The Importance of Reading

To become a successful leader in business it is imperative that you get on a personal growth program.

No leader in history ever became one simply because he was a born leader. Leadership is not a talent, but a discipline that is forged through years of consistent work on weaknesses and development of strengths. Leadership is influence and you cannot learn to lead anyone until you learn to lead yourself. So, the challenge here is simple: how to learn to lead you.

One of the best ways to do this is by reading. Throughout the rest of this article, we will point out some of the most important things you may not know about reading and what it can do for you in your business and personal life.

For starters, we are not just talking about reading any books, but, rather, we are specifically discussing books on personal growth and development.

Most people stay away from self-help books because it makes them feel inadequate and no one wants to feel like they are not perfect yet. Here's a news flash: you will never be perfect. But reading books will help you to self-evaluate, self-motivate and self-critique yourself better than any other external party can.

Here are some of the important reasons why reading is a necessity to develop leadership.

Reading builds your self-image

Your self-image refers to not how you feel about yourself but really how you feel other people feel about you. It predetermines a lot of your confidence in different aspects of your life in including your business. Everything you have accomplished in life thus far can be directly correlated with your self-image.

It is the most important thing you must continue to protect and continue to work on developing. You must continually evaluate your self-image for this important reason: you will never outgrow your self-image. A person with a strong self-image will have high expectations for himself and his future but someone with a low self-image will not expect much good to happen to him and will subconsciously sabotage anything good that may happen.

The scariest part about not having a healthy self-image is that most people who don't have a good self-image have no idea they don't. So make sure you're reading books that build you up and remind that you can do anything if you work hard enough and consistently enough for it. Remember no one was born with success written on their forehead. On the contrary we were all born with two things in common: we were ugly and were crying.

Reading maintains your attitude

Your attitude is probably the second most important thing you must check, correct and monitor on a daily basis. The first is your self-image. But your attitude is vital to your success because it determines how you will respond to the negative things that may happen to you during the course of your business.

It is important to note that life by nature is filled with ups and downs and so it is a natural deterrent to success. The question is not IF something negative is going to happen to you sometime in your life but WHEN. Reading of positive-mental-attitude books by Napoleon hill and Norman Vincent-Peale will help to strengthen your resolve and will give you more mental toughness.

Building business requires two things: courage and mental toughness. You need courage in the beginning to get yourself started, but you need mental toughness to stay the course when things are rough. Your self-image will give you courage, but your attitude is controlled predominantly by the amount of mental toughness you possess. If you are expecting to be successful in business plan to run into some challenges and temporary setbacks.

Most businesses fail within the first five years of inception. This is a fact. However, I believe they don't fail, the people just quit because they don't have the mental fortitude to hang in there when the going gets tough. If that's not the story you want I implore you to pick up a book and watch your attitude go through the roof!

Reading strengthens your ability to communicate

There is no successful person on this earth that is not a good communicator. The ability to connect with people is of paramount importance if you are looking to be a successful business owner. It is important to note here that people misconstrue having good communication skills to translate into being a good talker and having all the right answers. A good communicator is actually the total reverse. A person with great people skills is actually very skilled at listening.

A lot of effective communication is active listening and the ability to help people express themselves and their ideas. Reading will greatly help you to improve your ability to communicate as well as improve your diction and word choice when talking.

There are a plethora of books on people skills by Les Giblin, Dale Carnegie and a host of other authors in any major bookstore in the United States. The information is out there so you have to go out there and find it.

Reading offers exposure to self counsel

The ability to self-correct is a skill that must be developed over time. This initially will only happen by first talking counsel from someone else like a mentor or close friend who knows more than you do. If you, however, do not have access to a mentor then reading is the next best thing you can do to mentor yourself.

The best thing about reading books is that all the advice is there for you to take or leave at your own discretion. You may have an ego, but you know that the book doesn't. This makes it easier for you to take action on what you are learning from the books because it is not someone personally telling you that you need to sharpen your listening skills and stop snapping at your employees. The reason for this is when you read you actually hear yourself through your inner ear and as a result you hear yourself giving advice to yourself and it makes it easier to take action on the advice given.

So the bottom line is leaders are readers. Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. If you are looking to become an impact player in your industry then I suggest you start to form a healthy habit of reading daily. Start with fifteen minutes and work your way up to at least an hour a day if you're really serious. As much as the television is an awesome form of relaxation if that is what you're into, it really adds no value to your personal growth no matter what you're watching.

Take some of that relaxation time and relax by filling yourself with more wisdom that you can apply immediately and better your business.

Signs of Disunity in an Organization

Unity is easy to create and maintain in a small organization.

As a business or company grows, however, it become increasingly difficult to maintain organizational unity and great care must be taken to keep the organization motivated and loyal to the mission statement of the company.

Why Unity Matters In Small Business

Everyone knows what it's like to be a part of a great team.

And more often than not, it is the unity and camaraderie that you experienced and witnessed that is remembered more than anything else. The reality is, however, most people identify the whole concept of team with sports. Most people have been part of a sports team growing up or maybe even in college if they played it as a varsity sport.

The uniqueness of being part of a sports team, however, is that the roster changes every year and at most you are together with a few of the same people for four years. In business this is not the case as you will find yourself working with the same people for years at a time and the roster does not change as much.

This is not to say that unity is harder to preserve in business, but it is different from keeping a sports team together. There are a lot of different dynamics involved and so it requires more attention and care from the leaders in the organization.

Disunity in a business team or organization is not uncommon because businesses are made up of human beings with varied interests and frailties.

When you put them together and leave them to their own devices, even the most well-intentioned people will usually deviate toward detrimental and unproductive behavior. And because most leaders and managers are not schooled in the art of building and maintaining teams, small problems are left untreated and spiral further and further into ugliness and eventually corporate politics.

Signs that Unity Is Lacking Within an Organization

Here are some of the key things to watch for in an organization and they may happen most likely in this order as they build on top of one another. These are signs that a company could be headed for disaster if care is not taken and these issues are addressed.

1. Lack of trust

This is probably the first thing that will happen before anything else. The people in the organization will begin to lose trust for one another on a variety of levels.

Team members are uncomfortable being vulnerable with one another, unwilling to admit their weaknesses, mistakes or needs for help. It goes without saying that if people cannot be vulnerable with one another they will not be able to trust one another. It is important for people to feel comfortable expressing their ideas without fear of being reprimanded or alienation.

They must also feel that no matter the circumstances that their ego or self-worth will not be challenged. To prevent this lack of trust from developing leaders must make a conscious effort to build relationships with as many key people in the organization as they can so they are always aware of ruffled feathers and tension build-ups in the company that they can aid in decompressing.

There is no substitute for trust. It begins with the willingness of team members to open themselves up to one another and admit their weaknesses and mistakes. When all else fails, win back trust of your employees to start over. As the leader be the first one vulnerable at all times and risk losing face in front of the team. This will create an environment that does not punish vulnerability.

2. Fear of confrontation or conflict

This is the natural next level of disunity. Teams that lack trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered and passionate debate about ideas. Instead, they resort to veiled discussions and guarded comments.

Gossip ensues simply because people do not feel they have a common space in which to share ideas or dialogue. It is important to note that dialogue does not have to necessarily be positive but it must be open to everyone. If dialogue isn't positive then that is a clear indicator that something is wrong. Covering up negative dialogue between people, however, is only a temporary solution to a permanent problem.

As long as fear is part of any equation involving people there will be absolutely no progress. All great relationships require productive conflict to grow. Healthy conflict is limited to concepts and ideas and avoids personality-focused, mean spirited attacks. The conflict ought to have passion, emotion and frustration so that everyone is heard, knowing that the purpose is to produce the best solutions in the shortest period of time.

Teams that engage each other in healthy conflict waste far less time than teams which avoid it. So avoiding conflict is not the answer. That is similar to putting a band aid on a wound that requires stitches. Abstain from premature resolutions to conflicts to protect people from embarrassment and encourage everyone to face conflict head-on.

3. Lack of commitment

The two greatest causes of lack of commitment are the desire for consensus and the need for certainty. Seeking consensus is dangerous and unnecessary if everyone is heard, at which point team members will rally around the decision. If there is an impasse, the leader of the team is allowed to make the call.

Great teams can commit and unite around decisions even when there is little assurance about whether the decision is correct. They understand a decision is better than no decision. Compare this to dysfunctional teams that hedge bets and delay decisions creating paralysis and lack of confidence. It is conflict that underlies the willingness to commit without perfect information.

When all the cards are on the table the team can confidently commit. It is important to understand that one of the greatest consequences for an executive team that does not commit to clear decisions is irresolvable discord deeper in the organization, and this leads to true indecision, unhealthy morale and poor performance.

More than anyone else, the leader must be comfortable with the prospect of making a decision that ultimately turns out to be wrong. The leader must continue to press for meeting deadlines, but not place too high a premium on certainty or consensus.

4. Unwillingness to hold one another accountable

Accountability refers to the willingness of team members to call their peers on performance or behaviors that might hurt the team. Members of great teams overcome the fear of confrontation and "enter the danger" with one another. But this is difficult because no one wants to jeopardize a valuable personal relationship. Yet, without such conflict, relationships deteriorate and results deteriorate with them.

It turns out that peer pressure motivates respected teammates to not let each other down and motivates people to the highest standards. Team members fail to confront one another around behaviors and deliverables that do not conform to agreed decisions. As the leader allow and encourage the team and not individuals to serve as the primary accountability mechanism. Otherwise team members won't take active responsibility.

The leader must in the end serve as the arbiter of discipline when the team fails and the first person to give praise and edification when the team succeeds.

5. Inattention to results

The ultimate dysfunction of a team is the tendency of members to care about something other than collective goals and results.

In poorly performing teams, members derive status from being part of the team, or they focus on enhancing their own positions or career prospects at the expense of their team. A functional team must make the group results the most important goals, and they must be results oriented, living and breathing results. Team members put their individual needs for career development and recognition before the collective goals of the team.

The leader must set the tone for a focus on results. Team members must sense that the leader values these results more than anything. Otherwise they will take this as permission not to themselves. Team leaders must be selfless and objective and reserve rewards and recognition for those who make real contributions to the achievement of group goals.

Retirement Myths

In today's economy the biggest challenge for most people is not so much getting a job but keeping it until they are eligible for retirement age.

This is not to say that getting a job is easy because that is not the case. But for a lot of people who worked hard to get where that are currently in their occupation, the future is a little shaky if they cared to take a look at what the economy is currently experiencing.

According to an article released by CNN early in August of 2008, "Employers cut jobs in July for the seventh straight month, while the unemployment rate hit a four-year high". The labor department reported a net loss of 51,000 jobs in the month of July and the latest report brought the total job losses this year to 463,000! Now if that is not getting people to stop and think then we have a big problem.

So with all this recession talk, people losing jobs, companies cutting costs, restricting and everything else, why is retirement something most people still feel they are guaranteed by age 65?! Robert Kiyosaki, an investor, businessman, self-help author and motivational speaker, is quoted as stating that "if you still believe in retirement, you probably believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny".

Quite the comparison, but I believe he may be on to something here. Let's take a look at some similarities between them and why such a comparison makes sense in light of what we're seeing today in the economy.

Everyone believes they exist, till they get older

Everyone remembers waking up as a little toddler Christmas morning with the anticipation of seeing gifts under the Christmas tree that good ol' Santa Claus had just dropped off through the chimney earlier. And most of you also remember that fateful Christmas morning when you woke up a little earlier than usual and to your surprise found not Santa but your father putting down the last of the Christmas gifts before sneaking back to bed. Oh how betrayed we all felt when we realized our parents had been lying to us the whole time.

Well fortunately for us we don't have to wait until we're 65 to figure out Santa Claus isn't real (and if you still never figured it out I apologize for spoiling it for you).

The reality is that more people are getting the pink slips these days than bonuses or raises at their job and the only reason they hang around long enough to get the boot is because of their belief in retirement. The days of starting with one company and finishing with one company are long gone.

Ask the senior citizens you see at Wal-mart stores at the entrance whether or not they're working because they're bored or broke. They'll probably tell you they're bored but we know the truth. They found out that retirement isn't feasible for many Americans. According to the social security administration, 98 percent of Americans today cannot retire at age 65. So you've got a 2 percent chance if you keep doing what you're doing. Exciting isn't it? Remember the quote, "growing old is automatic but growing up is optional". The wise ones among us stopped believing in Santa a long time ago. If you're still not sure you might want to check out the facts.

Give you something to look forward to

The seductiveness of Santa and the Easter Bunny is they are nice, fluffy characters and are associated with a lot of fun and enjoyment.

This is not a good proxy for how life as an adult will be which is exactly why kids are the primary target for those holidays. Christmas is celebrated by all, but the young ones are usually the most excited and for good reason.

Christmas happens once a year and as such always has such a build up to it. It is the one time when everyone is supposed to be happy and cheerful and thankful for the start of a new year. You get to receive gifts from your family and friends which in a way is the affirmation that in spite of all you went through together that year you are still a good person.

Once again we see the similarity with the concept of retirement. Most people are educated for about 16 years through school with all the pressures and stress that comes with it. Then they eventually get a job which they hope will take them through the next forty years but we know that is not realistic anymore. And the dream for every working person is to at some point never have to work ever again. They paid the price, they did everything they were supposed to and the reward should be an easy retirement.

The dream of being free is one of the biggest motivations for people going to work for forty years only to find once again that there is life at the end of the tunnel; it's a freight train coming right at you.

So the bottom line is get over the fact that what you thought was true actually isn't. Retirement is definitely realistic; just without money. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but all you have to do is take a look at those before you and ask yourself what you are doing differently from them that will put you in a position better than they are currently right now when you get to their age.

If you're like most people, you really can't say you're doing anything different. That's okay, but just remember that Santa Claus was as real as your parents were real, until you found out that he was your parents!

Start planning now for your retirement. Don't rely on your company's 401K plan and pension plan. Most companies don't even have a pension for employees just getting into the work force today. They can't afford it. Start looking for other ways you can diversify your income, and I'm not just talking about portfolios. Get a business of your own. Take the entrepreneurial plunge; you just might like it. It beats finding Santa is your mom or getting a pink slip at age 45. The choice is yours.

Referral Marketing

Business only works if marketing is involved because it is the marketing strategy that ultimately determines how much potential profit can be captured.

The challenge in marketing is usually how much of the limited budget most startup companies have should be used in advertising.Conventional advertising is expensive and is not a guarantee that an audience will purchase your product. It does, however, give you a chance to get your product or business or service out to the public and create a pull towards your business.

Referral marketing or word of mouth advertising is a new trend that is taking the business world by storm. It is simply a process by which consumers share their knowledge about a particular product or business with other fellow consumers and this continues to grow and eventually expand the market coverage for that product.

The movie industry is notorious for using this method of advertising as most movies tend to release previews a month in advance to the movie opening and then the preview showings are completely stopped. They then rely on the movie viewers to continue spreading the word about the movie and so their advertising budget does not need to be over-extended.

As an entrepreneur and business owner, referral marketing is a good method of advertising to adopt as even your primary method of expanding your market coverage for a number of reasons.

Inexpensive

The best part about referral marketing is that it is inexpensive. This is simply because the people who are advertising for you are doing it voluntarily. A lot of the social networking websites like facebook.com, myspace.com, youtube.com and the like are all booming as a result of referral marketing.

According to consumer reports, 57.7% of all products purchased online in the year 2007 were because of word of mouth. That's more than half of the revenue generated online in a whole year. This goes to show you that if people like a product not only will they buy it but they will talk about it and encourage other people to do the same.

Self-Perpetuating

The nature of referral marketing is that it continues to expand by itself without any external force applied. The law of inertia states that an object in motion stays in motion. Well in this case, once you get this started it will continue as long as people are enjoying your product or service.

The famous e-mail account Hotmail.com was started in a similar fashion. One person created the concept of free e-mail but required that if you signed up for it that you had to refer at least ten of your friends.

After a year he had over one million people in his network and then Bill Gates came along and purchased the rights to his already built network. Now I don't think Bill Gates would have needed help building his own network so why did he pay this kid over $400 million for it? Because it was a "self-perpetuating" subscriber base. It was growing regardless of what was going on because it was free and people liked the service.

That is the power of referral marketing.

People Carry More Credibility

Here is the big takeaway for why referral marketing works: people do the advertising. People will naturally have more influence than any other conventional form of media advertising like billboards, television ads, newspaper ads, etc.

If you think about the products you are currently using now, you probably did not get convinced to use the brand of toothpaste you use because of a commercial on television. It was probably your mother that told you it was the best one and you took her word for it.

That's the key: you took her word for it. People carry more credibility because they are actual users of whatever it is they are promoting. The same goes for the movie industry example. If you saw a movie you really enjoyed you would have no problems referring to someone else with enthusiasm. Same goes for a movie you really didn't enjoy.

But here's the reason why this is so effective: if you saw a fantastic preview to a movie and decided to go see it and a good friend of yours told you it wasn't worth your time, you probably wouldn't go see if even though the preview was good.

The credibility from your friend outweighed the credibility of the conventional form of advertising.

Referral marketing works if you know how to access it and use it for your own personal business. Sure you might have to initially spend a little money and dapple in conventional advertising as your primary source for getting market coverage, but in the end happy consumers will always bring you happy consumers. Good luck!

Overcoming Rejection in Sales

One of the biggest reasons most people are scared of sales or selling is the fear of being rejected.

It is mentally draining even for very experienced sales professionals and entrepreneurs. The most successful people in sales learn and master how to not let a rejection affect their next sales appointment. How does one become more mentally tough about taking a no?

Learning to Love NO

It is important to note that this is not a fear that is specific to sales. People in general do not like being rejected as we all have an inherent need to feel accepted by the people around us.

However, the first step in becoming proficient at sales is to understand that when people say no to the purchasing of a product or service you are trying to sell, they are not rejecting you as a person.

A no simply means no. It doesn't mean you are a bad person, it doesn't mean they don't like you and it certainly doesn't mean they will not buy your product at another time.

Their answer quite frankly has absolutely nothing to do with you and everything to do with what they are in need for at that point in time! It is time to move and get over yourself.

But how does one get comfortable in an environment where high volume numbers are the only way to succeed and so the ability to take rejection is part of the job description? If you are struggling with this or even if you are a veteran, here are some tips you can use to strengthen your ability to overcome rejection from a potential client.

Quantity over Quality

People new in sales always make the mistake of trying to be perfect before attempting to make a sale. Focus initially instead on going through more potential clients. Trust me, it is okay. This will get you used to accepting rejection and understanding that whether they say yes or no really is not under your control.

You can't control what their answer is, but you can control how many prospective clients you sit down with that week. Put the numbers in your favor and just ask enough people until someone gives you the answer you want.

Ask More Questions

Learn to ask more questions. There is always a reason why a person doesn't want to buy your product. Ask them to explain why they don't see the value in it. Enough answers to this question will give you some insight into what you can do to promote the product better. You will also uncover some misconceptions they might have had about the product and clarify for them the benefit they did not pick up on.

Asking them why they do not want what you are selling will also affirm for you that they really have nothing against you and just don't need your product. This should boost your confidence and put you in the right state of mind.

Emotionally Disconnect from the Outcome

Remember that rejection may not be written into your job description as an entrepreneur, but it is a big part of it. To be emotional about a job function is suicide and your attitude will be like a roller coaster with dips and valleys at unexpected times. Your attitude is all you have so protect it by reading positive mental attitude books and listening to motivational tapes or CDs.

This is very important as your attitude will go down if you do not maintain a steady flow of positive reinforcement. It is like a gas tank that needs to be refilled every time it is half full. You cannot afford to let it get close to being empty because it needs to be overflowing with enthusiasm for the tougher prospects who will want to be convinced rather than sold.

Think of positive as being a noun and not a verb. The more positive you have, the more positive you will give out and the more you will get back.

Embrace Failure

Understand that success and failure are Siamese twins. You must go through failure in order to be successful as the road to success is paved with failure.

Every person in history who has ever become great had to go through numerous rejections before being given a chance. Luckily for you, you will be no different.

If you can persist and get to the other side of failure, success is waiting for you.

Embrace every no as bringing you one stop closer to a yes. Focus on getting your failure rate higher and by default your success rate will increase based on the law of averages.

Remember to stay consistent. Dick Devos, CEO of Amway Global, stated that "One must develop relentless perseverance to be successful as a business owner. Relentless perseverance is consistency, but consistency under pressure."

It's a Numbers Game

So the bottom line is sales is a numbers game.

But here's a question for you: what isn't a numbers game?

People in the medical profession have to overbook their calendar to make sure they are guaranteed a certain number of patients. Colleges and Universities accept more students every year because they know a lesser number will graduate. Sports teams at any level, whether from high school to professional sports, always have a tryout session with a lot of players initially and then gradually make cuts to get the best of the best from the group.

You get the point?

Michael Jordan when asked what he thinks contributed the most to his NBA career stated that he has missed more shots than he has made, that is why he has made more memorable shots and no one bothers to highlight how many he's missed.

Increase your failure rate, get more people to say no to you and you will be amazed at the success waiting at the other side.

Managing Personalities by Mastering You

We are all very different for a lot of reasons. For example, some people are tall, short, fat, slim, driven, quiet, or extroverted.

As a business owner, however, a key trait you must be aware of in the people in your organization is personality.

If you can understand the different types of personalities people have it makes it much simpler to communicate with and manage them. This article will break down the four common personalities according to Gordon McFarlane, an author and motivational speaker on leadership, sales and relationships.

Our personality is a big part of who we are. It determines how we respond to things that happen to us, how we respond to others, how we go about solving problems and so on and so forth. As an entrepreneur it is very important you understand how you relate with other people, especially the people working with you and for you. Some personalities turn certain types of people off and some turn certain types of people on. This all depends however on the person's likes and dislikes. Here is a quick look at the four main types of personalities and how as a business owner you can better manage them and manage yourself. See if you can spot yourself in one or two of them.

Dominant Personality

This type of person is outgoing and task-oriented and likes to be in charge. They are dynamic leaders, ambitious and strong-willed, and seem to thrive on pressure. They are very competitive and always want to win. They will always give that extra effort, if that's what it takes.

High dominant personality types are very demanding of themselves and others and will seldom take no for an answer. They are direct in their approach to handling problems. Empathy is not their strong suit, and they are often blunt and to the point with their words. If you want a direct answer, you need look no further. They are bottom-line people with not much use for details.

They are both determined and independent. When others feel defeated and want to quit, they are courageous. They will persevere in the face of adversity. Since they are persistent, a "no" to them means "maybe later." They are wired to handle the heat and the pressure and can make the hard decisions in hard times.

You won't get much sympathy from a person with his personality, and that may make them seem cold and uncaring. In addition, they are quick to answer and their lack of thinking may make them appear rude and reckless. Their confidence can sometime be mistaken for cockiness.

These people love to win. They love to win so much that they can become ruthless in their quest to dominate. It's not about how to play the game; it's about how to win! Winning at all costs can often permanently damage relationships. This can be avoided with some sensitivity and patience towards other players. They have to be careful about their short fuse and hot temper. Interestingly they do have an ability to forgive, forget and move on faster than any other personality.

Inspiring Personality

This type of person is outgoing and people-oriented and likes to have fun. People with a high level of this personality are so impulsive that they will say yes before you complete your question if it starts with "Do you want to go?" They like to be on the move or do anything if there is fun involved.

They are energy personified and want to enjoy everything life has to offer. They love to stir things up and get the party started. Generally, they ARE the party!

People with inspiring personalities have the ability to meet a total stranger and feel right at home with them. They never really want to be grown up or take life too seriously. They have a great sense of humor and love to laugh. They have a positive and optimistic disposition that makes them fun to be around and don't stay mad for long, because after all life is too short. Not surprisingly, they work very well with others.

Recognition and approval are strong basic needs for them. They are very friendly and carefree, and they often exhibit more confidence in themselves than ability. They are very creative and persuasive and very good at expressing their ideas.

Because they are so spontaneous, they can easily become impulsive. They can jump to another exciting opportunity and then another without first producing any tangible results from their first endeavor. They have trouble with focusing their energy and seeing a task to its completion.

Supportive Personality

This type of person is reserved and people-oriented and likes to be appreciated. They are usually labeled as steady, because they are so even-tempered and reliable.

They don't handle pressure well at all and prefer things to stay routine with no changes in their pattern. They feel secure when things are running smoothly. They will easily adapt to any situation and fit in for fear of being noticed. Supportive personality types avoid being put in the spotlight and would much prefer working behind the scenes in a supporting role. They have a difficult time saying no, and they will struggle against being forceful with someone.

They are excellent team players even though they are naturally passive and shy. This style will enjoy having fun with people as long as the fun isn't centered around them. They are quiet, back-seat dwellers and will do nothing to purposely oppose you. They want you to genuinely like them and really don't want to ruffle any feathers. They are the most loyal of friends and will want to serve the people closest to them and meet their needs. They are very predictable and trustworthy.

They often appear to have a lack of initiative. They much prefer to take things slowly and even stick with the status quo rather than consider another alternative. This all stems from not really liking change. They are resistant to change and can be quite stubborn.

If there is a chance of failure, these individuals would prefer to do nothing. They are caring and cooperative people. They are soft-hearted and will work with people and go the extra mile when others won't. They will sacrifice their own needs for others even at a loss and need to toughen up and learn to say no sometimes! They can hold a grudge by keeping something that bothers them deep inside and harbor long-term resentment. They prefer to say nothing for fear of hurting the person who may have hurt them first. They are very uncomfortable with confrontation.

Cautious Personality

This type of person is reserved and task-oriented and likes quality, perfection, and being correct. These people love clear documentation and accurate information.

They are very seldom wrong, because they have double-checked everything. They take mistakes, when pointed out, very personally. They are very analytical and will painstakingly break down each of their projects into workable components and complete each one in order until the entire task is done. While they do tend to get slowed down with details, these people often see pitfalls that other personality types may overlook and ultimately be more structured and productive as a result of their high standards.

They love consistency, because it creates a familiar comfort zone in which they can function. They are also very tenacious and hard working and can be counted on for quality work even if it means extra hours. They are fanatics about doing things by the book and will seem rebellious or disrespectful when they continue to ask questions when assigned a specific task. They need clarification and complete understanding, so they don't mess up. These types want to look the best and be the best.

If you have made a mistake with this personality, they are not afraid to inform you; it's their duty and you should know! "Do it right or don't do it at all," is their motto. However, telling it like it is may not win them many friends. They tend to believe they are always right, and as a result display an air of self-centeredness, This could cause them to appear unsociable. Because most of life is a serious game they have little time for nonsense.

They are driven to a standard of perfection, and this can cause others to feel they are just critical of any other standard. They are able to focus with great intensity. The whole world could be crashing in around them, and they would be hard at work at the station, completing the task. They can often be very rigid. These individuals don't generally let their emotions show and expects others to do the same. They prefer answers that are based on clear and irrefutable facts, not emotional responses.

Using Personality Categorization to Your Advantage

Knowledge of these four personalities is definitely helpful to people who are ready to take on the leadership role of really learning what makes the people in their organization different from one another.

But ultimately it is more important to use this knowledge to understand yourself first before trying to figure out others. Use this information to develop a better understanding of you because if you can master you, then managing people will be a breeze. Good luck!

Key Characteristics of Goals

An organization without a goal is like a ship without a rudder.

It will drift and not drive and will misconstrue activity with accomplishment. Goals keep you moving in the right direction. As you continue to grow your business, it will become apparent that progress has much to do with direction and much less to do with speed. Without goals, you may be moving really fast in the wrong direction.

But just how does one go about setting goals? As the owner or leader of a start-up, here are some things you must consider when setting goals.

Goals must be realistic

Setting a goal you do not believe is feasible is like starting a race you don't expect to win. Why start the race in the first place?

What usually happens when a goal is set that is not feasible is this: nothing. Usually most of the time is spent thinking about how impossible it will be to achieve the goal that absolutely nothing gets done which just leads to more frustration.

It is important when setting goals that you stay realistic and have a feasible way to accomplish the goal that has been set. This is not to say that the goal should not stretch you or your company to become better, but it should not be so daunting that people just freeze and become unmotivated. A good goal will always keep people motivated. An unrealistic goal will keep people stagnant.

Goals must include everyone

This second point is directly tied in with the first aspect of goals which is that they should be realistic. So it goes without saying that if a goal is to be realistic it must include all aspects of the organization.

To take this a step further, if the people in your organization do not believe something can be done then it is either up to you to build their belief that it can be accomplished or to readjust and reset the goal. Sometimes leaders feel that they must always be at the forefront of the decision making. In reality some of the best decisions, especially on goals, are made by going down in the management hierarchy and asking the very people who will most likely be doing most of the work. Make sure when goal setting you remember this.

Goals should have different ranges

One of the biggest mistakes when setting goals is to focus too much on the end result. It is important to begin with the end in mind but do not forget the beginning is just as, if not more, important than the end result. You should make sure when setting goals to split them up in order to be effective. You should have first your long-term goals. This may range from one to two years, to even five years. Yearly goals should be next, then quarterly goals, monthly goals, weekly goals, and ultimately daily goals.

Daily goals are usually the toughest to manage and stay consistent with and rightly so. If you can stay accountable to your daily goals and gradually progress to your weekly goals, you will see a dramatic change in your results and success in completing your goals.

Goals need to be communicated

This is vital in order to produce the maximum effort of everyone that is part of the organization. If the leader has a vision that is not shared with the rest of the organization then it does not qualify as a vision. Goals not communicated to an organization are as good as nothing.

Everyone should know what is expected of them to know how much effort to give and no when to push even harder. The management of short-term goals should be left to the individual leaders on the team but the communication of the long-term goal should be done by the leader of the entire group.