When was your last mountain top moment?

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Mountain top experiences are exhilarating and satisfying; both because of the view and the journey to get there.  Today, I’m reflecting on a pinnacle career experience — celebrating a successful engagement as the featured speaker at the Dale Carnegie franchise association last week.

As an executive coach, author and speaker on leadership, I’ve become a student of my industry.  This year is the 100th anniversary of the training organization founded by Dale Carnegie — a courageous entrepreneur whose timeless wisdom is still impacting people today. In fact, his book How to Win Friends and Influence People continues to be a best seller for Simon and Schuster publishing (in print since 1936). Needless to say, anyone who has their name [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Paul Batz] mentioned in the same sentence as “Dale Carnegie,” needs to respectfully understand the historical context.  Here’s mine:

The oldest, most celebrated fundraising consulting firm in the world, Martz & Lundy, was founded in 1926, in New York City by my great, great uncle George Lundy (my grandmother’s uncle).  He and Martz were inspired by attending the very first “motivational lecture” given by Dale Carnegie, at of all places…Carnegie Hall!   Carnegie’s principles became deeply baked into the culture of Martz & Lundy, as articulated in the book:  George Lundy of Iowa, given to me by my grandmother Arlene Hunter, in the year 2000.

When I graduated from college in 1985, my grandfather Willis Kenneth Hunter gave me an original 1936, red linen hardcover copy of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.  It was his personal copy.  Speaking in front of the most successful owner/operators of the Dale Carnegie franchises, I shared Grampa Hunter’s strategy of “collecting handshakes” as a way to make a difference in the world.  It was both inspiring, and also humbling…because I had to admit that I lost my grandfather’s copy of their keepsake/namesake book.  That honest blunder produced an audible groan.

As we meandered through the strategic discussions about goodness and blending, we laughed, challenged one another and developed a personal and professional road map for their future.  It was fun!  In closing, I shared my wish that I could tell my Grandmother about my connection to George Lundy, and my Grandfather about all the great handshakes I collected that day…through Dale Carnegie.

If I could email one picture to heaven, it would be the picture at the head of this blog.

I thought the standing ovation was the mountain top experience. But then…the host of the day politely asked me if he could open my speaker gift. “That’s strange,” I thought, but why not?  He reached into the gift bag and pulled out a red-linen covered, 1937 copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People. My knees buckled and my eyes watered.

Good leaders count their blessings in the moment, and appreciate the incredible gifts that are passed on along the way.  And many of those gifts are packaged as books.

Today, I’m feeling damn proud of being an author, especially knowing the Dale Carnegie owner/operators now have a “Paul Batz” book.  Drop me a note and tell me about a book you’ve been given as a gift that gave you a mountain top view of your world.

PS: When was the last time you emailed an author to tell them you liked their book?[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]