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LET'S TALK
BUSINESS
The Seven Secrets to New Age Leadership
By JoAnna Brandi
Did you ever notice that In our American culture, we have the tendency to look
outside of ourselves for leadership? That??™s a trap. Isn??™t it time we looked inside
ourselves to see how we can be the leader we want and need to be in the 21st
century? I certainly think so.
Leadership used to be about telling people what to do. We saw the manager as ???hero.???
Managers were needed to solve problems, needed for their technical expertise and
their know-how. They were needed to keep the ship running in tiptop shape!
All our old leadership models came from the military, where people took their
command from a few people at the top. These models don??™t work in today??™s world. As
the industrial age models rust, the power has shifted from the people who sell, to
the people who buy.
Today??™s business leader needs to a master juggler, and a compassionate listener. She
needs to be savvy and intuitive and sharp as a tack in business matters. Most of all
today??™s leader needs to be able to mobilize HUMAN energy, align it and direct it
towards a single goal ??“ creating more value for the customer. This, in turn creates
a more profitable company. Companies that have high levels of customer happiness and
employee happiness outperform those who don??™t. It??™s pretty simple.
I believe there are seven traits of successful leaders for the 21st Century.
Creative thinker - Einstein said, ???The world we have created is a product of our way
of thinking??? Nothing will change in the future without fundamentally new ways of
thinking.
If we want to create a new world we have to first change our thinking and thinking
patterns. 80% of the population thinks reactively. They take action to make
something go away (usually a problem.) The other 20% are creative thinkers ??“ they
take action to make something come into being (the creation.)
Creative thinkers thrive on the question ???What??™s Possible???? Reactive thinkers ask,
???What??™s wrong???? or ???Who??™s to blame???? Reactive thinkers live in reaction and response
to circumstances. Creative thinkers go beyond circumstances.
The next quality of tomorrow??™s leader is ???Change readiness.??? The Change-ready
individual embraces change. They understand the process of change and how it affects
most people, and is skilled at enrolling people in it with a minimum amount of fear.
Most people do resist change ??“ that??™s because it forces us right out of our comfort
zones. A leader knows how to move people out of their comfort zones with dignity
and respect. He helps people share a ???common understanding??? of the past and why they
need to change it and then provides them with a positive image of their future along
with actions they can all agree will move them in the right direction.
A leader is a Landscape Architect. It??™s her primary job to build a living
environment??“ called culture. Culture is the soul of the enterprise. Today??™s leader
is a master ???culture-crafter.??? He or she sculpts and crafts an environment that
stimulates, excites and invites people to be the best they can be.
The architect leader knows that the ability to create a nourishing and challenging
environment for people to grow in is more important than any technical skill she can
possess.
Continuous Improvement - The leader of tomorrow will regularly challenge old beliefs
and be passionate about learning and about applying that learning in the real world.
She will often ask my favorite question ???Who is doing something differently then I
am and what can I learn from them????
The New Leader is Authentic. How and who you are is just as important as what you
know! Hold yourself to the highest standards ??“ don??™t talk the talk unless you are
prepared to walk the walk. Don??™t expect of others what you don??™t expect from your
self. Be real, tell the truth. The leaders that are the most revered are those that
let the light of who they are shine through in all they do. They are honest,
forthright and clear.
Coach/Facilitator ??“ A leader needs to be a coach not a commander. He needs to hold
space open for things to happen. It is said that when leaders do their job properly
people believe they have done it themselves. Leaders are there to help people see
things from a different perspective, to provide questions that encourage learning
and to help turn work experiences into learning experiences.
Our new leader is a Visionary. It??™s clearly documented that visionary leaders are
successful at mobilizing human potential. A vision provides focus. It??™s a tool for
aligning energy. Clear vision and purpose provide people with a framework from which
to make decisions, it organizes action and effort.
Clearly a need for a new leadership style exists. Take a good look at your style and
see if you are prepared for living and leading in the 21st century.
Want to find out more about how to be a powerful and compassionate leader 21st
century leader - check out our weekly training program at www.customercarecoach.com
JoAnna Brandi is Publisher of the Customer Care Coach ?„? a weekly training program on
mastering "The Art and Science of Exquisite Customer Care." She is the author of
"Winning at Customer Retention, 101 Ways to Keep 'em Happy, Keep 'em Loyal and Keep
'em Coming Back" and "Building Customer Loyalty - 21 Essential Elements in ACTION"
she writes a free email tip on customer caring. You can sign up at
http://www.customercarecoach.com and http://www.customerretention.com
?©Copyright 2000-2004 JoAnna Brandi & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
GARDENING
Caring for Summer Annuals
1. Even though container plants are easy to care for, they do have their demands for success. The major requirement is that of watering. The hot days of summer quickly dry out the container; therefore, they will need watering at least three times a week, if not more often. Use a slow stream of water so as not to disturb the soil or shallow root area. Potting soil should be loose and well drained to insure good water penetration and to prevent soil compaction.
2. Plant foods in the potted soils are quickly washed from the soils with continued watering thus need replacement with a bi-weekly feeding of a complete liquid houseplant fertilizer.
3. The removal of faded blooms of flowering container plants is important, as it is actually a slight pruning process which encourages more branching and more blooms. Terminal shoots of young plants may be pinched back to form a more bushy and well-branched plant in the container even before it starts flowering and during early stages of growth.
4. The wide selection of colorful summer and fall plants for pots, and the portable aspect of pot gardening which allows for a change or rearrangement in placement or pot groupings, will guarantee fun and attractiveness in home landscaping. Pot gardening also uses a limited amount of room and a small investment for such big rewards. The gardener who will plan ahead may add rich and vivid color with potted summer and fall annuals to grace the patio, poolside, wall or doorstep.
FOOD
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
3 ea Eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c Sugar
1/4 c Enriched flour
1/4 t Salt
1/2 t Nutmeg
2 1/2 c Rhubarb, red, 1 inch slices
1 1/2 c Strawberries, fresh, sliced
1 ea Pastry for 9 inch lattice crust
1 T Butter or margarine
Combine eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and nutmeg; mix well.
Combine rhubarb and strawberries.
Line 9 inch pie plate with pastry; fill with fruits. Pour egg mixture over. Dot with butter. Top with lattice
crust, crimping edge high.
Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes.
Fill openings in lattice crust with whole strawberries.
Serve warm-plain, or topped with vanilla ice cream.
Strawberry-Pecan Bread
2 ea eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
10 oz sliced strawberries
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c oil
Beat eggs, sugar and oil until well combined. Add flour, cinnamon,
baking soda and salt. Beat until well blended (batter should be
thick).
Stir in the partially thawed, undrained berries and the nuts.
Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Southern Strawberry Pudding
1/3 cup + 1 Tb sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 package vanilla wafer cookies, (16oz)
2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen, sliced
In top of double boiler combine 1/3 cup sugar, flour, salt, egg yolks, milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; cook, stirring constantly, until custard thickens. Line bottom and sides of a baking dish (1 1/2-quart size) with vanilla wafers, alternate layers of custard mix, wafers, and berries. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; add the 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spread meringue on custard and bake in a 300 degree oven until meringue is browned.
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