Inspiration & AdviceYour Guide to Peak Performance: Speaker Spotlight on Greg Bell of Water The Bamboo

Did you know? Giant timber bamboo will grow an astonishing 90 feet in less than 60 days – but only after 4-7 years does it establish strong and resilient roots.

That’s why nationally recognized thought leader Greg Bell advises entrepreneurs and business leaders to “water your bamboo.”

Greg learned the virtues of discipline and hard work from his grandfather, a Texas farmer. He was the first in his family to graduate from college; he played basketball at the University of Oregon where he was twice named Inspirational Player of the Year.

After receiving a political science and law degree from the University of Oregon, he practiced law within a large organization, but personal events inspired him to re-evaluate his life and priorities. He helped launch the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign for the National Association of Basketball Coaches—a non-profit that has raised over 50 million dollars for cancer research.

Now, as author of Water The Bamboo®: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals and founder of the Water The Bamboo Center for Leadership, Greg has encouraged and inspired thousands of leaders and teams. We asked him to design a course for aspiring entrepreneurs, the course he wishes he’d taken in school. Here’s what he came up with:

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Water Your Bamboo: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Peak Performance

Key lesson students will take away:

1. Take risk and learn how to effectively handle rejection.
2. Always be looking and learning.
3. Remember, every journey ends at home.

Key skill the course will develop:

1. Listening
2. Selling
3. Presenting
4. Writing

Reading List:

• Water The Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals – not just because I wrote the book but because it is filled with strategic questions everyone should reflect on and answer for themselves.

Assignments & Projects: 

1. Develop a viable product or service and sell it in less than 90 days.
2. Work as a sales person on a used car lot.
3. Take a one-week silent retreat alone to contemplate your big goals and dreams.

Class Field Trips:

• The dump – be a witness to the waste.
• Hiking – be a witness to nature.
• New York City – be a witness to the pace.