ael Mcqueen
Momentum
This book provides great insight and a roadmap for creating the energy that is needed to fuel organisations that don't want to fall behind.
Michael explores the depth and breadth of any leader's greatest asset – momentum. This book will inspire the new entrant and challange even the most seasoned leader.
First published in 2016 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
42 McDougall St, Milton Qld 4064
Office also in Melbourne
Typeset in 9.5/12.5 pt Rajdhani
© Michael McQueen t/a The Nexgen Group Pty Ltd 2016
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.
Cover and internal design: Jennifer El-Chah, Loved.Locked.Loaded.
Cover image: © pogonici/Shutterstock
Author Image: © Toby Zerna
‘Introducing Momentum' chapter opener image: © canbedone/Shutterstock
‘Enemies of Momentum' chapter opener image: © Anna Omelchenko/Shutterstock
‘Activity' chapter opener image: © jack-sooksan/Shutterstock
‘Focus' chapter opener image: © Vladimir Arndt/Shutterstock
‘Consistency' chapter opener image: © Rena Schild/Shutterstock
Disclaimer
The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.
About the author
Michael McQueen understands what it takes to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
Widely recognised for having his finger on the pulse of business and culture, he has helped some of the world's best-known brands navigate disruption and maintain relevance.
As a leading specialist in social shifts, change management and future trends, Michael features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and has written four bestselling books.
Michael is a familiar face on the international conference circuit having shared the stage with the likes of Bill Gates, Whoopi Goldberg and Larry King. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people across 5 continents since 2004 and is known for his high-impact, research-rich and entertaining conference presentations.
In 2015, Michael was named Australia's Keynote Speaker of the Year and was inducted into the Professional Speakers Halls of Fame.
Michael and his family live in Sydney, Australia.
Acknowledgements
Quite fittingly, the writing of this book had an air of effortlessness about it. Despite the fact that so little serious research has been done into the topic, the process of identifying the principles for building and re-building momentum was much less taxing than I imagined it would be.
I have always loved the challenge of making the complex both simple and accessible – and this book was certainly such an exercise. This is not a lofty academic text but rather an attempt to distill what many of my clients have found to be true but have struggled to quantify and put into words.
Despite the fact that writing this book was somewhat effortless, it was by no means an easy feat. I couldn't have written it without the support of my amazing wife Hailey who tolerated the long hours of research and writing while we juggled the delights and demands of a newborn baby. Thanks too to my amazing parents and parents-in-law from whom Hailey and I have inherited a rich legacy of intergenerational momentum.
Thanks to the Lucy, Chris and the team at Wiley Australia. I'm so grateful for your encouragement, support and willingness to take some creative risks with this project. Thanks also the crew at Ode Management who consistently sharpen and spur me on. It is an honour to work with such a phenomenal team of world-changers.
Finally, thanks to the many thousands of clients and audience members whose stories and experiences have informed both my thinking and the content of this book. I am ever in your debt.
PREFACE
GOING WITH THE FLOW
In late 2015 my wife and I were on a holiday with our six-week-old son when we crossed paths in a small country town with a fascinating guy named Craig Holmwood. Wearing a faded leather hat, dirty, torn clothes, and sporting a well-worn leather whip tucked into his belt, Craig certainly stood out. In fact, he looked like someone who would've been more comfortable in the late eighteenth century than the early twenty-first.
Despite his unusual appearance, it was Craig's profession that I found most fascinating. As we got chatting, he shared that he is one of Australia's last remaining true bullock drivers (or ‘bullwhackers', as they are sometimes known) – a profession that today ranks as one of the world's rarest trades.
However, this was not always the case. In the days before machinery or trucks, bullock teams were the key mode of transportation for goods the world over. In Australia's early colonial years, bullocks were among the most important animals on the land. They hauled wool, passengers and timber for many kilometres, opening up vast tracts of new countryside and fuelling the growth of the fledgling country's economy. But today they are little more than relics of a bygone era – sideshows for tourists like my wife, son and me.
Craig told us that, pound for pound, bullocks are the strongest animals alive; teams of them are capable of hauling 35 tonnes through rough and rocky terrain.
‘But with loads that heavy, getting off go is always the hardest part,' Craig explained, describing the immense effort it takes to make the first step, each bullock needing to pull at exactly the right time and in the right order – how it's a team effort through and through. The first few paces are tough, with the bullocks straining forward under the weight.
‘But just when it looks like they're not up to the task,' Craig said, a smile spreading across his face, ‘something magical happens. They lift their heads and relax into a steady pace. It's a beautiful moment when momentum takes over.'
Craig didn't appear to be a scientifically minded soul. But his description of getting a bullock team moving was as good as any explanation I've ever heard of Newton's First Law of Motion. Also known as the Law of Inertia, this scientific maxim I first learned in high school roughly states that objects at rest tend to stay at rest and objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Put more simply: once you're moving, it's easy to keep moving. But if you're stopped still, getting started requires much more effort.
This