Great Leadership article I read from Entrepreneur.com. Check it out Here, or read on below.

1. The successful leader has a vision:
   Think things through and know where you want to go and how you want to
   get there. Work with others to ensure a vision is followed through.
   Direct the actions and resources toward making it a reality.
2. The successful leader communicates well:
   Articulate a vision clearly to others. Encourage two-way communication
   between managers and non-managers and always be available to others.
   Strive to be succinct and specific about directions and instructions.
   Above all, a good leader avoids generalizations and ambiguities that
   can lead to misunderstanding, conflict and poor performance.
3. The successful leader supports and guides the employees:
   Start by helping others clarify and achieve goals by identifying and
   removing any obstacles. Provide the resources (time, money, people,
   information and equipment) needed to complete the task. Don’t reprimand
   others who make mistakes when taking a well-calculated risk. Instead,
   critique and analyze what went wrong and what went right. Next, work with
   the employee to correct the error. Decide whether another attempt at a
   previous goal is necessary, and offer encouragement if it is. During
   the entire process, provide appropriate feedback to ensure positive
   attitudes and actions. Serve as a model of good attitude and use
   approaches that others can emulate.
4. The successful leader believes in his/herself:
   A good leader possesses a strong sense of confidence, built upon years
   of learning, experimenting and at times failing–but always growing. Be
   aware of personal strengths and limitations, and demonstrate those
   skills and talents without boasting. Assume responsibility for faults
   and personal errors without hiding them or blaming others, and know
   that if a mistake occurs, it does not equate inadequacy. A successful
   leader believes that he or she can turn around a negative situation by
   re-examining the variables and other circumstances–with input from
   others, when necessary.
5. The successful leader creates the atmosphere that encourages others to grow and thrive:
   Know that no one individual possesses all of the answers. By
   appreciating the role that motivational techniques can play in
   improving employee performance, you can work with others to increase
   organizational productivity and improve individual job satisfaction.
   Here are some tips on how to create a motivational atmosphere:

   • Ask people their opinion rather than telling them yours.

   •
   When people ask you for solutions, have them come up with answers or
   options rather than telling them the best way to resolve a situation.
   Discuss the merits of their views and how to make them successful.

   •
   Provide positive feedback when employees voice their opinions. Offer
   suggestions or try to resolve challenges. Reinforcing behavior on your
   part will encourage more spontaneity, thinking and innovation on their part.

   •
   Ask questions, even when you don’t know the answer. Ask employees
   challenging questions that encourage them to think, plan and react.
   Above all, encourage employees to challenge themselves.

   •
   Encourage employees to take appropriate risks. Support them when they
   do and also when the outcome of risk-taking isn’t positive. In those
   cases, evaluate what went wrong and encourage other, more appropriate
   risks.

6. The successful leader manages by walking around: By getting out of the office and
   walking around the department, plant or building to interact with other
   employees, you get an opportunity to see people on the line doing daily
   tasks. Create an opportunity to informally chat with employees and
   learn something more about their work challenges and lives.
7. The successful leader acts and reacts in an honest manner: Authors and creators of The Leadership Challenge program
   Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner report that honesty is the No. 1
   characteristic of superior leaders. Honest leaders easily build trust
   and confidence. Their employees are more apt to work harder, ask
   questions and respect leaders who come across as honest. Employees will
   also accept critiques, whether positive or negative, from leaders they
   trust and believe.
8. The successful leader creates and fosters a learning environment:
   Recognize that increased knowledge, more job experience and challenging
   different mind-sets increases worker satisfaction, motivation and
   productivity. Frequently encourage others to think outside-the-box and
   see issues from alternate perspectives.
9. The successful leader perseveres:
   Don’t deflect from achieving goals simply because obstacles exist or no
   answer is readily available. Continue in your pursuit of excellence
   despite barriers and criticism, and encourage the same attitude in
   others.
10. The successful leader shares successes: Know that positive outcomes are rarely the result of only one person’s attempts or input. A self-confident entrepreneur shares the limelight and accolades with others who contributed to the final product or service.

Full article Here.

Tou’che Art of Manliness…  I will likely steal from you soon…

Great blog I just found through Digg.com.  The post that brought me in was ‘Talk Like Frank Sinatra.’  Much more appropriate than the ‘Talk like Andrew Dice Clay‘ post I was working on…  Great blog!

Talk Like Frank Sinatra

February 11, 2008

Old Blue Eyes. The Chairman of the Board. Frank Sinatra was the epitome of American male coolness. When he walked into any room, his confident swagger created an electric charge. Women wanted to be with him and men wanted to be him.

Part of Sinatra’s manly and cool presence came from the way he talked. See, Frank had a way of livening up every part of life, even the English language. He peppered casual conversations with phrases and words that to the uninitiated sounded like a bunch of gibberish. Yet it left people intrigued, and wanting to be part of the seemingly exclusive fraternity that used this secret lingo. It not only created a magnetic attraction, but simply sounded damn cool.

Below is a dictionary of the secret man language of Frank Sinatra. Throw a few of these words into your conversations among friends. You’ll probably get a few raised eyebrows but like Frank, you’ll add spark to even the most mundane interactions.

    * Bag — As in “my bag,” a person’s particular interest.
    * ‘Barn burner — A very stylish, classy woman.
    * Beard — A male friend who acts as a ‘cover,’ usually for extramarital affairs.
    * Beetle — A girl who dresses in flashy clothes.
    * Big-leaguer — A resourceful man who can handle any situation.
    * Bird — A euphemism sometimes used in reference to the pelvic section.
 

Read More Sinatra-speak at the ArtOfManliness

It’s my bag.
–D

I Think I remember reading these in Bill Gates’ book he released a couple years ago.  Nonetheless, they’re funny, and sadly true.  Take note now kiddies…

http://www.c4vct.com/kym/humor/kidrules.htm

Rule #1. Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase “it’s not fair” 8.6 times a day. You got it from your parents, who said it so often you decided they must be the most idealistic generation ever. When they started hearing it from their own kids, they realized Rule #1.

Rule #2. The real world won’t care as much about your self-esteem as your school does. It’ll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it’s not fair. (See Rule No. 1)

Rule #3. Sorry, you won’t make $50,000 a year right out of high school. And you won’t be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn’t have a Gap label.

Rule #4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait ’til you get a boss. He doesn’t have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he is not going ask you how feel about it.

Rule #5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren’t embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.

Rule #6. It’s not your parents’ fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of “It’s my life,” and “You’re not the boss of me,” and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it’s on your dime. Don’t whine about it or you’ll sound like a baby boomer.

Rule #7. Before you were born your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents’ generation try delousing the closet in your bedroom.

Rule #8. Life is not divided into semesters, and you don’t get summers off. Nor even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don’t get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on.

Rule #9. Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be perky or as polite as Jennifer Aniston.

Rule #10. Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.

Rule #11. Enjoy this while you can. Sure, parents are a pain, school’s a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you’ll realize how wonderful it was to be kid. Maybe you should start now.

You’re welcome.

Don’t ask me why, but I came across this article at lunch.  Think it’s a pretty good read… 

http://www.inspiredliving.com/business/easy-decisions.htm

Have you ever struggled to make a decision? Do
you sometimes base your decisions solely on what you think you will get as a result of a
given choice? For instance, if you thought “If I take that job, I will have more
money, and when I get more money then I can stop worrying about my bills,” your
decision would be based on being able to pay your bills, not on being excited about the
job.

The problem with a “If I do this then I will
have that, and when I get that, I will have or be. . .” approach is that if this
doesn’t turn out to give you that, which frequently happens, you end up in a state
of worry, anxiety or fear.

Of course, when first making the decision you are
filled with enthusiasm and expectation of a fabulous outcome. I call this stage the
honeymoon period: the “in love” stage when everything is rosy and you couldn’t
see a blemish with a microscope. However, the decision was made because of an expectation
to get something, so it is inevitable that you will start monitoring whether or not it has
arrived.

If what is wanted comes quickly, the “in
love” state continues to flourish. But when it doesn’t. . .well, there’s just too
much negative chatter, doubt and lack found in that state.

There is another, far better place from which to
make decisions: the heart. The heart’s filter wants to know:

• Do I feel inspired about this option?
• Does it feel like the “right” thing to
  do?
• Will I grow and expand from this experience?
• Will everyone involved be uplifted by this choice?
• Can I feel good about my choice regardless of the
  outcome?
• Does it cause my heart to sing?

Instead of laboring over decisions, give yourself
time to notice how you feel about each option under consideration, then pick the one that
resonates the most with your heart. By doing so, you will naturally pursue the best
option. After all, your inner knowing – the heart center – is the wisest one of
all.

George Maloof

Met George Maloof last night.   If you don’t know he’s the owner of the Palms Resort and Casino here in Vegas.  I have to admit it was a bit exciting, but at the same time dissappointing.  It’s amazing such a powerful man is soo exteremley socially awkward.  

This is how it went down, I was taking to a group of girls, one had this bib thing on and very fake chest accessories.  I remember not be too overly thrilled with any of them, on any level.  They weren’t very pretty on the inside or even on the out - even with ‘accessories.’  

Next thing I know I see this awkward guy with poofy hair talking to one of the unexciting girls I was getting tired with - he was a bit fidgety and not very sure of himself.  I knew who he was, I had to make sure.  ‘Hey, whats your first name’ to which he replies ‘George.’  He and I made some small talk, shook hands and I let him walk off with that lame girl.  

Again, Mr. Maloof is extremely successful and I’d have to guess quite smart but it cracks me up at how many business-celebrities I’ve met that fear social situations more than a 13yr old at his first dance.  They can handle the board-room, you’d think they’d be able to handle a room full of people out having a good time.  

I’ll never be that way nor will be my future wife.  I can work a room, so she better as well.