July 1, 2010

What Motivates an Author?

I never had any plans to write a book. In fact it never occurred to me.

I left my executive position as Chief Marketing Officer with TELUS, a major Telecommunications Company in Canada, and decided to develop Seminars and Workshops for organizations looking for ideas to take their performance to the next level.

I had a great deal of material to work with since I spent 33 + years as the “Communicator”, “Change Leader”, “Experiementer Guy”, the “Try-it Guy” and the “Innovator” who would push the organization to adopt new ways of doing business. You might recall that in the 1970’s cataclysmic changes in the Telecom industry were happening as a result of all-out competition being permitted by Regulators worldwide, and dramatic technological change. Both factors changed our environment considerably.

Why this direction after leaving a very structured career?
> I am not a strong altruistic person, but I wanted to “change a life” in business.
> I wanted to be a resource person, particularly for small-to-medium business, that could apply my lifelong learnings to help others be successful and survive.
> I loved the “show” of giving presentations. Performing always was a passion of mine, and these events provided an effective outlet.
> It turned me on to see someone’s face light up when one of my ideas excited them and the “WOW” factor kicked in.
> This is a great context to continue to learn more about my own material. EVERY presentation unearths a deeper perspective for me of my work. Different angles. Flaws that need to be corrected. Audience feedback that should be incorporated. Examples that strengthen the principles.

My book was the evolutionary consequence of “The Show”. My audience wanted a more permanent record of my Power Point slides. They wanted more detail. More examples.

They suggested I write a book. Being the customer-obsessed person that I am I couldn’t refuse. BE DiFFERENT or be dead was born over a eighteen month gestation period.

It’s interesting to me that I don’t see myself as a writer. I see myself as a business guy with lots to share, and a strong desire to do so. And I’m getting tremendous satisfaction from it.

Cheers, Roy
Remember to follow me on Twitter

Book Pages
BE DiFFERENT or be dead:Your Business Survival Guide
About the Book
About the Author
Critical Praise for BE DiFFERENT

Leadership | Permalink
Posted 7.1.10 at 08:00 am by Roy Osing | Read Comments (0) | Leave a Comment