The Power of Magnetic Leadership by Dianne Durkin with Carey Earle - Book review

The Power of Magnetic Leadership

It's Time to Get R.E.A.L.

By: Dianne Durkin, with Carey Earle

Published: May 12, 2011
Format: Paperback, 152 pages
ISBN-10: 1453751238
ISBN-13: 978-1453751237
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform











"While some people may be more natural leaders than others, some of the best leaders I have worked with are men and women who went beyond cultivating their own leadership skills and instead created a culture of leadership in their organizations", write president and founder of Loyalty Factor, Dianne Durbin, with adjunct instructor of marketing at new York University, Carey Earle, in their very concise and hands on book The Power of Magnetic Leadership: It's Time to Get R.E.A.L.. The authors describe how the concept of magnetic leadership will transform an organizational culture, engage and excite employees, and enhance company performance.



Dianne Durkin (photo left) and Carey Earle recognize the often overlooked aspects of leadership are some of the most important ones. The principle of leadership is presented as critical to the health of the organization, and to its employees through its value as an engine of innovation. Dianne Durkin points out that leadership does not simply belong to one person, but through the power of inspiration and contagion, leadership affects the entire company.

As a result, that enhanced and multiplied leadership dynamic propels the organization forward in every way. The authors share the importance of understanding the role of the leaders, and provide the tools and practices



Carey Earle (photo left) and Dianne Durkin understand that leadership may be natural for some people, but that leadership is a skill that can be developed and learned by anyone. Indeed, the book goes beyond simply improving the leadership ability of the individual, but instead offers a guide to transforming an entire company culture into one of magnetic leadership.

To establish the culture and values of authentic and visionary leadership throughout the entire organization, Dianne Durkin presents the principles of R.E.A.L. The concepts that underpin R.E.A.L. as follows:

* Recruitment of the right people for the right jobs and Retaining them
* Engaging, Empowering, and Enriching employees by providing a success Environment
* Appreciating people through valuing, rewarding and recognizing them
* Leadership that leads to loyalty that strengthens performance

For me, the power of the book is how Dianne Durkin and Carey Earle combine a comprehensive examination of the theory and role of leadership, with the practical tools and skills needed to develop both personal and organizational leadership capabilities. The book examines the fresh ground of transforming a company culture into one of organizational leadership. Along with presenting this overarching concept as a viable alternative to traditional leadership models, the book includes the practices that create the conditions to develop that vast leadership culture.

The authors also break down the leadership principles into four readily understood and integrated parts. The ideas are presented as that of R.E.A.L. The various chapters cover each of the concepts, and each chapter contains exercises for a very hands on experience with the book doubling as a workbook for leadership training. There are also self testing and insightful questions to ensure that the leader understands the principles and practices completely.

UI highly recommend the results oriented and very practical book The Power of Magnetic Leadership: It's Time to Get R.E.A.L. by Dianne Durkin with Carey Earle, to any leaders at all levels in any organization who are seeking a clear and effective blueprint for achieving both personal and organizational leadership excellence. This book goes to the heart of the leadership crisis facing many companies today, and provides a road map to a viable leadership cultural solution.

Into the Storm by Dennis N.T.Perkins with Jillian B. Murphy - Book review

Into the Storm

Lessons in Teamwork from the Treacherous Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race

By: Dennis N.T. Perkins, Ph.D., Jillian B. Murphy

Published: November 1, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0814431984
ISBN-13: 978-0814431986
Publisher: AMACOM









"Having a superb team doesn't guarantee success, and every challenging adventure involves an element of chance. But I believe that the kind of teamwork exhibited by the best ocean racing teams changes the odds", writes writes chief executive officer of The Syncretics Group, Dennis N.T. Perkins, Ph.D., in his fascinating and teamwork lesson filled book Into the Storm: Lessons in Teamwork from the Treacherous Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race. The author describes the epic adventure of the 35-foot AFR Midnight Rambler, an ocean racing boat that sailed into a dangerous hurricane during the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race, and shares the lessons learned through the actions of the skipper, Ed Psaltis and his six member crew.



Dennis N.T. Perkins (photo left) and Jillian Murphy recognize the importance of the victory by AFR Midnight Rambler and its crew as an incredible achievement in a race marred by tragedy and loss of life. The authors look more deeply into how the skipper and the crew were able to transform near death into a successful race result. For the author, not only surviving but winning the coveted Tattersall's Cup, was more than mere chance and good fortune.

Instead, Dennis N.T. Perkins and Jillian Murphy uncover the exemplary practices of leadership and teamwork that outline and accentuate the concept of what he calls teamwork at the edge. The author offers his analysis of the teamwork aspects that created the success of the AFR Midnight Rambler, despite the harshest and most dangerous of sailing conditions.



Jillian Murphy (photo left) and Dennis N.T. Perkins understand the critical importance of teamwork in times of adversity. The authors examine the role of leadership, and how its burden can be shared by the team as a whole. During a crisis, the necessity of leadership is so great that more than one person is required at the time. The very nature of leadership, and the composition of the team, caries with time and circumstances. As a result, the author examines the evolution of leadership during times of crisis.

As a result of the lessons learned during the race, and through the teamwork displayed on the AFR Midnight Rambler, Dennis N.T. Perkins and Jillian Murphy share the strategies for teamwork at the edge. Those strategies are as follows:

* Team unity: Make the team as a whole the central focus
* Prepare, prepare, prepare: Decide that failure is not an option
* Balanced optimism: Discover and focus on a winning result
* Relentless learning: Build a culture of learning and innovation
* Calculated risk: Be willing to enter the heart of the challenge
* Stay connected: Keep everyone informed no matter the obstacles
* Step into the breach: Develop leaders and team members able to cover one another
* Eliminate friction: Remove conflict and stop it quickly
* Practice resilience: Recover rapidly from any setbacks
* Tenacious creativity: Never give up as there are always more options to try

For me, the power of the book is how Dennis N.T. Perkins and Jillian Murphy combine the historical details of the tragic 1998 Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race with the teamwork lessons learned from the crew of the AFR Midnight Rambler. The authors describe the severe weather, high wind, and towering wave challenges faced by skipper Ed Psaltis and his six crew members. The authors take a fresh approach to the race events, and focuses on the teamwork skills that made the skipper and crew so successful despite the overwhelming odds.

The author examines the way the skipper and crew behaved during the race, and how they faced the crisis presented by the ocean storm. Along with the lessons in teamwork, the author also discovered another way of looking at leadership, and how the burden can be shared by various members of the team. For teamwork during times of severe adversity, the teamwork principles demonstrated by the crew were the difference between life and death. In the end, their team concept led to their ultimate success in the race.

I highly recommend the insightful and excellent team development book Into the Storm: Lessons in Teamwork from the Treacherous Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race by Dennis N.T. Perkins, with Jillian B. Murphy, to any team leaders and developers at all levels of ant organization, who are seeking a clear and concise examination of the most effective team building principles for navigating successfully through times of crisis and adversity. The concepts utilized by the skipper and crew of the AFR Midnight Rambler are readily transferable to any team, regardless of the project or circumstances.

Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works by A.G. Lafley & Roger L. Martin - book review

Playing To Win

How Strategy Really Works

By: A.G. Lafley, Roger L. Martin

Published: February 5, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 142218739X
ISBN-13: 978-1422187395
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press









"Strategy can seem mystical and mysterious. It isn't. It is easily defined. It is a set of choices about winning", write former chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble, A.G. Lafley; and dean of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Roger L. Martin, in their brilliant and winning results oriented book Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works. The authors describe how to devise and execute a winning strategy, that will transform and company and its brands through a fresh and readily understood approach to business strategy.



A.G. Lafley (photo left) and Roger L. Martin recognize that not all companies have an effective business strategy. The authors point out that the problem is multiplied by a failure of many business leaders to understand the difference between a vision and a strategy. For the authors, a strategy is for winning, and it's about choice. Instead of simply playing, the authors provide the blueprint for actually winning.

They also describe how to make the best choices to ensure that winning is final outcome. This overall approach to strategy, by combining winning with choices, forms the foundation of the book. The authors delve into the very deepest and most fundamental aspects of strategy, ensuring that leaders incorporate their critical elements into their thinking and decision making process.



Roger L. Martin (photo left) and A.G. Lafley present a complete and readily applicable process for establishing a winning strategy. The choices based approach to strategy is composed of five fully integrated choices. Those five choices are as follows:

* What is your winning aspiration? The firm's purpose.
* Where will you play? Where that aspiration will take place.
* How will you win? The method of winning on the chosen field.
* What capabilities must be in place? The skills and resources needed for winning.
* What management systems are required? The systems and metrics to support the above.

For me, the power of the book is how A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin combine a thorough examination of the theoretical elements that comprise a winning strategy, with the mutually reinforcing choices necessary to put that strategy into action successfully. The authors present their ideas in an easily understood format, where each of the principles blends seamlessly into one another. Each of the five choices add to the overall goal of winning as the ultimate goal.

The authors also offer a complete guide to better understanding the deeper and underlying meaning of the very idea of a strategy for an organization. The authors also provide real world examples of the five strategic choices in action to illustrate their effectiveness. Each chapter also includes valuable and useful hands on questions and takeaways that assist in the overall understanding of the principles being discussed in each chapter.

I highly recommend the game changing and real world proven book Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin, to any business leaders and decision makers who are seeking a clear and concise guide to establishing a winning strategy, and for making the appropriate choices to make that strategy an effective one. This book will change the way business leaders think about and apply strategy forever.

Nettie Reynolds: Using The Power Of Story To Create Content - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Digital strategist, author, and marketing consultant Nettie Reynolds describes how to put the power of story to work to create effective content. Nettie Reynolds provides ideas for using narrative to enhance and transform ordinary marketing content into exciting stories that boost sales. Nettie shares her proven advice for adding a blog and social media to your marketing mix. Nettie also presents the additional concept of gaining the experience of journalists for building narrative. Nettie offers ideas for combining the experience of authors with your marketing department to establish more story ideas. Nettie also shares the concept of ebooks as a market builder. She also presents ideas for writing and marketing an ebook to boost your business. Learn how to creatively add content through story to your marketing writing.

Nettie Reynolds is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, March 28, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Digital strategist, author, and marketing consultant Nettie Reynolds describes how to put the power of story to work to create effective content. You will learn:

* Why story is so important to content creation

* How to create narrative to boost your marketing content impact

* How to add the abilities of journalists and authors to your marketing team

* How ebooks can help with marketing and story based content



Nettie Reynolds (photo left) is a digital strategist and teacher. Nettie works with wonderful individuals and companies from all over the world, helping them create and convey their messages to the online world. She prides herself on her diverse base of clients and her customized and unique approach to each client’s needs. Nettie provides training to kick-start e-outreach for companies and individuals and fine tuning of social media initiatives and presence.

Nettie’s clients have seen millions in YouTube views, features on DailyKos, Daily Candy, NYTimes, MSNBC.com, Entreprenuer.com, Pink Magazine, Inc.com, Allbusiness.com, Wall St. Journal, BlogCritics and other leading online sites. Her clients have also been featured in notable business, fiction and non-fiction podcast shows including Total Picture Radio, Mark Amtower Direct, Blog Business World, blog Busines Success, Cranky Middle Manager and others.

isLten live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with digital strategist, author, and marketing consultant Nettie Reynolds, as she describes how to put the power of story to work to create effective content. Nettie Reynolds provides ideas for using narrative to enhance and transform ordinary marketing content into exciting stories that boost sales. Nettie shares her proven advice for adding a blog and social media to your marketing mix. Nettie also presents the additional concept of gaining the experience of journalists for building narrative. Nettie offers ideas for combining the experience of authors with your marketing department to establish more story ideas. Nettie also shares the concept of ebooks as a market builder. She also presents ideas for writing and marketing an ebook to boost your business. Learn how to creatively add content through story to your marketing writing on Blog Business Success Radio.

To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink

This is my first “must read of 2013”, it’s on the desks of almost every leader I know. This is a book so filled with value, I’ve read it three times in less than a month. There’s SO much here - it's five books in one!

Let’s dive in to why I feel every person in my network should read this book…

1. Sales is dead. We’re all in sales now.

The internet was supposed to destroy sales. Well video did NOT kill the radio star, nor did the web kill the role of face to face sales in business. What it did was push volume sales online and make every media user a marketing machine. The customer is the buyer and the seller because they have every bit of information they need but face to face interpersonal skills are more important than ever. It’s no longer caveat emptor (buyer beware) it’s caveat venditor ( seller beware, we the customer know as much if not more than you about your own product now! ).

*Warning–Alec has a potty mouth.

No one likes to be sold. Daniel references the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, like many people I had only seen this famous scene ( *Warning, crazy explicit language!!! ) but I went back and watched the whole movie. It reminds you how dark sales can be. This is the salesman that the internet killed. Good riddance.

But if we're all in sales now we could use some skill building right? That’s what the first section of this book focuses on, the new ABC’s of ‘authentic influence’. For professionals who hate the idea of sales, being of professional service is your new goal and the book lays out a perfect roadmap. Even things like body language, the concept of why adapting to the other person is something I wrote a chapter on in Mark Bowen’s book for sales professionals.  Daniel mentions the huge power of asking better questions and mentions a topic I love, Solutions Focus.

A special thanks Dan for the shout out to the fact that fundraising IS part of this world of influence. Nice to see social-profit tips on ‘content curation’ from Beth Kanter in the book too!

2. The rise of the Ambivert

Susan Cain set 2012 on fire with "Quiet: The Power of introverts”. I spent a lot of time sharing this book last year. A thousand people in my network bought it and confessed it gave them great comfort – that they’re not “useless” because they’re not an Extrovert. But many often said to me “we'll I'm in between the two”.  Dan shares the incredible power of having a foot in both camps, and how we can be comfortable growing our strengths as “Ambiverts” ( are you one? test yourself here ).

3. “Pitching” in a web and wired world.

This part of the book is almost worth the price alone! Some peers in my network are setting up pitch-nights to help each other develop how to talk about what they do in “one word” for discussion, networking, email and yes even Twitter ( bless you Dan for acknowledging that social business is a big force to be reckoned with in 2013 and beyond! ). Communicate better, dump the sales talk – focus on clarity! Powerhouse chapter, I highly recommend you watch the video below on this topic.

4. Leading with your ears.

I know, everyone says “listening is important” in relationship building. But no one every say exactly why, and exactly how to do it. Dan goes deep into how to listen with your body. How to listen deeply, honestly and even learn how to improvise as part of your listening. Probably the most unique and usable business resource on this done to death topic I’ve read in a decade.

5. Servant Leadership

This is a topic close to my heart. Most people know that I live to serve others. Partly it’s an expression of my faith life but it is also my personal business mission statement. It’s a lifestyle and business strategy that defines me, Paul Nazareth. So to read about how Daniel values this as part of the new sales ‘must-have’ attitude and skill set is nice. Especially since much of my motivation is combating many of the unsustainable management styles built around fear, micromanagement and intimidation I see so often.

So – I’m betting on this book. I’ve bought a dozen copies to give away during the year. I predict big things for it and highly recommend it.

Four items on the sheer awesome business power of Dan & this book:

1. Daniel’s interviews with best selling authors
2. NPR audio interview with Dan on listening & ambiverts
3. Harvard Business interview with Dan on the book
4. A resource board I’ve created of articles on the book

Watch the launch below but below that is a fantastic video on “pitching”.

Thanks for reading, please share this post with your network!

    Paul

 

Achim Nowak: Infectious: How To Connect Deeply As A Leader - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Performance coach, leadership guide, and author of the insightful and very practical book Infectious: How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within, Achim Nowak describes how despite advances in technology, leaders communicate more but are unable to connect with others. Achim Nowak provides insights into why leaders face a real challenge with building connections, and why this obstacle must be overcome. Achim Nowak shares his Four Levels of Connection as the foundation for establishing deep and lasting relationships. To assist in utilizing these empowering concepts, Achim Nowak offers the skills and tools necessary for engaging others and enriching connections. Learn how to develop and maintain connections with others to achieve your personal success as a leader in any organization.

Achim Nowak is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, March 21, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Performance coach, leadership guide, and author of the insightful and very practical book Infectious: How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within, Achim Nowak describes how despite advances in technology, leaders communicate more but are unable to connect with others. You will learn:

* Why communication is not the same as connection

* Why leaders face real challenges connecting with others

* How the Four Levels of Connection can build deep and lasting relationships

* How to learn and develop the tools to establish meaningful connections



Achim Nowak (photo left) is an internationally recognized authority on executive presence and infectious personal connections. His first book Power Speaking: The Art of the Exceptional Public Speaker has become an essential leadership development tool in Fortune 500 companies around the world. Achim has coached hundreds of executives and entrepreneurs. He integrates an extensive background in personal transformation techniques, conflict resolution, spiritual practice, and actor training to develop truly resonant leaders.

Influens, the international training and coaching firm Achim founded in 2004, is based in South Florida and supports senior business leaders in every part of the globe. Whether he was training performers at New York City’s Actors Institute or directing an Israeli/Palestinian theatre production for the Peres Center for Peace or leading transformational week-ends in AIDS communities throughout North America or windsurfing in Tobago for a year and doing absolutely nothing else - Achim has mastered the art of slipping into any social situation.

Achim holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology and International Relations from New York University. He served for over a decade on the faculty of New York University and has been a frequent guest speaker at other universities such as The University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, Brandeis University, and Columbia University.

Achim’s essays have appeared in numerous anthologies and received a PEN Syndicated Fiction Award. He and his work have been featured on 60 Minutes, The Today Show, NPR, HLN, and in The Miami Herald and the award-winning documentary The Last Enemy.

My book review of Infectious: How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within by Achim Nowak.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with performance coach, leadership guide, and author of the insightful and very practical book Infectious: How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within, Achim Nowak, as he describes how despite advances in technology, leaders communicate more but are unable to connect with others. Achim Nowak provides insights into why leaders face a real challenge with building connections, and why this obstacle must be overcome. Achim Nowak shares his Four Levels of Connection as the foundation for establishing deep and lasting relationships. To assist in utilizing these empowering concepts, Achim Nowak offers the skills and tools necessary for engaging others and enriching connections. Learn how to develop and maintain connections with others to achieve your personal success as a leader in any organization on Blog Business Success Radio.

Infectious by Achim Nowak - Book review

Infectious

How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within

By: Achim Nowak

Published: January 2, 2013
Hardcover: 232 pages
ISBN-10: 1581159242
ISBN-13: 978-1581159240
Publisher: Allworth Press











"We communicate at a furious pace - yet we connect less and less", writes performance coach, leadership guide, and author of the insightful and very practical book Infectious: How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within. The author describes how despite the rapid expansion of technology, and increased communication between leaders and followers, they make fewer and much less effective connections.

Achim Nowak recognizes that establishing and developing personal connections are crucial to building successful leadership. The author points out that despite the desire of leaders to communicate more with others, both in person and electronically, they are not nurturing any real deep and personal connections. Achim Nowak offers the many connection inhibiting beliefs and habits that prevent real connections from taking place.

The author makes clear that without deep and meaningful connections, leaders will never achieve the level of success for themselves, for their followers, and for their organizations that the seek. To overcome this challenge, Achim Nowak presents the concept of connectability as an essential leadership tool that can be learned by anyone.



Achim Nowak (photo left) understands that connections are made in stages, and with different levels of intensity and depth. The ability to connect, according to the author, can be learned, and engagement with others improves with practice.

To achieve deeper connections, Achim Nowak shares his Four Levels of Connection. Along with the four levels, the author provide she necessary tool set to achieve better engagement and connections with other people. The Four Levels of Engagement are as follows:

* The Talk Level: Creating meaningful conversations
* The Power Level: Putting your personal power to work
* The Intent Level: Being alert, acting with purpose, and with firm goals to achieve
* The Energy Level: Connection at the heart and soul level for deep relationships

For me, the power of the book is how Achim Nowak combines a deep and rich framework and philosophy for building connections, with the practical tools and practices to make those deep and lasting connections a reality. The author breaks down his Four Levels of Connection into easily understood sections, complete with examples of the principles in action in the real world. Achim Nowak presents ideas that are tested and proven effective over fifteen years of coaching and leadership training.

With the levels of engagement and connection understood in theory, the leader is then able to utilize the tested tools for establishing deeper connections. Each chapter is subdivided into subheadings and subsections to further develop the tools and skills needed to ever deepen the connection with others, Numerous charts and graphics provide additional visual aids to further facilitate the learning and understanding of the tools for connections.

I highly recommend the very hands on and highly effective book Infectious: How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within by Achim Nowak, to any leaders at all levels who are seeking a real world proven, and readily applicable set of tools and skills for enriching interpersonal connections. instead of simply communicating with others, you will instead find yourself connecting with people in new and exciting ways.

Jewel Fryer & BlogBloke: Facebook Power For Your Business - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Social Media Practitioner and Community Manager, at Social Media Farm, Jewel Fryer and long time blogger BlogBloke describe how Facebook can expand and build your business. They add their thoughts on Twitter, and how recent Google feeder changes affect bloggers. The guests share their ideas for utilizing Facebook more effectively, and how Facebook business pages present an opportunity for companies seeking to build new relationships with customers. Jewel Fryer and BlogBloke present their ideas for ensuring that businesses gain maximum exposure and benefit from Facebook and other social media. Learn how to put the relationship building power of Facebook to work for you and your company.

Jewel Fryer and BlogBloke are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, March 19, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Social Media Practitioner and Community Manager, at Social Media Farm, Jewel Fryer and long time blogger BlogBloke describe how Facebook can expand and build your business. You will learn:

* How Facebook can build and enhance your online business relationships

* How to use Facebook effectively and avoid the most common mistakes

* How add and utilize a Facebook business page

* How some recent social media changes affect your business

Jewel Fryer (photo left) is social media practitioner and community manager at Social Media Farm.

Jewel doesn't buy likes. I build loyalty. Her goal is to help Individuals and business's market and communicate online. As a community manager her job is to improve your social media presence.

Jewel is a Wife, mother, organic farmer, community organizer and social media marketer. She is also a blogger and is active on Twitter and Facebook.



BlogBloke (avatar left) has worked in journalism and as a programmer in the computer industry before most had heard of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. A crusader at heart, he switched to law and soon made a name for himself as a successful litigation expert and mediator, helping folks who under normal circumstances can't afford justice.

A geek in every sense of the term, he carried his passion for helping others and computers into blogging that he helped pioneer. In those days there was no such thing as Wordpress or RSS newsfeeds for blogs. Having created the "Blog Tips" niche, his blog is an outstanding resource for helpful blogging tips and how-to tutorials. He has a reputation for being a straight shooter, his sharp wit and an outspoken champion for online ethics. He is bullishly pro blogging, social media, an outspoken advocate for online rights, security and technology issues.

Tech Editor and Author, BLOGBloke has been quoted in the Washington Post, New York Times and CBS News. Here are just a few of the comments that his readers have made:

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.





To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Social Media Practitioner and Community Manager, at Social Media Farm, Jewel Fryer, and long time blogger BlogBloke, as they describe how Facebook can expand and build your business. They add their thoughts on Twitter, and how recent Google feeder changes affect bloggers. The guests share their ideas for utilizing Facebook more effectively, and how Facebook business pages present an opportunity for companies seeking to build new relationships with customers. Jewel Fryer and BlogBloke present their ideas for ensuring that businesses gain maximum exposure and benefit from Facebook and other social media. Learn how to put the relationship building power of Facebook to work for you and your company on Blog Business Success Radio.

A Companion to New Media Dynamics edited by John Hartley, Jean Burgess & Axel Bruns - Book review

A Companion to New Media Dynamics

Edited by: John Hartley, Ph.D., Jean Burgess, Ph.D., Axel Bruns, Ph.D.

Published: February, 28, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 520 pages
ISBN-10: 1444332244
ISBN-13: 978-1444332247
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell















"Capitalism, technology, social networks, and media all evolve and change, sometimes to our delight,sometimes our dismay. This incessant process of disruption, renewal, and eventual (if not partial) replacement is now one of humanity's central experiences", write editors Professor of Cultural Science and Director of the Centre for Culture and Technology at Curtin University, John Hartley; Associate Professor of Digital Media Studies, Creative Industries Faculty, School of Media, Entertainment, Creative Arts, Media and Communication, Queensland University of Technology, Jean Burgess: and Associate Professor in the Creative Industries Faculty,School of Media, Entertainment, Creative Arts,Media and Communication, Queensland University of Technology, Axel Bruns in their comprehensive and multi-disciplinary anthology A Companion to New Media Dynamics. The editors provide a widely based collection of essays, by leading international contributors, on the various approaches to current and future developments of new media practices within contemporary culture.



John Hartley (photo left), Jean Burgess, and Axel Bruns present a series of essays relating to new media from the viewpoint of dynamic change. This change inspired approach includes readings from disciplines ranging from culture and the arts to politics and the social sciences. The contributions also consider media dynamics aspects relating to technology and the sciences.

Discussion of media ownership, regulation, and public policy are examined through their impact on, as well as from dynamic change. Other papers include a consideration of new media dynamics in terms of scale. The three degrees of scale include the macro scale at the overall system level, the meso scale at the level of institutions, and the micro scale in terms of agencies and individual outlets.



Jean Burgess (photo left), Axel Bruns, and John Hartley provide a glimpse into the very powerful forces of innovation and creative destruction that bring about dynamic change in media. While these forces are not new, and economic and political influences are critical in the still strong old media, the papers look at their impact on and from new media.

The book's approach is distilled into three overarching sections. The three major parts of the book include sub-heading as well:

Part 1: Approaches and Antecedents

Part 2: Issues and Identities
* Agency
* Mobility
* Enterprise
* Search
* Network
* Surveillance

Part 3: Forms, Platforms, and Practices
* Culture and identity
* Politics, participation, and citizenship
* Knowledge and new generations



Axel Bruns (photo left), John Hartley, and Jean Burgess combine effectively contributions on the overall theoretical aspects of new media dynamics, with the various aspects of technology and societal considerations in what for me, is the power of the book. The international roster of contributors is not only outstanding for the quality of the papers published in the volume, but for the diversity of their backgrounds as well.

Included are presentations from researchers, academics, and entrepreneurs who share their insights into the ever evolving dynamics of new media in contemporary culture.

To ensure that all aspects of the topics are addressed, the chapters uses an approach to new media that emphasizes their generative potential, market adoption and monetary benefits, and their retention within a corporate setting. This approach also considers the cultural, political, and arts based uses and applications of the dynamics inherent in new media, and also in the legacy old media channels.

I highly recommend the all encompassing and widely landmark book to any new and old media leaders, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, technologists, academics, students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, government officials, public policy makers, nonprofit executives, and anyone interested in the ever changing and dynamic landscape of new media. This book provides insights and ideas that will provide the seed for future change and innovation across the entire new and old media environment.

The Magic Question by David Cottrell - Book review

The Magic Question

A Simple Question Every Leader Dreams of Answering

By: David Cottrell

Published: December 19, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 112 pages
ISBN-10: 0071806164
ISBN-13: 978-0071806169
Publisher: McGraw-Hill












"'How can I help?' Isn't that the question every leader longs to hear?" writes CEO and President of CornerStone Leadership Institute, David Cottrell, in his timeless leadership wisdom filled and very transformational book The Magic Question: A Simple Question Every Leader Dreams of Answering. The author describes how to connect and engage people to get real and tangible results through establishing The Magic Question as part of the organizational culture.

David Cottrell recognizes that leadership is full of complexities because of the necessity of dealing with teams of very unique people. As a result, the author removes the complexity from the role of leadership and breaks it down into six key components. Fie David Cottrell, the six principles are in the form of answering the six crucial questions that are asked constantly by team members. The questions are deeply rooted in human psychology, and revolve around employees wanting to know what is happening within the organization, their role within it, and how well they are performing their responsibilities. David Cottrell provides evidence that leaders who answer these six questions with clarity, will establish teams that work together better, are more engaged, and achieve superior results.



David Cottrell (photo left) understands that if a team is actively engaged and working with enthusiasm, that employees will have higher levels of morale, greater job satisfaction, and are less likely to leave the organization. The leader who answers the six questions clearly will connect with team members and begin to the hear what the author calls The Magic Question. That question is "How can I help?"

The author presents the following six questions, that team members ask whether the leader is present or not, to which leaders must respond:

* The first question: What is REALLY important?
* The second question: How am I doing?
* The third question: How is our team doing?
* The fourth question: Do you care?
* The fifth question: What difference do we make?
* The sixth question: Are you worth following?

For me, the power of the book is how David Cottrell combines proven leadership ideas and wisdom with the practical and hands on steps to put them into action. The author simplifies the often over analyzed concept of leadership. Instead of making the principles of leadership and engaging team members into an overly complicated exercise, David Cottrell breaks the concepts down into six basic questions asked by employees. Those six basic questions, once answered with clarity and consistency on the part of the leader, lead to the ultimate Magic Question. To his credit, the author warns leaders that getting to that Magic Question will not be easy.

Instead, David Cottrell guides leaders on that journey, that is much about learning about themselves, as it is about learning about the needs, goals, and desires of the team members. The author provides important introspective questions, as well as team based questions, in every chapter to ensure that leaders work toward connecting with their staff members. David Cottrell also shares important insights, action plans, and practices to ensure that the leader maintains the confidence of the team, and builds that all important employee engagement.

I highly recommend the very clear and concise book The Magic Question: A Simple Question Every Leader Dreams of Answering by David Cottrell, to leaders at all levels of their organizations who are seeking a hands on and readily applied guide to achieving effective leadership of teams. This book will give leaders the basic tools they need to establish the trust and connection necessary to start hearing The Magic Question.

Julie Winkle Giulioni: Help Them Grow Or Watch Them Go - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Consultant, leadership adviser, co-founder and principal of DesignArounds, and co-author, along with Beverly Kaye, of the concise and very hands on book Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want, Julie Winkle Giulioni describes why it's essential for companies to make employee career development a priority in their organizations. Julie provides evidence that employee development is under-utilized in many companies, and that these businesses risk losing their most talented people to their competitors. Julie presents the concept of conversations with employees to determine their past achievements, their current strengths and areas where they seek improved skills, and an examination of their future goals within the organization. Julie points out that career development is even more important in today's changing business landscape than ever before. No longer can managers put career development on the back burner, but instead must place emphasis and allocate time and resources to meet the challenge. Julie shares advice and ideas for building employee engagement, enhancing performance, establishing a development based culture, and boosting the bottom line. Learn how to transform your company into a career development culture that engages employees and maximizes their potential.

Julie Winkle Giulioni is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, March 14, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Consultant, leadership adviser, co-founder and principal of DesignArounds, and co-author, along with Beverly Kaye, of the concise and very hands on book Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want, Julie Winkle Giulioni describes why it's essential for companies to make employee career development a priority in their organizations. You will learn:

* Why employee career development is important to companies

* How to help managers ask the right questions of employees to learn their goals

* How align employee goals with organizational goals

* how to develop a culture of employee career development



Julie Winkle Giulioni (photo left) has spent the past 25 years improving performance through learning. She's partnered with hundreds of organizations to develop and deploy innovative training products that are in use worldwide. Julie is well-known and well-regarded for her creative, one-of-a-kind solutions that consistently deliver bottom-line results.

As co-founder and principal of DesignArounds, Julie leads multi-disciplinary teams that create award-winning electronic and instructor-led training. She is an author and respected speaker on a variety of performance improvement, leadership, sales and customer service topics. Her understanding of an organization's training needs transcends industry and audience.

Previously Julie was the director of product development for AchieveGlobal, one of the world's largest commercial training and development companies. She also held learning leadership positions in financial services and retail organizations, taught marketing at the secondary and post-secondary level, and served as a department chair at Woodbury University.

When Julie is not working with clients, she's an active community member and PTA/soccer mom. A Southern California native, she currently lives with her husband and two children in South Pasadena.

My book review of Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want by Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with consultant, leadership adviser, co-founder and principal of DesignArounds, and co-author, along with Beverly Kaye, of the concise and very hands on book Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want, Julie Winkle Giulioni, as she describes why it's essential for companies to make employee career development a priority in their organizations. Julie provides evidence that employee development is under-utilized in many companies, and that these businesses risk losing their most talented people to their competitors. Julie presents the concept of conversations with employees to determine their past achievements, their current strengths and areas where they seek improved skills, and an examination of their future goals within the organization. Julie points out that career development is even more important in today's changing business landscape than ever before. No longer can managers put career development on the back burner, but instead must place emphasis and allocate time and resources to meet the challenge. Julie shares advice and ideas for building employee engagement, enhancing performance, establishing a development based culture, and boosting the bottom line. Learn how to transform your company into a career development culture that engages employees and maximizes their potential on Blog Business Success Radio.

Help The Grow or Watch The Go by Beverly Kaye & Julie Winkle Giulioni - Book review

Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go

Career Conversations Employees Want

By: Beverly Kaye, Julie Winkle Giulioni

Published: September 17, 2012
Format: Paperback, 144 pages
ISBN-10: 1609946324
ISBN-13: 978-1609946326
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers







"Developing employees. Helping them grow. It's like eating properly or exercising. You know it's good. You know you should. Yet, if you're like many managers today, you just don't do it as well or as frequently as you would like", write founder and CEO of Career Systems International, Beverly Kaye; and co-founder and principal of DesignArounds, Julie Winkle Giulioni, in their concise and very hands on book Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want. The authors describe how despite the clear evidence for beneficial results for employees, managers and their organizations, clear development is often overlooked as an engagement tool, and they share their proven and practical techniques for establishing a culture of employee career development that really works.



Beverly Kaye (photo left) and Julie Winkle Giulioni recognize that organizations and managers are stretched very thinly in terms of resources, and that very often it is employee career development that becomes a casualty of a belt tightening event. The authors demonstrate that within today's changing business environment, career development is more important to the organization than ever before.

Since the authors point out that for many firms, talent is what separates them from their competition, career development provides a real and tangible bottom line benefit. Unfortunately, many companies make career development a low priority, or so complicated and bureaucratic, that busy managers either ignore the process or are opposed to its implementation.



Julie Winkle Giulioni (photo left) and Beverly Kaye understand that incorporating employee development into the company strategy and culture presents a real challenge for business leaders. It is a challenge, however, that managers at all levels must take seriously or risk losing employee engagement, and even their most talented people to their competitors. The problem for many managers, when they do consider career development, is that they are not given the tools, skills, or resources to properly guide and engage their staff members in the process.

The authors share three important types of conversation that managers can have with their employees to better understand employee career goals. They also provide advice for managers to offer feedback to the staff member about how to strengthen their position and skill level within the company. The three types of conversation are as follows:

* Hindsight conversations to determine where the employee has been and is now
* Foresight conversations to help the employee look forward to recognize change
* Insight conversations to help the employee grow and perform in the future

For me, the power of the book is how Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni combine a powerful overview of the reasons why employee development is so important, with the practical techniques and conversations to make employee career development a reality. The authors develop a strong case for organizational employee development while addressing the most common myths and misconceptions that surround the concept. The book makes very clear that without establishing a clear conversation with employees, and engaging them in a developmental role, the company will very likely lose its most promising and high performing talent to other employers.

The authors recognize the crucial importance of conversations with employees, and really listening to them, to understand their goals and aspirations for their careers. At the same time, valuable advice is offered to managers for offering vital feedback to staff members, and for sharing honest outlooks for those employees, in a time of transformation in the workplace structure. The authors provide the critical questions that managers should ask their employees, and offer the exercises and practices that will build employee engagement and create a culture or employee career development.

I highly recommend the very insightful and comprehensive book Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want by Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni, to any managers and leaders, regardless of their level within an organization, who are serious about developing their valued employees, retaining their services, building engagement, and establishing a learning and people growing culture. This book will transform how you think about employee career development, overcome any obstacles to its successful implementation, and into an avowed advocate of the process throughout the entire company.

Phil Simon: Too Big To Ignore - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Technology expert, consultant, speaker, and author of Too Big To Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data, Phil Simon describes why Big Data is important for business leaders to understand and to incorporate into their business strategy. Phil Simon provides an overview of what constitutes Big Data, how it is collected, and how the information is used in decision making. Phil Simon shares stories of how organizations have utilized the power of Big Data effectively to improve their efficiency, service and profitability. Phil offers advice for business leaders to ensure they use the volume of data effectively to avoid being lost in a sea of information. Phil Simon presents some of the risks and challenges posed by the collection of Big data and how to avoid these pitfalls. Phil also offers a glimpse into the future of Big Data and its impact on organizations of all types, and for the general public as well. Learn how to harness the tremendous power of Big Data in your company, while avoiding many of its potential problems as well.

Phil Simon is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, March 12, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Technology expert, consultant, speaker, and author of Too Big To Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data, Phil Simon describes why Big Data is important for business leaders to understand and to incorporate into their business strategy. You will learn:

* What is Big Data and why it is important to understand

* How business leaders can utilize Big Data to make better decisions

* How Big data can be part of an improved business strategy

* How to recognize and overcome the challenges presented by Big Data



Phil Simon (photo left) s a sought-after speaker and recognized technology expert. He consults companies on how to optimize their use of technology has written five books:

Too Big to Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data (John Wiley & Sons, 2013)
The Age of the Platform (Motion, 2011)
The New Small (Motion, 2010)
The Next Wave of Technologies (John Wiley & Sons, 2010)
Why New Systems Fail (Cengage, 2010)

His contributions have been featured in and on Inc. Magazine, NBC, CNBC, The Huffington Post, The Globe and Mail, the American Express Open Forum, Fast Company, Technorati, ComputerWorld, ZDNet, abcnews.com, forbes.com, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, ReadWriteWeb, and many other sites. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Cornell University.

While not consulting, Phil speaks about emerging trends and technologies. He also writes for a number of technology-oriented media outlets. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Cornell University.

My book review of The Age of the Platform: How Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google Have Redefined Business by Phil Simon.

My book review of The New Small: How a New Breed of Small Businesses Is Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies by Phil Simon.

My book review of Why New Systems Fail: An Insider's Guide to Successful IT Projects by Phil Simon.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with technology expert, consultant, speaker, and author of Too Big To Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data, Phil Simon, as he describes why Big Data is important for business leaders to understand and to incorporate into their business strategy. Phil Simon provides an overview of what constitutes Big Data, how it is collected, and how the information is used in decision making. Phil Simon shares stories of how organizations have utilized the power of Big Data effectively to improve their efficiency, service and profitability. Phil offers advice for business leaders to ensure they use the volume of data effectively to avoid being lost in a sea of information. Phil Simon presents some of the risks and challenges posed by the collection of Big data and how to avoid these pitfalls. Phil also offers a glimpse into the future of Big Data and its impact on organizations of all types, and for the general public as well. Learn how to harness the tremendous power of Big Data in your company, while avoiding many of its potential problems as well on Blog Business Success Radio.

Stephen Epstein, CMO, Avistar Communications: Technology Trends - Interview

Stephen Epstein, Chief Marketing Officer, of unified visual communications industry innovation company Avistar Communications Corporation, was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about the rapidly growing field of desktop videoconferencing. He describes the reasons for companies using videoconferencing and shared some of the advantages and disadvantages of the system. He also gazed into the crystal ball and shared some of his thoughts on the future of videoconferencing, BYOD, and of communications in general.

Thanks to Stephen Epstein for his informative and comprehensive answers.

Thanks as well to Norman Birnbach of Birbach Communications, Inc. for his assistance in facilitating this interview.

One term we hear a lot about these days is BYOD. What is BYOD?

Stephen Epstein: BYOD is the acronym for Bring Your Own Device. Wikipedia describes it as “the policy of permitting employees to bring personally owned mobile devices (laptops, tablets, and smart phones) to their workplace, and use those devices to access privileged company information and applications.[1] Since the onset of intuitive, consumer personal productivity devices, employees have increasingly wanted to bring their consumer technology to work and apply it to their day-to-day jobs.

This has traditionally run counter to internal IT policies and procedures, which have been set up to ensure business-class security, integration and uniformity across the entire organization. These policies are evolving as these devices have become more prevalent and trends such as mobile workers, working from home, better smartphones and tablets, and “we’ve got an app for that” have emerged.

How is BYOD making its presence known in the work environment?

Stephen Epstein: We think BYOD will become the accepted approach to office technology in 2013. BYOD delivers more flexibility while driving down costs in an organization. Additionally, BYOD has moved from a “nice to do” to a “must do” in organizations, as it is viewed as a way to keep employees happy and more productive. Most employees expect to BYOD and have them sync with their corporate technology. The fact is that consumer technology can be more powerful and easier to use than corporate technology today.



Stephen Epstein (photo left)

How does videoconferencing play in all this?

Stephen Epstein: Many consumer devices today already have a proprietary videoconferencing element, but typically work only between same-brand devices. What is happening now is the bringing of people together through a seamless, interoperable and reliable voice and videoconferencing experience via the cloud -- and Avistar is the only company that can do this today. We make videoconferencing available anywhere, to anyone on any device. This is changing the way business application and service providers, communications solutions and business partners are delivering voice and videoconferencing features to their clients and end users.

Where does videoconferencing go from here?

Stephen Epstein: As videoconferencing in the cloud increases in 2013, we will see traditional hardware-based videoconferencing vendors make some tough decisions. Selling off assets, getting out the business, or morphing into software-only videoconferencing vendors are just some of the tough decisions hardware vendors will need to make as software-based videoconferencing becomes the new normal.

We expect the cloud to bring about an increase in videoconferencing services and capabilities, driven in part by BYOD and the necessity to make apps and access available to employees regardless of the device or platform they’re using. In fact, we expect cloud-based B2B videoconferencing to become so big over the next several years that the sector will be mostly comprised of either cloud-based vendors or on-premise vendors, with little overlap because the tech requirements are so different. However, we think customers will want solutions that offer a choice of cloud-based, on-premise and a hybrid solution offering both.

What other trends do you see on the horizon?

Stephen Epstein: As videoconferencing becomes as second nature as talking on the (BYOD) smartphone or traditional telephone, we see a couple of other related trends emerging:

• Working from home: This will become mainstream. According to Home-Based Workers in the United States: 2010, a recent Census Bureau report, 9.5 percent of the U.S. workforce – 4.2 million Americans – work from home. That’s an increase of 2 million, a jump from 7.8 percent in 2005. The growing population of employees who work at least part of the week from their homes is another reason for companies to embrace BYOD because BYOD can enhance productivity and collaboration, even or especially when employees work from home.

• The rise of Chief Mobility Officers. As nearly half of the world’s population is projected to be mobile users by 2018, companies will shift from being PC-centric to being Post-PC- or smartphone/tablet-centric. We expect companies will hire chief mobility officers to break down silos between development, sales, marketing and IT to enable companies to offer a seamless mobile approach to em