Springboard

About the Author

G. Richard Shell is a distinguished professor at the Wharton School, where he holds the title of Thomas Gerrity Professor of Legal Studies, Business Ethics, and Management. Known for his engaging and thought-provoking teaching methods, Shell has authored several acclaimed books, including Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People and The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas, co-authored with Mario Moussa. His latest work, Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for SUCCESS, draws on his extensive research and experience to guide readers on a journey of self-discovery and personal success.

Main Idea

Springboard is designed to help individuals find their own path to success by introspectively examining their values, beliefs, and aspirations. Shell emphasizes the importance of defining success on personal terms rather than conforming to societal expectations. He provides tools and exercises to help readers identify their unique strengths, passions, and capabilities, ultimately crafting a personalized roadmap to achieve their goals.

Table of Contents

1. The First Question: What is Success?
2. Choose Your Life
3. Your Success Values
4. The Two Sides of Success
5. An Easy Answer: Be Happy
6. Society's Answer: Seek Status, Fame, and Fortune
7. An Inspired Answer: Find Meaningful Work
8. The Second Question: How Will I Achieve It?
9. Discover What You Can Do Better Than Most: Capabilities
10. Set Yourself on Fire: Motivation
11. Learn to Fail: Self-Confidence
12. Focus Your Mind: Passion, Imagination, Intuition, and Reason
13. Influence Others: Credibility and Dialogue
14. Conclusion

The First Question: What is Success?

Shell begins by challenging readers to rethink their assumptions and beliefs about success. He argues that many of our ideas about success are influenced by external factors such as culture, family, and media. To truly understand what success means to us individually, we must critically examine these influences and decide whether to embrace, reject, or integrate them into our own definitions.

Choose Your Life

Shell introduces four key theories about success:

• Success involves trial and error. You must be willing to take risks, try new things, and learn from failures.
• Goals are shaped by cultural and familial values. Awareness of these influences helps ensure that your goals reflect your own values.
• Success is multidimensional, encompassing work, family, and personal relationships.
• Success is a journey, not a destination. It involves continuous growth and exploration.

"Success is a multidimensional concept, not just a work-related one. Family and personal relationships matter too." - G. Richard Shell

Your Success Values

To help readers explore their values, Shell introduces the Six Lives Exercise. This diagnostic tool presents six biographical sketches, each representing different lifestyles and definitions of success. Readers rank these lives from most to least successful, revealing their own success values. This exercise encourages deeper reflection on the origins of these values and how they align with personal goals.

The Two Sides of Success

Shell discusses the dual nature of success: the private, inner perspective of fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness, and the public, outer perspective of achievement, social recognition, and respect. Balancing these aspects is crucial for a well-rounded definition of success. He uses the example of a stone mason who finds deep satisfaction in his craft and family life, despite lacking public recognition, to illustrate the importance of inner fulfillment.

"Balancing the inner and outer sides of success is not always an either-or trade-off."- G. Richard Shell