One Response Sarah Mitchell , on August 17, 2009 at 10:28 pm said: Hi Jim, Your story about crop dusting reminded me about the way Sam Walton used to conduct research for a new Wal-Mart when he was first expanding his business. MORE

2 Responses Igor , on August 26, 2009 at 1:58 am said: Well said, It is true that in order to trully appreceate what you have – you need to work for it. Igor Reply Michael Ray Hopkin , on August 26, 2009 at 9:43 am said: Igor, thank you for the comment. MORE

August 22nd, 2009 — tonymayo Email This Article Languages shape the way we think about space, time, colors, and objects. MORE

Home About the Blog Michael’s Bio Resources Lead on Purpose Entries RSS | Comments RSS Top Posts Lead on Purpose featured Five leadership practices for improving customer service Five factors of leadership Real-world examples of customer service Leadership and Product Management Five stages of problem solving Guest Post: The Yin-Yang of Product Management -- Market Sensing Book Review: The Leader Who had no Title Market sensing Product manager responsibilities Recent Comments Doug Taylor on Guest Post: 10 Secrets of Effective Leaders Michael Ray Hopkin on Ethics and family values Yetta Korwatch on Ethics and family values Essential Pieces for Strategic Product Leadership « Where the Product Management Tribe Gathers on Leadership and Product Management Essential Pieces for Strategic Product Leadership « Where the Product Management Tribe Gathers on Michael’s Bio Archives December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 Lead with integrity Posted on September 24, 2009 by Michael Ray Hopkin One of the most important characteristics of leadership is integrity. Integrity is a “steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.&# It means you are true to your word in all you do and people can trust you because you do what you say. The word integrity has deep meaning and is often intermingled with words like honesty and truthfulness. It connotes a deep commitment to do the right thing for the right reason, regardless of the circumstances. People who live with integrity are incorruptible and incapable of breaking the trust of those who have confided in them. Every human is born with a conscience and therefore the ability to know right from wrong. Choosing the right, regardless of the consequences, is the hallmark of integrity. Integrity builds character, which creates the foundation of great leadership. Coach John Wooden said it well: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.&# Live with integrity; lead with integrity. Filed under: Integrity , Leadership , Trust Tagged: | character , honesty , Integrity , John Wooden , truthfulness « The power of influence Creating leaders » Like Be the first to like this post. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Lead on Purpose Top leadership blogs Blogroll Lead on Purpose: How Product Managers Lead Teams to Success Leadership / Executive Strategy Great Leadership M-Power – Harnessing the Power of the Mind Management Excellence by Art Petty Quantum Leaders Sanborn and Associates Marketing Hubspot Seth Godin Web Ink Now Product Management / Marketing How To Be A Good Product Manager On Product Management Pragmatic Marketing Product Management Tips Product Management Tribe Product Management View Product Marketing Blog Strategic Product Manager The Product Management View The Productologist Tyner Blain z-Alltop Sundry Kirk Weisler – T4D Live on Purpose Radio Twitter Categories Innovation (12) Integrity (33) Knowledge (63) Leadership (206) Learning (60) Market-driven (50) Product Management / Marketing (135) Purpose (64) Speed Reading (2) Team Building (48) Techology (30) Trust (79) Uncategorized (2) Blog at WordPress.com. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. MORE

9 Responses Doing Hard Things | Sheri Larsen’s Flying Cloud , on October 16, 2009 at 11:04 am said: [.] Reply Enrico Varella , on October 21, 2009 at 9:14 pm said: Congratulations on your 3:30 marathon PR, Michael. on November 1, 2009 at 11:01 pm said: [.] MORE

Top Executive Coaching with Tony Mayo About Tony Mayo Newsletter Sign-up Sections Client Comments For Executive Coaches For Executives For Fun For Salespeople Quotes and Aphorisms Recommended Books Technology Tips Videos & Podcasts Popular Posts Twitter Log IX About Tony Mayo Truth or Consequences? CEO Executive Coaching Fees My Protein Shake Recipe One more question. Biography of Werner Erhard, the Source of Executive Coaching How to Conduct a "Customer Listening Session" Twitter Log XII Spidertown by Abraham Rodriguez, Jr. Author About Tony Mayo Newsletter Sign-up Comments are welcome. Does something here remind you of your favorite quote? Add it as a comment. Thank you! FREE! Get each new post by email. Topics Be Genuine Be Learning Be Transitive Centering Character Choice Client Comments Coach Training Communication Contingency Conversation Courage Entrepreneurship Excel Tools Facilitation For Executive Coaches For Executives For Salespeople Goal Setting Gratitude Happiness Integrity Language Leadership Love Luck Making Meaning Meditation Meetings Micro-Managers Negotiation Paradigms Quotes and Aphorisms Recommended Books Relationship Responsibility Risk Service Sleep Stress Teamwork Technology Tips Transformation Trust Twitter 3 Rs of Dispute Resolution November 17th, 2009 — tonymayo Email This Article Disputes are inevitable any time you are working with people to produce significant results. What is not inevitable is dreading or delaying the confrontation required to resolve the conflict. Here’s how to get it over with in one conversation. My 3 Rs of dispute resolution are: Relationship, Responsibility, and Request. RELATIONSHIP: Early in the conversation, state plainly the quality of relationship you want to have with the person. Invite the other person to declare their intentions, too. A client once said to me, “I hope when we’re through negotiating this and we run into each other at the mall, we’ll be happy to see each other.&# To a spouse you might say, “Whatever I think about this incident, please remember that I love you and trust you completely.&# To a project teammate you might settle for, “We may never see eye-to-eye on the project plan, but I want to make sure we both end up willing to work together on it.&# Think about what you are willing to “play for,&# then be genuine and direct about what relationship you want. RESPONSIBILITY: To learn how to take more responsibility for what you say, first notice what the opposite looks like. Listen to a typical argument and you’ll notice that very little is said about what physically occurred or what needs to happen next. (Haven’t listened to any arguments lately? Turn on your TV any weekday: soap operas, talk shows, and news programs are filled with arguments.) Most of the “bandwidth&# is filled with opinions, complaints, declarations of standards and expectations, personal attacks, and misdirected venting of energy. You probably do all of these. I do, too. No need to dread confrontation. It may help if you remember that our word confront comes from two Latin words: con, meaning with, and fron , meaning forehead. Confront can mean butting heads or putting our heads together. It’s up to you. The dispute will move toward resolution when you take responsibility for your own opinions and reactions. Instead of saying, “You made me furious because you were so late. You have some nerve expecting to me to keep you on the team.&# try, “You arrived at 9:20. I expect employees to be working by 8:30. Not only that, but I assume that anyone who arrives so late will do sloppy work. I know that a few minutes is not a big deal and you get all of your assignments done, but I am afraid that if I give you another chance my whole project will be in jeopardy. Is there anything we can do to make me feel confident about continuing to rely on you?&# The key to responsibility in this case is to remember that the person did not make you angry. Something happened and your reaction was anger. The act was theirs; the reaction was yours. I am not suggesting that you invalidate, conceal, or lie about your reaction. Go ahead and have a reaction; just do not pretend it was forced onto you. REQUEST: Once all parties to the dispute have gotten clarity on the continuing relationship, taken responsibility for their subjective reactions, and gotten reasonably clear about what happened, the question that naturally emerges is, “What’s next?&# What’s next is always a request or a promise. Make yours explicit: “I promise to contact you immediately if I will not be here by 8:30 and to complete all assignments before leaving each day. I request that you not yell at me when I am not at my desk the same time as everyone else.&# or “Please before you make suggestions for changes, remind me that you still respect my work.&# Remember, you have not made a complete request until you hear the response. Give the person a chance to accept, decline, or counteroffer. It is only a “Yes&# if they could have said “No.&# Next time you notice yourself getting angry, irritated, or upset with someone ask yourself: What RELATIONSHIP do I want to have with this person? Have I taken RESPONSIBILITY for my feelings about the dispute? What REQUESTS and promises could I make to support the outcome I want? See also on this blog, Conversations that Make a Difference. Popularity: 4% [ ? ] Share it! © Tony Mayo except as otherwise noted For Executives. Conflict , Disputes , For Executives , Negotiation blog comments powered by Disqus « Handling Complaints Time & Chance » Tony Mayo, Top Executive Coach, is located in Reston, Virginia 20190 Ranked in Top 3% by Technorati & Alexa ! Get RSS Feed follow tonymayo at [link] My YouTube Channel Tony Mayo, Top Executive Coach on Facebook Emails Worth Getting Booz Allen: Strategy + Business Good Morning Silicon Valley Knowledge@Wharton New York Times Headlines Friends Blogs Belmont on Branding Did someone say, “Strategy&# ? Dr. Kehr's Couch Jonathan Foust Radio Free Enterprise Steve Gladis, Leadership Coach Suzi Pomerantz, Executive Coach The Touch Podcasts I Love Public Radio: Radio Lab Public Radio: Speaking of Faith Public Radio: Story Corps Public Radio: Writer’s Almanac Scientific American: Science Talk Tools I Use Easy Screen Sharing with Join.Me File Backup and Sharing by SugarSync Free Conference Calls Google Alerts LinkedIn Mail2Web Exchange Server Online Appointment Scheduling by Tungle.Me Organize Outlook: Xobni scanR WordPress You Send It Support this blog. Do all your Amazon.com shopping with this link: No headset required! Use any phone! MORE

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But I don’t want a POS… → Aligning Team Goals with Organizational Objectives Posted on December 30, 2009 by Katy Alignment is a hot topic in management. Survive Your Promotion! MORE

One Response Leadercast , on July 5, 2009 at 7:42 pm said: Great list of quotes. MORE

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer QAspire Blog 2009 – Essential Posts Redux When the year ends, we tend to retrospect. February 2009: Experiences and Learning on Respecting people This essential post touched upon the issue of respecting people at workplace. March 2009: Personal Leadership - It shines in difficult times We are all leaders - but our education, upbringing and organization structures suppresses our leadership traits. MORE

→ Motivation Posted on December 22, 2009 by Katy As the end of the year approaches it’s a good time to take stock of how committed your team members are feeling about their jobs before they make New Year’s resolutions to find new ones. Survive Your Promotion! MORE

Survive Your Promotion! MORE

Survive Your Promotion! MORE

3 Responses Robin Zaragoza , on July 9, 2009 at 12:06 pm said: For those looking for a ProductCamp soon… NYC is next week… July 18th. Reply Michael Ray Hopkin , on July 9, 2009 at 1:39 pm said: Robin, thank you for the comment. MORE

Home ELS Home Leadership Development Executive Leadership Training Change Management Learning Products Employee Selection Contact us Nov 11 The Relationship Between Personal Growth and Leadership Skill Development By admin There is a definite relationship between your efforts at developing leadership skills and your personal growth and development. Ed Oakley, co-author of “Enlightened Leadership&# and “Leadership Made Simple,&# as well as “Making Managers into Leaders(R) Learning Products,&# discusses this relationship in this 5:15 video. Please share your comments and questions below! Best wishes to the “enlightened leader&# in you, Ed Oakley and the Enlightened Leadership Team Categories : leadership skill development 1 Comments 1 Walter Givens November 12th, 2009 at 7:08 pm This is a subject that needs continue discussion because many managers do not understand the difference between management and leadership. Continue the good work Thank you Leave a Comment RSS Feed RSS Feed Recent Comments Weight training supplements on Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value Weight training supplements on Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value TC North on An Easy and Fun Way to Prepare for 2011 Steve Delko on Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services August H Mallory on Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services admin on This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Pandy Tomko on Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. August H Mallory on This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Pandy Tomko on How to Optimize Your Team-based Learning & Development Mindy Bortness on Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. Recent Posts The 100-Day Challenge! An Easy and Fun Way to Prepare for 2011 Introducing Our New Team Excellence Assessment How to Utilize the Team Excellence Assessment Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. How to Optimize Your Team-based Learning & Development Problems with leadership development processes… Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value Tags ACTIVE WAITING appreciation BEHAVIOR Behavioral Styles CHANGE completion CONTENT contribution DIFFICULT TIMES effective leadership FLOW focus forward focus Framework for Leadership™ gratitude HARD PART humor JOY leadership leading change memorial day MODULE DESCRIPTION new book OUT OF THE BOX personal leadership POPPY powerful insight PRIMARY ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS real leader RIGHT QUESTIONS risk SELF-ACCEPTANCE set direction SOFT PART soft side STRATEGY structure TAKE RESPONSIBILITY take risks tools for critcal times tools for critical times transcript transition veterans webinar WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better. Meta Log in Entries RSS Comments RSS WordPress.org Archives January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 July 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 March 2008 February 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 July 2006 June 2006 Make your job secure! Start developing your leadership skills today! Be sure to sign up for FREE practical leadership and management tips in the red box above. Making Managers into Leaders® Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved Flexx Theme by iThemes Powered by WordPress Blog WebMastered by All in One Webmaster. MORE

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Happy Diwali 2009 It’s that time of the year when our hearts are filled with love and warmth – I wish all readers of this blog, a “VERY HAPPY DIWALI”. Photo Courtesy: mar00ned’s Flickr stream Tags: Diwali , Diwali 2009 , Happy Diwali Improvement & Development | Tanmay October 17, 2009 10 Comments By tnvora (Tanmay Vora) , October 17, 2009 @ 4:23 pm Twitter Comment What does Indian festival of DIWALI represent? MORE

Technorati Tags: ft-hood , gratitude , obama , veterans Categories : Management/Leadership 4 Comments 1 Alexa November 11th, 2009 at 2:47 am Ed, Thank you for such sharing your thoughts with us. alexa 2 Nancy-Dru Flowers November 11th, 2009 at 9:20 am I would like to send both of them (John Robert Crowley III and Blake Ensley Fisher) e-cards from Cross Cards, to honor Veterans. 3 Ed Oakley November 11th, 2009 at 10:38 am How thoughtful of you, Nancy Dru! MORE

Jonette Crowley and the Enlightened Leadership Team Categories : Management Tips and Techniques , leadership skill development 1 Comments 1 Ed Tate December 4th, 2009 at 7:53 am Because of this article, I can see the ‘leaks’ in my own personal productivity. MORE

2 Judith Briles November 25th, 2009 at 1:40 pm Backward focused people are what I call the firehosers of the workplace. MORE

Ed Oakley Technorati Tags: Behavioral Styles , new book , personal leadership Categories : Personal Leadership book 6 Comments 1 Bonnie Hazzard October 12th, 2009 at 4:49 pm This was very valuable information. 3 Ginger Hardisty October 13th, 2009 at 9:04 am Ed, Thank you. MORE

Home About Me About This Blog Starbucker’s Amazon Store TerryStarbucker.com Ramblings From a Glass Half Full 15 Basic Steps To Mind-Blowing Customer Service: Lessons From A Paris Produce Shop by Starbucker on December 27, 2009 My wife and I have been in Paris on a two week vacation, spending the holidays in one of my favorite cities in the world. Best to you, Robin Alexander Duque December 27, 2009 at 10:11 pm Great post! MORE

Home ELS Home Leadership Development Executive Leadership Training Change Management Learning Products Employee Selection Contact us Sep 23 A System for the Soft Side of Leadership By admin Sitting beside a Cisco Systems manager on the way to Sao Paolo, Brazil recently reminded me how our Enlightened Leadership work fits so well for people who are highly educated in a focused area. I’m talking about areas of formal or informal education like science, medicine, manufacturing, engineering, business and others during which process they probably did NOT learn much about bringing out the best in people! These bright, talented people have systems and processes for accomplishing many aspects of their work, whether a surgeon who has a specific proven procedure for a particular type of operation, or a manufacturer with a systematic build process, or an engineer or scientist who has a proven process for solving problems, or a project manager who has learned the optimal flow of work to accomplish a project on time, on quality, and on budget. These same people, as managers of people, need a system or framework for bringing out the best in people. This is the aspect of a manager’s (team leader, executive, supervisor) role that we call leadership – the people or soft part of their role. Now, the surgeon begins her operation with a series of specific, repetitive steps that she has confidence will work. Sometimes, surprises will confront the surgeon, and she must deviate from her known procedure to solve a problem. This in no way diminishes the importance of her known, repetitive process for a particular type of surgery. Would you want a surgeon operating on you who’s thinking, “Let’s see, how do I want to do this operation today. Maybe I’ll try something I’ve never done before?&# I don’t think so! I personally would like to think my surgeon has done at least 100 operations just like mine and all of them successful! Realistically, in “doing 100 operations just like mine,&# they’ve encountered the need to deviate from the proven process to solve an unexpected problem. It is having a proven process for which they have confidence that allows them to make the deviation when needed. The “proven process&# does not mean it is always the perfect solution, but it does give confidence that the procedure will work in most cases, and best positions them for the situations that occur that require deviations from the norm. Likewise, there is a systematic approach, our Framework for Leadership™ if you will, that provides the manager (or professional) a proven approach for optimizing the performance and effectiveness of people, teams and organizations. The Framework very often works exactly as prescribed, giving confidenceto the practitioner that the process will yield the expected results they seek — whether to solve, or …maybe it’s virtually always about solving a problem. Sometimes it looks like other things, like: - aligning team members to a shared objective - getting a project back on track - solving an individual performance issue - negotiating for resources needed - collaborating with other people, teams or institutions to accomplish a mission Perhaps, it’s always solution finding. That’s the promise of the Framework. It doesn’t matter what you’re wanting or needing to accomplish. NOTE: Our book, “Leadership Made Simple: Practical Solutions to Your Greatest Management Challenges,&# is 100% about using the Framework for Leadership, including 40 real examples. If you don’t have it yet, you can get it HERE for 40% off list price – just for reading this post! Best regards, Ed Oakley Technorati Tags: Framework for Leadership™ , soft side Categories : Leadership Development Leave a Comment RSS Feed RSS Feed Recent Comments Weight training supplements on Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value Weight training supplements on Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value TC North on An Easy and Fun Way to Prepare for 2011 Steve Delko on Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services August H Mallory on Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services admin on This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Pandy Tomko on Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. August H Mallory on This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Pandy Tomko on How to Optimize Your Team-based Learning & Development Mindy Bortness on Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. Recent Posts The 100-Day Challenge! An Easy and Fun Way to Prepare for 2011 Introducing Our New Team Excellence Assessment How to Utilize the Team Excellence Assessment Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. How to Optimize Your Team-based Learning & Development Problems with leadership development processes… Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value Tags ACTIVE WAITING appreciation BEHAVIOR Behavioral Styles CHANGE completion CONTENT contribution DIFFICULT TIMES effective leadership FLOW focus forward focus Framework for Leadership™ gratitude HARD PART humor JOY leadership leading change memorial day MODULE DESCRIPTION new book OUT OF THE BOX personal leadership POPPY powerful insight PRIMARY ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS real leader RIGHT QUESTIONS risk SELF-ACCEPTANCE set direction SOFT PART soft side STRATEGY structure TAKE RESPONSIBILITY take risks tools for critcal times tools for critical times transcript transition veterans webinar WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better. Meta Log in Entries RSS Comments RSS WordPress.org Archives January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 July 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 March 2008 February 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 July 2006 June 2006 Make your job secure! Start developing your leadership skills today! Be sure to sign up for FREE practical leadership and management tips in the red box above. Making Managers into Leaders® Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved Flexx Theme by iThemes Powered by WordPress Blog WebMastered by All in One Webmaster. MORE

Home ELS Home Leadership Development Executive Leadership Training Change Management Learning Products Employee Selection Contact us Nov 10 Distinguishing Leadership Skill Development from Management By admin When we do leadership skill training, it is always important to distinguish the business leadership skills and management skills. Following is a very brief video that does that: What are your thoughts about this? Please comment below! Ed Oakley & the Enlightened Leadership Team Technorati Tags: balance , HARD PART , leadership , management , SOFT PART Categories : leadership skill development 1 Comments 1 Rohit raj January 25th, 2010 at 1:35 pm very Good & helpful Explanation. Thanks Leave a Comment RSS Feed RSS Feed Recent Comments Weight training supplements on Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value Weight training supplements on Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value TC North on An Easy and Fun Way to Prepare for 2011 Steve Delko on Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services August H Mallory on Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services admin on This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Pandy Tomko on Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. August H Mallory on This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Pandy Tomko on How to Optimize Your Team-based Learning & Development Mindy Bortness on Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. Recent Posts The 100-Day Challenge! An Easy and Fun Way to Prepare for 2011 Introducing Our New Team Excellence Assessment How to Utilize the Team Excellence Assessment Defining the Offer: Making Managers into Leaders team-based learning and development services This Leadership Perspective Will Change Your Life! Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. How to Optimize Your Team-based Learning & Development Problems with leadership development processes… Effective Questions: An Example with Measured Value Tags ACTIVE WAITING appreciation BEHAVIOR Behavioral Styles CHANGE completion CONTENT contribution DIFFICULT TIMES effective leadership FLOW focus forward focus Framework for Leadership™ gratitude HARD PART humor JOY leadership leading change memorial day MODULE DESCRIPTION new book OUT OF THE BOX personal leadership POPPY powerful insight PRIMARY ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS real leader RIGHT QUESTIONS risk SELF-ACCEPTANCE set direction SOFT PART soft side STRATEGY structure TAKE RESPONSIBILITY take risks tools for critcal times tools for critical times transcript transition veterans webinar WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better. Meta Log in Entries RSS Comments RSS WordPress.org Archives January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 July 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 March 2008 February 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 July 2006 June 2006 Make your job secure! Start developing your leadership skills today! Be sure to sign up for FREE practical leadership and management tips in the red box above. Making Managers into Leaders® Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved Flexx Theme by iThemes Powered by WordPress Blog WebMastered by All in One Webmaster. MORE

Home ELS Home Leadership Development Executive Leadership Training Change Management Learning Products Employee Selection Contact us Nov 02 What are your Biggest Challenges? By admin Today I sent out a survey which asks you to share your toughest challenges with us. You can see the survey HERE. MORE

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Katy To help you start off 2010 right I am offering a four part goal planning toolkit completely FREE! Survive Your Promotion! MORE

Categories : Uncategorized 4 Comments 1 Tuan Nguyen December 29th, 2009 at 10:22 am Ed, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 2 WILLIAM RIVAS December 29th, 2009 at 2:36 pm ED, you really go to the core of the main elements of the creative process. MORE

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Categories : Uncategorized 1 Comments 1 Natalie Houghty-Haddon December 10th, 2009 at 8:59 am So sorry you’ve changed the name! MORE

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Home About the Blog Michael’s Bio Resources Lead on Purpose Entries RSS | Comments RSS Top Posts Lead on Purpose featured Five leadership practices for improving customer service Five factors of leadership Real-world examples of customer service Leadership and Product Management Five stages of problem solving Guest Post: The Yin-Yang of Product Management -- Market Sensing Book Review: The Leader Who had no Title Market sensing Product manager responsibilities Recent Comments Doug Taylor on Guest Post: 10 Secrets of Effective Leaders Michael Ray Hopkin on Ethics and family values Yetta Korwatch on Ethics and family values Essential Pieces for Strategic Product Leadership « Where the Product Management Tribe Gathers on Leadership and Product Management Essential Pieces for Strategic Product Leadership « Where the Product Management Tribe Gathers on Michael’s Bio Archives December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 Three steps to the next big opportunity Posted on November 4, 2009 by Michael Ray Hopkin One of the keys to career progress (advancement) is identifying and taking advantage of new opportunities. Most of the time the new opportunities are not obvious; after all, when things become obvious they are usually past the “opportunity&# stage. The crucial habit for progress is watching, learning and becoming aware of trends and changes going on around you. Here are three steps to help you prepare yourself for the next big opportunity: Demonstrate flexibility: The word ‘flexible’ has various meanings; in this context think of ‘willingness.’ Be the person at your company who is willing to do new things, like taking on the project that nobody wants. Don’t balk when things don’t go the way you want them to go. Get out of your comfort zone: Face it, progress never comes without some level of discomfort. Look for ways you can improve your skills in new areas. Think of something you never would have considered and do it; even if it’s riding a bull. Work with people: The only way to progress in this life is to work with other people. The teams that have people who work together win. Even in so-called “individual sports&# such as running, race car driving or gymnastics, the athletes depend on many other people for their success. Be open and humble enough to learn from other people, and be willing to help others any way you can. At the end of the day (or week, month or year) you are responsible for your progress. You need to take the steps. You will surely find many along the way who are willing to help you; take advantage. But don’t wait for them to bring success to you; that will never happen. Make the effort; take the steps. — The Product Management Perspective: The ideas for this post came from a question posed to me about how an engineer can become a product manager. Following these three things will help you progress from your work as an engineer (or support or SE or any other job) to becoming a successful product manager. And for you who are product managers, look for people who are trying to make the shift and reach out and help them. You’ll find satisfaction in knowing you helped someone else, and doing so will benefit your career. Filed under: Purpose , Product Management / Marketing Tagged: | opportunities , career advancement , flexibility « A new Leadership Development Carnival Book Review: The Three Laws of Performance » Like Be the first to like this post. One Response Police Oral Exam , on February 2, 2010 at 12:15 pm said: Saw your Blog bookmarked on Reddit.I love your site and marketing strategy. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel reply Lead on Purpose Top leadership blogs Blogroll Lead on Purpose: How Product Managers Lead Teams to Success Leadership / Executive Strategy Great Leadership M-Power – Harnessing the Power of the Mind Management Excellence by Art Petty Quantum Leaders Sanborn and Associates Marketing Hubspot Seth Godin Web Ink Now Product Management / Marketing How To Be A Good Product Manager On Product Management Pragmatic Marketing Product Management Tips Product Management Tribe Product Management View Product Marketing Blog Strategic Product Manager The Product Management View The Productologist Tyner Blain z-Alltop Sundry Kirk Weisler – T4D Live on Purpose Radio Twitter Categories Innovation (12) Integrity (33) Knowledge (63) Leadership (206) Learning (60) Market-driven (50) Product Management / Marketing (135) Purpose (64) Speed Reading (2) Team Building (48) Techology (30) Trust (79) Uncategorized (2) Blog at WordPress.com. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. MORE

Or, How To Make Micromanagement Work For You | Product Management Meets Pop Culture , on November 25, 2009 at 7:01 am said: [.] MORE

by Starbucker on November 29, 2009 “It’s the most powerful thing there is&# – John Wooden John Wooden is a basketball coaching legend – in his 27 years at UCLA, his teams had a winning percentage of 81%, and they won a unfathomable 10 NCAA titles. Tweet This Post Tagged as: John Wooden , Sun Tzu { 21 comments… read them below or add one } Christina November 29, 2009 at 6:02 pm This was beautiful. Ricardo Bueno December 1, 2009 at 6:46 pm I went to UCLA. MORE

Home About Me About This Blog Starbucker’s Amazon Store TerryStarbucker.com Ramblings From a Glass Half Full 20 Easy Ways to Take Social Media A Little Less Seriously by Starbucker on November 22, 2009 It was bound to happen. Tweet This Post Tagged as: Social Media humor { 19 comments… read them below or add one } Deborah Taylor-French November 22, 2009 at 5:30 pm Funny! Deborah Jenn Whinnem November 22, 2009 at 8:27 pm Thank you so much for this! MORE

Home ELS Home Leadership Development Executive Leadership Training Change Management Learning Products Employee Selection Contact us Jul 23 Personal Leadership Series – FLY or FALL? MORE

Home About the Blog Michael’s Bio Resources Lead on Purpose Entries RSS | Comments RSS Top Posts Lead on Purpose featured Five leadership practices for improving customer service Five factors of leadership Real-world examples of customer service Leadership and Product Management Five stages of problem solving Guest Post: The Yin-Yang of Product Management -- Market Sensing Book Review: The Leader Who had no Title Market sensing Product manager responsibilities Recent Comments Doug Taylor on Guest Post: 10 Secrets of Effective Leaders Michael Ray Hopkin on Ethics and family values Yetta Korwatch on Ethics and family values Essential Pieces for Strategic Product Leadership « Where the Product Management Tribe Gathers on Leadership and Product Management Essential Pieces for Strategic Product Leadership « Where the Product Management Tribe Gathers on Michael’s Bio Archives December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 Book Review: Halftime Posted on May 23, 2009 by Michael Ray Hopkin “The biggest mistake most of us make in the first half [of our lives] is not taking enough time for the things that are really important.&# In his book HALFTIME: Moving from Success to Significance , author Bob Buford explores three stages of life: The first half: On average, the first 40 years of your life. This is the time when most people focus more on their careers and less on others (and other significant causes). Bob talks about how his career (in TV station business) took off. He had tremendous success, but had a “success panic&# that made him stop and reevaluate his priorities. He also tells a touching story about losing his son Ross. These (and other factors) lead him to the next stage. Halftime: This is the time when you take stock of what you have accomplished thus far in your life and look for ways to move from success to significance. He compares it to halftime in sports (games like basketball and American football) that have a break during games. This break gives the teams a chance to evaluate their performance in the first half and chart ways to improve in the second half. It’s a chance to dig more deeply into what you believe and evaluate whether your life is heading in a direction compatible with your core beliefs. Bob gives several methods to help you increase your significance. The second half: The time when you can truly make a significant contribution to the world. In rare cases this happens early in life; however, with planning and effort anyone can make it happen during the second half of their life. Bob discusses creating a life mission and making efforts to carry it out for the benefit of others. Halftime is all about finding ways to be a leader in your own life; especially the second half of your life. It provides great advice on how to make your life significant in ways you probably never imagined. You will find this book valuable if you are looking for ways to make a more significant contribution to your community, church or in other areas of your life. Bob is definitely a religious man (Christian) and that comes out significantly throughout the book. I recommend this book for people who are looking to create significance in the second half of their lives. Filed under: Leadership , Purpose Tagged: | beliefs , Bob Buford , career , Halftime , significance , success « Building your position Real-world examples of customer service » Like Be the first to like this post. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Lead on Purpose Top leadership blogs Blogroll Lead on Purpose: How Product Managers Lead Teams to Success Leadership / Executive Strategy Great Leadership M-Power – Harnessing the Power of the Mind Management Excellence by Art Petty Quantum Leaders Sanborn and Associates Marketing Hubspot Seth Godin Web Ink Now Product Management / Marketing How To Be A Good Product Manager On Product Management Pragmatic Marketing Product Management Tips Product Management Tribe Product Management View Product Marketing Blog Strategic Product Manager The Product Management View The Productologist Tyner Blain z-Alltop Sundry Kirk Weisler – T4D Live on Purpose Radio Twitter Categories Innovation (12) Integrity (33) Knowledge (63) Leadership (206) Learning (60) Market-driven (50) Product Management / Marketing (135) Purpose (64) Speed Reading (2) Team Building (48) Techology (30) Trust (79) Uncategorized (2) Blog at WordPress.com. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. MORE

December 6, 2009 at 8:02 pm Thanks so much for the reminder. Ideas With A Kick December 7, 2009 at 2:17 pm Being right is an overrated thing from my perspective. Eduard Christina December 7, 2009 at 3:11 pm I learned this same lesson when I worked as a tour guide at a welcome center. Jeremy December 8, 2009 at 10:02 am We’ll never know it all. Starbucker December 8, 2009 at 10:21 am Thanks Marshall, Eduard, Christina, and Jeremy for your comments! MORE

6 Responses The Vision Quest « Where the Product Management Tribe Gathers , on December 22, 2009 at 8:51 am said: [.] MORE

Home About Me About This Blog Starbucker’s Amazon Store TerryStarbucker.com Ramblings From a Glass Half Full 10 Leadership Battles – And How To Win Every One of Them by Starbucker on November 1, 2009 In our quest to become great leaders we take on a constant stream of internal battles. Tweet This Post { 20 comments… read them below or add one } Kimba Green November 2, 2009 at 8:57 am This should be laminated and put on everyone’s desk! MORE

9 Responses themadpeacock , on November 26, 2009 at 6:12 pm said: Finding a way to capture them when they happen is half the battle, for that I most often use the voice memo feature on my phone. Reply davidwlocke , on December 8, 2009 at 11:56 am said: I have about four notebooks. MORE

3 Responses Chris Fillebrown , on January 1, 2010 at 8:07 pm said: In October of 2009 I started the Frame of Reference blog to focus on the innovation space. MORE

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Michael Ray Hopkin With just a few weeks left in 2009 you have no-doubt spent time thinking about the events of the past year and the growth and changes that have resulted. MORE