"Concerned about the motives of this for-profit business"

January 6, 2007
By a former Landmark staffer

I was involved with Landmark from approximately 1990 to approximately 1995.

By mimicking Landmark leaders, I became a heartless, demanding, and unconscionable boss to a staff of 30 hard-working, underpaid subordinates.

Landmark seminars run late into the night and begin early in the morning. I was exhausted and my health declined.

One of Landmark's mantras is "You can sleep when you die."

As a volunteer I was publicly berated and ridiculed. I was encouraged to "play a game" by talking people into attending Landmark introductions. In doing this, I was "improving" my leadership skills.

I learned from Landmark leaders that they lose their paid positions unless they bring in a certain amount of income at the end of each seminar. The income is measured solely by the number of attendees who enroll in the next, more expensive seminar. Also, leaders earn promotions (more money) based on the number of people who bring guests to the introduction that is held at the end of each seminar.

When I was a coach at a three-month seminar, an attendee's brother-in-law committed suicide just before the mandatory week-end portion of a seminar.

When this attendee missed the weekend seminar, his criticized him "only a brother-in-law." I suspect that the attending did not receive a refund or free re-enrollment.

I could tell many such stories. Some of them are worse.

In 1995, I left Landmark because I did not like the person I had become.

I still feel guilty about firing people because they made one simple mistake. I imposed Landmark's impossible standards onto my underpaid, overworked staff. They were as much afraid of me as I was of the Landmark leaders.

I am very concerned about the motives of this for-profit business.