Management

Three books from 2018  that all value based readers should read.

By,

Sally Blount.

As 2018 comes to a close, it’s important for business leaders to pause and reflect on the past year’s achievements and challenges, as well as their hopes and goals for 2019. In doing so, I believe values-based leaders will benefit from reading three recent books that will challenge and reshape your thinking, because of what they imply for the practice of “conscious” capitalism.

Winners take all: The elite charade of changing the world

by Anand Giridharadas

… will make you rethink much of what we’ve been teaching in business schools since 2000. Giridharadas takes on Davos, the Aspen Institute and the Clinton Global Initiative for self-congratulation and grandiose language about changing the world. He reflects with irony on their tendency to anoint “thought leaders” while evangelizing about “Market World” -- the almost cult-like belief that markets are fair, wise and win-win for all, when properly deployed. He observes how elites like to gather in groups to talk about giving away money and changing the world, but most of us who attend these convenings spend our day jobs defending the status quo and benefitting from its inequalities. In the process, Giridharadas critiques social impact philanthropy for its entitled, market mentality, which too often provides only symptomatic relief, rather than catalyzing true systemic change.

The person you mean to be: How good people fight bias

by Dolly Chugh

… will advance your thinking on bias in both abstract and concrete ways. Chugh is the most tactical, yet artful, of the three authors, as she reviews and builds a compelling narrative around of the last 20 years of psychological research on individual and group bias. She identifies the values-based leadership set’s almost compulsive need to believe that we are “good” people and gently exposes the fallacy in that compulsion. Through stories and examples, she provides concrete and insightful advice on how each of us can be more honest with ourselves and more inclusive and respectful in our relationships. By engaging with those who are different from us in meaningful ways, we can build bridges that can transform our communities and workplaces.

Identity: The demand for dignity and the politics of resentment

by Francis Fukuyama

… will make you think more deeply about modern politics. Fukuyama offers a penetrating, historical analysis of political theory and practice to explain the post-millennium era of identity politics, vitriol and gridlock. The increasing “hypercentralization” of power is being fed, at least in part, by the seemingly endless social fragmentation that identity politics begets. The growing public sentiment that one’s “authentic” identity is “intrinsically worthy” combined with the growth of social media and the internet have fueled “the emergence of self-contained communities, walled off … by belief.” As more identities gain voice and compete for recognition in the public square, the resulting cacophony creates power voids. Rather than increasing the power of previously unheard groups, these voids enable those already with power to gain more. This is what happened, for example, after the Arab Spring.

Three implications for values-based leaders

You may not agree with everything these authors write. But I encourage you to read them, debate them and, from them learn to recognize some of the susceptibilities implicit in modern, values-based thought. Some provocations for you to ponder:

1. I am a good person. Research shows over and over again that true self-insight and growth comes in recognizing our own capacity for non-goodness (e.g., selfishness, impatience, entitlement). Ironically, becoming more aware of our fallibility is what allows us to become better people. So Chugh encourages us to see ourselves as “goodish” people, with a goal of always trying to do better, trying to be the people we mean to be.
2. I work hard and deserve to be rewarded. Giridharadas reminds those of us in the top income brackets that we have won the lottery of life -- in terms of access to education, elite jobs, affordable loans, etc. -- and are lucky to participate in a system where our hard work is often generously rewarded. But as he boldly declares, our hard work and good fortune don’t mean that markets are intrinsically fair or entitle us to run the world.
3. The process of recognizing and giving voice to my and others’ unique identities is important. Yes, but Fukuyama warns us to beware the fragmentation that comes in recognizing multiple micro-identities, when we fail to reinforce a broader, shared identity.

Because if we keep believing that we are good people who deserve more goodies, that markets are all-powerful and wise and wall ourselves off among people who think like us, we will miss the opportunity for true human progress. Progress in this century will require that we claim our shared human identity -- as sentient beings, each created equal, living on a beautiful planet where an over-reliance on markets for collective action could threaten our very existence

For More Ref&source:

Three Books From 2018 That All Values-Based Leaders Should Read

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-books-from-2018-all-values-based-leaders-should-sally-blount

How to Own the Room: 6 Steps for Boosting Your Executive Presence

You're ready to move up, but people keep telling you that you don't look the part of a leader. You need executive presence - and here's how to get it.

You're smart. You're educated. You have a resume packed with accomplishments. But you're not getting ahead.

My coaching clients and the people who take my seminars often voice a similar frustration. By any objective measure, these leaders are ready to move up in their careers, and yet promotions routinely pass them by. When they ask why, they tend to hear things like, "You just don't seem like executive material," or, "You don't carry yourself like a leader."

The following steps will help you eliminate blind spots that may be holding you back.

1. Know Your Stuff.

2. Be Prepared.

3. Listen to Yourself.

4. Look at Yourself.

5. Be Positive.

6. Get Feedback...the Right Way.

In detail ( http://www.inc.com/maya-hu-chan/how-to-own-the-room-6-steps-for-boosting-your-executive-presence.html?cid=sf01002&sr_share=facebook)

4 Myths About Disruption - A Discussion with Innosight's Mark Johnson

Nearly 20 years ago, Professor Clayton Christensen was the first to use the term “disruption” in a business sense. From the beginning, Professor Christensen gave disruption a specific definition to describe specific phenomena. Over time, the meaning of disruption has diminished as many use it to refer to something that is “…cooler or faster or based around a more advanced technology.” Working directly with Professor Christensen over the last two years has helped me to see that correctly understanding disruption can yield profound insights to questions like:

• Competition: How do we respond to competitors? How do we position ourselves in the marketplace?
• Growth Strategy: Where should we look for new growth opportunities? How can we predict if our new ventures will be successful?
• Understanding Customers: What do our customers really care about? How can we uncover their true needs?

So what is disruption? Professor Christensen says 

Myth #1: The purpose of disruption is to topple giants. 

 In detail ( http://www.hbxblog.com/myths-about-disruption-a-discussion-with-innosights-mark-johnson?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=BusinessInterest&utm_campaign=DStrat)

Myth #2: Disruptions always develop something entirely new.

In Detail(

http://www.hbxblog.com/myths-about-disruption-a-discussion-with-innosights-mark-johnson?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=BusinessInterest&utm_campaign=DStrat)

Myth #3: Disruption is all about technology.

(In detail :

http://www.hbxblog.com/myths-about-disruption-a-discussion-with-innosights-mark-johnson?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=BusinessInterest&utm_campaign=DStrat)

Myth #4: Customers care about inventions and innovations.

(

In detail :

http://www.hbxblog.com/myths-about-disruption-a-discussion-with-innosights-mark-johnson?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=BusinessInterest&utm_campaign=DStrat

)

Top Sales Books to Hit Your Growth 

Goals in 2017

Setting your 2017 goals? Read these sales books!

By , James Pine

Finding Leads:

Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount

This book is essential for everyone from the most novice salesperson through the CEO. Jeb Blount is highly motivational, but he backs it up with a solid structure that can help you hunt down vital leads.

Blount lays it all out in a clean, efficient manner. You'll learn the 5 C's of Social Selling, the 5-Step Telephone Framework and the 4-Step Email Prospecting Framework. Once you finish this book, your next campaign will be supercharged.

This isn't a bunch of feel-good hokum. I've used Blount's tactics with much success, as they have been tried and tested several times over.

Hacking Sales:

Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross and Marylou Taylor

This book takes you inside the growth playbook behind one of the most successful companies of our time: Salesforce.

Predictable Revenue will teach you how to build a sales machine. It outlines common mistakes C-level executives and VPs of Sales keep making (and how to avoid them). The book will teach you that not all leads are created equal, giving you a step-by-step process that turns leads into paying customers.

Predictable Revenue gives readers a valuable peek inside the engine that build Salesforce into a multi-national force. If you're hitting a wall with sales, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

Closing the Deal:

Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

Klaff has used the methods described in his book to raise more than $400 million. If you can attract leads but just can't get the deal you're looking for, you need to read Pitch Anything.

This book will teach you how to shift the power of negotiation to your side, but still have both parties walking away like they got a fair shake. Instead of just feeding you recycled rah-rah advice and having you come off like a car salesman, Klaff preaches the importance of understanding neuroscience to close major deals.

The Perfect Close by James Muir

I love this book because it delivers such practical advice. Muir has developed a sure-fire method of closing that works 95 percent of the time ... in just two questions.

He details this is in more of a conversational way, making this an easily-approachable book for those who aren't really motivated by some of my more confrontational selections.

The Perfect Close will get you into the proper mindset you need to become a better salesperson in 2017. The advice is simple, logical and effective.

Hiring and Managing:

The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge

In a similar vein as Predictable Revenue, Roberge explains how he helped build Hubspot from a startup to a company worth more than $100 million.

No matter what stage your company is in -- whether it just launched or it's a known commodity -- you can learn from The Sales Acceleration Formula. Just like many of you, Roberge wasn't a born salesman. He's an MIT grad with a background in engineering. In this book are the lessons he's learned along the way, going from novice to closer.

Roberge's book explains how to hire the employees who can supercharge your sales, how to train those employees and how to leverage technology throughout the sales funnel.

This book is a must-have if your business focuses on inbound marketing, or if you want to get a leg up on your competition.

Cracking the Sales Management Code by Jason Jordan and Michelle Vazzana

Your sales team could be killing it week in and week out, but unless you've got the proper measurement systems in place, would you even know? That's the problem Jordan and Vazzanna solve in Cracking the Sales Management Code.

This is a valuable read if your sales structure is a bit too disorganized. It breaks down the 5 fundamental sales processes you need to enact. Instead of simply setting a goal and hoping your sales team makes it, this book explains how to set your employees up for success, providing value from cover to cover.

This isn't for novices and it might take a couple reads to truly understand the message Jordan and Vazzana are laying out, but it's a vital tool that any sales manager could learn from.

For More : http://www.inc.com/james-paine/top-sales-books-to-hit-your-growth-goals-in-2017.html

Fixing 

performance management

Performance management continues to be a hot topic, as the media and social media discuss how some global corporations and a few Indian organisations rid themselves of performance systems and ratings. Yet, despite all the trends and hashtags, few things in talent management have been as misunderstood as performance ratings. With all the headlining in the media and social media, it would look like every company in India, and across the globe, is ready to jump off the Bell Curve. But too much talk on the subject does not make this a reality.

In India, a handful of companies have done away with the Bell Curve and few startups, that have a healthy disdain for Human Resources (HR), have chosen not to tread that path from the beginning.

Facts are facts

However, only a small number of organisations have given up ratings, or even plan to. Our McLagan 2015 Performance Management Practices Study reveals that nearly all financial services organisations use a traditional performance rating scale.

Even in the technology sector, the industry most on the ‘cutting edge’, things aren’t much different. Our Radford Global Technology Trends Report shows that the share of companies that do not use performance ratings is just 10 percent. Of those that currently use ratings, only 8 percent are considering whether or not to drop the practice. So not everyone is changing their performance management system, in fact their numbers are in a minority.

The conundrum

But this does not mean that the current system is perfect. All stakeholders agree that it can be much more effective than what it is: Managers see it as a necessary administrative evil and continue to hide from uncomfortable conversations with employees. Leaders are concerned about performance distribution and question the value of the process itself. Not all employees make the ‘high-performer’ cut; as a result many blame the ‘system’ and challenge their ratings. The HR is on the receiving end of all complaints and questions are asked on whether the exercise is worth the hassle.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that some organisations have declared performance reviews and ratings as simply not worth the effort. The rest are left with many questions.

Aon Hewitt’s View: Let’s not fall into the trap of false choices; instead let’s focus on making performance management effective

Underlying the push to get rid of ratings is a set of false choices. One of the earliest incorrect assumptions put forward was that ratings get in the way of effective manager-employee conversations. We question whether choosing to eliminate ratings will lead to more frequent conversations. If managers were relieved of hours spent on performance management, should we assume they will spend those hours coaching employees?

If one considers the Indian industry sectors with large employee population, most face the issue of people managers not being equipped to handle difficult conversations or even have an objective discussion on goals for their teams.

And why assume that assessing employees and coaching them are mutually exclusive? In fact, coaching relies on assessment. How does one provide feedback without assessing performance?

The real issue is not eliminating performance ratings. It’s making performance management effective in the context of your industry and your organisation.

Here is how it could be done better:

Clarify the purpose

What are you really trying to achieve? Drop the laundry list and prioritise based on your business direction and its talent implications—then be sure to consider the trade-offs inherent in design. You’ll have to make choices; different objectives should lead to practical differences in your process.

Align your talent philosophy and culture

The way you manage performance needs to reflect your unique culture, working environment and talent needs. What works for one organisation won’t necessarily work for another.

Simplify and streamline

Ensure performance management is a business—a driving process rather than an HR chore—by resisting the urge to add complexity.

Differentiate and make the tough choices

If you want to pay for performance, you need to differentiate. Call it ‘ratings’, ‘assessment’, ‘outlier identification’, or whatever you want; as long as you know who your top, strong, and low performers are. Be transparent and then follow through so your strategy, design, and pay actions are in sync.

Develop and make it an ongoing conversation

Prioritise the human element and the need for continuous managerial feedback and coaching with a regular cadence of interactions. A once-a-year review with your employees won’t cut it. Hold your managers accountable—it can be done.

Execute with intention. The best design will fall flat if not executed well

Remember,

• Leaders should act as role models

• Employees should understand the purpose of the exercise

• Managers have the skills and tools they need

• Your talent lifecycle practices are aligned and work in concert

• Technology is an enabler rather than a burden

To Know more :http://www.forbesindia.com/blog/business-strategy/fixing-performance-management

- By Sandeep Chaudhary, chief executive officer, India, Aon Hewitt Consulting

Five Essential Lessons I Learned In 20 Years Of Managing People

One longtime manager explains how he learned that you don't actually need the best people.

Management guru Henry Mintzberg once observed, "The great myth is the manager as orchestra conductor. It’s this idea of standing on a pedestal and you wave your baton and accounting comes in, and you wave it somewhere else and marketing chimes in with accounting, and they all sound very glorious."

You really don't need the best people, you need the best teams . . . The main attributes to look for are curiosity and temperament.

"But," he continues, "management is more like orchestra conducting during rehearsals, when everything is going wrong." In other words, leading people never turns out like you think it will. People, events, and other factors often surprise you. That’s why the most important thing you do as a manager is to keep learning.

1. YOU DON'T NEED THE BEST PEOPLE . . .

2. . . . BUT YOU NEED TO FIRE THE NASTY ONES

3. YOUR MISSION NEEDS TO DRIVE YOUR STRATEGY

4. MONEY ISN’T THE BEST MOTIVATOR

5. BEING WRONG SOMETIMES IS PART OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION

For More : https://www.fastcompany.com/3066591/lessons-learned/five-essential-lessons-i-learned-in-20-years-of-managing-people

16 Books That Top CEOs Think You Should Read

1. Alexander Hamilton

Author: Ron Chernow

One Sentence Summary: A new biography describing Hamilton's rise from an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean to a leader in the American Revolution and then the first Treasury Secretary of the United States.

Recommended by: Adena Friedman, president of Nasdaq

2. Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era

Subtitle: Reassessing Collective Leadership

Author: Cheng Li

One Sentence Summary: A description of the political climate in today's China, how it's changed over the past few years, and a biographical roadmap of the country's political leaders.

Recommended by: Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart

3. Delivering Happiness

Subtitle: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Author: Tony Hsieh

One Sentence Summary: The CEO of Zappos explains how he created a corporate culture based upon the concept that there is value to happiness, both for employees and customers.

Recommended by: Chris Nassetta, CEO of Hilton Worldwide,

4. Freakonomics

Subtitle: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Authors: Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

One Sentence Summary: A set of amusing case studies illustrating that economics is the study of how people get what they want or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing.

Recommended by: Jeremiah Owyang, CEO of Crowd Companies

5. Judo Strategy

Subtitle: Turning Your Competitors' Strength to Your Advantage

Authors: David B. Yoffie and Mary Kwak

One Sentence Summary: This book applies martial arts strategy to business situations, building the case that, rather than oppose strength to strength, successful challengers use their opponents' size and power to bring them down.

Recommended by: Matt Salzberg, CEO of Blue Apron

6. Lincoln and the Power of the Press

Subtitle: The War for Public Opinion

Author: Harold Holzer

One Sentence Summary: Lincoln's life as viewed through the journalists who covered him from his start through to the night of his assassination, and how the president used the press to speak directly to the people and shape the nation.

Recommended by: Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman

7. Strong Is the New Beautiful

Subtitle: Embrace Your Natural Beauty, Eat Clean, and Harness Your Power

Author: Lindsey Vonn

One Sentence Summary: The Olympic gold medalist provides a fitness program and advice on what to eat and how to work out, as well as how to bolster self-confidence and build a better body image.

Recommended by: Bobbi Brown, CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

8. Montana 1948: A Novel

Author: Larry Watson

One Sentence Summary: A young boy learns that truth is not what one believes it to be, that power can be abused, and that it is sometimes necessary to choose between family loyalty and justice.

Recommended by: Dan Schulman, CEO of PayPal

9. Seveneves

Author: Neal Stephenson

One Sentence Summary: A novel describing the efforts to preserve human society in the wake of apocalyptic events on Earth following the unexplained disintegration of the Moon.

Recommended by: Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group

10. Technology as a Service Playbook

Subtitle: How to Grow a Profitable Subscription Business

Authors: Thomas Lah and J.B. Wood

One Sentence Summary: A guide to decision making and execution around the "as-a-service" model, with the intent of putting a company on a path to profitable growth by changing how "offers" are designed, built, marketed, sold, and serviced.

Recommended by: Stephanie Newby, CEO of Crimson Hexagon

11. The Art of Happiness

Subtitle: A Handbook for Living

Author: The Dalai Lama

One Sentence Summary: Through conversations, stories, and meditations, the Tibetan spiritual leader shows how to defeat day-to-day anxiety, insecurity, anger, and discouragement.

Recommend by: Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft

12. The Girls of Atomic City

Subtitle: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II

Author: Denise Kiernan

One Sentence Summary: The true story of the top-secret World War II town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the young women brought there unknowingly to help build the atomic bomb.

Recommended by: Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation

13. The Invention of Nature

Subtitle: Alexander von Humboldt's New World

Author: Andrea Wulf

One Sentence Summary: The forgotten life of a visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world and created modern environmentalism.

Recommended by: Mark Tercek, CEO of the Nature Conservancy

14. The Sixth Extinction

Subtitle: An Unnatural History

Author: Elizabeth Kolbert

One Sentence Summary: A description of how humans are creating the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Recommended by: Michelle Nunn, CEO of the nonprofit CARE

15. Travels With Charley in Search of America

Author: John Steinbeck

One Sentence Summary: A famous novelist drives the interstates and country roads and reflects on the American character, racial hostility, American loneliness, and the unexpected kindness of strangers.

Recommended by: Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin

16. Woo, Wow, and Win

Subtitle: Service Design, Strategy, and the Art of Customer Delight

Authors: Thomas A. Stewart and Patricia O'Connell

One Sentence Summary: This book promotes the concept of designing your company around service and offers strategies based on the idea that the design of services is different from manufacturing.

Recommended by: Andy Polansky, CEO of Weber Shandwick

Source : http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james

5 Life Lessons to Learn On Entrepreneurship From Uber Founder Travis Kalanick

Uber CEO, Travis Kalanick shared his exciting life experiences that every entrepreneur must read.

It’s an absolutely extra-ordinary experience once you get an opportunity to listen to the pioneers like Travis Kalanick on his life’s experiences feed. In the five-day trip to India, the techno pioneer Uber CEO, Travis Kalanick shared his exciting life experiences that every entrepreneur must read. 

From a failed startup to now the company that is operating in 128 countries worldwide, Travis, is one of the astute entrepreneurs to emerge in recent years. In a public interview with the India’s NITI Aayog Chief, Amitabh Kant, Travis said, "India is the big market to invest and raise more investors on ground." He also added that he will apply for the citizenship of India if it will come to him being Indian, on asking about the competition of his rival home-grown company, Ola. One of the most idiosyncratic characters from Silicon Valley in the list of big entrepreneurs and business leaders, Travis shared his valuable insights on entrepreneurship in today’s scenario.

Let us take a look at the 5 lessons which he proudly shared with the Indian and international audiences.

"First five years, I did not pay myself a salary"

His past sting with Red Swoosh and Scour proves his 'never give-up' attribute. In the event, Travis shared his feeling of what keeps him going, and its sole reason is he was doing what he enjoys doing the most. 

"Every problem is an engineering problem."

On asking engineer choosing entrepreneurial path, Travis said, In entrepreneurship, we need engineering mindset to sort with problems. What would I advise someone is to embrace it. It' indeed helps in better way to sort out with problems."

                 "Having a champions mindset."

"The champions mind is not about winning and losing - but knowing you can get up and fight it - so you would never loose and that is what makes you a true entrepreneur."

"Your Co-founders are like family. But when you have too many co founders decision making is difficult."

Travis, on having too many co-founders a problematic decision for the better future of the company. 

“You have to like the hard stuff and try to make the impossible possible to be an entrepreneur”

With his overly vibrant voice, the 40 year-old stalwart entrepreneur said, "As entrepreneurs be prepared for the hard stuff. Start liking it showing people impossible is possible."

For More : https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286658

1 Simple Strategy to Stand Out on LinkedIn

It can feel counterintuitive at first, but this approach works wonders in attracting new clients on LinkedIn.

With nearly 500 million members in 200 countries, it's easy to get lost in the crowd on LinkedIn.

The key to standing out and winning new business on the platform is to remember a golden rule of sales and marketing - the riches are in the niches!

Go Niche or Go Home

One of the biggest challenges on LinkedIn is how to narrow the field of potential customers you can serve.

The #1 thing I've found in teaching others how to use LinkedIn to generate new sales leads, add clients and increase revenue is that you'll immediately fail if you try to be all things to all people.

Instead, you need to target some niche audiences or industries, and then become a big fish in those smaller ponds.

That way, you don't get lost inside the ocean of competition on the platform.

For example, when I was growing my own business using LinkedIn back in 2012, I decided to sell my marketing services to a tiny, niche group (Debt Collectors) who were gathered on the platform.

Despite my initial fear that targeting such a small niche wouldn't bring me enough business, it did just the opposite: In less than 90 days, I'd generated six figures of revenue and had to hire staff to complete all the new projects I'd landed!

How To Get Niched on LinkedIn

One way to do this is to consider what key audiences you want serve, and to make that very clear on your profile, so that those target audiences can find you and get excited about working together.

For example, the reason I chose Debt Collection as my initial "niche" on LinkedIn was simple - I'd worked for a trade association in that industry, so I had familiarity with the biggest problems and challenges debt collection agencies faced on a daily basis - especially when it came to PR and marketing.

Also, my first (and at the time, only!) client was a debt collection agency, so I had both industry-specific examples and a testimonial to use in appealing to other collection agencies.

You can do the same thing - niching your product or service down to some target audiences based on your existing clients - using those industry-specific work samples and testimonials to appeal to additional prospects who do the same type of business.

An Alternate Approach

Another way to niche yourself on LinkedIn is to become the de facto expert on a certain type of service or product that appeals to clients in numerous industries.

A great example of how this can be done successfully is taking look at high-level Business Coach and Consultant John Hawkins.

Rather than targeting a few industries or audience types, he decided to dominate the "Leadership" niche and appeal to a wide variety of audiences - from casinos to churches to companies and individuals - looking for leadership consulting and coaching.

"When you provide a service and you help people where they're at, with what they need versus what you think they need, all kinds of doors get opened and all kinds of people become interested," Hawkins told me during a recent podcast conversation. "I've worked with casinos, auto manufacturers, schools, hospitals, churches and more.

"It was funny because I started out very, very, very focused, and now it has expanded," he says. "People might think, 'You're all over the map,' but I'm really not, because I fit within leadership, building and increasing sales and revenue, and also increasing quality of life for employees."

Your Approach + Your Niche

Which niche approach you take (industry-specific vs. topic specific) might depend on how refined your experience is.

Either way, the key is to make your LinkedIn profile appealing to a specific group of people interested in your products and services.

(Related: How To Create a Killer LinkedIn Profile)

The best way to do that is by getting as clear and niche-focused as you can, especially if you've already generated great results for clients in a specific industry and can leverage those testimonials and examples to appeal to more prospects in the same vein.

You can also choose to try and dominate a topic, similar to John Hawkins' approach, but you'll need a large swath of testimonials and case studies to win over the broad base of audiences you want to appeal to.

For More :http://www.inc.com/john-nemo/1-simple-strategy-to-stand-out-on-linkedin.html?cid=sf01002&sr_share=facebook

7 CEOs Share the Best Business Advice They’ve Ever Received

1. Strive For Better

Chairman, President, and CEO of Middlesex Water Company Dennis Doll tells us his best advice came from a book. Although he can’t remember the title or author, one line stuck with him throughout his career — “Never stop applying for the job.” Doll says those words have kept him passionate and focused, two attributes that are absolutely essential to success in the business world.

2. Be Authentic

“Personal integrity was my father’s motivating value,” says Peter Holt, CEO of The Joint Corp. “The best business-related advice he gave me is the understanding that virtually every moment in our lives is an opportunity to influence others, and that it is your authenticity that gives people a reason to follow.”

It’s not always easy to stay grounded as you navigate the ups and downs of business, but Holt advises that remaining true to yourself will pay off in the long run.

3. Lead By Example

Robert D’Loren, Chairman and CEO of Xcel Brands, let us in on a valuable piece of advice he received years ago: “Hugh McCall was the founder of Bank of America. I had an opportunity to meet him and I asked him to define leadership. He said, ‘Leadership is getting people to do the right thing. Management is getting people to do it right. Be a leader.’ McCall’s favorite words of wisdom stress the importance of staying true to your values and leading by example.

4. Trust, But Verify

“You should trust the information, perspective, or point of view you are given, but also take the time and effort to verify critical information,” says Juergen Stark, CEO of Turtle Beach Corporation. Stark says this advice was given to him by Greg Brown, former CEO of Motorola Solutions.

“It seems obvious, but it isn’t always that easy to determine what you can ‘trust’ vs. what needs a deeper look.” Exceptional leadership requires finding a balance between going with your gut and fact checking the details.

5. Take Responsibility

Michael Kauffman, CEO of Karyopharm Therapeutics, tells us the best advice he’s received came from Ken Conway, his former boss at Millennium Predictive Medicine.

“When you accept a project and when you have a goal in business, there are no excuses. You can’t blame anyone else. It’s completely your responsibility even if you perceive your authority as limited.” Kauffman says it was this determination and relentless pursuit of his goals that ultimately contributed to his success.

6. Find Good People

CEO of Harris & Harris Group Doug Jamison says he’ll never forget the advice bestowed upon him by the founder of his company: “You can’t do good business with bad people.”

Jamison tells us that finding like-minded people to work with has helped him on his path to success. It’s much harder to work with people who don’t have the same motivations and goals as you do, so seek out the ones that do — and excel together.

7. Go in With a Plan

Jim McCann, who served as CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM until June of 2016, cherishes a piece of advice he received while working for social services: “Go in with a plan. Not for life, but for the day.” McCann says these words really resonated with him. He stresses the importance of “moving in the direction of your goal without having to feel like you need to get everything done at once.”

The wisdom these seven CEOs received along their professional journeys ultimately helped them to achieve their business goals. We hope you find inspiration in their advice as you forge your own path to the top.

For More :http://ceoworld.biz/2016/12/16/7-ceos-share-best-business-advice-theyve-ever-received/

4 Tools Every CEO And Business Owner Must Try

Being a CEO or the boss of your own company isn’t easy. It doesn’t matter if you have 1,000 employees or just running the day-to-day operations on your own, it’s still a lot of work.

The good news is that the internet has made this process much easier and more effective than ever before. Through automation, time saving tools and outsourced services, CEOs and business owners can now run their business the way they want, while also lowering costs and timely management in the process.

As someone who’s been in the world of online marketing and branding for over 20 years now, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite tools that every entrepreneur and business owner should be aware of.

WiseStamp

Take a moment to think about how many emails you send out on a daily basis. Do you currently have a custom signature at the bottom of each email? Even if you do, it’s probably not as spiffy as mine!

I’ve been using a service called WiseStamp for over a year now and I absolutely love it. Every email I send or reply to has a picture of my face, my name, site URL, social profile icons and also a link with my latest blog post.

It’s extremely easy to setup and the cost just a few dollars per month. The ROI and engagement I’ve received as a result of this tool have been amazing. Every CEO and business owner should have professional email signatures and make their emails look as great as possible.

Paypal Capital

No matter what type of business you are running, money is always going to be an issue. Many businesses and brands are already using Paypal to accept and make payments online, but something not all of them know about is Paypal Working Capital.

The way PPWC works is simple. All you need to do is log into your account, click on the Paypal Capital option and fill out your information on their site. They will run a quick credit check (won’t affect your score) and will let you know how much money you can instantly borrow.

The great thing about getting a loan through Paypal, is that you pay off the loaned amount through incoming payments to your account (in 15%, 20% or 30%) intervals. The costs for each Capital loan is also quite low, compared to traditional bank or credit card loans.

Google Docs/Sheets

How many years ago was it that you last used Microsoft Word or Excel on your computer and had to back up the files to a disk to send them to another email to be accessed? If you are still running your operations this way, you need to get with the times.

Google Sheets and Docs make the process of creating, editing and accessing Word or Excel related documents extremely easy and free. Best of all, the documents can be accessed from anywhere as long as you have internet access. All data is stored within your Gmail/Google account.

This might seem like an obvious tool, but you’d be surprised at how many people and business owners are still relying on software and static solutions to run their business.

MeetEdgar

There are currently over three billion people spread across all of the major social networks. At the same time, it’s a requirement for every business, brand and professional to have a presence on social media as well.

In short, the amount of time and costs associated with the management of social media can quickly add up. One tool that I love to use, is called MeetEdgar — which is a social media management and scheduling platform.

Instead of needing to log in to each of my social profiles, I can schedule in my best content and let MeetEdgar do the rest. This tool literally saves me 30+ hours per month, while also increasing engagement and ROI in the process.

It’s Your Business. Run It the Way You Want!

I hope you enjoyed my personal list of tools and solutions for helping you run your business like never before. Each of them are unique in their own way and will help you scale your business, automate tedious tasks and also provide the necessary branding or financing you might not have been able to find elsewhere.

Try each of them out and be sure to add them into your business resources for 2017

For More : http://ceoworld.biz/2016/12/15/4-tools-every-ceo-business-owner-must-try/

Effective Leadership Is Not About 

Running for Class President

Opting for respect over esteem is not easy medicine, but it's necessary. Follow the leadership principles of an iconic CEO.

“I am not running for class president.”

Such was the reply from Dan Akerson during my time running corporate communications days at XO Communications. It came when I cautioned that an audience might not embrace a given company position. Akerson, a no-nonsense, iconic American CEO who would later successfully lead General Motors out of bankruptcy, said his job was “not to be loved, but to be respected.”

As I’ve led my own company for the past decade, I’ve come to truly appreciate Dan’s point of view. Opting for respect over esteem is not easy medicine, but it’s necessary. This is especially true for entrepreneurs, where growing a business requires real leadership.

Earning respect and keeping it.

Here are a few things I’ve learned that can help along the arduous path to leadership:

• Focus on creating energy. When you’re younger, you underestimate the steepness of the path ahead and the need you’ll have for delivering maximum energy at critical times. Inexperience masks the depletion of energy along the way, thereby leaving a deficit at exactly the wrong moment.

For More : 10 Things You Can Do Every Day That Earn Respect

I’ve found a few simple ways to create personal energy. Some are physical, such as proper sleep, eating smartly, and exercising between four to five times every week. Others are emotional, like having deep, meaningful friendships and relationships and having something you’re excited about -- for me, it’s writing or coaching basketball.

• Be a slave to systems. Scott Adams, the creator of the popular comic strip “Dilbert” and author of the book “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big,” wrote that goals are for losers -- smart people invest in systems instead. This concept was a bit jolting for me as a lifelong goal setter.

After experimenting on this, I’m now convinced he was correct. For example, I no longer set weight goals; instead, I’ve set a system of exercising at least four times a week for the rest of my life. In total, I have seven systems I’ve established for myself, including living generously by giving more than I take and staying curious (with a bias toward learning).

• Walk the floor. Abraham Lincoln spent hours each day outside of his presidential office. He visited military hospitals, went to battlefields and frequented the offices of both allies and enemies as he gathered information, perspectives, and points of view. It was his appreciation for the common man that made him recognize the value of meeting people on their own playing fields.

Leaders establish respect by meeting followers on their turf. As I walk my own building, the conversations I have in someone else’s cubicle or office are always more open and productive than those that happen in my own. I’m opened to important new perspectives as I stand in their figurative “work shoes.”

For More :The 4 Enduring Qualities of Accomplished Leaders

Set an alarm for every 90 minutes, and take a quick walk to one of your direct report’s workspaces for a quick check-in. Not only will it help your leadership, it will provide a nice break from sitting at your desk.

• Be decisive. There are few things more debilitating to a leader than indecisiveness. Great leaders seek and are open to opinions -- especially dissenting points of view -- but in the end, they’re expected to make decisions that move organizations forward. Get comfortable with this because leaders make decisions, even when nobody is cheering.
• Stare down loneliness. This may be the toughest of all. For those of us who actually prefer “running for class president” because of a desire for approval, the tough medicine of leadership indicates there will be times where you must stand alone.

I’ve watched this play out in person when promotions turn one of my employees from a team member into a leader. They learn quickly that there is a newfound separation from their peers that comes with the territory. Of course, they frequently step into a new peer group organizationally (which we always try to intentionally facilitate in our company), but it also makes sense to find others outside the company’s boundaries who have similar responsibilities to share thoughts, ideas, and concerns.

For More :Be the Leader They Respect: Your Weekly Tips (VIDEO)

Dan Akerson’s leadership helped to teach me the value of being respected as a business leader. It was this lesson that guided my role as president of my company and forged the strong relationship that I have with my employees to this day.

For More : https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/281737

10 Ways Bosses Who Make Nice Bring Out the Best in Their Employees

 7 Ways to Manage Your Most Motivated and Talented Employees

1. Let them know where you stand.

2. Strong doesn't have to be harsh.

3. Confidence is not arrogance.

4. Be positive, not delusional.

5. Teach, don't preach.

6. Grin and bear it.

7. Balance.

8. Personal, not intimate.

5 Strategies for Managing Unmanageable Employees

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/284561

14 Books by Billionaires 

1. Made in America by Sam Walton

Founder of Walmart, Sam Walton reveals the story of how he built what is one of the largest retailers in the world. (Also: Jeff Bezos', CEO of Amazon, recommends this book.)

2. Ralph Lauren by Ralph Lauren

The son of Jewish immigrant parents, Ralph went from the Bronx to creating "high society" fashion for the mainstream.

3. What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey

One of the greatest "rags to riches" stories of all time, Oprah climbed her way out of poverty and launched an unfathomably successful career as a talk-show host, actress, and name in media.

4. Direct from Dell by Michael Dell

How do you become the CEO of a Fortune 500 company at 27 years old? At 19, Dell dropped out of college to found "PC Limited," which eventually became Dell Computer Corp.

5. The First Billion Is the Hardest by T. Boone Pickens

A remarkable story of a late-life comeback, Pickens shares how he, the famed "Oracle of Oil," returned from bankruptcy and clinical depression.

6. Call Me Ted by Ted Turner

Best known as the founder of CNN, and former owner of the Atlanta Braves, Ted Turner walks readers through getting expelled from Brown University, to turning a small news station into the household name it is today.

7. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

Co-founder of PayPal, and the data-analytics firm Palantir, Thiel provokes readers into truly questioning their endeavors into entrepreneurship--and challenges them to build what truly hasn't been built yet.

8. The Essays of Warren Buffett by Warren Buffett

A collection of Buffett's letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, this is an intimate read for those looking to catch a glimpse of Buffett's logical although almost Nostradamus approach to investing and business.

9. How to Win at the Sport of Business by Mark Cuban

Dallas Mavericks owner and "Shark Tank" investor, Cuban is drills into readers the ferociousness with which he approaches "the sport of business"--and the importance of out-learning your competition.

10. The Virgin Way by Richard Branson

Over 50 years of entrepreneurship have taught Branson a thing or two about what it takes to be successful, and here he bears all: lessons learned, management best practices, and the art of leadership.

11. Onward by Howard Schultz

The story of how Starbucks overcame rocky terrain to become a global coffee chain of behemoth proportions, Schultz is honest with readers about the process and the tough decisions that had to be made along the way.

12. Business @ the Speed of Thought by Bill Gates

A guide for the ages despite being published in 1999, the lessons shared here about how business and technology are (and will forever be) linked are essential. A must-read for entrepreneurs in any industry.

13. Bloomberg by Bloomberg by Michael Bloomberg

Published prior to his becoming the mayor of New York City, Bloomberg shares his rise to success at Salomon Brothers, getting fired, and eventually building what is Bloomberg LP today.

14. Think Like a Champion by Donald Trump

A collection of essays touching on everything from real estate to the importance of self-promotion, this read is suddenly all the more poignant now that he has been elected the President of the United States.

Sorce : INC.com

Business Lessons From Howard Schultz

A great example of a leader who makes others look good is Howard Schultz, the CEO and chairman of Starbucks. Schultz emulates what is often termed servant leadership — a style of leadership that Schultz himself describes as ‘putting others first and leading from the heart’. As a highly successful businessman, presiding over a monolithic brand with an arguably plentiful pool of potential employees, Schultz could well have been the kind of CEO who chose to lead from the ivory tower. But, to the contrary, Schultz is known for listening to his employees and prioritising their needs. He makes others look good, and feel good. Which explains why his own staff give him a 91 per cent approval rating on US jobs website glassdoor.com.

So follow Schultz’s lead: choose to make others look good. And here’s all you have to do:

1. Respect and acknowledge someone else’s effort and contributions.
2. Give credit where credit’s due.
3. Acknowledge their experience, expertise or status.
4. Address them by their first name, make eye contact and smile.
5. Express an interest in their point of view (‘I’d love to know what you think . . .’).

Or, to put it all far more simply, treat people the way you’d have them treat you.

Source : CEOWORLD 

A CEO’s primer on how to manage under pressure [Source: Financial Times]

Leaders often define themselves by bold acts, such as a takeover or a corporate rescue. The success of leaders, though, is determined by a trait less obvious to outsiders, their ability to handle pressure. Take the case of Dennis Kozlowski who ran Tyco as the US industrial group expanded in the 1990s. By his own admission it was “all-consuming, 365-day, 24/7 job”. In the end, it did consume him. Mr Kozlowski went to jail in 2005 for looting nearly $100mn from the company in bonuses not approved by Tyco’s board. One way CEOs can offset potentially overwhelming pressure is by finding small ways to exercise control. A second common theme is that business leaders need to locate the “on-off switch”. A key observation of the piece is that to get to the top and stay there demands the same drive that, unchecked or unmonitored, can lead to mistakes, breakdown or even scandal. 

6 Surprising Reasons Younger Managers Perform Best

1. Welcome change. The younger leaders embraced change. They did a great job of marketing their new ideas. They had the courage to make difficult changes. Possibly their lack of experience caused them to be more optimistic about proposals for change. It was as if they did not know that changes would be hard to make happen. They possessed the courage to take on significant changes and were more willing to be the champions of change projects.

2. Inspiring behavior. Younger leaders knew how to get others energized and excited about accomplishing objectives. They were able to inspire other to high levels of effort and production to a even greater degree than their more experienced counterparts. Their older colleagues tended to more often lead with “push” while they lead with “pull.”

3. Receptive to Feedback. Young leaders were extremely open to feedback. They more frequently asked for feedback. They wanted more extensive feedback regarding their performance, and they found ways to both digest and implement the feedback. Older leader then to be less willing to ask for and respond to feedback from colleagues.

4. Continuous Improvement. It may be the result of the fact that they have less invested in the past, but the younger leaders were more willing to challenge the status quo. They were constantly looking for innovative ways to accomplish work more efficiently and with higher quality.

5. Results Focused. Young leaders will do everything possible to accomplish objectives. They have a high need for achievement and will put every ounce of energy and effort they had into achieving their goals. In contrast, when someone has been in an organization for a long period of time, it is easy to become complacent and to see the status-quo as sufficient.

6. Elevate Goals. The younger leaders were more willing to set stretch goals. Some older leaders have learned to sandbag a goal so they don’t have to work too hard or run the risk of falling short of a goal. Younger leaders were more prone to set stretch goals and inspire their team strive to achieve difficult tasks.

Read More: http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/10/01/6-surprising-reasons-younger-managers-perform-best/#6a767a3e7054

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