Leadership Articles

In the face of this severe, take-no-prisoners economic downturn, far too many organizations are responding in knee-jerk reaction to the thought of holding all but the smallest of meetings. Training budgets are slashed. Employees hunker behind their desk, hoping that no one from HR can find them ...

Hope you are well and are enjoying the warm sunny springtime. I'll certainly treasure every minute of the season after spending three weeks in snowy Canada at the shocking (for me anyway) temperature of -15C. It's time to spring-clean the house. Do you realise business needs a good spring-clean too?

Sure you are an excellent leader but you are not perfect. You may ask for feedback and work upon your flaws but there are a few things that no one will tell you. Whether they hope you will understand by yourself or whether they think it is too risky to point out, fact remains that there are some things that you should figure out yourself. Even a great number of aptitude tests will not tell you of these mistakes. So, how do you figure out what these flaws are and how do you co

What you say is only as important as what is heard and understood by the listener. Too often, our messages are obscured by the structure of the communication. Even worse is when we are unaware of the gap between what is intended and the message received. Communication and language are a ...

Few reading this article would disagree that life brings on challenges. And, when challenges hit us squarely in the face, we can fold-up and shrivel or we can shore-up and fight. Thus the life we ultimately live is the end result of how we react to those challenges. What we experience from our ...

Most people measure their success by somebody else’s standards, which is understandable when you realize that you are trained from the time you are born in what and who to believe. Where else are you going to learn the rules and beliefs? Your parents, teachers, church, community, ...

The 11 Forgotten Laws Reviews The laws of attraction play a major role in relationships. Its a book that’s authored by someone who knows what exactly is needed to achieve the best from the opposite sex.The book has great strategies that are just simple and can make a huge difference in the eyes of a person of opposite sex.It is a great book for the male and those who have used it have great responses. There are great responses including men who have managed to achieve four one night stands a within a short time. Pros:

Not long after I'd taken over leading a small team in a previous role, I chaired one of our regular briefing meetings. At one point, I remember sitting there while two members of the team were arguing with each other and another one was having a go at me about something I'd just said which she took exception to. I remember thinking, " What the ( heck ) is going on here? "

Leaders are important in all fields of life and they are of significant importance to a business. There are certain characteristics a leader should possess in order to help in the development of a business. I believe that a true leader is not measured by how many people he/she can scare to do what they want done but to have the ability to gather the team and persuade them to achieve a common goal for the business or cause. A true leader is not measured by how many followers t

Most sales managers are usually promoted into their positions because they were good individual performers. They were consistent sales performers in their work and they showed an interest in advancing their careers by earning their promotion into sales management. One of the most important jobs for any sales leader is to help his or her people become successful. You have to help your people become the best salespeople they can be. You will be successful when you help your pe

Creating Champions – Be a Leader – The Power of Example (continued) This blog article is a continuation of my last blog on the many hats of a Leader. 7) Trainer:rnA Leader is a trainer. Give all of your people the opportunity to learn. Some will need encouragement; others will take anything they can get. 8) Facilitator: rnA leader is a facilitator. You make things happen and keep everyone on track. You make the goals appear simple by guiding your people to achieve their g

You have read story after story of random acts of kindness. The person at the drive-thru window who pays for the coffee of the person behind them, who then pays for the coffee of the next person, and so on for up to 27 customers. The same type of generosity occurs at traffic toll booths.

Leadership theories can be distinguished between who gets to be a leader and a follower. There are quite a number of leadership theories, it is very important for an individual to understand each leadership theory and note how it affects their individual lives. Mentioned under are some these leadership theories. The great man theory This theory basically tries to imply that leadership is hereditary. It ries to show that regardless of what great leaders are born like that and

This is the third part of a three part series on Sales Training Tips taken from our book "The Agile Manager's Guide to Customer-Focused Selling": Sales Professional's Tip #9 - Set Goals. Wise people have said, "Time waits for no one," "To waste time is to waste life," and "Time is the stuff life is made of." If you look around, you'll see many people acting as though life is a dress rehearsal. To reach your goals, it is important to be satisfied with the way you distribute

I admit it: I am a jack rabbit. I like to hop to it and get things done. Give me a project and I'll start immediately just so I can get it off of my to do list. The problem is, sometimes in my haste I make mistakes. I admit that I have no tolerance for voicemail doom loops. I have been known to bang a phone against the desk and scream, "Give me a real person!" (It doesn't work.)

"Life? Butterfly on a swaying grass . . . that's all . . . but exquisite." This is a piece of wisdom written on a bookmark I've had for ages, and only just now found again in a bunch of papers I have on my desk. It also has a beautiful brush-work painting of a flower. The back of the bookmark ...

We all grow up with stories. Stories of our family, stories from our friends and stories we read. There are stories we hear at school, at work, on television and in the movies. Stories are everywhere! And while you`ve been around stories your whole life, you also likely realize that stories have been around forever. Stories have been used by cultures since before written language to pass down oral history and teach valuable lessons. Given all of this you may recognize the pow

I had minor surgery and my left hand was bandaged so all my fingers and hand were covered in one huge bandage. That forced me to make some changes in my routines. Shaving was one of those habitual behaviors that require a small adjustment. There is a big lesson in that adjustment. Let me ...

Seven Rules for Increasing Mental Energy It’s all about what you tell yourself Your boss just declared that you made a huge mistake on an important project. What you say to yourself afterward makes a world of difference in your attitude, performance, and energy. Every thought you think and every emotion you feel requires energy. Cars use gasoline. Light bulbs use electricity. Your body uses an unlimited supply of the energy we are all provided. How you choose to use your en

In my work as a development specialist, I'm constantly surprised by the ability of individuals to surprise me. That, in itself, shouldn't surprise me! After all, I've been working with people and development for a number of years and I understand - with my head at least - that individuals are complex and fascinating and, above all, individual. But I, like everyone else, have a perfectly natural human tendency to assume that everyone is just like me! I work with a lot of mana

While managers need to have an internal focus that advances them toward the overall accomplishment of their goals and objectives, many continually get bogged down with a myriad of meetings, phone calls and peripheral activities. Rather than actively advance toward particular goals, their daily activities tend to be concentrated on dealing with daily crises and unexpected events. This results in a complete loss of focus and direction.

Each team member impacts the culture of an organization (positively or negatively) because emotions pass from person to person. Fifteen years ago, I was working for a particularly mean-spirited manager. He would spend his days yelling, stomping and publicly chastising me (and I was a work horse!). Although he looked at this as a type of training, I looked at it as his way of unfairly wielding his power.

According to Ad Age magazine, the slogan introduced for Coca-Cola in 1929 – “The Pause That Refreshes” – was the third best advertising slogan of the 21st Century. I can see why, it’s a great slogan. And I believe its message is one we can employ in our personal and professional lives with much ...

Has your to-do list grown ove ight? Yes, it’s “the most wonderful time of the year”…and yet many of us miss the wonder of it all due to the overwhelm at work that accompanies the holidays. Here are 3 ways to cure your holiday overwhelm at work starting today: Focus on Positive Strengthsr From Madison Avenue to Your Street, you are shoved toward an impending sense of lack during the holidays. This scarcity mentality afflicts you at work as well, shifting your focus to the negative.

What if there was a better way? What would you do? What could you do? What should you do? These are the questions most asked of me before the Leadership seminars I hold around the country. In the last year I was fortunate to serve just over 25,000 people from these encounters. What I found in pre-assessments of participants was the same questions came up time and time again, regardless of what part of the country I was in, the age or occupation of the participant, or the ind

The person, who is setting goals in life, proving that, he is living, a purposeful life.He is, an embodiment of belief, and determination. Purposeful life gives,immense satisfaction. The person who is setting goals in life proving that he is living a purposeful life. He is an embodiment of belief and determination. Purposeful life gives immense satisfaction. The person, who does not set any goals in life, revealing that, he is living, a purposeless life. He is exhibiting that, he has neither belief, nor determination.

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Leadership . Leadership Skills are the tools and traits acquired to facilitate guiding or a directing a group, most commonly toward a shared goal. Todd McDonald is the Official Guide to Leadership . The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You , by John C. Maxwell, is a valuable resource for people interested in Leadership Skills Training and it is available through Amazon and Barne

My mother always said, "To end well, you must begin well." Of course, she was talking about how you separated clothes for the washing machine or how you chose vegetables at the market. But it's also true when it comes to creating a resilient, sustainable workforce. The questions you ask in the recruiting phase will help both you and a potential employee determine if you have the right fit for your organization.

Whenever two or more are gathered, someone needs to be in charge, calling the shots. The greater the number of people in any given group, the more necessary it is to have an effective leader. This is especially true in the world of sales, where teamwork and cooperation are essential elements in creating success, which in turn benefits the company. A good leader fosters those qualities in a team. Now that we've established the importance of having someone in charge, it's time

It started at the rental car turn-in location. My friend is a "platinum" member with Hertz-who offers a great benefit I discovered when the rental agencies are a considerable distance from the terminal. Hertz provided a shuttle bus to the lot for people to pick out their cars. Our shuttle bus driver grinned as she slid into the driver's seat and said she could hardly wait for school to begin. Turns out she's also a school bus driver and with her seniority, she gets to pick her route. Her passion: autistic children. "I just love 'em," she grinned. "I get them again this year."

“The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.” –Euripides Balance is not a state or place we can get to. Balance is always in motion. A ballerina trains and ...

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt Most people walk around with submerged dreams filled with fear and doubt. We all have dreams of something better: A better career, a better relationship, a better environment, a better lifestyle, a ...

One of the best ways to influence someone is to do something nice for him.nn Do Nice Things For Others nOne of the best ways to influence someone is to do something nice for him. I know many successful salespeople who make a habit of taking their prospects out to breakfast or lunch. During the breakfast or lunch, they do not talk about their products or services unless the client brings it up. They merely make small talk, ask questions and listen. They work on building trust,

One of the main issues for managers is how much, and what, to delegate. Most managers don’t delegate enough. The advantages of delegation are: • it is essential if you’re to be effective and to manage your time well, your job as a manager is to get things done, not do everything yourself • it is essential for developing staff and giving them relevant experience • it is commercially necessary for work to be done at the right level.

Stop! Put the phone down – there is no need to call the ASPCA! I am not a supporter of any form of animal cruelty. In fact, as I wrote this message “Riley Rose” our golden retriever and “Toby”, our West Highland Terrier were under my desk having a grand old time with their favorite chewy toys . The title is meant to get you to read on to learn more about how to make tough and unpopular decisions. Why? Because to be successful, there will be times when you will be faced with difficult decisions.

Good leadership skills and integrity go hand in hand; however, don't mistake the true meaning of integrity with just being honest! Integrity goes much deeper than just honesty! Integrity is the way someone lives their life and their core values! Let's take a simple but good example of how true integrity works! Let's say that you are a Christian and strongly believe that a blessing should be said before every meal! At home you always take the time to give a well deserved blessing to God for the meal. However, at a restaurant you are too embarrassed to do so.

You are your business and your business is you. But, the real question is - Is that a good thing? Trust me; you need to know the answer to this question – now. Let’s look at some indicators that will help you answer the question. If you answer “yes” to at least two of these questions, then you can describe your professional life (and maybe even your personal life) in the following way – “the bad news is you’re lost but the worse news is you’re making great time”. Okay, you know the drill – answer the question based on reality, not what you might “hope” it would or could be.

I believe entrepreneurial skills, attitudes and behaviours can be learned. It’s a mindset and all mindsets are learned. The sooner we start exposing people to entrepreneurship education, creating an inclusive educational foundation that supports an individual’s lifelong learning path, starting from youth and continuing through adulthood into higher education — the faster society will be able to adapt and thrive to the continual global and economic changes. The advantage of ed

By: Renée Cormierr Did you know that an important part of securing employee engagement means making sure your employees have the tools to do their jobs effectively? In spite of this, a surprising number of companies force their employees to wing it. It seems ridiculous that sales managers would send their reps out without the benefit of a presentation binder or a script to work from, but many do. Similarly, it is pretty common for employers to force their people to work with computers that continually crash, or software programs that do not quickly and effectively produce necessary reports.

Hello there,nnThis is part one of a series of articles written for my newsletter called "Lifeskills".nnIf you would like the follow up emails please email me at inorthcott@lineone.net and I will forward them to you.(Put "Self Growth Laws of Influence" in the title.nnI would like to thank Dr Chiadlini and Kevin Hogan for their excellent books and study on this subject.nnIannnLAW OF RECIPROCITYn==================nn*****nWhen someone gives you something of perceived value, you i

Aspiring to be a leader? Thousands of ordinary professional leadership courses are out there. Choose the right leadership development training program by considering not only the curriculum but the space for learning it offers. You can become a leader if you can enter the right community of high level group of people struggling to solve issues faced by talented executives and senior management. However, joining the right community and class room teaching program wins you the

Shoppers will crowd the super centers and malls this weekend following Thanksgiving in the U.S. In fact, over the next several weeks, retail stores will do 50% or more of their business for the year. So where will you go? And who will you do business with? If you truly want to create a Work Positive impact with your holiday spending, here are three personal reasons to shop locally this Saturday, November 24, which is Small Business Saturday. Personal Servicer

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Leadership . Leadership Skills are the tools and traits acquired to facilitate guiding or a directing a group, most commonly toward a shared goal. Todd McDonald is the Official Guide to Leadership . The Leadership Challenge , by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, is a valuable resource for people interested in Effective Leadership and it is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble . n More Than One Million P

I am often asked about the role of the CEO or leader of any organization in employee communication. My opinion is that no matter what the issue is, even if it is just business as usual, having a good communicator as a CEO is critical to impact the culture of an organization in a positive way. n nLets start with looking at some scenarios. These can include a merger or acquisition, an organizational crisis, announcement of annual financial results, corporate social responsibili

The skill in being able to manage could be a profitable secondary asset for any qualified employee or staff with any specific training in a certain area. Actually, the duties and responsibilities of the senior management personnel in any organization may vary from one industry to another. For instance, the role of being an office manager varies a lot between the cookware manufacture production office and the software sector. In the software companies or Information Technology

New Year Resolutions are contracts we make with ourselves, but share openly with others. Avoid disappointment and make them reasonable How many times have you promised yourself that tomorrow will be better? You’ll give up smoking; lose weight; take up exercise; eat more healthy meals; go and enjoy yourself; apply for the job of your dreams or maybe do some study. How many times then? I know - the list is endless. Too often, tomorrow just doesn’t come.

Consider these glum facts: Only one in eight workers worldwide are engaged at work, but according to Gallup's new 142-country study on the State of the Global Workplace, engagement varies considerably according to the region and country in which these workers live and their economic and social conditions. So let's just look at the U.S and Canada. Gallup reports that only 29% of workers are engaged, leaving 54% not engaged and 18% actively disengaged.

Positive salespersons sell 56% more than their negative peers. Positive leaders see team productivity increase by more than one-third. So if you want to increase sales with greater productivity, be positive, right? The question is, How? How do you Work Positive in such a negative world? Feed your mind these 3 positive 10-minute meals daily to increase sales with greater productivity: Positive Breakfastr Just like breakfast is your body’s most important meal of the day because it sets your metabolism, your mental breakfast is equally important. Take 10 minutes each morning and:r

Recently I came across the following John F. Kennedy quote – “There are risks and costs to a program of actions. But they are far less than the long range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” There have been several articles about comfortable inaction, so I thought I would take a shot at it also.

When I help senior leaders with their strategy creation efforts, I’ll review past strategies and then the results, financial and otherwise, that those strategies produced. I’m frequently amazed when I see that smart, capable executives have developed and implemented strategies that should have been obvious losers from the get-go. Here’s an example: Company A, a financial services powerhouse, acquired a mutual fund company – a business that they had not been in previou