Cracking the Code to Finding Your Niche - Riches Are Niches™

Cracking the Code to Finding Your Niche - Riches Are Niches™
Do you ever wonder why some people are really making money
in their businesses, and so many are just make a living?

Or how some people do very little selling and cold calls,
yet they always have plenty of clients, and clients come to
them?

Or how some people have had a publisher come to them and
say, "We want to publish your book"?

Imagine having loyal customers who love your products, who
sign up for all your teleseminars, buy all your products,
and can't wait to know about the next one. And they refer
their colleagues and friends to you.

That can happen for you, and I have great news for you!
You are about to learn how to find your Niche, how to be
the Expert that your Niche trusts, how to develop products
for your Niche - products they'll buy, and how do design
your marketing to fit your Niche.

Only a few business owners using the secrets I'm about to
share with you. They know what their Niche is and they do
everything they can to "own" that Niche. That is, to be
known as the Expert, so clients come to them, and they have
a loyal following of customers who come back to them and
buy valuable information time after time.

When I first started in business, my sales weren't what I
wanted them to be, so I started looking for answers. I did
a lot of reading, and asked the Experts themselves.
Everything I read and what everyone said was summed up in
one word -- "Niches."

Having a niche means knowing your customers. It means
knowing who they are, what makes them get up and go to work
in the morning, how they like to work, and what drives
them. When you know your niche, you can use marketing
techniques to promote your products and services to people
and get results every time.

Very few business owners know their niche. Many find a
niche, stumble, find another niche, stumble again and find
another niche. They lack consistency, and without
consistency, there is no successful business. "Riches Are
Niches™" uses proven techniques so you get more
clients and make more money. Here are the 7 steps in my
"Riches Are Niches system™.

As you read these steps, I would suggest that you make
notes. I also recommend that you start a folder called
"Riches Are Niches" and put this article and all the notes
and information you find about Niches in it. That way you
have all the information in one place, and can work with it
much more easily as you define your own Niche.

Finding your Niche means you are matching your expertise
with a group of people you love to work with, who have the
challenges you solve, and who can afford to pay you.

A Niche is a specific group within your target audience and
clients. For example, a business that provides marketing
services may have a target audience of "business owners"
because business owners always want to get more clients.
"Business owners" is a very large, broad category--too
broad to focus on as your customers.

A Niche within "business owners" is "business owners who
are speakers" or "business owners of companies that have
been in business at least 3 years" or "business owners of
companies who want million-dollar businesses".

Action Steps:

Answer these questions to start identifying your Niche:

1. Who are you? For example, what is your Brilliance?
What do you love to do? What do you do easily? What
energizes you? What do people come to you for--advice,
resources, positive thinking, and getting things done?

2. Who do you want to work with? People who do what they
say? Follow up? Pay on time, gratefully? Are committed
to making changes? Are easy to work with? What is their
age? Family situation? A transition they're in?

3. Who can afford to pay you? What is their income level?
Seasonal? Your fees may be a tax deduction for a business
owner--check with your accountant. Business owners often
invest in their businesses and ways to improve it.

----------------------------------------------------
Jan Wallen works with individuals and companies that want
significant sales results. Jan is action- and
results-oriented. Once you start working together, she is
100% committed to significant sales results for you. To
learn more, call (646) 485-4059 or go to
http://www.janwallen.com

Career Interviews Over Lunch Is a Great Idea

Career Interviews Over Lunch Is a Great Idea
Do YOU agree? Maybe is a good answer; sometimes makes
sense; then most of us say, "it all depends" and I think
you are right.

It could be a NO answer for some folks because eating with
an interviewer is a challenge for us to show our best
manners and good eating habits. Watch your neighbors at
the local restaurant and you'll observe/recognize what NOT
to do!

You may think that's an indecisive response, but few things
are set in concrete, so only you can decide what's best for
you. Maybe we need to ask someone close to us what they
think of the idea. Eating and selling ourselves to a future
employer may not go together as well as we may think.

You may "assume" lunch or dinner is a great time to
interview for your career/future. Ask a close friend to
meet you for lunch and conduct a practice interview.

You will assume this is a great time to interview. It
begins by thinking about FOOD and knowing it's FREE to you.
But there might be a "dark" side too. Both the interviewer
and the interviewee have risks in this career game. Since
all of us are trying, wanting to win, it has some high
stakes for all who get involved in the process.

Interviewer says.....

"How about us having lunch to talk about your career
decision?" Smooth; completely innocent; what can go wrong
is the reply coming through from our subconscious mind.
Sure, we remind ourselves about the "not-to" list, but so
often we get comfortable and layed back when consuming
delectable morsals.

Be on YOUR guard every second --

Never relax your guard when you are seeking a new position
with any employer. Most interviewing PROS know that "over
lunch" is always a good time for candidates to relax and
drop their guard without even thinking about it... to their
ultimate regret.

Our true self - who you really are - requires your BEST
behavior interacting with the wait-staff; the cashier;
everyone you encounter in the restaurant or private club
[if you're so fortunate!]

The point is... even if the INTERVIEWER host lets his/her
guard down with small talk or orders a "drink" it's NOT a
good idea for YOU to follow suit. You're there to talk
about your qualifications and expertise, to get to know the
person, the company, to make a lasting impression. [at
least, that's my opinion!]

It's been long ago, but I remember vividly meeting two guys
from the NEW YORK office of a national firm. My Interview
was held in a motel room and their first question was...
"want a beer?" Actually, I didn't "drink" so it was an easy
NO thanks. I'm not sure if this was a test or not, they
enjoyed a couple themselves, but I was sure [driving home]
that the job was NOT going to be mine.

To make a long story, short... YES, I did get the job at
least for the next 5 years when this BIG firm decided to
"down-size" and get rid of the Regional Manager - ME!! Best
thing they could have done and as Paul Harvey says, I'll
tell you the "rest" of the story someday.

Be sure to order foods eaten with utensils, not your hands,
so you'll avoid embarassment or reveal poor eating habits.
It may sound trivial but it might just be a deciding factor
in the interviewing process.

Another irritation today is cell phones. If you have one,
leave it in YOUR car and let calls go to your answering
service or back home at your message center. This is just a
common courtesy when having lunch, dinner, etc. with anyone.

----------------------------------------------------
Don Monteith spent 32 years as co-owner of several
franchises and a personnel/staffing business. Every year,
his firm placed hundreds of job candidates in their dream
job. Today, Don shares his business and career expertise
through his newest websites on the Internet. Lots of FREE
ideas - suggestions - ready for your perusal and study.
http://www.Career-Coaching-Central.com
http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com

An approach that solved the problem

An approach that solved the problem
Before our next sales meeting, I laid plans hoping they
would effect a cure. As part of our sales force motivation
program, we formed a Million-Dollar Club with award plaques
and jewelry. Since Bill had reached that sales plateau
first, he became the first charter member and president of
the club.

That did it. All Bill needed was recognition, and he had
not been getting it. The change was remarkable. Bill
continued to have occasional problems with his drinking,
but these episodes became less frequent and of shorter
duration. He has since retired, but was at the top of the
sales force when he left the company. Had we attempted to
treat the initial symptom, all would have been lost.

Another man in the district (Pete) was on the opposite end
of the sales ladder from Bill. I arrived in his hometown
the evening before we were to start making calls, and had
made arrangements to take him and his family to dinner.

Pete's records showed a borderline volume. When I saw him,
the reason seemed obvious. His chin was almost on his
chest, and his eyes looked about as happy as a basset
hound's. Who would buy from anyone so morose?

At dinner, Pete's wife mentioned that this was the first
evening meal they had all had together in months, except on
weekends. Pete was working 14 to 16 hours a day, and
arrived home after the children were in bed. As a result,
his home life was miserable, and his low sales volume added
to his woes.

When we made the next day's calls, I noticed that he was in
such a rush to keep his schedule he seldom gave the
customer or prospect a chance to talk. At my suggestion,
we stopped early and went to my hotel room. We went over
his record book, account by account. I asked him how often
he called on each of them. Some, he said, he contacted
every week, some on alternate weeks, some monthly.

Obviously, he had too many small accounts and was spending
more time with them than the volume or potential could
justify. This left him no time to develop the large
profitable prospects in the area.

We drew up a new list of priorities. Some accounts were to
be contacted by telephone or just an occasional visit.
Nearly all were to be called on no more frequently than
monthly. We initiated a daily reporting system for him
(replacing the long weekly synopsis report). I also told
him to spend more time with his family. In short, work
smarter and not so many hours.

At the next sales meeting, Pete was all smiles. His head
was held high as he accepted an award acquiring the most
new business. Pete's morale problem originated from a
lack of communication and direction. He did not know what
the company expected of him. Nor had anyone shown him how
to reach his goals in a normal working day. It was ruining
his family life as well as his mental and physical health.

----------------------------------------------------
Thotsaporn is the owner of http://www.startfinance.org
where he provides finance information and resources.

Seizing Opportunities - 3 Keys to Setting Yourself Up For Success

Seizing Opportunities - 3 Keys to Setting Yourself Up For Success
As you look at last year, do you ever feel like there
wasn't enough time in the day? Did entire afternoons...and
sometimes days...slip by without your even noticing? Were
you "too" busy? And when you look ahead this year, does it
feel like you might relive that?

It's not an uncommon sensation. But, it's very familiarity
creates a trap ' it often stops my clients from taking
control of their time to set themselves up for the
deliberate actions their future success requires.

When I suggest setting aside committed time for managing
success, some folks look at me like a deer in the
headlights ' frozen! Last week one of my clients asked,
sincerely, "Really? You want me to meet with my direct
reports weekly?"

I insisted. (We consultants and coaches get to do that!)
And this week he reported back a discovery he'd made.

"It was amazing how much we got accomplished in 30 to 45
minutes. I realized that I've resisted holding meetings for
the past 20 years because of how boring and useless they
felt when I was a young lawyer and I was made to sit
through meetings."

In that 45 minutes he sorted out a work flow breakdown that
had frustrated him no end and stopped forward progress...
for the past 6 weeks!

Is it possible to be a successful business owner or leader
without having and using management skills? Not really.

Calculate for yourself how much might have been
accomplished with that one weekly meeting in the last 18
years... in your own firm or department. How much greater
success went missing?

Never mind. What's passed is past.

Now for going forward: I developed a system for managing
the challenges that have you stalled, and I'd like to share
it with you. It's not only efficient, it's easy!

"Shift" Your Attention - The first secret to getting
un-stalled is to shift your focus away from the breakdown
itself. Do you have a colleague who isn't following through
on a commitment? A staff member who just never does a
thorough job? Or too many choices for how to proceed? Are
you having fun stewing about it? Carry On!

Or, declare that the way you've been dodging dealing with
it isn't letting you make headway.

Start fresh by shifting your attention off of what is
stymied right now, back to the larger picture - the goal.
Ask yourself what the purpose of the project, effort, or
work task is. Notice I said "Is" and not "Was."

Don't assume that this effort was kicked-off well in the
first place. Take a fresh look at what you now want to
accomplish. What specific, measurable, observable result is
all the effort supposed to be targeting? Write it down in
plain language that anyone could understand.

One of my attorney clients, "Mike" has been frustrated at
the gaps in thinking one of the junior attorneys has
produced. His words to me were "I asked for his
recommendation. He's not backing up his recommendation
thoroughly enough, so I have to do too much re-work." After
I probed further, he was able to list 15 steps he wants to
know have been researched, thought through, analyzed,
challenged, and so on before that recommendation is brought
to him for review. That's the result he wants, not the
'recommendation' he told his new attorney when he gave him
the assignment.

Plan It in Reverse - After I choose a goal, I develop a
specific action plan to accomplish it. The trick is to work
from the goal, backwards to where you are now, and layout
the plan as a road map of steps to be taken to get there.

For Mike, that meant designing how he'll 'know' when the
goal is achieved... before that, how he'll remove any
obstacles from the younger attorney's path to that goal,
and what tools he needs to provide so that he can achieve
it... and before that, how he'll walk the attorney through
the steps he's expecting to see him take so there's no
confusion...

Put It In Action - Discussing the reverse plan is all fine
and good, but you must take action on this, too!

For instance with Mike, we developed the check-list he'll
be using to evaluate whether the work was done to his
satisfaction. Then we developed the reference tools he'll
make sure are available to be used in the research. Then we
scripted the conversation he's going to have to kick-off
the work from a fresh start.

We've even found an additional use for this material ' it's
going to give Mike the case study outline he'll be using as
he interviews new attorney's he brings on board, so he'll
know how they approach similar types of work, and he'll
know what development and management needs there will be if
he hires them.

With these 3 steps, you'll give yourself a fresh start for
the year and be accelerating your results effectively,
efficiently and successfully!

© 2007 Linda Feinholz.

----------------------------------------------------
© 2007 Linda Feinholz Management expert, consultant, and
coach Linda Feinholz is "Your High Payoff Catalyst" If
you're ready to focus on your High Payoff activities, boost
your professional and personal results and have more fun,
get her FREE audio mini-course "7 Quick & Simple Steps to
Increase Your Focus, Ease Your Effort & Accelerate Your
Results" and the free weekly newsletter The Spark! Visit
http://www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com

Who are Entrepeneurial Women?

Who are Entrepeneurial Women?
I recently gave a talk to a businesswomen's network on,
what I considered to be the three key characteristics of
entrepreneurial women, based on my research and work with
coaching clients. Upon arrival, when I first asked how many
women in the audience were entrepreneurs, very few hands
went up. Puzzled, I asked "who ran their own business?" A
multitude of proud hands were then raised. Why the
disparity?

Who Are Entrepreneurial Women?

As a group, we decided that for some "Entrepreneur" is a
loaded word, often invoking images of Richard Branson of
the Virgin empire and Stelios Haji-Ioannou of Easyjet (and
Easy-everything it seems!).To some, the word had come to
denote someone who serially builds businesses with a single
intention of dispassionately selling them in as short a
time frame as possible. However, I had come to the
presentation with the definition of "Entrepreneur" as
anyone who decides to start their own business for pleasure
and profit - whether they want part-time work that fits
around their personal life or have global aspirations. This
definition is broader, but also much more approachable and
therefore more likely to resonate with a greater number of
women.

The entrepreneurial woman is on the increase in the U.K;
one-third of all new businesses are started by women, which
puts the U.K on par with other Northern European countries
but behind their sisters in the U.S, Australia, New Zealand
and even South America and parts of Asia. However, numbers
in the U.K are still relatively low - only 7% of women in
employment are self-employed compared to 15% of their male
counterparts.

Interestingly, the age with which women set up their own
businesses closely corresponds to key childbearing and
rearing years -that is the late 30's in the UK and slightly
earlier in other nations. It seems that rather than slow
down, women perhaps look at setting up their own businesses
as a way of juggling career and family better than they
could while in employment.

There is growing support for women entrepreneurs with such
networks as Aurora and Enterprising Women leading the way.
In my discussions with entrepreneurial clients it seems to
me that these women share a special set of three qualities
- qualities I will discuss further in my newsletter. In the
meantime, think about the following questions, I would love
to hear your comments!

Thinking about Entrepreneurship?

What does "Entrepreneur" mean to you? Have you ever thought
about working for yourself? What would be the benefits of
setting up your own business? How about the costs?

----------------------------------------------------
To find out more and add your comments, please visit
http://www.doylemorris.com

The 9 Ways To Stop Identity Theft

The 9 Ways To Stop Identity Theft
Identity theft is one of the most damaging types of crimes
in existence. It normally takes place when an individual
illegally obtains another person's personal data and
information. This criminal then takes the information,
assumes the victim's identity, and uses it to carry out a
variety of crimes. With a person's personal information
compromised, a criminal has the ability to use the victim's
personal information to create credit card and charge
accounts, open bank accounts, and apply for loans,
passports, government benefits and licenses.

What makes identity theft so particularly heinous is the
length of time and the amount of money it takes to clean up
the damage that this type of fraud creates. Credit card
companies and banks have created safeguards against
identity theft and financial fraud, but they cannot do much
to repair a person's credit, reputation, and general
state-of-mind after the fraud has taken place.

Most criminals gain access to an individual's personal
information by looking through the trash or by convincing a
person to simply hand over their information, either
through a phone or an email scam. Individuals who wish to
avoid becoming the victims of identity theft should
consider the following suggestions:

Shred your documents - a good strip-cut or cross-cut
shredder can make it difficult for any criminal to gain
access to any sensitive documents that have to be
discarded. Today, there are even paper shredders available
that have the ability to shred credit cards.

Check your credit file often - too many times, individuals
are simply unaware that their identity has been stolen
until it is too late. To avoid any problems, check your
credit file often. Looks for any accounts or credit
applications that look unfamiliar. Report any problems to
the proper authorities immediately.

Keep track of your mail - individuals living in large
housing complexes are more like to have their mail stolen
than anyone else. If an important personal document is
being mailed to you, consider having in mailed to a safer
address, or if possible, arrange for a personal pick-up of
the document. The Royal Mail Customer Enquiry Line is a
good source for reporting any irregularities with your mail
delivery.

Report address changes - any time you move or change
addresses, report the change to your creditors, banks, and
any other organization that you receive sensitive personal
documents from.

Be careful with your credit cards - if you have to give out
personal credit card information over the phone or online,
be sure it is safe to do so. Make sure that online stores
and sites are secure. Ensure that the area around you is
also secure if you are providing your personal information
over the phone or in public.

Do not carry any unnecessary documents on your person.
Store them away in a safe place.

Report any lost or stolen documents to the proper
authorities immediately.

Shred any personal documents before discarding them.

Keep track of your credit card statements and report any
unfamiliar charges r transactions to the company
immediately.

----------------------------------------------------
Learn more about what to do about identity theft by
visiting the dedicated identity theft and fraud prevention
website:
http://www.national-identity-fraud-prevention-week.co.uk

Tissot Navigator 3000 The Newest Member Of The Touch Screen Series

Tissot Navigator 3000 The Newest Member Of The Touch Screen Series
The Tissot touch screen series has opened up a whole new
world of watch making with its innovative style and
immaculate features. The newest member of this series is
the Tissot Navigator 3000 which is just as brilliant with
even more features to fancy over. This timepiece,
differing from the others, is the ideal travel watch.

The basis of the Navigator 3000 dates back all the way to
1853 when Tissot created a pocket watch with multiple time
zones. In 1953 Tissot came out with the multiple time zone
watch, which was based off of the watch 100 years earlier.
And now the Navigator 3000 has been created with new and
improved features.

As with all of the touch screen series, it comes with touch
screen technology. This allows you to touch one button on
the crystal screen to activate all of the other modes and
features. From there, you can interact with your watch
entirely by touching the crystal screen on your watch.

As mentioned, this watch is based off of the multiple time
zone pocket watch from 1853. Therefore, this travel watch
allows you to track multiple time zones simultaneously.
When you first get the watch you will want to set the time
to your home time zone. The watch automatically comes with
150 cities preprogrammed and many more can be manually
added.

The multiple time zone mode in your watch is called the
T-World function. The Navigator 3000 can track four
additional time zones along with the primary time zone you
use. Then, you can set the four time zones to the four
places you are most likely to travel to. When you get to
that time zone, as oppose to resetting your clock you can
simply select the new time zone and swap it out.

With 150 cities already preprogrammed into your watch, each
of the cities also have DST setting preprogrammed up to the
year 2099. And if you decide to add an additional city to
the watch, you can also add the DST setting to the other
cities you opt to add.

Lastly, the Tissot Navigator 3000 does come with an energy
saving mode. If you do not plan on using your watch for a
certain period of time, you can put it into an energy
saving mode. The LCD will go blank and the hands will
indicate 6:30. When you want to reactivate the watch you
can easily do so by pressing the crown for two seconds.

Each watch within the touch screen series is perfect for a
certain type of buyer and the Tissot Navigator 3000 is the
perfect watch for the common traveler. With a multiple
time zone mode and 150 preprogrammed cities in the watch,
you can quickly change the time zone to wherever you are
at. And that is just the tip of the iceberg for what you
can do with the Navigator 3000.

----------------------------------------------------
To obtain information about the Tissot T-Touch watch please
visit our Tissot watches section
(http://www.watchesonnet.com/Tissot.html). For the latest
luxury news and styles visit our Luxury Watch news blog
(http://www.watchesonnet.com/luxurywatches/ )

How to Profit From Intellectual Assets You May Not Know You Have

How to Profit From Intellectual Assets You May Not Know You Have
"Finders, keepers. Losers, weepers." The law of the
playground has suddenly taken on new meaning in the
business world, especially for small businesses and sole
proprietors when it comes to intellectual asset management.

The stuff of copyrights, trademarks and licensing
agreements, long the domain of the biggest corporations,
can prove just as profitable for small firms who learn how
to protect and promote "intellectual" assets that may be as
close at hand as your new way of compiling customer
profiles.

Intellectual asset (property) management is not just about
hot new products; it's about new ideas and innovations that
improve on existing goods and services. It's all a matter
of "finders, keepers," which can be just as easy for the
smallest firms to play as it is for the largest.

In the course of doing business, have you developed a
marketing process that works better than the traditional
way of marketing goods or services? Did your office
assistant come up with a new "Eureka!" about how to keep
tabs on customer (client) habits? Did you add two new steps
to a production process that created more cost-efficiencies?

Look deeper. Is the way your service or product brand worth
protecting? Can it become a profit generator by co-branding
with another company? Inc. magazine in its May editions
cited the case of Starbucks licensing its name to Jim Beam
for a new liqueur, and Harley-Davidson partnering with
Coca-Cola to reap millions of dollars in royalties from
products incorporating both names.

Is what you know innovative (different) and would it be
valuable to someone else? If your answer is yes, learn how
to protect and profit from these assets or risk joining the
ranks of "losers, weepers."

Four additional tips to keep in mind:

1. Industry reports cite the growing number of Intellectual
Property (IP) lawyers courting small firms instead of
traditional big business clients. Go to Google.com and type
in "IP lawyers" along with your state or city's name. Some
IP law firm Web sites carry free articles on IP trends.

2. If you're in the development stage of an innovative new
process, idea or product, and have employed outside help,
consider the use of a confidentially agreement, or
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), to protect your asset from
the start. One smart article on how NDAs work is at
About.com, a product of the New York Times Co., at
http://management.about.com/cs/ipandpatents/a/NDA062199.htm?
p=1.

3. Don't let your assets loose, even inadvertently, through
outgoing emails. Sandhills Publishing Company's
www.processing.com discusses ways to safeguard outgoing
email processes at www.processor.com/mirapoint-Inc.

4. Consider an outside sleuth to help you find your hidden
intellectual assets. Have you ever enlisted the help of a
friend to help you find a misplaced item? Invariably,
you'll hear, "Well, there it is, right in front of your
nose." Outside consultants with keen expertise and sharp
insights into how to spot potential intellectual assets can
prove exponentially more valuable to your bottom line than
that sharp-eyed friend.

----------------------------------------------------
Always appreciate fresh new marketing and branding tips to
drive your business several steps forward? Tap Ruth Klein's
expertise at her upcoming Brand and Pitch Boot Camp.

http://www.ruthklein.com/bpbc

To Gain Exponential Growth, Avoid the Directionless, Wishful Thinking, and Helplessness Stalls

To Gain Exponential Growth, Avoid the Directionless, Wishful Thinking, and Helplessness Stalls
Stalls are harmful thinking habits that delay exponential
growth. Let's look at three stalls that you need to avoid.

"Where Are We Going and How Do We Get There?" -- The
Directionless Stall

Many organizations have been drifting in the same direction
they have always been going, and find themselves lost when
an irresistible force suddenly pushes them at high speed
toward a new destination. By not knowing whether they want
to go to that new destination, they leave themselves open
to inaction and indecision.

Borders' slow commitment to on-line commerce shows that
problem. The company had been trailing Barnes and Noble in
large retail book and audio stores, which kept its
management very occupied with opening new stores and adding
financial resources. Published reports suggest that
Borders' management was unsure whether to add on-line
commerce as a business or not.

Borders then waited until both Amazon's and Barnes and
Noble's Web sites were operating before opening its
Internet site. As the third player to the party, it
increased the likelihood that the cost of acquiring
customers would vastly exceed those of its two key
competitors.

"But That's Not the Way I Thought It Would Be!" -- The
Wishful Thinking Stall

Most enterprises act as if they can anticipate the future
with a great deal of certainty. When an incorrect
assumption is made, actions become inappropriate for the
real situation. This is like following a road map that is
inaccurately drawn so that you end up driving to the wrong
destination, and only discover your error when you arrive
at the wrong place.

Computer makers for many years believed that the profits
would always be in selling the hardware. As a result, they
would not make their software available to those who
purchased other hardware. They waited for the world to beat
a path to their door, and the world went elsewhere.

Apple Computer is a good example. The company had an
operating system for its Mac products that was years ahead
of what Microsoft had available. Apple chose not to make
this software available to those with IBM personal
computers and their clones. Based on the recent stock
market values of Microsoft and Apple, this was a costly
error costing Apple shareholders hundreds of billions of
dollars.

"What Do We Do Now?" -- The Helplessness Stall

When the familiar and predictable environment becomes
hostile and unfamiliar, those responsible for an
enterprise's progress often feel unable to regain control.
They become hamstrung as a result of feeling overwhelmed by
events.

An auto parts supplier grew mightily during the automobile
boom leading up to the second oil shock, the one that
almost destroyed Chrysler. When the price of gas soared and
demand for cars plunged, colleagues reported that the CEO
spent day after day sitting frozen at his desk, unable to
make decisions.

Fortunately, colleagues seized the reins temporarily before
it was too late and made the necessary adjustments to
survive. In the meantime, millions were lost unnecessarily.

Copyright 2008 Donald W. Mitchell, All Rights Reserved

----------------------------------------------------
Donald Mitchell is chairman of Mitchell and Company, a
strategy and financial consulting firm in Weston, MA. He is
coauthor of seven books including Adventures of an
Optimist, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The
Ultimate Competitive Advantage. You can find free tips for
accomplishing 20 times more by registering at:
====> http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

Leadership and Movies

Leadership and Movies
Arguably, the movie "The Queen" was all about leadership.
Perhaps not so arguably, "The Wizard of Oz" also
demonstrated varying leadership styles. What did each
demonstrate?

Queen Elizabeth knew of no other manner in which to lead
than to emulate her family's behavior and rulings for
generations. She was now presented with a new dilemma, the
death of her son's former wife. Should she follow the only
leadership style that she knew or should she betray her
ancestral dictates in acceding to what her constituents
desired?

Tony Blair observed the queen's archaic leadership style,
steeped with tradition yet seemingly not in touch with
today's issues. He and his wife joked about the various
rituals that made little sense to them. While he respected
the queen's position, Blair showed little initial respect
for her choices. What did his leadership style say about
him?

In "The Wizard of Oz," we learned of two distinct yet
opposing leadership styles. Oz ruled with force. His was
the giant voice that scared his constituents into behaving
in the manner of his choice. He could not be seen, only
feared. Odd as it seems, we still have leaders behaving in
this manner today. To them, fear-based leadership seems to
work, yet their people's loyalty is as thin as the veil Oz
had in front of him.

Dorothy led quite in a quite different manner. She had a
goal to get back to Kansas. She knew she didn't have the
skills, knowledge or tools to get there, so she sought out
the individuals who could take her there. While always
having her eye on her goal, she led with compassion,
understanding and genuineness.

What happened in the end for these four leaders and what is
there for us to learn?

The Queen: Learned to live in today's world, listening to
what her constituents demanded from her, putting herself in
their shoes, and making strong choices accordingly.

The Prime Minister: Closely observed the queen's tough
choices, lessoned his criticism, and in doing so, saw the
individual (not position) with which he was dealing. The
result was a stronger bond between them, more open
communication and support of each other.

The Oz: As with most leaders who hide behind a façade
and are afraid to show their true colors, he was 'found
out' and lost his power.

Dorothy: Attained her goal and created strong
relationships along the way. Each of the individuals she
interfaced with felt validated, listened to, and gained a
better understanding of who each one way and how they
contributed to the others. In short, they were better off
having had an association with her than they were on their
own.

May we all learn from the leaders around and before us.
May each day teach us one or two things about becoming a
more vivacious, compassionate, dynamic leader in our own
world. Enjoy your discoveries.

----------------------------------------------------
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