What I Learned from Donald Trump
Can’t We Shoot the Celebrity Chefs – Especially Paula Deen
The Iron Lady-A Study in 20th Century Leadership versus 21st Century Leadership
Is Your Value Visible?
If you put your ear to the ground…you can hear it. There is a groundswell, and it’s coming your way.
Will you be a leader in this grassroots movement or will you bring up the rear?
To be in the forefront, you must redefine how you discover, define and discuss your value with all those you encounter, both professionally and personally. First, you need to discover your value both as an individual and as an organization. Then you need to articulate this value with a clarity that compels people to think, talk and act in ways that create a “professional velocity” propelling you toward your goals.
Have you seen the popular motivational poster that reads, “LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY?” Although the message applies to leadership, the same can be said for how you see yourself in this “Communicating Your Value” movement.
Bold individuals and visionary companies look for a competitive edge. Let’s fact it; we all compete in a hyper-competitive world. We are constantly looking for an edge in price, service – or anywhere else we can proclaim to our customers – that we do it better. To gain that edge each of you can adapt the mindset to recognize the twist – the impetus – that makes this movement unique. It’s based on the idea that value is in the application of an idea, not on the idea itself.
To be included in this “Communicating Your Value” movement you must first rethink how you discuss your value. Standout value is defined as making that which is already there, known. Or, one might say making the invisible, visible.
Can you develop and discuss your value on an ongoing basis? I believe the only way to discover value is to use powerful, probing questions to uncover your story – and to create a new one.
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How the Sweater Vest beat the Guy from Central Casting
Mitt Romney is hitting his head against a brick wall this week. He and his PACS spent millions. Rick Santorum spent $100,000+ .
Communication Lesson Learned: your audience (voters) decide your value, not you the speaker. The Rules of Communication apply even if your net value is $250 million. You need BUY-IN from your audience. Santorum got it by speaking face to face in every county in Iowa.
The Executive No-Show
The Celebrity Sitting Next to You
Every Country is a Brand
CBI stands for Country Brand Index. It is a global study of a country’s brand strength. The most important factors-the aspects that truly differentiate a country’s brand-are its associations and attributes across five key dimensions: Value System, Quality of Life, Good for Business, Heritage and Culture and Tourism. A strong country brand is more than the sum of its attributes: in total, it must make people’s lives better.
Lesson Learned: If a country has its own Brand, can you really think you don’t have your own Brand? For the first decade of this century Brazil had almost 10% unemployment. During this time Brazil was branded for its Carnival of Brazil not for its unemployment. A country is branded by its ability to make people’s lives better. How do you make people’s lives better?
The Newest Legal Immigrant
The response from the Electric Impulse “community” about Missy – my wonder dog, was amazing and so comforting. I still have my Tim and planned on going through however long he has, with our reduced little family. Most people come back from Mexico with a piñata. Somehow I came back from Mexico last month with a puppy. Her name is Miss Nacha Vallarta. Although she looks nothing like my Missy, she is Missy reincarnated.
Lesson Learned: At the most inopportune time, a 4-legged creature came into my Dad’s life. At the most inopportune time, a 4-legged creature came into my life. Even though one should not make major decisions for a year after a loss, and even though housebreaking in rain and cold is not ideal, Karma works in strange ways. Is there something you want to do that is not easy, convenient, and makes no sense?
John Edwards: As the Karma Turns
At an earlier time, John Edwards was the American success story. He made his millions in the courtroom betting on his ability to read a jury. At a later time, he was officially announced “the most disliked man in America.” He was lower in the polls with Bin Laden. Now he goes back to the courtroom to once again bet on the jury system. This time he is the defendant.
Lesson Learned: Will we ever learn the basic “what goes around comes around theory?” What if we all could be enlightened enough to realize that the person we reject today could be our boss tomorrow. The person whose call we did not return today could be tomorrow’s life-changing client. Do we ever learn?
