A Book Review of The Power of Accidental Increase by Steven Sisler
Overview
I was inspired to read The Power of Accidental Increase after seeing the author, Steven Sisler, speak at a conference last year. His energetic and hit-you-between-the-eyes honest approach to life and business drew me in, particularly when he explained how he went from owning a modest house painting business to making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year consulting with leading organizations. His first book, The Power of Accidental Increase is a mix of his life story from the scrawny kid that got beaten up at school, to a pastor, a painter and a business consultant along with tidbits of advice and guidance for achieving greatness. It oozes authenticity, just like Steven does in real life, and you can’t help but believe his words to be true – regardless of how unbelievable some of his stories may be!
The book covers a variety of topics about how to manage one’s life, business, image, thoughts, beliefs and more. It is one of those rare books that let you see the author’s thinking processes in a raw format. While this is fascinating, it can also be overwhelming as Steven jumps from one idea to the next. However, if you can overcome that you will surely enjoy at least a few of the stories and lessons he has learned in his lifetime and applied to his business successes.
The Power of Accidental Increase shares 12 different powers we have available to us to increase our success. I’ve outlined each of them below and provided a quote from the chapter. However, I won’t give it all away as I cannot do justice to the stories included!
1. Character – You first need to know who you are, believe in yourself and not apologize for it! “Don’t only think about things; do them for heaven’s sake. Stop blaming everyone else for your lack of resolve and make a conscious decision to move forward with your gut feelings for once!” (14)
2. Receiving – We must be open to receiving ideas and supports from others in order to be successful. No one can do it all on our own and we will see greater success when working through others. “The successful usually attack problems and challenges not independently of others, but through others. When you bring others into the mix, you not only strengthen your possibilities of achievement, but also become a contributor rather than simply a controller.” (21)
3. Ethos – We need to be open to ideas from a variety of people. What I like about Steven’s approach is he mentions that we do not need to like everyone we meet, but it helps if you can give people an honest chance. Success truly comes from working with people, not focusing solely on the money part of your business. “People should be influencing others for the better and not for the worse. If you are in the business of sales or effecting people with a service of some sort, your clients should be excited to see you at the mall or local eatery, not wanting to clobber. You should lay your head down at night and feel great when you think about your daily accomplishments – and how someone is better off because they know you or because they use your product.” (45)
4. Selfless Living – Steven and his wife are excellent role models for giving to others even during times when they may have had little to give. Equally as fascinating is the number of times they have received selfless gifts from others when they were in times of need. He has shown numerous times that the notion of what goes around comes around works in a very positive way in life. “Those who give much, receive more.” (64)
5. The Middle – We need to find balance between the spirit, body and soul and live from a place of balance if we want to achieve meaning and success in our lives. To me, this also translates in achieve work life balance. “I know of an individual who, in 1986, asked God what was the worst thing that could happen to man. He said that God answered: “To succeed publicly, while failing privately.”” (84)
6. The Appointment – This was one of the most inspiring chapters in the book for me. Steven shares a story about how words of recognition and appreciation from a student in one of his youth groups bring him to tears and validates his purpose in life. We all want to believe our life has a purpose, and the power of appointment is the power to achieve that purpose in our life by taking action on those bright ideas that seem to come from thin air. “Part of the Accidental Increase process is recognizing a bright idea when it shows up in front of you or ends up lodged within your cranial globe for some unknown reason.” (101).
7. Insecurity – Steven describes three distinct fears many of us have including the fear of not being liked, the fear of failure and the fear of misunderstanding. He describes how fear can be healthy in some instances, but it can also be paranoia and hold us back from our dreams. He goes on to explain each fear in detail offering advice on how to manage them. However, I loved the reference he made to the Velveteen Rabbit on this topic – “Being real is when you allow yourself to be loved for who you are.” (117)
8. Chance – Have you ever asked people how they ended up in their current job? Most people will describe a story of chance or luck where they just seemed to accidentally land in their chosen field or position. When Steven describes the power of chance he describes how most people of accidental increase are not a mission, but rather just passing through doing a job when something unique happens. His mantra is to “build your wings on the way down. “He goes on to say that “It means that you don’t have to be completely prepared in this before acting on your reliable God given impulses, as long as you have learned to trust them.” (126)
9. Weakness – Working in the training industry, we spend hours analyzing and focusing on ways to improve people’s weaknesses. Steven’s approach and philosophy on weakness will definitely turn the world of most HR offices upside down as his belief is that weaknesses should be embraced and appreciated rather than viewed as a problem. “People of Accidental Increase embrace both their strengths and weaknesses and see them both as strengths. The combination of my strengths and my weaknesses is my single most powerful strength. What I am today, is not only because of my strength, but also because of my weakness.” (138)
10. De-Nile – Sometimes it is easier to see things the way we want to see them rather than they really are, especially when it comes to assessing ourselves. Steven shares several stories in the book about clients that were quick to identify the faults in others but could not see their own. This reminds me of a quote I heard as a child that has always stayed with me on this topic “What we hate about others is exactly what we hate about ourselves.” So the next time you find yourself critiquing a competitor, turn the mirror on yourself first. “The capacity to tell oneself rational lies has got to be either the greatest gift on this earth – or the greatest poison ever mixed.” (147)
11. Ownership – We feel greater satisfaction in our work when we own it. When we have the opportunity to create ideas and see them through we become more committed and happier people in general. Steven goes on to reinforce that we must create a sense of ownership in our own employees and/or children to create a culture of empowerment rather than a culture of survival. “Healthy managers create environments where employees can own ideas. Healthy parents do the same. Poor managers should orders and create dissonance among subordinates.” (162)
12. Communication – It is more than just the words we speak that make an impact, it’s the body language, tone of voice, and touch that can truly make an impact on our relationships. “Most of our relational problems stem from misunderstanding the motives, actions and behaviours of others.” (176)
Greatest Lesson
The greatest lesson I learned from the Power of Accidental Increase is to trust my instincts and the plan that the universe has set out for me. This doesn’t mean that I can now sit on the couch and wait for success to roll my way – I still need to go to work each day! However, it does mean that I need to pay more attention to the signs I’m seeing and being open to go off course now and then to explore a random idea that is stuck in my head.
It has also inspired me to examine who I am as a person. Am I living up to the legacy I want to leave behind and am touching the lives of others in the ways I imagined I would as a child? This book has shown me that it’s equally as important to be successful in your relationships as it is to be successful with your finances.
“Don’t be a jerk! Allow yourself to be drafted into your life position” (181)
Recommendation
After reading this book, I have begun to reconsider how I operate my business as well as my life! Steven’s candid stories about his marriage, parenthood, interactions with clients and even being caught watching pornography demonstrate how we each have the power to be successful within us. The challenge is whether we listen and accept the messages we receive to help us get there.
I highly recommend The Power of Accidental Increase to anyone who is examining their purpose in life, in need of some inspiration, looking to increase their wealth (financially or otherwise), or someone just looking for an interesting read and a few good stories! This book is like a great play – you will laugh, you will cry, and you will question your own existence by the end.
