This is page 2 of the Laura Stack Interview. Read Page 1.
Dena: What kind of changes are people motivated to make after implementing your 6 Super Competent Keys?
Laura: SuperCompetence isn't a genetic quality; rather, it’s something you can learn. Transforming yourself into a SuperCompetent isn't about mantras, but mindsets. Looking at your actions is an important part of understanding your capabilities, but it's just one part of understanding how to unlock your potential. The most important part is transforming the way you think.
Your mind has a tremendous capacity to change your life; the way you think determines your next actions. Since you can choose your mindset, you can also choose to change it, which is what SuperCompetents do to make themselves the best they can be. In this book, I'll show you how to do what they've done, working on each of the Six Keys to transform the way you think.
This book contrasts the "zero thinking" of the Simply Competent with the "hero thinking" of the SuperCompetent professional. It describes how each thinks when faced with similar situations. When learning how to be SuperCompetent, you'll consider how you need to think to achieve the best results. Often, you’ll have to dispense with your old mindset and adopt a new one—maybe even "faking it" a bit until this new way of thinking becomes second nature. By repeatedly, purposefully acting in a different manner over time, you'll change your mindset right down to its core. Old thinking will evaporate; altered thinking will materialize. And new, SuperCompetent behavior will follow.
Dena: Why is being Super Competent important in your life?
Laura: We all have a special purpose in life and a particular calling. People sometimes ask me why I'm so fanatical about helping people energize their lives and hone their time management skills. There's no doubt that helping people boost their productivity and maximize their profits brings me professional satisfaction. But the truth is, as a wife and a mother of three young children, I do what I do because I know how special and fleeting time truly is. At the end of your life, you won't regret having attended one less meeting or taken one less call from a client. But you will miss the memories you never took time to make with your family. The best thing you can spend on the people you love is time, which is why productivity is so important to me.
Dena: What has your professional interest at the moment?
Laura: I’m interested in efficiency and productivity management. How do leaders get the greatest Return on Time (ROT) from themselves, their teams, and their organization in the least amount of time?
Dena: What’s up next for you?
Laura: I’m working on my next productivity book (the title is a secret right now), due out in 2012.
