Seth Kahan on Leadership // Monday Morning Mojo
Creative Retreat
A retreat is a quiet or secluded place where you can rest and relax. As I write this I am staying at the Holy Wisdom Monastery just outside Madison, Wisconsin. I came here to work with the woman who is helping me to midwife my next book, Sarah White. She lives close by and we can work together in the sparse rooms in the guest center. It's clean. There is Internet access. No noise. Kitchen close by. Beautiful fields and woodlands to stroll through when you need to clear your head. What could be better?

Sarah is the perfect book developer. I have known her since college and we stayed in touch. Over the years I have referred a number of clients who were working on personal books they wanted to publish. Sarah helped them get through the various stages of putting the books together and off to the publisher.

As this book neared the end of its first draft I realized I had need of a thinking partner. I wanted someone who would read my book, give me feedback that was both structural and conceptual. Sarah was perfect for the job and I am very glad to have found her. We have a good working chemistry.

The retreat center plays an important function in all of this. It is a beautiful location to be working in, elegant and tranquil. It calms the spirit. I have achieved an amazing intensity of focus, getting more work done in a short period than I otherwise could accomplish.

In essence I have designed my own retreat. I picked the perfect guide, Sarah, and she helped me find the perfect location. Why sign up for a retreat someone else is putting together when I can custom craft exactly what I need?

What kind of R&R are you in need of? Put together a special experience that feeds your need and does it exactly the way you like. That's one way to take a giant step forward, or inward, as the case may be.


My next book is, Getting Innovation Right: How to Create Inflection Points that Drive Success in the Market.

I am fortunate to have had my first book become a bestseller, Getting Change Right: How Leaders Change Organizations from the Inside Out.  As a result, I landed a new book deal for a logical continuation, intiating a series.

In my experience since 1998 working hand-in-hand with over a hundred leaders and their organizations, I have distilled seven key activities that lead to successful innovation. Leaders who carry them out put themselves ahead of their peers and the competition.

These seven real-world pursuits are what the book is all about. They make the difference between those who are haphazardly shooting in the dark with good ideas and those who consistently and systematically uncover potential, capitalize on opportunity, and generate traction that drives success in the marketplace.

Just like the last book, I share tips and techniques, stories and templates. I will be putting together a few papers based on the book in the months ahead. If you would like to receive them, drop me a line to let me know.


ORTIYKMPAAFML (Only Read This If You Know Me Personally And Are Following My Life)
Laura Ruchi & SethYou already know Laura and I traveled safely in and out of New Delhi last October and brought home our beautiful daughter, Ruchi. Today, just ten months later, she speaks English fluidly. Now that we can converse about more complex topics, I asked her if she was scared when she came to America with us. She told me she was, so I asked, "Why did you come?" She told me it was because of her big brother, "Gabe is cute... reallllyyyyy cute!" Well, now you know! For the latest pictures, visit http://www.photoblog.com/indiatrip

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