Training

Plenty of information has been written about leaders and what makes them successful. A successful leader will exhibit many characteristics, traits and actions that will cause others to follow them. Why? Because they see something in them worth following.

Here are a few thoughts on what I believe are key to a successful leader.

• Lead because you want to

• Lead with compassion and truth

• Deliver a message that inspires and motivates

• Live by the code others will emulate

• Provide a vision for the future. Offer hope

• Provide those you lead a chance to shine

• Make other people feel important and appreciated

• Live a life of integrity. Not only by words, but by your actions as well

• Set the standards others are willing to follow

• Cultivate the talents of those you lead

• Continuously learn and educate others

• Create an environment of constant development

• Set the pace through your expectations and example

• Provide opportunities for people to grow, both personally and professionally

• Care and act with compassion

• Everyone has potential. Look beyond their short comings

Remember! Just because you have a title doesn’t make you a leader

I’m not easily moved by what I see, nor moved by what I hear. Too often we are bombarded with videos from speeches that try to move and inspire us, but end up going nowhere. When you start a business you search for inspiration from others who have paved the way to success and have done so by delivering a simple message that resonates with the audience.  Here is a simple message that moved me from Simon Sinek that asks, “Start with the Why.”

10 Inspiring TED Talks for Startups.

Nike built their brand through simple lessons and created one of the best know taglines in marketing, “Just Do It.” Sometimes business owners over think their brand and a simple concept becomes convoluted through a complicated thought process. Here are 12 simple lessons from Nike to help build your brand!

1. Create it: Not everything you create needs to be a production like the one above. In fact, none of it does (although that would be cool). Just think outside the box a bit and try to create something interesting.

2. Tag it: Make sure to label, tag or categorize your content using relevant keywords so it is easier to find for those looking for that type of information.

3. Enjoy it: Creating content doesn’t have to be the arduous and dreadful task a lot of folks make it out to be. Let yourself get creative. Create something with a small group. Let yourself have fun and you’ll probably create something pretty cool.

4. Say it: Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Differing opinions, ideas and insights are what make content and the conversations they spur interesting. Take a stand. Pick a side. Push back on conventional wisdom.

5. Shout it: Spread the word. Once you’ve created something interesting, make sure everyone who might be interested in it hears about it. Use your social networks, but don’t forget about traditional channels like email to get the word out.

6. Push it:  Get outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself. You’ll be amazed what is possible.

7. Bite it: Rather, don’t be afraid to bite it. Risk taking doesn’t always have a happy ending. Calculated risks have better odds, but there is always a chance things aren’t going to pan out they way you planned.

8. Perfect it: From the point above. Learn from your experiments; the failures and the successes and use that new knowledge to move ahead smarter and more savvy.

9. Believe it: Trust that you have the knowledge and ability to contribute to your community in interesting and meaningful ways.

10. Face it: Inbound marketing must become a part of your marketing mix. People are finding the products and services they need and want online more than ever. The opportunity is right there for the taking.

11. Live it: Creating and sharing content should not be one-off, “special projects” that get assigned periodically. This is an investment that will pay off well into the future. Make it part of your company’s culture.

12. Love it: Reap the benefits. Inbound marketing works. Everything above will add up to a greater awareness of your brand. Couple this with a strong conversion strategy (offers, calls to actions and landing pages) and you’ll see more leads and customers.

Are you ready to JUST DO IT!

Emineo Media

When you lead a population of students who mirror the United Nations, you have to go outside of your comfort zone and brace yourself for a lesson in Diversity. As a leader I’ve never been one to limit anyone with a label or a tag because that’s not part of the big picture. The big picture represents delivering a message to a wider audience and not defining that audience because they don’t share the same language or skin color.

Essential Leadership Through Diversity!.

I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge and too often when we are faced with change in our lives we aren’t willing to go forward. We spend so much time looking back and regretting decisions made or choices we never made, we fail to embrace new opportunities or search for something better: a new beginning, a new start. An opportunity we may have overlooked or took for granted because we thought it was unattainable. We didn’t believe we had the ability or the talent to perform the task at hand.

The Challenges We Face Seeking Opportunities!.