IF I understood motivational speaker Adrian Gilpin (picture) correctly, (writes Ashley Nield) the best thing you can do to transform your life and leadership is meet a wizard.

That's what happened to him, after living 38-years as a total stress-head and raging about the big things in life such as why his wife would only arrive at curtain-up if they agreed to meet at the theatre.

Mr Gilpin decided his behaviour was no longer suitable for a mature person and the wizard helped him to find another path.

This meant examining his feelings in the nanosecond before reacting and realising he could choose his response.

"Three-quarters of our tension is down to people who won't conform to 'our' values and rules."

Suspend those values and rules - according to the theory - and the tension goes away.

The wizard encounter gave Mr Gilpin the motivation to write Unstoppable People which has been favourably reviewed by a number of big-name business gurus.

The author was ELWa's latest guest speaker at its People in Business Club.

Held at Newport's Holiday Inn, it was sponsored by the Argus.

The range of speakers in this year's series has been a talking point in itself, and were they all to be gathered in one room Mr Gilpin's new-found equanimity would be given its sternest test.

He pointed out that orthodox business school obliges you to study other people, when what is really required is the study of yourself.

"It's much easier to look outwards, but what we must do is look deep within."

He believes that transformation only comes with a relaxation of self-control - a prospect which many find rather frightening.

But the alternative, according to Mr Gilpin, is a life spent waiting for life to actually start.

He thinks business leaders need to ignite the 'soul power' of people within their organisations.

He made an analogy with sport, an area of uncertainty which people adore and play until they're exhausted but exhilarated.

"Does your workplace leave you feeling like that?" he asked.

The general consensus seemed to be 'no'.

Mr Gilpin believes that lack of skills is not the main problem facing organisations, far worse is the lack of application.

And our application and results are driven by how we feel.

How we feel - according to Mr Gilpin - is determined to the meaning we attribute to what is happening.

"In the moment before we act we make a choice.

"In those choices we determine our destiny."

Soul power can be encouraged in the workplace by recognising and celebrating success and giving people the opportunity to learn from failure - rather than keel-hauling them for it.

Mr Gilpin believes the transformation process is based on unhindering the natural talents that all people possess.

"As Henry Ford said: 'If you think you can or think you can't you are right'." His presentation was aided by skilful use of contemporary film clips, especially from the movie 'Gladiator'.

On the eve of a great battle in the German forests the commander encourages his troops to look beyond the task in hand.

"Imagine where you will be in three weeks' time. I will be harvesting my crops."

Finishing with a flourish, Mr Gilpin said that today's business schools preach the maximisation of profit for a company's shareholders. He believes this is just plain wrong.

"Consider the old Quaker business model. It was about much more than profit.

"This was the lifeblood of the business but it was not its purpose."

He said that at the end of a life, a chief executive is not going to be reflecting on how many percentage points he added to the share price. "He will be thinking about the quality of the relationships he maintained, the purpose of his life and his legacy.

"In a nutshell: 'How will I be remembered?'."

The People in Business Club gives members a chance to meet an interesting array of characters and do a bit of networking at the same time. Most of the events are based around breakfast or lunch and usually deliver a lot for the time they take up.

If you're interested in attending call Rhydian Harry on 01443 663 663.