12/28/2006

Leaders Lead; Managers Deliver

"Management is getting people to do what needs to be done. Leadership is getting people to want to do what needs to be done. Managers push. Leaders pull. Managers command. Leaders communicate." - Warren Bennis

So what makes a person excel as a leader or manager? The personal belief of Will Herman, serial CEO, is that:

"Management is a science and, for the most part, can be learned. Leadership, however, is an art. While some of the capabilities necessary to being a great leader can be acquired over time, much of what makes terrific leaders great is instinctive or, at the very least, was learned much earlier in life.

Natural leaders have the ability to think in an unbounded way, without limitations or having their thoughts overly restricted by the practicalities associated with implementation. This is not to say that great leaders don't understand what it takes to make things happen. They simply don't let such knowledge stand in the way of seeing what's ahead and choosing a path to take...

Great managers, on the other hand, are excellent planners and are, generally, very well organized. They, too, need to be good communicators, but with a much more focused, hands-on approach. The fundamental tools that a manager has include their ability to teach, guide, cajole, listen and and constantly refine...

A successful organization can’t exist without both strong leadership and great management. Over time, an organization will need to expand its team of managers to keep up with its increasing number of deliverables. The leadership team, however, will grow at a much slower rate or, perhaps, not at all. Too many leaders, like too many chefs, will really foul things things up. Too few managers will leave a huge implementation void. One type of person is unlikely to successfully fill in for the other. Keep this in mind the next time you're building a team to start a new enterprise or making changes to a team already in place."

Read more in this Will Herman post.

An Area Accurate Map

"Which is bigger, Greenland or China? With the traditional Mercator map (circa 1569, and still in use in many schoolrooms and boardrooms today), Greenland and China look the same size. But in reality China is almost 4 times larger! In response to such discrepancies, Dr. Arno Peters created a new world map that dramatically improves the accuracy of how we see the Earth.

The Peters Projection World Map is one of the most stimulating, and controversial, images of the world. When this map was first introduced by historian and cartographer Dr. Arno Peters at a Press Conference in Germany in 1974 it generated a firestorm of debate. The first English-version of the map was published in 1983, and it continues to have passionate fans as well as staunch detractors.

The earth is round. The challenge of any world map is to represent a round earth on a flat surface. There are literally thousands of map projections. Each has certain strengths and corresponding weaknesses. Choosing among them is an exercise in values clarification: you have to decide what's important to you. That is generally determined by the way you intend to use the map. The Peters Projection is an area acurate map."

Read more at Peters Map

12/27/2006

Tips for Employers for a Litigation-Free Holiday Season

See this Vedder Price article for a good summary of measures employers may take to avoid the legal pitfalls and potential litigation that can frequently arise during the holidays. Found via the newsletter from Employment Law Information Network.

12/20/2006

CMU receives $3M from Kauffman Foundation

"Carnegie Mellon University is one of several colleges and universities to receive grants from the Kauffman Foundation to help grow programs that encourage entrepreneurship among students and faculty.

Pittsburgh-based CMU received $3 million to help create a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation, and a master's degree in engineering and technology innovation."

Read more in this Pittsburgh Business Times article.

12/17/2006

Apple Over the Fence

A little girl saved the life of Hermann Rosenblatt during the holocaust. Fate brought her back into his life. Later, he had heart bypass surgery and his mother came to him in a dream, saying "You've got to tell your story, so that your grandchildren will know who their grandfather was." And what a story. So we will never forget, read about it in this aish.com article.

12/15/2006

Would Any Other Brand Smell as Sweet?

Understanding brands and brand management is important for everyone. Even if you never have to write marketing copy or develop a logo, you should understand the basics of branding as it reaches into all areas of a company.

These BNet resources cover many aspects of branding from strategy to repositioning.

12/14/2006

12 Days of Christmas Price Index Rises

Since 1984, PNC Bank has been tabulating the PNC Christmas Price Index, a tongue-in-cheek analysis of the cost of goods and services given in the holiday classic The Twelve Days of Christmas. This year to buy all of the 12 gifts on the holiday carol's shopping list - from the partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming and all the gifts in between - it would cost $18,920.

To enjoy this year's flash presentation, visit The True Cost of the 12 Days of Christmas and click on the presentation link. The PNC Christmas Price Index provides an interesting perspective on the events and news that helped shape the economy during the year.

The Defining Dozen Business Plan Questions

"To write a good business plan, you have to know the answers to the “Defining Dozen” questions...

1. What’s your business idea?
2. How does your idea address a need?
3. What model suits you best?
4. What’s so different about what you offer?
5. How big is the market and how big will you grow?
6. What’s your role going to be?
7. Who's on your team?
8. How will customers buy from you, and how much will they pay?
9. How much money do you need, and how much will you make?
10. Where's the startup money coming from?
11. How will you measure success?
12. What are your key milestones?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you should be prepared to write the actual business plan document."

Read more in this article from StartupNation.

12/05/2006

Resources on Strategic Partnerships

Strategic partnerships in which entrepreneurial companies team up with larger companies can be a tremendous growth opportunity – if they’re set up carefully, with plenty of research to identify the right partner, clear communications about goals and values, and a formal agreement that details the rights and duties of each partner in the relationship.

A new collection of articles on strategic partnerships has been posted on the Kauffman eVenturing™ (www.eVenturing.org) site for growth-oriented entrepreneurs. Particular emphasis is on the needs of technology-based businesses.

The collection, authored by entrepreneurs and legal experts, covers product/technology development alliances, distribution/reseller arrangements and co-marketing programs. The collection also includes sample strategic partnership agreements and worksheets.

12/04/2006

Martin Luther King

Accurate information should be a goal for a search on Google for Martin Luther King. 


So... let's do a little Google-bombing:


Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King


If you want to know why we are doing this, have a look here.  Even better - join in the project and do some good.


Thanks to Scoble for raising the profile of this project.


As suggested in this Rethink(IP) post.

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Primer on Choice of Business Entity

Attorney Imke Ratschko writes: "Articles on choice of business entity are a dime a dozen. Here is one that stands out from the crowd." Please see her post for an active link to an excellent resource.

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12/01/2006

Domestic Violence Legal Landmine

"A legal landmine awaits unsuspecting employers with regard to domestic violence in the workplace. A misstep could expose an employer to possible claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, failure to accommodate and tort claims...

Assisting domestic violence victims requires a multidisciplinary approach from many resources including law enforcement, health care, social services and the community. Employers can be a proactive partner in this process by working with domestic violence organizations and legal counsel to create a domestic violence workplace program, which includes the following steps:

...Develop a written domestic violence policy...
Provide regular ongoing training...
Provide access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that is experienced in providing services to victims of domestic violence....
Know...[and]establish relationships with domestic violence resource organizations..."

Read more in this San Diego Source article found via the Employment Law Information Network newsletter.