*****
Mojo
By Marshall Goldsmith, with Mark Reiter,
Hyperion, 205 pages, $34.99
"Got my mojo working," Muddy Waters sang. Even among people who don't quite know what mojo is, executive coach Marshall Goldsmith will attract many readers with the title of his latest book, Mojo: How To Get It, How To Keep It, and How To Get It Back If You Lose It.
Sports fans might connect mojo to momentum in a game, and Mr. Goldsmith does offer the example of a basketball team, seemingly defeated at half time, coming back to later win.
But he stresses the transformation in poise, confidence and bearing for both teams that accompanies that flip in momentum.
He says mojo is the moment when we do something that's purposeful, powerful, and positive - and the rest of the world recognizes it. It's about happiness and meaning in life.
"Mojo is the positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside," he notes in the book written with agent Mark Reiter.
Our mojo is apparent when the positive feelings toward what we are doing come from within and are evident for others to see, so there is no gap between the positive way we perceive ourselves and how we are perceived by others.
To help understand mojo, contemplate the opposite: "nojo."
You have seen it in people who have a negative attitude toward what they are doing that starts from the inside and radiates to everyone around them.
They play the victim instead of taking responsibility, stay in place rather than marching forward, try to do only the minimum, rather than run the extra mile, are uninterested, rather than curious, and indifferent, rather than caring.
Mr. Goldsmith works with top executives to change such behaviour.
With that in mind, he identifies four vital ingredients that need to be combined in order for you to have - and benefit from - mojo:
Identity
Who do you think you are? You need a firm handle on your identity to understand why you gain - or lose - mojo. The issue is not how others perceive you, but how you perceive yourself, he stresses.
To alter behaviour, we often need to change our identity - our self-perception, he advises.
Chatting with Bono of the Irish band U2, he picked up on the following identities as the singer described his life: Regular guy, a bloke from Dublin who liked to hang out with his mates; musician; rock star; and latest, humanitarian.
"He did not let his definition of who he was - attractive as the identity of a rock star may be - limit his potential of what else he could become," Mr. Goldsmith notes.
Achievement
What have you done lately? What accomplishments have meaning for you and an effect on others? In studying achievements, focus on what you bring to the task and what the task gives you, he advises. Be sure not to overestimate - or underestimate - your achievement. And consider whether you are succeeding in areas that are important to you while letting go of achievement that doesn't bring happiness and meaning to your life.
Reputation
Who do people think you are? How do people respond to the identity you have carved out for yourself and your achievements? You may not agree with others' assessments, but you need to be aware of them -and how you are going to change your reputation.
Acceptance
What can you change about the people and events around you, and what is beyond your control? We often need to accept things that we may dislike, to find the positive spirit in our lives and positive actions that Mr. Goldsmith is talking about. Instead of whining about being passed over for a promotion or some other business setback, take it in stride, and move on.
