Open your heart and mind to something new.: May 2012

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

What am I cook today?

Chicken egg rolls with rice noodles

The Top 10 Leadership Qualities

Introduction

Leadership can be defined as one's ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs leaders at every level. Leaders can be found and nurtured if you look for the following character traits.

A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion."

A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious.

A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.

Analysis

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.

Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.

Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the company. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.

Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.

Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if … ?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question ... ”

Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.

Many leaders have difficulty striking the right amount of assertiveness, according to a study in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the APA (American Psychological Association). It seems that being underassertive or overassertive may be the most common weakness among aspiring leaders.

A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie.

Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate the proper leadership traits.

Written by David Hakala

7 Secrets To Writing A Successful Ad

7 Secrets To Writing A Successful Ad (To Make Your Customers Buy Your Product!)
by Shery Ma Belle Arrieta

YOUR HEADLINE OR TITLE PROMISES SOMETHING TO YOUR CONSUMER.
Yes, you have to grab their attention right away -- that is, by way of your headline. Tell me, would you buy a product after reading this headline: "New Hair Growth Shampoo Now In The Market!" I don't know about you, but if it was something like, "50% Hair Growth In 7 Days!" I'd buy the product and try it out to see if it delivers what it promised in the headline.

It's a more effective headline than the first because it gives a concrete result in only a short time. Bald or semi-bald people are more likely to buy the product when they read the second headline.

A GOOD LEAD FOLLOWS A GOOD HEADLINE.
If you've written a very good headline, chances are you'll be able to write a good lead based on that. The key here is to support your headline with facts in the lead. Another tip: Don't waste words explaining to your readers and target consumers what they already know. Go straight to the point. Zero in on your product and what it can do for them.

Again, taking our example from the hair growth shampoo, don't waste a paragraph explaining the causes of baldness. Give them specifics and facts right away such as how effective your hair growth shampoo is. If tests have been conducted to determind the product's effectivity, then mention the results.

BE CONVINCING BY PROVIDING AMPLE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT.
Ask yourself, "What can I say or write here to convince my readers or potential customers to actually buy my product? "List things related to your product and write them in a logical manner. Remember that grabbing their attention is winning half the battle. The next step is for you to convince them to buy your product once you have their complete attention.

TREAT YOUR AD COPY LIKE A NOVEL OR A STORY.
If you want sales results, learn how to write and present your ad in a logical manner. Treat it as if you're writing a short story or a novel: you have an introduction, you have a conflict, a climax and finally a solution.

Make your readers and potential customers feel like the ad is really for them. Organize your sales points according to importance: start with the most important and then finish off with the least.

IF YOU WANT SALES, NEVER WRITE OR PRESENT A BORING AD.
Again, if your ad is interesting, that's the only reason your readers or customers are ever going to finish reading your ad and possibly buy and try out your product. One effective way for you to "connect" with your readers or customers is making your ad speak directly to them. Tell them a story, appeal to their emotions, their needs, their desires.

If possible, add testimonials from people they are familiar with; a famous actor or actress perhaps. Never make the mistake of talking about your company and your success more than the product you are selling. Your target customers are reading your ad because they want to know about your product and not about you. Don't even bother to tell them how your company developed the product. Tell them instead what your product can do for them.

DON'T EXAGGERATE; BE BELIEVABLE INSTEAD.
The only way to achieve this is to tell the truth in your ad. You have to be able to develop the image that your customers can trust you based on the kind of ads you show them. If you have to choose between being clever or ingenious with your ad and being honest and truthful, go with the latter. Your customers will be able to discern that you are being honest with them.

If you were able to convince them into buying one of your products before by giving them false hopes or facts, trust me, you won't be able to convince them to buy that same product again simply because the product didn't deliver what you promised in the ad. They might even refuse to buy any other products from you in future.

GET THEM MOVIN'!
You've managed to hook their attention, get them to read the entire ad and convince them to buy and try out your product. But without this important part of your ad, you still won't be able to really have a successful ad. Yes, your customers now want to buy their product. They're excited to try it out.

Where and how do they buy? It's important to put an address, a phone number or even a hotline so they can buy and take that final step in your ad campaign. Give them ways of how they can order: credit card, a form they can mail and send money order to, discount and promotional coupons.

Keep in mind these tips and you'll be able to produce ads that will sell you your products!