But before I tell you about that, I want to take you back to 1997, when I read a book that changed my life…
In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey explains how to create a personal mission statement.
I first wrote mine 22 years ago. It was simple. And I’ve lived it ever since:
Be the best you can be. Make a difference. And enjoy life.
This has been my compass for every decision I’ve made and for every action I’ve taken in my life and business. I literally map out everything I do against these criteria.
So when I founded 4PC – my community of fascinating leaders – I knew it would be about 3 things:
- Be the best you can be
We are a group of leaders who never stop learning. We’re at the top of our fields and we share our unique wisdom with one another.
- Make a difference
We are more excited about the word “impact” than any other word. Every member has a track record of success behind them. But a big mission ahead of them.
- Enjoy life
We are about success, no doubt. But we’re also about creating more fun and more freedom than ever before. As Tony Robbins once said, “Success without fulfilment is the greatest failure…”
Stop teasing. Why’d you rent a castle, Rich?
I’m getting there. But first, let me ask you a question:
How many introverts does it take to change a lightbulb?
None. Are you crazy? If we turn the lights on, someone might see we’re home and want to come over and hang out!
Look, I’m mostly an introvert. That doesn’t mean I’m shy but it does mean I need a few days – watching Netflix alone – to regain my energy after hanging out with other people!
I like parties but I’ll probably never plan one. And you’ll definitely never find me in the middle of the room making small talk.
Most leaders don’t truly understand delegation. It’s not making others do all the crap you don’t want to do. Delegation is the art of asking people to do things that they’d love to do…
So when I asked Wendy on my team if she’d organize our 4PC parties, she was in heaven. You see, she loves planning great parties even more than she loves going to parties!
4PC is a group of leaders who work hard. But we also know the importance of playing hard.
We’re not afraid to wear wigs:
We’ve had a “Party like a Rockstar!” party:
My kids weren’t invited. They just had to get in on the action!
We’ve camped out at a Wolf Sanctuary:
And we’ve even had a onesie party!
We’ve escaped from an Escape Room together, we’ve had a stargazing party in Arizona, we’ve had a treasure hunt in London, we’ve been to Trapeze School together on Santa Monica pier and had a Superhero party!
I have a low threshold for boredom…
So we rarely do the same thing twice in 4PC!
When it dawned on me that one of the challenges of being visionary leaders is that we are so future-focused, I decided that in 4PC, in 2020, we’ll be taking a dive into history.
As the philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
In February, we’re to New Mexico, for a private, 4 day Intensive. We’re staying at a hotel with a 400 year old history – in Santa Fe, an unusually magical town.
Then, in August, we’re going back almost 3,000 years in time – to England. Which is why… I rented a castle!
We’ll be living on a tiny island on the British coastline, connected to the mainland by a thin strip of land.
It’s the site of the first documented Viking landing. In 789 BC, three lost Viking ships made land and an official of the King tried to collect taxes from them but they killed him and sailed on!
The reason I am curating 4PC as a community of people I personally love to hang out in, is summed up best by Amy Poehler:
“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”
Do you have a group of people who challenge and inspire you?
Love. Rich