MabelandHarry

How to Win Friends and Influence People

2008-04-19T13:28:00.003Z

Often we try to attract talent by doing what we like rather than what would attract the individual. Dale Carnegie has a great story in his business books How to Win Friends and Influence People

"I often went fishing up in Maine during the summer. Personally, I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So when I went fishing, I didn't think about what I wanted. I thought about what they wanted. I didn't bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or a grasshopper in front of the fish and said "Wouldn't you like to have that?"

When you think about attracting talent, attracting customers then you need to think about what attracts them? That may be different for each person. Do you generalise or individualise your offer?

When Facts are Not Enough

2008-04-03T13:51:00.000Z

Global warming is often seen as a new idea, in fact the term was used by Svante Arrhenius in 1896.
So why has it taken so long to be at the forefront of the world's mind?

Well it shows that facts are not enough to convince people. Facts do not sway emotion. Although scientists have talked about this constantly, it was Al Gore who used emotive wording, emotive storytelling, emotive pictures to grab people's attention.

Facts are great, stories engage....inside and outside the business.

What Business are You In?

2008-04-01T12:55:00.002Z

Theodore Levitt, the Harvard Professor challenged the railroad business in the 1960's asking

"What business are you in?"

They saw themselves as in the railroad business, but he challenged them to think differently. Together they decided that they were in the transportation business.

Do you narrow your focus? Do you see the product not the experience? Do you see how your business can change lives?

Make Business Decisions Quickly

2008-03-27T10:24:00.003Z

Now I am not saying that as a business leader you should be rash about decisions, however as Jason Jennings and Luarence Haughton say in the title of their book "It's not the BIG that eat the SMALL, its the FAST that eat the SLOW"

Leadership is about making decisions...understanding what are the decisions that need to be made, asking the right questions to find the best answer, understanding what decisions you need to make and what decisions your teams need to make..

Meetings can be such a blocker to speedy decision making, they also can harm the overall decision by diluting the answer to appease people. Successful companies find a way of making speedy decisions, well assessed yes, but knowing that there will always be an element of risk. If there is no risk then you are probably not leading you are following other leaders or companies.

As a modern leader, time is of the essence....as the authors continue

"The fast thinker has a good memory, learns from previous experiences and always learns from failure including the unexpected failures that occasionally take place"

Lessons From Beyond the Graves of Leaders

2008-03-06T11:32:00.002Z

I was reading ChaosScenario blog and came across a new book that talks about lessons in leadership from leaders who are now dead. Here is some insight from Ray Kroc of MacDonalds - it also shows how building companies is hard, no one not even the greats have not had setbacks...what separates them is their resilience and passion to succeed.

"Ray Kroc, a high school dropout, built a business by convincing companies that sold shakes and malts (such as Walgreens) that using paper cups instead of glassware would increase their sales volume. Kroc further helped their businesses by devising a contraption that would allow them to make multiple shakes at once.

World War II and a slew of other factors caused orders for his machines to slow to a near stop. When he happened upon a couple of brothers in California selling quick lunches (and shakes!), Kroc saw an opportunity to transform the way Americans saw lunch.

Though he may have too hastily signed a contract detailing the franchising opportunity, he never relented in his pursuit of his dream, and after more than five years of quality management and trying to make ends meet (assuming enormous debt to buy out his less ambitious business partners), McDonald's started making a profit, and eventually served "billions and billions" of burgers that, at the time, far exceeded the standard fare of the day."

Carnival of Leadership Development

2008-03-01T09:30:00.003Z

Developing leaders and indeed ourselves is imperative if business is going to flourish. Here are the latest set of blog articles that will help you develop your thinking, your management style and achieve career success.

Anna presents Leadership, comfort zones and related rant posted at The Engaging Brand

Mike King presents Preparing for your own performance review. posted at Learn This, saying, "These are some specific things that if consistently practiced, will make a big difference to improve your reviews every year."

Warren Wong presents Why You Should Be Careful When Your Business Is Going Well posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Some reasons to be cautious when your business has been doing really well."
GreatManagement presents Get Rid Of Procrastination Once And For All posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "Everyone suffers from procrastination at some stage in their lives."

Norman Morse presents The Serene Toastmaster. posted at The Game of Self.

American Entrepreneur presents Expert Q & A: Creating an Effective Culture for Your Small Business posted at American Entrepreneurship.

Edith presents If a Seven-Year-Old Can Do It, You Can Do It Too! posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Karl Goldfield presents Building a plan part 6e: Execution - Opportunities - Value makes the sale | Coaching Sales Champions posted at Coaching sales champions.

Roger Carr presents What Makes A Great Nonprofit Leader posted at Everyday Giving Blog.

Wally Bock presents Leadership: Developing leaders the natural way posted at Three Star Leadership Blog, saying, "Leaders learn to lead by leading. They don't learn to lead in a classroom. They don't learn to lead from a book. Great leadership development programs provide tools and support to help developing leaders learn faster and more effectively."

Michael Bass presents How a manager can turn employees into a team posted at Debt Prison, saying, "Are you the type of person that intelligent, educated, positive people will want to work for? Are you a happy person that is easy to get along with while still demanding the utmost in satisfaction for your customers? Can you work with a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, leading them in a common goal of teamwork and success?"

wilson ng presents First Things First ? how to Work and Take care of your Boss! posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife, saying, "Advancing on the job means working with your boss! Get the boss to be pushing behind for you, rather than try to overtake him. Don’t gain your confidence by putting down the boss. Try to gain it by having the boss pull you up!"

GreatManagement presents What Every Manager Can Learn From Barack Obama posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "What Every Manager Can Learn From Barack Obama"

Warren Wong presents How To Get Whatever You Want From Anyone posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "How to get whatever you want from anyone you want - from money to sex to love!"

Michael Walsh presents Individual Accountability in Business posted at Business Growth, saying, "This is a good leadership development article"

Matt presents Good vs great posted at Life is your Career.

James D. Brausch presents Failure? The Doorway to Success posted at Internet Business Blog.

Mark Riffey presents If Michael Jordan is ok with failing, isn’t it ok for you? posted at Business is Personal.

Mark Riffey presents Marketing opportunities: As perishable as lettuce. posted at Business is Personal.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Maximize the Cognitive Value of Your Mental Workout posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "Why our brains need constant novelty and learning...doing more of the same in one same domain, no matter how intellectually stimulating it may feel, is not enough "mental workout"."

Joshua C. Karlin presents Powerful Yet Reasonable Goals posted at Marketing & Fundraising Ideas.

Charles H. Green presents Trust Is the New Leadership In A Flat World posted at Trust Matters, saying, "In a flat world your suppliers and customers are your partners, and leadership requires building trust."

Shawn Driscoll presents 5 Massive Mistakes Keeping You Stuck posted at Shawn Driscoll.

Rich Vosler presents Lessons From The Geese posted at Sales Training Tips.

Mark @ TheLocoMono presents The 7 Lessons of Growth posted at TheLocoMono Website, saying, "7 insights on developing your leadership skills."

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Bounce Back After Failure posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Some of the most successful people in the world credit their success to a failure they’ve experienced. Bounce back from your failure and you might become one of them. Learn about the different types of failures and how to recover from them successfully."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Leadership is for today

2008-02-27T20:59:00.002Z

There is a wonderful quote from Mother Teresa that says

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has yet to come. We have only today. Let us begin"

Leadership needs you to balance that short term and long term thinking. Creating that dream of tomorrow...the vision of where you want to take the company or the team. However, what we do have for certain is today....dreams without actions become nightmares within the business world.

So....be thinking about tomorrow, but be taking action against your goals today.

A Thought on Leadership

2008-02-25T11:36:00.003Z

I was at a conference last week and someone said

"Remember, well behaved people seldom make history"

It made me smile - I am not encouraging bad behaviour! - but I love the idea that conformity does not necessarily bring success. When you think of businesses, or successful leaders, they have that ability to play within boundaries however to think differently. To think how could we make this successful, what if we did this......etc and not find reasons or problems that would stop progression.

So today...see if you can make history..see if you can behave as someone who wants to make history!

Breaking a bad leadership habit

2008-02-14T15:27:00.002Z

Do you that if you moved a light switch from the right side of the door to the left side, it would take about 21 days before your brain stopped telling your right hand to turn on the switch ?

You see we are human, for instance I have a set routine for getting up or when I arrive at my desk. Habits somehow give us a comforting experience.

The problem is that as a leader we can pick up bad habits, feel comfortable with them and keep doing them despite the negative effect on others. The best way to spot them...is to ask what they are...

Always remember you are asking the question, which means that you need to LISTEN and ACCEPT the truth as THEY see it. Don't argue, just take in the feedback. If more than one person is giving you the same feedback then the time to act may well be now!

Carnival of Leadership Development

2008-02-13T10:54:00.003Z

To succeed in business management we need to have a constant learning mentality. So each fortnight, I bring together articles to help with your leadership development - hope they help to inspire your mind.

Anna presents Do you see your business as human at The Engaging Brand

Ed Rivis presents Powerful Marketing Tactic. posted at Ed Rivis.

Jay M presents Role of entrepreneurship in conceptual economy posted at 4 entrepreneur, saying, "What is the role of entrepreneurship in conceptual economy?"

James D. Brausch presents Turn Off The Tube & Turn On Your Business posted at Internet Business Blog.

Cindy King presents Consistency For International Business Success posted at Get International Clients.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Fitness/ Training Newsletter: January Wrap-Up posted at SharpBrains, saying, "How can we Maintain our Brains in top shape? Here goes a selection of articles on cognitive and emotional training."

TherapyDoc presents What Faking it Til You Make It Really Means posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "You can't be a leader unless you can bring out that hero."

Adam Pieniazek presents Ray Anderson: Personal, Corporate, Societal Leader | Adam Pieniazek posted at Adam Pieniazek.

CMOE presents Executive Leadership Development: Choosing the Right Leader posted at Teamwork, saying, "This is a great article that talks about how to chose the right leaders."

Amy S Quinn presents 17 Ways to Stop Being a Perfectionist and Get More Done posted at Bootstrapper.

Karl Goldfield presents Coaching sales champions: Building a plan part 6c – Execution - Prospects – Climbing the mountain posted at Coaching sales champions.

Mark Riffey presents Righting a wrong: How business owners show they give a rip. posted at Business is Personal.

Galba Bright presents Tune up your EQ : The Most Important Thing Productivity Experts Don’t Teach You About Success posted at Tune Up Your EQ.

Sagar presents The HR Bible: 100 Articles Every Human Resources Pro Should Read posted at Bootstrapper.

GreatManagement presents As A New Manager, Don’t Spend 57% of your Time Dealing With Difficult Staff posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "The majority of new managers waste around 57% of their time dealing with difficult staff? Why?"

James Feudo presents Leadership – How to get experience posted at Overnight Sensation, saying, "Getting leadership experience when you're not in a formal role at your current job can be difficult. Here are some tips for geting this experience outside of work."

Bruce Kuykendall presents The Leadership Compass posted at brucisms.com.

Derrick Markotter presents Time For A Change posted at Online Business Blog.

Wally Bock presents What do you do with the rest of your leaders? posted at Three Star Leadership Blog, saying, "There are lots of leaders who are important to your business but who aren't "high potential." How you develop and support them has a lot to do with your long term profitability and competitive advantage."

Warren Wong presents What Commiting To Something Means And Why You Should Do It posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Here are good reasons why you shouldn't be afraid of commitment."

Rich Vosler presents How to get more belief in yourself posted at Sales Training Tips.

Raj Sheelvant presents Managing Complexity due to Globalization posted at IT Strategy, saying, "Leadership challenge to manage complexity due to globalization"

Dan McCarthy presents New Leader Integration Process posted at Great Leadership.

American Entrepreneur presents The Benefits of Management By Walking Around (MBWO) posted at American Small Business News.

John W. Furst presents Can One Share Overmuch? posted at E-Biz Booster Blog, saying, "Ever being ripped off? You had the idea, but someone else stole it! What's the right balance between sharing and keeping your secrets in today's attention age. Information age was yesterday, but that is a different story."

CMOE presents “Whack -a -Mole” Management posted at Teamwork, saying, "This is a great story about different manager styles. It gives a few great tips on how to be a good leader."

Leon Gettler presents New global management rules posted at Sox First, saying, "Why is it that certain methods like pay for performance fail to catch on in all countries? Why is that cross-border mergers, like the DaimlerChrysler "marriage of equals" , fall in a screaming heap? The global economy is challenging claims of business schools that there is only one way to manage."
Al presents How to Make People Follow You posted at 7P Productions, saying, "You want people to follow you? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way anymore. Instead, do you want to share a new dream, a new vision of a better world for others to pursue with you? OK, now you’re talking."
Jim Logan presents The importance of customer loyalty and its three element foundation posted at Accelerate Business Group, saying, "It's hard to disagree customer loyalty isn't a strategic success factor for most businesses. So, what makes a customer loyal?"
Joe Hungler presents Orientation-Start with the End in Mind posted at Uncle Joe's Leadership Blog, saying, "We spend a lot of time recruiting the right staff people-but not enough time making sure that they get off to a good start. How can we best position our new hires to succeed and hit the ground running?"
Mindful One presents Why Goal Setting Really Works posted at Mindful Source.

Adrian presents 5 Easy Ways to Fake Your Personality posted at Path to Your Destiny, saying, "Sometimes when we need to lead a group of people, we feel as if we don't have the greatest personality to be most effective. This post goes into five ways to fake your personality and make you more charismatic and likable, for those times when you don't feel quite that way. Enjoy!"

Louise Manning presents The mandate for leadership posted at The Human Imprint.

Alan K Rudi presents Dealing with Difficult People Tactfully | Successful Business Leadership posted at Successful Business Leadership, saying, "Communicating, especially with "difficult" people, is crucial to developing leadership skills."

Joe Hungler presents Employee Engagement and Retention posted at Uncle Joe's Leadership Blog, saying, "A major part of leading is listening. We can't lead our employees until they are engaged. Check out the survey that we use to measure retention and other indicators."

DotLobby presents Neurolinguistic Programming 101 - Rediscover Yourself! posted at DotNLP, saying, "Neuro, meaning mind, and linguistic, meaning language, combine to make NLP one of the most powerful techniques to change the way you see yourself and your world..."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

A Thought on Achieving Success

2008-02-07T10:36:00.000Z

I have always enjoyed listening and reading the thoughts of Zig Ziglar. I love this business quote that I believe people should print out and put prominently on their desk...

"Success is one thing you can't pay for. You buy it on the installment plan and make payments every day."

Information OverloadLessons by Einstein

2008-02-04T10:42:00.000Z

Albert Einstein was once asked his home address but answered that he did not know and had to refer to a notebook. When asked why Einstein supposedly replied, "I make it a point not to keep anything unnecessary in my head that I can find elsewhere."

A lesson for leaders is that in a day when we have so much information at our fingertips, it is easy to become overloaded, it is easy to concentrate on the insignificant or easy data. But leadership is more than having information or data, it is about translating and filtering that information both for yourself and others so that the data can be used to create business success in the future.

What information do you hold, do you even pass on via email that is filling inboxes and brains? Do you spend your time on data and information that will inspire change?

Carnival of Leadership Development

2008-02-01T12:24:00.000Z

Welcome to the January 31, 2008 edition of carnival of leadership development. I love trying to develop talent, I love trying to help people see the talent they have inside of the...here is this fortnights look at articles around the web.

Anna presents 10 Social Media Tactics for Finding Talent posted at The Engaging Brand

ioventuresinc.com presents Pull Your Team’s Wagon posted at Teamwork, saying, "This is a great article about how co-workers need to work as a team."

Tash Hughes presents Negative comments and controversary « Word Constructions posted at Word Constructions.

Sagar presents 10 Ways Lazy Stupid Coworkers Can Help Boost Your Career posted at Bootstrapper.

Edith presents How to Maintain a Positive Attitude posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Praveen presents RIP Richard Knerr - Thanks for the Business Lessons! posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, "Richard Knerr, the founder of the toymaker Wham-O, died at 82. His story holds lessons about business success and innovation."

Mark Runta presents Managerial Courage posted at Career Progression, Management & Global Sourcing, saying, "Strong leaders consistently demonstrate the conviction to pursue what is right and important."

Joe Hungler presents Mistakes happen . . .Then What? | Uncle Joe's Leadership Blog posted at Uncle Joe's Leadership Blog.

James D. Brausch presents Your Natural Genius posted at Internet Business Blog.

Sarah presents The Girl's Guide to Kicking Your Career into Gear posted at SARAHSPY.

Warren Wong presents How To Gain An Edge In Business posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Describes three things you can do to gain an edge in business naturally."

Dave Origano presents The Characteristics Of a Highly Successful Entrepreneur posted at Online Marketing & Exponential Business Growth Blog.

Steve Rosenbaum presents Thriving on Chaos - The Road to Creativity posted at Learning at Light Speed Weblog, saying, "This is a technique that Leader's can use when facilitating team meetings or strategic planning sessions."

Alvaro Fernandez presents Looking inside the Brain: is my Brain Fit? posted at SharpBrains, saying, "How neuroimaging and the brain reserve theory support the value of education, lifelong learning and stimulating hobbies"

David B. Bohl presents If You Don?t Assume Responsibility, Who Will? posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "I would rather that I was the cause of a problem."

Frederic Patenaude presents The Power of Rituals: How to Build Positive, Energizing Daily Rituals posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "Great blog entry about how to use personal ritual (habit building) to get results regarding personal change as a whole. The What, When and How."
Shamelle presents If You Want To Be Understood....... posted at Enhance Life, saying, "People go to extreme lengths…. in order to be understood. In my opinion, there is one main factor that determines it all. Are you aware of it?"

Richard McLaughlin presents The Manager?s Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules posted at Internet Marketing Tools and Tips.

James D. Brausch presents TMI (Too Much Information) posted at Internet Business Blog, saying, "To succeed, avoid procrastination and analysis-by-paralysis and TAKE ACTION."

Stephen Dean presents Stop Assuming So Much posted at Stephen Dean's Copywriting And Internet Advertising Blog - Copywriter, saying, "In advertising, business, and life in general, your assumptions can cost money. Always test them"

RacerX presents Performance Review Time posted at Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Money, saying, "The annual review process is were a lot of new managers fail, both in how they review and how they prepare for there own review. This post gives tips for the manager and the reviewee to follow and build a more cohesive team!"

FitBuff presents Power of the Mind - Much Stronger Than Your Biceps! posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "The power of the mind is a truly remarkable phenomenon, but don't let books like "The Secret" fool you into thinking it does everything for you. When you add in the ACTION, then amazing things will follow!."

Inspiring Talent on Recruitment

2008-01-31T15:34:00.000Z

There is a wonderful quote from Steve Jobs. He is quoted as asking John Sculley

"Do you want to sell fizzy water for the rest of your life or do you want a chance to change the world?"

John Sculley was inspired not by the job but the purpose to unleash the creativity in all of us....how do you inspire talent to come and work for you?

A Thought on Arguments from De Bono

2008-01-25T13:17:00.000Z

This year I was lucky enough to hear a speech from Edward De Bono. He talked about how argument is a primitive tool and asked us to think as business leaders of changing our thoughts during a discussion.

He talked about how in an argument we concentrate on the 5-10% that we disagree upon and not the 90-95% upon which we do agree....

If there is one thing that we could do as leaders is play angels advocate......instead of looking for what we disagree upon lets look at the shared agreements...a wonderful thought.

Carnival of Leadership Development

2008-01-15T13:16:00.000Z

I am always looking to share ideas of how business leaders can grow and reach their career potential.

Anna presents 10 Skills to Develop the Leaders of the Future posted at The Engaging Brand

Dr. Joe Capista presents A Mentor Can Change Your Life posted at The Success Triangle, saying, "Building a successful business and life does not happen overnight. It can take years to reach the point where you achieve what you want. Often, the journey is one that requires the guidance of someone who can lead us in ways we cannot even imagine.A mentor will show us insights that can shave literally years off our learning curve. Discover how my mentor, a gentleman who is nearly ninety taught me the value and power of goals."

GreatManagement presents ‘Only 3% Of Your Staff Are Talented’ posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "I was at a conference recently, where the CEO of a large UK Corporate stated only 3% of the company’s staff was talented. That implied 97% were not. Poppycock!"

GreatManagement presents New Years Resolution Articles 31 Dec 2007 posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "So what are you planning to better in 2008?"

Alan K Rudi presents Successful Business Leadership » Warren Buffett posted at Successful Business Leadership.

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Hunter,Scavenger or Prey:Which Life Are You Living posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Are you actively pursuing your goals or passively waiting around for them to come to you? Learn to how passionately achieve your goals with the skills of an efficient hunter."

Dr. Joe Capista presents Total Success is Determined by Your Thoughts, Beliefs and Actions posted at The Success Triangle, saying, "Many people say they want success, yet they are not willing to do what it takes to achieve their desired outcome. There is success and there is Total Success. Total Success is about having a balanced life, giving back and enjoying what you do. Few people will ever experience what is called Total Success. Total Success requires more then a successful business and a great income. It is about a state of mind, your beliefs and your actions."

Matthew Paulson presents 4 Reasons to Become a Generous Giver posted at American Consumer News.

Sagar presents Against the Grain: 50 Unconventional Ways to Increase Productivity posted at Bootstrapper.

Michelle Cramer presents Good Listening Skills Mean Success posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "An analysis of a salewoman on TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress" reveals what not to do in order to be successful at making the sale."

Life. Money. Development. presents Goals posted at Life. Money. Development..

GreatManagement presents 7 Quick Tips For Managing Your Friends At The Workplace posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "Have you been promoted recently? Is some of your staff also your friends? Do you know how easy it is to loose all respect when you show favoritism?"

Marcus Hochstadt presents First Class Progress, Or The Power Of Deadlines posted at Marcus Hochstadt, saying, "Many of us have encountered times where we are working on a project every day and it seems, somehow, we do not proceed in the way we intended to. What's the cause? Why is that so? In this article, Marcus Hochstadt provides two techniques that can catapult your accomplishments to new heights, once and for all."

Vishal Gupta presents Mike Huckabee and Servant Leadership posted at A Business Professor's Weblog, saying, "Servant leadership"

Louise Manning presents Effective leadership revisited posted at The Human Imprint.

Hueina Su presents The 212 Degrees Attitude posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul.

Jeremy Neal presents Opportunities Make Work Fun posted at Thoughts on Quotes, saying, "Recognizing opportunities when they arise is exciting, and most people are highly motivated during the initial phase of acting upon something new to benefit their lives."

Charles H. Green presents Employee Engagement, Fog Sculpting, and Measuring Love posted at Trust Matters, saying, "The number 1 predictor of employee engagement is how good the manager is, but is that something you can actually manage?"

Vahid Chaychi presents To Succeed As a Business Owner, You Have to Be Tough posted at Weboma.com, saying, "If you have a business owner or you work for the others businesses, you have to learn how to be organized and disciplined. Otherwise you will not have any success."

Carol Bentley presents I hereby give you permission to. . . posted at Carol Bentley.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Motivating Top Performing Employees posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

A Thought on Listening

2008-01-12T16:32:00.000Z

I love this quote from Dr Joyce Brothers

"Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery"

Remember LADDER as a way of developing your listening skills

L = Look directly at the person
A = Ask questions periodically
D = Don't interrupt the speakers train of thought
D = Don't change the subject
E = Empathise with the feelings of the speaker
R = Respond both verbally and non verbally

Understanding Your Customer

2008-01-09T16:05:00.000Z

Some may say the only way to understand customers is to do market research, well I like this approach that is free and accurate

"I used to hold meetings in the aisles of my supermarkets. Customers would constantly interrupt to talk to me, to give me feedback. Then I'd attend meetings back in the office with colleagues who spend all their time compiling customer research and wading through consumer behaviour reports. And I'd tell them things about our customers I'd picked up from random conversations in the aisles. And they'd say 'We didn't know that.' " - Feargal Quinn, founder, Superquinn supermarkets

How often do you get from behind your desk and speak, yes speak to customers...wonderfully old fashioned concept that is so overlooked in business.

Being First Does Not Mean Being the Most Successful

2008-01-08T09:47:00.000Z

Ever heard the phrase "The early bird catches the worm?"

Well, as true as that might be in parts of life, it does not necessarily ring true in business. We can often feel that as leaders we need to be the first to market, the first with innovation - well, yes that can be great. But never forget that many companies such as Google, Pampers - even the iPod from Apple were not the first to market.

What these companies did was to build on the innovation - to build on an idea and then deliver something innovative for consumers. They usually simplified the experience.

The lesson is that don't dismiss an idea because it is not "new". Think about how you can create a better experience for the consumer, for the employee.......the slightly later bird may catch an even juicier worm!

Carnival of Leadership Development

2008-01-04T17:15:00.000Z

I hope that you have had a great holiday season and that the New Year is starting well for you. Here are some articles to inspire you in 2008

Dan-O presents Have You Benefited from the Revolutionary Magic of Internet Self Help? posted at Danogo.com - Discover. Inspiring . Media, saying, "Highly informative article about how the Web has changed self help and a huge resource of online personal development information."

K T Cat presents A Post-Mortem on a Lean Six Sigma Training Disaster posted at The Scratching Post.

Ryan Russell presents Don’t Waste “Budget Leftovers”! posted at My Money Thinks, saying, "Exactly what are “budget leftovers”? Budget leftovers from individual spending categories are likely to be small amounts. Consider a budget leftover to be extra money. Can I increase the amount of leftovers?"

GreatManagement presents Happy with your 2007? Will your 2008 be better? posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "It’s getting close to the end of 2007. What did you achieve in 2007? Everything you wanted to? Now is a great time to start reflecting on 2007 and then invest some time on your plans for 2008."

John Crenshaw presents “He Tells Me To Burn Things” posted at Dominate Your Life, saying, "How do you distinguish good advice from bad, how do you know when someone is just telling you to “burn things?”"

Mark Riffey presents Lessons in Serendipity and consistency posted at Business is Personal, saying, "No matter how successful you are. No matter how good you were yesterday. No matter how much smarter you are than your competition... None of that matters if you royally screw up today and haven't crossed the T's and dotted the I's."
Dan McCarthy presents How to Maximize Your Return on Investment from a Leadership Development Program posted at Great Leadership.

Warren Wong presents Conversation Skills / Tips: How To Have A Good Conversation posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Tips to improve your conversation skills and help you have a good conversation!"

GreatManagement presents Having A Great Career Means You Have To Have Passion posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "Do you wake up on Monday morning and dread going into work? Are you constantly watching the clock all day waiting till you can go home? Can you not wait until Friday comes around? If this is the case, you most probably hate your job and have no passion for it."

Terry Dean presents Overcome Fear posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

SpiKe presents How To Regularly Rate Your Performance posted at Organize IT.

Charles H. Green presents Trust and Corporate Change posted at Trust Matters, saying, "When you need your organization to change, doing it fast and doing it well will require that your people trust you."

Erek Ostrowski presents Tips for Aspiring Leaders (#1 Keeping Your Word) posted at Verve Coaching, saying, "Keeping your word builds people’s confidence in your leadership, which extends and expands your reach and influence as a leader."

Mark Riffey presents Does your business run at the speed of trust? posted at Business is Personal, saying, "During our campout this past weekend at Lake McDonald in Glacier Park, I had an incident that reminded me of Covey's article about the "speed of trust" which if you think about it, speaks to everything from day to day business to systemic health care issues in the United States..."

Rachel Grover presents Stop the Mediocrity in Teamwork posted at Teamwork, saying, "Teams often suffer from modiocrity and this article discusses why. Don't let the 'some one will do it' attitude destroy your team."

Jeremy Neal presents Great Leaders are Great Listeners posted at Thoughts on Quotes, saying, "You can be a better communicator and leader, as well as let others know that you value them, by learning to listen more effectively."

Wanda Grindstaff presents Adding Rocket Fuel to the Law of Attraction - Success with Major Goals posted at Creating Abundant Lifestyles.

Dan McCarthy presents Relocation: A Serious Barrier to Talent Management posted at Great Leadership.

Matthew Spears presents Trusting Perceptions and Higher Communication posted at Loving Awareness, saying, "One of the most fundamental aspect of any growth or leadership development is the trust in one’s own perception. There is no question it is an incomplete perception; as a human, you will not see even a minuscule fraction of the totality of what's out there, or that of your self. But it is still your perception. It is your link to your power. It is the basis for all growth, for if you rely on someone else’s eyes and intuition, you are not living your own life, discovering your own power, but are being a guinea pig for other’s experiments."

Dr. Joe Capista presents The Truth About Achieving Total Success! posted at The Success Triangle, saying, "Many people strive for their dream of success, but often miss the one element they absolutely must have in order to achieve their outcome - balance. How many people base success on the outward measures, but if you were to look deeper it would be evident there is much that is missing? What I now know in my mid-fifties is that true success consists of more than what we can achieve financially or materially. Succeeding only on the material level can often leave other areas of a person’s life completely out of balance. Even though outwardly they appear to “have it all” their life is in turmoil and their lifestyle is killing them. They lack inner-peace and balance."

Karl Goldfield presents Building a plan Part 5: Seeing the results first - Thank you Mr. Covey posted at Coaching sales champions.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Innovation is not always planned

2007-12-18T19:38:00.000Z

I was interested in reading in Wired last month about the inventor of the Slinky!

In 1943, Richard James was working on instrumentation for WWII ships, when he knocked off a torsion spring from a shelf..... and it 'slinked' from shelf to books to table to floor. One patent and 300 million toys later it is as popular as ever!

Sometimes it is not about sitting down and having a brainstorming session, sometimes it is about using events that happen to come up with a new idea. It is about adapting those events to something that is commercial - thus the best tools for innovation, your eyes and your ears!

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-12-13T21:02:00.000Z

Welcome to the December 3, 2007 edition of carnival of leadership development.

Anna presents 10 Inspiring Thoughts on Leadership posted at The Engaging Brand

Stanimir Sotirov presents Motivation:Become a Leader posted at All About Your Body And Spirit, saying, "Learn how to become a leader the right way,not being the boss that everyone hates!"

Louise Manning presents Two visionary men posted at The Human Imprint.

Warren Wong presents How To Win Someone?s Heart posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Do you want to win someone's heart and gain their trust and loyalty? Here are some tips on how to go about doing it."

gamy presents Self Improvement Starts With Making Decisions posted at Mind Think Success, saying, "To have a positive change in your life, you have to decide you want a positive change, and this in itself is making a decision."

Terry Dean presents 80/20 Rule In Time Management posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Wanda Grindstaff presents Success Through Service, the Most Important Component! posted at Creating Abundant Lifestyles.

Miami Phillips presents How Often Do You Change? posted at Miami Phillips - About Happiness.

Lodewijk van den Broek presents Does your (personal) leadership suck? | How to be an Original posted at How to be an Original.

GreatManagement presents The Rest Of The Company Does What? posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "If you were to join the James Dyson Company, within your first week, if not first day, you will build a vacuum cleaner. This is whether you are an accountant, call centre operator and or any other job at Dyson’s."

Gavin Meikle presents It’s The Audience Stupid! | Reluctant Presenter's Guide posted at The Reluctant Presenters Guide, saying, "An interesting article on preparing for successful presentations and speeches"

David Kam presents Psychological Effect of 99-Cent posted at MarketingDeviant.com.

Matthew Spears presents Breaking through the chains of identity posted at Loving Awareness, saying, "Having a strong identity is greatly emphasized in this culture. We have expectation upon expectation placed upon us. This article explores what identities are, how they're limiting, and gives an exercise on how to move beyond some limitations."

Thomas D. Brownsword presents Where I Am, Where I Am Going, And How I Will Get There posted at Business Action Steps.

Dan McCarthy presents The Worst Leaders Of All Time posted at Great Leadership.

David B. Bohl presents Is it Time to Turn up the Heat in Your Life? posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "The inspirational message contained in the clip is that one extra degree of effort, in business and life, can separate the good from the great. The premise is a great one."

Andrew presents How to Become Great in any Field - Success Secrets Revealed posted at Personal Hack

Ivan Rios presents How to Win Negotiations By Seeking Differences posted at artofleading.net.

Raj Sheelvant presents Bottom up Management posted at IT Strategy, saying, "HCL Technologies, an Indian Info tech company is taking a unique approach to hold its management accountable."

Jay Gordon Cone presents Why Meet? posted at Interaction Associates - Thought leadership and practical tools for collaboration., saying, "According to Workforce.com, about 50% of leaders say the meetings they attend are not productive. What's a leader to do?"

Yazan Manasrah presents Uncluttering your mind posted at The Blasted Crossing, saying, "Want to find out how to gain the focus and mental energy to accomplish the daily tasks you must do?"

Dominic Tay presents Adopt a New Job: Entrepreneur for People posted at Personal Development Blog for Winners, saying, "Winners in life basically understand how critical it is to pursue personal development and become an entrepreneur for people. This entrepreneur is someone who knows how to take in control of his personality, knows his limitations and weaknesses."

Jeremy Neal presents You Are a History Maker posted at Thoughts on Quotes, saying, "There are many things for a which a generation of people may be known a hundred or thousand years from now, and you may be one of the few whose names are carried through to the future."

Moneywalks presents Road to Success: Setting your Goals posted at moneywalks.

The Career Counselor presents Seven Strategies for Coping with Personal Problems While at Work posted at ask the CareerCounselor

GreatManagement presents Successful Managers Share Information! posted at The GreatManagement Blog, saying, "We can share lots of different things with others, such as material things, money and time, but one of the easiest and most useful things we can share are thoughts and ideas."

Alvaro Fernandez presents Robert Emmons on the Positive Psychology of Gratitude posted at SharpBrains, saying, "can we enhance our happiness and health by nurturing gratitude?"

Michelle Cramer presents How Accessible are You? posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "Customer service is a key element in the success of your business. That’s not news to anyone. But a crucial element of customer service, that business owners often overlook, is being readily accessible to your clientèle."

Alvaro Fernandez presents Cognitive Fitness, The Future of Work, and Concept Maps posted at SharpBrains, saying, "What the future may bring to enhance our productivity."

Crisis? What crisis?

2007-12-11T19:37:00.000Z

I love the Chinese symbol for crisis - it combines the characters for danger and opportunity. For me that beautifully describes a crisis. The danger is that you treat it as a MASSIVE problem and worry about what is going to happen. The opportunity is that you see it as a MASSIVE chance to show your strengths as a leader and learn a huge amount about yourself and those around you.

So when faced with a crisis...ask how can you turn these events into an opportunity...

Creativity in a Box

2007-12-07T12:25:00.000Z

Michael Eisner the former head of Disney does not believe that throwing money at a venture breeds creativity. He likes to describe the need for creativity in a box - ie creativity but one that must come in on budget. He tells of the Raiders of the Lost Ark. This was a film that had been rejected many times but they decided to go ahead with it - on a strict budget.

Harrison Ford on the day of the sword fight was ill - and kept running to the toilet. They could not afford the delay with the filming - so changed the scene from a sword fight to Harrison Ford getting his pistol out and shooting the guy! This became a famous comic scene and added to the film...the creativity was forced on them by constraints.

I never mind a small budget for anything...because I know that others would fail, but I love the challenge of creating something wonderful with little resource.

How to keep Employees

2007-11-30T18:26:00.000Z

Charles H. Green presents We've Got the Hamburgers: a Customer Service Classic posted at Trust Matters, saying, "One day the Russian trainee pulled aside the trainer and said "“we’ve got the hamburgers. The customers don’t. They want them—we’ve got them. They have no choice. They’ve got to go through us. And you don’t want them getting ideas about who holds the power here. Just remember—we’ve got the hamburgers. Now do you understand?”"

Our employees need jobs. We've got them. Does that mean we don't have to be nice to them? Of course not, but I bet many of us work for, or have worked for companies that certainly act like they believe that."

Ivan Rios presents 9 Things To Do In The First 100 Days posted at artofleading.net.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Persistence and Perseverance for Winners – Losers Just Quit posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Giving up is easy. Most people make a habit of giving up. In fact, they make a life of it Persistence through a solution-oriented attitude is for visionaries, dreamers and other winners who refuse to take “no” for a final answer. "

David Kam presents Bad Chief Officers, The Downfall of Many Companies | Marketing and Business Strategy - MarketingDeviant.com posted at MarketingDeviant.com.

Charles H. Green presents Terrorists and Convenience Stores: When Social Trust is Threatened posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Many years ago, I consulted to a Texas retail chain that managed to achieve a 150% store manager turnover rate -- by treating everyone like a suspect."

Joshua C. Karlin presents Ought Implies Can & Should Implies Will posted at Marketing & Fundraising Ideas.

Tina Su presents Power of Freedom: Working for Yourself | Think Simple. Be Decisive. posted at Think Simple. Be Decisive..

Alvaro Fernandez presents Emotional Intelligence and Faces posted at SharpBrains, saying, "What do facial expressions communicate?"

Sagar presents Just Do It: 67 Ways to Tame the Procrastination Beast posted at Bootstrapper.

David B. Bohl presents Could a Wellness Program Keep Your Company Healthy? | Slow Down Fast Today! ~ David B. Bohl posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "‘Wellness plan’ is a broad term, but here are some opportunities you might explore:
* Life strategy, lifestyle mentoring, and personal development programs.
* Holistic work-life balance initiatives."

Jose DeJesus MD presents Business Relocation: Tips For The Savvy Mover posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Emmanuel presents Getting the best out of your employees posted at Emmanuel Oluwatosin: Inspiring Excellence, Realising Ambitions.

Warren Wong presents How To Win Someone?s Heart posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Do you want to win someone's heart and gain their trust and loyalty? Here are some tips on how to go about doing it."

Sagar presents Better than Monster: 50 Free Places You Can Post A Job Online and Get Top Talent posted at Bootstrapper.

Tina Su presents 7 Habits of Highly Innovative People posted at Think Simple. Be Decisive..

Keyboard Culture Community, Lori Prokop Co-Founder presents Help My Company Doesn’t Understand Me! posted at Jinsoo Terry - Multicultural Education

Alvaro Fernandez presents Cognitive Fitness, The Future of Work, and Concept Maps posted at SharpBrains, saying, "What the future may bring to enhance employee's productivity."

Raj Sheelvant presents Bottom up Management posted at IT Strategy, saying, "HCL Technologies, an Indian Info tech company is making its management accountable by asking its employees to grade the performace of their managers and everyone gets to see those results!"

Piper presents Holidays & Retail - Keeping Your Employees Through the Season posted at Business Broad Merchandising Resources.

Yazan Manasrah presents Uncluttering your mind posted at The Blasted Crossing, saying, "Want to find out how to gain the focus and mental energy to accomplish the daily tasks you must do?"
Ivan Rios presents How to Win Negotiations By Seeking Differences posted at artofleading.net.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of how to keep employees using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our
blog carnival index page.

When you get stuck on a problem...

2007-11-26T16:05:00.000Z

We all face it in business...we all cannot, at some time or another see the 'wood for the trees'. The problem is, in our desire to find the answer we don't stand back or relax.....allowing the answer to emerge. A lesson we can all learn is from the Archimedes approach to problem solving...

Syracuse's King gave Archimedes a problem to solve - namely to find out is the if the gold crown really was gold. He was stuck, didn't know what to do. He took a bath to relax and that is when the answer came - leading to the famous Eureka moment. He realised through the water level rising when he got in the bath, that this was the way to measure the crown's density.

As hard as it is, when faced with a dilemma often the best cause of action is to walk away, relax...let your brain have the chance to muse subconsciously.....doing that can provide you with your own Eureka moment!

Don't Forget the Quiet Talent

2007-11-23T09:58:00.000Z

So often the people who get recognised are the ones who are louder, better at self promoting but often there is some real talent hidden away. Your role is to search for that talent and to let that talent shine. Learn from Emperor Claudius!

Claudius became Emperor in AD41 and far from the obvious choice. He limped, stuttered and was perceived as weak. He had been kept in seclusion as his family was embarassed about him! When there was a huge power struggle, many nobles were killed and left Claudius as the last surviving male. This was the time that Claudius showed his astute ability as a leader...this person who people had perceived as weak proved to be a good leader throughout his 13 year rule with a spate of impressive public works and the conquest of Britain.

Never be fooled by a perception, don't assume......look through the shyness, and assess the ability.

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-11-19T10:29:00.000Z

Welcome to the November 22, 2007 edition of carnival of leadership development.

Ivan Rios presents 9 Things To Do In The First 100 Days posted at artofleading.net.

Anna presents Behave Yes...Conform Never! posted at The Engaging Brand

Ivan Rios presents Why Leaders Break Rules That Need To Be Broken posted at artofleading.net.

Jeremy Neal presents Thoughts on Quotes: Leaders Make Leaders - Creative Thoughts - Famous Quotes posted at Thoughts on Quotes, saying, "The function of leadership is to produce more leaders. Leaders make leaders, otherwise they are just managing to get by."

David Kam presents Bad Chief Officers, The Downfall of Many Companies | Marketing and Business Strategy - MarketingDeviant.com posted at MarketingDeviant.com.

Michelle Cramer presents Learning From Experienced Entrepreneurs posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "We all have regrets - it’s just a fact of life. But we learn from those experiences, much like the flourishing entrepreneurs interviewed in Entrepreneur.com’s article "If They Could Turn Back Time." Their feedback reveals important steps that everyone starting their own business should know."

The Career Counselor presents Four Ways to Recognize an Office Liar posted at ask the CareerCounselor, saying, "Tips and tricks to help managers and other leaders see through office fibs and lies."

Mike Buckley presents Motivation posted at Mine Your Own Business.

Sagar presents How to: ?Fire? Your Bad Clients, Make More Money and Restore Your Sanity posted at Bootstrapper.

Matthew Paulson presents Eight Tactics That Will Help You Win Any Negotiation posted at American Entrepreneurship.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. "
Jeremy Neal presents The Hard Work of Genius posted at Thoughts on Quotes, saying, "A strong work ethic combined with the ability to focus, and exhibit leadership courage, can make people of average intelligence appear to be geniuses."
Gavin Ingham presents What’s your Si (Sales Intensity) rating? posted at Gavin Ingham.

Carol Bentley presents Here’s 8 elements for a powerful sales letter. . . posted at Here’s 8 elements for a powerful sales letter. . ..

Alex Marlin presents Stress Is Rampant In Our Community posted at Life Improvement Tips For Thin and Small People, saying, "Very nice article that deals with stress related issues, like how to avoid stress and simple signs for spotting stress."
GreatManagement presents How To Be An Effective Public Speaker posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

Sagar presents Top 100 Entrepreneur Podcasts posted at Bootstrapper.

Edith presents How to Find Your Greatness (Inspired by Barbara DeAngelis) posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Alvaro Fernandez presents Emotional Intelligence and Faces posted at SharpBrains, saying, "What do our faces say?"

David B. Bohl presents Driven to Succeed, Prisoner of Success, Workaholic, or Someone Who Can?t Say ?No?? posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "As you contemplate the number of hours you’ll be spending on your work in the months ahead, do you dread the thought? Will you have a mountain of work to do, yet still take on more with a smile (maybe forced) on your face? Will people be pulling you in every direction?"
Ralph Jean-Paul presents Meet 7 People in 7 Days posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Looking for new clients and business contacts? There are 6.7 trillion people in the world. How many of them do you know? Meet a new person for business or social advancement each day this week."

Michelle Cramer presents Communicating Competence posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "Though your personality has a lot to do with it, people often judge by what they see first rather than what they hear. So it’s important that you portray competence in your business industry not only in your knowledge and performance, but also in how you convey yourself."

Marco Richter presents Be Flexible posted at Work From Home Concepts.

Jason Jacobsohn presents 15 Questions to Evaluate Your Networking Committment posted at Networking Insight.

Wanda Grindstaff presents Success Through Service, the Most Important Component! posted at Creating Abundant Lifestyles.

GreatManagement presents Great Inspiration Articles 19 Nov 2007 posted at The GreatManagement Blog

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Learn from the Past, Rather than Live in the Past

2007-11-12T09:12:00.000Z

We should never ignore the past, we should learn from the past and use our experiences to shape our thinking. The danger is that you take that too far and that you live in the past.

The French built The Maginot line to keep the Germans at bay - a series of anti tank traps, observation posts and pillboxes. Great for how the previous war had been fought - static fighting. But in 1940 the line was broken by thousands of well armed German troops who unlikebefore, were highly mobile. Times had moved on, what worked in the past no longer worked now.

This is so true for business. You can have a "lessons learned" after large events, then when faced with new challenges look for the trends on what was important last time and ensure that you have improved your approach as well as updated it for today's world.

Experience the past to live the future!

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-11-09T08:57:00.000Z

Welcome to the November 6, 2007 edition of carnival of leadership development.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Cognitive Fitness @ Harvard Business Review posted at SharpBrains, saying, "A new area of leadership development: cognitive fitness."

Anna presents A Brand Story ....Starring You posted at The Engaging Brand

Louise Manning presents From a town called Searchlight posted at The Human Imprint.

GreatManagement presents Great Inspiration Articles posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Choose Excellence and Lose Mediocrity posted at Tupelo Kenyon,

Daryl Furuyama presents The Prehistoric Leader posted at darksociologist{dot}com, saying, "This article describes the first leader-follower relationship in history and what we can learn from it."

Hueina Su presents Deadly Conversations posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul.

Warren Wong presents How To Be Genuinely Interested In People posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Why you should show genuine interest in people and how to go about doing it."

Scott Fusco presents Thinking big vs. Thinking small posted at Personal development coaching | Scott Fusco . net

Warren Wong presents The Weakness Of Overconfidence posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Why overconfidence is a weakness and tips to overcome the dangers of overconfidence."

GreatManagement presents Come On, Be An Effective Manager posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

Daylle Deanna Schwartz presents What Do You Really Want? posted at Lessons from a Recovering DoorMat

Philippe De Ridder presents List of Crowdsourcing Examples posted at Open Innovators, saying, "A lot is happening in the area of open innovation, making it difficult for managers to stay on top of this trend. This article provides an overview of the leading and best practice examples in the field of open innovation and crowdsourcing."

Christopher J. Brunner presents Brainstorming Motivation for Your Employees posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "Have you ever been to a business meeting that, though the intention was to come up with great ideas for the progression of the business, turned out to be a total flop?"

Alex Marlin presents I Am Not Trying To Belittle No One posted at Life Improvement Tips For Thin and Small People.

John Crenshaw presents Are You Proactive or Reactive? posted at Dominate Your Life, saying, "You can learn a lot about how to be successful in life and business by studying what works for people in really intense situations. Am I ever going to be so bombarded with information that I’m incapable of processing it all?"

Charles H. Green presents Trust vs. Incentive Compensation: What Joe Torre and the NY Yankees Have to Teach Business posted at Trust Matters

Erek Ostrowski presents Leverage Your Time and Energy - Untie Your Shoes! posted at Verve Coaching, saying, "Let’s face it, time and energy are precious resources. I’ve never worked with anyone in small business who has extra time and energy to spend revisiting issues they solved once already..."

Jay Gordon Cone presents Why Meet? posted at Interaction Associates - Thought leadership and practical tools for collaboration.

James D. Brausch presents Act Or Don´t Act… There Is No Try posted at jamesbrausch.com.

Arin Vahanian presents How to Change or Develop a Belief System posted at Super State.

Warren Wong presents Focus On One Thing At A Time To Completion posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Learn to focus on one thing at a time to save time and get more done."
Dr. Joe Capista presents A Mentor Can Change Your Life posted at Success Triangle

GreatManagement presents The Simple Top Management Skill and Technique you’ve got to Have! posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

Leon Gettler presents The downside of charismatic leaders posted at Sox First

Alex Marlin presents Dealing With Bitter People posted at Life Improvement Tips For Thin and Small People.

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Start Meaningful Conversations posted at Potential 2 Success

Jason Jacobsohn presents How to Become Memorable When Business Networking posted at Networking Insight.

Marco Richter presents Learning to Say No posted at Self Improvement Emporium.

Christopher J. Brunner presents Finding An Employee That Matches Your Leadership Style posted at GreatFX Business Cards

Steven Silvers presents Rockies ticket sales fiasco a case study in bad news. posted at Scatterbox at stevensilvers.com

Randy Nichols presents The Job Burnout Cure posted at Career Advice by Randy, saying, "The daily grind of working for someone else and being on a limited income takes it’s toll, What in the world is the cure?"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form.

Management - As Easy as 1-2-3

2007-11-08T16:28:00.000Z

In business there are always challenges, always problems - indeed if there were none, many of us would be unemployed!

Sometimes you can get really bogged down in understanding what the real problem is - if that is the case try the 1-2-3 method.

Is there a system in place for handling the task? If not, you have a systems problem - training won't help
Is there a system and employees know how to use it, but don't follow it? If so you have a management problem.
Is there a system, but employees don't really know what it is or how to use it? If so you have a training problem.

See as easy as 1-2-3 !

Embrace Social Networking

2007-11-05T19:23:00.000Z

Often people say social networking is new, firms try to ban access as though it is something to be banished from society. I would never ban it for this simple reason - the tools might be new but the sentiment isn't..those conversations are going to be had whether you give access on the internet or not. I love this quote from Scott Donaton from Ad Age

"Since the first 3 cavemen stood around a fire, we've had social networks"

The important factor is how to use social networking, social networkers and social networking sites to your benefit. Think of it as access to talent, access to a database of mind power, access to that human need of belonging, access to a communication tool that can connect people globally. You know people used to fear the telephone, fear emails as a waste of time...then they learned how to use them for their own benefit and the benefit of the firm. Embrace new technology, if you fight it..you will just be left behind....

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-11-02T19:36:00.000Z

Here is the latest collection of articles for leaders and managers who want to motivate, inspire and engage people at work. Enjoy!

GreatManagement presents Tom Peters Recommends The Dream Manager posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

David Kam presents A Generous Leader, A Great Figure posted at MarketingDeviant.com.

Randy Nichols presents The Job Burnout Cure posted at Career Advice by Randy, saying, "The daily grind of working for someone else and being on a limited income takes it’s toll, What in the world is the cure?"

Chris Russell presents The Power of Personal Space posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "Have you ever thought about how powerful personal space is as a determinant of productivity? Everybody works differently, and where possible good managers should take into account individual preferences and needs when allocating workspace."

Tupelo Kenyon presents Choose Excellence and Lose Mediocrity posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "What if you knew that a life of excellence was lurking right around the corner, if you would only prioritize your moments in such a way so that you could recognize it. Take an objective look at the various activities of your life. Get inspired to lose the mediocre to make room for something better. "

Robert Michel presents Business Networking is Like an Orange Tree posted at Social Networking Skills, saying, "Print advertising, phone solicitation, and direct mail if done correctly lead to immediate results. Personal networking takes longer, and therefore requires a greater level of patience and maturity. However, the quality of business received from networking is by far superior because nothing beats a personal referral."

Warren Wong presents How To Be Genuinely Interested In People posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Why you should show genuine interest in people and how to go about doing it."

Warren Wong presents The Weakness Of Overconfidence posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Why overconfidence is a weakness and tips to overcome the dangers of overconfidence."
Chris Russell presents Are the ?Yeah, Buts? in Your Business or Organization Affecting Productivity? posted at Productivity Planner, saying, ""Yeah, we can do that, but so and so or whatever is keeping us from doing that." How are all of these "Yeah, Buts" affecting employee productivity and overall business results?"
Peter Quinn presents 10 Tips For Effective Negotiations in Life and Business posted at Easy Negotiation Techniques, saying, "These 10 points are things you need to have in mind to have a win-win."
Emmanuel presents Getting the best out of your employees posted at Emmanuel Oluwatosin: Inspiring Excellence, Realising Ambitions.

GreatManagement presents Come On, Be An Effective Manager posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Listen with Your Heart posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "When someone is talking to you, do you hear with your ears, monitor with your mind, or listen with your heart? Invest a few minutes thinking about the importance of listening well – a deliberate conscious act – and watch your relationships grow to a new level of closeness and understanding."

Charles H. Green presents The Point of Listening Is Not What You Hear, but the Hearing Itself posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Listening, or rather, hearing, is what makes people like and trust you. Just hear, don't listen thinking about what you want and in so doing you will gain the influence needed to keep the employees you value."

Tina Su presents 6 Ways to be Positive in Any Situation posted at Think Simple. Be Decisive..

Remember the Role of Luck in Business

2007-10-29T12:26:00.000Z

W Edwards Deming known for his work on TQM, was only sent to Japan after the second world war to improve their production methods as the US did not feel they needed any help....Deming offered his wisdom, TQM was born and Japan rose to new production heights.

When you are given a task that you are not sure about think how many people have been like Deming....in the right place, at the right time by accident. Face the challenge with a positive mind...after all you have no idea whether this is your breakthrough opportunity... your TQM!

A Tale of Customer Service

2007-10-25T15:30:00.000Z

A regular listener to The Engaging Brand podcast - Harold Thompson - sent me a wonderful story that is doing the e-mail rounds. I thought I would share it with you as it is a wonderful reminder of customer service

The Cabbie

When I arrived at 2:30 A.M., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away.

But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice.

I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters.

In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness.

"It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".

"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice".

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.

"I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a
driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up.

They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door..

The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers," I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said.

"Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light.

Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Listening to Customers Costs Nothing

2007-10-24T17:42:00.000Z

Tonight I have been working on my computer for about 2 hours. During those 2 hours I have received 3 cold calls...well 1 cold call and 2 people surveying what their customers want. Why?

The answer looks obvious...to build into the products and services for the future?

I suppose...

But what I find strange is that - people pay people to work on a night to ask customers inane questions at a time that is not convenient - it is family time and most people don't want to be interrupted to help you. They don't even give you an incentive or reward for providing the answers...

If you have to spend money doing this as a leader I would be asking "Why spend money upsetting, interrupting customers during their personal time....when we could just listen to them when they are interacting with us! You don't need a telephone you need bigger ears...."

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-10-19T19:34:00.000Z

Here is this months carnival of leadership development. Hope you enjoy the articles that we have chosen. Development is the lifeblood of leadership...both for the leader and the followers.

Anna presents 10 Tough Questions to Ask Yourself at The Engaging Brand

Ravi Vora presents 15 Ways To Speak With Confidence and Be Taken Seriously posted at Ravi Vora.

Christopher J. Brunner presents But on the Other Hand . . . (i.e. Exploring Options) posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "Exploring your options is an important part of every decision we make. And especially when it comes to the big ones, such as how to run a business."

Ivan Rios presents Sometimes It?s Better to Quit and Move On posted at artofleading.net.

Wanda Grindstaff presents Wealth and Freedom - Get Clear on What they Really Mean! posted at Creating Abundant Lifestyles.

Ivan Rios presents Why Leadership is About Measuring Success posted at artofleading.net.

David B. Bohl presents Conflict: Difficult People We Can’t Avoid posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "There are people who are part of our lives, at least now, not by our choice but by circumstance, and we just have to learn to get along. We do have the option of not getting along, but that rarely feels good or works out well, so I highly suggest learning to deal with these people in a way that causes everyone involved the least amount of damage and turmoil."

Luke Houghton presents The wiki way of thinking posted at Luke Houghton, saying, "The wiki way of thinking challenges fundamental business thinking. Read this to learn more."

GreatManagement presents Tom Peters Recommends The Dream Manager posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

Sue Massey presents How to Write a Business Proposal posted at Business Management Life, saying, "Writing a business proposal can seem like a daunting task. Where do I start? What do I need to say? How do I know if I’ve written a proposal that my customer will understand?"

Tristan Loo presents SMART Goal Setting 101: The Definitive Guide to Goal Achievement posted at The Synergy Institute, saying, "Life Coach Tristan Loo explains how to set and achieve SMART goals. At 4915 words, this is the most comprehensive article on goal setting on the internet. Learn and integrate these powerful goal setting techniques into your life to produce the good that you desire for yourself."

David Kam presents A Generous Leader, A Great Figure posted at MarketingDeviant.com.

Alex Marlin presents Most Educated People Have No Social Skills posted at Life Improvement Tips For Thin and Small People, saying, "Your are an educated person, so why are you not making it? Learn exactly what is keeping you back."

Rahul Bhambhani presents Take Control of Your Life: Be Proactive » Take-20.com posted at Personal Development Advice, Tools to Improve the Quality of your Life, saying, "All great leaders are proactive. This article explains how to become more proactive, and take control of your life."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Business Book Giveaway for You

2007-10-18T20:46:00.000Z

Over on The Engaging Brand there is a chance to win a leadership book from Anna's extensive library!

All she wants you to do is to leave a comment suggesting a party game for the holiday season for leaders to play with their teams. This follows on from the post "What bad leaders might play at the office party..." Here are some of her suggestions

Pass the Message (Parcel) - Don't communicate directly, just pass on a message and let people pass on what they think they have heard!
Hide and Seek - Say you are a people person but hide in your office.
Pin the Tail on your Objectives - Give a general idea and then let people fumble about in the dark trying to work out what is expected of them.
Musical Chairs - Set a goal then keep taking resources away until there are none left
Charades - Say one thing and do another!

Have you got some ideas, have you some positive ideas as well as tongue in cheek ones if so pop over and see if you can win a book too!

How to Keep Employees Blog Carnival

2007-10-17T16:23:00.000Z

Welcome to the October 10, 2007 edition of how to keep employees.

Anna presents Allow Your Employees to Fly posted at The Engaging Brand.

Charles H. Green presents How Sales Contests Kill Sales posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Instead of burning out your sales force with destructive sales contests, here's how to make both your sales team and your customers happy."

Wayne Hurlbert presents Staff training: A business essential posted at Blog Business World, saying, "In the hustle and bustle of a daily business routine, proper training of the company staff is often forgotten. Whether the personnel requiring instruction are new hires or long time employees, good staff training is essential to business success. If an employee is unable to do the job assignments, simply as a result of not knowing how to complete the tasks at hand, the company bottom line can experience some severe damage."

Karel Vandenberghe presents 5 Essential Thoughts for Open Source Innovation posted at Open Innovators - Open innovation and crowdsourcing, saying, "An essential way of empowering employees is to involve them in new, open innovation processes. This article present 5 thought to stimulate open source innovation."

GreatManagement presents How Not To Give Staff Feedback posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

Leo Blanco presents How Employee Recognition Affects Your Company | Logo Design Works posted at Small Business Tips.

Doris Chua presents How Do You Manage Your Employees? posted at A Meeting Place for All Home Office Women.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "If the people you spend the most time with are inspiring, supportive, encouraging, and they demonstrate qualities you want to emulate – great, you are on the right track. If not, it's up to you to do something about it. Life is too short to put up with other people's pity parties, bitch-and-moan marathons, and oh-woe-is-me clubs"

Ivan Rios presents Why Leadership is About Measuring Success posted at artofleading.net.

wilson ng presents Incompetent Bosses, Inutile Employees, Messed up Systems posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife, saying, "What destroys company value faster? A system with established process/brand name but with a bad boss, or an excellent boss but bad systems. In many ocassions, there might be a limit on what a good CEO can do in the face of inutile processes."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
how to keep employees using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Developing Cool Products

2007-10-16T17:04:00.000Z

I just love this quote from Hugh Macleod from the Gaping Void blog

"If you wanna have a cool product, you gotta do cool sh**!"

I just love this quote and have it on my desk......the more you read it, the more sense it makes.
Doing cool stuff means taking a few risks, but without risk you won't get cool stuff.

I will extend this quote now

"If you wanna be a cool leader, you gotta take a risk and allow people to do cool sh**!"

Believing in Your Goals

2007-10-11T04:35:00.000Z

I don't know anyone who has had a dream, who has achieved it with absolutely no setbacks...do you?

The way we think about setbacks and how we cope with setbacks is often the difference between success and failure. A little story...

Michael Jordan, in his biography explains his mental approach to a painful foot injury. He didn't want to miss any basketball games so tried to keep playing but the pain got too much...he had to miss the rest of the season.
During rehab, he didn't get down, he didn't feel that his career at the top was over...instead he visualized himself taking jump shots, making passes and eventually winning a championship! He kept a positive mind set all the way through the recovery process...he believes this positive approach brought him back quicker and stronger.

Setbacks will happen...when they do visualize the way through rather than mulling over how it happened....watch the difference in your career success.

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-10-06T16:04:00.000Z

Welcome to the October 5, 2007 edition of carnival of leadership development. Here are various articles submitted by readers who want to help you achieve that career success that your potential deserves!

Louise Manning presents Reducing stress posted at The Human Imprint.

Charles H. Green presents Business Ethics and Self-Orientation posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Ethical business leaders are distinguished by their conscience and intrinsic orientation towards others."

Anna Farmery presents The Heart of an Employer Brand posted at The Engaging Brand

Warren Wong presents A Lesson In Standing Up For What You Believe In posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "An inspiring story about a father teaching a son how to stand up for what he believes in."

The Career Counselor presents Four Ways to Recognize an Office Liar posted at ask the CareerCounselor.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Make Assumptions Obsolete by Communicating posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "We assume because we don’t know. We don’t know because we don’t ask. We don’t ask because we act as if we already know. Or, we don’t want to appear stupid. So we make an assumption. Then we forget it is merely something we made up, and we behave as if it’s a fact. When the facts are known, it would never occur to us to assume. The solution is clear communication. When we know the truth, assumptions are forever unnecessary."

Arin Vahanian presents How One Quote Can Change Your Life posted at Super State.

Marc and Angel presents 15 Key Qualities that Offset Job Experience Requirements posted at Marc and Angel, saying, "Never let the supposed job qualifications or experience requirements stand in your way of applying. If you know you can handle the job, you are probably the employee the employer wants. All you have to do is make them aware of your potential."

Christopher J. Brunner presents What Successful People Do - Part 1 posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "Part one in a two post series - According to Dr. Henry Cloud’s book, 9 Things You Simply Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life, successful people exude similar qualities that make them a success."

Terry Dean presents Finding Your Unique Ability posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Ivan Rios presents How To Make Your Team Happy posted at artofleading.net.

Randy Nichols presents Fast Paced Success - Considering a Career in Business posted at Career Advice by Randy, saying, "Whether you have relatives who have entered the field ahead of you or you are simply looking for a field that will always provide you with challenges, careers in business are definitely one way to go!"

Chris Tackett presents Cold Calling - Does It Work Anymore? posted at Direct Marketing News, saying, " Here are just a few of the different ways you can generate leads or prospects."

Jason Rakowski presents Critical Priorities for Extraordinary Service Quality posted at Learn Good Customer Service, saying, "What are the vital few ideas and actions that really made a difference with the customers and clients? There are thousands of tiny things that made a necessary and positive contribution, but here are five areas that are make or break."

Chris Russell presents Boldy Go Where No Has Before - Prepare to Do 20 Times More by Looking Five Years Ahead posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "The steps for creating a 2,000 percent solution (accomplishing 20 times more with the same time, effort, and resources) are listed here...

John W. Furst presents Touch It - Do It - Get It Done - Part 2 posted at E-Biz Booster Blog, saying, " I introduce very simple rules and exercises that will get you started quickly. Start using your time more effectively now."

GreatManagement presents Management Bureaucracy Gone Mad posted at The GreatManagement Blog.

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Develop Mental Toughness posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "MVPs, CEOs, extraordinary leaders, and successful people of all kinds have it and so should you. Develop, strengthen and master your ability to perform under pressure, bounce back from failure, and excel in life."
Rodney Burge - Marketing Strategies presents Managing a Mutlicultural Workforce posted at Jinsoo Terry - Multicultural Education, saying, "Multicultural Education Expert Jinsoo Terry gives five tips to become a more effective manager within a multicultural workforce."

Luke Houghton presents 8 things I have learned about success posted at Luke Houghton, saying, "Success often is pictured as being material or financial. What I share in this article is eight things I have learned about success. I went from being a high school failure to being a lecturer."

Daylle Deanna Schwartz presents Don’t Reduce Your Price! posted at Lessons from a Recovering DoorMat, saying, "If you don't value yourself, people will perceive you as a discount brand. Making yourself priceless begins with knowing you're priceless. You can teach yourself to be that way!"

Arin Vahanian presents How to Build True, Lasting Confidence posted at Super State.

Scott Lee presents Creating Social Value in Your Identity posted at Scott Free Thinking.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

How do you inspire innovation?

2007-10-05T00:37:00.000Z

Do you ask for ideas? Do you hold creative sessions? Or do you speak like Jeff Immelt of GE who asked his teams for

"breath-taking, mind blogging, word rattling, technological innovation"

Now that is inspiring talk, that is helping people not to have an idea but to have a dream....to create something special. Both approaches are asking in reality for the same thing, but one uses words that stir emotion, that stir the company to want to create success.

Value Your Skills and Experience

2007-09-29T19:21:00.001Z

A little story from the world of Picasso. Picasso was sat one day when someone walked by and asked him if he would paint their dog.....Picasso agreed and 45 seconds later there was a Picasso original. The person asked how much he would charge....the answer 350 francs. The buyer was shocked and said.."It only took you 45 seconds?" Picasso looked and said "No, it has taken me all my life...."

Valuing your experience, valuing your skills, valuing yourself is vitally important in business. If you don't value yourself, no one else will....

How to Keep Employees

2007-09-25T16:26:00.001Z

We live on talent as business leaders so how do we motivate and retain that talent within our organisations...here are a few articles to help

Drew McLellan presents Is your little red wagon stuck? posted at The Marketing Minute.

Anna Farmery presents Leaders Have Great Balance posted at The Engaging Brand

Jay Gordon Cone presents Authentic CSR creates higher employee engagement posted at Interaction Associates - Thought leadership and practical tools for collaboration., saying, "Today's employees expect to care about what they do. If they love their work, they're more willing to give additional discretionary effort to see meaningful projects succeed."

David B. Bohl presents Surviving (Tolerating, Accepting, and Eluding) Negative People, Places, and Situations : Slow Down Fast Today! posted at Slow Down Fast Today!.

Edith Yeung presents How to Read People and Get Your Point Across? posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Jason Rakowski presents How to Deliver the Ultimate in Customer Service Delight posted at Learn Good Customer Service, saying, "With the right approach you can add wow factor to your customer experiences and develop mutually beneficial long term relationships with them."

Carmen Van Kerckhove presents If diversity training doesn’t work, why do companies do it? posted at Race in the Workplace - how race and racism influence our working lives, saying, "Companies are twice as likely to invest in diversity training than any other type of diversity initiative because their real motivation is to mitigate risk."

Christopher J. Brunner presents Implementing a Wellness Program posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "The cost of health benefits for employers and employees alike is a rising concern, especially for smaller business owners. Though it can’t get rid of the cost all together, implementing a wellness program into your employees’ working lifestyle can save you money."

Tupelo Kenyon presents Make Assumptions Obsolete by Communicating posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "We assume because we don’t know. We don’t know because we don’t ask. We don’t ask because we act as if we already know. Or, we don’t want to appear stupid. So we make an assumption. Then we forget it is merely something we made up, and we behave as if it’s a fact. When the facts are known, it would never occur to us to assume. The solution is clear communication. When we know the truth, assumptions are forever unnecessary."

David B. Bohl presents Fulfillment and Leadership : Slow Down Fast Today! posted at Slow Down Fast Today!.

Debra Moorhead presents Integrity in Today’s Workplace posted at Debra Moorhead.com.

Ivan Rios presents Go Beyond Responsibility posted at artofleading.net.

Ivan Rios presents How To Make Your Team Happy posted at artofleading.net.

What is Your Nascar?

2007-09-24T16:09:00.000Z

When IDEO wanted to redesign an operating room, it found insights from the NASCAR team. The way that the team worked together safely and quickly, despite the time constraints.

Too often managers think that they have to come up with the solution...not so, what you have to do is recognise the problem, or even better the potential problem, and search for a solution. That search should not be limited to you, to your team. Look outside to other departments within your firm and also other firms that face similar issues...what is your NASCAR?

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-09-20T09:27:00.000Z

One thing we try and do here is to help people think about their own development and the development of others. Today we look at articles that are centred around developing leadership. Enjoy!

Anna Farmery presents Magic Tricks for Great Leaders posted at The Engaging Brand.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Work– Just a Job or Visible Love? posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Do you love what you do and do what you love? Here's a step-by-step method on how to put your passions to work and start living the life you were born to live. "

Wanda Grindstaff presents Summer is Over, Is it Time to Focus on Success? posted at Creating Abundant Lifestyles.

edithyeung presents Disempowering Phrases Successful People Never Say posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Be Smarter in 30 Days posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Become a better leader by increasing your critical thinking skills and your ability to relate to others."

Ivan Rios presents Slow Down?Think?Act posted at artofleading.net.

Claudia Juarez presents What was the mission statement for? posted at A reality blog - Will I succeed?, saying, "When your business is not going as planned, it's time to review your mission statement"

Luke Houghton presents Does it pay to do the right thing? posted at Luke Houghton, saying, "It's important to do what's right. Read this to learn why."

Ariel Laurel Strong presents Instinct « The Cloud of Unknowing posted at The Cloud of Unknowing, saying, "Take the step beyond theory and training. Listening to the inner voice of intuition and instinct can make you a better leader, whether it is on an emergency scene or in a board room."

Jack Yoest presents Management Training Tip #2: Writing an employee evaluation? Try 101 helping sentences. posted at Yoest.com, saying, "Academia and the Army have one thing in common.Perhaps the only intersection is the willingness to share with with fellow servicemen or teachers various helps needed for the efficient and effective transference of knowledge."

Karl Goldfield presents Building a plan Part 4b: Get to know your superiors, reports, and peers (Just hired) posted at Coaching sales champions.

Tom Stanley presents Dream Your Own Dream posted at Tom's Franchise Information Blog, saying, "When you are considering owning your own business, a franchise may seem quite appealing. But instead of starting with someone else’s idea, why not start with your own?"

Jason Rakowski presents How to Deliver the Ultimate in Customer Service Delight posted at Learn Good Customer Service, saying, "With the right approach you can add wow factor to your customer experiences and develop mutually beneficial long term relationships with them."

Chris Russell presents Office White Noise posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "The reason office white noise machines are being implemented in office environments is that they provide a calm and soothing working environment, which leads to better productivity."

Stacey Derbinshire presents Business Plans - An Outline for the New Entrepreneur posted at Starting a Small Home Business

wilson ng presents MultiTasking for Productivity posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife, saying, "Doing few important tasks well may be more crucial to your success than doing many tasks haphazardly."

Daylle Deanna Schwartz presents Making Your Mistakes Count posted at Lessons from a Recovering DoorMat.

Fred Black presents Why Does it Feel Wrong to Feel Right? posted at Fred Black: Internet Business Blog..

Christopher J. Brunner presents Leaders Can’t Do It Alone posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "The term leader is defined as “a guiding or directing head,” which indicates that, as a leader, you must have people to guide and direct. Leaders can’t be leaders without followers."

Jason Jacobsohn presents Learn to be Patient or Else… posted at Networking Insight.

Charles H. Green presents Trusted Politicians posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Leasing as a politician is about moving to the majority - or in cases of real leaders - creating a majority. Politicians without a majority soon become ex-politicians."

SJ Yee presents Nick Vujicic, the man with no limbs, on Perspective, Vision and Choices posted at Personal Development for the Book Smart.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

The Secret of Career Success

2007-09-17T17:55:00.000Z

Peter Drucker once said

"The critical question is not 'How can I achieve?' but 'What can I contribute?"

For me, this is the key to career success. Contribution will always be recognised, contribution is measurable, contribution gives a sense of personal achievement.

To be able to contribute you need to constantly develop, constantly learn and expand your knowledge..this takes effort but is a lot more interesting than being bored "hoping" that someone may recognise your declining potential!

Love Your Competitors

2007-09-14T15:45:00.001Z

I love this quote from Bruce Jenner at the Olympic games.

"I love my competitor; he brings out the best in me"

What a wonderful way of looking at competition - whether internal or external.

Competitors are not to be feared they are to be embraced as your motivation to keep growing, keep learning. Competition can be used as fuel for your motivation, a fuel for your next targets, a fuel for your career and talent.

Imagine how boring it would be without competition!

3 Tips on How to Motivate Your Team

2007-09-12T10:26:00.000Z

Motivation is a key part of improving productivity and therefore achieving your goals. Here are 3 quick techniques that I use to improve motivation

Spend a 30 minutes each day walking or talking to your team. Make sure you are asking them about how they are feeling, ask about their life outside of work, ask what is going well, what is their biggest concern. Time invested here is so important to show that you care, that you value them not only as a team member but as a human being.
Hold a monthly session with small groups of people who are direct reports of your direct reports.....no agenda...just ask them for their ideas...how can we make our work lives better, what is working well and we want to do more of, ask about their understanding of goals/objectives.....then act on the feedback.
Use surprises to break the monotony. Be it holding meetings outside, giving each person a small budget to woo their internal customers, thanking them with a treat, send cards to individuals with personal messages about achievement, go and work alongside during busy times....and understand their issues.

Customer Connection for Customer Service

2007-09-09T17:25:00.000Z

When a Company reviews their customer service, they often review process and systems...that's fine but that is only part of the story. Process reliance is about delivery but it has no emotional connectivity.

You also have to review how people are connecting with the customer, if people are using their energy "sticking to the process" it is removing emotional energy to connect with the customer. I always say to my people "Please the customer not your boss!" Then tell me what you did if it is outside the process...we then review the process, develop the customer service skill if it was needed and think of how we can build this into our future service.

So remember, yes the process needs work....but the people need energy!

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-09-07T16:36:00.000Z

Here is this weekends carnival of leadership development - I hope you find it inspires you to reach that potential that is inside of you.

John Wesley presents 8 Moves to Make When the Chips Are Down posted at Pick the Brain.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Training Games and "Games" posted at SharpBrains, saying, "Explaining how to navigate through the growing number of "brain training" claims."

Phil B. presents 13 Steps to be Productive « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "Ever wonder why some people are so productive all of the time while other people never accomplish anything?"

Charles H. Green presents The Dark Side of Trust? Not! posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Harvard claims the key to trust is micromanagement, but real leaders know the key to trusting relationships is letting go enough to let trust flourish."

Jason Rakowski presents Building Relationships In Business - Why It?s So Important posted at Learn Good Customer Service, saying, "There are several different types of relationships that a business owner should be trying to obtain. This article will take a look at three of them that I feel are a must have!"

Chris Russell presents Employee Retention Through Talent Management - What Does It Take To Retain Employees? posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "Companies with high employee turnover rates are losing valuable resources in addition to money. It costs a good bit of money to advertise to fill positions; interview potential employees; and train new employees. This can be particularly expensive if the high turnover rate is for middle or high level positions. Many companies and organizations are embracing HR talent management programs that evaluate the issues of employee retention."

Dr Martin W. Russell presents The Key Life Principle? posted at Dr Martin W. Russell.

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Be A Presence In Any Room posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "All leaders are confident and the great ones have a presence. Learn how to walk into any room and project the qualities of a great leader."

Kevin Bedell presents What's the best question to ask? posted at 21st Century Citizen.

Phil B. presents The Right and Wrong Ways to Boost Morale « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "I think morale has reached an all time low where I currently work, and I would guess that the same is true where you work too."

Nithya Powlin presents How to Get Your Stuck Projects Unstuck posted at Never Another Job.

Charles H. Green presents It's a Dog Eat Dog World, Isn't It? posted at Trust Matters, saying, "In an emerging business world that throws everyone together in constantly permutating ways, that old competitive nature we prized decades ago is becoming a bit of a millstone."

Karl Goldfield presents Building a plan Part 3: Hunters, Gatherers, Communicators, and Collaborators posted at Coaching sales champions.

Rolf F. Katzenberger presents Successful meetings, or: The Great Commandment of Communication posted at Evomend | Timeless resources for personal organization., saying, "You've completed the room reservation in time. You've arranged for coffee and beverages. You've set up the agenda and mailed it in advance to all participants. All feedback has been incorporated, of course. All flip chart supports are loaded with fresh pads of paper. Then the meeting begins. Discussion starts. After a while, you feel like you'd rather be amidst a bunch of howler monkeys during their mating season. Why isn't anybody listening?"

Ben Yoskovitz presents The 4 Immutable Laws of Giving Great Proposals posted at Instigator Blog.

Warren Wong presents Be A Good Manager By Letting People Learn And Grow posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Information on the common mistakes an new manager makes and tips on how to be a good manager."

Tupelo Kenyon presents Integrity Through Self-Reliance posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. (Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus songs with lyrics related to each article – all free.)"

Laura presents Top 20 Facebook Apps for Entrepreneurs posted at Online University Lowdown.

Luke Houghton presents 5 ways to think strategically posted at Luke Houghton, saying, "Being a leader means being able to see the bigger picture view of what's happening. This article outlines 5 creative ways to see the bigger picture."

Ant presents 5 Ways To Not Get Your Point Across posted at The Beef Jerky Blog.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Fitness Program 2.0, MindFit, and much more on Brain Training posted at SharpBrains, saying, "Review and commentary on several New York Times articles related to "brain training""

Samir Bharadwaj presents 5+1 Simple Ideas For Brainstorming With A Dictionary posted at SamirBharadwaj.com, saying, "The currency of entrepreneurship is ideas. If you're like most entrepreneurs, you don't always have the luxury of brainstorming for new ideas in a group. So, here are some tips for coming up with ideas all by your lonesome, with a little help from your humble dictionary."

David B. Bohl presents Fulfillment and Leadership : Slow Down Fast Today! posted at Slow Down Fast Today!.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Persistance for Profit

2007-09-04T17:41:00.000Z

I love this quote from Craig Newmark

" There's no genius behind it. It's persistence and listening to people"

Two wonderful qualities for a successful business.

Business is a journey, a winding journey that has many roadblocks and traffic jams....to be successful you need to have a desire to break through those blocks and find a new path to profit. Persistence is the fuel and listening ensures that you have chosen the right path.

Ideas to Inspire Business

2007-08-31T08:34:00.000Z

We believe that the power of blogging is sharing ideas, inspiration from all over the web...here are some articles to inspire you.

Chris Russell presents Enhancing Human Performance posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "Knowing why people behave the way they do on the job is the key to gaining commitment to continuous improvement. A manager must understand peoples needs in order to increase motivation and therefore meet the needs of the organization."

Stacey Derbinshire presents Leveling the Playing Fields posted at Starting a Small Home Business, saying, "The lifeplan of school, college, and get a job is the paradigm most are trained to follow. However, only a small percentage of those who follow this plan end up with any level of wealth or financial satisfaction in their secular life."

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents Memories are made of the things we DO, not the things we BUY posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, "Should we buy a boat? Or would we rather go fishing?"

TherapyDoc presents You're not the boss of me: Playing defense posted at Everyone Needs Therapy

Rickey Henderson presents Beard Watch 2007 Update posted at Riding with Rickey, saying, "A story about one man's commute home from work. And his quest to grow a beard."

Vahid Chaychi presents Get Inspired by the Success Stories and Interviews posted at Internet and Search Engine Marketing, saying, "You may get disappointed while starting a new business and it has not given any good result yet. Most people give up at this point and stop working. One of the best things that prevents you to give up, is reading the success stories and interviews of successful people in your niche. Learn how to find and read them every week."

Steven Silvers presents PowerPoint presentation on news story about business school requiring PowerPoint presentation from applicants. posted at Scatterbox at stevensilvers.com, saying, "University of Chicago Business School will require applicants to submit a four-slide PowerPoint presentation to be considered. Here’s my one-slide PowerPoint presentation on what this means."

edithyeung presents Steps You Must Take to Run a Successful Meeting and Say Goodbye to Boring Meetings posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

FitBuff presents Brain Gym Exercises: Get Fit, Get Smart posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Ever been at work or faced with a problem and thought to yourself, "Hmm, I sure wish I had a few extra neurons to help me come up with a creative solution?"
Who hasn't, right? Well, check out this new study that shows you how you can literally increase the number of neurons your brain produces!"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of anecdotes and stories for presentations using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Personal Branding and PR

2007-08-29T14:23:00.000Z

For centuries people have managed their reputation...personal or leadership branding are new phrases but the principle stands the test of time. Your own PR is as much about perception as reality - now I firmly believe in being authentic but always remember that your public image is as important in career as well as what you do.

Augustus, the first Roman Emperor managed this paradox well. He appeared humble, publicly playing down him importance and rejecting the idea he was a god! Whilst saying this, he was rebuilding the city....great for the people...oh and a giant monument to himself with a 42m high family mausoleum in Rome.

The image he created was one of rebuilding the city, humility, a good leader...so therefore the monument was something that the people wanted...something that recognised his worth.

Creating value is the key to your public image.....selling your worth won't work, it is about delivering value consistently so that the public sells your brand for you. Was it JFK who said "Ask not what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country".....well, if we change that to "Ask not what the company can do for you, but what you can do for your company" then you are well on the way to managing your reputation successfully.

Lessons from an Arts Festival

2007-08-27T18:45:00.000Z

The largest arts festival in the world is the Edinburgh Fringe. However when it started it was not a major initiative it was a small gathering of 8 theatre companies. The festival has grown through word of mouth and year on year.....like many businesses.

There is a lesson here for leaders - as much as you want success today, big success now...it takes time. You cannot engage all your employees or potential customers in one fell swoop. It is about continuously doing the right thing, about getting key people to engage and let them "sell" the ideas to other people.

That is why web 2.0 is a fantastic tool to engage people. If you use them correctly, then you will build customer and employee evangelists who will market your ideas for you.

How to keep Employees

2007-08-23T09:17:00.000Z

Welcome to today's carnival which looks at how to retain talent, how to develop talent.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Training the Aging Workforce posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "Training will be an important component of retaining baby boomers in the work force."

Chris Russell presents Enhancing Human Performance posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "Knowing why people behave the way they do on the job is the key to gaining commitment to continuous improvement. A manager must understand peoples needs in order to increase motivation and therefore meet the needs of the organization."

Tupelo Kenyon presents Facing Fear with Deliberate Awareness posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Fear is over-rated. We do it to ourselves. Fear has no reality other than our attention to it. Deliberately steer your attention to pictures in your imagination that emphasize what you want to happen – (instead of what you most dread) . . . and the fear dissipates. (Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus songs with lyrics related to each article – all free.)"

Warren Wong presents Make People Comfortable By Greeting Them Right posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Do you know how to make people comfortable when you meet them? Here's a couple of tips to make them feel right at home."

Erek Ostrowski presents Management Coaching: How and When to Give Feedback posted at Verve Coaching, saying, "If you hold back or worry about how you’re coming across, you’ll teach the people who work for you that they need to hold back and worry about how they come across…"

Charles H. Green presents The Dark Side of Trust? Not! posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Harvard claims the key to trust is micromanagement, but you can distinguish yourself as a great employer by letting go enough to let trust flourish."

If it ain't broke...fix it!

2007-08-22T12:31:00.001Z

Often we wait until something is broken before we fix it....why not fix it before it is broken.

A great example is Dick Fosbury. People had a way of teaching the high jump - it worked. But Dick Fosbury reinvented the method. He developed a revolutionary approach that took high jump to ...new heights!

He didn't have exceptional strength or speed but what he had was a revolutionary approach that brought him a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics.

He did not listen to the critics, the people who banned the technique...he believed in his ability to create a new method that would help him achieve his dream

Do you wait until it is broke, or do you challenge the norm, do you challenge yourself and your team to continue improving?

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-08-20T08:55:00.000Z

Welcome to the August 16, 2007 edition of carnival of leadership development.

Pete Johnson presents If the picture sucks, is it still worth 1,000 words? posted at Nerd Guru, saying, "An overly complicated diagram in a presentation can easily lose your audience. In this article, the importance of simple graphics are stressed and, when a complex picture is required, a technique for easing the visual burden is discussed."

Aaron M. Potts presents Barriers to Personal Growth - What Service are you Providing? posted at Today is that Day.

Jane Chin presents A Danger of "Too Much Experience" posted at On Careers and Life, saying, "How often are you the victim of your own knowledge and experience?"

rck@TheRoadtoCEO.com presents How to React to Criticism posted at Get More Done with Activity Logs

Jeanne Dininni presents Show 'Em Who's Boss posted at Writer's Notes, saying, "This is a satirical article that actually tells the reader how NOT to succeed in leadership."

Karl Goldfield presents Building a plan: Finding Talent - Unearthing potential and making stars posted at Coaching sales champions.

Matthew Paulson presents How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking posted at Getting Green.

Ivan Rios presents How to Deal With Envy posted at artofleading.net.

Christopher J. Brunner presents The Balance of a Leader posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "Being a good, strong, dependable leader is all about balance."

Ivan Rios presents Mistakes Happen: How Do You Respond? posted at artofleading.net.

Ivan Rios presents When To Lose posted at artofleading.net.

Pushpa Sathish presents The Business Blogging Toolset: 100 Resources for Entrepreneur-Writers posted at Bootstrapper.

Bhupendra Khanal presents Top 10 Mantra for Professional Success posted at Analytics Bhupe, saying, "First decide to lead and then work to make that happen."

Charles H. Green presents Deer in the Headlights Decison-Making > Trusted Advisor Associates > Trust Matters posted at Trust Matters, saying, "When faced with unexpected surprises the way most people react is to just do the same thing - they freeze, and can't adapt."

Tupelo Kenyon presents Facing Fear with Deliberate Awareness posted at Tupelo Kenyon,

SJ Yee presents Talent is never enough posted at Personal Development for the Book Smart.

Gary van Warmerdam presents Being Optimistic With Awareness posted at Happiness, saying, "In the best selling book Good To Great Jim Collins advises us of the perils of being optimistic. That same awareness can serve us in other areas of our life as well. The key is to have the awareness to discern the good optimism from the dangerous optimism."

rck@TheRoadtoCEO.com presents A Motivation Secret of Top Performing Managers posted at Get More Done with Activity Logs

Ivan Rios presents Let Them Think posted at artofleading.net, saying, "How to influence and deal with Analytical people."

Pete Johnson presents Who's in charge? Understanding group dynamics posted at Nerd Guru,

Christine Kane presents What?s Easy. What?s Not. posted at Christine Kane's Blog.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Training the Aging Workforce posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "A clear trend that will influence HR and training policies."

Jimson Lee presents The Key to Successful Leadership posted at Speedendurance.com, saying, "Are leaders made or born? Read on..."

james presents Overcoming Shyness: Tips for making effective eye contact posted at you shy devil you, saying, "Eye contact is one of the most fundamental forms of body language. Here are 5 1/2 tips on making more effective eye contact."

Jack Yoest presents Watch For Upwarding Leaping Monkeys posted at Yoest.com, saying, "Managers, are there monkeys leaping up on your backs?
The monkey is the next move after the boss and subordinate part after talking — all too often the boss has the next move. The staffer has ‘delegated’ a task up to the boss.An upward leaping monkey."

Matt presents 2 Useful Tips for Improving Creativity posted at Realigned Living, saying, "Being creative is important for any leader - this post goes into two tips I have found to be extremely useful in becoming more creative."

Marenda presents Leadership Development 101 posted at Living life Abundantly Marenda.Biz.

Lousie Manning presents Are You A Good Facilitator? posted at The Human Imprint, saying, "Facilitation is an acquired skill and the ability to facilitate effectively improves more and more with experience."

Chris Russell presents Enhancing Human Performance posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "Knowing why people behave the way they do on the job is the key to gaining commitment to continuous improvement. A manager must understand peoples needs in order to increase motivation and therefore meet the needs of the organization."

Ben Yoskovitz presents What's The Cornerstone of Any Great Relationship? posted at Instigator Blog, saying, "Looking at the importance of trust and going with your gut as a leader."

Luke Houghton presents Life skills: an overview posted at Luke Houghton, saying, "The skills you need to make it"

Marc and Angel presents Force of Character: Taking Ownership of Your Actions posted at Marc and Angel, saying, "It’s easy for someone to take ownership of success, but when the headlines read “failure” only those possessing “force of character” have the influential capacity to shine."

Warren Wong presents Make People Comfortable By Greeting Them Right posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Do you know how to make people comfortable when you meet them? Here's a couple of tips to make them feel right at home.

Jay Gordon Cone presents CEOs Know: The Soft Stuff Is the Hard Stuff posted at Interaction Associates - Thought leadership and practical tools for collaboration., saying, "CEOs admitted in a recent study that financial results are only part of the picture of the health of their companies. Leaders must learn a new balanced view of success in order to lead well.

FitBuff presents New York Jets Listen to Mozart on the Football Field posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Do you believe in "The Mozart Effect" -- the idea that certain pieces of classical music can increase your intelligence and cognitive abilities?Believe it or not, an entire NFL team does!"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Employee Engagement

2007-08-17T16:15:00.000Z

Aristotle said

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work"

I love this quote as it sums up in 9 words why leaders should be concerned with the "happiness" of their employees at work. If people feel values, if they feel listened to, if they feel their work is meaningful...then this will be reflected in their work.

Successful Careers Are Made, Not Given

2007-08-15T11:13:00.000Z

We can often see rich, successful people and forget the work they put into their career. Warren Buffet is a hugely successful businessman, built from a desire to succeed. There is a profile of Warren Buffet in the Telegraph, it starts

"When Warren was 12 his father won a seat in Congress and the family moved to Washington. There he took on five paper rounds and by the time he was 14 had saved enough money to pay $1,200 for 40 acres of farmland in Nebraska. After acquiring this land he rented it out."

In a world of instant messaging, speed of communication, constant change - we can forget that success needs hard work, it is built over time. There is no short term fix, there is no short cut for working hard at creating the future that you want.

Understanding why people reject your idea

2007-08-14T17:19:00.000Z

A great example from history is Galileo who claimed that the sun was at the centre of the solar system. Did everyone celebrate the idea, did people welcome this thought, did he get promoted(!) at his next appraisal?

Far from it, he faced persecution from the Church. Why? Was it the idea that they rejected, no it was how the idea made them feel, it would not have mattered what was at the centre they were thrown as someone was advocating a theory that was different to theirs.....years go by and the principle stays true.

Make sure that you understand that to be successful in convincing people of an idea, you must address their feelings, their preconceived ideas, their sense of holding on to the past. Then present the idea as a solution to an existing problem - not as a revolutionary idea that will change the centre of their universe.

People reject what they don't understand, they fear big change...to get an idea accepted you need to ease the audience into the future....

Carnival of Anecdotes and Stories for Business

2007-08-10T08:59:00.000Z

Welcome to the August 10, 2007 edition of anecdotes and stories for presentations. Do you want some articles to inspire your leadership, to motivate your team at work?

Charles H. Green presents Juries, Courtrooms and Linear Thinking > Trusted Advisor Associates > Trust Matters posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Once upon a time a jury said "a pox on both houses"."

Laura Young presents Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops It posted at Dragon Slayer, saying, "A great story submitted to me by a blog reader the I imagine many of you would find useful."

Anna presents Leadership Tips for the Summer at The Engaging Brand.

Louise Manning presents Latin quotations posted at The Human Imprint.

Rickey Henderson presents What Rickey Learned from Jury Duty posted at Riding with Rickey.

Praveen presents My Simple Trading System: The Old Man, the Boy, and the Donkey posted at My Simple Trading System.

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents The Millionaire Mommy Next Door Recipe for Success, Wealth & Happiness posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, "Add ingredients generously and mix thoroughly to blend."

Ivan Rios presents 5 More Contradictions That Will Make You a Better Leader posted at artofleading.net.

Sue Massey presents The Price Of Ignoring What?s Wrong posted at Business Management Life, saying, "I talk about how it's important for employees to feel good about their job."

Karl Goldfield presents Coffee Break Pt 1 Finale - Part 1 posted at Coaching sales champions, saying, "A post with 31 listings of people's funniest interviews."

Charles H. Green presents Negotiation and the Short Term Performance Trap posted at Trust Matters, saying, "The Prisoner's dilemna tells us a lot about the nature of long term and short term thinking."

Eric Hudin presents You Can Make More Working Less posted at Everyday Marketing Ideas,

Pete Johnson presents Who's in charge? Understanding group dynamics posted at Nerd Guru, saying, "A anecdote involving a significant family event that sheds light on how understanding group dynamics can increase productivity."

Alvaro Fernandez presents Top Ten Tips for Women Who Lead Men posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "Some of these tips may be fun to share..."

Jack Yoest presents Close the Sale: Make the Pain Worse posted at Yoest.com

Luke Houghton presents Problems Problems Problems… posted at Luke Houghton, saying, "Article about problem definitions"

edithyeung presents 7 Phrases Successful People Would Never Say posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

wilson ng presents Never Assume posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife, saying, "Funny situations or expensive mistakes occur when we assume. We always think we know what the other person wants, or thinks. Don't guess! Why not just ask?"

Jeremy Hitchcock presents Redesign time posted at WTTF: Welcome to the Future, saying, "Be thankfull we don't live in the age of time travel."

TherapyDoc presents Everyone Needs Therapy: Denial and the Predator posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "The power of denial usually fits into presentations somewhere."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of anecdotes and stories for presentations using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Having a long term view

2007-08-07T18:24:00.000Z

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, you can lose focus on the long term aim of your work. Not just the financial targets but the real purpose behind your work.

Here is a story to inspire you to think about the long term.

1)Henry Ford's first company lasted only a year because the shareholders saw it as a money making concern.
2)Henry Ford left his second company after just 18 months because he believed that the board's desire for profit bred a fear of failure.
3) In the 3rd company Henry Ford sacked a backer to follow his dream democratising the motor car.
4) It took him 9 years to get the production cost down to $345 and saw sales of 730,000 a year.

The great leaders in history of all had a strong sense of purpose, a reason for being...not just the money. The money comes when you start producing against the vision. Think Google, think Microsoft...their dreams were higher than money...and yet 2 of the most profitable companies in modern history.

What is your purpose?

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-08-01T19:11:00.000Z

Welcome to the August 1, 2007 edition of carnival of leadership development.

Krishna De presents How to ensure you ask powerful coaching questions posted at Talking Coaching: changing the world through coaching.
Warren Wong presents Just Do It posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Are you pondering over a task? Are you not sure if you should do it? Here's why you should just do it!"

Louise Manning presents Mediation Leadership posted at The Human Imprint.

Adam Pieniazek presents Leadership Tests posted at Adam Pieniazek, saying, "Discussing the leadership style of Jack Hartnett and Pernille Spiers-Lopez, as well as discussing the relevance of leadership assessments."

Christopher J. Brunner presents Enhance Your Image Through Your Words posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "What you say and how you respond to others reflects upon your capabilities and attitude, so it's important to say things that enhance your image rather than harm it."

Praveen presents Business Lessons From Goldman Sachs posted at My Simple Trading System.

Jim Stroup presents A random climb up the career ladder posted at Managing Leadership,

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents The Millionaire Mommy Next Door Recipe for Success, Wealth & Happiness posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, "Add ingredients generously and mix thoroughly to blend."

Charles H. Green presents Is Neuroleadership More Than Reinventing Wheels? posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Is neuroleadership doing more than just codifying common sense? Are there any lessons leaders can take away from it?"

George Courtney jr presents The Authentic Bartender Blog: Three Steps To Increase Your Creativity posted at The Authentic Bartender Blog.

Ant presents 5 Distractions To The Nesting Entrepreneur posted at The Beef Jerky Blog.

Ivan Rios presents 5 More Contradictions That Will Make You a Better Leader posted at artofleading.net.

Sue Massey presents The Price Of Ignoring What?s Wrong posted at Business Management Life, saying, "I talk about how it's important for employees to feel good about their job. If you have employees you should read my article."

Bhupendra Khanal presents Top 10 Mantra for Professional Success posted at Analytics Bhupe, saying, "Leadership and success are not luck but decisions."

Rolf F. Katzenberger presents Personal, timeless organization: 4 suggestions for your checklist posted at Evomend | Timeless resources for personal organization.

Katie presents I’m Jobless & Remembering What Mattered Before the 9-5 World posted at Aridni,

Warren Wong presents Taking Risks posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Are you afraid to launch your own business? Are you afraid of losing what money you have? Here's why you shouldn't be."

Debra Moorhead presents Talk is Cheap . . . Or is it? posted at Debra Moorhead.com.

Jay Gordon Cone presents Facilitating Trust: What team leaders need to know posted at Interaction Associates - Thought leadership and practical tools for collaboration.

Christopher J. Brunner presents Showing Compassion posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "In this post I discuss how, as leaders, we should show compassions to those who are less fortunate, and motivate others to do the same."

Ianternet presents Top 30 Entrepreneurs: My Input on Each posted at Ian Fernando

Peter25 presents Visualize Your Failure posted at Small Business.

Stephanie West Allen presents Your values: One way to lessen the stress of conflict posted at Brains On Purpose™, saying, "New information on how to reduce stress in stressful situations."

Mike Buckley presents Not So Smart After All posted at Mine Your Own Business.

Jim Stroup presents Clean plates posted at Managing Leadership,

Karl Goldfield presents Building a plan: Performance Expectations - A smidgen of Sun Tzu posted at Coaching sales champions.

Warren Wong presents My Partner?s Not Doing Enough Work! posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Do you find that your partner's not doing enough work and are angry for having to pick up the slack? Here's how to handle it."

Cade Krueger presents 3 Huge Steps On How To Leap From The Security Of A Job To A Home Business posted at Write To Right.

Charles H. Green presents Negotiation and the Short Term Performance Trap posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Leadership requires understanding how the short term very quickly becomes the long term, and how the long term determines short term success."

Charles H. Green presents When Business is Incontinent posted at Trust Matters, saying, "So often we know what we should do, nothing stands in our way, we want to do it... and yet we don't. Why?"

edithyeung presents 7 Phrases Successful People Would Never Say posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Ant presents Are you a Millionaire Yet? posted at The Beef Jerky Blog.

Ivan Rios presents 9 Surefire Ways to Be a Bad Leader posted at artofleading.net.

Chris Tackett presents How to Write a Headline and Grab Your Prospect by the Eyeballs! posted at Direct Marketing News

Eric Hudin presents You Can Make More Working Less posted at Everyday Marketing Ideas, saying, "Time management is a myth. Time doesn’t stop. There is no managing something you can’t control. What you can do is eliminate your wasted movements to become more efficient and effective."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our
blog carnival index page.

Simplifying Business

2007-07-30T20:33:00.000Z

Gary Hamel says

"You can take a fat man and cut off his legs but that won't make him thinner"

Each process in your organisation can be adding complexity, each rule can add complexity, each form could be delaying your customer from enjoying your goods or services. If you really want to be world class - how often do you review rules, forms, processess? How often do you put your team, your business through a health check?

How to Keep Employees

2007-07-26T20:06:00.000Z

Welcome to the July 26, 2007 edition of how to keep employees.

Cade Krueger presents 3 Questions To Make Your Business Enjoyable And Durable posted at Write To Right.

Jason Rakowski presents Humor in Customer Service and How It Can Help Your Business posted at Learn Good Customer Service, saying, "Your job is to sell something, not put on a clown act. How does humor fit into customer service?"

Marc and Angel presents Corporate America Asks Questions Without Wanting True Answers | Marc and Angel posted at Marc and Angel, saying, "The situation I am referring to involves a professional environment where multiple individuals in a strict business relationship disregard the truth in favor of delivering the ideal lie."

Penelope Trunk presents Trying to keep young employees from quitting? It’s not about money. posted at Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk.

Ivan Rios presents Self-Confidence to Be a Leader posted at artofleading.net.

Ivan Rios presents The Art of Leading / 5 Steps to Successful Leading posted at artofleading.net.

Health Chaos presents Interview Questions posted at Health Chaos.

Warren Wong presents How Much Money Is Integrity Worth? posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "How much money is your integrity worth? Here's why integrity is your most valuable commodity."

Sue Massey presents Leadership - Managing Time For Maximum Profit posted at Business Management Life, saying, "In this article I'll tell you some ways to focus on what is important to maximize your profit in your business"

Chris Tackett presents Effective Direct Marketing posted at Direct Marketing News, saying, "I knew a guy that owned a vacant house once, and he always laughed at the amount of postcards he received every week. He said they all looked the same and he just threw them away."

Pawel Brodzinski presents How to Build a Team posted at Software Project Management.

Chris Russell presents Turning Coal into Diamonds: A Case Study on Customer Complaint Tracking posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "In order to reach the goal of fully utilizing customer feedback, a more comprehensive system for managing customer complaints is needed."

Tupelo Kenyon presents Communication – Friend or Foe posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Our communication skills can make or break us. This article includes some refreshing insights on communication from an unusual vantage point. Celebrate life with newfound attitudes about the art and science of communication.

Adam Pieniazek presents How Much Leadership Can $1 Buy? posted at Adam Pieniazek, saying, "Discussing the use of self-managed teams at Whole Foods, brought on by the visionary leadership of John Mackey."

Tupelo Kenyon presents Take Time for You posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Don't put yourself at the end of the list. You deserve to be first, at least some of the time. Don't let your entire life slip by with everything else (and everyone else) getting preferential treatment over your most important priorities. Their needs are important, but yours are important too. Celebrate life by taking time for YOU!

Ivan Rios presents 5 More Contradictions That Will Make You a Better Leader posted at artofleading.net.

Bhupendra Khanal presents Are you really paid enough? posted at Analytics Bhupe, saying, "Address the emotional issues of the employees first, then think of any secondary issues."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
how to keep employees using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Positive Thinking

2007-07-23T18:55:00.000Z

People are attracted to positive people, people are attracted to bosses who see what is possible....

One xmas morning a little boy came downstairs to find a pile of horse manure on the floor....Does he cry, no....he shouts "Fantastic, all I have to do is find the pony"

How do you react to the manure on your desk...do you see the smell of a problem or do you see the opportunity to show your leadership form?

Carnival of Anecdotes and Stories for Business

2007-07-18T21:15:00.000Z

Welcome to the July 19, 2007 edition of anecdotes and stories for presentations. Thank you to all the people who have submitted articles - anecdotes are a great way of presenting information to employees.

Charles H. Green presents Leadership and Folk Wisdom posted at Trust Matters, saying, "Folk wisdom aften contains nuggets that work well for presentations."

Chris Russell presents Turning Coal into Diamonds: A Case Study on Customer Complaint Tracking posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "In order to reach the goal of fully utilizing customer feedback, a more comprehensive system for managing customer complaints is needed."

TherapyDoc presents At What Age Do You Start to Teach about . . . posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "Work this stuff into your presentations and you'll captivate more than a few who might otherwise nod off."

Marc and Angel presents Email Communication Problems: How To Communicate Effectively posted at Marc and Angel, saying, "Email is an extremely popular form of communication in both the business and personal communication landscapes, but it can often lead to major problems if the underlying tone of the email message is misinterpreted at one end."

Jason Rakowski presents How To Avoid Common Pitfalls When Using Music On Hold For Your Business posted at Learn Good Customer Service, saying, "While on hold messaging is not a complicated product, it can be somewhat confusing for beginners because of all the available choices. This article will help you avoid the most common pitfalls that can trip up a newcomer who is looking to make the best decision for his - her business."

Cade Krueger presents 3 Easy Steps On How To Create A Productive Life posted at Write To Right.

Michael Haaren presents The Pony in Sunglasses -- Home-Based Careers Meet the Future posted at Rat Race Rebellion, saying, "Michael Haaren, President of training and development firm Staffcentrix, relates how going online into "Webkinz World" with his 7-yr.-old daughter opened his eyes to the "workplace of the future."

Stacey Derbinshire presents Three Life Saving Tips For New Businesses posted at Starting a Small Home Business, saying, "While entrepreneurs that are starting their new business typically look for ways to save money on everything from office space to consulting services, there are some things that are worth the splurge and more often then not, can give you the competitive edge you need to succeed."

Jack Yoest presents Management Training: The Collected Sayings of Benjamin Franklin?s Grandfather posted at Yoest.com, saying, "The lineage of Benjamin Franklin is a bit murky. So Bill Oncken, Sr. would regularly attribute management training quotes to make a point more memorable - “It’s hell to work for a nervous boss — especially when you are the one who is making him nervous.”

Sue Massey presents Leadership - Managing Time For Maximum Profit posted at Business Management Life, saying, "In this article I'll tell you some ways to focus on what is important to maximize your profit in your business"

Chris Tackett presents Effective Direct Marketing posted at Direct Marketing News, saying, "I knew a guy that owned a vacant house once, and he always laughed at the amount of postcards he received every week. He said they all looked the same and he just threw them away."

TherapyDoc presents The Collar on the Shirt posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "Why do I feel there's a story in here that will work for you business type people?"

edithyeung presents 7 Phrases Successful People Would Never Say posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of anecdotes and stories for presentations using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Grab the Age of Conversation

2007-07-16T22:57:00.000Z

I am proud to be part of the blogging community that has contributed to a new book - The Age of Conversation. This is a fantastic venture, and hope that you will help Drew and Gavin raise loads of money for a very worthwhile cause. My contribution looks at employee engagement and how to achieve a happy marriage between employer and employee.

A fellow contributor C.B Whittmore at the wonderful Flooring the Customer blog has just posted about the project and as I could not say it any better, I thought I would share the post with you - collaboration is the name of the game on this venture! Here is the post...

"Even Ad Age has caught on with THE AGE OF CONVERSATION -- Edited by Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton - When Is a Blog Not a Blog? When It's a Book. by Matt Kinsey on 07.13.07.

A project that has been in the works for several months is seeing the light of day. As of today -- Monday, July 16, 2007 -- you can purchase your very own copy - in any one of 3 formats - of a one-of-a-kind worldwide collaboration between marketing professionals all passionate about the topic of The Age of Conversation. Simply go to this Age Of Conversation order link.

[To underscore how global a project this is, check out Matt Dickman's google map (it's included in the book) that lists all of the authors' locations.]

Imagine that: over 100 bloggers from 24 states and 10 nations, each contributing a chapter. The end result is a book that will provide you with perspective and insight on a phenomenon that - whether involved in the blogosphere or not - affects us increasingly: how citizen marketers are changing the landscape. Each author has taken a different approach to discussing what The Age of Conversation means. I talk about my contribution in Conversation Age - Enabled.

Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton conceived of the project -- see Background -- identified a terrific cause - Variety, the Children's Charity - and an inspiring Dedication, and then rallied the following bloggers:

Gavin Heaton, Drew McLellan, CK, Valeria Maltoni, Emily Reed, Katie Chatfield, Greg Verdino, Lewis Green, Sacrum, Ann Handley, Mike Sansone, Paul McEnany, Roger von Oech, Anna Farmery, David Armano, Bob Glaza, Mark Goren, Matt Dickman, Scott Monty, Richard Huntington, Cam Beck, David Reich, Luc Debaisieux, Sean Howard, Tim Jackson, Patrick Schaber, Roberta Rosenberg, Uwe Hook, Tony D. Clark, Todd Andrlik, Toby Bloomberg, Steve Woodruff, Steve Bannister, Steve Roesler, Stanley Johnson, Spike Jones, Nathan Snell, Simon Payn, Ryan Rasmussen, Ron Shevlin, Roger Anderson, Robert Hruzek, Rishi Desai, Phil Gerbyshak, Peter Corbett, Pete Deutschman, Nick Rice, Nick Wright, Michael Morton, Mark Earls, Mark Blair, Mario Vellandi, Lori Magno, Kristin Gorski, Kris Hoet, G.Kofi Annan, Kimberly Dawn Wells, Karl Long, Julie Fleischer, Jordan Behan, John La Grou, Joe Raasch, Jim Kukral, Jessica Hagy, Janet Green, Jamey Shiel, s, Dr. Graham Hill, Gia Facchini, Geert Desager, Gaurav Mishra, Gary Schoeniger, Gareth Kay, Faris Yakob, Emily Clasper, Ed Cotton, Dustin Jacobsen, Tom Clifford, David Polinchock, David Koopmans, David Brazeal, David Berkowitz, Carolyn Manning, Craig Wilson, Cord Silverstein, Connie Reece, Colin McKay, Chris Newlan, Chris Corrigan, Cedric Giorgi, Brian Reich, Becky Carroll, Arun Rajagopal, Amy Jussel, AJ James, Kim Klaver, Sandy Renshaw, Susan Bird, Ryan Barrett, Troy Worman, S. Neil Vineberg, C.B. Whittemore, Mack Collier, Andy Nulman

Even the brilliant cover design - created by David Armano - captures the essence of The Age of Conversation!

Per Heaton, "We've been amazed at the variety of approaches that have been taken, and with hardly any duplication or overlap. This book really explores the art of conversation and how that is changing the face of marketing from virtually every angle possible."

I encourage you to purchase this book. It is available in three formats for the following prices:
+ Hardbacks $29.99 [$8.55 goes to charity]
+ Paperbacks $16.95 [$8.10 goes to charity]
+ E-book $9.99 [$7.99 goes to charity]

Thank you for your enthusiastic support of this amazing project that will forever affect your appreciation of our world in The Age of Conversation."

Note: No author is being compensated in any way for this project. Learn more at Age Of Conversation

What will make the Disney Difference?

2007-07-11T19:16:00.000Z

Disney are a wonderful example of how to create competitive advantage within your market place. Disney recognise that their parks need to be clean but that the sweepers - or cast members as they are called - are more than that, they are customer service people. Visitors to the park approach the sweepers for all kind of advice from where to buy something, to which rides have the longest queues. Disney recognise that after a certain point cleanliness of the park cannot be a differentiating factor - so they invest in customer service training for the sweepers. If they are to create "The happiest place in the world" then the sweepers have a key role to play.

Do you know how each person can contribute to your company vision? Do you know what will make the difference to the customer experience?
Do you measure the receptionist purely on calls taken or the service they give the customer?
Do you measure a credit controller purely on cash collection or how quickly they resolve customer queries or problems?

Memory is not intelligence

2007-07-10T20:12:00.000Z

...if it was then computers would rule the world.

To get the best out of teams remember that a stressed mind becomes narrow in focus and a relaxed mind becomes wide.

If you want people to be creative, if you want people to think freely then concentrate on encouraging an environment that allows people to

Think...openly, without fear and without feeling guilty that it is "not working"
Have a life/work balance - relaxation breeds success
Socialise so that fulfill their need for human interaction

Failing is not failure it is learning

2007-07-06T20:44:00.000Z

When you make a mistake or something does not turn out as you expect - remember this WD40 was named after the 40 attempts to get it right.

Unsuccessful attempts are only failures when you don't use the learning to create success in the future.

3 Reasons to Persevere

2007-07-03T15:54:00.000Z

We all make mistake, we all often suffer knock backs for our ideas. So here are 3 reasons why perseverance can be a great quality to have

Art critics in France said of the Eiffel Tower - "that tragic lamppost springing up from its bowels....is like a beacon of disaster and despair"
Ken Olson of Digital Equipment Corporation said in 1977 - " There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home"
Google Founders Larry Page and Sergey showcased their new page rank system and were turned down by Altavista and Yahoo.

......sometimes you are nearer to the solution than you think. Quotes from The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun

Carnival of Leadership Development

2007-06-29T15:18:00.000Z

Here is this months leadership development carnival which looks at articles that will inspire you to achieve your potential
Sagar Satapathy presents Feeling Unfulfilled? 37 Tips to Enjoy Work More posted at HR Lowdown.

Anna presents How I Share My Vision at The Engaging Brand

SpiKe presents What Influences Our Priorities In Life? » Advice on organized and productive living through lifehacks and GTD » Organize IT posted at Organize IT.

Jason Rakowski presents Cellular Retailers Must Greet Customers within 30 Seconds - Study posted at Learn Good Customer Service

Christopher J. Brunner presents Using Your Business to Serve the Community posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "Taking community service a step further by giving more than just a donation to charity."

Charles H. Green presents Non - Linear Leadership Thinking vs. Behavior posted at Trust Matters, saying, "The most succesful leaders are able to hold two contradictory ideas in mind at the same time."

Jim Stroup presents Pay attention or pay a price posted at Managing Leadership"

Debra Moorhead presents The Power of Leverage posted at Debra Moorhead.com.

Raj Dash presents Bootstrapper » Seven Characteristics of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs posted at Bootstrapper.

Randy Nichols presents Learn to Invent and Reinvent Your Future posted at Career Advice by Randy, saying, "Learn to invent and reinvent your future with carrer advice from Randy."

Christopher J. Brunner presents Differentiate Your Business With Quality Customer Service posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "What you can do to provide quality customer service and make your business stand out in the crowd."

Brad Trnavsky presents Choose your attitude! posted at Brad M. Trnavsky - Sales & Management Blogger.

Tupelo Kenyon presents How to Keep Your Word posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Celebrate life through the creative power of your word."

edithyeung presents I Have Confidence posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Debra Moorhead presents Accept Responsibility posted at Debra Moorhead.com.

Lori Prokop, Blog Manager presents Building Relationships as You Are Selling posted at J Mark Walker - Sales Training, saying, "Would this be of service to your readers?"
CA presents Business life lesson - Don’t let anyone steal your dream posted at Atlantic Canada's Small Business Blog, saying, "Dream BIG. And don’t ever let anyone tell you, you cannot achieve it. Your dreams are yours to achieve. But you have the dream to begin with."

Ivan Rios presents Self-Confidence to Be a Leader posted at artofleading.net.

Ivan Rios presents Why be a leader? posted at artofleading.net.

Jimson Lee presents How to build a winning team posted at Speedendurance.com, saying, "7 Critical steps to teamwork and leadership"

edithyeung presents When you turn 30… posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of leadership development using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

It is how you develop and learn that is important

2007-06-25T08:41:00.000Z

A little story.

This boy grew up in the countryside, left school at 11 to work on the farm. He was dyslexic and had never been away from his community. He couldn't read or write. Did he resign to his fate or did he succeed in his dreams?

He succeeded and built a multi million pound company, how did I know? He was my dad.

He always said that it was not what you were taught that was important, it was what you learned. It was not the knowledge that you had, it was how you used it.

Often we can focus on what development we have not received....well, with the world of the internet this is an excuse not a reality. To succeed at work you need to evolve your learning, evolve your thinking and practice, practice, practice.

You are your own barrier.....if you want to succeed you can, if you think you won't, you won't...

As Dad always said "The world of business is always looking for new ideas, new ways of working, new products....no body could have taught me about them, as they didn't exist. I learned to watch the world, see the problems then think of a solution and sell it. I didn't need to be educated to do that, it would have been great but it has never held me back because I have never let it"

Focusing at Work

2007-06-22T14:08:00.000Z

Some thoughts for the weekend

According to the National Association of Professional Planners says there is about 52 hours of unfinished work on it.
Research says that people face a distraction every 11 minutes
Once distracted it takes 25 mins to get back to the task.
A study at University of Michigan in 2005, between 20-40% of a person's productivity is eaten up by task switching.

Wow - makes you focus doesn't it!

There are 3 questions that I would ask you

How much development time is spent on priority management?
How much as a leader are you distracting your team - and actively reducing their productivity?
Do you and your team know the difference between what is "urgent" and what is important?

The Sympton or the Cause?

2007-06-18T18:53:00.000Z

I was with a manager last week who said "I have a real problem with people surfing the net, I think we need to shut down the net"

My response "The internet is not the problem, what we need to talk about is why people are finding that more interesting than their work"

As leaders we often look at the symptom not the cause - when you look at a situation think like a doctor
1) Would they treat the rash or the cause of the rash?
2) How they would ask the patient questions to get to the source of the problem?
3) How they would use check ups to review progress?

My question for you today is "What problem are you seeing as the cause not the symptom?"