Collaboration In a Nutshell
Since I have already written quite a great deal of material on Collaboration, I am NOT going to waste any more time here writing on this subject. Instead, for those who are not lazy and mentally challenged, let me point you to four (4) awesome examples of Collaboration I can think of: Example #1 :: Example #2 :: Example #3 :: Example #4
The bottom line is this: Collaboration is all about the following components: 1) Sharing A Cause, 2) Being Completely Independent, 3) Doing What You Can Do, 4) Giving What You Can Afford to Give without being compelled or mandated to do so, and 5) Moving On.
In the absence of any single one of these five (5) components, you have Cooperation - a parasitic or master-slave-moron relationship.
In Other Words, with respect to
- Component #1. If you join an organization, or associate with others, primarily or strictly on the basis of compensation and certain benefits to be derived, instead of a Cause that you have in common, then you are engaged in a parasitic relationship.
- Component #2. If you join an organization, or associate with others, without the Independence, freedom and ability to contribute as you see fit; regardless as to whether or not your contribution is accepted, welcomed, appreciated, or compensated; then you are engaged in both a parasitic and master-slave-moron relationship.
- Component #3. If you join an organization, or associate with others, and You Are Unable to Do What You Claim That You Can Do - Or your performance is based strictly or primarily on compensation instead of willingly doing What You Can Do - then you are engaged in both a parasitic and master-slave-moron relationship.
- Component #4. If you join an organization, or associate with others, and You Are Unable to Give What You Claim That You Can Afford to Give - or Refuse to Give What You Claim That You Can Afford to Give - or are Compelled or Mandated To Give in any way, shape or form, then you are engaged in a parasitic relationship.
- Component #5. If you join an organization, or associate with others, and You Are Unable to Move On once the usefulness of your talents and efforts is no longer an imperative (i.e., once there are now 100's to 1000's of others out there in the marketplace who can pick up where you leave off), then you are engaged in a parasitic relationship.
Principled Leadership In a Nutshell
Since I have also written quite a great deal on Principled Leadership, let me just point you to the three (3) best examples of Principled Leadership I can think of: Example #1 :: Example #2 :: Example #3
The bottom line is this: Principled Leadership is all about Principled Leaders who: 1) subscribe to the universal a priori ethical code of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," 2) are only able to Lead themselves and have absolutely no desire to lead others, 3) are only willing to Collaborate with other Principled Leaders on a co-equal basis, and last but not least, 4) eschew all forms of hierarchical (slave-master-moron) relationships.
In the absence of any single one of these four (4) components, what you have can only be properly described as the typical Employer-Employee, Leader-Mindless Follower, Slave-Master-Moron, Influencer-Sycophant, Royalty-Inferior Subject, Strong-Weak, Bully-Coward, Cunning Psychopath-Truly Gullible, Demagogue-Moron, Cult Leader-Imbecile Follower, Ideologue-Mindless Zombie, Predator-Prey, and Might Is Right forms of Leadership.
In fact, these are the only forms of Leadership that mankind has ever known or experienced.
That means, as it stands today, other than at a VOMI-related entity, you will NOT be able to find any organization or institution in the world which practices Principled Leadership.
How Collaboration and Principled Leadership Makes a Difference
In a world or society where Collaboration and Principled Leadership are understood, adopted and practiced,
- We would no longer have "employers" and "employees." These terms would be considered "denigrating." Instead we would only have "Collaborators" who do NOT depend on anyone or any organization or institution in order to satisfy their needs.
- No single individual would ever have to worry about being laid off or terminated by an "employer."
- The idea of a very speculative and high-risk Equity Market akin to a casino and ponzi scheme operation would become a very primitive and obsolete concept for the simple reason that Disproportionate Wealth for a few would no longer be generated from any Equity Market. There would be much more lucrative opportunities for every single Collaborator to generate an immense amount of wealth which is not subject to the vagaries of the financial markets. That means, the "wealth gap" and being homeless or unable to pay your rent or mortgage and relying on government assistance, subsistence, largesse or edicts to forestall your eviction would be considered very primitive, archaic circumstances and relics of the past.
- The notion that Academics :::: who are supposed to be "Enlightened" and entrusted with the solemn responsibility of cultivating society's young and fertile minds :::: would cower in fear like a bunch of frightened animals and go along with the mandates of a bunch of Political Mobsters, Technocrats, Demagogues, Tyrants, Psychopaths, Sociopaths, Fake Scientists, and PsyOps Professionals :::: without even a whimper of protest and discontent :::: is not only unfathomable but also could never be a possibility. That means we would never have to worry about the sort of trauma that today's college students are experiencing.
- Every single college graduate would be inundated with an avalanche of opportunities to Collaborate immediately upon graduation.
- New College Students (the incoming class) would never be faced with the sort of nightmarish, dystopian, and totalitarian world on a College Campus that today's Class of 2024 is faced with. No College Administrator in their right mind and with an ounce of dignity would ever allow something like that to happen on their watch regardless of the dictates of the State or any local government. No Parent would ever succumb to such idiocies. No Student would ever agree to such learning environment and living conditions.
- No Parent would ever allow the State to dictate to them when, where, how and by whom their minor children can be educated. That means the sort of dystopian reality that today's children are confronted with would be nothing but a "nightmarish past" and "distant memory."
- The idea that over 7 billion people across the globe could be subject to as well be coerced to go along with or voluntarily submit to "lockdown mandates, restrictions and orders" by the State or any other power or entity is not only an absolute impossibility but is also something that could never be uttered seriously or in jest, in private or public, to anyone by any responsible or sane member of the executive, legislative and judicial branch of government anywhere in the world.
In fact, prior to this so-called pandemic, I never thought even in my wildest dreams that the American people could be so gullible, easily manipulated, cowardly, and weak to go along with such diabolical scheme. So much for the myth about Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!
How You Can Make the Transition From Employee or Stakeholder to Collaborator
Regardless of your current station in life (e.g., Religious Leader, Royalty, Head of State, Military Leader, Political Leader, Legislative Executive, Judicial Executive, Chairman, CEO, CXO, Member of Executive Leadership Team, Board Member, VP, Manager, Staff Member, Line Member) the only way you can make the transition to Collaborator is to take the following steps in chronological order:
- Do a great deal of soul searching in order to determine a Cause of great interest to you that you would willingly support or dedicate yourself to for the rest of your entire life without any sort of reservation. A cause that requires no deliberation or justification and which has no need for anyone's permission or approval. By all means, be sure to exclude any sort of financial compensation or "how you are going to make a living" from your thought processes.
- Refrain from trying to locate individuals and organizations with worthy causes that you would like to support and contribute to. You must strictly focus on your own cause or else you will quickly become disappointed with these other causes and continually embark on a "cause shopping spree."
- Once you are at peace with that decision, then go ahead and seek others who share the same Cause via social media and any other medium.
- Once you have identified these individuals and organizations, contact only The Head of these organizations in order to offer to Collaborate based on the foregoing definition of Collaboration. There is a good reason for that: If "The Head" of such organization is too damn busy or feels too important to respond directly to your offer to collaborate, then that means they know nothing at all about Collaboration and you'll be better off on your own or someplace else.
- By all means, being a Collaborator does NOT mean that you have to quit Your Current Day Job since they are not mutually exclusive. Becoming a Collaborator is strictly the fastest and most reliable way to lessen your dependence on - and to Quit - Your Day Job.
Making the Transition From Leadership to Principled Leadership Since Virtual Organization Management Institute and affiliated or related entities are the only organizations in the world which practice Principled Leadership, that means it would be a quixotic effort to try to identify a Principled Leadership entity anywhere in the world. Therefore, throughout the introduction process with non-VOMI related entities, your task is to introduce them to the foregoing Principled Leadership concept.
The point being, it is NOT their actions that you need to monitor and regulate. It is YOUR VERY OWN ACTIONS which must adhere to the "Principled Leadership" concept. You get to Lead Yourself instead of trying to lead others. You get to Lead by example.
Turning A Nightmare Into A Dream Come True
In conclusion, the COVID-19 episode has been a blessing in disguise for many in the sense that it has been A Time to Pause and Reflect for:
- Anyone who has ever felt trapped in a dead-end job for the simple reason that they need to make a living and care for their loved ones.
- Anyone who had given up on their dreams and aspirations simply because they were told in more ways than one that they had to be pragmatic because ''a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
- Anyone who is afraid of "aiming too high" because others around them led them to believe that what they sought to achieve was nothing but "a pie in the sky" or they need to pay their dues first prior to aspiring to such high position.
- Anyone who has been "dumbed down" for so long that they've lost all sense of self-worth and dignity and thus believe that they themselves are not entitled to live a free, dignified, and prosperous life.
- Anyone who has ever been told "it's not what you know, it's all about who you know" and felt left out because they weren't a member of the Good Ole Boys Club.
- Anyone who now lives in a country with a "caste system" that determines how far you can go and how high you can ever rise in life.
- Anyone who now lives in a country where your "family name" determines how many doors will open for you and how much you can ever hope to achieve in this life.
- Any woman who has ever felt that they needed to be part of the Good Ole Boys Club in order to succeed (i.e., they needed a man to help them succeed or rise to the top).
- Anyone who has ever felt that they Needed to Be Sponsored or Validated by the Powers-That-Be in order to succeed or rise to the top.
- Anyone who is just downright sick and tired of blaming others or constantly coming up with pathetic excuses as to why they are living a shitty life.
- Anyone who is just downright sick and tired of constantly getting manipulated by all the forces arrayed against them; have made a decision to no longer take any kind of shit from anyone; and have opted to be responsible for their own life and put their life in their own hands.
- Anyone who has ever been told that they are either too young and naive, too arrogant, too dark-skinned, too light-skinned, too ethnic, too old and have too much experience, too inexperienced, too dumb, too stupid, too fat, too skinny, too tall, and too short to ever hope to accomplish something that they aspire to.
- Anyone who believes that their nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation is a contributing factor to their current lot in life.
Now that I have introduced you to the Power of Collaboration and Principled Leadership, the only person who can ever get in your way is YOU and no one else. The only name that you need in order to open doors for you is Your Own Name. The only person who needs to Validate you is YOU. You are NOT too young, too old, too dumb, etc., to aspire to accomplish anything in this world. You can now say "Fuck the Good Ole Boys Club and Powers-That-Be" and focus on becoming a Collaborator and Principled Leader. All you need is a Cause! (And it does NOT have to be Our Cause.)
Hold On to Your Precious Gift of Collaboration and Principled Leadership
There is no greater power on earth than Collaboration: "being able to do what you can do" strictly because you want to and for no other reason; and Principled Leadership: "being able to Lead Yourself" in accordance with the highest a priori ethical code of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" strictly because that is the right thing to do.
They are the world's most powerful Weapon, Armor and Shield that anyone could ever possess and the world's most valuable and priceless gift. Therefore, hold on to your priceless gift as if your life depends on it - because it does.
Make no mistake about it, many will question your actions and motives, and silently ponder, "What's your angle? You've just provided me with advice or services worth millions of dollars and yet you did not charge me one dollar, is it because you don't understand the value of what you just did for me or are you downright stupid?"
Indeed, in my case, some will outright protest and demand that I accept some form of compensation. And some will repay my gesture with a gift or token of appreciation.
But what most of them fail to realize is that I haven't really done anything for them, I did what I did for my own soul and they just happen to be around at the right time and place to be the beneficiary of my deeds. The benefits that I derive from such deeds are innumerable and I am really and truly thankful to be blessed with the skills and talent I was able to share with others when they needed it the most. That's all!
Therefore, if you happen to be a beneficiary of my deeds, I only expect you to do one thing: Just pay it forward!
Moreover, I don't want to get mystical, but let me state this as clearly as I can without sounding superstitious or religious. The point being, there have been many times in my life when "doors opened for me" unexpectedly and out of nowhere; when I wondered how it was humanly possible for me to overcome normally insurmountable disasters and tragic experiences; and many other events and stories that are so mind-bending that they make you wonder if there is some sort of intelligence out there (from a scientific standpoint we have yet to discover) watching over us, keeping count and taking notes of our actions, and being of assistance to those who are deserving.
As the old saying goes, when you learn to do the right thing, you have nothing to worry about; but when you live by the sword, you die by the sword.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Although this is a very brief document (don't laugh), please note that all the links contained herein lead to a grand total of nearly 800 pages of content. Thus the reason I stated earlier that learning how to Collaborate is NOT for the lazy or mentally-challenged.
In the event you are able to meet that challenge, then I invite you to review the following VOMI-related initiatives in order to determine if there is any sort of synergy between any of them and YOUR (new) Cause:
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, here is what we are all about in chronological order:
- Agenda Item #1. Internal Providers License. Being the founder of both the Virtual Organization Management discipline pioneered since 1997 and Virtual Organization Management Institute, my primary focus is on offering to Global 5000 organizations and governments worldwide an Internal Providers License which will allow them to offer the Virtual Organization Leadership Executive Training, Assessment and Certification and the formal Virtual Organization Leadership Executive designation to 1000 Mid-Level Management to Senior Level Executives within their own organization.
