Tuesday, December 17, 2013

What Is Leadership?

  What Is Leadership?

   
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While the definition of leadership is the act of leading others, getting people to do so is easier said than done.

There is no simple formula to follow. Being a leader requires a special blend of leadership characteristics and leadership styles and skills in order to connect with those you're charged with guiding and directing, and the attempt to truly define it dates back thousands of years.
In Sun Tzu's "Art of War," the Chinese military general writes about leadership and what it requires.

"The masterful leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to proper methods and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success," Tzu wrote.
In the 1800s, historian Thomas Carlyle popularized the "Great Man" theory of leadership, which was based on the belief that leaders were born and not made. In his book "On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History," Carlyle points to likes of Muhammad and Shakespeare as examples of his theory.
"The history of the world is but the biography of great men," Carlyle said.
Several decades later, English philosopher Herbert Spencer countered the Great Man theory of leadership with his own. Spencer's belief was that leaders were the result of the society in which they lived.
 "You must admit that the genesis of a great man depends on the long series of complex influences which has produced the race in which he appears and the social state into which that race has slowly grown," Spencer wrote. "Before he can remake his society, his society must make him."
In the 1940s and 1950s, studies were conducted by researchers at Ohio State University, on the behavioral aspects of leaders, and at University of Michigan, on specific leadership styles: the task-oriented leader, the participative leader and the relationship-oriented leader.
In 1974, author Ralph Stogdill identified six categories of personal factors associated with leadership: capacity, achievement, responsibility, participation, status and situation.
In the 1980s, research by authors Paul Hershey and Ken Blanchard focused on the theory of situational leadership. The theory was based on the belief that there was no single leadership style that works best. Instead, Hershey and Blanchard concluded effective leaders are able to adapt their style for the task at hand.
Most recently, research published in the Harvard BusinessReview in 2000 by author and psychologist Daniel Goleman uncovered six different leadership styles: commanding, visionary, "affiliative," democratic, pacesetting and coaching.
Over time, individual businesses and organizations have determined what traits and styles they believe work best.
For example, the military looks for leaders that have good judgment, initiative, courage and endurance, while the National School Board Association places a high priority on its leaders having a constructive spirit of discontent, mental toughness and the respect of their peers.
Author Scott Berkun believes there are non-obvious ways to lead.
"Just by providing a good example as a parent, a friend, a neighbor makes it possible for other people to see better ways to do things," Berkun said. "Leadership does not need to be a dramatic, fist in the air and trumpets blaring, activity."

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 Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Failure





All of us want to be successful. All of us have big dreams. We all try very hard to achieve them. But on our way to achieving those dreams, if we face a failure, we just break down totally. Sometimes we don't even feel like trying the same job again just because of the failure we faced in the previous attempt. And if we get up and start doing it, we are not able to put our 100% in it. Consciously or unconsciously, the fear of failure affects our performance. Students put so much effort in studying for exams, and if they end up getting a B or C, then they hardly look forward to next semester. If we stop doing everything just because of the fear of failing, then the world will come to an end. Then, what exactly should we do to overcome it? Let's take some moments and see if we are able to conquer the failure or if failure would be able to conquer us!
Changing point of view-->>First of all, we have to stop looking at failure in a negative way. People tend to link failure with weakness, stupidity, and dumbness. I totally disagree with that. I believe if you are doing something, and you think you are just perfect in it, that means something seriously is going wrong with it. When a person thinks he is perfect, he has closed all doors for any growth or improvement. Whenever there is imperfection, there are million chances of improvement. A person keeps on growing, but a so called 'perfect person' just stops growing. He is in this illusion of being perfect which hinders his growth forever. Look at failure as another step toward success. Make yourself positive enough to see the good sides of failure.
Don't label yourself a 'failure'-->> If you fail in something, don't think of yourself as a failure. It just means that you haven't succeeded in doing the work you were doing. It means that you are only some steps away from achieving your goal. By labeling yourself as a failure you close the door for all possibilities of achieving success. Let me explain this with a beautiful example. There was a man who failed in business at the age of 21; was defeated in a legislative race at the age of 22; failed again in business at 24; overcome the death of his girlfriend at 26; had a nervous breakdown at 27; lost a congressional race at age of 34; lost a senatorial race at age 45; failed to become Vice President at the age 47; lost a senatorial race at 49; and was elected as the President of the United States at the age of 52! He was none other than Abraham Lincoln. He could have labeled himself a failure and ruin his whole life. Instead, he decided to ignore failure and fight against all odds.
Don't behave like a machine-->>Always remember that only highly intelligent people face big failures. They are the ones who cannot get things done in a right manner in first attempt. The reason for this is very simple. A person who follows orders and fulfills them right away, without thinking, is like a machine. There is no difference between that person and a machine. You tell him something and he will do it. However, a successful person is very different. If you tell him to do something in a certain way, he will ask you why he can't do it in other way. He will not follow your order blindly. He always say, "Why not the other way?" He always thinks different from crowd and that's where he succeeds.
An average student will follow what his professor has to say. He will learn the whole book and his professor's lecture word to word. But a genius-minded student would ask the professor so many questions about the whys and teh wherefores. His questions will be beyond the coursework.
That average student might end up getting a better grade than that genius student. But in long term, it will be that genius student whose name will be remembered for a long time. However, that average student remains average forever his life. So, stop thinking that you are a weak or dumb student if you end up getting a low grade in spite of asking so many questions in every class. Rather be proud of yourself that your mind is much more polished than other students in the class.
See what you have learned-->>When you fail to do something, look back and see how much you have learned. You will be surprised to see that you have learned so much that you would not have learnt if you succeeded in the first attempt. Thomas Edison failed approximately 10,000 times while he was practicing on the light bulb! When people asked him to quit this project, his reply was, "I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward...."
If you have this kind of attitude, there is no way why you won't be successful. Every failure teaches you something. You just have to see what mistakes you made and learn from them. The more mistakes you make, the smarter you will become. Just don't make the same mistake twice because that will make you stupid. Learn from your first mistake and don't repeat it.
Never give up-->>No matter how people react to your failure, you should never ever give up. If you start giving up after your every failure, you will see that you will accomplish literally nothing in life. You will start doing something and will quit it forever after you fail in it. In this way, your skills will never be polished. Your dreams will never see the light of day.
Every success story is also a story of a great failure. The only difference is that the successful people never gave up. Instead, they bounced back with a much more energy and enthusiasm every time they failed. There was a partially deaf child who was expelled from school because his teachers considered him too stupid to learn. His mother decided to teach him and show everyone how intelligent her son is. Her son was none other than the great Thomas Edison. Edison had only three years of formal schooling.
Be patient-->>Don't get discouraged if it is taking a little longer than you expected. The more time it will take the better performance it will give. Don't think that you will never achieve your goal or you will never get you want. Failure might cause your goals a little delay but it doesn't mean that you will never achieve them. It simply means that it will take just little longer. When Beethoven was young, everybody used to tell him that he has no talent for music. He knew that he will be the best composer after a considerable time. Today everyone knows that he gave the world some of the best music.
Finally, as I wrote in my previous articles, we need to update our dictionaries. We have to remove some of the words and change the meaning of some of them. 'Failure' is one of those words whose meaning needs to be changed. Today onwards, see failure as a chance to bounce back with full of energy. Look at failure as an opportunity to improve more and polish your skills. View your failure as a road to success. I am sure if you follow the above suggestions sincerely, then you will be one of those rare people who make it big no matter what circumstances are. All the best!
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Richard Branson on Embracing Failure

 

Richard Branson on Embracing Failure
Editor's Note: Entrepreneur Richard Branson regularly shares his business experience and advice with readers. Ask him a question and your query might be the inspiration for a future column.
Q: I have always been fearless, and gone after everything I wanted. I launched a business selling my designs a few years ago, and it succeeded, but I had to close it due to the recession. Now, having just earned a master’s degree, I have decided to launch my own design firm rather than look for a job, and for the first time in my life I find that I am paralyzed with fear. How can I face down this fear in order to go after my dreams? -- Tatiana Poblah, Montreal, Canada
Fear is something everyone must learn to cope with when tackling life’s challenges, but this is especially important for entrepreneurs, who are likely to face many hard choices in the process of getting a business off the ground. And in the early stages of running a new enterprise, the way you handle pressure can often make the difference in whether it survives.
You may need to make some tough calls. During Virgin’s early years, one difficult decision we had to make involved Virgin Records, which at one point was in desperate need of cash to sign bigger artists. My partners, Nik Powell and Simon Draper, were split on what to do: Nik wanted to conserve our resources and slowly collect money through our retail operations; Simon wanted to invest heavily in Virgin Records, betting on the notion that we could find the next big artists that way. We needed quick growth, so I took the riskier gamble, following Simon’s advice over Nik’s. It turned out to be the right decision, but it took a lot of courage -- and not just from me, but everyone on staff.
I’ve always found that the first step in overcoming fear is figuring out exactly what you’re afraid of. In your case, I wonder: Is your anxiety a reflection of doubts about your business plan? Or is it rooted in your experience with your previous venture?

If it is the former, and you are having doubts about your idea, why not take your concerns to a key friend or mentor and carefully run through your business plan? Talking everything through with a trusted confidant, from your business’ unique selling points to how it will stand out among competitors, is a good way to help calm fears and give you some perspective and confidence. Sometimes even the simple act of discussing your plan will highlight things you’re unsure about -- often, small, unresolved issues can be at the root of an entrepreneur’s anxieties.
But if your previous venture’s end is what is making you so hesitant, try to take some comfort in the fact that most entrepreneurs fail when they launch their first businesses. Failing doesn’t mean that you’re not cut out to run your own business. In fact, many venture capital investors evaluate potential partners on how they reacted to a failed business, seeing it as a test of character, rather than a mark against them. The key to bouncing back is to learn whatever lessons you can from the experience so that you can avoid making the same mistakes in the next launch. This will help you to overcome your fear, take a leap of faith and try again.
The experience of launching one of your first businesses reminds me of the adventures and challenges I have embarked on over the years to promote Virgin and put our businesses on the map. There were countless times during our record-breaking hot-air balloon trips when I wondered whether we were going to make it back down to earth alive. But every time, I learned lessons from making mistakes during previous trips and was able to adapt.
Another example: A few years ago I was helping to launch Virgin America’s new route from San Francisco to Las Vegas -- and upon arriving at our casino hotel, I was taken to the top floor, given a harness and told I was going to jump off the side of the building. It was dark and windy, and I knew I should go back inside and tell everyone we needed to postpone the jump. Instead, I was persuaded to go through with it. The wind was up, and within seconds I found myself banging down the side of the building, ripping my trousers and bruising my backside. It was an extremely painful lesson, learned the hard way. But learning from mistakes (and a combination of good fortune and adrenalin) is what has gotten me through on many occasions.
Overcoming fear is not necessarily as easy as jumping off a building, but it might be easier than what you’ve done: Watching a business fail after putting your heart and soul into trying to make it succeed. But don’t be too hard on yourself. Starting a new enterprise from scratch and gathering the nerve to take risks that are similar to those you took last time can be daunting for any entrepreneur. Just remember that picking yourself up from a failed business in order to try again is the bravest choice you can make.
Let’s hear from other entrepreneurs: Has one of your businesses ever failed? How did you find the courage to try again?
The author is an Entrepreneur contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Group, which consists of more than 400 companies around the world including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America and Virgin Mobile. He is the author of six books including his latest, Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School (Portfolio Trade, 2012).
 
Questions from readers will be answered by Richard Branson in future columns. Please include your name and country when you send your question to BransonQuestions@Entrepreneur.com.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

EDUCATION...what is it and why do we need it? Is education always the key to success?









Education and Wealth: You Don’t Need a College Degree, But You Need an Education

 
College is overrated. There, I said something you’ve probably suspected since you were in high school and may have confirmed several years after you entered the workforce. You probably know many people who excelled in college and can barely string together a cohesive thought. And you probably know many successful people who never went to college, barely made it through college, or work in a field unrelated to their degree.
Why is that? How can some people struggle when they have a degree from a quality institution, while others can be successful without a college degree or in a field unrelated to their degree? In my opinion, it’s because a college education doesn’t guarantee success. Success is up to many other factors – things college often doesn’t teach.

You don’t need a college degree

Do you need a college degree?
Do you need a college degree to become successful?
A college degree is simply a certification. In basic terms, a degree is simply a piece of paper certifying you met a certain level of scholastic achievement. But what happens in the class room doesn’t always translate into the real world.
College degrees don’t always pay well or guarantee a job. There are many high paying degrees. But for every high paying degree, there are two low paying degrees. There are also degrees that have a limited market. Simply having a college degree doesn’t guarantee a job, nor should it. Employees need to bring skills to the table, as well as the ability to continue learning, growing, and providing value for their employer.
I am not saying people who choose low paying degrees aren’t successful – far from it. Many people choose degrees based on what makes them happy, and it is easy to admire someone who chooses happiness over wealth.
The truth many people aren’t willing to admit is you don’t need a college degree to be successful. But you do need an education, along with a desire to continue to learn, work hard, and adapt.

You need an education

An education is different from a degree. An education can be formal, informal, self-directed, on the job training, professional licenses and certifications, or any other form of education.
There are hundreds of careers which don’t require a degree. And they all share one thing in common: They require results, and in many cases, require years of hard work and study to achieve success.
It’s easy to discount athletes, musicians, actors, and others who don’t go through a traditional four year degree program. But the amount of hard work, training, practice, and study they go through to achieve their success often equals or far exceeds the amount of effort put into an average 4 year degree. But let’s look beyond those careers, which are far too rare to be a practical vocation for most people to aspire to.
A more realistic example. I’ll use a friend of mine as an example. He is in his 40′s and is by most measures, a successful man. How successful? He brings in a quarter million a year as a small business owner.
“Oh, one of those…”
Yes, one of those. Want to know what he does? It’s not sexy, but it’s a great career. He is an electrician… or, I should say he owns a small business focusing on residential and small commercial electric installation and repair jobs. He built his business from the ground up in a manner that almost anyone can do if they want to. His story is along the lines of the tortoise and the hare – slow and steady wins the race. It just takes time, hard work, and a continuing desire to learn and improve.
He started as an electrician’s apprentice out of high school, achieved his license, and eventually started his own business. He now employs a couple people who are following in his footsteps. The best part is his job will never go away. People will always need electricians. And plumbers, and landscapers, and mechanics, and dozens of other jobs which don’t require a degree. But these jobs require an education and hard work. Many also require licenses and certifications which require study and continuing education.

A college degree is beneficial, but not required

I am not against college degrees. I have one, and recommend college for many people. But some people are better off not going to college because it doesn’t align with their skills or career aspirations.
Success doesn’t rely on a piece of paper. And it shouldn’t. Success is the actions you take to achieve your dreams and goals in life. If that means attending college to receive a traditional 4 year degree, then awesome. And if that means doing on the job training and studying at night to get a license or certification, then that’s great too.
There is a lot of emphasis put on achieving a college degree, but it’s not the right choice for everyone. And it shouldn’t be. Choose the career path which makes you happy, work hard, continue to learn and provide value, and success will follow.
image credit: Our Lady of Disgrace




Monday, November 25, 2013

2014 Winter Marketing Educators Conference

2014 Winter Marketing Educators Conference

JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes
4040 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, FL 32837
2/21/2014 1:00 PM - 2/23/2014 5:00 PM
Register by 1/9/2014 11:55 PM for early registration fee



Preliminary Program
The Preliminary Program is available here​.
Author Information
Authors will receive an email notification regarding acceptance statuses. Information will also be made available at http://amawinter14.abstractcentral.com/
Registration Information
Click the "Registration" tab for convenient online registration 

Registration Rates ​By 9 Jan. 2014 ​After 9 Jan. 2014
​AMA Member ​$445 ​$545
​Non-Member ​$745 ​$845
Doctoral Student AMA-Member ​$245 ​$345

Doctoral Students must call +1.800.262.1150 or use a paper registration form available here >> 
Program Information
Click the "Schedule" tab for information regarding the conference program.
2014 Conference Co-Chairs
Gary Hunter, Case Western Reserve University​​​​​​
Tom Steenburgh, University of Virginia
​The Winter Marketing Educators' Conference is a global meeting of marketing educators designed to encourage the development, dissemination, and utilization of marketing knowledge. Register today to be a part of the premier forum for marketing scholarship and intellectual exchange.​​ This year it is held 21-23 February 2014 in Orlando, Florida.
Attend #AMAWinterEd, and you'll be sure to:
  • Hear from some of marketing academia’s key thought leaders in compelling special sessions 
  • Gain exposure to cutting-edge research from a diverse array of scholars.
  • ​Establish and deepen relationships with your peers in networking breaks & receptions, an awards luncheon, and a special event. 
With over 40 nations represented at the Winter Marketing Educators' Conference, attendees from outside the United States are strongly encouraged to attend. Those individuals needing assistance with visa applications should contact Matt Weingarden. Further information regarding travel to the US can be found at the US Department of State.
Sponsor & Exhibit Contact
To learn more about AMA Event Sponsorship or Exhibition opportunities, please contact Lore Gil at lgil@ama.org or call 312.542.9033.
________________________________
All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted to the AMA via email at mweingarden@ama.org. Cancellations received four weeks prior to the event start date will receive a refund minus a $150 early cancellation fee. Cancellations received after that date will receive a refund minus a $300 late cancellation fee. 

Registrants wishing to cancel may send someone to take their place without penalty if they send a written request with the replacement person’s name to info@ama.org at least two weeks prior to the event start date.

No refunds will be given as of 7 February 2014. 

A conference registration may not be shared by two or more individuals. Space is limited and on-site registration cannot be guaranteed. Separate cancellation policies may exist for pre-conference programs, tutorials, and other associated events. Hotel and transportation reservation cancellations must be handled by the individual registrant directly with the hotel, airline and/or other company.
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Monday, November 18, 2013

5 Benefits of Waking Up Early

The early bird catches the worm, so the expression goes. But is there really any truth behind this? According to recent studies, there are actual recognizable benefits to waking up early.

Benefits of Waking Up Early

1. Becoming an early riser will make you more successful.
It is plain and simple. A 2008 study out of Texas University concluded that those students identifying themselves as morning people earned a full point higher on their GPAs than those who identified themselves as night owls. Who knew waking up early could be the difference between a 4.0 and a 3.0?
2. Studies have shown that morning people are actually happier than night owls.
We are not just referring to being happier for those 15 minutes in the morning, but rather they are happier with life overall. Night owl tendencies tend to fade as people age, and the study says this switch to a morning-focused schedule could be why older adults are happier than younger ones. The study involved two populations: the first was made up of 435 adults ages 17 to 38, and the second of 297 older adults, ages 59 to 79. Both groups answered questions about their emotional state, how healthy they feel and their preferred “time of day.”
“We found that older adults reported greater positive emotion than younger adults, and older adults were more likely to be morning-type people than younger adults,” Biss said. “The ‘morningness’ was associated with greater happiness emotions in both age groups.”
3. Morning people are often in better shape than night owls.
The reasoning behind this is simple. Waking up early allows people extra time to exercise before the family is awake or before their official work day begins. For this reason, many successful businesspeople wake up early. This morning exercise helps to boost mood and provides energy for the rest of the day.
Want to get more stuff done in less time? Get our free E-Book on Productivity Hacks, here.
4. Many say that waking up early leads to increased productivity.
Morning people have time in the morning to do work before everyone else is awake to distract them. Whether this ... is sending some emails from home or going into work early for an hour of quiet, uninterrupted  time to focus. A recent study by Christopher Randler, a biology professor at the University of Education at Heidelberg, surveyed 367 university students, asking them when they were the most energetic and willing to change a situation. According to the study:
“It was the morning people who were more likely to agree with statements such as “I feel in charge of making things happen” and “I spend time identifying long-range goals for myself.”
wake up
5. Various studies have linked waking up early to possessing healthy character traits.
Morning people are more likely to exhibit traits like optimism, satisfaction and conscientiousness. Night owls, those linked with creativity and intelligence, are more likely to exhibit traits such as depression, pessimism and neurotic behavior. So if you tend to stay up late and want to live a better life, should you start waking up early?
If you are already productive and happy, stick to what you know. Mornings aren’t for everybody. But if you are looking for a way to improve the way you live, consider waking up earlier. You never know, it could make a huge difference.

The Takeaway

Early risers are more likely to be successful, healthy and happy compared to their night-owl friends. If you want a boost in productivity, health or well being, try waking up early; it may give you the extra edge you need to reach your goals.

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Sources
Sleep Duration or Bedtime? Exploring the Relationship between Sleep Habits and Weight Status and Activity Patterns. Health and Use of Time (HUT) Group, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise! Sleep habits and academic performance in college students. Scholars Program, Montgomery College, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
Photos by virexmachina and silentmind8
Updated by the Inspiyr Team April 30, 2013. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Global Entrepreniuers Week

 

ABOUT



Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.
During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors—introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities.
Millions who had never before considered launching their own ventures soak up advice and inspiration from the likes of Richard Branson, Michael Dell and Muhammad Yunus. Thousands of brand new startups spring to life through bootcamps like Startup Weekend and competitions like Startup Open. Hundreds of universities strengthen connections that help them commercialize research from their labs. Researchers and policymakers engage in discussions around the world to examine the underlying policies necessary to promote entrepreneurial growth. And serial entrepreneurs share their expertise through activities like EO24, run by the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and practical training courses like FastTrac.
Meanwhile, world leaders and local elected officials alike have embraced the campaign as they look to fuel the economic engine of high-growth startups in their own countries and communities. During 2012 alone, presidents and prime ministers from 20 countries supported Global Entrepreneurship Week while 93 ministers from 54 countries participated by speaking at activities during the Week, filming statements of support or otherwise endorsing the national campaigns in their countries.
GEW is more than just an awareness campaign. It is a platform for connection and collaboration—engaging all players along the entrepreneurship spectrum in strengthening ecosystems around the world.
Brought to you by The YETT Institute of Business


Monday, November 11, 2013