8 Ways To Look Like A Millionaire, Even If You're Not

The last thing image consultant Sylvie di Giusto wants to hear from someone considering a makeover is, "I don't have the money for this." To her, equating looking good with having money is based on a false assumption.

Regardless of how much you make, it's easy to project an air of power and confidence commonly associated with the wealthy, as long as you focus on the right things.

Di Giusto worked in human resources for more than 20 years before becoming an image consultant in 2009. Her company, Executive Image Consulting, has worked with executives looking to improve how they present themselves and professionals looking to rise up the corporate hierarchy. She also gives dress code consulting to corporations, which have included McKinsey, BMW, and Thomas Cook, according to her website.

With inspiration from Vicky Oliver's book "The Millionaire's Handbook: How to Look and Act Like a Millionaire, Even If You're Not," we asked di Giusto how anyone could look like a millionaire, regardless of their net worth. Here's what she said, with some of Oliver's advice thrown in:

Invest wisely by using the one-third rule.

Every man should have at least one good suit, and every woman should have at least one good jacket with matching pants or a skirt. Di Giusto recommends that these "investment pieces" should feel expensive, but that for her clients, "The more they make, the more they have to invest."

She clarifies that professionals can "shop smart," as long as they don't skimp on quality. She recommends visiting designer outlets, as well as online equivalents, like The Outnet and Gilt.

In her book, Oliver recommends sticking to the "one-third rule": Buy "one-third as many clothes as you do now, but spend three times as much on each item." So instead of buying three pairs of pants at average prices, buy one pair of expensive pants and wear them everywhere.

Consider every detail, down to your iPhone case.

Di Giusto remembers a job applicant she interviewed when she worked for a German company. The interviewee looked great and said all the right things. At the interview's conclusion, he took out his iPhone to schedule a follow up. As he edited his calendar, di Giusto noticed an offensive word emblazoned on his phone's case, and in that moment she found herself questioning everything she previously thought about him. She ended up hiring him, but he almost invalidated a great first impression with a careless oversight.

"If you're serious about your image, you need to be aware that it goes far beyond your suit," di Giusto said. That means realizing that your desk, your accessories, and even your smartphone's case need to be an extension of your professional image.

Conform your style to your industry, but allow one "statement piece."

It should be evident that regardless of your company's dress code, there's a general way that people dress according to industry. Di Giusto recommends that for the most part, you should not try too hard to distinguish yourself. If you work in finance, dress conservatively; if you work in tech, go for casual chic. A good rule of thumb is to dress the way your company's executives do.

That said, di Giusto doesn't want her clients to turn into boring clones of each other. She recommends one flexible statement piece appropriate for the workplace. For example, Di Giusto has a pair of unique eyeglasses she likes to wear with business attire. She also mentioned a CEO who dresses the part in traditional dark suits, but has them lined with flashy pink or floral patterns.

Understand that "casual" does not mean "sloppy."

The problem with casual, said di Giusto, is that unlike "formal," it has never been properly defined.

"Many people think casual means that you don't have to care," di Giusto said. Instead, casual should mean that just a few pieces of your business attire are different. She pointed to President Barack Obama, whose usual definition of casual is taking off his jacket and tie and rolling up his sleeves. You can go a step further and replace slacks with a nice pair of well-fitting jeans, but don't deviate too far from typical business attire.

Di Giusto says one of her rules for casual is that it can be quickly dressed up. For example, bring a jacket on Casual Friday. Then, if an important meeting pops up, you can throw it on.

Less is more with cologne or perfume.

The scent you apply should never be so strong that it distracts someone from what you are saying.

"The moment you smell your fragrance, you know you're wearing too much," said di Giusto. Interestingly, she said that this advice does not apply everywhere, since in places like Italy or France, it is customary to liberally use cologne or perfume. But Americans should keep their fragrance application subtle, said di Giusto.

Never let a "flaw" undermine your confidence.

The key to projecting an air of power is being self-confident. And the worst thing for self-confidence is having a nagging thought about a flaw in your appearance. No one may notice the missing button on your jacket, but as soon as you start worrying about it, your behavior may unconsciously draw attention to it, said di Giusto. Likewise, if one day you wake up and decide your teeth aren't white enough, others may start to agree.

Whatever the issue, either accept it or make the necessary adjustment. Because if you're not comfortable with yourself, you're not going to look your best.

Dress to appear taller.

Powerful people take up space. "Subconsciously, we seek leaders who are tall because we associate height with authority," Oliver says in her book.

So if you're lacking this advantage naturally, you can create the illusion of height. Examiner recommends women wear heels that are not booties or "strappy" around the ankle, and AskMen suggests that men opt for dark colors to project power. Both advise that shorter people go for form-fitting clothes and monochromatic outfits.

Get enough sleep for radiant skin.

And finally, you should properly adjust your sleep schedule to have healthy, glowing skin. Oliver recommends spending several days keeping track of how many hours you slept in relation to how productive you were the following day.

"Once you determine your ideal number of sleep hours, try to get the same amount consistently, even on the weekends. Force yourself to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day," she writes.

via bussinessinsider

5 Key Characteristics Every Entrepreneur Should Have

As an entrepreneur who's attending college, I am often approached by classmates who are seeking to start their own business. Some have great concepts, yet when I ask them what they’ve done to advance their ideas, the answer is usually nothing.

Anyone can start a business, regardless of his or her age. After growing my own companies and mingling with successful entrepreneurs, I’ve come to realize that most entrepreneurs share these are five common characteristics:

1. Passion. A startup founder is often driven by the quest for deeper purpose beyond the sheer mechanics of operating a business. My mission for my startup, Yes Man Watches, is to empower people to consider the most valuable asset in their lives: time. I rise early every morning because I don’t want to waste my day. If you have passion for your startup, this will drive you to turn your idea into a reality. Without that missing spark, you'll lack the necessary motivation to put in all the early mornings and late nights to get your business off the ground.

2. Perseverance. Entrepreneurs need to be able to deal with obstacles. A business does not get built overnight, and turning your idea into a reality will take time. You'll have to become accustomed to people saying no to you. What makes entrepreneurs great is having the perseverance to grow regardless of how many times they are shut down. When creating the supply chain for my startup, we screened two dozen watch manufacturers. After approaching through about 10, I became quite frustrated at hearing that my company's patent-pending buckle couldn’t be made. Without perseverance, I would have given up.  

Follow-up is key. People might present plenty of excuses for not getting back in touch with you. Yet if you show persist in trying to make things happen, you’ll probably succeed. For a Kickstarter campaign, I contacted dozens of writers at a single media outlet in the hopes of reaching one who might write about my company. Even though the conversion rate may be minuscule, it only takes one person to make a difference.

3. Resourcefulness. A vital ability for an entrepreneur is knowing how to make the most of what you have. Your assets as an entrepreneur will be limited, so use them to the fullest. Tapping into a network is key. When looking for a photographer, I reached out to the photography department at my university and the staff sent an email blast to students looking to build their portfolio. Within a week, I had professional-looking photos.

4. Open-Mindedness. As an entrepreneur, you may think you've zeroed in on a business plan, but you'll need to learn to take in the opinions of others. Then if it appears that your plan won’t work, then adjust. As Mark Cuban once said, “Follow the green, not the dream.” If your dream startup won’t make you any money, you may need to change your focus. When my friend Morgan Schwanke started OnMyBlock, he originally wanted to focus solely on a social platform for college students to find off-campus housing. He now concentrates his startup on every aspect of renting an off-campus space; it provides tenant listings to landlords and facilitates the making of rent payments.

5. Spongelike nature. Being an entrepreneur involves a learning process. If you’re not willing to learn, think about leaving the startup world. You need to be able to soak in everything and anything you can, just like a sponge. The more you learn, the better. A saying I'm fond of is “One who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.” When starting Yes Man Watches, I honestly didn’t know anything about watchmaking. I looked up everything I could and soaked in all the information. Now I know quite a bit about watches, from the types of stainless steel used to make the watch case and the variety of battery powering the watch movements.

Entrepreneurship is much more than a 9-to-5 job. I don’t breathe without thinking about progressing my business aspirations. If you have an idea you'd like to turn into a reality, go for it. You'll never know the outcome if you don't try. 

via enterpreneur

3 teacher characteristics ... one of the best article

 

There are three characteristics as a teacher that make you  successful  as a corporate leader:
First,  you have to communicate well. All good teachers communicate well with their students. They come across as convincing and persuasive.   

Second, teachers really care about developing other people.  That’s their job. Their job is to make their students better.  So in the position of a corporate leader, what you need to do is to develop your layers of management – make them better.  

Lastly, teachers are willing to swallow their pride and hire people who are better than they are.  If you went back to your high school reunion and you’ve become really successful and you see Mrs. Smith who was your high school teacher, she is thrilled to see you become a very successful person, way more successful than she is. She’s very happy. Teachers always want their students to be better.  So you really have to have that humility of self-deprecating character to really bring in people better than you are because that’s how organizations improve.  Companies don’t grow because their leaders don’t grow with the company.

21 Ways to Boost Your Personal Creativity

   

Nothing has been built yet, so you get to spend months dreaming up every part of your business, including the brand and culture. Since this is often done with a small group of people, the experience is truly exhilarating. You come home from the office unable to sleep out of pure excitement.

But somewhere along the way, creating can be replaced with having to execute. You spend most of your time working on random to-do lists and end up waiting until the end of the day--the time when you're most exhausted--to think creatively, which just doesn't work.

To do your best work, you need to stay fresh, energetic, and creative the whole journey.Building great companies is a marathon, not a sprint, and it takes time. With this in mind, here are 21 ways to maintain or boost your personal creativity.

1. Don't email in bed.

Don't make email the first thing you do in the morning or the last thing you do before bedtime. It's like tackling a massive to-do list, because the minute you see it, you'll start thinking about all the things that you need get done. You're not as busy as you think you are.

2. Don't take meetings before lunch.

Your most creative time is usually between 9 a.m. and noon, so don't waste it in random meetings. Keep this precious time to yourself.

3. Explore your city with a camera.

Even if you aren't a photographer, listening to music and exploring your city with a camera can be a fantastic way to observe the energy and culture around you.

4. Write.

Whether you publish your musings or not, writing about your feelings and experiences is a refreshing way to reconnect with yourself.

5. Take a class.

Learning something new that has nothing to do with work can be fun, especially if it forces you outside your comfort zone. Signing up for an improv comedy class was terrifying for me, but it wound up being one of the most rewarding classes I've ever taken.

6. Cook.

Picking a recipe, buying the right ingredients, and experimenting with them can be a relaxing way to take your mind off of work. Cooking taps into all your senses and the end product will give you confidence to try other things.

7. Travel.

Don't get trapped into thinking you can't leave the office. If your company can't survive without you, there's a much bigger problem at hand.

8. Take a long lunch.

Try spending 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with your significant other or other people you care about. It will feel a bit awkward at first, but after a few times, you'll begin to realize that you have the freedom to work wherever you want, whenever you want.

9. Curb the coffee.

Caffeine can be a helpful stimulant when you're groggy, but after a few cups it can have the opposite effect. If you're still tired, try getting more sleep.

10. Ditch the alarm clock.

Waking up to an artificial sound can actually make you more tired. Go to sleep early enough that you naturally start your day on time and you'll feel so much better.

11. Hit the gym.

This has been written about extensively, but it bears repeating. Exercise equates to better energy, better well-being, and a sharper mind.

12. Trim down your to-do list.

A to-do list with more than three things on it can be hard to finish off. Whether you're thinking about company-wide goals or your own objectives, something will get overlooked. Creating takes time.

13. Take the team for a hike.

Company gatherings don't have to be lunches or happy hours. Taking a random weekday to go on a hike can be a bonding experience. Conversations will cover a variety of topics, but more importantly the event will build trust in your group.

14. Hit the road.

Get in your car on Friday afternoon, and don't come back until Sunday evening. The only rule is that you can't bring your cell phone.

15. Work at the library.

You won't get much done in a busy office, but you will at the library, where you can hear a pin drop.

16. Read a book.

Magazines and online articles are nice and all, but a book can tell a story that will open your mind.

17. Volunteer.

Helping others with no connection to your job can give you perspective on what really matters in life. Soon you'll realize that responding to emails isn't the most important thing you can do.

18. Meditate.

Whether you use audio tapes, a smartphone app, or sit simply in silence, meditating is a great way to start or end your day, as it helps you recharge.

19. Use pen and paper.

Nothing is more creative than sketching, scribbling, or writing down your ideas. The best part is you won't have to stay inside and lug a power cord around.

20. Turn off notifications.

The noises will make you tired, and when you're tired you can't be creative. Constantly being buzzed about this or that lowers your productivity.

21. Attend an InstaMeet.

Instagram offers local meetups that are attended by dozens of people who are passionate about photography. The attendees cover a wide range of skill sets, but what bonds this community together is that everyone is really creative. You might make some friends who help you see your city in a whole new light.

via inc

6 Things Entrepreneurs Wish Family, Friends and Employees Understood

   

I started my first company when I was 25.  I was a reluctant entrepreneur. My sales abilities outgrew three companies, and I couldn't seem to manage the politics necessary to get where I wanted to go at the speed I wanted to get there. So I took a deep breath, opened a company in 1989, and never looked back.

But in my journey of building four businesses and making the Inc. 500 list, I often found I saw the world differently then many in my circle. I would struggle with communication and empathy, as would the people around me. My family and my friends would never quite understand why I took action with such passion and drive. Though they would be continuously fascinated how I could make things happen from what seemed like unrelated connections and events.

Employees appreciated my drive, but still considered me a puzzlement. They couldn't imagine taking the risks and responsibility of building a company, and I couldn't imagine not having control of my own destiny.  I have spent decades in the close company of more than 1000 entrepreneurs in public session like Inc. conferences and in private forums like the Entrepreneur's Organization (EO). I have come to learn that we have similar ways of viewing the world and creating lifestyles. It's not for everyone, but it works for us.

If you are an entrepreneur, you need to articulate the six concepts below so the people in close proximity can comprehend your behavior. And for those of you engaged with an entrepreneur, I hope the tips below shed some light and give you some guidance to enjoy the ride.

1. Entrepreneurs are benevolent narcissists. There is no question that many entrepreneurs act as though they are the center of the universe. Once I get a vision in my head, it stays at the forefront of my mind until I either eliminate it or execute on it. Over time, I have learned that in order to make visions come true, I must constantly sell and recruit people to my mission. That means talking about my ideas and actions... a lot. So yes, my world revolves around my vision and ambition. That is the narcissistic part.

But unlike most self-centered people, most successful entrepreneurs aren't in it just for themselves. They love to bring other people along for the ride. Making others happy, wealthy and successful drives entrepreneurs. They create companies to benefit society with their products and services. They may interpret that benefit differently than most people, but few are motivated by pure exploitation.

Tip: The next time you feel ignored by an entrepreneur, ask them how you can get involved and benefit from their activities. You may be surprised at the opportunity that opens up.

2. Entrepreneurs evaluate risk differently. The term risk-taker is often associated with entrepreneurs. Most entrepreneurs don't believe they are taking risks by opening businesses and growing companies. Gone are the days of institutions that provide steady employment and guaranteed retirement. I personally lost everything in the 2008 collapse of the banking industry. But I have many friends who spent 30 years as employees in that field and also went through great hardship. I was able to rebuild by taking advantage of opportunity and being agile while many of them are still trying to reconstruct their lives.

Entrepreneurs know the only safety net they can bank on is their own ability to leverage knowledge, resources and relationships to build something from nothing. They believe there is greater risk in being boxed in to a structure than to venture out to new horizons. That all being said, many of us have learned to overcome our material desires and put a little away for those rainy days.

Tip: Don't assume that actions taken by entrepreneurs are careless or not well considered. If you have concern, ask about the process or diligence. You might be surprised what you learn.

3.  Once entrepreneurs decide to take action, they commit. There is an incorrect assumption about most entrepreneurs that they are impulsive. The image of people ideating all over the place and randomly straying from project to project is one that is constantly portrayed in media and is most often a mischaracterization. Most of my successful entrepreneurial friends are actually quite disciplined and focused. They have learned tocreate structure where there is none. They have a set process for evaluating opportunities and are wary about taking on a new project without vetting it carefully.

But once the due diligence is done and action is required seasoned entrepreneurs will commit all necessary time and resources to making the dream a reality. They have no tolerance for doing things halfway. The project may fail, but the entrepreneur will only be satisfied if it does on its own merits. Then it's time to learn and move on to the next entrepreneurial venture.

Tip: Entrepreneurs in motion are a force of nature. Either get out of the way or support the activity whole-heartedly. Dipping your toe into their projects will only create static and dissatisfaction for everyone involved.

4. Entrepreneurs feel angst about time. There are very few new ideas out there. Hardly anything comes up today that hasn't shown up in a science fiction novel or movie from decades ago. The innovation comes from ways to execute those ideas in a manner that can support the market and a profitable business model. For every entrepreneur attempting to find that perfect path to success, there are many competitors nipping at their heels. Some have smarter people, more money or better partners. Some have all of the above. But that's the game. And to the victor goes the spoils.

Once I complete a vision in my head, it's a race against time to see if that dream becomes a reality. The more complexity involved with the vision, the more challenging time becomes as a factor for success. This is where I use my creativity every day, to figure out how to get from point A to Point B the fastest way possible without sacrificing stability or harming anyone along the way. Executing on my need for speed sometimes results in my being less polite, considerate or reverent than people expect. It's not that I don't care. It's that sometimes I am moving so fast I forget to show it.

Tip: Give entrepreneurs the benefit of the doubt when expecting niceties. You don't need to put up with rudeness, but you can gently remind them that not everyone moves at their pace and others need consideration to feel respected.

5. Every day with positive cash flow is a good day. I remember a few years back being at EO event in Hong Kong at the end of the month. My wife at the time and I were laughing because all around the hotel you could hear the same stressed mobile phone conversations going on about whether or not the attendees had made their payroll obligations for the month. Growing a company requires resources, especially cash, and most entrepreneurs will stretch those limits to make progress quickly in the marketplace.

The lack of resources to battle the competition is usually the number 1 stress point for an entrepreneur. The most painful days in my life have been when I could not meet my financial obligations. Those are the days I feel guilty and inadequate. Those are the days I feel the pain of those who depend upon me. As an entrepreneur I understand that family, partners and employees put their trust in me to help them achieve financial stability. I understand that they do not choose my life because they don't want to risk instability. As long as there is money in the bank to continue the path forward, every other challenge is minor.

Tip: Don't assume entrepreneurs are primarily motivated by greed. Certainly they enjoy the rewards that come with success, but they are driven to achieve the security that comes with strong liquidity and cash flow.

6. For entrepreneurs, working means fun and relaxation. Contrary to popular belief, most entrepreneurs are not workaholics. I describe work as the things we have to do in order to do the things we want to do. Some people like to play sports or dance or do woodcraft as a hobby. Entrepreneurs love to build businesses. We get excited about opportunity,  networking and product development. When I sit at a Yankees game, I amuse myself by calculating the per-attendee revenue and cost of services to figure out how much money is being made. When I run a 5K or kayak, my brain lets loose with creative ideas that can either improve my business or create something new from the resources I have.

I feel blessed that the things I love to do are also the things that make money and give me a sense of accomplishment. When I need to rest my brain and body, I do so. But very soon, I go back to doing what I love because I enjoy it and it makes me happy.

Tip: No need to ever tell an entrepreneur to slow down or take time off. It's like trying to teach a pig to sing. It just wastes your time and annoys the pig.

A Great Reason to Get a Hobby: Better Work Performance

   

A hobby can be so much more than just a diversion from the daily grind. In fact, creative hobbies can positively boost your work performance, according to new research. 

San Francisco State University psychologist Kevin Eschleman and his colleagues found that those who said they often spend their free time doing various creative activities scored 15 to 30 percent higher on performance rankings. This compares to those who said they weren't very creative outside of work, reported NPR. 

The researchers surveyed about 340 employees from all different professions, and the participants reported how often they engage in creative activities like drawing and playing an instrument. Researchers also asked them to self-report their strength in several performance measures like devising creative solutions to problems at work and helping others on the job.

"We found that in general, the more you engage in creative activities, the better you'll do,"Eschleman told NPR. The researchers also gave 90 U.S. Air Force captains the same evaluation, and then asked their co-workers and bosses to rate them on performance measures. The researchers said they obtained very similar results to the first study. 

Eschleman suggested that perhaps pursuing creative hobbies creates a cycle of positive side effects.

"It's very possible that those who are performing better at their jobs also have more energy to pursue these creative activities," Eschleman told NPR. In turn, creative tasks might then provide employees with the positive energy they need to show up at work the next day and perform. 

So how can you rally your employees to be more inventive outside of work? Well, first, the authors warn you should avoid approaching the situation with a heavy hand. But you can nudge your employees toward cultivating some creative habits by offering themmemberships to art studios, creative writing classes, and music lessons, they suggest. 

Leaders Do Without Thinking

  

Once in a while you meet a leader who stands out--even in a room filled with skilled, experienced, successful people. She isn't just remarkably charismatic. He isn't just remarkably likeable.

You can tell, in an instant, they simply think and act and lead differently than most people.

But those rare individuals don't become outstanding leaders overnight. While some are born with an aptitude for leadership, truly outstanding leaders are made. Through training, experience, and a healthy dose of introspection they learn how to make quick decisions. They learn to work with different personalities. They learn to nurture, motivate, and inspire.

They learn to truly lead.

And in time those skills become automatic and reflexive. While great leaders do a tremendous amount of thinking, that thinking happens behind the scenes. In the moment, in the trenches, when people look to them and need them most, they act: swiftly, decisively, and confidently.

Want to become a truly outstanding leader? Work hard to do these eight things naturally, automatically, and instinctively:

1. Praise. It's easy to tell when employee recognition is simply one entry on a very long to-do list. We've all been around people who occasionally--and awkwardly--shake a few hands and pat a few backs. No matter how hard they try to fake it, their insincerity is evident.

No one gets enough praise, so truly outstanding leaders see expressing thanks, giving praise, and providing recognition as one gift that can never be given often enough.

Praise is almost like breathing to a truly outstanding leader: natural, automatic, frequent, and most of all, genuine and sincere.

2. Decide. Ideas are great but implementation is everything. Outstanding leaders quickly weigh, assess, decide, and then immediately act--because decisiveness and action build confidence and momentum.

That's why making a poor decision is often better than making no decision at all. Mistakes can almost always be corrected. Even though you should always try, rarely must you be right the first time. Adapting and learning and revising so you get it right in the end matters a lot more.

Especially when you...

3. Take responsibility. We all make bad decisions. What matters is what we do after we make those mistakes.

Outstanding leaders are the first to say, "I was wrong." Outstanding leaders are the first to say, "I made the wrong choice. We need to change course."

Outstanding leaders instinctively admit their mistakes early and often because they're quick to take responsibility and because they desperately want to build a culture where mistakes are simply challenges to overcome, not opportunities to point fingers and assign blame.

4. Communicate. Business is filled with what: What to execute, what to implement, what to say, and sometimes even what to feel.

What's often missing is the why.

That's why so many projects, processes, and tasks fail. Tell me what to do and I'll try to do it; tell me why, help me understand why, help me believe and make that why my mission too...and I'll run through proverbial brick walls to do the impossible.

Managers stipulate. Outstanding leaders explain. And then they listen--because the most effective communication involves way more listening than talking.

5. Set the example. Say you're walking through a factory with the plant manager and you see a piece of trash on the floor. There are two types of people when that happens:

One spots it, stops, struts over, snatches it up, crumples it like a beer can, and strides 20 feet to a trashcan to slam it home. He's picked up the trash, but he's also making a statement.

The other veers over without breaking stride, picks it up, crumples it up, keeps talking, and doesn't throw it away until he comes across a convenient trashcan. He's not thinking about making a statement. He just saw a little trash and picked it up without thinking.

Simple example? Sure. But extremely telling--especially to employees.

Why? Employees notice what you do. When you're in charge, everyone watches what you do. The difference lies in how you do what you do... and what that says about you.

Outstanding leaders do what they do simply because it's important to them. It's part of who they are. They care about go, not show--and, in time, so do they people they work with.

6. Give feedback. We all want to improve: to be more skilled, more polished, more successful. That's why we all need constructive feedback.

Because they care about their employees, not just as workers but as people, outstanding leaders instinctively go to the person struggling and say, "I know you can do this. And I'm going to help you."

Think about a time when a person told you what you least wanted to hear and yet most needed to hear. They changed your life. Outstanding leaders naturally try to change people's lives. Even if it's uncomfortable. Because they care.

7. Seek help. At some point, most people in leadership positions begin to avoid displaying signs of vulnerability. After all, you're in charge of everything, so you're supposed to knoweverything. Of course that's impossible. You can't know everything about your job. Your employees can't know everything about their jobs, either.

Outstanding leaders don't pretend to know everything. (In fact, they purposely hire people who know more than they do.) So they naturally ask questions. They automatically ask for help.

And in the process they show vulnerability, respect for the knowledge and skills of others, and a willingness to listen--all of which are qualities of outstanding leaders.

8. Challenge. Most leaders implement their ideas by enforcing processes and procedures that support those ideas.

For employees, though, engagement and satisfaction are largely based on autonomy and independence. I care a lot more when it's mine: my idea, my process, my responsibility. I care the most when I feel I am depended on--and given the authority--to make important decisions and do what's right.

Outstanding leaders create broad standards and guidelines and then challenge their employees by giving them the autonomy and independence to work the way they work best. They allow employees to turn "yours" into "ours," transforming work into an outward expression of each person's unique skills, talents, and experiences.

That's a challenge every employee wants to face--and one that outstanding leaders instinctively provide.

via inc

Stop Wasting Time on the Details and Commit to the Fundamentals

I was in the gym one day, training like usual, when my coach made an important observation. It didn’t take me long to see how this discovery applied to other areas of my life as well.

Here’s what happened.

We looked across the gym and saw someone performing lateral raises with dumbbells while standing on a Bosu ball. (This is an exercise that focuses on smaller muscles in the shoulder and doesn’t do much for the rest of the body.)

My coach watched for a moment and then said, “Imagine how good you have to be for that exercise to be the thing that gets you to the next level.”

His point was that this person was focusing on an exercise that improved a few, tiny muscles in their body while ignoring the more important foundational movements. Even an Olympic athlete who had mastered the basic movements (squats, bench press, etc.) could not honestly look in the mirror and say, “You know what’s holding me back? I’m not doing enough lateral raises.”

In other words, the problem is that too many people waste time on the details before mastering the fundamentals. And I’d say the same in true outside of the gym as well.

The Courage to Master the Fundamentals

Everybody has the same basic body and needs, and we have to have the courage to train the fundamentals, the basics, at least 80% of the time. Sure, add some spice in there now and again, but focus on the basics.
—Dan John

Committing to the basics and mastering the fundamentals can be hard. And I get it. I’ve struggled to fall in love with boredom and focus on the basics many times.

For example, as an entrepreneur it is very easy for me to spend my days working on the details. Should I make a small tweak to my website design? Should I answer these 50 emails? Should I switch my payment processor so that I can save an extra 2 percent on fees?

All of these things have a place, but that place should not be at the top of my to-do list. Instead, my time would be better spent focusing on the fundamentals. For example, writing two really good articles each week.

Avoid the “Edge Cases”

In the words of my friend, Corbett Barr, people waste too much time debating edge cases. Edge cases are the what-ifs, the could-bes, the minor details — the things that might make a 2 percent difference, but mostly distract you from the real work that would make 80 percent of the difference.

• If you’re considering a new diet, but you’re worried that you might not be able to stick with it when you go out with your friends on Thursday nights, then you’re worrying about an edge case. Thursday night isn’t going to make or break you. It’s the work you put in during the other 20 meals of the week that matters.
• If you’re starting a business and you’re debating over business cards or shipping methods or a thousand other things that could delay you from finding your first paying customer, then you’re stuck on the edge cases. You can optimize later. Meanwhile, delaying this decision is bringing in exactly zero dollars.
• If you’re trying to “get all of your ducks in a row” or figure out “the right way to do this” then you’re probably giving yourself an excuse to avoid the hard decisions. Research is only useful until it becomes a form of procrastination. In most cases, you’ll discover better answers by doing than by researching.

The greatest skill in any endeavor is doing the work. And for that reason, most people don’t need more time, more money, or better strategies. They just need to do the real work and master the basics.

Don’t Fear the Fundamentals

Most people avoid the fundamentals because they don’t have the guts to become great at them. When you eliminate everything that is unnecessary, there are no details to hide behind. You’re left with just the basics and whether or not you have mastered them.

It’s easier to tell people that you’re “working on a new strategy” or you’re “doing more research.” It’s hard to say, “I’m focusing on the basics, but I haven’t made much progress yet.”

Do you have the courage to simplify and become the best at the basics? Stop wasting time on the details that make the last 10% of difference.

What good is a lateral raise if you can’t do a proper press? What good is a fancy business logo if you haven’t found your first paying customer? What good is a better guitar if you haven’t built the habit of practicing each day?

Without the fundamentals, the details are useless.

via jamesclear