PAUL STOLTZ: “VALUES ARE UTTERLY WORTHLESS…UNTIL TESTED BY ADVERSITY”
The next member of the “character community” to be profiled for the Character Building Project readers is Dr. Paul G. Stoltz, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PEAK Learning, Inc. http://www.peaklearning.com/ and the Global Resilience Institute. It is difficult to make one’s mark through quiet work and the proper fulfillment of our duties as citizens. It is difficult, but it is very effective. Many people begin, but few finish. Dr. Paul Stoltz is one who has made his mark, has been quietly effective for three decades but his work is not finished.
In 1987, Paul Stoltz founded a global research and consulting firm, through which he coaches, consults, teaches, and collaborates with top leaders, thinkers, and influencers within a broad range of organizations from start-ups and NGO’s to the Young Presidents’ Organization and the Fortune 100 on six continents. The top universities consider Paul as the world’s leading expert in human resilience.
His AQ® (Adversity Quotient®) theory and method are the most widely adopted in the world, used by top companies and leaders to gauge and strengthen human resilience. He has three bestselling books on the subject, with his newest book, Put Your Mindset to Work due for global release in April.
He has assessed the AQs of more than 500,000 people. To Stoltz, “Values are utterly worthless…until tested by adversity.” It is in adverse times that we discover what we (and others) are truly made of, at which point any gap between espoused and enacted virtues is revealed. Stoltz’s life’s work is to help leaders develop Moral Fortitude™ (his next book) the perfect blend of virtue and resilience, to stay true to what matters most, no matter what.”
Notwithstanding, the fact that Paul’s speaking http://www.bigspeak.com/paul-stoltz.html fees range from $20,000 to $40,000 he has set aside for me, frequent coaching sessions, mentoring and encouraging me to… “Always refine my quest and to be certain my work is having a positive and enduring impact on people’s lives.” Paul has convinced me that my entire life has been a preparation for work in the Character Building Project by connecting people I have known to “lobby for character.” He has not exactly quoted directly from Ecclesiastes, but over the past 18 months Paul has taught me many lesson, not the least of which is: the end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Mentors like Paul G. Stoltz, Ph.D. sharing their valuable time on newcomers like me insure the character community will create something larger than our individual efforts. Paul inspires me to imagine how the character community will soar when it is activated through the synergy of its’ members.