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Strategic
Acceleration
The belief that greatness already exists
becomes the enemy of mastery.
—Tony Jeary
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What people are saying about
Tony Jeary and his new book
To Fortunemagazine: “While I’d agree that Jim Loehr’s approach is bril-
liant in its uniqueness (manage your energy rather than your time), the
best coach out there is Tony Jeary, who personally coaches some of Amer-
ica’s top CEOs. These guys you’ve listed are not really coaching, they’ve
simply created large organizations of people who do so. And that’s a dif-
ferent success story from the one you headlined in your September issue.”
—Dan Seidman, author, Sales Autopsy
“Tony Jeary is the best coach in the business, and his latest book, filled
with fresh, real-world examples, shares secrets worth millions. Do what it
says and you’ll be on the road to the achievement of your full economic
potential.”
—Jason Jennings, New York Times best-selling author of Less Is More,
Think BIG—Act Small, andHit the Ground Running
“Great real-world examples and powerful exercises . . . this book is an
excellent tool to increase one’s effectiveness. I encourage you to learn from
Tony! I have and our organization has as well.”
—Joe Popolo, CEO, Freeman, the world’s
largest event marketing company
“This is your best book ever and should be a guiding principle and core
reading to recognized ‘stars’ and senior management of U.S. corporations.
It teaches vision, focus, and how critical clarity really is.”
—Mike Gade, board member, Home Depot
“My family and I have published the best ‘gurus’ in the world for decades,
including Tony. This new title is a must-read. Everyone needs focus, clar-
ity, and to execute to achieve results faster.”
—Vic Conant, CEO, Nightingale-Conant
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“The Strategic Acceleration methodology is a surefire way to fuel your
success. Tony Jeary can show you how to accelerate your results. Trust
me; I know him well.”
—Joe Croce, founder, CiCi’s Pizza
“Thanks to you and your staff, we are a better organization today because
of our relationship with you.”
—Mike Berry, president, Hillwood Properties, a Perot Company
“Your and your team’s skills are absolutely amazing!”
—Coleman Peterson, former executive vice president, Wal-Mart
“I am not only impressed with your coaching skills but more importantly
with your genuine commitment to supporting your clients and building a
true partnership.”
—Tom Grimm, former president and CEO, Sam’s Club
“If anyone ever asks me who I know to help them get a strategic handle
on their situation and find solutions fast, I will simply say, ‘Tony Jeary.’”
—Joel Barker, futurist and author of The Business of Paradigms
“Your library of information, ideas, and systems is a real treasure. And
your one-on-one coaching is absolutely the best.”
—R. Morris Sims, corporate vice president, New York Life
“Tony has always been excellent at helping top leaders develop their com-
munication skills and their personal brands. In his new book, Tony is
helping leaders learn, grow, and lead with higher levels of effectiveness
and impact. If you want to lead, or desire to be a better leader, this is a
must-read!”
—Tony Bingham, president and CEO, The
American Society for Training and Development
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“I have found Tony’s insights into inspiring audiences to be both practical
and helpful.”
—James O’Connor, president, Ford Motor Company
“Tony’s advice is sound, powerful, and impactful. He helps top people
gain clarity and focus that drives business results. His new book will help
you do just that. Get one for your whole team.”
—Mark Mitchell, managing director of
customer experience, American Airlines
“As a business strategist, Tony has helped me leverage over the years. He
helps people get clear, and clarity is directly linked to results. Take his
methodology seriously.”
—Michael Gorey, president and CEO, Firestone DP
“You can read and think about success all day long, but until you take
action, nothing will happen. Tony Jeary gives you the action items to get
you going in this new book Strategic Acceleration, Succeed at the Speed
of Life.”
Tom Hopkins, author of How to Master the Art of Selling
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Strategic
Acceleration
Succeed at the Speed of Life
Tony Jeary
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Copyright © 2009 by Tony Jeary
Published by Vanguard Press
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a re-
trieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani-
cal, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. For information and in-
quiries, address Vanguard Press, 387 Park Avenue South, 12th Floor, NYC, NY
10016, or call (800) 343–4499.
Designed by Joseph Parenteau
Set in 12-point Sabon
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jeary, Tony, 1961–
Strategic acceleration : succeed at the speed of life / Tony Jeary
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-59315-501-8 (alk. paper)
1. Success. 2. Change (Psychology) 3. Self-management (Psychology) 4. Self-
actualization (P)sychology) i. Title. ˆII. Title: Succeed at the speed of life.
BF637.S8J43 2009
650.1—dc22
2008039342
Vanguard Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the
U.S. by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information,
please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300
Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810–4145, ext.
5000, or e-mail [email protected].
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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C
ONTENTS
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1: The Speed of Life and What You Believe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
• Without Clarity, You Will Resist Strategic Change
• Perception Is Reality, Even if It’s Not the Truth
• The Things You Believe Impact Your Results
• The Value of Changing Strategic Beliefs: A Case Study
• Strategic vs. Tactical
• A Lack of Clarity Creates Felt Needs
• You Can Live in the Problem, or You Can Live in the
Solution
• Increasing Effectiveness Is the Strategic Issue in Improving
Results
• The Effectiveness Ladder
• How Far in the Future Can You See?
Chapter 2: The Pulling Power of Clarity: Vision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
• A Clear Vision Is Critical to Success and Effectiveness
• The Value of Combining Opportunity with Personal
Strengths: A Case Study
• Vision Can Transform the Worst of Circumstances
• Getting Better, Not Bitter: A Case Study
• Get Clear on What You Really Want
vii
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viii ■ Contents
• Recognize the Opportunities in Your Own Life
• Docking a Ship Seems Impossible, But It’s Actually a Series
of Small, Easy Steps
• Understanding Your Gifts and Strengths Is Critical
Chapter 3: Understanding the “Why” Produces Clarity . . . . . . . . . . 49
• The Clarity Equation
• What & Why: Developing Your Vision & Understanding
Your Influences
• Enabling Transparency: A Case Study
• Purpose: Communicating Motivators
• A Young Man’s Vision Becomes Reality: A Case Study
• Value: Articulating Felt Needs
• The Relationship of Value to Results
• Value in Action: Going for the Green: A Case Study
• Clarity: Pulling You Forward
• Tactical vs. Strategic Thinking
• Consequences of Not Having Clarity
• If-Then Thinking
• The Practical Effect of Clarity
• Clarity and Performance
Chapter 4: Focus Is the Opposite of Distraction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
• Learning How to Focus
• Rung #1: Become Aware of the Need for Focus
• Rung #2: Clarify the Need to Improve Your Focus Skills
• Rung #3: Focus on Improving Your Skills, Then Practice
• The Problem of Focusing on the Past
• The Problem of Focusing on the Future
• Rung #4: Execute Your Solution and Make It a Second-
Nature Routine
• Four Positive Characteristics of the Ability to Focus
Chapter 5: Finding Focus and Producing Real Results . . . . . . . . . . . 98
• Compare Your Current Situation with Your Future Vision
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Contents ■ ix
• Focus
• Getting Clear on Current Conditions
• Strategically Merging Positives and Negatives: A Case Study
• Venturing Into the Gap
• Strategies, Objectives, and Action Steps
• Putting Value in Perspective at The News Group: A Case
Study
• Organizing Your Goals and Locating Your Focus at Three
Levels
• Differentiating Your Focus at Each Tier of Your Vision
• Putting It All Together
Chapter 6: Persuasion Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
• The Strategic Acceleration Tripod
• The Execution Tripod
• Persuasion Is Critical to Execution
• What It Means to Exceed Expectations
• How Exceeding Expectations Impacts Results
• Understanding Expectations
• Persuasion Is the Key to Exceeding Expectations
• The Three Elements of Effective Persuasion
Chapter 7: Production Before Perfection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
• The Procrastination Problem
• Identifying the Foundations of Procrastination
• Procrastination Is Just a Bad Habit!
• Go as Far as You Can See, and Then You’ll See Farther
Chapter 8: The Persuasive Influence of Strategic Presence . . . . . . . 176
• Your “Strategic Presence” Defines Other People’s Perception
of You
• The Building Blocks of Strategic Presence
• Your Values Contribute to Your Strategic Presence
• Your Behavior Also Contributes to Your Strategic Presence
• How to Communicate Strategically
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• Creating Images of Influence
• Your Vision Statement
• Your Behavioral Priorities
• Presence Statements and Characteristics
• Why These Building Blocks Are Important
• Creating and Sustaining a Positive Strategic Presence
Requires Repetition
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Appendix A: Creating Your Clarity Blueprint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
• Exercise 1: Create Voluntary Change
• Exercise 2: Understand Your Influences
• Exercise 3: Understand Your Strategic Beliefs
• Exercise 4: Outline What You Need to Do to Get What You
Want
• Exercise 5: Document Your Vision
• Exercise 6: Unlock Your Internal Keys to Success
• Exercise 7: Explore Where You Are Today, Why You Might
Not Be Going Where You Want, and What Can
Be Changed
• Exercise 8: Document Your Vision’s Purpose and Value
• Exercise 9: Create Your Own Recipe for Clarity
Appendix B: Creating Your Focus Blueprint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
• Exercise 10: Evaluate Your Current Focus Skills
• Exercise 11: Improve Your Focus Skills
• Exercise 12: Get Clear on Current Conditions
• Exercise 13: Develop Your Strategic Plan
Appendix C: Creating Your Execution Blueprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
• Exercise 14: Determine What to Say and How to Say It
• Exercise 15: Give Value and Do More than Is Expected
• Exercise 16: Document What Is and Is Not Working Well
