Personal Advancement
Is positivity or greatness the key?Secrets of successRhonda Byrne's The Secret is an enormously popular book, video and website that, in a nutshell, says people can attract anything they want by simply thinking positive thoughts -- including financial and career success. |
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 [ 2007-06-27 ] |
But Gregg Thomson of Bluepoint Leadership Development doesn't buy it.
"The Secret apparently sees no need for messy words ... like sacrifice, commitment, service, failure, loneliness and perseverance," he says.
If you go to The Secret's official website, www.thesecret.tv, you might come across this pithy quote:
"One spring day towards the end of 2004, Rhonda Byrne discovered a secret -- the secret laws and principles of the universe."
It also lists the "summary teachings" of The Secret, including this gem:
"Money is magnetic energy. You are a magnet attracting to you all things, via the signal you are emitting through your thoughts and feelings. Discover how to become a powerful magnet for the creation of personal wealth."
How popular are Byrne's teachings? Well, The Secret has been on the New York Times best-seller list for 22 weeks, where it currently sits at No. 1 in the hardcover advice category. It's so popular, even Oprah has endorsed it.
Thomson, who has a master's degree in organization development from Pepperdine University, says it's nice to think that The Secret's "Law of Attraction" works, but it doesn't.
"As a student of leadership, I have found that great achievements come when leaders find their passions and express them through work," he says.
Thomson believes in a law of attraction, but it doesn't work the way The Secret proposes.
"Those leaders who come to work every day and bring their full, authentic selves to bear on everything they undertake attract others with their passion," he says. "The secret to their success is that, by living their own greatness and creating an organization where greatness is expected, they bring out the greatness in others."
He's got his own secrets book out called, Unleashed! Expecting Greatness and Other Secrets of Coaching for Exceptional Performance.
I'm thinking Thomson's book will get me a little closer to where I want to go.
But don't tell Oprah -- let's keep it a secret between you and me.
How many hours a week do you work?