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talent talk...

      Insights and trends in leadership, talent management and coaching.

January 2011
Leadership Insight Newsletter
In This Issue
Leadership Traits And The Development Of Your Best People
10 Ways To Have Your Best Year Ever!
How Can You Use Twitter To Grow Your Business?

 

 

 

 

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot."

~ Michael Altshuler

 

"Never let yesterday use up today."

~ Richard H. Nelson

 

"Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."

~ Vince Lombardi

 

 

 

 

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Greetings!

 

'Hard work and work hard!' This was a key message in Arnold Schwarzenegger's motivational speech delivered recently to a large business audience in Toronto. He is an advocate of identifying work for which you have an intense hunger and passion and then going for it!  Once you have a clear vision of what you want to do, then it's up to you to 'work like hell' and bring it to fruition. Other notable bits of wisdom were 'trust your gut, don't be afraid of failure, share with those less fortunate and save for a rainy day.'

Jim Henson the popular puppeteer and founder of the Muppets, embodied many of the wisdoms shared by Schwarzenegger. Jim had a very strong work ethic echoed by Gobo Fraggle, one of Henson's beloved puppet characters:

'You've got to face facts, act fast on your own

Preparation, perspiration, dynamite determination

Pack snacks, make tracks all alone

Don't be cute. Time to scoot. Head out to your destination.

Chase the future, face the great unknown.'

 

Enjoy this issue of talent talk.



Cheers, Rebecca
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Leadership Traits And The Development Of Your Best People

When hiring the talented performers that will set your company apart from competitors, it is important to look for certain leadership traits that can be developed in ways that can strengthen your organization and make it a force to be reckoned with.  (Seek potential leaders who share your same goals for company development and mesh with your organization.) Choose those that will become admired leaders that the rest of your employees can look up to.

To begin, think of the etymology of the word, "leader".  A leader is one who inspires or guides others, so begin your search with this thought in mind. It is not complicated. The leaders shine. They have the potential to influence the path your organization takes down the road to success. Their personnel files are the first places to look for evidence of real leadership qualities.

Learn to position leaders within the hierarchy of your organization in positions that are high profile enough to make them more likely to win the hearts and minds of their fellow employees. Don't isolate them in offices behind closed doors. One-on-one interaction with their subordinates is imperative. This is a proven method that can lead to the kind of better efficiency that goes hand-in-hand with employee happiness and satisfaction.

Don't make the mistake of assuming your top company talent is flawless. There is always room for improvement everywhere along the ladder of success, even with your own position. Learn to identify the specific deficiencies in the skill sets of your leaders, the ones that are preventing your company from achieving the majority of its desired goals.  Work with them to overcome these obstacles. Offer continuing education seminars throughout the year and provide rewards and incentives for completing them. The true leader possesses an eagerness to do a job well and will be conducive to picking up new tools with which to perform their roles. People who possess real leadership traits will welcome constructive criticism and utilize their newfound improvements to further your company's development.

Most important of all, is to make certain that the key players in your company or organization have clear-cut understandings of your company goals and model. Their talent will not matter much if they are unwittingly headed in the wrong direction. It can be a fatal error not to openly share your plans for company development. After that, watch them take the ball and run with it.

Take a couple of minutes and think about someone you feel is a great leader of a company.

Now ask yourself:

1.   What are the top 3 characteristics or traits you admire most?

2.   Do you (or your people) possess these characteristics?

3.   What would happen to your company if everyone possessed some or all of these traits & characteristics?

4.   Should you start developing these qualities within your staff... today?

We can assist you in identifying and developing leadership within your company.  Contact us today!

~ Copyright protected worldwide. Written by our associate Gary Sorrell, Sorrell Associates, LLC

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10 Ways To Have Your Best Year Ever!Re-engage

We often think of New Year's as the time to start fresh and make those famous resolutions.  But anytime is the right time to take control of our lives, to choose how we will live.  Real success in life is about balance, about choosing priorities, and then following a plan to focus on the things that are most important to us.  The following suggestions can help.

1.  Take time to decide what you really want this year.  What would make it a great year, a fantastic year for you?  Dream and scheme, and then dream bigger!  And write it down, just for the fun of it.

2.  Mark one day each month, just for you.  Use ink, not pencil, and schedule an appointment with yourself for one full day each month.  Have fun and renew yourself, just for the joy of it.

3.  Take more vacation than you had planned.  Look at the calendar and write in a couple extra weeks off!  Do things you enjoy, but mostly relax.  Go camping, rent a cabin at the beach, and visit old friends. 

4.  Commit to a project you've dreamed of but haven't done.  This is not a "should" or a "have to", this is one of those, "I've always wanted to but never did" projects. 

5.  Buy four books you've always wanted to read, and schedule time for them.  Put it in your appointment calendar as "continuing education" or "research", and enjoy!

6.  Start a special savings account to prepare for something huge! 

7.  Renew relationships with family and friends.  Every week, send a note or make a call, and re-connect with the people who have helped you along the way.

8.  Every day, tell someone you appreciate them, that you are grateful for their help.  Practice the attitude of gratitude!

9.  Raise your sites and increase your goals.  Whatever you hope to accomplish in the next year, double it and commit to making it happen!  

10.  Be kind to yourself and those around you.  Be gentle, practice patience, expect the best and settle for nothing less.

~ Submitted by Dr. Philip E. Humbert Reprinted with permission

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How Can You Use Twitter To Grow Your Business?Fall
 

You may not like or use twitter, but these statistics should not be ignored.

-  105,779,710 registered users of Twitter

-  Approximately 55 million Tweets being sent daily

-  Signing up 300,000 new users daily

-  Twitter's search engine getting 600 million searches daily

So how can you use twitter to benefit your business?

1.   Establishing rapport with your customers / readers.

2.   Keeping your customers / readers updated.

3.   Building a loyal, steady customer-base:

4.   Building up excitement for a product launch:

5.   Driving traffic to your website:

6.   Building relationships with business contacts.

7.   Crowd-sourcing.

~ Excerpts from The Twitter Reportby Gary Sorrell, Sorrell Associates, LLC. Copyright protected worldwide.