .......................................... 3
CHAPTER 1 WHAT’S YOUR INNER STANCE? ........................................ 9
CHAPTER 2 LIVING IN THE CIRCULAR WORLD ................................... 17
CHAPTER 3 THE ZIGZAG WORLD .................................................... 21
CHAPTER 4 STRAIGHT-LINE PEOPLE .............................................. 25
CHAPTER 5 WANTING VERSUS CREATING ......................................... 31
CHAPTER 6 STOP STOPPING VERSUS STOPPING ............................... 35
CHAPTER 7 WHAT DISTINGUISHES A STRAIGHT-LINE LEADER? ............... 41
CHAPTER 8 A PROBLEM VERSUS A DECISION TO MAKE ........................47
CHAPTER 9 WHAT I KNOW VERSUS WHAT I LIVE ................................ 51
CHAPTER 10 WANT TO VERSUS CHOOSE TO ....................................... 55
CHAPTER 11 CAN’T VERSUS WON’T ................................................ 59
CHAPTER 12 BEING TRUTHFUL ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE VERSUS LYING
ABOUT IT ................................................................ 63
CHAPTER 13 PLEASING VERSUS SERVING ........................................ 65
CHAPTER 14 A CREATED WORLD VERSUS A REPORTED-ON WORLD .............73
CHAPTER 15 A DREAM VERSUS A PROJECT ........................................79
CHAPTER 16 WORRY VERSUS CONCERN ........................................... 85
CHAPTER 17 SHOULDS VERSUS MUSTS ........................................... 89
CHAPTER 18 “I’M RESPONSIBLE” VERSUS “IT’S THEIR FAULT” .............. 95
CHAPTER 19 GROWTH CHOICES VERSUS SAFE CHOICES ........................97
CHAPTER 20 CONTENT WITH INSIGHT VERSUS ONLY RESULTS COUNT ...............101
CHAPTER 21 OPTIMISTIC DENIAL VERSUS THE VALLEY OF DEATH .............. 103
CHAPTER 22 PRODUCTIVITY VERSUS BUSYNESS ................................ 105
CHAPTER 23 COMMITMENT VERSUS TRYING .................................... 109

vi i
CHAPTER 24 OWNER VERSUS VICTIM ..............................................115
CHAPTER 25 THE SAME VERSUS SEPARATE ...................................... 127
CHAPTER 26 AGREEMENTS VERSUS EXPECTATIONS ............................ 129
CHAPTER 27 RADICAL SELF-HONESTY VERSUS BEING INSINCERE ............... 133
CHAPTER 28 REALISTIC OPTIMISM VERSUS UNREALISTIC PESSIMISM ........... 139
CHAPTER 29 BEING BOLD VERSUS BEING ARROGANT .......................... 143
CHAPTER 30 DISCOMFORT AND PAIN VERSUS CHAOS ......................... 145
CHAPTER 31 PURPOSE MANAGEMENT VERSUS TIME MANAGEMENT ............. 149
CHAPTER 32 EXTREME SELF-CARE VERSUS SELFISHNESS .................... 153
CHAPTER 33 HOW TO VERSUS CHOOSE TO ....................................... 157
CHAPTER 34 NICE VERSUS KIND .................................................. 163
CHAPTER 35 POSITIVE NO VERSUS REJECTION ................................. 165
CHAPTER 36 TOLERANCE VERSUS CONFRONTATION ............................ 169
CHAPTER 37 LANGUAGE THAT DESCRIBES REALITY VERSUS LANGUAGE
THAT CREATES REALITY ..............................................173
CHAPTER 38 COMMITMENT VERSUS INVOLVEMENT ............................. 177
CHAPTER 39 I CONTRIBUTE VERSUS I DESERVE ................................. 181
CHAPTER 40 CORRECTIVE ACTIONS VERSUS PROTECTIVE ACTIONS ............. 185
CHAPTER 41 NOW VERSUS LATER ..................................................187
CHAPTER 42 CHILDLIKE VERSUS CHILDISH ......................................191
CHAPTER 43 PLAYING TO WIN VERSUS PLAYING NOT TO LOSE .............. 193
CHAPTER 44 INVESTMENT VERSUS COST ........................................ 197
CHAPTER 45 CORE ACTIONS VERSUS SURFACE ACTIONS ..................... 199
CHAPTER 46 FOCUS VERSUS SPRAY .............................................. 201
CHAPTER 47 HOW IT CAN BE DONE VERSUS WHY IT CAN’T BE DONE ............205
CHAPTER 48 STRESSING VERSUS CARING ........................................211
CHAPTER 49 MAKING A LIVING VERSUS CREATING PERFECTION ............ 217
CHAPTER 50 WAKING UP TO THE CONTRASTS ................................... 221
RECOMMENDED READING ........................................... 225
INDEX ................................................................... 227
viii
Life isn’t about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself.

George Bernard Shaw

ix
x
LS
SKIL
N A L
N D A TIO
P REF
AC E
ARE F O
U
E
THES

1
DUSAN DJUKICH

2
C E S S
ION O F SUC
ODU
CT
ETR Y
INT
R
G E O M
THE

3
DUSAN DJUKICH

4
THE GEOMETRY OF SUCCESS

5
DUSAN DJUKICH

6
THE GEOMETRY OF SUCCESS

I believe that half the unhappiness in life


comes from people being afraid
to go straight at things.

William J. Locke

7
DUSAN DJUKICH

The world said conform,


the world said settle for less,
the world said compromise
and no one will know…
so I made my own world.

Bijan

8
1
N CE ?
S T A
R
CHA

N E
OUR I N
PTE

T’S Y
WHA
R

9
DUSAN DJUKICH

10
WHAT IS YOUR INNER STANCE?

11
DUSAN DJUKICH

At all times and under all circumstances


we have the power to transform
the quality of our lives.

Werner Erhard

12
WHAT IS YOUR INNER STANCE?

13
DUSAN DJUKICH

14
WHAT IS YOUR INNER STANCE?

15
DUSAN DJUKICH

16
R LD
2 RW O
L A
CHA

C U
HE C I R
PTE

IN T
G
R

LIV I N

17
DUSAN DJUKICH

18
LIVING IN THE CIRCULAR WORLD

People can be divided into two classes:


Those who go ahead and do something,
and those people who sit still and inquire,
Why wasn’t it done the other way?

Oliver Wendell Holmes

19
DUSAN DJUKICH

20
3 O R LD
CHA

W
G Z A G
THE Z I
PTE
R

21
DUSAN DJUKICH

22
THE ZIGZAG WORLD

23
DUSAN DJUKICH

24
4 P L E
PEO
CHA

L I N E
HT-
PTE

A I G
STR
R

25
DUSAN DJUKICH

26
STRAIGHT-LINE PEOPLE

Show me a guy who’s afraid to look bad,


and I’ll show you a guy you can beat every time.

Rene Auberjonois

27
DUSAN DJUKICH

28
STRAIGHT-LINE PEOPLE

29
DUSAN DJUKICH

30
G
5 T I N
REA
CHA

VERS
U S C
PTE

T I N G
AN
R

31
DUSAN DJUKICH

32
WANTING VERSUS CREATING

Motivational teachers repeat it many different ways,


but it’s just one thought. It’s a binary system:
Are you ON or are you OFF?

Steve Hardison

33
DUSAN DJUKICH

34
I N G

6 S ST OPP
CHA

U
VERS
I N G
PTE

TOP P
S
R

ST O P

35
DUSAN DJUKICH

36
STOP STOPPING VERSUS STOPPING

37
DUSAN DJUKICH

People of mediocre ability


sometimes achieve outstanding success
because they don’t know when to quit.

George Allen

38
STOP STOPPING VERSUS STOPPING

39
DUSAN DJUKICH

40
7 H E S
IS R?
CHA

I N G U E
S T A D
PTE

W H AT D I LINE L
E
R

A I G HT-
R
A ST

41
DUSAN DJUKICH

42
WHAT DISTINGUISHES A STRAIGHT-LINE LEADER?

As we look ahead into the next century,


leaders will be those who empower others.

Bill Gates

43
DUSAN DJUKICH

44
WHAT DISTINGUISHES A STRAIGHT-LINE LEADER?

45
DUSAN DJUKICH

46
O N
8
I S I
A DEC
CHA

U S
VERS
PTE

L E M
B TO M A K E
A PRO
R

47
DUSAN DJUKICH

If you deliberately plan on being less


than you are capable of being,
then I warn you that you will be
unhappy for the rest of your life.

Abraham Maslow

48
A PROBLEM VERSUS A DECISION TO MAKE

49
DUSAN DJUKICH

50
V E
9 HA T I L I
W
CHA

U S
VERS
W
PTE

K N O
I
R

T
WHA

51
DUSAN DJUKICH

52
WHAT I KNOW VERSUS WHAT I LIVE

53
DUSAN DJUKICH

54
10
TO
O S E
S CHO
CHA

ERS U
PTE

T O V
A N T
R

55
DUSAN DJUKICH

56
WANT TO VERSUS CHOOSE TO

Give me a lever long enough


and I will move the world.

Archimedes

57
DUSAN DJUKICH

58
11 O N ’ T
CHA

VE RSUS W
PTE

A N ’ T
C
R

59
DUSAN DJUKICH

Somewhere in the archives of the crudest instinct


is recorded the truth that it is better to be endangered
and free than captive and comfortable.

Tom Robbins

60
CAN’T VERSUS WON’T

61
DUSAN DJUKICH

62
12
W H ERE
T
ABOU IT
CHA

T
T H F UL G AB O U
PTE

G T R U U L
S Y I N
R

BEIN E V ERS
AR
YOU

63
DUSAN DJUKICH

64
13 V I N G
S SER
CHA

U
VERS
G
PTE

S I N
LEA
R

65
DUSAN DJUKICH

66
PLEASING VERSUS SERVING

67
DUSAN DJUKICH

68
PLEASING VERSUS SERVING

All your suffering is rooted in one superstition—


you believe that you live in the world,
when in fact the world lives in you.

Deepak Chopra

69
DUSAN DJUKICH

70
PLEASING VERSUS SERVING

71
DUSAN DJUKICH

72
14
R S U S
D VE
CHA

R L
WO O RLD
TDE N W
PTE

E A - O
A CR PORTED
R

A RE

73
DUSAN DJUKICH

74
A CREATED WORLD VERSUS A REPORTED-ON WORLD

75
DUSAN DJUKICH

76
A CREATED WORLD VERSUS A REPORTED-ON WORLD

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.

Friedrich Nietzsche

77
DUSAN DJUKICH

78
15 J E C T
A PRO
CHA

R S U S
VE
PTE

E A M
A DR
R

79
DUSAN DJUKICH

“There are some people


who live in a dream world,
and there are some who face reality;
and then there are those
who turn one into the other.”

Douglas Everett

80
A DREAM VERSUS A PROJECT

81
DUSAN DJUKICH

82
A DREAM VERSUS A PROJECT

83
DUSAN DJUKICH

84
16 E R N
CO NC
CHA

E R S US
PTE

V
R R Y
WO
R

85
DUSAN DJUKICH

86
WORRY VERSUS CONCERN

87
DUSAN DJUKICH

88
17 S T S
US M U
CHA

VERS
S
PTE

U L D
SHO
R

89
DUSAN DJUKICH

90
SHOULDS VERSUS MUSTS

Failure to commit
is the high cost of low living.

James R Baker

91
DUSAN DJUKICH

92
SHOULDS VERSUS MUSTS

93
DUSAN DJUKICH

94
18
U S
VERS
E ”
CHA

S I L
B LT ”
O N U
PTE

E S P F A
“I’M R ’S T H E I R
R

“IT

“W
There are many ways to victimize people.
One way is to convince them that they are victims.

Karen Huang

95
DUSAN DJUKICH

96
19
US
VERS
E S
CHA

H I C
O ES
C
PTE

W T H HOIC
GRO SAFE C
R

97
DUSAN DJUKICH

It seems to be a law of nature,


inflexible and inexorable,
that those who will not risk
cannot win.

John Paul Jones

98
GROWTH CHOICES VERSUS SAFE CHOICES

99
DUSAN DJUKICH

100
20
U S
VERS
I G H T
CHA

I T H I N S COUNT
PTE

W
T E N T U L T S
C O N O N LY R E S
R

101
DUSAN DJUKICH

To bankrupt a fool, give him information.

Nicholas Nassim Taleb

102
21
S T HE
VE RSU
A L
CHA

D N I
E AT H
C
PTE

I S T I F DE
T I M LLE O
R

Y
OP VA

103
DUSAN DJUKICH

What I love the most about the past is that it’s over.

Byron Katie

104
22
E S S
BU SYN
CHA

E R S US
V
I T Y
PTE

CTI V
U
R

PR O D

105
DUSAN DJUKICH

Slow down and remember this:


Most things make no difference.
Being busy is a form of mental laziness
—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.

Timothy Ferriss

106
PRODUCTIVITY VERSUS BUSYNESS

107
DUSAN DJUKICH

108
23
Y I N G
SUS T R
CHA

VER
E N T
PTE

M ITM
R

C O M

109
DUSAN DJUKICH

110
COMMITMENT VERSUS TRYING

Living is easy with eyes closed,


misunderstanding all you see.

John Lennon

111
DUSAN DJUKICH

112
COMMITMENT VERSUS TRYING

113
DUSAN DJUKICH

114
24 C T I M
SUS V I
CHA

VER
PTE

N E R
OW
R

115
DUSAN DJUKICH

116
OWNER VERSUS VICTIM

117
DUSAN DJUKICH

118
OWNER VERSUS VICTIM

No price is too high to pay


for the privilege of owning yourself.

Friedrich Nietzsche

119
DUSAN DJUKICH

1 20
OWNER VERSUS VICTIM

121
DUSAN DJUKICH

1 22
OWNER VERSUS VICTIM

123
DUSAN DJUKICH

1 24
OWNER VERSUS VICTIM

125
DUSAN DJUKICH

1 26
25 R A T E
E PA
CHA

VE R S U S S
PTE

E
SAM
R

THE

127
DUSAN DJUKICH

1 28
26
U S
VERS
S
CHA

N T
E ONS
E M
PTE

E
A G R P E C TAT I
R

EX

129
DUSAN DJUKICH

130
AGREEMENTS VERSUS EXPECTATIONS

131
DUSAN DJUKICH

I am more afraid of an army


of 100 sheep led by a lion,
than an army of 100 lions
led by a sheep.

Talleyrand

132
27
U S
VERS
E S T Y
CHA

- H O N E
L F
E R
PTE

SE C
I C A L G IN S I N
R

R A D B E I N

133
DUSAN DJUKICH

134
RADICAL SELF-HONESTY VERSUS BEING INSINCERE

135
DUSAN DJUKICH

136
RADICAL SELF-HONESTY VERSUS BEING INSINCERE

137
DUSAN DJUKICH

138
28
U S
VERS
M
CHA

I M I S I S M
IC O P
T I M
PTE

S T E S S
ISTIC P
I
REAL
R

EA L
UNR

139
DUSAN DJUKICH

140
REALISTIC OPTIMISM VERSUS UNREALISTIC PESSIMISM

When I open my eyes in the morning


I am not confronted by a world,
but by a million possible worlds.

Colin Wilson

141
DUSAN DJUKICH

142
29
A N T
AR ROG
CHA

EIN G
U S B
VERS
PTE

B O L D
R

G
BEIN

143
DUSAN DJUKICH

The gods favor the bold.

Ovid

144
30 AND PA I N
CHA

F O R T S
PTE

O M H A O
D I S C VERSUS C
R

145
DUSAN DJUKICH

146
DISCOMFORT AND PAIN VERSUS CHAOS

147
DUSAN DJUKICH

148
31 E N T
G E M
A MENT
CHA

A N
M AGE
E
PTE

R P O S M A N
P U US T I M E
R

VERS

149
DUSAN DJUKICH

150
PURPOSE MANAGEMENT VERSUS TIME MANAGEMENT

We either make ourselves miserable


or we make ourselves strong.
The amount of work is the same.

Carlos Castaneda

151
DUSAN DJUKICH

152
32
U S
VERS
A R E
CHA

L F - C
S E NESS
PTE

E M E S H
R I
R

EX T SEL F

153
DUSAN DJUKICH

For the personality, bankruptcy or failure


may be a disaster. For the soul,
it may be grist for its strangely joyful mill,
and a condition it has been
secretly engineering for years.

David Whyte

154
EXTREME SELF-CARE VERSUS SELFISHNESS

155
DUSAN DJUKICH

156
33 E T O
OOS
CHA

R S U S CH
PTE

VE
W T O
R

HO

157
DUSAN DJUKICH

158
HOW TO VERSUS CHOOSE TO

159
DUSAN DJUKICH

160
HOW TO VERSUS CHOOSE TO

161
DUSAN DJUKICH

162
34 KIND
CHA

VE RSUS
PTE

NICE
R

163
DUSAN DJUKICH

The measure of a person’s results in life can


usually be reduced to the number of
uncomfortable conversations
he or she is willing to have.

Tom McGovern

164
35
T I O N
RE JEC
CHA

E R S US
V
O
PTE

E N
ITIV
R

POS

165
DUSAN DJUKICH

166
POSITIVE NO VERSUS REJECTION

167
DUSAN DJUKICH

168
36 R S U S
VE
CHA

A N C E ON
R I
PTE

L E T A T
TO FRON
R

CON

169
DUSAN DJUKICH

You have to take risks.


We will only understand the miracle of life fully
when we allow the unexpected to happen.

Paulo Coelho

1 70
TOLERANCE VERSUS CONFRONTATION

17 1
DUSAN DJUKICH

1 72
37
B E S
I T H AT
E S C R
CHA

T H AT D U A G E
E G Y
PTE

G U A G S L A N T
N I
R

A RSU A L
L ITY V E
S R E
E A L A T E
R CRE

17 3
DUSAN DJUKICH

1 74
LANGUAGE THAT DESCRIBES REALITY VERSUS LANGUAGE THAT CREATES REALITY

The future enters into us,


in order to transform itself in us,
long before it happens.

Rainer Maria Rilke

17 5
DUSAN DJUKICH

1 76
38
M E N T
LV E
NVO
CHA

VERS
US I
T
PTE

E N
ITM
R

C O M M

17 7
DUSAN DJUKICH

It was character that got us out of bed,


commitment that moved us into action,
and discipline that enabled us to follow through.

Zig Ziglar

1 78
COMMITMENT VERSUS INVOLVEMENT

17 9
DUSAN DJUKICH

180
39
U S
VERS
E
CHA

I U T
B VE
R
PTE

O T
N SER
I C
I DE
R

181
DUSAN DJUKICH

182
I CONTRIBUTE VERSUS I DESERVE

183
DUSAN DJUKICH

184
40 C T I ONS
CHA

A NS
TIV E AC T I O
E C E
PTE

R R T I V
CO ROTEC
R

R S U S P
VE

185
DUSAN DJUKICH

186
41 A T E R
CHA

VE RSUS L
PTE

NOW
R

187
DUSAN DJUKICH

188
NOW VERSUS LATER

In physics, the law of entropy says that


all systems, left unattended, will run down.
Unless new energy is pumped in,
the organism will disintegrate.

Alan Loy McGinnis

189
DUSAN DJUKICH

190
42
I S H
CH ILD
CHA

R S U S
VE
E
PTE

L I K
ILD
R

CH

191
DUSAN DJUKICH

192
43
I N G
P
US L AY
CHA

VERS
N
TO W I O O S E
PTE

I N G T L
T
R

P L AY NO

193
DUSAN DJUKICH

194
PLAYING TO WIN VERSUS PLAYING NOT TO LOSE

195
DUSAN DJUKICH

196
44 C O S T
RSUS
CHA

V E
EN T
PTE

S T M
NVE
R

197
DUSAN DJUKICH

198
45
U S
VERS
S
CHA

T I O N N S
C I O
PTE

R E A A C T
C O R FA C E
R

SU

199
DUSAN DJUKICH

20 0
46 R A Y
SUS S P
CHA

VER
PTE

C U S
FO
R

201
DUSAN DJUKICH

20 2
FOCUS VERSUS SPRAY

203
DUSAN DJUKICH

20 4
47
R S U S
V E
N E E
CHA

D O
DON
N B E
PTE

IT CA T BE
O W N ’
R

H WHY IT C A

205
DUSAN DJUKICH

20 6
HOW IT CAN BE DONE VERSUS WHY IT CAN’T BE DONE

207
DUSAN DJUKICH

20 8
HOW IT CAN BE DONE VERSUS WHY IT CAN’T BE DONE

Nobody said you couldn’t go out of the box.


You assumed there was a box, and
you assumed there was a rule.

Bob Koether

209
DUSAN DJUKICH

21 0
48 R I N G
SUS C A
CHA

VER
G
PTE

I N
STR ESS
R

211
DUSAN DJUKICH

21 2
STRESSING VERSUS CARING

213
DUSAN DJUKICH

21 4
STRESSING VERSUS CARING

215
DUSAN DJUKICH

21 6
49
U S
VERS
N G ON
CHA

L V I
I ECTI
A
PTE

I N G E R F
M A K AT I N G P
R

CRE

217
DUSAN DJUKICH

21 8
MAKING A LIVING VERSUS CREATING PERFECTION

Let the beauty of what you love


be what you do.

Rumi

219
DUSAN DJUKICH

220
50
S T S
TRA
CON
CHA

O T HE
T
PTE

G U P
KIN
R

WA

221
DUSAN DJUKICH

222
WAKING UP TO THE CONTRASTS

223
DUSAN DJUKICH

224
D IN G
R E A
D E D
M M EN
REC O

225
DUSAN DJUKICH

226
D E X
IN

100 B

A
,

, ,
,

, ,

, , ,
, ,

, ,

227
DUSAN DJUKICH

C
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228
INDEX

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, ,

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F H
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,
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I
G
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229
DUSAN DJUKICH

K , ,

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,
,

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O
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M
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23 0
INDEX

, , Q
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R
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,
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, ,

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,

S
,
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,
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231
DUSAN DJUKICH

, ,
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23 2
INDEX

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,
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Y
,

Z
, ,

, , , ,

233
SUNNY
www.StraightLineCoach.com
“...straight-up powerful and straight-away useful.”
Dale Dauten, Houston Chronicle

“Dusan Djukich shares the same principles that I live my life by


and that I used to create TBOLITNFL.com. The contents of this book are powerful
and life altering. It is my sincere desire that you not only read this book
but that you LIVE these principles.”

“Dusan’s ‘Straight-Line Leadership’ provides great insight


on how leaders can leverage their strengths to overcome any challenge.
A must-read for aspiring leaders at military academies.”

“Anyone interested in becoming a great leader needs to read this book.

succeed and encourage you to overcome the excuses that hold you
back from being a world-class leader.”

Conquer the Chaos

“Not some lame theory. Brutally direct and brilliant. ”

Socrates of modern coaching.”


Human 2.0 and

takes to get from A to B but in making that journey a compelling one. As you read

you will be amazed to watch yourself bring those goals to life!”

www.rdrpublishers.com

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