Leadership is Making Better Mistakes The leaders who inspire me bring out the best in the people around them. Leadership is not about perfect people surrounding themselves with other perfect people, marching in lockstep toward exceeding their goals. Leadership is about people making mistakes together, learning lessons, then making better mistakes. The leaders who inspire me give themselves opportunities to make mistakes. They set challenging goals, and bring out the best in people working to meet them. I have worked with people whose most important strength was that they refused to see that what they wanted to do was impossible. Without the key essentials, they were willing to try things to see what would happen. The leaders who inspire me often have a much clearer picture of what we want to do, or where we want to go, than how we are going to do it. It is easy for us to expect ourselves to know the right answers before we begin. Leadership is not about avoiding mistakes. Which mistakes are you willing to make?
Not Every Professional Network is Equal, How to Establish an "Actionable Network" — The Job Huntr People in an “Actionable Network” do the following: 1) Constantly expand their network beyond what is already established 2) Actively look for opportunities for themselves and others in their network 3) Are involved in their own community aside from professional endeavors An “Actionable Network” is only as good its members, including yourself. 1) Actively introduce people to each other Whether online or in person, make sure you are introducing people who can help each other. Examples: Students attending the same college or with the same major, a new grad with a professional in the same career, or people with similar social interests (hobbies, sports teams, etc.). 2) Actively inform people of opportunities Being the know-it-all when it comes to networking events, classes, job openings or helpful tips and tricks isn't a bad thing when it comes to your network. 3) Actively help your community As I mentioned before, make sure to perform these actions on a weekly basis.
5 Characteristics of Great Mentors Every day as a business owner you make decisions that have an impact on your business. Sometimes you are not sure what direction to go in or what option to consider. You could ask your friends and family, but do they really have the wealth of business knowledge that is needed to help guide you to make the right decision? What you really need is a business mentor! Richard Branson, founder of Virgin group and arguably one of if not the most admired entrepreneur of our time once said that whenever he is asked what is the missing link between a promising businessperson and a successful one, mentoring comes to mind. “Giving people advice on how they can best achieve their goals is something that is often overlooked. In my personal and professional life, I’ve been privileged to be mentored and to be a mentor to others. “Many people around the world get the opportunity to start their own business and become their own boss. There are many qualities needed to be a good mentor. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
The Low Information Diet The big news today is that the politicians of the United States just bumbled themselves into a Government Shutdown. Last night, a military friend of mine mentioned the impending doom to me, which is the first I had heard of the situation. Unfortunately that triggered a late night of sweaty reading on my part, catching up on the history of this predicament, cursing the bullshit and the rhetoric of the responsible members of congress, and generally being pissed off about things. But after an uneasy sleep and a slightly groggy morning, I opened my shutters and found a clear blue sky with bright yellow sun, singing birds, and my lovely family running up to me to request hugs and breakfast. If you’re surprised to hear that I knew nothing of the looming shutdown, and that I don’t read (or watch) the news at all, then you will get a lot from this article. “The markets are on a rollercoaster this year”, Joe Trader might add, “I need to be on the watch so I know when to sell!”
Don’t Lead Scared – 6 Tips for Leading Like a Badass | One sure way to kill your leadership career is to lead scared. Leading from a position of fear never brings good results. It causes you to make rash decisions, shrink from opportunities, and needlessly fight the wrong battles. The opposite of leading scared is leading like a badass. He confidently marches to the beat of his own drum, not swayed by popular opinion or the need to please others. Examples of well-known badasses: Abraham Lincoln – Presidential BadassCondoleezza Rice – Diplomat BadassDerek Jeter – Baseball BadassLeonardo da Vinci – Renaissance BadassMother Teresa – Spiritual BadassAlbert Einstein – Intellectual BadassAristotle – Philosophical BadassJohn Wayne – Western Movie Actor Badass Get the idea? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Every leader has the ability to be a badass. Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts on what it means to lead like a badass. Like this: Like Loading...
The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Reinventing Yourself Editor’s note: James Altucher is an investor, programmer, author, and several-times entrepreneur. His latest book, is “Choose Yourself!” (foreword by Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter) . Follow him on Twitter @jaltucher. Here are the rules: I’ve been at zero a few times, come back a few times, and done it over and over. I’ve started entire new careers. I’ve had to change careers several times. There are other ways to reinvent yourself, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I’ve seen it work for maybe a few hundred other people. A) Reinvention never stops. Every day you reinvent yourself. B) You start from scratch. Every label you claim you have from before is just vanity. C) You need a mentor. Else, you’ll sink to the bottom. D) Three types of mentors Direct. E) Don’t worry if you don’t have passion for anything. You have passion for your health. F) Time it takes to reinvent yourself: five years. Here’s a description of the five years: Sometimes I get frustrated in years 1-4. Today. Today.
Without a "why," all you have is a hobby It seems so simple: do what you love. Follow your bliss. Only do what you’re passionate about. So on and so forth. In life, these poetic ideas sound ideal, but the reality is, love is not always a good enough reason to start a business and a successful business needs more than passion alone. Love and passion may be the catalyst behind work, but purpose is what sustains and grows business. “It is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. Why does “why” matter? It is probably best to understand the importance of “why” with an example. Take Jane, who makes jewelry because she loves to make pretty things. Sure, a great reason to sell jewelry is to make money, but “why” enter a highly competitive, saturated market? Previously, Jane’s “why” was love for making things. Discover your “why” Simon Sinek, author of “Start With Why” and the man behind the popular TED talk “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” is a staunch supporter of purpose-driven work and decisions.
Who Advises the Entrepreneur? - Kerrie MacPherson by Kerrie MacPherson | 1:00 PM October 22, 2013 If you’re leading a startup business with potential for high growth, one of the most valuable things you should do early on is to set up an advisory board. Scaling an enterprise is hard work, and you only stand to benefit from drawing on perspectives, experience, and networks that augment your own. A group of advisors committed to your success not only provides a sounding board to test and strengthen your ideas, it gives you access to important competencies and resources. But many entrepreneurs, especially those in the early stages, find the task of building an advisory board daunting. Whose strengths would complement their own and counter their weaknesses? This is why, in the Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program I oversee at EY, we make this an early part of our teaching. The advice we offer and the discussions that take place among our entrepreneurs center on five key tips: Look outside your existing network of contacts.
Five Power Skills for Discovering Radical Ideas - Vijay Govindarajan , and Jatin Desai Innovation starts with new and novel ideas. Over the last 20 years, we have worked with many world-class brands to help find their next “big thing.” During the initial phases of our work together, it becomes obvious that they have plenty of good ideas. Finding ideas is never the problem — initially. When we surveyed over 300 global executives between 2008 and 2009, one of the primary concerns they expressed was their inability to compete long term without a solid innovation engine that can grow their top line. But in today’s ever-connected world, finding radical ideas seems to be getting tougher for companies. 1. An effective way to create creative discontent is to ask questions that shake people up. 2. Three major factors drive convergence: technology, competition, and the customer. 3. Broadcast television to viral videos, email systems to social media, public libraries to Wikipedia, medical doctors to nurse practitioners — these are all examples of pivots. 4. 5.