Performance management, in order to be the most effective, should be applied to companies as a whole and employees as well. According to an article on Wise Geek, performance management is comprised of both analyzing the effectiveness of managers and employees, ensuring that goals are met. This assists in exceptional company performance as a whole.

The information provided on Wise Geek focuses solely on performance management as it applies to employees. According to this article, performance management in regards to employees differs between workers because each individual employee may need to improve in specific areas. Generally, performance management related to employees covers the areas of planning work, setting and achieving goals, being offered learning opportunities by management, rewards for a job well done and feedback or reviews on the performance of the employee.

Clear communication is essential in performance management; employees must know what is expected of them currently as well as upcoming projects or tasks they will be facing. In order for performance management to be most effective, those in management should always define what they expect from an employee in terms of work accomplished and achieving goals, so that employees are not taken by surprise come evaluation time.

Performance management that includes planning and setting goals also helps in employees being able to predict the consequences of their job performance; they realize that if they do exceptional work and reach goals, they will be rewarded. They also realize the consequences if they fail to do the job expected of them. Good performance management involves giving feedback regarding job performance on a regular basis, such as monthly. This allows an employee to realize how they are doing overall, so that they can make changes if they aren’t up to par regarding work performance or meeting goals.

Offering feedback throughout the year is beneficial to employees; it also prevents them from feeling they are being overly criticized during an annual evaluation, since they have been made aware of critical issues throughout the year. Providing employees with methods to grow and develop in their position and acquire new skills through more difficult projects and working in a team environment are also elements of performance management . Employees who are given the opportunity to expand their skills and prove their capability are generally happier employees, which often mean they are more productive.

Bonuses, raises and the opportunity for advancement within the company are a huge aspect of performance management. When employees are given incentives to do their best and take on new challenges, the entire company will benefit. Employees need to be motivated, to feel that their contributions are important to the success of the company. Even through criticism, workers grow by learning what they have done wrong, and how they can improve in those areas where they lack. Its people make up the “whole” of a company, which is why effective performance management is so essential.

About the Author

Hakan Samad Graduated in University of Washington, majoring in Business Policy, International Business, Organizational Behavior, Business Communications, Consumer Research, Managing Information Systems, New Media Communications and business leadership.

He is now a Freelance writer who is passionate about authentic relationships between consumers and brands. He had 10 years of experience from retail channel planning to product marketing; He is currently a Freelance writer for few business leadership websites and now recides in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

“I am organizing an Easter Egg Hunt for the neighborhood today and I wanted to know if your children will be coming?” said the confident voice on the other end of the phone. With a smile on my face I told Megan that absolutely Rory and Ce’Anna would participate. I was told to bring nothing but the children and to be there at one o’clock.

When the clock chimed one, the kids and I set out with plastic bags stuffed in my pockets for their treasures. When we arrived at Megan’s house I saw all the other neighbor kids lined up with their parents anxiously dancing around. Some kids had baskets in hand and others had nothing in which to put their treats.

I wondered what the poor children without bags would do with their treats. Their little hands could only hold so many.

But no fear, see Megan was prepared with plastic bags for each child. She also had simple rules that everyone was to follow: if you find an egg, it is yours; leave the easy ones for the little ones; and there are 50 eggs hidden.

The kids charged all over and when all eggs were found, Megan gathered everyone around her while she gave each child a special bag with a small treat or gift inside. With wide happy grins the children set out for home.

At 11 years old Megan has begun to master what it means to be a leader. I watched both kids and adults listen to her directions and follow her orders to a “t”.

You see good leaders are not born; they are created. It starts at a young age and develops. I think the challenge today is “what kind of leaders are we developing?”

Five traits of a good leader include:

1. Taking control of a situation

2. Creating events rather than waiting for them to happen

3. No fear or boundaries they are not willing to cross

4. Thinking of all consequences and preparing for them

5. Strongly asking or positively telling versus apologetically questioning

Megan exhibited all of these traits at her tender age, yet I see some adults struggle with this well in to their forties and fifties.

Do you exhibit all of those traits?

Remember leadership is NOT a position; it is a way of thinking. I have seen receptionists command more respect and leadership than some management. So take charge today and not only be a leader but develop leadership in your children for they are our future.

About the Author

When people want to know how to say the right thing at the right time, they call Anne Warfield. As the leading Outcome Strategist, Anne helps people negotiate, present, sell and lead by managing perceptions, since perceptions become reality. She does this by showing you how to speak so people WANT to listen to you.

For as long as I’ve been a professional I’ve heard that a person’s attitude makes a difference. You’ve probably heard all the cute sayings about attitude – “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude”, Attitude is Everything”, “The Only Thing You Can Control is Your Attitude”. Every sales manager talks about attitude. Every leader talks about attitude. Every entrepreneur hears about attitude.

Let’s face it. No one is against having a positive attitude. It’s kind of like mom and apple pie. There’s nothing to be against. But anyone who has worked with me knows that I don’t go with the crowd. I tend to be an independent thinker and as such, often see things differently than others. Over my professional career, I’ve been a student of human nature, and one of the areas I make note of is attitude.

Attitude has an interesting dynamic around it. I’ve observed, for instance, that people with a positive attitude tend to hang out together and people with a negative attitude also hang out together. Of course, each group tends to support the views of each other person within their group. The positive people see themselves as optimistic and forward thinking. The negative people see themselves as realists. Additionally, each group tends to view the other group somewhat unfavorably. The people in the positive group tend to look at the negative group as complainers, while the negative group tends to view the positive group as naïve, unrealistic, and/or overly “cheery”. I guess it’s a matter of your perspective. Each group feels they have an accurate view of reality – or more precisely, THE accurate view of reality.

One thing I’m sure of in life is that a person’s perspective determines their reality. And here is where these two groups begin to differ. I’ve noticed very different behaviors from people depending on their attitude. You see, attitude not only determines how a person sees things, but also affects their consequent actions as well. Our attitude determines our perspective, which in turn determines our reality. How does attitude and perspective affect our reality? Let me share a story as an example of how this happens. A number of years ago I had a friend who became focused on the potential problems surrounding the change of the millennium (Y2K). As he began to “research” the topic, the foretelling of upcoming disasters became his reality. In fact, the more he listened to radio talk shows the more he accepted their topics as “reality”. The more articles he read on the subject the more he accepted the writings as “reality”. The more websites he visited about Y2K, the more he accepted their perspectives as “reality”. By the time the end of December came around, he had stockpiled water and food, and was pleading with me to move up to the mountains to escape the impending terrorist attacks, falling planes, food shortages, crashing cars, and lack of water. January 1, 2000 came and went without incident. He never spoke to me again.

Obviously none of us are worried about Y2K any longer, but this story underlines how our attitude definitely affects how we conduct ourselves and our life. Our attitude creates our reality. But be clear, it’s OUR reality, not THE reality. I’ve observed that positive people tend to view challenges as speed bumps while negative people see them as obstacles standing in the way of success. Positive folks often face the same challenges as negative folks, except that negative people have their thoughts and energies focused on the problems and the consequences of the problems, while the positive people focus their thoughts and energies on succeeding despite the problems. (Yes,… including rate increases.) I’ve observed that negative people often adopt a defeatist mindset, taking on the role of a victim, while positive people often adopt a solution-oriented mindset and set about creating their own opportunities. Consequently, I’ve come to understand that having a positive attitude indeed makes a significant difference not only in a person’s level of success, but also in their enjoyment of their life. It even determines whether they succeed at all.

But here’s the unusual thing… NO ONE VIEWS HIMSELF OR HERSELF AS A NEGATIVE PERSON!

People who are negative view themselves as “realistic”. (Wait a minute… isn’t “reality” a matter of perspective?) So the challenge is to determine whether you’re a “negative” person.
Here are some guidelines:

* If you feel that your course in life and business is determined by others, then you need to adjust your attitude so you can shift your reality.
* If you feel that the cards are often stacked against you, then you need to adjust your attitude so you can change your reality.
* If you feel that your company, manager, agents, and/or clients don’t support you, then you need to adjust your attitude so you can change your reality.
We each have the ability and power to literally change our reality.
How does one turn a negative attitude into a positive one? The same way someone with a positive attitude maintains it. You need to eliminate the negative inputs, influences, and factors in your life and introduce positive ones. We’re bombarded with messages throughout the day and night. Some of them are good and some of them are just plain bad for you. We get “messages” from family, friends, co-workers, radio, newspaper, TV, music, the internet, billboards, books, magazines, and any number of other sources. If YOU don’t decide what goes into your head, then someone else will. You need to take control of what you feed your mind. Here are some tips on how to adjust and maintain your attitude:
Eliminate the Negatives
* Stop reading the newspaper
* Stop watching TV news
* Stop seeking the negative on the internet
* Stop hanging around negative people

Introduce Positives
* Start hanging around positive people
* Start reading motivational or inspirational books – biographies, personal growth, success principles, etc.
* Start listening to CD’s – motivational, personal growth, uplifting music, etc.

Does attitude really count? Can attitude really change your reality? I guess it depends on your perspective…

About the Author

Written by Michael Beck, Business Strategist and Executive Coach. For more articles on leadership, personal effectiveness and personal productivity, please visit www.michaeljbeck.com . Permission to reprint with full attribution. © 2010 Michael Beck International, Inc.

As each moment passes we see a changing and challenging world – one that is becoming more complicated and unpredictable. Each day we are faced with decisions about environmental pollution, technology shifts, financial instability, family instability, unsatisfying relationships and other phenomena. Thinking BIG even during, especially during, such circumstances allows you to make better long term decisions which will impact generations to come!

Transitioning to a mindset of Thinking BIG will require a SHIFT in the way you look at life! It will require you to think about how you think now – your assumptions, your logic, your inferences and even how you make decisions. Only then will you be in a position to understand where your thinking succeeds (Thinking BIG) or where it fails (thinking small).

Depending on the various influences which affected you (your team members) when growing up, most people enter their adulthood with pre-conceived notions about their ability to succeed. Most fall into one of the following three categories: resigned to mediocrity, not worth the trouble or moving upward. Where do you see yourself? Where do you see your team members?

Those who are resigned to mediocrity don’t believe they have the ability (or drive) to succeed. They are stuck in a safe but unfulfilling, dead-end situation with very little hope of realizing their dreams. Those who are enthusiastic and optimistic at the beginning of their careers and yet eventually settle into a “good job” but no longer seek the top level fall into the not worth the trouble category. This category is more concerned with protecting what they have and often portray a level of insecurity within their role. The final category holds a very small minority of people; these people maintain a moving on up attitude. Nothing stops them from achieving their goals in their respective fields and enjoying everything which life offers. This category of people understands that lofty goals are achievable… and move towards that very achievement!

If I were to poll the top twenty-five people in your life (a 360o type assessment) what category would they put you in – resigned, not worth the trouble or moving on up?

You know people who begin new jobs or entrepreneurial ventures wishing and a hoping for success; starting out with good intentions, full of energy, optimism and know how! In fact they are brimming over with optimism! And yet these dreams do not materialize because deep down inside, the most important element is missing – their own belief that they are allowed to Think Big… Dream Big… Achieve Big! This strong conviction of belief is the foundational element/driving force behind every successful person. It is the unshakeable faith that the achievement of something BIG is possible which spurred our greatest accomplishments! Flying in an airplane is a common day occurrence; however, it is only possible because the visionaries thought BIG – they truly believed that flight was possible! This is the attitude of Thinking BIG – the attitude which enables today’s world.

In fear, the majority of people consciously consign themselves to mediocrity. They come to work… they do their job, or at least go through the motions – just to receive a paycheck. They watch others receive promotions and key growth opportunities. They don’t believe they are capable (or worthy) of achievement in their professional (or personal) lives so they stop Thinking BIG. They don’t bring their energy, passion, desires, creative ideas and innovative ideas to their family, their community nor their organization. All because there is something about their mindset (thought processes and/or belief system) which prevents them from Thinking BIG!

Don’t fall into that rut! Change that attitude by training your mind to focus on the positive. Eliminate failure from your vocabulary. It’s a terribly negative word. Don’t be afraid to have great aspirations. Big dreams occupy the same space in your head as small dreams. So begin Thinking BIG NOW!

The virtue of Thinking BIG develops only with practice, and the first step toward practice is to understand the features of good thinking: humility, courage, empathy, integrity, perseverance, ability to reason, autonomy and fair mindedness. Humility means you are free from arrogance and prejudice. Courage means that you are intellectually open to the ideas of others and brave enough to change your mind when other ideas are superior to yours. Empathy allows you to put yourself in the position of those who oppose you and enables you to see things from their point of view. Integrity simply means demonstrating consistence between your words and actions. It’s the opposite of hypocrisy! Failure to persevere is fatal to Thinking BIG – perseverance requires working through the layers of life’s complexity to find the truth. Your ability to reason means that you are not guided by blind assumptions, faith, tradition or emotional impulses. Autonomy means that you can rely on yourself and your own thinking – have an independent thought. And fair mindedness simply means that you can equally respect all points of view whether you agree with them or not!

We all want to generate exciting new ideas which will revolutionize our sphere of influence and for some of us – revolutionize the world — and yet many do not succeed! Is it because they use the wrong methods of thinking… thinking small instead of Thinking Big? Let’s dig deeper to understand what thinking small means. Thinking small enables you to keep doing the same thing over and over. Although there are times when we have to do the same thing over and over – this environment will not provide an environment where we (our family, our teams, our organization) to come up with the electrifying new ideas which are needed to propel our lives, our organizations and our legacy to the next level!

Thinking Small

• Focuses on the short term
• Has a narrow focus
• Works in silos
• Gives customers (family, community) what they’ve always had

VS.

Thinking BIG

• Looks to create lasting change
• Sees with intense, far reaching vision
• Introduces ideas that start a fire in all areas of influence
• Transforms the expectations of their customers (family and community)

As a leader your goal is to incorporate Thinking BIG throughout your organization which will assume that ongoing change is the norm. You will need to become the guru of Big Thinking – being as openly creative and ambitious as children are before they learn not to be creative, not to question and not to assume that you (or your team) cannot become advocates of Thinking BIG! You must believe and lead your team members to believe that there is not a problem which cannot be solved. That their goal (and your expectation) is that together you all will make things better than you found them. I smile here because that is what was instilled by my parents – always leave things better than you found them!!!

You must create an environment where minds are expanded on a daily basis despite the world’s pressure. In fact you must create an environment where the approach to Thinking Big is fun and energizing! Everyone has an inner ability to Think Big – create and cultivate that potential within your organization! You can assist others to engage in activities which promote new mental connections. Try blending or alternating activities such as:

• Holding a meeting, then breaking and taking the participants to a museum.
• Incorporating play into work, giving your people ways to be physically active and time to follow their own interests. (Google gives its employees 20% of their work time to pursue independent projects)
• Empowering teams and individuals to make their own decisions
• Making your company as transparent as possible. Allowing information to flow freely and tear down barriers which might grow into silos
• Make a random list of things – then, take your major product or service. Find a way to force your product into a combination with each thing on the random list
• Think of ways to collaborate – Ponder the possibilities with each company (team/person) you encounter
• Think of the most ridiculous possible combination – Make it your starting point in a thought experiment
• Examine how customers use your product – what do they combine it with? Could you make a better combination and create a new product or service?

Your goal is to promote an interdisciplinary mindset so that people of different backgrounds are at ease working in interdisciplinary teams whose members continually connect ideas in new ways. The purpose of Thinking BIG is “to assist you in recognizing and overcoming your loser’s limp; to open your mind, stir your imagination and make you think; to arouse your curiosity and create a healthy dissatisfaction with your status quo; to arouse the sleeping giant inside you” (Zig Ziglar); AND to walk out your pre-ordained destiny. Starting today–choose to THINK BIG!

About the Author

Dr. Stephanie Parson is the president of Crowned Grace International. She and her team deliver over 35 Leadership: From Ordinary to Extraordinary™ (L:FO2E) workshops around the world. For more information, contact Dr. Stephanie and her team at info@crownedgrace.com.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”

Mary Kay did it when she combined selling and nurturing to create a cosmetics empire.

Apple does it when they combine creativity with discipline to out-innovate everyone.

And our forefathers combined the seemingly competing ideals of freedom and responsibility to forge a nation.

The ability to assimilate conflicting ideas has been the invisible underpinning behind some of the greatest advances of all time. Best-selling author Jim Collins refers to it as “the genius of the AND.” His research reveals that leaders who can embrace paradox (low cost AND high quality, change AND stability, short term AND long term) are more successful than those who “yield to the tyranny of the ‘or.’”

From an intellectual perspective, most of us would agree that combining conflicting perspectives can create a better whole. But what sounds good in theory isn’t always easy to practice.

Case in point: Thomas Jefferson and John Adams – whom many say represent the original liberal vs. conservative debate – came together brilliantly to write the Declaration of Independence. But they then spent the next five decades arguing over political differences. When Jefferson beat out Adams in his bid for a second term as president, Adams was so angry that he refused to attend Jefferson’s inauguration.

Both men passed away on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years to the day after birth of the country they founded. Rumor has it that the last words John Adams uttered were “Thomas Jefferson.” Demonstrating a universal truth, the people who disagree with you can have a profound impact on your life.

But that’s kind of the point. Jefferson’s and Adams’ differences didn’t make their lives easier, but they made our country better.

It was their very conflicts that brought forth a new form of government during a time when people didn’t even think that was possible.

There are basically three potential responses to conflict:

Stalemate: Either/or thinking 101. Both sides believe they’re right, nobody gives and inch and nothing gets done. Exhibit A: the healthcare debate.

Compromise: A kinder gentler approach, but it’s really just either/or thinking 102.

Compromise is predicated on the belief that we can’t have both ideals, so we have to whittle away at them. Compromise isn’t sustainable over the long haul because it waters down our best ideas, and it breeds resentment and contempt (as anyone forced to compromise will attest).

Innovation: The Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Mary Kay, Apple model in which leaders say, “We’re not going to choose between our ideals; we’re going to combine them, and we’re going to create something amazing.”

Our differences aren’t really the problem; it’s our inability to manage them. Conflict can actually be a catalyst for creativity.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a workplace issue, a personal problem or a political challenge, when the same perspectives come together, it’s comfortable and easy. But you rarely create anything different than what you’ve already got. Nobody ever created greatness hanging around with a bunch of clones.

But for people and organizations who are willing to wade through the messy process of assimilating seemingly conflicting perspectives, the sky’s the limit.

Conflict isn’t the problem; conflict is where you find the seeds of greatness.

About the Author

Lisa Earle McLeod is a syndicated columnist, business consultant, keynote speaker and inspirational thought-leader. Her latest book The Triangle of Truth: The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Resolving Conflicts Large and Small has been cited as a “blueprint for how smart people can get better at everything.”
More info at http://www.TriangleofTruth.com

Leadership Training should be a top priority for companies and corporations, even in tough economic times according to an article published on Business Week recently. When leadership training is neglected as organizations tighten their belts, it will affect the bottom line.

In the U.S., a study conducted by Expertus in 2008 indicated that 48% of those companies surveyed were cutting their leadership training budgets because of economic conditions. As the economy continued on a downward spiral, cuts in leadership training continued. According to Business Week, leadership training is essential in any economic climate in order to experience continued growth in the business arena.

The article goes on to compare a lack of leadership training to weeds choking out a garden; as the recession continued to get worse, managers focused more on maintaining status quo than motivating employees toward continued growth. The lack of leadership training meant that employees began to lack motivation and focus, resulting in “choked” or stifled growth in many companies and organizations. It is necessary for effective leadership training to be in place consistently, even in tough economic times.

During the last several years of economic crisis, employees have been insecure about their jobs, which lead to decreased morale; a lack of leadership training left employees without the essential guidance they need from managers. To sum it all up, the scarcity of available jobs coupled with job security issues and a decrease in leadership training meant that productivity in employees decreased tremendously. By implementing effective leadership training now, the garden can begin to thrive and grow again – meaning more efficient and motivated personnel, and ultimately continued business growth.

Business Week goes on to say that leadership training, contrary to popular belief, does not produce only long-term results. In fact, the article claims that results can actually be seen the same afternoon. Simple strategies such as a one-day workshop can often stimulate the team, motivating staff and improving skills for effective team leadership. In only hours, the level of motivation and productivity can be increased substantially – with the help of a good leader.

Several topics that should be covered in leadership training include setting objectives, team building and helping these teams grown to maximum potential, personal goal setting and how personal goals and business goals can be aligned. Leadership training is essential in helping employees gain drive and ambition; they must feel necessary and capable, otherwise they will feel as if they are just going to a “job” every day, which isn’t productive for the growth of the employee or the company.

Savvy business owners realize that leadership training is an investment in their employees and ultimately in the success of their company. The company as a whole is invigorated even in a faltering economy by the investment in leadership training. According to the article, a good leadership training program should include:

- Connecting with staff
- Making managers better coaches and mentors
- Listening and giving feedback
- Having a clear vision
- Understanding how separate components make up the complete machine

Leadership training will help companies “weed out” the negative aspects that are dragging the company down, and feed prospective new leaders for renewed growth and vigor, resulting in larger profits.

About the Author

Hakan Samad Graduated in University of Washington, majoring in Business Policy, International Business, Organizational Behavior, Business Communications, Consumer Research, Managing Information Systems, New Media Communications and business leadership.
He is currently a Freelance writer for few business leadership websites and now recides in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

If you’ve read a few of my articles you already know I’m a firm believer in having an accountability partner when working on a goal whether or not the goal is a personal or professional one. While preparing for a personal goal of my own, it was my four-year old son who provided me with a great example of the 3 key qualities needed to have the right accountability partner.

I had such a great time participating in The L.A.T.E. Ride last summer I decided to register again this year…and actually do some training/conditioning unlike last year. This event hosts up to 9,000 bicyclists on a summer Saturday night/Sunday morning for a 25-mile ride through Chicago’s neighborhoods climaxing with a beautiful stretch along the Chicago lakefront. There is nothing like experiencing the city, safely, in the dark of the night on a bike!
My partner for training has been my son on the tag-a-long. He’s game for riding anytime and LOVES to go down the big hills (you can’t go too far from my house without going up one or down another). He also likes to direct our route. It was on a warm afternoon ride earlier this week when he kicked my butt AND exemplified the following three key qualities needed in a great accountability partner.

When working towards a big goal it’s important to have someone who will push you beyond what you would do on your own. Left to my own devices, I would easily fall into a routine route that wouldn’t stretch me beyond my limits. But when encouraged by someone take a more challenging path; it’s easier to get beyond myself. On this particularly hot and steamy ride, Aidan chose a 4 ½ mile loop and about 2 miles of it is up hill! Which leads to the next important quality…

Your accountability partner must genuinely and whole-heartedly believe in you. I must admit that I had an inkling of the route Aidan wanted to take AND I tried to suggest some alternates but he wasn’t falling for it. When I groaned and muttered something about it being a big hill, he energetically replied, “We can do it, Mommy! We have STRONG legs!” How could I argue, especially when my son thinks I’m strong? Honestly, after he said it I did feel a surge of strength and energy as we rode up the hill.

Finally, as you are in the midst of the work and struggle of goal achievement, it’s important to have someone who will cheer you on and celebrate the success! As we faced the second of three hills I could hear him chanting behind me “Go, Go, Go!” and I realized he was really cheering me on. OK, I’ll admit it. My chant to him was “Pedal faster!”…I needed all the help I could get!
As we finally turned onto our street, I sucked a bit of wind and breathed a small sigh of relief knowing it was literally all downhill from there. I was ready to coast across the finish line, but my accountability partner kept on cheering. He wouldn’t settle for anything less than my best. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen but somehow I’d forgotten that average is the enemy of excellence. We couldn’t just coast in. Instead my partner encouraged me to change gears and we pedaled as fast as we could down the hill as though we were racing for the Tour de France finish line, blowing right past our driveway. When we finally got home and off our bikes, we high fived and Aidan said,”That was fun! You did really good Mommy.” My heart just melted. Not only did I get a great workout, but also a great lesson.

About the Author

Victoria Cook is a guilt-free results expert, author, speaker, and internationally recognized coach. As the creator of the Guilt-Free RESULTS™ System and author of The Professional Woman’s Must Have 7-Step Guide to Getting Exactly What She Wants without Guilt, Victoria provides inspiration, education, and motivation for business owners who struggle with achieving big goals. Visit http://www.TheGuiltFreeCoach.com to receive free step-by-step information, support, and encouragement to reach one goal in the next 30 days through her famous Big Goals No Guilt 30 Day Business Challenge.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to choose between a ‘right way’ of getting things done and an ‘easy way’? It could be a choice between cutting corners and producing standard. It could be a choice between letting your subordinates or even yourself off with sub standard work, or striving for the best even if it means a big sacrifice. That’s right. I’m sure that for all leaders, experienced or not, we’d certainly have come across this, right? After all, the easy versus right dilemma is an everyday issue for a leader or manager, isn’t it?

This article of Leadership Lessons hence aims to help leaders explore how they can tackle this decision and make the wisest decision.

Many a time, we, as leaders, do our best to provide value-based leadership for our subordinates. However, despite our ‘hopes’ and ‘wishes’ to provide this moral leadership, us leaders often falter in the face of adversity. For instance, the mental fatigue of ceaselessly ensuring standards slowly corrodes into our willpower, draining whatever resistance we have left. The desire to make the popular decision when all our subordinates are for compromising standards slowly eat into our moral courage, depleting our sense of righteousness. At the breaking point, the easy way will seem to be the right way, and we’d be able to derive a plethora of justifications to support our decision.

As tempting or popular as this may be, let us not forget the consequences of forsaking the right way. First and foremost, we, as leaders, lead by example, whether we like it or not. As such, by showing the ‘wrong example’, our subordinates will only grow to either loose respect for us and give up on our leadership, or take advantage of our weakness for their benefits. Clearly, while an easy decision may ease their immediate frustration and perhaps, gain us some popularity, our failed leadership would result in more unhappiness for them and ourselves in the long run.

Secondly, making compromises for comfort’s sake would certainly do some damage to our intended goal. If it is to ensure standards or satisfy a quota in sales or quality for example, cutting corners would mean that we would possibly fall short. If the goal is less quantifiable, say to create a ‘go-all-out’ culture in your workplace, then clearly actions speak louder than words, and the easy decision speaks. Ultimately, this decision would not just mean that we failed ourselves, but also that we failed our superiors and shortchanged our subordinates for giving less than our best.

Having said this, how, then, can we avoid such a pitfall? One tested-and-proven strategy would be to always focus on our outcome. When our mind decides to wander down the path of the pseudo benefits of the easy way, remind ourselves of our mission and allow our mind to decide if a particular course of action would bring us closer or further away from our goal. It also helps to consider the identity which we wish to portray to others. Is it one of morals or weakness? This way, we keep in view the long term implications of a short term decision. Another method would be to refresh ourselves that making a decision that we’ll regret in the future not only affects us but would also disappoint our bosses and shortchange our subordinates, of whom may be giving their best for our sakes.

The next time you are put in a position to decide between the right and easy, which would you choose? So long as you keep the larger picture in mind, I’m sure that you’d make a wise decision, right?

About the Author

Lucas Lin is a renowned expert in the field of leadership and management. Having held leadership positions ranging from management executive to operations manager, Lucas is in the prime position to offer advice on leadership and consulting services to leaders across the hierarchy as he developed an intimate knowledge of value-based leadership.

Visit Lucas Lin for Timeless Leadership Lessons at http://leadership-lessons.com

I recently returned from a corporate retreat to an island destination and was completely shocked by the inappropriate behavior displayed by my management team. At no point during my four years of college did I ever witness such debauchery. Middle-aged men and women were smacking each others’ asses, taking shots in the resort’s hot tub and making racial jokes left and right.





What would possess normally respectable, work-minded individuals to act this way? I hypothesize that many of the members of my management team were not the coolest kids growing up and have resultantly grasped their fat paychecks, impressive titles and taken on the Van Wilder-eque persona to capitalize on their lost years of coolness. Based on my week of observations here is a list of how to be considered “kewl” in Corporate America:







1. Talk About Alcohol: Talk about how much you drank, how much you are drinking and how much you plan on drinking. The more outrageous and detailed the better. “Yeah Mike from Department X and I were slugging back tequila shots until 2am last night” or “Back in the day my buddy and I used to crush a keg just the two of us”.





2. Perfect the Back Slap: The most effective tool when you are trying to peer pressure someone to drink more, dance more or make a regrettable decision is the firm and swift back slap. “Come on Katie let’s see you funnel a beer!” [followed by overly aggressive back slap].





3. Talk About Sex: Make innuendo about any and everything. Throw in a couple “that’s what she saids’” and bonus points if you talk about having sex with people other than your significant other. Also, make bets on who you think will hook up by the end of the night. “Married coworker X is totally going to bang engaged and 15 year junior coworker Z!”





4. Do Not Call People by Their Names: Do not use the person’s proper name. Either call them by their title, “Hey HR get over here” or a nickname you made up on the fly “Hey Wets-the-Bed-After-Vodka-Shots can you grab me a beer?”





5. Talk About How “Wild” Everyone is: Emphasize to everyone how wild and fun the company is for being able to party so “hard”. When you return to the office, continue to reminisce by saying things like “Remember how much we drank man!” Upon return set up a slideshow of pictures in the lunch room or conference room of everyone getting wild and crazy so you can relive the extremeness.





6. Curse: Curse like a f-ing sailor. Didn’t you know it’s almost as cool to swear as it is to smoke? Drop F-bombs like you are trying to destroy the f-ing universe.





7. Over-Emphasize Your Hangover: Do what you need to do to look like the person that partied the hardest the night before. Beat yourself up, brush your teeth “with a bottle of jack”, put Vaseline in your hair – anything to look like hell crusted over.





8. Talk About Video Games: Make sure that you let your friends know that you love to play old-school video games. None of these new, fancy games, but I’m talking about old-school games like tecmo super bowl for the original Nintendo.

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There are many business skills that need to be learned during your online business venture, but there is one that needs to be mastered. That skill is the ability to not give up, despite many failures along the way.

Here are 9 things that you can do when you feel like quitting your online business. It has worked well for me and others. It can help you too.

1. When you do feel very stressed out, frustrated, angry, and about to quit, take some nice, deep cleansing breaths. This will relax your mind and body.

2. If you feel like quitting, step back and give yourself some breathing room. Don’t spend too much time online. Instead, spend shorter times going through your business (15 minutes each time).

3. Exercise is one of the best stress relievers that you should do on a daily basis. Walking, running, dancing, or whatever form of exercise you choose has many benefits for a stress free mind while building your online business. Do this on a regular basis.

4. Shut the computer down for the day and turn your attention to other things in your life that make you feel absolutely great. Anything that takes your mind off your business can and will help.

5. Tell yourself that you are a winner. Winners like you never quit, and quitters never win. You are not like them. You have to know that you are a winner no matter what.

6. Don’t give up and quit when you feel like it. Success could be just around the corner. Desperation has a way of getting your mental juices flowing and there just may be a solution in that flow. Now, if you were just one step away from reaching your goal, would you take that step? What a shame it would be to stop making the effort, when just a little bit more would make it all worthwhile. What a shame it would be to have taken all those steps, only to miss the very last one. The next step you take may very well be the one that makes all the others count. At some point success is just one step away. Keep going and you’ll be there.

7. Many successful people online today overcame many obstacles and road bumps along the way. Every time you feel like quitting, think about those people and know that they never quit when things were down for them.

8. Reading motivational books and listening to tapes can be a great way to stay motivated. It has great powers to inspire people. Everyone does it and you should too.

9. Giving up is NOT an option. Look for other ways to improve your business until you do find what works for you.

About the Author

If you want to make money online but not sure where to go or where to start, I am inviting you to visit my website where I show you 10 of the best ways to earn AT LEAST $100 per day online:
http://www.top10to100workathome.com