By John C. Maxwell

It happens all the time.

Successful leaders- people with great business acumen, great teams and great vision- are moving along, growing their companies when, all of a sudden, they fall flat on their faces.

Their businesses start hemorrhaging money. Their best people start jumping ship. Their families start falling apart.

And they sit at their desks with their heads in their hands wondering, “How did this happen?”

I’ll tell you how it happened. They were blown up by a problem they never saw coming.

I call these problems “leadership landmines” because unless you’re consciously looking for them, they’re nearly impossible to spot. They’re buried in the grind of daily life, quietly waiting to injure and perhaps even destroy the next unsuspecting leader who steps on them.

Before I go on, I need to tell you that what I’m writing is based on personal experience. At one time or another in my career, I’ve stepped on landmines like the ones I’m about to describe. In some cases, I even have the scars to prove it.

If you’re moving and active, you’re bound to have a painful encounter with a landmine every now and then. It’s just the nature of leadership. But there are certain landmines that will absolutely wipe you out if you’re not careful, and those are the ones that really deserve our attention.

A friend once told me, “If I could kick the person most responsible for most of my problems, I would not be able to sit down for a week.” From my own life and the lives of the leaders I’ve observed over the years, I have found that to be absolutely right. Most leaders I watch don’t need to worry about the competition beating them. Instead, they need to be concerned about doing something stupid in the race and disqualifying themselves.

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By John C. Maxwell

Sometimes you have a minute to make a difference, sometimes you have a few seconds to make a difference. If you are lucky, you have an hour or maybe a day or two to make a difference. Time crunches in on you when a disaster like the terrorist attack on September 11th strikes. At that time, leadership emerges. Whether it is your greatest hour or your worst is up to you.

In every age, there comes a time when a leader must come forward to meet the needs of the hour. Therefore, there is no potential leader who does not have the opportunity to make a positive difference in society. Tragically, there are times when a leader does not rise to the hour.

The following are seven leadership practices seen in times of crisis:

Stand up and be seen.

Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The same goes for leadership. This is not the time to lock yourself away in strategy sessions. It is time to be visible.

Embrace brutal optimism.

In the end, the best leaders combine two countervailing messages. Jim Collins, a management thinker and the author of “Good to Great”, sometimes describes this as the “Churchill paradox.” On the one hand was the Prime Minister’s grim promise of “blood, toil, tears, and sweat” in the near term. On the other was his upbeat certainty that England would prevail “however long and hard the road may be.”

Stick to the facts.

Nothing is scarier than a leader who offers reassurances that fly in the face of the facts. Few believed Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill when he cheerfully predicted a quick economic recovery, nor did Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson inspire trust when he speculated that the first anthrax victim got the disease by drinking from a stream.

Tell a story in a statement.

Abraham Lincoln’s story in 1861:

“The Union stands for liberty, secession would destroy the Union, and therefore secession is a threat to liberty.”

Winston Churchill’s story in 1942:

“This is not the end; it is not even the beginning of the end, though it is perhaps the end of the beginning.”

George W. Bush’s story in 2001:

“They may not come to justice, but we will bring justice to them.”

The bottom line comes second.

We should not have to tell you what comes first. “The most important thing is to have people know that they’re secure and cared about – that they’re not just cogs,” says Dee Soder, an advisor to top executives
and the founder of the CEO Perspective Group in New York City.

Link the ordinary to the extraordinary.

In the wake of events, employees are apt to ask themselves searching questions about their careers and
priorities. With national security at stake, the thought goes, how important can my little job be? Probably
not as important as the work of firefighters and Army Rangers, granted. However, creative leaders find ways to connect the humdrum of people’s jobs with the larger causes on their minds.

Do not overreach.

You have done everything right, you have earned your leadership merit badge, and now your people are giving you a standing ovation. Next piece of advice: They are not really cheering for you. They are cheering for themselves – and for the group’s ability to unite and persevere under threat. Lose sight of that, and you violate the delicate compact between leaders and led.

I think as you reflect on these seven practices, it’ll help you to be a better leader to other people who are depending on you to walk slowly through the crowd and make a difference.

This article provided by [http://www.christianbusinessdaily.com]ChristianBusinessDaily.com – The Online Network for Christians in Business.  Your source for news, articles, and commentary from a biblical perspective.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Leadership-Practices-in-Times-of-Crisis&id=452921] Leadership Practices in Times of Crisis

Most people who sell on eBay would like to be in the position of selling highly sought after items. But how do you know which products are the ones that are in high demand?

You might not have realised it, but eBay itself has several ways for you to determine exactly what these items are! In fact eBay gives you four ways to do this.

Whilst this data is only available on ebay.com, depending on the categories in which you operate, the information may well be of interest no matter which eBay country site you use.

Items In Demand

In this part of Seller Central, you will find each of the main categories is listed. If you scroll down, you will see within each category area there is a heading of In Demand. If you click on this, you will see what are the most popular items currently within that particular category. To see the In Demand page, go to http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/sellbycategory.html

Hot Items by Category Report

eBay produces a monthly report called the “Hot Items by Category” report. This report lists the fastest growing categories on eBay for the previous month. The explanation for what eBay considers “hot” can be hard to understand on first reading. The important matter is that the categories listed are ones where buyer demand for the items under those categories are growing fastest. This report is a PDF file. You can view it on your browser, or download it and open it with Adobe Reader. Go to http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/whatshot.html and select “Hot Items by Category” from the menu on the left.

eBay Pulse

This is an area on eBay where you can find “a daily snapshot of current trends, hot picks, and cool stuff on eBay”. With eBay Pulse you can get this information by category, or across eBay.com as a whole. Go to http://pulse.ebay.com/ to see eBay Pulse in action.

Merchandising Calendar

eBay promotes specific categories on its home page each month. Savvy eBayers know that this home page exposure results in more interest in such categories. Fortunately, thanks to eBay’s Merchandising Calendar, you can know in advance which categories are going to be featured in each month. Thus you can be prepared with appropriate auction items, ready to take advantage of the increased traffic in these categories. Go to http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/calendar.html to view the current Merchandising Calendar.

I hope this insight into eBay’s services helps in your selling.

About the author:
Brian McGregor is an internet entrepreneur specializing in leveraging the power of eBay. He is author of ‘The eBay Formula’ on how to sell successfully on eBay time after time. He is also publisher of the eBay Auction Newsletter – Subscribe free at
http://www.workwinners.com/Newsletter_archive.htm

Storytelling represents the virtual underutilized instrument in selling. Nevertheless storytelling not merely creates it comfortable for folks to get to experience, care and desire you, likewise step-ups gross revenue.
1. In your storytelling – follow this tested guide for most effective outcomes. T.E.S. means “trouble, execute, solutions”.
Express the trouble you’re confronted. What was not functioning, how did that sense? Narrate what execute you conducted. What represented the epiphany that shifted your spirit? What represented your “ah-ha” instant? What represented the solution of the execution you conducted? How to apply numbers and real life solutions? Narrate however you have sensed at present that matters are indeed distinguishable from whilst you experienced the trouble.
2. Most efficient stories drive the listener to discover envisions in their creative thinking. Those envision that glow in our retention and cause us to recall stories long time later on.
Choose a particular instant in time that comprises the crucial part of your story. Discard everything additional contributing up to that aim. At present, while you narrate the story produce envision in your creative thinking. Choose merely two particulars to narrate us virtually about.
Possibly it personified the closeness of your breath, the Green paint breaking off the room access you unfolded, the spongy auditory sensation below your shoes merely sufficient to unlock the key envision. Allow the listener conclude envision in their creative thinking.
3. The bountiful marketing secret narrates a story that likewise instructs a heart and soul thought behind your divine service, merchandise or platform.
Please see below to capture a full multimedia interactive presentation to create your own envision. You will probably recall more the precept behind storytelling how to narrate a story that sells. Please share how you are developing your storytelling message in comment post below.

Author: Jim Mcdonald

Do you want to start a business, but you have absolutely no money to invest in it up front? Don’t despair! You’re certainly not alone and you may find that your business will actually turn out better. Chances are your business will be healthier and better equipped to respond to change. You’ll learn creative new ways to handle different challenging situations. However, success will require a healthy dose of time and commitment to hard work on your part.

When you don’t have the money you think you need to start a business, you may feel isolated and alone. The truth is that starting a business with zero funds is so common that there is a word for it–bootstrapping. The term comes from the idea that you can “pull yourself up using your own bootstraps.” Although that might be physically doubtful, it is possible to creatively gather and apply scarce resources to start a business. It may not be the most comfortable way to start a new business, there are advantages to avoiding entangling relationships with investors, lenders or venture capitalists.

Those who support the practice of bootstrapping your new business into existence point out that companies started in this way are usually healthier and more stable in the long run. Why would this be so? Imagine you’ve just started a new business with a big wad of cash courtesy of some optimistic investors or venture capitalists. In this situation, there is very little pressure to make money immediately. There’s no real penalty for wasteful spending or loss of focus.

But when you’re bootstrapping a new business from a zero cash starting point, creativity and problem solving are your highest priority. There’s no safety net of cash to catch you if you fall, so it’s essential to keep your eyes on the task of creating profit. Not only does this make you more successful more quickly, it also provides excellent training for future periods of rapid growth. Many businesses often have difficulty if the needs of growth are greater than current cash flow. Business started by bootstrapping don’t have this problem because this is where bootstrappers live–using scarce resources creatively to meet the needs of business growth.

Do you have what it takes to successfully bootstrap a new business with zero funds? Most business planners agree that knowledge about a particular business or industry is the best asset you can start with. If you are an expert in a specific subject (or you choose to become an expert in an area), then you should also have useful knowledge about that market–the sources, the competition, the major players, the likelihood of future demand, etc. This specialized knowledge almost always helps you to find new opportunities and ways to creatively build a business without the need for a fat bank account or investment fund.

If you want to start a business from scratch without major funding, you’ll have to make up the difference with hard work and a huge investment of your time. So it’s best to stick with something you are passionate about. You need to believe in what you’re doing and believe in yourself. Successful bootstrapping will require personal sacrifice, so be sure you start something that’s worth it to you.

When it comes to starting a business with zero funds, providing services is usually the best choice. Selling products usually requires a cash investment at the beginning to create or purchase inventory. Plus, you’ll have to pay for storage space. But when you are providing services, you really only need the tools of your trade, which you may already own. Lower startup costs will increase your chances for success.

Whenever you consider starting a business with zero funds, you should be open to help from any and all sources. Friends and family can be excellent sources of “in-kind” contributions, like a place to provide services or a couch to sleep on when things are tight. Another option worth thinking about is working a part-time job to make your living expenses and building your business the rest of the time. Once your new business starts showing a profit, you can drop the part-time job and put 100 percent of your time into your new endeavor.

Starting a company without any startup money may seem like a crazy idea, but people do it successfully all the time. The businesses that emerge from this process are flexible, adaptable, and never have cash flow worries. When you start with nothing, it can only get better.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/starting-a-business-with-no-capitaldo-you-have-what-it-takes-198706.html

About the AuthorThis buying a business article was produced for http://www.business-trader.com.au

Image Source: http://www.startupnation.com/blogs/index.php/2010/10/16/why-you-need-to-build-a-startup-family/

By: Steve Norris

If you are in outside sales in what is known as a hunter position, you are either a water bucket carrying salesperson, or you are a pipeline building salesperson. Find out why you need to identify which one you are, and which one you want to be!

Robert Kyosaki tells a great story about a village that had a serious water issue. They did not receive enough rainfall to provide water for the villages daily needs, and the river was a couple of miles away and highly inconvenient for the village people to go to every day. The mayor decided once and for all to put an end to the problem. He would put the job of bringing water from the river to the village up for bid, and they would outsource the project to the winning bidder.

Well, as luck would have it, two men put in their bid, and they were both awarded the project. The mayor figured a little competition never hurt anyone, and they would also always be sure that they would have enough water. Immediately, man number one went out, bought two water buckets, and started carrying buckets of fresh water early in the morning back and forth from the river to the village 6 days a week. He took Sundays off, so on that day the village did not have water.

Man number two did not buy buckets or start carrying water at all. In fact, no one was sure what he was up to. This made man number one quite happy, as he was earning all of the money as the sole source of water for the village. It was terrific! Man number one continued to carry buckets day after day, all day long under the hot summer sun, and he made a darn decent living doing so.

Meanwhile, man number two had gone to work gathering investors, developing a business plan, and received permits to build a stainless steel pipeline from the river to the village. Once complete, he was able to offer an endless supply of water to the village 7 days a week that was cleaner than what man number one was able to provide for 10% of man number ones price! Competition had arrived with a fury!

The example was told to Kyosaki by his rich dad to illustrate a point on work and investing, but doesn’t it also apply to you in the world of competitive sales? In the past 10 years, anyone in sales can tell you the games rules have changed, and they have changed with a fury!

If you are mindlessly cold calling day after day, with no long range plan on how to put your prospecting on auto-pilot, how are you any different than the guy carrying two buckets back and forth every day from the river? How can you continue to compete with a stainless steel pipeline with your two buckets as you get older and your back starts to ache from the unending physical toil? As the odds of you succeeding against those with a long range plan become slimmer and slimmer, how do you get out of bucket carrying mode and make your own pipeline before it’s too late? How can you possibly avoid burnout? How will you continue to compete in the new digital age with ancient methods of water transfer?

You can’t. And, you won’t. If you do continue on the road of carrying buckets day after day, the inevitable end will be sales burnout, ending up broke, bitter, and completely confused as to what happened. Even as you work right now, some of your competition is in the process of building stainless steel pipelines of new clients. And some of those customers used to be yours. How do they do it? What are they doing? How did they know? But perhaps most importantly, how can you do it?

The answer to the last question is different for every field and every industry, but yet the answer is the same in concept. It’s the power of leverage. How does the pipeline carry more water than the individual? It is a structure that took a lot of time and effort to build, that works 24 hours a day even when you dont, required a vision for the future, and it fulfilled a need. You need to repeat that exact same process in order to create your own pipeline. If you are not in an industry where that is possible, you may consider finding one where it is. Carrying buckets long term will almost guarantee sales burnout.

When you take a look at your industry, there is already someone who is building a better mousetrap and is in process of building their own stainless steel pipeline for finding qualified customers. It is never too late to catch up. But do not be fooled, there is no shortcut in the process. There are hours of hard work involved, tremendous amounts of planning to fulfill a market need, and a long range view of where you want to be. When you decide to become a pipeline builder instead of a bucket carrier, your mind will explode with creative ways to make it so, but it will still require a ton of hard work to get there. The sooner you can identify where you are in the process, the sooner you can begin to work towards where you want to be. Eventually, you should be able to put your prospecting on auto-pilot. Best wishes in your pipeline building!

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Steve Norris is a Texas based Energy Efficient Electrical Contractor and Telecommunications Broker for over 80 carriers nationwide. He specializes in hardware solution for multi-location business with advanced infrastructure needs. Over 90% of his clients are able to implement a new technology infrastructure with Dallas VOIP solutions without increasing their budget with TeleTAP.

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