Episode Overview: In the 12 century B.C., after the ancient city of Troy fell following the Greek’s cunning trick with the Trojan Horse, a number of Trojans escaped with a fleet of ships. After years of wandering in search of a new home, the Trojans endured a particularly treacherous episode of violent weather and rough waves in the Mediterranean, a storm which nearly destroyed their fleet. When they finally landed on the banks of the Tiber River to take shelter, the women soon decided that they had had enough of the aimless wandering. The men, however, were intent on returning to the ships and continuing with their mission as soon as the storm passed. According to Virgil, what the women did next altered the course of Western history. Listen to this episode of Classic Influence now and discover how a crafty and courageous use of leverage won the day for the women and changed the future of ancient Rome. This episode also reveals some of the most useful ways of thinking about leverage, how leverage can heighten your odds of success, and a handful of simple, easy-to-implement examples of leverage that you can adapt to your own goals in support of your own effort and will to succeed.

CIP 040. Get Leverage, Change the Calculus: The Crafty and Courageous Roma and the Birth of Ancient Rome

On Christmas Day in 1119 A.D., countless prayers were finally answered when a French knight known as Hugh of Payns banded together with 8 other knights in a brotherhood of highly skilled religious warriors. The nine knights all took “vows of poverty, chastity and obedience” and pledged themselves to protect the Christian pilgrims who were traveling on the roads to Jerusalem. Operating as a sort of elite special forces of the Middle Ages, the exceptionally disciplined and well-trained military order was unlike any religious order that had come before. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to the Holy Lands during the Crusades to explore the key factors that led to the surprisingly rapid rise of the Knights Templar, the most formidable military order in the history of the world. This episode also reveals the one central factor that best explains the Templars’ eventual downfall and their scandalous, vicious end.

CIP 041. Build Habits of Mastery and Self-Control: The Making and Unmaking of The Knights Templar, the Most Formidable Military Order of the Middle Ages

After leaving for law school in London at age 18, when Mohandas K. Gandhi finally returned to India in 1915 he was 45. Despite his prolonged initial absence, the deeply spiritual Gandhi quickly rose to become one of the most influential figures in India. In fact, for a man who possessed little more than a loincloth and glasses to defeat the greatest empire on Earth, without so much as throwing a stone, we might well look to Mahatma Gandhi as the most brilliant strategist and leader that ever lived. In 1999, TIME magazine credited Gandhi as runner-up to Albert Einstein for “Person of the Century.” But Einstein himself said, “Mahatma Gandhi's life achievement stands unique in political history. He has invented a completely new and humane means for the liberation war of an oppressed country...We may all be happy and grateful that destiny gifted us with such an enlightened contemporary, a role model for the generations to come....[who] will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood.” Today, known as “The Father of India” and “The Apostle of Non-violence,” Mahatma Gandhi is a global icon. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to India in 1915 and discover how Gandhi built an unbreakable charismatic bond with his followers and, in the process, forged the foundation of his influence in India, Great Britain and beyond.

CIP 042. Win Lasting Influence, Listen for the Underlying Need: Mahatma Gandhi Builds the Bedrock of an Unbreakable Charismatic Bond

Martin Luther changed the course of human history in 1517 when he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the All Saints’ Church. But Luther’s bold move and revolutionary stand was not without grave risks, including the distinct possibility of being burned alive. But what enabled such a humble, scholarly, and deeply religious Augustinian monk and theology professor to take such a bold, irrevocable stand against the mighty Roman Catholic Church? Listen in and learn what gave Luther the power to change the world.

CIP 046. Discover and Destroy Limiting Beliefs: Martin Luther Triggers the Reformation, Forever Altering the Course of History and the Power of Leaders Around the World

The American film director, producer, and screenwriter Steven Spielberg holds the distinction of being the most commercially successful director of all time. In 1963, when he was only seventeen, Steven Spielberg traveled to Hollywood to participate in a tour of Universal Studios. The bold action Spielberg took next both set him apart from the crowd and put him on an altogether different and faster success track. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to the summer of 1963 to discover the self-authoring mindset and bold actions that separate people like Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney and others from the great mass of people who are content to follow the crowd and think and act according to the designs of others.

CIP 047. Put Your Name on the Building, Assume the Position You Desire: Steven Spielberg Occupies the Universal Lot

Walt Disney’s ultimate, iconic success belies the years he struggled to make ends meet, often going without food to cover the bills. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to Hollywood in the early 1920s to discover the ownership mindset, appetite for risk-taking, and bold actions that set people like Walt Disney apart from the pack. This episode also explores the power of titles, symbols, and rules; the challenge of authority and how to create it; and how to navigate these social constructs to maximize your options and increase your probability of success. This episode also reveals the urgent need to adopt an abundance mentality and reframe roles while maintaining relationships and trust. Be sure to catch this insightful journey into the world of young Walt Disney and the strategies that can help abolish one of the biggest obstacles to your own success.

CIP 048. Reframe Your Role, Take Whatever Title You Require: Walt Disney Heads to Hollywood in Pursuit of a Fantastic Dream

In 1939, George Dantzig, a humble graduate student at Berkeley in San Francisco, changed mathematics history when he showed up 10 minutes late for his final exam. Listen in as we travel back to Northern California in the midst of the Great Depression to discover the powerful role that expectations can play in transforming your career and your life. In this episode of Classic Influence, we will also take a brief look at how people often unintentionally set themselves and others up for failure or success depending on the beliefs they hold, the words they use, and the frames they mindlessly adopt. Finally, we’ll revisit one of the critical, recurring themes on this podcast: What you honestly think your future can become has a powerful effect on how your future turns out.

CIP 049. Expect the Unexpectable, Vigorously Guard Against the Negative Expectations Trap: How to Solve Albert Einstein’s Unsolvable Problems

Writer and explorer, fighter and reformer, scholar, historian, statesman, and sage; Theodore Roosevelt—the Panama-Canal-Building, Nobel-Peace-Prize-winning President—disdained idleness. “In this life,” Roosevelt said, “we get nothing save by effort.” “I never won anything without hard labor and…working long in advance.” In fact, he said, the “highest form of success” comes “to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil.” Listen in now to this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, and discover how Theodore Roosevelt became first an apostle, and, ultimately, the champion and exemplar of the Strenuous Life. Also exposed in this episode are the frightening prospects of those obsessed with comfort, convenience, and ease. Finally, you’ll learn how hard work and strenuous action can be like secret weapons of success enabling you to achieve what Roosevelt called “the splendid ultimate triumph.”

CIP 024. Cast Off the Culture of Comfort, Convenience, and Ease: Theodore Roosevelt Becomes the Apostle of the Strenuous Life

According to legend, Ragnar Lothbrok was the most famous Viking of his age, and he remains one of the greatest heroes of Viking history. But did a Viking leader named Ragnar Lothbrok actually exist? In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll explore the power of this everlasting legend, and why the Vikings told and retold his story over and over again. This episode also reveals the power of story, legend and myth, and how a compelling epic can shape and, ultimately, transform the future. Drawing on the example of Ragnar Lothbrok, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and others, this episode also unmasks the power of your personal story, and the cardinal importance of assuming your rightful role as both the author and the protagonist of your own heroic life history, and the power the storyteller role plays in the pursuit of your grand aspirations and goals. Classic Influence Mission: Our mission is to join you in your journey to the top by bringing to life the stories of the heroes of history and superstars of success, extracting and distilling their insights and wisdom into practical action steps, strategies, tactics, tips, and mental tools that you can use in your own life to achieve your own most daring dreams and goals. For additional resources, updates and more, please visit us online at Classic Influence.

CIP 023. Construct Your Own Heroic Life History:  Ragnar Lothbrok, The Everlasting Legend of the Viking Leader

Dr. Johnny Welch, M.T.S., M.B.A. is an author and professional speaker on topics related to influence, leadership, and power

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