Anton Guinea
Entrepreneur, Speaker, bestselling author, and founder of The Guinea Group of Companies. For over 15 years, Anton has helped leaders move their teams to become psychologically safe, physically safe and overall better versions of themselves.
Since 2004, I have been working directly, or indirectly, with leaders at all levels of businesses to help them to become better versions of themselves. That has involved as much work with teams, as it has with leaders, and helping teams to just ‘work better together’. It has been a passion, a mission and a journey that has helped me to become someone who can look at a team and work out where the pain points are really quickly.
What I have never … ever … shared, though, is why I do what I do. And, it is time to do that.
I went to Mark Bouris’s Masterclass Brisbane event last week, and that session has given me permission to tell my story … from the heart …
Here goes:
You can chase the dream – but what happens when it is a nightmare
I started my working career as an apprentice Electrician. I sucked at that, but got trade qualified after four year. Go me.
Within 2 months of finishing my apprenticeship, I was lying in a burn’s unit, with second degree burns. The universe was good enough to share with me that I was not really great at doing electoral work …
I got a job as an Electrician on a mine site in WA, but was scared shitless of electricity.
In the burn’s unit, I decided that I was scared by electricity, and would have to do something else, other than being an Electrician. I studied my arse off at night times, and finally got a job as a Maintenance Planner. No more electrical work … yay!!!
So, the Maintenance Planner role became a Senior Maintenance Planner role, which became a Maintenance Superintendent role. Holy crapola! I was climbing the ladder of corporate success.
Then, I had a shit Manager … a really shit manager
I was 29, too young really, to be a Superintendent. And, at the Copper Smelter that I was working at, the General Manger was renowned for screaming (yes, you read that right), shouting, abusing, and making it totally personal … at the top of his voice “WHY THE F#$% DO I EVEN PAY YOU” … and, I was on the end of 3 of these ‘tyraids’.
There has to be a better way
That experience was like a realisation that there are leaders in the world, that don’t lead with care, they motivate by fear … On reflection, I had only ever had great bosses to that point in my career, then I had this guy (a deadest nutcase) … it scarred me for life … seriously.
I took a demotion
Of course, a leader like that couldn’t motivate his staff, and the factory that we worked at closed down, and we were all paid a redundancy.
That was great, financially, but emotionally, I really had to grapple with being bullied and being treated so badly. So, I took a demotion, and moved back to our home town, and started over.
Until I realised that:
I wanted to make workplaces better for the people in it, by helping leaders to be better at inspiring others, in a way that develops great teams and great businesses!!!
That is my why …
FYI – I worked for that crap GM in 2001 and 2002, and until now, I have never told this story, until now … and, I finally:
- Don’t care what he, or others think (not sure if he will see this – care factor zero)
- Have been able to really clarify why I do what I do
- Will do what it takes to help leaders to inspire their staff, not motivate them with fear or with abuse, aggression or abruptness (just do NO HARM)
So, there you have it. That is why I do what I do. And, you know what, I really do thank that GM, as without that crappy experience of being screamed at, I would not be where I am today. Thanks mate!
And please click the image below if you’d like to chat about what leadership means to you.
If you would like to learn more about Anton or The Guinea Group, please click here to book into Anton’s calendar, to:
UPGRADE your Mindset
UPSKILL your Leadership
UPLIFT your Teams