Author: Scott Asai

Helping people develop their leadership skills to advance in their career

A Golden Opportunity

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As the drama of the Olympic Games unfolds, gold medals are highlighted, but listen to the individual stories of hard work and sacrifice that weave the tapestry of the competition. 
For every medal that is won, hundreds are lost. Picture the competitors that train for 4 years, yet come up empty. How do they define their Olympic experience? 
Personally I see the parallel as an entrepreneur. 
For every book written and success story covered by journalists, there are thousands of failures.
How do you define success? Is it based on money earned? Influence spread? Popularity? 
Only you can determine that. Sometimes starting at the end gives us perspective. For example, I remember a graphic on a tombstone that asked the question, “Title or Testimony?” Ponder that. Ultimately, what do you want to be remembered for? 
According to Dan Pink, we strive for purpose, autonomy and mastery, yet what’s your story?
Just because you didn’t win, doesn’t mean you’re a loser. 
Just because you’re not where you want to be career-wise, doesn’t make you a failure.
Just because you didn’t meet your expectations, doesn’t mean you underachieved.
Hard work doesn’t always equal your desired results, but without it you don’t stand a chance. 
If life is a journey, you won’t always get what you want. Even with the right process, the product doesn’t always match up. I believe your ability to cope with unfavorable circumstances determines your worldview. What matters is how you deal with adversity. When you get knocked down, how quickly do you get back up? 

So the next time you don’t succeed, how will you respond? That determines your impact.

Takeaways from Warren Bennis

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Guest post by Jeff Okita
Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my role models, Dr. Warren Bennis. As an established author and widely regarded as a pioneer of leadership studies, he is truly a remarkable person. Here are some takeaways from my interview.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson used to ask people he hasn’t seen in a while – “What has become
  clearer since we last spoke?”

– Dr. Bennis intellectualizes as defense. People who intellectualize tend not to get
  emotional/visceral.

– Freud wrote about 6 methods of defense. A great leader has a great repertoire of defense
  mechanisms.

– Know who you are, the effect you have on others and what roles call on you.

– The boundaries of authenticity – one is a limit of the norms of the culture, but also a
  personality factor.

– Be authentic to your role.

– An increase of sources of news will make transparency easier

– On what advice you would give the current administration – “Obama has to call on shared
  sacrifice; there is a hunger for it from people who live in this generation. Be specific. Ask  
  for sacrifice”

– Bennis thinks that the people need the voice that FDR provided through fireside chats.

– How do you mobilize communities? Through groups or individual leadership? Both.

– Any structure will work if the people want it.


Bennis is a caring person. He makes eye contact with every person in the room, for an extended period of time, as if looking into your very soul. Bennis ponders and remembers intricate facts about his childhood, people he’s meet and passages he’s read. After our conversation, I thought “this man is exceptional, and different than anyone else I’ve ever met.” What a truly great experience that I’ll never forget.

Risk + Reward

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No risk, no reward. A simple, but powerful statement.
Picture a spectrum. On one end is the analytical thinker and on the other is the emotional risk taker.

Where do you fall?

In business and in life, there needs to be a healthy balance of the two. For example, before starting your own business, you must research the industry, know the costs and forecast your profits. You also need to identify opportunities, be willing to invest time and money while passionately selling yourself.
From my own experience if you’re going to err on one side, choose risk. You can only do so much prep, but when push comes to shove its about taking action to get results. Timing is everything, so you have to be ready when opportunity strikes. If you over-analyze your situation, you’ll miss out. 
Talk to serial entrepreneurs who have failed more times than you have tried. Their ability to cope and move forward is inspiring. Sure, they do their homework on taking calculated risks, but their goals are huge. They determine their own standards. They see the potential greatness and chase it tenaciously. 
The difference is direction. Are you going towards your goal or trying to avoid obstacles? The answer to that question will greatly determine your chance of success. 
Your daily challenge isn’t to think about it, but just do it! Identify your target and start making progress now!

Insights into Finding a Mentor

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Guest Post by Charles Lee
Mentorship is one of the primary pathways for growth in my life.
I’m fortunate to have some great people in my life that continue to shape how I think (mind), what I value (heart & passion), and how I get things done (skill-set). I learned early on that what I deem to be “success” will have a direct correlation with the kinds of people investing in my life. I always have my eyes open for individuals who embody the kind of life that I hope to live. People of deep compassion, unwavering integrity, innovative thinking, and undeniable generosity inspire me.
In seeking mentorship, I’ve found the following thoughts to be helpful in finding the right mentor:
Mentor Your Strengths – Too many people focus on strengthening weaknesses and overlooking the need to strengthen strengths. While it’s important to get help in areas of one’s weakness, I’ve found that mentorship works well when you’re working on strengthening your strength. I think this context will also inspire your mentor to be more engaged since the questions you bring up are probably what they have considered or continue to ponder. It’s definitely not a bad thing to have some mentors that help you develop your weaknesses. Nevertheless, don’t forgot to engage some that will strengthen your strengths and help you go from good to great.
Take Time to Explore Mentorship Expectations & Objectives – Most, if not all, mentors you seek are probably extremely busy! You may want to take some time and develop a realistic plan for engagement. Be clear on why you think they would be a good mentor and gauge their level of interest by asking them. How often are you hoping to connect with them and why? In person? Phone? Email? Be upfront and be open to them shaping the experience. Also, be sure to clearly articulate what you hope to get out of the mentorship as well as how you hope to support or even contribute to their work. Never underestimate the value you bring to a mentor relationship.
Not Everyone Is A Good Mentor – Don’t confuse the public success of a person with their ability to mentor. I’ve found that there is NO direct correlation between a good public leader and their ability to mentor. If possible, find out who they’re already mentoring (or have mentored) and see if you can get in contact with them. Ask them about their experience and some of their main takeaways. This may help you gain insights into the main strengths of the mentor.
Don’t Rush Mentorship – The success of a great mentorship experience is often wrapped around timing. Given the ever-changing climate of our lives, no two mentorships will be alike. Be open to progressing steadily. Mentorship rarely happens at the speed you would like. Stay patient. The greatest benefit to having a mentor in your life is that you have access to them. That’s a gift. If they have committed to being your mentor, they want to help you. Just be sure to stay flexible on how and when they can be helpful. If they believe in you, they will make time.
Continue to Learn – I try to stay up on the lives of my mentors. Even if I’m not meeting with them in person regularly, I make sure that I’m reading their works, listening to their talks, and sending quick notes of appreciation or thoughts about their recent work. We’re all fortunate to have technology that allows us to stay connected. Why not use it?
It’s truly a privilege to receive mentorship from a person you admire. Therefore, it’s important that we make most of these opportunities and engage well.
Charles Lee is the CEO of Ideation, an idea agency that specializes in helping organizations and businesses take their ideas and make them remarkable via creative strategy, organizational development, branding, design, marketing, web, social media, and influencer engagement. He is also the author of Good Idea. Now What?, a book that guides people in implementing ideas well. In addition, Charles is the creator of grassroots efforts including the Idea Camp, Ideation Conference, andthe Freeze Project as well as the co-founder of JustOne. Charles regularly speaks around the country on topics such as creative process, idea-making, innovation, branding, new media, and social entrepreneurism.

The Power of Invisible Business

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Guest Post By Josh Allan Dykstra

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It’s easy to overlook invisible things.

After all, by definition we can’t see them.
But there are plenty of invisible things which cause real, tangible effects.
Wind.
Rules.
Emotions.
Biases.
What we often forget is that the majority of business is invisible, too. Much of our work happens behind the scenes, out of sight.
This “invisible” side of business occurs in two places:
1.    In our minds. Our perspective on whatever we’re doing is completely invisible, but has a powerful impact on the results we achieve. Our thoughts really do become things.
2.    In the systems of our organization. All groups have processes, rules, and structures. At some point, all these things were created by a human being — many times haphazardly, often times badly, sometimes accidentally. These invisible boundaries dictate how we interact with each other at work.
(More than that, did you know that 80% of the value of your business is made up of invisible things like culture, morale, talent, a strong brand, meaning, and engagement?)*
In our work, as everywhere else, invisible things have a tremendous impact. But we don’t pay attention to many of these things, and they wreak havoc on our wellbeing because we forget they are there — and that they are powerful.
If we were to recognize them, though, I suspect the world might be different. If we would turn our focus towards the invisible, could we adjust these things to be life-giving instead of life-sucking? Could we create a better future for ourselves, individually? Could we design energizing work environments, collectively?
I think we can.
//
*Read more about this in the book Human Sigma.

Growing Pains

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When your startup is going through a growth stage, new members are being brought aboard and different layers of tasks are created. Now you’re not just responsible for the vision and strategy, but also managing new employees. Here are some suggestions to streamline the process:   

Know your Strengths. Think of an athlete. They are paid to do one thing very well. Identify what value you bring to the business and make sure you stick to doing that. What one aspect of the business will fail if you don’t focus on it? Consider outsourcing or delegating everything else.

Build around Fit. Recruit talent, not your friends. Picture puzzle pieces fitting together. Compliment your team by adding people who are different from you. Hire for roles versus just titles. A strong team consists of everyone in the right seat on the bus. 
Get an Outsider’s Perspective. When you’re close to the situation, you’re susceptible to blind spots. Bring someone in that can look at your company objectively. Listen to their observations about chemistry and execution. The goal is to let the business run efficiently on it’s own.
As a company grows, there becomes three layers of skill sets. 
Executives focus on strategy and growth of the company.
Managers are responsible to lead the team under their supervision.
Technical employees take care of the customers and complete the assigned tasks.

Growth is a good thing, but unless you deal the pains associated with it, it can take you down. Don’t lose sight of why the business exists and keep growing forward!

Why Content Writing is Considered Effective

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Guest post by Kristen Bradley
Businesses are starting to understand that a positive online presence is mandatory in today’s technology driven environment. The old ways of online marketing are over and using old marketing practices will leave your business product in the dust. This is where content writing from numerous individuals through crowdsourcing comes in handy. This way of marketing products is effective and becoming a normal way for business to be relevant online.
Content Writing with High Quality 
The web is always updating to improve the way users find content. In the last few years, it has become mandatory for content to be high quality. Information that is not relevant or full of grammar mistakes will be left out of the first pages on a search engine. This will ultimately leave your business out of the limelight, therefore fewer people buy your product. You need individuals who are skilled enough to put together relevant content that will drive customers to your business product. The best part about using crowdsourcing to get content is that each content writer will to put together information differently. This is like using a thesaurus of keywords that effectively grabs the attention of new and returning customers. This kind of content places your business on the first page on many different engines.
Qualifying Workers Made Easy
The benefit of using a system that is already developed is that you do not need to work too hard to find the right people. Most crowdsourcing sites have a way to test users against your expectations. The worker pool may have many workers, but not every worker is suited to produce your content. Standards set by crowdsourcing companies help you find those gems in a sea of workers. This eliminates the work of placing ads, viewing resumes and checking credentials for thousands of potential workers. The screening process is cut down significantly and you can find only the workers who can produce what you seek.
Once you have a good number of writers you can turn to for projects, keep them happy. Simple communication is worth a lot in this business. You end up with a pool of highly skilled workers, groomed to perfection that churn out great content as you need it. This keeps a steady flow of new content coming out, so that your business can shine in the spotlight with your products. Crowdsourcing and content writing fit perfectly together. When they are used to the fullest ability they produce a powerful end result.
Kristen Bradley is a principal from CrowdSource.com, a premier website helping business leaders succeed with their professional ventures.

Is Leadership Flat?

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Theoretically yes. Realistically no. This may ruin it for you idealists, but let me explain why.

If you’re on a leadership team, there has to be a point person. 
 Who makes the decision? 
Who takes responsibility for failure? 
Who’s the leader?
We’d like to believe that leadership can be flat, but that structure doesn’t work. How often does indecision, disagreement or different agendas come into play? Sure, the same can be said for the singular leader, but there still needs to be a single person in charge.
At its purest form leadership is about relationships (minus the leverage of position, power or money). One leader works best. Accountability can come from the board or management team, but everyone wants to know who pulls the trigger. 
Even in today’s contemporary, growing organizations such as Zappos or Facebook, there is still a recognizable face to the brand. Who knows if they are truly the leader, but they’re viewed that way. 
Instead of thinking horizontal vs. vertical, consider a circle. If a leadership team is placed in a cylinder, it can be turned to different point persons when necessary. A leader doesn’t always have to be in charge. In fact, serving and following is an important trait as a leader. 
Similar to the saying, “There can’t be too many chefs in the kitchen,” leadership works more effectively when there is one leader and defined roles for the rest. This isn’t about power, position or money, but about bringing the most value to a company by “being on the right seat in the bus.” 

I’ll take it a step further and say leadership is a gift. Anyone can lead, but some are born to do it. 
Yes, leadership skills can be taught, but certain individuals facilitate greater results when they’re on top. 

Top 3 Essentials for Web Entrepreneurs

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By Zach Buckley

If you’re a Web entrepreneur, you probably know what your competition looks like. Quite a few sites are horrible, while only a select few stand out. You don’t want to be part of the sub-standard sites out there so it’s vital that you have several essential things to be an online success story. Here are a few lessons for the budding web entrepreneurs out there:
Design Matters
As Web designer Brian Reed once said, “Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.” The design of your site matters. It’s the first impression that users will get about your business. Your site should be well designed and a pleasure to look at, especially the landing page. When your site visitors land on your home page, it’s essential that you capture their attention quickly. This means an easy to read and easy to view site where users will know the site’s purpose within a few seconds. Grab the visitor’s attention and encourage them to click the other page links. Make it easy for your site visitors by letting them know who you are and what you do, briefly and concisely, so they are likely to stay on the site and possibly become customers.
Good Domain Name
Simplicity is especially important when it comes to your domain name. A good domain name is easy to remember, easy to type, and easy to recognize. Although there are plenty of different extensions to choose from today, .com is still the most popular and most easily recognized; generally preferable to a .net, .org, or any other extension. If possible, it’s best to avoid adding dashes or a number that isn’t part of your company’s name. Extra characters just make it more difficult to remember and type, which could limit the amount of people who are return visitors for your site.
Be Accessible
One of the main reasons that site visitors might not return is frustration. How easily can they get in touch with you? It’s important that your contact information – phone, live chat, or email – is readily accessible. A visitor who can’t find the answers they want will automatically start looking for a “Contact” button or page. It’s vital that your contact information is easy to find. Being available for your site visitors is truly be one of the best ways that you can turn the visitors into your buyers.
Besides contact, there’s also recognition. The Internet is essentially a massive ocean over which you can cast an impressive net to pull in potential consumers. Note: PPC and SEO. A proper PPC campaign and a means of auditing that campaign can help you get your brand in front of new, relevant eyes while SEO will give you exposure through organic search. You can have all the luck in the world developing your online business, but it means nothing if no one can see it. 
Using these top three tactics are essential for the neophyte entrepreneur. Try these simple tips to see how valuable they can really be!

Zach Buckley is a freelance writer who is interested in exploring the intersection of culture, science and education.  He lives in the Midwest and enjoys music, literature and good food.