Powershift

Chapter 1

The Powershift Principle

If you ve ever been dragged into a negotiation with your three-year-old daughter, you probably have some idea of how that opening scene shook out. (Far as I know, there s no photographic evidence of me wearing that princess tiara, so I ll just leave it at that.)

This much is clear: Right now, in our family, Minka s got power. Even at three years old, she s figured out mostly through trial and error and some foot stomping that if she picks a strategy, then follows a certain sequence of steps, she can almost always get her way. It might take a tantrum, followed by a sweet, knowing smile. Or it might call for a perfectly timed hug when I m least expecting it. Either way, she ll eventually wear me down.

And she knows it. She knows she can get what she wants from me and I guess it follows that one of the reasons I m so quick to cave when she pours it on thick like this is because I know it, too. We ve fallen into a kind of default pattern where Minka s strengths as a negotiator bump up against my weaknesses as a big old softie.

Keep in mind, it s not just me, jumping to Minka s whims. She s got a different approach for her mother, for her nanny, for everyone in her little life. She reads the room and changes her game depending on the players, depending on the situation.

Minka s figured out what works all on her own because, just saying, there s no Mommy & Me class on negotiation strategies, no playgroup to help her learn to push her daddy s buttons. However, there is the benefit of experience, and here my little girl is smart enough to know that if a certain type of behavior gets results on Day One there s a good chance it ll work again on Day Next.

There s only one way I know of to transform this dynamic: through a concept I call powershift.

Let me tell you about the powershift and how I ve come to embrace the concept behind it.

In my previous books, I ve written about a couple principles that have

Daymond John is the founder and CEO of FUBU, a celebrated global lifestyle brand with more than $6 billion in sales. As one of the stars of the ABC series Shark Tank, he is among the country s most visible and respected entrepreneurs. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Broke and Rise and Grind. Daymond is the CEO of The Shark Group, a premier consulting firm whose clients range from Fortune 500 companies to new media businesses to celebrities. President Obama appointed Daymond a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, a position focused on promoting the next generation of entrepreneurs around the world.