The human race has always had a fascination with the collection of words. Throughout the history of civilization, words have had the power of blessing, cursing, and motivating. We see this when we read verses in the Bible, hear the timeless phrase “et tu, Brute,” or watch our favorite war movies. This is why historians have documented the words of leaders, politicians, and intellectuals for us from the beginning of time. The power of words is accepted yet not quite understood. Still, we find solace and encouragement when studying words of past leaders. Let us take a look at these leaders who all had their words remembered in one way or another. This is not a list of the most famous quotes or the best leaders, but words of motivation that every leader can gather insight from to better lead a team.
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Happy New Year! With the new year comes excitement and optimism. It’s a great time to look back at 2011 and see what things you may want to improve on for 2012. To start the year right, here are these five things to do this January.
Get Organized
Believe it or not, January is the national month to get organized. The reason it was set aside as such is that it’s usually on every person’s New Year’s resolutions list. Starting the year right gives you the confidence and drive to reach new heights. The best way to do this is by getting rid of the clutter that may be slowing you or your office down. Check your file cabinets for old or out-of-date materials that could be disposed of or sent to storage. While you’re at it, revamp the way your office files or saves important documents. Making sure everything is ready for business lends itself to – well, good business.
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Television and movies offer us an “out” from the normal day-to-day grind. One of the first things many people do when they get off work is turn on the TV. It is a medium to help shed the scales we accrued during a long day filled with meetings, past-due projects, and the struggle of balancing employer/employee relationships. The most ironic aspect of TV and movies is they are supposed to help us forget about our lives for 30 minutes to an hour and a half, but shows often implement the work environment into their scripts. Due to this reoccurring theme, let’s take a look at a few bosses from TV and movies to see which pitfalls to avoid and certain aspects that may be beneficial.
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Think of the last time you conducted a conference call. Did everything go smoothly? Can you think of certain aspects that didn’t go well? When some people find themselves running a conference call, they are first hit with fear and pure, unadulterated stress. In some instances, a conference call is simply just a meeting over the phone or internet. But due to the irregularity of conference calls, a lot can go wrong if the appropriate steps aren’t taken. So before you set up your next conference call, try these tips to help you make the most of it.
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In the timeless Star Wars saga, we are presented with some of the wisest, most proverbial lessons in all of cinema. To some, these films are the I Ching to life’s most elusive questions: should I try to get my dream job? “Try not. Do or do not; there is no try.” Or better yet, the saga can help keep you in check: I did it! I finally passed the bar exam! “Great, kid. Don’t get cocky.” The Star Wars films have long been legend since the first few notes of the now all-familiar John Williams theme song resounded in 1977 at drive-ins across North America. Because of its epic reputation, we are going to look at how the films can help us better lead our businesses in the Path of the Jedi.
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December brings us to the end of 2011. And what a year it’s been! Business has been steadily growing and employment is up due to the high demand of seasonal workers. The optimism for 2012 can get everyone excited. But instead of focusing on the upcoming year, let’s make sure to finish this one on a high note. Whether you live in Brownsville, Texas or Alberta, Canada, the start of the winter can be celebrated in many ways from poinsettias to fir trees and sunshine to snowmen. To get a start on this holiday season, try these five things to do this month.
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The dreaded performance review is over. The stress that comes from confronting employee issues has subsided. The overwhelming schedule of fitting everyone’s appraisal into a few days or weeks is becoming more manageable. So, now what? Many managers and supervisors see the performance review as a once-a-year meeting to appease HR. Even more, employees see it as a way to get a bump in pay. These are major aspects of the outcome, but the review is much more important and should not be looked at as a once-a-year occurrence. Performance of management directly correlates with how well employees perform. Unfortunately, the easiest thing an employer can do is to focus on the worker’s past failures and guilt the employee into working harder. But if you follow these tips, you will have a great chance of achieving a more productive and successful staff.
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All have experienced it. The rapid heart rate. The increased blood pressure. The tightening of muscles. Primal. Instinctive. Fear. In the face of potential danger, the brain sends out messages for chemicals like adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol to be released into the blood stream. Identified has the “fight or flight” response, it’s simply the body’s way of protecting itself. Fear is a chemical reaction used for man’s survival. In many ways, the most obvious way to survive through an arising situation is to retreat. Though fear was most effective for man when being chased by an antediluvian beast, times have changed, and man’s biggest fears are now related to the economy, business, and social structures. As a business leader, one must be aware of all the apparent fears that keep progress at bay. Once the issues are defined, then they can be faced and defeated.
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Whether you are creating a new position, filling an old one, or setting expectations for an employee, writing a job description can seem like a tedious undertaking. Not to mention, all of the legal ramifications for improperly stating requirements can tangle you in bureaucratic tape for months. A well-written job description can be an extremely powerful document. It can give employees a strong sense of duty, provide necessary structure in a chaotic workplace, protect employers from the on slot of employment law, and most importantly, give properly-placed room for creativity. This is not an article on how to write a job description. There are enough of those. But if you follow these five quick tips, you can transform that old job description into one that clearly defines expectations and sets your employee up for success.
Be Relevant
The problem with job descriptions in the 21st century is some duties or skills required become out-of-date almost immediately. We see this in our daily lives. Right after you bought that new market-changing phone, an even better one comes out with twice the memory and speed. Computer skills are a vital part to the requirements in many office jobs. Make sure to revamp this section of all job descriptions once your company adopts new software. Staying up-to-date shows your present and future employees the need to stay relevant.
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Throughout the past century, the silver screen has produced some of the most beloved and revered heroes of all time. Characters like James Bond, Oskar Schindler, and even Batman, have inspired us to go above and beyond in life, love, and justice. One characteristic of these men is that they were all rogue mavericks. They went against the grain to achieve greatness. One of the greatest nonconformists in cinematic history is a simple college professor. But behind the humble background, there lies a patron who stands in the face of fear, leads dozens out of danger, and rewrites history. The man: Indiana Jones. The plot: outlaw leadership.
In the Indiana Jones films, Indy takes us through action-packed adventures giving us excellent ways to deal with life’s greatest issues and how to get out of tight spots. Though there are boundless lessons we can learn from him, we’re going to look at five ways to lead like “…Dr. Jones, doll!”
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