5 Ways to Run Meetings Like a BOSS!

The worst thing happened to me on Monday mornings. I hesitantly opened my inbox and there it was, staring back at me:

“Calendar Invite: 9:30 to 11:00am – Weekly Priorities Meeting”

Fuck. I knew what this meant. An hour and a half meeting to “talk” about things we needed to focus on for the week. Sound like a good idea right?

It was. Just not how it was done.

Not only was all my energy drained after that meeting, but I had very little willpower to do work. What began as un update meeting turned into a strategy session on how to tackle  different situations people were in. No bueno.

So how do you run short, efficient meetings that leave your crew ready to fight? Here are 5 ways to run meetings like a boss!!

1. Always have an agenda!

This should go without saying. You need a framework for your discussion. Without one, meetings can easily turn into aimless social gatherings rather than productive working sessions. You can also allot time for each agenda item to effectively use the time you do have. Most importantly, be respectful of everyone’s time…everyone has their own shit to do too.

2.  Decisions should never wait for a meeting

Sure decisions can be made at meetings, but waiting for a meeting to make a decision can be deadly. The velocity of your company slows to its meeting schedule. If something needs to get done that needs a meeting, hold the meeting ASAP!!

3. Everyone should have concrete next steps or action items

Apple drives accountability at meetings by having a Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) whose in charge of any given action or task that needs to be done. With every task matched to a person, there will be significantly less confusion about who is getting what done.

4. Invite only the people needed

Invite people only involved with the content of the meeting. The marketing person doesn’t need to to be apart of a meeting on business operations, unless specifically requested. Less people = less time.

5. Know when to have stand up meetings vs sit down meetings

Stand up meetings are great for quick communication-based meetings. For example, at the beginning of each day, it’s good to have a quick 10 min stand up meeting that ONLY communicates what everyone is focused on for that day. If an idea or suggestion comes up, it should be tables for a later discussion. This remedies the “lack of communication” excuse for problems.

Sit-down ‘solution’ based meetings are used to discuss specific topics that need more thought. Even those these take longer, these should have a specified end time and decision on how to proceed.

Source: http://www.thephatstartup.com/2014/09/10/5-ways-to-run-meetings-like-a-boss

All Great Leaders Exhibit These 3 Qualities

When asked to describe characteristics that great leaders have in common, the list is endless. And while they all make for a good read, none of them fully capture the essence of what makes a great leader.

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” – Jack Welch

Great leaders may possess a myriad of attributes, not the least of which are intelligence, charisma and natural charm. All of these things matter. However, you can be a great leader and not be naturally charming or very intelligent. While launching and growing my company, PeoplePerHour, I’ve learned a lot about leadership. I have come to the conclusion that there are three key attributes that great leaders must possess.

1. Vision

   “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” (Jack Welch) The ability to amass a great team, motivate and inspire them is plain useless if you don’t have a clear vision of where you need to go.
   Leadership starts with seeing the future and then figuring out a feasible path to get there. It means doing the one right thing rather than doing many things right. It is about being different, not following the herd, being controversial, and seeing what others don’t see. It is having a nose for what’s coming and the eyes and ears to react before others do. Without vision, you can empower people all you would like, but you won’t get anywhere. You’ll have a following, but no direction.

2. Influence

   Once you have a clear vision you need a following. That requires the power of influence. Whether you are in an existing leadership situation or the creator of a group, this is a very hard thing to do. In either case, the odds are against you.
   A vast majority of people are resistant to change, no matter the odds. In order to fulfill any grand vision, you need to drive change. Otherwise you are just a puppet master holding the strings, waiting for the show to end. You have to learn how to influence people across the board — explain to new hires the benefit of leaving secure jobs to join you; convince investors to give you money; get customers to buy from you; influence a bank manager to give you an overdraft; get your landlord to give you an office space lease and rent-free period; and convince your significant other to put up with sleepless nights, cold sweats and no pay. Carry that burden of influence with you. If you go down, you take more people with you than yesterday.

3. Courage

   Once you have clarified a vision and built a following, after all this work you will realize that it’s only day one. Now you have your raft and your compass. But you still need to cross the ocean. This is the final and truest test of great leadership — courage.
   Intelligence and knowledge are advantages, but without courage they are wasted. Courage alone could and would get you there, albeit slower and with more pain. So, the key question is: Do you have the courage to keep going when everyone tells you to turn back; to know you’re right when everyone says you’re wrong; to stick to your instincts when people call you crazy; to carry other people’s weight when they fall; to set the tempo and beat the drum despite how tired you may be?
   It is your job as a leader to keep people together when they are drifting apart and losing faith, to give them courage, but not false hope, to let go of some to save many, and to weather the storm, but not bask in the sunlight when it ends — because it never does.

Vision and influence will make you a well equipped captain. But courage is what gets you there. On the other hand, courage alone makes you a fighter without a cause. You may be good at creating lots of noise, but to paraphrase Sun Tzu’s Art of War, that’s just “the noise before defeat.”

Source: http://yfsmagazine.com/2014/09/15/all-great-leaders-exhibit-these-3-qualities

"Success comes in many shapes and sizes"

5 Great, White Business Tips From The Big, Bad Sharks

It’s pretty clear that the entrepreneurs on ABC’s Shark Tank are the great whites of the business world. They’re cunning, successful, and they’re not afraid to bear their teeth,

But these sharks are as diverse as the ones in the sea– they all swam different paths to success. This diversity resulted in knowledge and experience that they’re willing to share.

The sharks’ advice is super useful– pretty much anyone can benefit from it, including small business owners and startup founders like you.

Read on to learn from the guys at the top of the food chain!

1. Remember That Ideas Aren’t Special

Remember that time you were stuck in traffic and had that great idea for a teleportation machine? That’s an awesome idea. It would be cool and useful. And it’d probably make you pretty successful. But did you get home and build a teleportation machine? Probably not.

“Ideas are actually the easiest part” says Mark Cuban. According to him, the hardest part is actually making your idea happen, “knowing what you need to do and then executing on your plan and staying focused with it.”

If having a great idea was all it took to be a millionaire, we’d all be yacht shopping right now. What sets successful entrepreneurs apart is the drive and the dedication to make those ideas into a reality. Bringing your idea to fruition is a matter of hard work and focus, doing whatever it takes to make your product a success.

So if you’re planning to start out on your own, don’t expect it to be easy. Just expect it to be worth it.

How to Make Your Ideas a Reality:

• Whether it’s a crazy marketing idea or a dream of a totally new business, put your ideas on paper. Write a business plan.
• Put up a website. See how people respond to your idea.
• Take action in any way possible. Success does NOT come to those who wait!

2. Don’t Get Too Caught Up In Your Business Plan

It’s pretty common advice that if you want to start a business, you need to develop a business plan. But Robert Herjavec says otherwise.

Robert says, “When you start, it’s important to have vision, but … any plan beyond the next quarter is a dream.” At the beginning, things can change at the drop of a hat, and your business plan can be outdated before the ink even dries. “Spend less time on your plan and more time talking to people who will actually buy your product,” Robert advises. When it comes to starting a business, cold, hard facts are your friend. You should spend your time discovering who will buy your product, what they’re looking for, and how you’ll get it to them.

Once you’ve grown, size will offer you some level of predictability. Then you can start worrying about planning more than a quarter or two ahead.

How to Start Without a Business Plan:

• Just start! Put up a website, ask people what they think of your idea, hone and improve.
• Get sales-y. Talk people into buying your product.
• Learn about your audience. Do everything you can to get out and talk to those who might buy from you.

3. Hire Attitude

Speaking of growth, Barbara Corcoran has some advice for when it’s time to start hiring employees. Whether you’re hiring one person or 20, Barbara says to “always choose attitude over experience!”

It’s relatively easy to train people on new skills and processes, but there’s not much you can do to modify someone’s attitude. That’s why Barbara doesn’t even look at resumes when she’s hiring. “Positive people are willing to learn, eager to try, and somehow find the solution to anything they don’t already know.”

The person with the right mindset will add way more value to your business than just skill and experience. Plus, they’re just more fun to work with!

How to Hire The Right Attitude:

• Consider your values and mission. Make sure any new hire buys into them.

4. Fall Under The Big Three

Oftentimes when you have an idea to start a business, it can be hard to tell if your idea is actually any good and if it’ll be successful. Daymond John has a foolproof test for this.

According to Daymond, a business idea is viable if it does at least one of three things: “solves a problem (i.e. helps you do something faster), satisfies a need (i.e. makes an existing product cheaper), or improves quality of life (i.e. medical devices).”

If your product or service can do one or more of these, you’re definitely on the right track. Great companies give customers what they need and what they didn’t know they wanted.

How to Test Your “Big Three”:

•  Talk to customers who’ve already bought your product. Understand WHY they chose you.

5. Demand R-E-S-P-E-C-T

As a female business owner, you might encounter some roadblocks that men simply don’t. Entrepreneurs have an uphill battle convincing people to get behind themselves and their product. But women entrepreneurs have an even steeper climb through the world of business.

Lori Greiner has some advice for all of our women entrepreneurs out there. “Do not let any men put you down or be chauvinistic to you. Do not let that happen. Call it out and command respect,” Lori advises.

You know that you’re smart, cunning, and more than capable, so make sure others recognize you for those traits and show you the respect you deserve.

How to Command Respect:

• Read books by others who have gone through similar struggles.
• Don’t believe what others say about your path to success.
• Be a leader. No matter what, lead your team in the direction you believe is right.

There’s Chum in the Water

All right, now you know the secrets to life underwater. It’s time to get busy and start climbing up the food chain.

Your Turn: What are your thoughts on the Sharks’ advice? Let us know!

Source: http://grasshopper.com/blog/5-great-white-business-tips-from-the-big-bad-sharks

Become The Leader Worth Following

Examples of leaders are everywhere. Many are powerful, many are popular, but few are worthy of being followed.

The ones that extend themselves to keep promises, act ethically, lead by example, show fairness, act out of humility, show confidence, and demonstrate trust.

They are the people we count on. They are the ones we want to follow without being told.

Here are some ways that these true leaders go about their work and lives. Ask yourself which of these things you’re already doing and which you need to work on:

A leader worth following leads with ethics. True leaders are proof you can do well by doing right. Their ethics are not conveniently molded to fit a particular situation but indelibly etched in their very being, as natural impulses that never go stale or out of style.

A leader worth following leads by example. True leaders don’t expect others to do anything they aren’t willing to do themselves. Their leadership comes from their actions, not simply their words. They hold themselves equally responsible as those they are leading.

A leader worth following leads with fairness. True leaders treat everyone fairly.It’s a necessity.They understand that fairness is the ability to rise above their own prejudices and treat everyone equally.

A leader worth following leads with humility. True leaders know that humility is concerned with what is right, that it leads to strength and not to weakness—that it is the equilibrium of power. It is the highest form of self-respect to lead from the stance of humility.

A leader worth following leads brings out the best in others. True leaders guide and support others in their success, ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are meant to do, and doing it with excellence.

A leader worthy of following kindles within others a desire to excel simply by believing in them—bringing out the best in them and building their confidence in return.

A leader worth following leads with trust. True leaders are competent and reliable and consistent, and in return they get people who are loyal and show them great respect. They lead with trust, not power or control.

A leader worth following leads with confidence. True leaders have great confidence and courage. They look fear in the face and defy it, they know that wherever their heart is, there lies their confidence.

Most of all, a leader worth following embraces the concept that leadership is, above all, a privilege and recognizes that the things they think, say, and do have a significant impact on those around them.

Lead From Within: Leadership is a privilege, and making yourself worthy of being followed comes with great responsibility. It means you can inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, be more. Being the leader matters most if the position is taken seriously and is used to make a difference.

Source: http://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/become-leader-worth-following

7 Things You Can Do Right Now To Be a Better Leader

You know it when they walk into the room.  There’s a gravitational pull towards them.   Call it charisma, call it gravitas, call it whatever you want, but they have it.

It’s the look and sound of an effective leader.

How do they do it?

The secret lies beyond just the words and actions, to the more subtle messages that leaders send every day through their actions (or inactions) with their teammates.

These subtleties are critical, but yet they can be incorporated into your leadership practice almost immediately.

Here’s a list you can start working on right now to be a better leader:

1. Eye Contact - Nothing says “I’m paying attention to YOU” better than actually looking someone in the eye.   Constantly looking somewhere else sends a dangerous message of disinterest.
2. Good Posture – Slumped shoulders and rounded backs are never good ways to project authority and control  (hint: practice this in front of a mirror and you’ll see what I mean).   In fact, in a very popular TED talk, social psychologist Amy Cuddy makes the case that standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident, has great impact on our chances for success – and there’s science behind it to boot.
3. Volume & Timbre –  Really pay attention to the timbre of your voice. Is it too loud? Too soft? Too monotone? Always strive to match the ebbs and flows of your words with the proper inflections, so the context is not lost.
4. Word pace – Recall all the great leaders you admire –  I bet there’s not a fast talker in the bunch.  Talk too fast, and the message gets buried. But if you go too slow, you’ll lose the audience. Think of the metronome you used when you took piano lessons, and work on a steady rhythm. Tick, tock. Tick, tock….
5. Facial Expressions – Make sure you are not sabotaging your message by over-emphasis (check the eyebrows in particular), or by wearing a half-smile or smirk that reeks of condescension. The face can’t be a blank canvas either, so modulate to a quiet intensity that clearly shows confidence and passion for the topic.
6. Pause Filters – Focus not so much on the words, but on the spaces between the words. Make sure you link sentences together crisply, without the use of too many “Ahhs, Ummms, or “You knows“. These “pause fillers” can give the impression that you are rambling on and on.
7. Smiles – You know the saying “a picture says a thousand words“? If a leader is trying to project positivity, humility, graciousness, optimism, openness, and a general good nature, smiling whenever possible is a great place to start.

Ready?

Go get it, and lead well!

Source: http://www.terrystarbucker.com/2014/07/13/7-things-can-right-now-be-a-better-leader/

Great Leadership Starts with Mindset Not Skillset

Leadership begins with mindset. What is mindset you may ask? Mindset refers to the ideas, beliefs and attitudes with which a leader approaches a situation. Thus mindsets are the foundation of great leadership, as mindset forms the basis for action.

The VUCA environment of today is rewriting the rules of business. The result is that leaders desperately need new mindsets and new ways of looking at the world. Consider the cause of some of the biggest leadership failures of the past decade:

• Kodak created the first digital camera, an 8 pound, 0.01 megapixel still camera, in 1975. Despite Kodak’s technical innovations – which were numerous – Kodak failed to adapt to the new digital world. In February 2012, Kodak announced that it would cease making digital cameras.
• Blockbuster was an American provider of home movie rentals through retail shops. The company later added DVD-by-mail, streaming, video on demand and cinema theatre. Blockbuster at it’s peak in 2004, had up to 60,000 employees and more than 9,000 stores. However, Blockbuster failed to adapt to changes in it’s environment and respond to competition from the likes of Netflix. On April 6, 2011, the company and its remaining 1,700 stores were bought by satellite television provider Dish Network at auction for $233 million.
• Borders Books was an international book and music retailer. The company employed about 19,500 staff in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores. Borders too failed to respond to a changing environment and increased competition. On July 7, 2010, Borders opened an eBook store to allow books to be directly downloaded to an e-reader. But, It was too late. On February 16, 2011, Borders applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and began liquidating 226 of its remain stores in the United States.

These companies did not fail due to a lack of technical know-how. Each of these companies had the necessary leadership skill set. So what happened?

The failure of these companies was due to the lack of an effective leadership mindset. What derailed the leaders of these organisations was the combination of a changing environment and a mindset that was stuck in the past. The shift in their industries toward digital required new mindsets, new ways of seeing, and new ways of being. They needed new maps to navigate their organisations into the future. These leaders failed to shift their mindset as required to compete in the new business environment.

“Unfortunately, top people are often there because they are expert in what was important yesterday… We put more energy into developing skill sets, rather than the right mindsets” – Professor Jonas RidderstrÅle, Stockholm School of Economics

Past success and outdated leadership mindsets are the biggest inhibitors of future success.

Leadership is not about the how – the skills of leadership. The skills of leadership will only get you so far. In business today, leaders need to focus as much on the development of their mindset, as they do on the development of skillets. Organisations desperately need new visions and new maps to navigate by.

Too many organisations are busy with the tasks of yesterday. Leaders need to stop doing the tasks of the past and make way for the new.

Source: http://www.georgeambler.com/great-leadership-starts-mindset-skillset

If You’re Always Working, You’re Never Working Well

In early April a series of reports appeared online in the United States and the United Kingdom lamenting the “lazy French.”  A new labor law in France had apparently banned organizations from e-mailing their employees after 6 p.m. In fact, it turned out to be more a case of “lazy journalists” than “lazy French”: as The Economist explained, the “law” was not a law at all but a labor agreement aimed at improving health among a specific group of professionals, and there wasn’t even a hard curfew for digital communication.

Like all myths, however, this one revealed a set of abiding values subscribed to by the folk who perpetuated it. Brits and Americans have long suspected that the French (and others) are goofing off while they — the good corporate soldiers — continue to toil away.  They’re proud about it too. A Gallup poll, released in May, found that most U.S. workers see their constant connection with officemates as a positive.  In the age of the smartphone, there’s no such thing as “downtime,” and we profess to be happier — and more productive — for it.

Are we, though?  After reviewing thousands of books, articles and papers on the topic and interviewing dozens of experts in fields from neurobiology and psychology to education and literature, I don’t think so. When we accept this new and permanent ambient workload — checking business news in bed or responding to coworkers’ emails during breakfast — we may believe that we are dedicated, tireless workers. But, actually, we’re mostly just getting the small, easy things done. Being busy does not equate to being effective.

And let’s not forget about ambient play, which often distracts us from accomplishing our most important tasks. Facebook and Twitter report that their sites are most active during office hours. After all, the employee who’s required to respond to her boss on Sunday morning will think nothing of responding to friends on Wednesday afternoon. And research shows that these digital derailments are costly: it’s not only the minutes lost responding to a tweet but also the time and energy required to “reenter” the original task. As Douglas Gentile, a professor at Iowa State University who studies the effects of media on attention spans, explains, “Everyone who thinks they’re good at multitasking is wrong. We’re actually multiswitching [and] giving ourselves extra work.”

Each shift of focus sets our brain back and creates a cumulative attention debt, resulting in a harried workforce incapable of producing sustained burst of creative energy. Constant connection means that we’re “always at work”, yes, but also that we’re “never at work” — fully.

People and organizations looking for brave new ideas or significant critical thinking need to recognize that disconnection is therefore sometimes preferable to connection. You don’t ask a jogger who just ran six miles to compete in a sprint, so why would you ask an executive who’s been answering a pinging phone all morning to deliver top-drawer content at his next meeting?

Some parts of the workforce do rely on constant real-time communication. But others should demand and be given proper breaks from the digital maelstrom. Batch-processing email is one easy solution.  Do it a few times a day and reserve the rest of your time for real work.  Most colleagues and clients will survive without a response for three hours, and if it’s truly urgent, they can pick up the phone.

The great tech historian Melvin Kranzberg said, “technology is neither good nor bad, nor is it neutral.” That statement should become a real tenant of the information age. I don’t advocate abstinence or blanket rules like that fictional post-6 p.m. email ban.  (Though, if you want to try unplugging for a weekend, check out my “analog August” challenge.)

However, I do think our cult of connectivity has gone too far. We can’t keep falling prey to ambient work or play. Instead, we must actively decide on our level of tech engagement at different times to maximize productivity, success, and happiness.

Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/08/if-youre-always-working-youre-never-working-well

Find Out What Type of Leader You Are

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Absolutely power corrupts absolutely.” Give a leader power and see how they respond to it.

Leadership is all about power and influence. Leaders use power to get things done. According to psychologist Ronald E. Riggio, there are two general types of power. The first is socialized power. Socialized power is power used to benefit others. Leaders that exercise this type of power are primarily concerned with the best interests of those they serve, not themselves.

The other form of power is called personalized power, and it is using power for personal gain. Personal power can become a problem when it dominates and gains, often at the followers’ expense.

What type of leader are you? And what type of power do you exert?

Business Insider details seven types of power that are present in the workplace:

1. Coercive Power - where a person leads by threats and force. It is unlikely to win respect and loyalty from employees for long.
2. Expert Power - the perception that one possesses superior skills or knowledge.
3. Informational Power - where a person possesses needed or wanted information. This is a short-term power that doesn’t necessarily influence or build credibility.
4. Reward Power – where a person motivates others by offering raises, promotions, and awards.
5. Connection Power - where a person attains influence by gaining favor or simply acquaintance with a powerful person. This power is all about networking.
6. Referent Power - the ability to convey a sense of personal acceptance or approval. People with charisma, integrity and other positive qualities hold it. It is the most valuable type of power.

Being a leader puts you in a position of influence. So how do you keep from letting that power go to your head? Here are four tips to avoid the CEO power-trip:

1. Be a Man/Woman of Character. As a leader, you will inevitably face competing demands from time to time. The ability to manage these demands with integrity, honesty and selflessness becomes crucial in times like these. Being willing to sacrifice your success, your fortune and even your life takes courage and character.

2. Stay Attentive. A good leader needs to be accurately informed. Be sure you have all the available facts before deciding anything. Thinking through the potential consequences of your decisions often prevents problems from occurring down the road.

3. Stay Connected. Having the ability to develop meaningful relationships with others is the most important quality a leader can possess. You gain power through relationships. Developing relationships with key people will expand your sphere of influence, your access to resources and your capacity to make things happen.

4. Serve Others. One of the greatest attributes of a good leader is your willingness to serve others. This service, however, should come from the heart and be genuine. Putting others’ needs and desires before your own is reflected in the attitude and actions of a good leader.

Source: http://bcrelativity.com/2014/07/17/find-out-what-type-of-leader-you-are

Steve Jobs' Advice for Entrepreneurs

Another great leader that we all could learn from. Please listen to a Steve Jobs' advice for entrepreneurs:

5 Similarities Between Leadership And Parenting

It’s no secret that parenting is difficult. As a combat veteran, I’ve even sometimes wondered which is harder; war or raising children? So is managing a team just as hard? Granted, children need more attention and supervision than adults (most of the time), but the similarities between managing and parenting are interesting. Management isn’t for everyone, just like being a parent doesn’t suit us all.

Managing people can be as challenging as it is rewarding, and it is similar to parenting in that both need to guide, teach, encourage, discipline, compliment and provide the atmosphere needed for their team or family members to be successful. Here are the top 5 similarities:

1. Discipline

Whether you are in the work place or at home with your family, it is important to follow through on the expectations and rules you have set. Inevitably, one of your children is going to talk back or misbehave.  The same thing goes for the workplace. Just as children like to push their parents’ boundaries to see what they can get away with, some employees demonstrate the same type of behavior. This is why enforcing the rules, regulations and procedures that have been put in place is so important. Allowing a child or employee to walk all over you will not create an environment of mutual respect and will make each individual less productive. Nor is this type of management fair to those who consistently follow the rules.

2. Accountability

Showing up on time, taking responsibility for your actions, and feeling an obligation to uphold your word by doing what you say you will, are all qualities that parents want to instill in their children. And this is a “lead by example” kind of  quality. Managers hire individuals with the expectation that those qualities are already ingrained in an employee. It is difficult to teach an adult to have integrity if it isn’t something they learned as a child. Children learn this by being held accountable at a young age. If they don’t clean their room, they don’t get to use their cell phone, or if they show up late for curfew, they don’t get to drive their car for a week. These are clear consequences put in place to make sure they understand the rules and know the importance of following those rules. As a manager, it is just as important to make the expectations very clear with consequences in place if the rules aren’t followed or deadlines are not met.

3. Praise

Employees and children need positive feedback. As a child, positive reinforcement can give them the confidence to keep trying and believe in their abilities. Self-confidence doesn’t just happen, it comes from repeated support and positive guidance. Making a child feel good about themselves carries into adulthood. Managers play a big role in helping to make their employees feel empowered, confident and self-reliant by the positive feedback they provide. When managers have their employees’ back and support their decisions, those team members feel good about their abilities and what they are bringing to the company.

4. Respect

Respect is an important piece of any relationship. Parent to child or employee to manager, mutual respect can foster collaboration and cooperation which will encourage productivity, top performance and quality work. At home it will motivate positive actions, consideration and clear communication. Employees that respect their managers will want to gain from their expertise and knowledge, leading to more collaboration, training opportunities and a positive work environment. Children that respect their parents will listen and respond appropriately and understand that their parents make certain decisions, whether they like them or not, for the benefit of the child.

5. Restraint

There are going to be times when not everyone will get along. Children with siblings and co-workers with their peers. But it is the skill of restraint that is most impressive. If you can sit a child down and explain to them in a calm tone how to resolve their problem, it will go a lot further than yelling at them. Most people don’t respond well to getting verbally attacked. For managers, displaying aggressive behavior to resolve a conflict between two employees will not work. Sitting them both down, listening to both sides, stating your view and then working out the issue will be much more productive.  The power of not letting your emotions get the best of you and practicing restraint will allow for a better outcome.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2014/07/23/5-similarities-between-leadership-and-parenting

A job or own a business…8 ways to know?

The ultimate test of your business can be found in a simple question: would someone want to buy your company? Whether you want to sell your business next year or a decade from now, you must be building an asset someone would buy – otherwise, you have a job, not a business.

Here are eight ways to ensure you are building a business, not just doing a job:

• A job requires that you show up at work to make money, whereas a company generates revenue whether you are there or not.

• If your company is so reliant on a single customer that they can dictate how you deliver your product or service, your company is more like a job than a valuable business.

• A job is a place where your personal reputation impacts your results, whereas a company is a place where the brand is more important than the personality of the founder(s).

• A job requires you to use your personal experience and expertise to get a result, whereas a company is a place where a process – not a person – consistently produces a desirable result.

• In a job, you get fired for taking too much vacation, whereas if you own a company, the more vacation you can take without impacting your company’s performance, the more valuable your business will be.

• In a job, the harder you work, the more money you earn. In a company, the smarter you work, the more money you earn.

• In a job, you solve the problems. If you own a company, your employees solve the problems.

• If the majority of your customers know your mobile phone number, it’s likely you have a job, not a company.

Source: http://www.bizbrokerblog.com/selling-a-business/8-ways-know-job-business

10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence

Source: http://fgw-photography.deviantart.com/art/Lion-Salzburg-III-418777362

Self confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality — the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed.
Although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence. By using these 10 strategies you can get the mental edge you need to reach your potential.

Build Self Confidence

1. Dress Sharp

Although clothes don’t make the man, they certainly affect the way he feels about himself. No one is more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance. In most cases, significant improvements can be made by bathing and shaving frequently, wearing clean clothes, and being cognizant of the latest styles.
This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on clothes. One great rule to follow is “spend twice as much, buy half as much”. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many select, high quality items. In long run this decreases spending because expensive clothes wear out less easily and stay in style longer than cheap clothes. Buying less also helps reduce the clutter in your closet.

2. Walk Faster

One of the easiest ways to tell how a person feels about herself is to examine her walk. Is it slow? tired? painful? Or is it energetic and purposeful? People with confidence walk quickly. They have places to go, people to see, and important work to do. Even if you aren’t in a hurry, you can increase your self confidence by putting some pep in your step. Walking 25% faster will make to you look and feel more important.

3. Good Posture

Similarly, the way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and make eye contact. You’ll make a positive impression on others and instantly feel more alert and empowered.

4. Personal Commercial

One of the best ways to build confidence is listening to a motivational speech. Unfortunately, opportunities to listen to a great speaker are few and far between. You can fill this need by creating a personal commercial. Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals. Then recite it in front of the mirror aloud (or inside your head if you prefer) whenever you need a confidence boost.

5. Gratitude

When you focus too much on what you want, the mind creates reasons why you can’t have it. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses. The best way to avoid this is consciously focusing on gratitude. Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for. Recall your past successes, unique skills, loving relationships, and positive momentum. You’ll be amazed how much you have going for you and motivated to take that next step towards success.

6. Compliment other people

When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. To break this cycle of negativity, get in the habit of praising other people. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you. In the process, you’ll become well liked and build self confidence. By looking for the best in others, you indirectly bring out the best in yourself.

7. Sit in the front row

In schools, offices, and public assemblies around the world, people constantly strive to sit at the back of the room. Most people prefer the back because they’re afraid of being noticed. This reflects a lack of self confidence. By deciding to sit in the front row, you can get over this irrational fear and build your self confidence. You’ll also be more visible to the important people talking from the front of the room.

8. Speak up

During group discussions many people never speak up because they’re afraid that people will judge them for saying something stupid. This fear isn’t really justified. Generally, people are much more accepting than we imagine. In fact most people are dealing with the exact same fears. By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.

9. Work out

Along the same lines as personal appearance, physical fitness has a huge effect on self confidence. If you’re out of shape, you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and less energetic. By working out, you improve your physcial appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive. Having the discipline to work out not only makes you feel better, it creates positive momentum that you can build on the rest of the day.

10. Focus on contribution

Too often we get caught up in our own desires. We focus too much on ourselves and not enough on the needs of other people. If you stop thinking about yourself and concentrate on the contribution you’re making to the rest of the world, you won’t worry as much about you own flaws. This will increase self confidence and allow you to contribute with maximum efficiency. The more you contribute to the world the more you’ll be rewarded with personal success and recognition.

Source: http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-ways-to-instantly-build-self-confidence

10 Quotes on Trust to Challenge Your Team

Trust is one of those bedrock components of any team.  It can be hard to build but easy to break down.  There are a lot of ways to build trust, and endless ways to breach it.

Here are some quotes on trust I’ve gathered to help challenge and encourage your team towards an attitude of trust.  Use them in team meetings to discuss what aspects of team trust you need to work on.

1. “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” ~ Albert Einstein

2. “To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” ~ George MacDonald

3. “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” ~ Steven Covey

4. “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

5. “None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.” ~ Paulo Coelho

6. “We are all mistaken sometimes; sometimes we do wrong things, things that have bad consequences. But it does not mean we are evil, or that we cannot be trusted ever afterward.” ~ Alison Croggon

7. “He who does not trust enough, will not be trusted.” ~ Lao Tzu

8. “Deciding whether or not to trust a person is like deciding whether or not to climb a tree because you might get a wonderful view from the highest branch or you might simply get covered in sap and for this reason many people choose to spend their time alone and indoors where it is harder to get a splinter.” ~ Lemony Snicket

9. “Trust is knowing that when a team member pushes you, they are doing it because they care about the team” ~ Patrick Lencioni

10. “The toughest thing about the power of trust is that it’s very difficult to build and very easy to destroy. The essence of trust building is to emphasize the similarities between you and the customer.” ~ Thomas J. Watson

Source: http://www.leadbyadventure.com/2014/07/15/10-quotes-on-trust

How To Re-Discover Your Motivation

Companies spend a lot of time and money trying to motivate their employees.
But when was the last time a mug with your company’s logo or a coffee shop gift card made you truly excited? Real motivation doesn’t come from external rewards--it comes from making some shifts in how you think about your situation, says San Diego, California-based personal empowerment expert Susan Fowler, author of Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work . . . And What Does: The New Science of Leading, Energizing, and Engaging.
“Give a whale a fish and it’ll jump as high as you want. Give a pigeon a pellet and it’ll turn 360 degrees. That whole animal behavior theory is what the workplace is built on. We’ve got to get away from that because we’re not pigeons and we’re not whales,” she says.
If you’ve lost your motivational mojo recently, take heart. Changing the way you think and adding a few key habits can help you get it back.

Get in touch with your “why.”

Fowler says that if we want to thrive at work--and in our lives--we need to shift our thinking from rewards and incentives to values and purpose. The key to realizing that purpose lies in what she calls “MVP": mindfulness, values, and purpose.
By being mindful of your surroundings and how you’re feeling, you will be more open to the value of the overall job and how your role has a benefit to someone or something. Once you make the connection between what you’re doing and how it relates to something that matters to you, you’re going to be more motivated.

Find the value in the things you hate.

Most boring or unpleasant tasks have some redeeming quality. You may be doing some rote job, but perhaps it gives you a few hours away from the phone so you can think. Perhaps you have to have a difficult conversation, but once it’s done, you will have taken a step toward solving a problem.
Look for the bright spot and you’ve begun to clarify why you do what you do every day, says Fayetteville, Arkansas-based performance expert Andy Core, author of Change Your Day, Not Your Life: A Realistic Guide to Sustained Motivation, More Productivity, and the Art of Working Well.

Celebrate victories.

As you get a better handle on how what you’re doing relates to a greater purpose, find ways to acknowledge progress. If you’ve hit a milestone or achieved a goal, mark your success in a way that makes you happy, says Core. Creating incentives for yourself can help you “get moving and make progress, then that energy can really get you in a better state,” he says. But the incentives have to be meaningful to you rather than imposed upon you by someone else.

Find a champion.

Whether it’s a supervisor, coworker or even a spouse or partner, you need someone to acknowledge your efforts, or it’s natural to lose motivation. In a 2008 study published in The Journal of Economic Behavior and Motivation, three groups of people were paid to perform a simple task. The first group’s work was acknowledged, the second group’s was ignored, and the paper on which the third group did the task was immediately shredded. While the people whose work was acknowledged kept going, it took nearly twice as much money for the other two groups to continue to participate. If your work is ignored or disparaged, it’s tough to keep going.

Source: http://www.fastcompany.com/3033268/hit-the-ground-running/how-to-re-discover-your-motivation

Great tips for entrepreneurs from Richard Branson

One of the most important things to do when you are trying to move ahead in any area is to take lessons from those who have already achieved what you are aspiring for. Richard Branson is definietely a person we all can learn from. Enjoy the video!

7 Crucial Steps to Building a Champion Sales Team

Joe runs a company with 19 salespeople, a mix of veterans and newcomers. Sales have been flat for the past 18 months even though the economy has improved. He is constantly making futile attempts to get his team to prospect more. Joe tries to show them how to sell more effectively, but they continue to fall back into the same old habits. 

Sound familiar? Entrepreneurial organizations often underperform because they haven't built their sales teams systematically. Follow these seven steps to turn an ineffectual sales crew into a high-performing championship team: 

1. Evaluate the current strategy. 

Three key methods can increase sales: finding more prospects, placing larger sales and increasing closing ratios. Does the company's strategy addresses all three? Does it focus on selling to the ideal customer for the company? 

Many companies try to sell to everyone. But the serious rewards come after focusing on hitting their sweet spot. In Joe's case, his salespeople are indiscriminately calling on any and every prospect they come across. He needs to clarify for his team exactly where they should focus their time and efforts so as to increase sales growth.

2. Assess the existing team. 

Know the sales team inside and out. How many A players, B players and C players are on staff? How do they feel about the organization? Figure out the best way to manage each salesperson according to his or strengths and weaknesses.

For example, Joe knows that he has only three A players and eight B players while the rest are C players or not there yet. He's spending most of his time trying to improve the latter group with little to show for his efforts. Instead, he should realistically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and be willing to replace some underperformers with new recruits. Both online data-driven assessments and on-site evaluations can help him perform this analysis.

3. Develop a hiring process.

Right now, Joe has no hiring process. He selects people based on his gut instinct during interviews. As a result, he has struggled with a number of mis-hires over the years. Mid-size companies like Joe’s rarely have a formal hiring process. Instead, when managers realize that they desperately need a new salesperson, they comb through some resumes, set up a few face-to-face interviews and eventually select the most adequate of the lot.

But hiring is the most critical part of developing a championship sales team. It’s critical to create a formal process that involves assessments, phone screening, consistent interview questions and role-playing.

4. Compensate for results. 

Because most companies are afraid to scare away potential hires, they offer a massive base salary with a small bonus or commission opportunity. But in providing a large salary and small commission, though, the organization limits the upside that a salesperson can really earn -- even if he (or she) well exceeds a sales goal. So this compensation plan appeal the most to B and C players since they'll still earn a healthy base salary even if they produce little.

The A player, however, will want a massive upside for hurtling past a sales goal. Yet Joe’s compensation plan repels top performers. He must revise his compensation structure to deemphasize base salary and promote high performance. 

5. Train consistently. 

Providing a suggestion here and there does not count as consistent training. Invest a lot in training. Conducting regular trainings to reinforce the most critical selling concepts and ensure that every salesperson is on the same page concerning technique.

In Joe’s organization, each salesperson sells in his or her own way. They are all over the map in terms of effectiveness. Joe must either develop a selling system or bring in an outside one for everyone to follow.

6. Create accountability.  

Most mid-size organizations track only the sales numbers of staffers. But what about their day-to-day prospecting activities; the number of calls made, referrals asked for and meetings set up? In tracking  daily prospecting activities, managers can anticipate what's in pipeline, the most important indicator of future sales.

Until now, Joe has reviewed sales numbers only at the end of each month. This leaves his sales team feeling frustrated and without a clear daily plan to help them aim for success. By laying out what he expects his staff to do each day, he can more effectively manage his team.

7. Reassess strategy regularly. 

Once companies find a strategy that seems to work, they may be reluctant to re-examine it. But markets are dynamic. The ideal client today may be entirely different in a year.

Thus, it’s critical for managers keep an eye on the market’s pulse and stay in constant communication with the sales team. Currently, Joe takes an occasional ride with hand-picked salespeople, but this is not enough. He must regularly engage in open discussions with his sales staff to learn what’s really going on.

He needs to regularly go on sales calls and develop lines of communication with customers. Throughout this process, if he and other managers believe the sales strategy needs to be adjusted, they should test any potential changes with a beta group. If the strategy proves optimal, they can then adopt it for the entire team.

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235701

How great leaders inspire action

One of the most important characterisitics of successful people is their leadership ability. They not only have their vision, but also are capable of "selling" this vision to other peopl, inspire them to achieving great results. Make sure you watch the video below. Learn and enjoy!