<ul><li>Throughout your journey, the easy path will be to surround yourself with teammates, peers and investors who tell you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.</li><li>Think critically about every decision you make.</li><li>Develop the courage to have uncomfortable conversations.</li><li>Build a team with diverse perspectives.</li><li>Assume positive intent.</li><li>Be more forgiving of yourself when you face a setback.</li><li>Arrogance can be the greatest enemy of your growth.</li></ul>

Leading With Curiosity, Courage, and Compassion

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Motivation & Inspiration

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Love & Relationships

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Leadership & Management

How to Lead with Curiosity, Courage and Compassion

You may need to <a href="https://garfinkleexecutivecoaching.com/articles/self-promotion-spread-the-word-about-you/the-keys-to-effective-self-promotion">prepare a few success statements to use</a>, depending on your audience. Think about the senior leadership you might have an opportunity to talk to, and what sort of results they would consider the most compelling.Create your statements to match their interests.

Demonstrate Your Ability To Obtain Results

<ul><li>Do they focus on the bottom line? Talk about revenue lines or margins you’ve increased, or operational costs you and your team have helped to reduce.</li><li>Are they tuned in to the workforce at your organization? Highlight your people management skills, team dynamic, improved interdepartmental relations, or increased employee retention.</li><li>Know a certain process is a pain point for one executive? Mention the ways you’ve worked toward streamlining or reducing havoc in that area of the business.</li></ul>

The Checklist Before Preparing Success Statements

You don’t have to be a dynamic extrovert to share a keen ability to communicate. Top leaders are seeking a certain executive presence that demonstrates poise and gravitas—a calm and confident way of landing in the moment with both the ability to listen and the skill and knowledge to make a decision.Highlight your ability to speak clearly and with confidence in any situation. They’re not looking for a know-it-all, they’re looking for a weather-it-all; someone who can wade into chaos and help bring order and reassurance to a team no matter what the turmoil.

Executive-Level Communication Skills

More and more, organizations have realized that great leaders aren’t necessarily the ones who speak the loudest or speak up first unless they are also doing so in service to their team. Great leaders know how to <a href="https://garfinkleexecutivecoaching.com/articles/build-positive-work-relationships/team-building-intrapersonal">support their team, remove barriers, share praise</a>, highlight accomplishments and generally help everyone do the best job possible.The era of big personalities fixated on personal glory and attention is fading into history. If you want to be <a href="https://garfinkleexecutivecoaching.com/articles/get-promoted-at-work/how-to-get-a-promotion">considered for promotions</a> in the modern landscape, you need to cultivate and demonstrate a team mindset.

Demonstrate A Team Mindset

If you have great ideas on how to increase sales or improve efficiency, be sure to create clear and succinct pitches you can use in the moment to share your thoughts with leadership.Executives are looking for ingenious, motivated individuals eager to make a difference. If you know ways the company could achieve more, it’s critical to organize your thoughts so they can be efficiently conveyed. Working and refining may be even more necessary for these types of success statements because you’ll want to be sure your message is clear and easily understood.

Demonstrate Critical Thinking

It can be challenging to dive into talking about yourself, but I hope these suggestions will set you on a solid path to designing and refining your success statements. Remember that self-promotion is key in getting ahead, even when you have the best track record and great advocates speaking for you.Get used to making the most of every opportunity you have to demonstrate your value to your company. It will be key to your next project or promotion.

The Bottom Line

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Productivity

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Career

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Problem Solving

How to demonstrate your value to your boss

Every poet should ask themselves these two questions:<ol><li>Whose shoulders do you stand on?</li><li>What do you stand for?</li></ol> Public speaking can feel terrifying. One way to find the strength to speak up is to think of people whose shoulders you can stand on. From this height, we have the sight to see the power of poetry, of expressible language.

The value of speaking out

Poetry is a language of bridges, not barriers. And this power of connection makes it political. There are three ways in which the decision to create and have a voice is a political act:<ul><li>The stories we tell. When, where, and how we're telling our stories says a lot about the political beliefs we hold.</li><li>Who gets to have their stories told. The person who tells the stories says a lot about the political and educational systems in which these stories and storytellers exist.</li><li>Poetry is focused on people. In history, tyrants often go after the creatives and books first.</li></ul>

Poetry is political

Poets have the ability to connect the beliefs of private individuals with the cause of change of the people, the polity, the political movement."They buried us, but they didn't know we were seeds." That's poetry.Martin Luther King Jr, saying "We will be able to hew out of this mountain of despair a stone of hope."  That's poetry.

Poetry unite beliefs

Poetry is not about offering the correct answers; it's about asking the right questions. Doing right by your words and actions is to honour the people whose shoulders you stand on. They have started a process so that we can have the courage to build on it.

Poetry dares to ask daring questions a nation may face

Poetry is for everyone. At its core, it’s about connection and collaboration. Amanda Gorman explains why it is also political.

For anyone who believes poetry is stuffy or elitist, Amanda Gorman -- the youngest inaugural poet in US history -- has some characteristically well-chosen words. Poetry is for everyone, she says, and at its core it's all about connection and collaboration. In this fierce talk and performance, she explains why poetry is inherently political, pays homage to her honorary ancestors and stresses the value of speaking out despite your fears. "Poetry has never been the language of barriers," Gorman says. "It's always been the language of bridges."

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Personal Development

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Communication

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Politics

Using your voice is a political choice

Don’t go into this thinking you can do it solo. It might be your idea or your product, but you’re going to need help. In the first instance, you need help with publicity, so you might need to bring on board Brand Ambassadors. These could be family or friends — preferably individuals with excellent social media footprints — who will spread the word and help get your brand exposure. If you know anyone with even minor celebrity status, see if they would come on board.

Create your team

Don’t go all out and simply launch it, make previews and build it up. Get people knowing that there’s something special coming. A little glimpse via Twitter, some hints on your Facebook page, a sneak peak picture on Instagram — create suspense and thrill around your product launch. This will drive curiosity and build buzz.

Build a buzz around your brand and product

There are experienced, professional crowdfunding marketing agencies who can help you get things off the ground and build up that initial interest. It’s worth investigating these as they can provide great value for the money and accelerate your brand awareness. If you’re not experienced in online marketing yourself, a bit of expert help is a sensible investment.

Get professionals on board

Don’t get your phone out for those promo pictures. You might have a multi-megapixel camera, but it’s not enough. Put aside some of your marketing budget for professional pictures. It won’t cost as much as you might think, and you’ll find the results far better than a DIY effort. It’s tempting to go the cheap route until you see what you can get from an expert.

Use quality images

Video is the way to promote a product. The younger generation especially has embraced the likes of YouTube as their favored place to be for entertainment, and they will pay attention to a well-made video presentation or Vlog.If you’re not up to speed, find someone who can produce video content for you — you’ll make much more of an impact. Share videos via your social media feed and across all platforms for greater exposure.

Get a video made

Remember that you’re pitching for investors to put money into a fantastic new business or product that is going to result in great returns for them. Go into meetings or online chats with an attitude that says this is a great opportunity for the investor. You don't want to come off like you are desperate for money. If you can show them that there’s something exciting and rewarding here, that you can make it worth their effort to become involved, you’ll stand a greater chance of landing the big money investors.

Don’t stoop to begging

Keep the promises you make — not just to your investors, but to your customers. Today’s consumer wants excellent customer service and nothing less.If you promise delivery on a certain day, make sure it happens. It is easy to lose customers who expect what is offered and then have a poor experience.

Great customer service

Proven strategies that will help you bring your crowdfunding campaign success. 

Discover the world of business and economics.

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Economics

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Marketing & Sales

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Entrepreneurship

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Business

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Startups

7 Steps to Creating a Crowdfunding Project That Will Get You the Money You Need

<ul>
<li>Many workers don’t want to take an off even if they are unwell, due to the fear of judgement and a general distrusting attitude from their bosses. </li>
<li>There is a stigma around taking an off day, with 40 percent of workers lying to their managers the real reason for not showing up at work.</li>
<li>Presenteeism has increased three-fold over the past decade, while absenteeism due to sickness has halved in the last twenty years.</li>
</ul>

Coming To Work While Sick

Certain kinds of sickness, like the flu, can become problematic due to their contagious nature, yet many employees feel they should attend office. Mental health-related issues are not considered good enough reasons to stay at home, as they appear invisible or intangible.
With companies striving for maximum productivity, and the gig economy making jobs fleeting and project-based, most workers don’t want to be left behind and are holding tighter to their jobs.

The Quest For Maximum Productivity

Many employers show deep distrust and create a toxic, fear-based environment for the workforce by not allowing people to take sick days or not showing support and understanding for those who are suffering from illnesses.
Employees should communicate with the manager as soon as possible, allowing them to plan the day’s work. Being honest is the best policy to avoid any misunderstanding, with lying or exaggerating being the worst mistakes.

Toxic Work Environments

<ul>
<li>The first kind of managers are having the industrial age ‘productivity’ mindset, and believe that workers are not willing to work by default and need to be trapped in rules and regulations. Sick leaves are perceived as an excuse not to work.</li>
<li>The second kind of managers trust their employees and see them as responsible adults. They empower their workforce to take time off when needed, even encouraging them to go offline completely and focus on rest.</li>
</ul>
A good manager has to be understanding and empathetic, building a bond with the employees through genuine care.

The Two Types Of Managers

Coming to work while sick can take out a workforce. So here’s how to tell your boss you need time off to recover.

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Remote Work

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Corporate Culture

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Health

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Teamwork

Why do ill people still come in to work?

Many young professionals and MBA students desire to become a CEO. What stands out is the mindset to want to lead.
Many aspirants want to have an impact. They desire to make a real and tangible difference in the world. They see business as a vehicle for impact, and the role of a CEO as a destination for creating change.

Desiring the role of a CEO

If you long to create an impact and aspire to lead an organisation, consider what it takes to lead thousands of employees and be great at it.
It requires:
<ul>
<li>motivation and focus for a journey that will likely take decades. (In 2020, the average age of new CEOs and CFOs at the biggest U.S. companies was 54 and 48 years old, respectively.</li>
<li>skills that will distinguish you among your peers and enable you to lead at scale.</li>
</ul>

What it takes to become a CEO

Consider in which pathway your potential leadership impact lies.
<ul>
<li>The organisational architect. These leaders can build strong teams and organisational structures, systems, and processes that lead to exceptional results.</li>
<li>The relationship maven. These leaders focus on cultivating relationships and helping other people grow.</li>
<li>The passion player. These leaders focus on purpose - what they will accomplish and why.</li>
</ul>

Three pathways successful C-suite residents tend to leverage

<ul>
<li>They understand the fundamental reality that to build a real advantage is to create an engine for growth that will endure.</li>
<li>They can reimagine markets and attract exceptional talent.</li>
<li>They know how to assemble strong players across business functions and can give direction, resources, and freedom to deliver.</li>
</ul>
People who are naturally drawn to this instinctively rethink systems, processes, and reporting structures. They have a fixer mindset and can persuade and motivate others to exceed expectations.

Characteristics of the organizational architect

<ul>
<li>They are people persons.</li>
<li>They naturally form genuine relationships with a diverse group of executives, internally and externally.</li>
<li>People like them because they have an earnestness that causes trust and goodwill with customers, partners, and suppliers. </li>
<li>In time, these leaders naturally bring different people together to start deals and collaborations that get bigger over time.</li>
<li>They have a natural curiosity about people. They keep in touch with the people they find most interesting.</li>
</ul>

Characteristics of the relationship maven

<ul>
<li>These leaders have an infectious energy and compelling conversation about "why we do this" that draws people toward them.</li>
<li>They believe doing something significant is what matters, and they use that belief to gather and motivate others to their cause.</li>
<li>They are often deep experts in a specific area.</li>
<li>They often take risks.</li>
</ul>
These leaders start this pathway by identifying purpose-driven leaders, reading their books, watching their speeches and videos. They notice how they frame problems and tell stories.

Characteristics of the passion player

There are three paths to the C-suite — which is right for you?

Ask an Expert: How Do I Become a CEO?

Professionals often think of career negotiation as bargaining over an offer package.
Although reaching agreement on pay and benefits is necessary, it is vital to think more broadly about your career to include opportunities for advancement.

Career negotiation and opportunities for advancement

Negotiating your role - the scope of your authority and your developmental opportunities - may benefit your career more than negotiating your pay. Negotiating your workload, responsibilities, location and travel requirements may be critical to advance professionally.
Keep your eye on larger objectives. Negotiate with the right parties about the right issues.

Think strategically about how you negotiate your job

Negotiators frequently start their preparation focused on the opportunity right in front of them, such as a job offer.
Instead, consider your short- and long-term goals, then work backwards from those objectives to define the next steps you want to take. Include quality-of-life and professional considerations.

Job negotiation: start with your career goals

<ul>
<li>Asking negotiations. You propose something that's standard for someone in your role or at your level.</li>
<li>Bending negotiations. You request a personal exception or unusual arrangement, for example, remote work setup or a promotion where you lack conventional qualifications.</li>
<li>Shaping negotiations. You propose ways to play a role in changing your organizational environment or creating a new initiative.</li>
</ul>
Organizations may be very open to shaping negotiations during challenging or fast-changing times,

Career negotiations fall into three categories

People often walk blind into a potential negotiation. They lack information on what is negotiable. It is vital to reduce vagueness and ensure that you get a fair opportunity.
Write down all the questions you have. 
<ul>
<li>What is potentially negotiable?</li>
<li>How should I negotiate?</li>
<li>Who will be my counterparts, and what do they care about?</li>
</ul>
Find answers from talent professionals, a media search, or contact a professional on LinkedIn who can tell you more about the hiring manager.

Job negotiation: what, how, and with whom to negotiate

As you try to reduce ambiguity, you will think of people who might give you information, advice, or social support. Also, figure out who will speak up in favour of your proposal.
Talk to key stakeholders individually to get their feedback and input. It enables you to explore people's interests and concerns and incorporate their ideas into your game plan. If you're concerned about appearing conniving or manipulative, explain that you're seeking input on an idea you have.

Enhance your job negotiations through relationships

There will be false starts and reversals. Maximise the odds of your success by setting targets for yourself that are specific and realistic. Negotiations often fizzle out because larger goals become buried by everyday work.
Great careers are not made in a vacuum. You need work and life partners, and negotiation is at the heart of finding ways to realise your path.

It takes time to implement negotiations

Focus on your role, responsibilities, and career trajectory, not your salary.

Negotiating Your Next Job

<ul><li>Make it relevant:  if what you're telling someone isn't aligned with their goals in some way, the impact of your feedback will be limited. </li><li>Stay focused on a limited number of issues you want to address.</li><li>Provide context, if you hope to influence someone's behavior.</li><li>Listen carefully.</li><li>Be compassionate.</li><li>Follow-up: from time to time, refer back to what you agreed when you had your conversation.</li></ul>

Principles for giving effective feedback

I'll never forget one of the first courses I took at Wharton, where I was studying for my MBA many years ago. It was a course on leadership taught by Professor Stewart Friedman, founding director of the Wharton Leadership Program, and author of several bestselling and award-winning books on leadership and work-life balance.

6 Ways Truly Effective Leaders Deliver Feedback

Constraints are viewed as obstacles. The common wisdom regarding obstacles suggests that we have to remove all constraints.We tend to believe that by getting rid of all rules and regulations, real creativity and innovation will start to emerge.

Constraints vs Obstacles

New research suggests that managers can innovate better by embracing and working with constraints, instead of viewing them as a hindrance to innovation.

Embracing Constraints

When there are no challenges in the creative process, complacency comes in, and people tend to go for the most intuitive and easy ideas rather than investing in the development of better but difficult to implement ideas.

The Mind Needs A Challenge

Managers may intentionally limit inputs by capping resources in corporate entrepreneurship projects, to motivate employees to challenge themselves and innovate.

Providing Limited Resources

Do not impose too many constraints, otherwise, employee motivation is hampered and creative ideas don't have breathing space.

A Balancing Act

Executive Summary New research suggests that managers can innovate better by embracing constraints. Researchers reviewed 145 empirical studies on the effects of constraints on creativity and innovation, and found that individuals, teams, and organizations alike benefit from a healthy dose of constraints. It is only when the constraints become too high that they stifle creativity and innovation.

Why Constraints Are Good for Innovation

<ul>
<li>We still need a lot of progress for major challenges. We haven't yet cured all diseases; we don't yet know how to solve climate change; we don't yet understand how best to predict or mitigate natural disasters. </li>
<li>A lot of progress can also come from smaller advances that build upon one another and represent an enormous advance for society. The list of opportunities for improvement is very long.</li>
</ul>
Progress studies would consider the problem widely. They would study successful people, organizations, institutions, policies, and cultures, and attempt to create policies and prescriptions to help improve our ability to generate useful progress in the future.

Why progress studies are important

The world would benefit from an organized effort from various disciplines to understand: 
<ul>
<li>How we should identify and train brilliant young people. </li>
<li>How the most effective small groups exchange and share ideas.</li>
<li>Which incentives should exist for participants in innovative ecosystems (scientists, entrepreneurs, managers, and engineers)</li>
<li>How much organizations differ in productivity. One recent study found that teaching better management practices to firms in Italy improved productivity by 49 percent over 15 years compared with peer firms that didn’t receive the training.</li>
<li>How scientists should be selected and funded. A recent paper concluded that long-term grants to high-potential scientists made those scientists 96 percent more likely to produce breakthrough work.</li>
</ul>

Benefiting from an organized effort

<ul>
<li>The Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University tried to encourage optimistic thinking about the future through fiction and narrative.</li>
<li>An applied history movement is needed to help draw lessons from history and apply them to real-world problems.</li>
<li>In a world with Progress Studies, a new focus on progress belongs to a school of thought that would encourage a decentralized shift in priorities among academics, philanthropists, and funding agencies. This has already happened in climate-science research and the designation of Keynesian economics, which helped economists focus on fiscal policy as a tool for recession fighting.</li>
</ul>

Progress Studies antecedents

In effect, the goal of Progress Studies is to treat, not merely to understand.
The success of Progress Studies will lie in the following:
<ul>
<li>its ability to identify effective progress-increasing interventions</li>
<li>the extent to which they are adopted by universities, funding agencies, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and other institutions.</li>
</ul>

How to Lead with Curiosity, Courage and Compassion