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Business As A Contact Sport

Written by: James Chan

Article Overview: How Mario Sikora trained himself to be confident.

Business As A Contact Sport

We often think of confidence as an intangible, largely psychic phenomenon. Yet as Mario Sikora demonstrates, confidence often rests on a physical basis.

Mario works as an executive coach and corporate team-building trainer. Powerful, well-paid executives come to him so he can help them to project their power and to move and act with authority. Mario, who used to be a karate instructor, says the top executives come to him for the same reason his martial arts students did~{!*~}in order to gain an edge.

When Mario was a boy, he felt small and timid. He was tormented by a bully who lived across the street. The problem became so bad that he urged his parents to let him take karate lessons. After a few months, he dropped the lessons, but he decided to fight back against the bully. Mario was beaten badly, but even so, the bully didn~{!/~}t take the risk of ridiculing or threatening him as he had before.

Another incident the following year really changed Mario~{!/~}s attitude. He was playing ice hockey, and another bully took the opportunity to attack him as if it were part of the game. Mario found himself flying head over heels across the rink, somersaulting in mid-air and landing face down. As he climbed to his knees, with his face bleeding, he made a decision. ~{!0~}I said to myself, ~{!.~}Nobody is ever going to hit me again,~{!/!1~} he recalls. ~{!0~}I was determined to be comfortable in front of people in every way.~{!1~}

Mario went back to his martial arts training and earned a black belt in kenpo karate. He was also fortunate that his hormones finally kicked in and he grew into a very impressive man. At age 36, he is six feet three and a muscular 230 lbs. With his well-trimmed goatee, he has a definite resemblance to the home-run slugger Mark McGwire.

But Mario has more than a body, he has an aura of confidence. One never doubts that he is in command. He doesn~{!/~}t need to throw his weight around. You sense that he is in control.

~{!0~}What is the worst thing that can happen to me?~{!1~} he asks. ~{!0~}It is that someone attacks me physically.~{!1~} Nevertheless, he believes he can beat anyone. He doesn~{!/~}t show any insecurity because he doesn~{!/~}t feel any.

Another dimension of his aura is his voice, which is strong, reassuring and extremely pleasant. Mario learned how to use his voice during the 10 years he worked part-time as a karate teacher. He used his voice to teach the students how to expand and extend their physical powers. When he wanted students to kick, punch or move faster, he would raise his voice. When he wanted them to slow down, he lowered his voice. He developed his voice into an instrument of control.

While Mario was working nights teaching karate, he held a series of day jobs that allowed him to pay the rent and to observe how power is expressed in the suit-and-tie-wearing world. He recalls a marketing specialist who consulted with a company where he used to work. He was an odd-looking man with greasy hair and long fingernails. He made disgusting guttural and nasal noises when he spoke. Sometimes, he would raise his left hand over his head in order to scratch the right side of his face, which made him look like an orangutan. In meetings, he always laid six pencils on the table, and took notes with each in turn. He wore monogrammed shirts with someone else~{!/~}s initials on them.

This man was totally out of control. His appearance was careless and his every action signaled insecurity. Mario recalls that whenever he had to meet this man, he was unable to pay attention for the first 15 minutes. ~{!0~}I was shocked by his demeanor and his behavior,~{!1~} Mario says. ~{!0~}I couldn~{!/~}t follow his conversation. Many of us were trying to suppress our laughter during the meeting with him, and it was very hard to do.~{!1~} Mario, who was already thinking about a career coaching executives, says, ~{!0~}I decided my appearance is never going to be a distraction.~{!1~}

When he set out on his own, he was determined that his dress and grooming needed to reflect the confidence he feels, and show the edge that executives want. He didn~{!/~}t have a lot of money, but he traded some karate lessons for Hugo Boss suits and ties. He shopped carefully for the best shirts and shoes. And he invested in the most expensive eyeglasses, briefcase and haircut available. His clients notice that he is dressed as well as they are~{!*~}and that he wears his clothes better. That helps convince them he has something to teach them.

~{!0~}They feel the pressure of work and life,~{!1~} says Mario of his clients. ~{!0~}They are looking for something that can make them more noticeably effective.~{!1~} They are looking for an aura of confidence, like the one Mario developed for himself.

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Article Tags: black belt, bully, corporate team building, definite resemblance, executive coach, game mario, goatee, head over heels, hormones, karate instructor, karate lessons, kenpo karate, martial arts students, mid air, physical basis, psychic phenomenon, sikora, six feet, slugger mark mcgwire, top executives



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