Mike Figliuolo's Blog, page 67

Timeless Advice for Beginner Entrepreneurs

Starting a business? Don’t know where to start? Avoid beginner mistakes and make the most of your time by taking advice from someone who’s been there before. Today’s post is by Mike Figliuolo, Managing Director of thoughtLEADERS. In 2012, I gave an interview to The Metropreneur in which I shared my answers to the five most common questions I’m asked about entrepreneurship and thoughtLEADERS LLC. Although this interview took place eight years ago, I believe all the guidance is just as relevant today as it was when I first said it: When do I talk to the venture capitalists? Five years from now. Seriously, entrepreneurs need to get an understanding of the funding ladder. Typically it starts with your own cash. Then friends and family. Then angel investors. Then hopefully...



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Changing Culture, Changing Conversations

Culture plays an integral role in your organization’s success or failure. Learn a four-step process to create a new culture or change an existing one. Today’s post is by Chuck Wisner, author of the forthcoming book, Conscious Conversations (CLICK HERE to learn more). Cultures are patterns of human interaction that define the values and the behaviors that help groups accomplish a shared mission. In an organization, the culture is the soup in which work gets done. It influences employee satisfaction, customer retention, and the bottom line. Getting organizational culture right is complicated, but it can mean the difference between a flourishing organization and a floundering one. Defining an organization’s culture and bringing awareness to the vital role it plays is a big step to...



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How generous of a person would you say you are?

Our reader poll today asks: How generous of a person would you say you are? Extremely: I give freely and often sometimes until it hurts 13% Very: I regularly give what I can to others 41% Kind of: I’ll give to people and causes I’m passionate about 35% Not very: I’ll occasionally do generous things but not often 9% Not at all: I rarely give to others unless I’m encouraged to 3% Others before self? Generosity has many benefits beyond the actual act itself. Giving can foster connections, understanding, empathy and community. The item or action given doesn’t have to be large to be meaningful. During especially challenging times, generosity can turn someone’s entire day, week or month around. Don’t give until it hurts. Hurt shouldn’t be part of the equation. But do...



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3 Steps to Stop Being Your Own Worst Critic

Still need a resolution for 2021? Try being kinder to yourself. Learn how you can set the tone for a successful year by being more conscious of negative thoughts and self-critical tendencies.  I’m pretty sure I can safely say that individuals who read our blog are achievers. You work hard, seek to develop your skills, and look forward to the next goal in front of you. I’ll also bet you’re your own harshest critic. You probably beat yourself up at the smallest perceived failure. Some of you do more damage to yourselves than that funky albino monk in Da Vinci Code did to himself with that nasty rope of his. Sometimes your self-deprecating humor isn’t very humorous. Stop it. Now. These negative thoughts don’t just affect your performance – they rub off on your team. If you’re not careful you...



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Modern Problems Require a More Nuanced Understanding of Leadership

In today’s ambiguous and complex environment, a more nuanced view of leadership is required in order to reward the right behaviors and get the most out of your people. Today’s post is by Chris Lewis, author of The Infinite Leader (CLICK HERE to get your copy). There are a lot of problems out there. We all know that. But what if there was one thing we could do to improve all of our problems? Well, there is. We can improve leadership. Why is good leadership so important? It’s not just because it improves efficiency. It’s also because it harnesses and applies talent. We have the skills to solve all our problems, but we don’t have the leadership. How do we know this? Because we keep getting surprised by events. Like the Financial Crisis.. Like Brexit. Like the Pandemic. ...



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Which of the following statements best reflects your situation related to getting promoted?

Our reader poll today asks: Which of the following statements best reflects your situation related to getting promoted? I was promoted within the last 3 months: 12% I expect to get promoted within the next 3-6 months: 11% I expect to get promoted in the next 6-12 months: 14% I’m more than 12 months from being promoted: 63% Getting close? Looks like a lot of you (25%) see yourselves in line for a promotion within the next 12 months. The question is, what are you doing to secure that jump? If you’re not already acting “as if” you’re in that role, consider doing so. Many times it’s not about “can they perform at that level?” but instead the conversation is, “Are they already performing at that level?” When there’s uncertainty in the market, organizations tend to assume less risk which...



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Do You Have a 2021 Business Vision?

A critical part of effective leadership and success means the understanding of including all stakeholders and total collaboration in your leadership model. Today’s post is by Kim Lorenz, author of Tireless (CLICK HERE to get your copy). It’s that time of year again – many organizations have started diving into accomplishing their strategic business goals and objectives for 2021. Do you have a 2021 business vision? In my years of experience as an entrepreneur, business owner, partner and CEO, I have come to realize that if you can learn to see opportunity, can innovate, and look past the “obvious,” you can achieve almost anything. To me, a critical part of effective leadership and business success means understanding the importance of including all stakeholders and total collaboration in...



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As the year comes to an end, what are your expectations for next year?

Our reader poll today asks: As the year comes to an end, what are your expectations for next year? It’ll be much better: 32.43% It’ll be slightly better: 42.96% It’ll be about the same: 16.28% It’ll be slightly worse: 4.92% It’ll be much worse: 3.41% Optimistic views. 75% of you feel like next year will be better than this one. Hopefully that’s the case! 2020 certainly has been extraordinary. The question to you as a leader is what are you doing right now to set next year up to be successful? Are you building talent? Putting together your plans? Building organizational flexibility and capabilities? Better years don’t just happen magically. They’re much more likely to occur if you’re putting in the effort early to make sure you’re...



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Your Business Reflects Your Ethos

Communication is crucial to effective leadership. With all professional relationships, one must clearly convey and maintain company guidelines and standards. Today’s post is by Sarah Y. Tse, author of 7 Years on the Front Line (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Your business reflects your ethos, which explains why it is critical to communicate company culture and goals clearly to new employees, new clients, and new suppliers. A leader lays the ground rules, describes operations, distributes priorities, and defines the values of the business. I focus a tremendous amount of energy into verbal and non-verbal communication. Asking questions, activating curiosity, and engaging as an active listener assists me in assessing clearly if an interviewee is a match, or if a supplier and client will...



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When you get knocked “off center” by unexpected problems, how long does it take you to recover?

Our reader poll today asks: When you get knocked “off center” by unexpected problems, how long does it take you to recover? A few minutes: 23.86% An hour or so: 27.23% A few hours: 17.60% A day or two: 24.33% Several days to a week: 6.98% Returning to center. There’s no shortage of things to knock us off balance. Events big and small can throw us off at any given time. What’s important is how quickly you’re able to regain your center and get back in balance. For the large portion of you that get thrown off for a day or more, don’t feel bad about it, but do look to do something about it. Find a way to regain your perspective faster. Whether it’s exercising, taking a walk, talking with a friend or co-worker, listening to music, meditating or any...



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