Weeks 8 - 9

A. Traits of a highly effective leader

Despite a large amount of research done on the subject, there is little agreement about exactly what leadership is.

Still, people know effective leadership when they see it. And while great leaders may sometimes be born that way, there are certain traits that great leaders share in common that anyone can practice and adopt to become more effective.

What qualities are those? Well, to be a highly effective leader, you must ...

... inspire action.

Try to paint a vision of the future that inspires your people to do whatever it takes to get there. The best leaders also clear away the organizational roadblocks that constrain employees’ natural creativity and initiative, unleashing a tremendous amount of energy in the process.

... be optimistic.

We all want to work with and for people who lift us up into the clouds instead of dragging us down into the mud. Make sure to seek out the positives in your people, helping them overcome their own feelings of self-doubt and spreading optimism throughout your organization.

... have integrity.

Research shows that the top thing that employees want from their leaders is integrity. Be honest, fair, candid and forthright, and treat everyone in the same way that you yourself would want to be treated.

... support and facilitate your team.

For people to do their very best work, they need an organizational environment that supports them by making it safe to take risks, to tell the truth, and to speak up ... without being punished for doing so. Support your employees by creating this kind of environment, and it will facilitate their progress toward attaining your organization’s goals.

... have confidence.

Highly effective leaders know deep down inside that they and their team can accomplish anything they set their minds to. Failure is not an option. Tentative leaders make for tentative employees. If you’re confident, your people will be too.

... communicate.

In any organization, knowledge is power, and great leaders ensure that every employee, from the very top to the very bottom of the org chart, is provided with complete and up-to-date information about the organization’s goals, performance, successes and failures. To achieve this level of connection, you should also provide ample channels for two-way communication between employees and managers, actively soliciting their ideas for improvement and rewarding employees for submitting them.

... be decisive.

One of the most basic duties of any leader is to make decisions. Highly effective leaders aren’t afraid to be decisive and to make tough calls quickly when circumstances require it. Once you have all the information you need to make an informed decision, then don’t hesitate--make it. And once you make a decision, then stick with it unless there is a particularly compelling reason for you to change it.

No matter what type of organization or industry you're in, it's possible to become a more effective leader, inspiring your people to give their very best every day of the week. Make a point of practicing these 7 leadership traits, and you will be a highly effective leader too.

B. Traits of creative people

Think of creativity as a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. To increase your creativity, you simply need to “act” like a creative person. Not surprisingly, people recognized as creative tend to share common traits.

Highly creative people:

1. Have the COURAGE to try new things and risk failure. This doesn’t mean you should constantly go off the deep end, just that you should balance your routine portfolio of solutions with an investment in the new and untried. Over time, the risk is usually worth the reward.
2. Use INTUITION as well as logic to make decisions and produce ideas. When Matt Drudge designed his Web site, he listened to his gut instead of the Internet gurus. He kept it simple, small, fast, and some would say ugly and primitive. But it works for him, making The Drudge Report one of the most recognizable and popular sites in the world.
3. Like to PLAY, since humor and fun are the ultimate creative act. Which is to say you just have to lighten up. We all have goals, and quotas, and deadlines, but it’s not life and death. When you enjoy yourself, your brain relaxes and is able to produce more and better ideas. One of those ideas may be just what you’re looking for.
4. Are EXPRESSIVE and willing to share what they feel and think, to be themselves. Blogging is the ideal arena for injecting your personality into your work. People are emotional creatures and respond better to people who appear real, honest, and open. Not only is it more interesting, it can also be more persuasive.
5. Can FIND ORDER in confusion and discover hidden meaning in information. Research and critical thinking are key tools for the creative person. Information is to the brain what food is to the stomach. So-called “writer’s block” or creative burnout almost always results from a lack of fresh information and having nothing meaningful to say.
6. Are MOTIVATED BY A TASK rather than by external rewards. You must like the challenge of writing, explaining, teaching, and persuading. Sure, you can make money along the way, but if you’re in it just for the money, you’re not going to be a fountain of new ideas.
7. Have a need to FIND SOLUTIONS to challenging problems. Even the most creative writers won’t have a solution for everything. If they claim to, they’ve stopped thinking. Highly creative people are those whose eyes light up at a question they can’t answer. That’s the opportunity to learn something new and produce remarkably creative content.
8. Will CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS and ask hard questions to discover what is real. Writing, blogging, or business rules aren’t really rules, only rules of thumb. If you want to wield true creative power, you will always take what others advise with a grain of salt. (That includes all of us gurus who love to don our pointy wizard hats and pontificate on the secrets of success.) If you don’t know something from personal knowledge or experience, you don’t know it at all.
9. Can MAKE CONNECTIONS between old ideas to produce new insights. Combine the little doodles you make on a white board with online video and you get CommonCraft, a new approach to explaining things to people in a way they can easily understand. Sometimes the best solutions are simply two old ideas jammed together.
10. Will PUSH THE ENVELOPE in order to expand the boundaries of what is possible. There was a time when no one thought you could make money on the Internet. Now it’s a huge, multi-national business platform. Instead of dividing the world into the possible and impossible, it’s better to merely divide it into the tried and the untried. What have you not tried yet?
11. Are willing to TEST new ideas and compete with others based on results. Isn’t that what they mean by the “market of ideas”? Isn’t that what business competition is about? If you’re afraid of being wrong or losing, your creativity will suffer.

C. Traits of successful entrepreneurs

I've often wondered what differentiates successful entrepreneurs from their peers. Are there certain qualities they share? I think so. But I also think it's important to acknowledge that timing, luck and simply being in the right place at the right time play a part in many success stories

Decades of personal experience and mentoring have taught me that successful entrepreneurs share these five qualities:

1. An unwavering passion.

The advice to do what you love has become a bit of a cliché. Everyone says, "Find your passion." But that's easier said than done. Being an entrepreneur demands commitment and dedication -- more than most jobs do, I'd argue. If you're ambivalent or mildly enthused about your product or service, that's not going to sustain you through the highs and lows that will inevitably occur. If you find something you love enough to want to share it with others, that love will fuel and give you purpose.

2. Open-mindedness.The advice to do what you love has become a bit of a cliché. Everyone says, "Find your passion." But that's easier said than done. Being an entrepreneur demands commitment and dedication -- more than most jobs do, I'd argue. If you're ambivalent or mildly enthused about your product or service, that's not going to sustain you through the highs and lows that will inevitably occur. If you find something you love enough to want to share it with others, that love will fuel and give you purpose.

The most successful entrepreneurs I know never forget how much they can learn from others. They ask for advice. They're flexible. They soak up the best practices around them like a sponge. Fear of failure can make it easy to grip onto your vision with an iron fist, but rigidity won't serve you.

3. The desire to be an expert. 
Entrepreneurs like a challenge. If they didn't, they'd probably have chosen another line of work. But as exciting as it is to consider a new field, high-achieving entrepreneurs know the benefits of staying in the same industry for a while are immense. When you spend years in the same industry, you learn its history. Knowing what's been done before can help you identify how it can and should move forward. In the meantime, you'll build a network of relationships to support you in future endeavors, especially when times are lean. Those relationships are invaluable.

4. A forward-looking approach.
Successful entrepreneurs are always thinking ahead. They may stray from their roadmap, and that's okay, but they have one in mind. Having a clearly established set of goals will keep you from getting stuck. Your goals may be constantly evolving, but if you don't know where you want to go, chances are, you won't get anywhere.

5. A constant flow of ideas. 
Having one project that's doing well is great. But the successful entrepreneurs I know don't rest on their laurels. Instead, they're constantly asking themselves, "What's next?" They understand that being a successful entrepreneur is a lifestyle choice, not a destination.

Embrace these qualities and you will become a better entrepreneur.

D. Traits of highly successful people

Here are stories of seven of the most successful--and wealthiest--people in the world to illustrate each of those seven principles. 

1. Guy Laliberte, Cirque du Soleil Founder: Do What You Love, But Follow the Money

Guy Laliberte was a high-school-educated circus clown from Quebec when he led a collective of performers to start Cirque du Soleil. Despite government subsidies, indulgent sponsors, and Laliberte's hard work, the circus barely survived for years while evolving its distinctive style. Laliberte's master stroke was to switch Cirque's status from non-profit to for-profit (with himself as one-third owner). Today he's worth $1.8 billion. Even clowning can be a smart career move, as long you're the owner.

2. Suze Orman, Financial Advisor: Save Less, Earn More 

Suze Orman has made a fortune telling people to grow their wealth through frugality, despite having no personal experience in the matter. When Suze was in her mid-30s, she lived high, but was mired in debt. She didn't cut back on luxuries; instead she worked her way out. She did what she loved, followed financial opportunity, and today she is in a situation to spend $300,000 a year traveling the world on private jets. In the end, your time is much better spent seizing opportunities than pinching pennies.

3. Bill Gates, Microsoft Founder: Imitate, Don't Innovate 

Bill Gates built one of the world's largest fortunes--$67 billion, according to Forbes--by licensing operating system software to IBM. In actuality, that software was wholly adapted from someone else's code. Gates' Microsoft lacked the innovative capacity to write it from scratch, so it dressed up some code from another company's software, which Microsoft had bought for $25,000. When Gates delivered the second-hand software to IBM, it was on time, but it was so buggy that IBM engineers had to rewrite it completely. Thirty-three years later, no one remembers or cares. Innovation is seldom as important as timely execution of an adequate imitation.

4. Warren Buffett, Investor: Know-How Is Good, Know-Who Is Better

Warren Buffett arrived at his savvy investment philosophy when he was very young, but his know-how was nearly worthless because he personally lacked enough capital to make large market moves. Buffett didn't get rich until he overcame his shyness, recruited members for his investment partnerships, and led those partners in squeezing stock performance out of corporate managers. Case in point: No one gets rich alone.

5. Adam McKay, Hollywood Producer/Director: Win-Win Is a Sure Way to Lose 

Adam McKay is one of the most successful producer/directors in Hollywood. He's teamed up with Will Ferrell on Talledega Nights, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, and Anchorman. But his movie-making career might never have happened if he hadn't negotiated a sweetheart deal to produce film shorts while on the writing staff at Saturday Night Live. The secret to landing the deal? He didn't try to play a so-called win-win negotiating game. Instead, he told SNL'stop dog Lorne Michaels that having his own film crew was his price for staying with the show, and he was ready to walk away without it. Michaels paid happily.

6. Richard Branson, Virgin Founder: Spread the Work, Spread the Wealth 

Sir Richard Branson suffers from severe dyslexia, but he's come to regard it as his greatest strength. Branson runs his Virgin Group as a venture capital fund that places bets on entrepreneurs with bright ideas that fit the Virgin brand strategy. He's never tempted to micro-manage any of the dozens of Virgin companies because he can't. "If I could read a balance sheet," he once said, "I wouldn't have done anything in life." In sum, work your strengths and get others to work theirs.

7. Steve Jobs, Apple Founder: Nothing Succeeds Like Failure

Steve Jobs had a vision, back in the 1980s, for a three-dimensional imaging computer that would revolutionize the defense, oil, and medical industries. He was wrong about it, and he lost millions of his own dollars before shutting down production of the $125,000 Pixar Imaging Computer in 1991. At the time, Pixar's only profitable unit was a tiny team of animators using Pixar software to make computer-generated TV commercials--a team that would later form the Pixar movie studio that made Toy Story. And when Jobs died in 2011, more than 70 percent of his $8.3 billion fortune came from his stake in Pixar Studios, in an industry he never had any intention of entering.

E. A funny yet inspirational talk by Ben Chestnut: a successful entrepreneur and leader

F. Positive and Negative Traits - a handy list of adjectives to enrich your vocabulary

List of positive Traits

adaptable
adventurous
affable: friendly, easy going and easy to talk to
affectionate
agreeable
ambitious
amiable: showing a friendly and pleasant manner
amicable: friendly
bright
broad-minded
calm
careful
charming
compassionate
conscientious
considerate
convivial: friendly, lively and enjoyable
courageous
courteous
creative
decisive
determined
diligent: hard working
discreet: careful
dynamic
easygoing
emotional
energetic
enthusiastic
exuberant: full of energy and excitement and cheerfulness
fair-minded
faithful
fearless
frank
friendly
funny
generous
gentle
good
gregarious: sociable; fond of company
hard-working
helpful
honest
humorous
imaginative
impartial
independent
intelligent
intuitive
inventive
kind
loyal
modest
nice
optimistic
passionate
patient
persistent
pioneering
polite
powerful
practical
pro-active
quick-witted
quiet
rational
reliable
resourceful
sensitive
sincere
straightforward
thoughtful
tough
understanding
versatile
warmhearted
willing
witty: funny; comical


List of negative traits

aggressive
aloof: cool and distant
arrogant
belligerent: hostile and aggressive
bitchy
bossy
callous: showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others
careless
clinging
compulsive
conservative
cowardly
cruel
cynical
deceitful
detached
dishonest
finicky
foolish
fussy
greedy
grumpy
gullible
harsh
impatient
impolite
impulsive
inconsiderate
inconsistent
indecisive
indiscreet
inflexible
intolerant
irresponsible
jealous
lazy
Machiavellian
materialistic
mean
miserly
moody
narrow-minded
nasty
naughty
nervous
obsessive
obstinate
overcritical
pessimistic
pompous
possessive
quarrelsome
quick-tempered
resentful
rude
ruthless
sarcastic
secretive
selfish
self-centred
silly
sneaky
stingy
stubborn
stupid
superficial
tactless
timid
touchy
thoughtless
truculent: eager to argue
unkind
unpredictable
unreliable
untrustworthy
vague
vain

Assignment: pick 3 or more of each traits (positives and negatives) to describe the list of people below and construct a little story to justify the description of each.

1. Your oldest son/daughter
2. Hollande (president)
3. Your youngest brother/sister
4. Your father
5. Your mother
6. Your wife
7. A well known athlete (your pick)
8. A well known french actor/actress
9. A political figure
10. A friend (pick one)

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G. A manifesto

man·i·fes·to /ˌmænəˈfɛstoʊ/ noun

plural man·i·fes·tos or man·i·fes·toes

[count] : a written statement that describes the policies, goals, and opinions of a person or group
▪ The group's manifesto focused on helping the poor and stopping violence. ▪ a political party'smanifesto

Have you ever heard,read or created one? 

Look and read the following manifesto from an athletic apparel company and let's pluck out some of the interesting words and concepts and discuss them together:

http://static.lululemon.com/files/poster_EN_11x17_2012.pdf

Now some questions:

1. What did you think of it? Is there a central theme in this manifesto?
2. Do you agree, disagree with some of the concepts written in this manifesto?
3. Do you think that people may be incouraged or discouraged to buy from this company after reading the manifesto? Why or why not?

Let's look closely at another manifesto and discuss your observations. 

What do you think of the manifesto?

What do you identify with personally?

What do you like about the manifesto?

Is there anything you don’t like?

Is it a good guide for life?

Is it too simplistic?

What would you change in this manifesto to have it to your liking?