Eight Rules of Leadership from George Washington

[Washington triumphantly crossing the Delaware.]
Source: Wikipedia

Dear Senator McCain and Senator Obama:

You are running for a position that we lost faith in. According to a recent poll, President Bush’s approval ratings were at 23%, breaking records for the worst ever. President Clinton got himself impeached before leaving office as well. Prior to that, President George H. W. Bush’s approval ratings were at 37% on the eve of the 1992 election day.

One of you will be the 44th US President. For the winner, remember this… be the great leader that is needed. Earn our support. Get back to first principles. You only need to look to the first President as a model for being a great leader.
Read more »

What the Prius Has Taught Us About Innovation

[Prius is a prime example of innovation.]
Source: vernieman

It seems like the Prius is the car to own if you want to show off your environmental conscience. As a clincher, throw in a trunk full of pricey organic foods and make sure people see you carry them in eco-friendly $960 designer reusable grocery bags (I have reusable grocery bags too, but mine are $958 cheaper).

OK, putting the eco-hype aside, the Prius is a pretty amazing tale of success. The story of Prius is an excellent case study for innovation. The term “innovation” carries a lot of loaded meaning, so I need to be explicit. I define “innovation” as a creative solution that is commercially successful. Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn something here.

Read more »

Do Nice Guys Finish Last?

[Nice guy finishing last.]
Source: kk+

As I was walking into a building, I tried to be nice and opened the door to let a woman behind me go first. Before I knew it, a group of guys just quickly and carelessly walked out through the door I was holding open for the woman. It was a glass door so they must have seen I was trying to let the woman go first.

I wasn’t sure which shocked me more - the fact that they didn’t wait for the woman or that they expected me to hold the door for them without even a “thank you”! As I stood there simply dumbfounded with what happened, I began to ask the age-old question: do nice guys finish last?

Read more »

Apologizing Is a Form of Weakness

[Being sorry.].
Source: reportergimmi

When you apologize, you show people that you are fallible and that you make mistakes. In a world of hyper-productivity, success means everything and failure is nothing. Whether we like it or not, the truth is that an apology is admitting to the world a weakness and that you failed.

Good. Be weak. Show you’re human. Make mistakes. Make them early and make them often. Learn from them. Grow.

When you fail, say, “I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time.”

And make sure you back those words up.

Read more »

Want More Success? Just Say “No”

Just say no.
Source: apesara

“No.”

It is such a strong, negative word. As someone who considers myself an optimist, I feel terrible just saying it. The thing about it is, I say it all the time, whether I realize it or not.

Do I want to work late to get ahead at my job? If I say “yes” to that, then I’m saying “no” to the time I would have with my family at night. Do I want to stretch my budget and buy that fancy car? If I say “yes” to that, then I’m saying “no” to the downpayment I need for my next house.

Read more »