Book Review – Warriors, Workers, Whiners, And Weasels

We all know a Weasel. You know, that person that threatens to take down your organization by using every sleazy tactic in the book to advance their careers regardless of how it effects others. Warriors, Workers, Whiners, and Weasels: The 4 Personality Types in Business and How to Manage Them to Your Advantage by entrepreneur Tim O'Leary takes a refreshing look at the different personalities we encounter and how to handle them.

The premise of the book is that essentially everyone fits into one of four personality groups – Warrior, Worker, Whiner, or Weasel. O'Leary defines each as the following:

Warriors, who confront change, see possibilities, innovate and manage to win!

Workers, who deal with the ups, downs and challenges of everyday corporate life dependably, and who can reliably implement the change and direction established by the Warriors.

Whiners, who get through life by complaining about everything they do, who profess negativism and dissatisfaction wherever they go, and blaming others for their own shortcomings.

Weasels, who lurk everywhere and threaten your career and life-goals through their own deception and insecurity and who spread these feelings quickly throughout the organization.

The book is designed to help you recognize what group you fit into, give you the necessary tools to get to the group you want to be in, and learn how to effectively deal with people in each group. The book really does a great job of forcing you to truthfully analyze yourself. O'Leary warns you that you might not like what you find, but also is quick to point reinforce that you are in control and that you can make the changes in your life to fit into the group that you desire.

Even more interesting (and fun) is visualizing the people you know and placing them into their appropriate categories. We have all encountered a Whiner or Weasel and it helps to know what makes them tick and how to effectively deal with them so that they don't negatively impact your life. O'Leary uses the analogy to the common cold – you can't completely eliminate Weasels from your life but you can take precautions to limit the frequency in which they enter your life and the damage that they do while they're a part of it.

O'Leary uses a mixes light-hearted humor with a fiercely intense attitude to combine a business book and a self-help book in an exciting fashion. One chapter might focus on a self-analysis, the next might be about personal stories from O'Leary's experiences, and the next about management. The book is well over 200 pages but reads at the speed of a book that's half that. I often found myself reading several chapters in a sitting, which is a testament to the writers’ ability to hold readers interest. If there's a downside (and it's not much of one), it's that O'Leary is so brutally honest that it may rub some people wrong, especially those who fall into the Whiner and Weasel groups.

Warriors, Workers, Whiners, and Weasels: The 4 Personality Types in Business and How to Manage Them to Your Advantage by Tim O'Leary is a must read for every entrepreneur, business owner, manager, and worker wishing to learn more about themselves, take advantage of their best traits, and protect themselves from those who could sabotage their career.

Mudarse a Otro Pais

Si te mudas a otro país o ciudad, sea cual fuera la razón, trabajo, situación económica, familia, novio, novia, cambio de aire; todas las razones llegan a ser insuficientes pero necesarias a la hora de adaptarse.

Adaptarse a una nueva cultura, idioma, ambiente, clima, reglas sociales, y estilo de vida es muy duro y al mismo tiempo interesante. En mi caso personal, cuando me mude de país fue porque mi familia lo decidió hacer, no seguí mis necesidades ya que era demasiado chica para seguir mi propio camino y demasiado grande para depender de sus decisiones. Sin embargo seguí las decisiones de mi familia.

Al principio de mi llegada, decidí tomarme todo fácilmente como si fuera irreal, ya que era muy duro enfrentar la realidad de que me aleje de mi vida, que deje todo lo que tenia atrás.

Decidí entonces que todo seria una gran vacación. Junto con el clima era caluroso, vivía cerca de la playa lo cual en mi país no lo tenía entonces mi vida seria un cuento total. A lo largo de los meses, no hacia mas nada que salir, comprar, conocer gente y divertirme sin ningún propósito de lo que iba a pasar en mi futuro.

Luego de unos meses conocí a un chico que creía que cumplía con todas mis expectativas de hombre ideal. Popular, atractivo, simpático, deportista y demás. Comenzamos a salir y creía que era el sueño de mi vida hecho realidad, ¿Qué podía ser mas perfecto que eso?

La realidad me cayo de golpe cuando me di cuenta que nada de lo que creía tan perfecto era así, sino una idealización de eso. Mi plata se me iba disminuyendo poco a poco, el novio perfecto no eran perfecto ni mucho menos sino que solo quería demostrarlo ser, y traía consigo más complicaciones y dilemas que me llevarían a sufrir en la relación. Mis alrededores no me satisfacían como yo pensaba que iban a hacerlo, pero decidí que debía intentarlo igual ya que todo parecía perfecto y no lo quería arruinar.

Luego vino el invierno y comencé lo que había planeado antes de mi llegada: estudiar moda y convertirme en una súper diseñadora. Sin embargo me encontré con un lugar lleno de gente que creía ser demasiado rara y competitiva, sin nada de ganas de socializar ni conocer a alguien nuevo. La presión de ser aceptado a la escuela de arte y ganar la simpatía de los profesores era mayor que otra cosa.

Me encontré en situaciones difíciles como en una clase de moldes, tratando de hacer una pollera que me llevaría hacer un día entero solo el molde. Ahí me di cuenta que lo que necesitaba era estudiar en un idioma que me era cómodo, con gente parecida a mi con ganas de disfrutar la época universitaria y aprender pero con un propósito mas profundo que llenara mi alma.

Luego de un tiempo pensé y pensé que todo lo que creía necesario para mi felicidad en realidad no me satisfacía y no entendía mis sentimientos y descontento. Mi familia tampoco lo entendía. La verdad es que hay gente que sabe encontrar lo que busca más fácil que otra. Pueden seguir su propio instinto sin importar lo que dirán los demás, si aceptan o no. Hay otra, que les es más difícil y necesitan demostrar a los demás que logran lo que se proponen, sin saber si realmente lo desean.

En fin, mudarse de país es algo muy complicado que también tiene cosas positivas. Ayuda a abrir la cabeza y darse cuenta que uno no esta solo, que hay mucha gente diferente aparte de lo que uno creía único, que las culturas son diferentes y parecidas en muchos aspectos, que a pesar de que uno intente adaptarse a algo nuevo, en el fondo es importante mantener nuestra identidad. Debes seguir tus sentimientos siempre, porque tu solo sabes lo que es bueno para ti.

Life Advice: A Lost Friend Speaks

When my friend sensed that in a few weeks the light of life was about to be extinguished, and that there was no more hope for him, he called me to his side and said, "If only I had lived my life differently, I might not have felt such an emptiness now. Promise me," he caught my hand, "Promise me that you won't make the same mistake." And when I asked him what mistakes, he asked me to get a pen and paper and to jot down his last words. Here they are in condensed form:

1) Talk less; listen more.

2) Listen to your grandfather's stories about his youth. When he's gone, you will relive the bond through these memories.

3) Invite friend over for a snack or dinner even if the house is a mess.

4) Eat popcorn in the living room even though its messy.

5) Invite the friends who have children home. Don't worry about their children creating a mess.

6) Sit on the grass even though it dirties your pants.

7) Never buy something just because it lasts for a long time or because it is practical.

8) Stay in bed and at home when sick and stop pretending that the world cannot go one without me for a day.

9) Light up the wonderfully crafted candles and let them burn out. Better this than they accumulate dust in the closet.

10) Share life's responsibilities with a partner, not only expenses.

11) (Meant for Women) Instead of waiting for the pregnancy to get over, cherish each moment in your heart. Understand that the life in you is the only chance you will get to help god create magic.

12) Let your children hug and kiss you whenever they wish to. Don't stop them by saying things like: later, go wash your hands first, we have to eat dinner.

13) Say the following two phrases as often as possible: "I love you" and "I am sorry."

14) Stop worrying about who loves or and who doesn't or about what others have or don't have.

15) Cherish all personal human relations.

16) Play with a pet every day. Laugh and run with it and take part in all its antics.

17) Spend more time with the people who love you.

18) Stop sweating because of all the small details and problems of life.

19) Grab every moment, look at it and live it. That moment will never return again.

Her name was Susan, and she had one six year old daughter. Susan taught me these few basic ideals that I have tried to follow in honour of her memory. It has made me a better man, a much nicer husband and in general, a happier person. Even now I can hear her say that God has blessed each and every one of us, and that we should accept these blessings and strive to become stronger both physically, mentally and also emotionally. I will always remember what she said to me the last time we met: "Jack, you are lucky. Don't blow it."