Introduction

Nothing is worse than feeling stuck.

Whether your organization cannot seem to move forward or you’re paralyzed in your personal life, the result is the same: frustration and confusion. It’s almost a feeling of hopelessness when you think about how much effort you’ve put in, how much money you’ve spent on outside expertise, how many different things you’ve tried—and yet, nothing has really changed.

And you think, “Maybe it never will.”

I call that existing in the “A State.”

In the A State, your organization cannot possibly keep up with today’s urgency to beat the competition, respond to fluctuating market conditions, or satisfy ever-increasing customer expectations. No matter how much time and resources you spend on “continuous process improvement,” “skill building,” “leadership programs,” “team-building exercises,” “lean and agile systems,” and “culture-shaping regimens,” you cannot maintain your market share or profitability ratio. Your culture is stuck in archaic silos. Workers, supervisors, middle and senior managers, and executives resort to the “blame game” to justify breakdowns. Few issues ever get satisfactorily, much less permanently, resolved. And power struggles, bureaucracy, and old-school mind-sets prevent your younger, more tuned-in leaders from having any innovative impact.

Yup, you’re stuck.

In the individual A State, you cannot make your relationships work, find the job or career path that makes you happy, or maintain the diet/exercise regimen you swore to your friends and family—and doctor—you’d keep up to feel better. No matter how many personal-growth workshops you go to, how much positive thinking you employ, how many affirmations you dutifully write out, or how many life coaches, therapists, and gurus you follow, you cannot seem to get out of your own way.

You’re still discouraged—maybe even depressed. You still look for someone or something to “complete” you. You still pray for a miracle from every lottery ticket. You still cannot talk to your kids . . . or siblings . . . or parents without coming away upset. You still hope the next pill, supplement, or organic concoction will fill you up and take away the gnawing hole in your psyche. You still wonder what you’re doing with your life and whether anyone will ever love you—and if they do, for how long?

Yeah, you’re stuck.

Time to move into the “B State.”

Join us in growing the B State Community and benefit from rich resources and the opportunity to network with your peers on a similar journey. Visit www.BState.com/bonus to get access to videos, webinars, and other tools on how to draft and refine your B State to deliver breakthrough results.