Even natural leaders need to develop their leadership skills. Everyone makes mistakes, and the best leaders are no different. Here are five mistakes that leaders (especially new ones) make most often. Rock on!!
5 Leadership Lessons from The Galactic Empire
February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Leadership is a constant learning experience. You can’t simply look at a great leader and follow his or her formula– it takes trial and error, and learning from your mistakes. While it does help to see what makes a successful leader, you also have to look at why failed leaders don’t succeed… which brings me to Star Wars.
With the 3D rerelease of The Phantom Menace, the Star Wars name has (for the millionth time) found a way to reignite its relevance in popular culture. But long before Jar Jar Binks was introduced to the saga, the original trilogy was teaching some great things not to do when it comes to successful leadership. Here’s five things we can learn from the failure of The Galactic Empire:
1. Don’t build an organization around particular people – By the end of Return of the Jedi, we realize that the Empire is nothing without the Emperor and Darth Vader. They spent all that time gaining power and expanding their reach, but didn’t leave any way for the Empire to continue in case something happens to them (which it does). Make sure that there’s responsibility and talent on all levels.
2. Give people the chance to have stake in the organization – This goes along with the first one, but there’s an important difference. Once you give people responsibility, you have to give them reason to care. In the eyes of the Emperor’s underlings, there was no reason to work extra hard or be unique in any way– if they did, they surely wouldn’t get recognized for it. This ruins efficiency and makes terrible use of your most valuable resource: people’s time.
3. Have tolerance for failure – When somebody screwed up, the Emperor and Vader usually just killed them. Making mistakes is one of the best ways we learn. If you get rid of everyone the first time they make a mistake, all you’re doing is surrounding yourself with amateurs.
4. Don’t focus all your efforts into a single goal without considering alternatives – Obsession and tunnel vision is a mark of terrible leadership. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be driven and determined, but sometimes you have to alter your course just a bit. The Empire’s narrowed goal of completing the Death Star prevented them from seeing any other opportunities, and it allowed the Rebels to win.
5. Learn from mistakes – Not only do you have to let your workers learn from their mistakes, you have to admit when you as a leader have failed, and what you can do to prevent it from happening again. The Empire’s response to the first Death Star being destroyed was: build another one. They don’t bother to analyze why it didn’t work the first time and learn from it, they just barrel forward.
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How to Make a Good Impression in 30 Seconds
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
For many people, the Super Bowl is as much about the commercials as it is the game. For the people making those commercials, the game means even less. They have 30 seconds to make an impact, and it’s the most expensive 30 seconds their business has ever seen. It’s no surprise that these companies save their big ideas for Super Bowl Sunday.
While most of us will never have to make a $3.5 million ad, we still get opportunities to make a good impression. These windows of opportunity can come and go as fast as TV commercials, and while money isn’t always on the line, our reputation is. This could be something as big as a job interview (think of every question you’re asked as a chance to prove yourself), or as small as running into someone at the grocery store.
As a leader or team member, times like these are when you show that you’re valuable, and worth listening to. We only get one first impression, but all the impressions after that still matter too!
It’s important to make the most of these moments, and it’s time like these that we can learn from ads. For both, the same rules apply:
Capture your audience’s attention — The first thing you have to do is make yourself known, but make sure it’s in a positive way. You don’t have to do something radical to get someone’s attention– that does work, but it’s not recommended! The best commercials are bold, yet poignant, which is the best way to capture anyone’s attention.
Convey a clear message – The most radical commercials may be the ones we remember, but that doesn’t mean they’ve made their point. If you’re not making a strong, clear statement, then your audience feels like you’ve wasted their time. It’s important to be well-spoken, and before you make yourself heard, have a goal in mind.
Focus on differentiation — People get annoyed by repeated information. When your 30 second window is over, you want your audience to see that your perspective is unique and noteworthy.
Do your favorite commercials fit these criteria? Let me know on Facebook and Twitter!
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Swap Your Bad Habits for Good Habits
January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Everybody has bad habits. It doesn’t have to be something big like smoking or drinking– it could be as small as procrastinating, or being unorganized. We often use these things as coping mechanisms to avoid, or maybe forget about, responsibility or stress.
When these start to add up, it can make a person unpleasant and unproductive. This is when you know it’s a good idea to kick the bad habits and start fresh– but it’s not always that easy.
Instead of trying to quit these habits cold turkey, try replacing them with more positive, healthy routines. You’ll find that these substitutes not only do a better job of helping you deal with stress, but also have rewards of their own. Here’s a list of common bad habits, along with some recommended alternatives:
Bad Habits
- Eating junk food
- Nail biting
- Drinking
- Procrastinating
- Shopping
- Being messy
- Swearing
- Smoking
- Watching too much TV
Good Habits
- Go for a walk
- Do pushups, jumping jacks, or crunches
- Meditate
- Do yoga
- Play music
- Read
- Take a rest
- Be social– call a friend or family member
- Eat a healthy snack
All these things can enrich your life. None of them take too much time out the day, and when you’re done with them, you’ll feel more refreshed and find that you’re more productive! Rock on!
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4 Traits That Make Great Leaders
January 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Not all successful people are leaders, and not all leaders are successful. There are a number of attributes that separate a leader from a follower, but there are even more that separate a great leader from a failed leader. According to Inc.com, here’s a list of four traits that make the all the difference:
Aspire – The definition of what’s “possible” is constantly changing. A hundred years ago, we wouldn’t have dreamed of half the things we can do today. Some of these things we couldn’t have imagined even five years ago! It takes the aspiration of a great leader to change something from “impossible” to “possible.” It’s the only reason humanity has come this far, and the only reason it will continue to progress.
Plan – Aspiration is nothing if you don’t have a plan to follow through with. You can have the best ideas in the world, but if you don’t take this step, they will remain ideas forever. An effective plan takes knowledge, creativity, and perseverance, and it’s another mark of a great leader.
Inspire – Often, your plan will require the help of others. A true leader uses his or her power of inspiration to find those who are willing to help. People can only be inspired by authentic passion, personality, and charisma, and a great leader has to do this if they want people to get behind them.
Execute – It’s still possible to have the three previous traits and still not reach your goal as a leader. You have to be able to execute the plan you’ve made, or you haven’t truly accomplished anything. A great leader must have the ability to follow through and see their idea to the end.
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Take Control of Your Mood!
January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
It happens to all of us. Every now and then we get snappy, irritable, and annoyed by every little thing that isn’t perfect. While these times are impossible to avoid completely, there are things we can do to make it better for ourselves. Your body and mind are so closely connected that these simple actions can dramatically affect your mood for the better — and all the science is there to back it up! If you follow these tips from Lifehacker, you might find that you have more control than you think.
Eat - Don’t take this the wrong way — it’s not a good idea to overeat when you’re in a bad mood! However, if it’s been a while since your last meal, a healthy snack replenishes nutrients, and a healthy body can make a healthy mind. Also, spicy foods release endorphins, a chemical that creates feelings of happiness: bring on the heat!
Exercise – For all of you who may not enjoy a spicy snack, a bit of exercise releases the same endorphins. This may not be a permanent solution, but it’s a great way to sweat off the small stuff — literally!
Listen to Music – Listening to music that you know and love triggers dopamine in the brain, a hormone that can have a similar effect to endorphins. After all, music soothes even the savage beast!
Embrace It – A sour mood makes you focus your attention more on specific things, instead of seeing the bigger picture. This is usually a bad thing, but you can use it to your advantage! Take the opportunity to tackle big projects, or anything that requires a lot of focus. Not only is this a good outlet for your current mindset, but at the end of it, you’ve been productive! This can relieve stress and make your entire day better.
Don’t forget that these things may work differently for everybody. It’s important to know yourself: be aware of your mood and know what works for you!
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Making YOUR Mark!
January 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Earlier today, Seth Godin posted this ROCKIN quote on his blog:
“One option is to struggle to be heard whenever you’re in the room…
Another is to be the sort of person who is missed when you’re not.
The first involves making noise. The second involves making a difference.“
The key here is that instead of wanting people to hear you, you should want people to WANT to hear you. This is how we truly make an impact, and it’s also the foundation of good teamwork.
So take the time to ask yourself: Which kind of person am I? How am I making my mark?
Most Rockin’ Business Books of 2011!
January 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The New Year is off to a ROCKIN start! It is often said that “leaders are readers”. Do you have a reading list for 2012 started? Amazon recently released its “Best of 2011″ lists, and we thought we’d share with you the best from the business section.
Perhaps you order all 10 right now and read them at roughly one a month next year until the “Best of 2012″ list comes out. Just an idea! You can click any of the books and go right to the Amazon page to order. Happy shopping and more importantly, happy reading!
How to Make Great New Year’s Resolutions
December 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The New Year is only a short few days away. Have you made any goals or resolutions yet? Well quit wasting time! Take a few minutes to intentionally think about the coming year and what kinds of things you want to accomplish both professionally and personally.
Here are 5 quick tips to get you started. Share your resolutions with us on Facebook and Twitter!
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Be realistic by setting achievable goals. Winning the lottery, for example, is out of your grasp.
- Describe your resolutions in specific terms. Instead of “I don’t want to be lazy,” opt for “I want to exercise regularly” or “I will cut down on my television watching.”
- Break down large goals into smaller ones. For instance, commit to losing weight by resolving to join a gym and improve your eating habits.
- Find alternatives to a behavior that you want to change, and make this part of your resolution plan. So you want to quit smoking but you smoked to relax yourself? What other forms of relaxation are available to you?
- Above all, aim for things that are truly important to you, not what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you.
Need some more help making resolutions? We found a cool New Year’s Resolution Generator. Check it out, and see ours below!
Ambassador of Celebration!!
December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
This time of year is a time to CELEBRATE! Did you know, that’s actually one of my titles! Yes, I am known in many parts of this world as the Ambassador of Celebration. Check out the video below, and you’ll see exactly what I mean! Have a happy holiday season, however you may celebrate!