Summary: Lift Your Impact: Transform Your Mindset, Influence, and Future to Elevate Your Work, Team, and Life by Richard Newman

Recommendation

Award-winning writer and communications expert Richard Newman offers step-by-step guidance to improve your mind-set, influence and future. Informed by global training sessions with over 120,000 people, his “Lift” method helps you articulate the future you want and shows you how to get there. He offers easy-to-implement advice on how to expand your influence using effective messaging and delivery techniques, and provides practical tips to relieve stress and boost performance during high-stakes moments. If you put in the work, Newman promises, you’ll likely make tangible, rewarding progress toward your goals.

Take-Aways

• Clarify and reinforce your core values.
• Create a compelling vision story.
• Embody multiple archetypes to expand your identity.
• Position yourself as a mentor inspiring a hero on their journey.
• Lift others by asking questions and listening deeply.
• Develop a clear and compelling message by invoking images, sparking curiosity, and crafting a strong headline.
• Align your words, tone, emotions and body language.
• Prepare yourself to excel in high-stakes moments through positive self-talk, deep breathing and cold exposure.
• Build momentum toward your goals through commitment, action and repetition.

Summary

Clarify and reinforce your core values.

Core values – such as freedom, security or compassion – shape your personal identity and guide you toward meaningful goals. Reflect on them to provide a powerful source of internal validation and intrinsic motivation; they help you stay calm under pressure and push forward with your best work.

To define your core values, start with what you want and work backward to discover why you want it. For example, if you want to earn more money, is it because you want to support your family or travel the world? If the former, you may value security; if the latter, freedom. In either case, write down why that value matters to you and how it has shaped your life. Apply the same process to arrive at three core values. Then, use code words to turbocharge their impact. Code words anchor your mind in your core values.

Create a compelling vision story.

After clarifying your core values, craft a vision story that engages your survival, emotional and logical mind. Start with what’s happening now. What makes you happy or sad? What events led to where you are now? What do you hope for in the future? Next, transform those answers into a compelling story using this five-part structure:

1. Define your character – Write down a list of “I am” statements that describe how you see yourself. They can be positive, negative or neutral, such as, “I am reliable,” “I am bored” or “I am an accountant.” Is that list leading to the life you want? If it isn’t, what would? Describe that future identity with “I am” statements and repeat them to inspire yourself. Lastly, prime your mind for positivity by writing down your core values and what makes you grateful.
2. Understand your current challenges – Focus on your daily life and write down your current challenges. How do they affect you? Assume you do nothing to overcome those challenges. How would your life get worse? Write down what you need to do to avoid this.
3. Identify your North Star – Craft a clear vision, derived from your core values, that guides your daily decisions. This is your North Star. In the midst of chaos, difficulties and uncertainty, your North Star helps keep you on the right path. Once you’ve identified it, write down your North Star. Use descriptive, passionate language to engage your emotional mind and stir up inspiration.
4. Map out your journey – With your North Star fixed, write down three areas you need to work on to reach it. Within each area, identify existing obstacles and solutions. Then, provide proof (for example, data, anecdotes and reasons) to convince your logical mind that the journey is doable.
5. Take your first step – Write down one small, specific and actionable step you can take to move toward your North Star.

“This is your story, and even if you have been through some difficult times, or are currently in one now, you can always find a blank page in a notepad somewhere, write a new Vision Story, and become a new character in your future. You hold the pen.”

When structured in this order, your vision story engages your survival mind by tapping into current challenges, your emotional mind by inspiring a future vision, and your logical mind by providing proof that you can tackle the journey ahead.

Embody multiple archetypes to expand your identity.

Archetypes are universal patterns of behavior you can use to harness your potential. All archetypes exist in everyone, though some may feel unfamiliar to you if they’ve laid dormant for some time. Explore and embrace all of them to tackle challenges and expand your impact.

The Lift method focuses on six archetypes:

• Shield – This archetype defends people and principles.
• Showtime – This archetype provides inspiration, motivation and momentum.
• Sprite – This archetype defuses tensions, connects playfully and builds friendships.
• Servant – This archetype supports and uplifts others.
• Sage – This archetype facilitates deep discussions.
• Sovereign – This archetype delegates tasks and leads decision-making.

“To lift your life, you must be willing to grow your identity.”

Identify and embody multiple archetypes to overcome challenges and create more meaning. To start using this method, determine the archetype you embody most often and reflect on situations where it’s helpful and limiting. Reflect on current challenges you can’t quite overcome. Would adopting a different archetype improve your performance? If so, learn to personify that archetype in appropriate situations and adjust your environment and routines accordingly.

Furthermore, each archetype is paired with a natural element to help you access it. For example, Sage is linked with earth and Showtime with fire. To get in touch with the Sage archetype, for example, walk barefoot in the grass or sit quietly on the ground. To access the Showtime archetype, sit in front of a fire, absorbing its warmth and light.

Position yourself as a mentor inspiring a hero on their journey.

When giving advice to influence others, take on the role of mentor guiding a hero on their path to redemption.

“Great Mentors in real life need to empower the Hero to succeed after they are gone.”

Use the five-step PRO system to inspire others to action:

• Problem – Engage the survival mind by focusing on problems, concerns and worries mentees find important. In business, this often means MTV – money (resources), time (deadlines) and value (reputation). Don’t rush into solutions. Instead, dig into driving concerns.
• Promise – Unlock the emotional mind by using “what-if” statements to describe the promise of a better future.
• Process – Harness the logical mind by explaining how they’ll overcome current challenges to reach that better future. Break the process down into stages to avoid overwhelm.
• Proof – Use the logical mind again by providing evidence – case studies, testimonials, anecdotes – to show the process will work.
• Prompt – Deliver a small, simple and manageable prompt to get people to take one step forward.

If you encounter resistance to your advice, use the PRO system as a two-way conversation to gain deeper understanding of those you’re seeking to influence.

Lift others by asking questions and listening deeply.

To build strong relationships with stakeholders, state your intentions clearly, ask great questions and practice deep listening. First, let them know why you’re there and what you care about. Then, learn about the problems they’re facing by asking questions about facts, feelings and values. Apply the same method to understand the promise that’s guiding them toward their North Star. With the problem and promise clarified, you can discuss the process, proof and prompt knowing the stakeholders care about the end result.

“If you want to build a deeper conversation and lift the other person, you must listen so thoughtfully that the barriers and armor of standard conversation disappear.”

Deep listening comes in two varieties: active and empathetic. Active listening builds rapport. It’s when you adjust your word choice and body language to match the other person. Empathetic listening is when you can see a situation through someone else’s eyes and feel what it’s like to be them.

If you know you’re going into a contentious situation, it’s important to lift yourself beforehand. Breathe deeply and focus on how you want your message to make the stakeholders feel. Focus on the future they desire and suggest a win-win path forward. Also, remember that most objections can be overcome.

Develop a clear and compelling message by invoking images, sparking curiosity, and crafting a strong headline.

Make intricate and sophisticated messaging irresistible by following the PITCH formula.

• Personal – When crafting a message, make it personally relevant to the audience. People care far more about messages that directly affect them.
• Images – People remember images remarkably well. In fact, a few days after being shown 2,500 images, people recalled them with 90% accuracy. A year later, their accuracy was still 63%. If you’re giving a presentation, use images that explain the message. If you’re in a conversation, use descriptive language to paint a picture.
• Tangible – Make your message more tangible by using language that elicits an image, such as “boots on the ground” to describe military action.
• Curiosity – Run engaging meetings that spark curiosity. For example, you can pose a question, leave out a key piece of information and then ask for answers.
• Headline – Craft a strong headline that sums up your message and guides your vision. When developing the iPhone, Steve Jobs used the headline, “Apple reinvents the phone” to guide his team’s actions.

Align your words, tone, emotions and body language.

To ensure people listen to and act on your message, emphasize congruence, emotional intention and body language. Congruence means aligning your words, tone, expressions and gestures to create a clear message. Or, as writers say, “show don’t tell” – if you say you’re excited, look excited. Emotional intention is understanding what you want your audience to “know, do and feel.”

“Good ideas are important, but you must deliver your message in the most compelling way for it to succeed.”

Body language is to effective speakers what proper technique is to pro athletes. Without it, you won’t go far. Master your body language by standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, sitting centered with your sternum lifted, and moving with a sense of purpose and your elbows away from your body. Furthermore, turn your palms up to signal warmth and openness, and turn them down to signal closure or decisiveness. When giving a talk that shows progression over time, gesture or move to your right (the audience’s left) when discussing the past and negative points, and gesture or move to your left (the audience’s right) when discussing the future and positive elements.

In virtual meetings, try to recreate the in-person experience as much as possible. Frame your shot at eye level, avoid backlighting, keep your hands visible, and use a lavalier microphone for clear sound.

Prepare yourself to excel in high-stakes moments through positive self-talk, deep breathing and cold exposure.

High-stakes moments are stressful, and stressful events trigger fight-flight-or-freeze responses. When you need to perform at your peak, those automatic reactions can hold you back. However, positive, realistic self-talk, breathing exercises and cold exposure can help you regain control and reduce stress.

Self-talk can settle your nerves so long as it’s positive and evidence-based. For example, athletes usually say they’re excited rather than nervous before a competition. Both emotions involve sweaty palms, a racing heart and shallow breathing, but excitement frames it in a positive light, whereas nervousness simply interferes. If you have a similar response before a pivotal moment, reframe it in a positive light and repeat reassuring statements such as, “I’ve done this before, and I can do it again.”

• Breathing exercises – such as diaphragmatic breathing, 5552 rhythmic breathing and the physiological sigh – can help re-establish calm.
• Diaphragmatic breathing – Place one hand on your stomach, exhale fully while saying “shhh,” pause for two seconds and then breathe naturally for a few cycles.
• 5552 rhythmic breathing – Exhale fully to release dead air from your lungs and hold for two seconds. Then, inhale for five, hold for five, exhale for five, hold for two and repeat.
• Physiological sigh – Take a full breath in through your nose, then breathe in a bit more, and exhale with a sigh through your mouth. Repeat two-to-three times for greater benefits.
• Cold exposure – ideally, 11 minutes a week of ice baths up to your neck – can help you manage adrenaline and boost dopamine. You can split this into multiple sessions of around three minutes each throughout the week.

Build momentum toward your goals through commitment, action and repetition.

To achieve long-term goals, consistent action is necessary, and the CAR method can help. CAR stands for commitment, action and repetition. Now that you have a vision for your future life that you’ve written down, make a commitment to reach a specific milestone on your journey and share it with others to hold yourself accountable.

Next, take immediate action through one small step, and establish repetition by creating routines and rituals. Routines should be non-negotiable and easy to do, and can be stacked on top of existing habits. For example, if you already drink coffee in the morning, reflect on your core values while it brews. Rituals pair sensory anchors with feelings of empowerment, such as listening to a favorite song, and should be portable, short and leave you feeling uplifted.

“When you choose routines that create and support your future story, you can shift your identity and become the person you want to be. ”

Finally, regularly visualize your ideal future and reflect on your vision story to maintain focus and help you reach your goals.

About the Author

Richard Newman is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, coach and founder of Body Talk, a training company that offers evidence-based courses on the psychology of communication.

Review

Certainly, I’d be happy to provide a detailed review of the book “Lift Your Impact: Transform Your Mindset, Influence, and Future to Elevate Your Work, Team, and Life” by Richard Newman.

Overview

“Lift Your Impact” is a thought-provoking book that offers practical strategies for individuals to enhance their mindset, influence, and future. The author, Richard Newman, is a renowned leadership coach and business consultant who shares his expertise on how to unlock one’s potential and create a positive impact in the workplace and beyond.

Key Takeaways

• Mindset Matters: Newman emphasizes the importance of having a growth mindset, which involves embracing challenges, learning from failures, and seeing obstacles as opportunities for growth. He encourages readers to adopt a mindset that values continuous learning, innovation, and improvement.
• Influence is Key: Newman highlights the significance of building influence in the workplace and beyond. He provides strategies for developing emotional intelligence, communication skills, and networking to enhance one’s ability to influence others.
• Future Focus: The book stresses the importance of having a future-focused mindset, which involves setting clear goals, visualizing success, and taking deliberate actions to achieve them. Newman encourages readers to think creatively, be adaptable, and embrace change to stay ahead of the curve.
• Personal Branding: Newman emphasizes the importance of building a strong personal brand, which involves developing a unique value proposition, showcasing one’s expertise, and building a reputation as a thought leader.
• Culture Shifts: The book provides insights on how to drive cultural shifts within organizations, including developing a clear vision, aligning teams, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
• Leadership Development: Newman offers practical advice on how to develop leadership skills, including coaching, mentoring, and sponsorship. He emphasizes the importance of building a leadership pipeline and developing a culture of leadership at all levels of the organization.
• Well-being and Resilience: The book touches on the importance of prioritizing one’s well-being and building resilience in the face of challenges. Newman provides strategies for managing stress, building a support network, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Strengths

• The book provides actionable strategies and practical advice for individuals looking to enhance their mindset, influence, and future.
• Newman’s writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making the book accessible to a wide range of readers.
• The book covers a wide range of topics, from mindset and influence to leadership development and cultural shifts, making it a comprehensive resource for personal and professional growth.

Weaknesses

• At times, the book feels repetitive, with some concepts being covered in multiple chapters.
• While the book provides strategies for building a personal brand, it could delve deeper into the topic, particularly for readers who are new to the concept.
• Some of the examples and case studies used in the book feel dated, and more recent examples could have been used to illustrate the concepts.

Conclusion

“Lift Your Impact” is a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their mindset, influence, and future. While it may not be a groundbreaking book in terms of new ideas, it provides practical strategies and actionable advice that can be applied to personal and professional life. The book’s focus on mindset, influence, and future provides a comprehensive framework for individuals looking to create a positive impact in their work and beyond. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to elevate their work, team, and life.