the leader (compiled by josh).docx

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An excerpt from

The Right to Lead

by John Maxwell

What Gives a Man or Woman the Right to Lead?

It certainly isn't gained by election or appointment. Having position, title, rank or degrees

doesn't qualify anyone to lead other people. And the ability doesn't come automatically

from age or experience, either.

No, it would be accurate to say that no one can be given the right to lead. The right to lead

can only be earned. And that takes time.

The Kind of Leader Others Want to Follow

The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but

on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. You must become someoneothers can trust to take them where they want to go.

As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you

grow:

1. Let go of your ego.

The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve

other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot

bother to do little things, and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things."

2. Become a good follower first.

Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a

leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to

become effective followers firstand why West Point has produced more leaders than the

Harvard Business School.

3. Build positive relationships.

Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational.

Today's generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position

mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get

along with.

4. Work with excellence.

No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to

what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and
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hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.

5. Rely on discipline, not emotion.

Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything seems to be against

youwhen you're out of energy, and you don't want to leadthat you earn your place as a

leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose

between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of

discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.

6. Make added value your goal.

When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished

leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and

reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadershipand its highest value.

7. Give your power away.

One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever

power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If

you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.

~~~

In The Right to Lead, you will hear from and read about people who have done these same

things and earned the right to lead others. Because of the courage they found and thecharacter they displayed, other people recognized their admirable qualities and felt

compelled to follow them.

The followers who looked to these leaders learned from them, and so can we. As you

explore their worlds and words, remember that it takes time to become worthy of followers.

Leadership isn't learned or earned in a moment.


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In a scene from the Steven Spielberg movie Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln tells her husband: "No one is loved as

much as you by the people. Don't waste that power." Spoiler alert: He doesn't.

While the movie focuses on the passing of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, it also gives a lot of insight

to Lincoln's strongleadership skills-- those things that have made him so admired.

While you may not be leading revolutionary change in the country, here are four leadership lessons from our

16th president on how to lead revolutionary change at yourstartupor small business.

1. Say no to 'Yes Men.'At a time in history when the United States was at war with itself, Lincoln surprisingly

chose to fill his cabinet with a team of his rivals. These were men he considered to be the best and brightest

minds in the country, and they were unafraid to challenge Lincoln and assert their opposition. A self -confident

man, Lincoln welcomed strong opinions as it provoked thoughtful debate as well as inner reflection. It proved

to be an important tactic during his presidency.

Rick Lepsinger, president of the New York City-based leadership consulting firmOnPoint,agrees: "Don't hire in

your own image," he says. "Get comfortable with conflict and learn how to manage differences productively."

Lepsinger suggests that leaders not allow conflicts to fester, but bring them to the surface as soon as possible.

He also recommends avoiding the overuse of compromise, looking instead for common ground and

alternatives.

Related:The Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Leadership Style
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2. Be decisive.While it's helpful to get more than one opinion, strong leaders know when and how to make

decisions. Cabinet members could have argued forever, but Lincoln had the ability to knowwhen he had all of

the information he needed. Walking away to seek solitude, he was able to determine the best solution and

make a decision without wavering.

Good leaders clarify their decision criteria, says Lepsinger, identifying musts and wants, and using that as a

guide to compare options. "Assess the risk of each option as well as the benefits," he says. "These practices

will increase confidence that you've selected the alternative that is the best balance of risk and reward."

3. Look for inspiration in unlikely places.As a member of Congress, Lincoln studied mathematics to gain

wisdom in reasoning. In the movie, Lincoln shares some of this wisdom with two young clerks at the telegraph

office: Euclid's first common notion is this: 'Things which are equal to the same thing are equal to each

other.'"

Lepsinger says leaders are continuous learners and look outside their industry for ideas and innovation.

4. Connect with people on a personal level.We know "Honest Abe" was fair, but Lincoln was also known for

his jokes and storytelling. It's how he broke the ice and blazed a trail to common ground. Lincoln also made

himself accessible. As president of the United States, he kept regular office hours and citizens were allowed to

see him.

"It's not how smart you are -- strong personal relationships and high levels of trust are the foundation of

effective leadership," says Lepsinger. "[Good leaders] demonstrate empathy, take an interest in others and

find out details about them."


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Related:How to Earn Your Employees' Respect

There are many leadership styles and a cottage industry has cropped up around defining them. Gayle

Lantz, president ofWorkMatters, Inc., a human resources consulting firm in Birmingham, Ala., uses

the popular DISC assessment tool to as part of her practice to identify leadership styles.

DISC, an acronym for dominance, influencing, steadiness, and compliance, uses a series of

questions each with four answers. Respondents indicate which style is most and least like their own.

Lantz says she usually sees four coreleadership stylesemerge from these assessments. Individuals

often tend to be a combination of styles, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

"To get the best results on a team, it's important to have a balance of different styles and also to get

to a place of appreciating the other styles, as well," she says. Look for your own style in these four

types.

Conductor.These leaders are direct, with a constant sense of urgency and focus on results.

Conductors want to win, and often make quick decisions to get a competitive edge. The hard-

charging style of these leaders drives change, values new ideas, and isn't afraid of confrontation. As

a result, conductors tend to get things done.

Be careful of:Conductors may be characterized as difficult or egotistical. Impatience and the desire to

move forward quickly can lead to impulsive decisions or mistakes. Lantz cautions conductors to take

a breath and not expect others to always work at the same pace.

Related:How to Make Criticism Drive You
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Influencer.If you have an optimistic, motivational, people-oriented communicator on your team,

chances are you've found an Influencer. These leaders are typically enthusiastic and in tune with

other people around them. They like helping and motivating other people and have a natural ability to

do so.

Be careful of:Influencers may be too verbose and have trouble staying focused. The can also be

disorganized and easily led by others. According to Lantz, influencers need to be careful not to let

their relationships and fears get in the way of making good decisions.

Supporter.Steady and unflappable, supporters tend to be the glue that holds their team together. It's

difficult to make them lose their tempers and they tend to be very loyal to those around them. They

are patient, reliable and create a sense of calm and stability.

Related:Jim Collins on Creative Discipline, Paranoia and Other Marks of a Great Leader

Be careful of:That same temperament that makes supporters such a stabilizing influence can also

keep them mired in indecision and complacency. Because they dislike confrontation, they may avoid

situations where it's inevitable. Risk-aversion and procrastination can also trip up supporters in their

leadership roles.

Analyzer.Smart and analytical with a penchant for following the rules, analyzers are those detail-

oriented leaders who ask thoughtful questions and leave no stone unturned to ensure quality and

accuracy. Their pace is typically slower than other types of leaders, but the job is going to get done

right the first time.

Be careful of:Analyzers can suffer from "analysis paralysis," letting their perfectionism hinder

effective decision-making. They may fear mistakes or criticism of their work, so they want to make

sure they have all of the information before moving forward. They can be perceived as micro-
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Related:4 Ways to Discover Your Strengths

Every entrepreneur faces challenges, and many of them will tell you it's how you handle those

challenges that will determine success or failure as a business owner.

Here, five tips for success from business owners who know what growing and winning are all about.

Consider these words of wisdom from Entrepreneur Magazine'sEmerging Entrepreneur of 2011

Adam NelsonandEntrepreneur of 2011 award winner Lee Rhodes.

1. Put your networking skills to work."Find people you can learn from," says Nelson, founder and

inventor of theGood Nite Lite,who first created his product to solve his son's difficulties falling asleep

"What you may not need from them today, you may need tomorrow."

2. Don't be swayed by naysayers.When Rhodes was pushed by bankers and experts to start

manufacturing her hand-blown glass candleholders in China to save money, the experiment

backfired. "We lost a fortune," says Rhodes, founder ofGlassybaby,which donates a percentage of

revenue to programs that help cancer patients. "I listened to people who didn't understand

Glassybaby. It's all about the story and there was nowhere to fit 'Made in China' in my story."

Related Video:Glassybaby Founder Lee Rhodes on Growth Mistakes

3. Keep taking risks."Our personal motto is: 'Fail cheap, fail quick,'" Nelson says. "Don't be afraid to

try."

4. Hire your weaknesses."Remember as an entrepreneur, you're probably a big-picture person and

the details aren't as important, but they will be and it'll come back to haunt you," Rhodes warns. "If

you're not good at [something], make sure you have someone beside you that is, as you grow."

5. Don't be afraid to share your idea."There's always the opportunity where they may not be able

to help you, but somebody else will," Nelson says.
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Are you already establishing your company as an industry leader? Consider throwing your hat in the

ring to be considered for Entrepreneur magazine'sEntrepreneur of 2012 awards.Deadline is June

15, so act fast.

Who do you think deserves a shot at Entrepreneur of 2012?

Even iconic companies can disappear from the landscape if they aren't constantly staying ahead of

the customer. Remember when Blockbuster franchises dotted strip malls around the country?

Yesterday's leader can become tomorrow's laggard without innovation and reinvention.

Why can't some companies reinvent themselves?Managementconsultant and bestselling business

author Jason Jennings finds that the problem often boils down to four issues -- attachment, ego,

control and complacency. Lead your market by ditching those innovation killers and following these

rules:

Forget yesterday's breadwinner. Every product has a life span--don't hang onto your Big Idea until

it's on life support, Jennings says in his new book, The Reinventors: How Extraordinary Companies

Pursue Radical, Continuous Change (Portfolio/Penguin, 2012). Don't get attached to a product or way

of doing business, he says. Form an advisory committee with several trusted customers who will give

you feedback on what your business is doing well and what needs to be improved. Then, act on their

suggestions. Visit and read about competitors and successful businesses in other sectors to see how

they're growing and changing and get ideas that you can apply to your own products and services.

Check your ego at the door.Are you always the smartest person in the room? Then get the hell out

of there, Jennings advises. When an employee contradicts you or presents different ideas or

solutions, listen and praise them for speaking their minds. Make it clear that no one is punished for

ideas, whether they work out or not. Give credit, rewards, and recognition to employees who come up

with new ideas. A financial incentive and public praise within the company can help them share in the

glory of good solutions and inspire others to come forward. Jennings says it's essential for owners to

meet with each employee one time, tell them their ideas are valued and invite them to offer

suggestions to the company's management.

Related:5 Success Tips from Award-Winning Entrepreneurs

Don't be a control freak.Entrepreneurs often have a tough time delegating important

responsibilities. The consequence is simple: Delegate or die. Hire smart, creative people and give

them specific areas of responsibility. Resist the urge to micromanage--if the task or project was donewell, let it stand even if it wasn't done "your way." New approaches might teach you a thing or two.

Never accept the status quo."'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' is one of the stupidest things ever said in

business," Jennings says. You're telling your people to leave things alone until there is a problem

instead of actively looking for improvement. Instead, train your managers to be open to new ideas at

all times. If there is an environment of indifference in embracing ideas or rejecting them before they've

even been heard, you are losing out on innovation opportunities.

Related:A Secret to Creative Problem Solving
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Ever find yourself going over and over a problem in your business, only to hit a dead end or draw a

blank?

Find an innovative solution with one simple technique: re-describe the problem.

"The whole idea behind creative problem solving is the assumption that you know something that will

help solve this problem, but you're not thinking of it right now," explainsArt Markman,cognitive

psychologist and author of "Smart Thinking." Put another way, your memory hasn't found the right

cue to retrieve the information you need.

Changing the description tells your mind that you're in a different situation, which unlocks a new set of

memories. "The more different ways you describe the problem you're trying to solve, the more

different things you know about that you will call to mind," says Markman.

Ask yourself two questions:

1. What type of problem is this?

Most of the time, we get stuck on a problem because our focus is too narrow. When you think

specifically, you limit your memory and stifle creativity.

Instead, think more abstractly. Find the essence of the problem.

Take vacuum cleaner filters, for example. Vacuums used to have bags that were constantly getting

clogged, so innovators focused on how to make a better filter.
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James Dyson realized that the problem was actually about separation, or separating the dirt from the

air, which doesn't always require a filter. "That freed him to try lots of different methods of separation,"

says Markman. Hence: the Dual Cyclone vacuum that led Dyson to fame and fortune.

Related Video:Dermalogica's Jane Wurwand on the Creative Process

2. Who else has faced this type of problem?

When you think about your problem abstractly, you realize that other people have solved the same

type of problem in radically different ways. One of their solutions may hold the key to yours.

For example, Dyson realized sawmills use an industrial cyclone to separate sawdust from air and

modified that technology to create the first filter-free vacuum.

"When you begin to realize that the problem you're trying to solve has been solved over and over

again by people in other areas, you can look at the solutions they came up with to help you solve your

own," Markman says.

You may not use one of their solutions exactly, but you free your memory to retrieve more

information, making that elusive "aha" moment easier to reach.

By re-describing the problem, you're much more likely to find inspiration for a truly creative innovation.

Related:5 Ways to Boost Your Creative Power

4 Business Lessons from Quentin Tarantino Movies
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10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Testing a Business Idea

3 Apps to Help You Write a Business Plan

5 Ways to Boost Your Creative Power

BYCHRIS GRIVAS| April 26, 2012|

2inShare216

For entrepreneurs,creativityis not simply a luxury. Its an essentialsurvival skill.Common

entrepreneurial pitfalls include:

Trying to do everything on your own
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Difficulty developing strategies or deciding where to focus your energy

Neglecting to invest in yourself

Falling in love with a venture and pursuing it without proper development

The key to avoiding these traps is understanding how you approach a challenge. The latest creativity

research finds we all use our creativity in different ways, but follow a common problem-solving

process. Once you understand the creative process, you can intentionally apply it, boosting your

creativity and efficiency while strengthening your initiatives. It boils down to these four stages:

Clarify the situation:We explore the issue at hand, find all relevant data that will help us

make sense of it and figure out the most effective path to take to resolve it.

Generate ideas: We come up with and select the best new ideas for making a change that

best addresses the situation.


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Develop solutions:We tinker with those ideas till they are perfect, then break and rebuild

them, and then polish them till they shine.

Implement the solution: We put ideas into action by: gaining acceptance of the solution,

helping people manage change and adapting solutions as needed.

Related:Five Creativity Exercises to Find Your Passion

This process can happen very quickly or deliberately, and in or out of sequence. It can be done in

groups or independently. These simple strategies for using the creative process can help keep you on

track toward breakthrough success.

1. Stop and think before you start. Self-awareness is a fundamental trait of successful leaders and

teams. Once you know your limits, you know where youll need to bend, where youll need to ask for

help, and where youll be fine on your own. Thinking about how you get things done, reflecting on the

ways your team may work together, will help you be clear about direction and limit the amount of fires
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you have to put out along the way. This is not touchy feely talk. Its serious work that will save you

tons of time on the road ahead.

2. Embrace diversity. Knowing how to leverage diversity is a powerful skill. Here we are talking

about diversity of thought -- leveraging different ways of thinking. Recognizing where you (and your

team) are strong, and where you arent, is critical. If you know you are not adept at one part of the

creative process, seek others who are. Bounce thoughts off them and listen to the new directions

their different thinking can provide. Challenge yourself to be open to others perspectives.

3. Beware of love at first sight. If you find yourself enamored with a particular direction or idea

great, but watch out. You may be onto something, or you may be not exploring things carefully

enough. Take the time you need to be sure the direction you are heading fits the need, the idea you

have is well thought-out and youre prepared to manage the change effectively.


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Related:How to Build a More Innovative Business (Video)

4. Take one step at a time. Skipping stages can lead to serious problems - like focusing on the

wrong issue, or implementing a half-baked solution. We all have preferences for different parts of the

process that may lead us to unconsciously gloss-over or completely skip essential steps that would

make an innovative idea a reality. Notice where you are in the process and where you need to go

nextbe deliberate.

5. Know when to move on.When we enjoy a part of the process, we tend to linger in that stage.

Witness the guy who spouts a new idea every five minutes, or the gal who keeps asking, How will

this work? People who apply the process effectively know when their preferences are getting the

best of them and are able to shift direction. So dont obsess over endless possibilities or clarifying

details. Be sure that youve done a thorough job, you are still on target, and then move on.
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Innovation is more than just coming up with a new idea. Instead, its a process with many

components and many players. Any idea, no matter how world-changing, can die in committee or,

worse still, after implementation, without attention to all four steps of the creative process. Paying

attention to targeting the right issues, developing solutions thoughtfully, and then implementing them

with both sensitivity and determination will help you turn that creative spark into a true breakthrough

innovation. Knowing the process is like having a good map, now its up to you to drive innovation

home.

Related:Bridging the Gap Between Passion and Profits

Mad Men's Don Draper is exceptionally good at saving a deal gone sour. When a client dislikes an ad

campaign, the fictional ad exec can weave the perfect tale to change their minds. His storytelling

ability is a gift that no one else at his agency has. To become a successful business leader,identify

your own strengths and talents and foster them.
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Your strengths are ultimately the keys to your success. "When we do things we're already good at,

our business acumen is quicker," says Todd Kashdan, a psychology professor at George Mason

University and author of Curious? (William Morrow, 2009).

"When it comes to the best way to leverage your ability, it's (best) to go through your strengths." he

says.

Using these four tips, you can learn to recognize your core strengths. Here's how:

1. Watch for signs of excitement. When you engage in an activity you are truly good at, your

excitement is visible. Your pupils dilate, your chest is broader, your speech is fast and fluid, and your

arms spread wider. "You can see someone feels alive and motivated when they're using a core

strength," Kashdan says.

Related:How to Train Your Creative Mind

Ask a close mentor when you appear most animated or observe yourself for a day. When do you feel

most engaged? Most energized? "When people are using their strengths, they pop out of the

backdrop," Kashdan says.

(If observation sounds tricky, you can also take an online survey, like theVIA Character Strengths

Testto help you identify and rank your greatest strengths.)

2. Break away from job titles.To uncover your gifts, you need to explore new roles. "Think of your

company as a laboratory," Kashdan says. Encourage flexible roles and see how it goes. "If people

are excited about trying something else and you have some evidence that they could be good, then

experiment with it," he says.
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For example, one executive wanted a more creative, innovative workplace but wasn't the man to do it

himself. Kashdan helped him identify a maverick on his staff -- someone creative and unconcerned

with others' opinions -- then put that person in charge of innovation. By assigning roles based on

strengths, rather than job titles, they were able to create a stronger team.

3. Notice what you do differently than everyone else. In a situation where you are truly using your

strengths, you will stand out from a crowd. Your approach will be unique. To name your strengths,

you want to identify those moments and articulate how you are different.

Related:5 Ways to Rekindle the Passion for Your Business

Kashdan recalls one executive at an early morning meeting who told an animated story about letting

his kids run free at a crowded aquarium. "His focus was not on safety but on promotion," Kashdan

says, highlighting a support for autonomy that would help him manage independent workers.

4. Describe your strengths creatively.When naming your strengths, avoid what Kashdan calls

"wastebasket terms," meaning overused words like 'passionate' or 'dedicated.' Instead, come up with

a unique term that captures your specific strength.

"By coming up with an exciting word, you avoid all the typical connotations," Kashdan says. He uses

terms like storyteller, autonomy supporter, investigator, energy incubator, and battery. That specificity

helps leaders apply their gifts. "Once you can put a word to your strengths, it becomes much more

embedded in your everyday life," he says.

Related:3 Creative Ways to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
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WhenRichard Branson founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984, each of his competitors said hed surely fail.

Instead of backing down, Branson found creative ways to overcome each obstacle. Today, those

critics are out of business and Branson is lauded as a visionary.

Many of the world's mostsuccessful business leaderswere criticized -- even laughed at --when they

first introduced their ideas. Instead of believing the naysayers, they used that criticism as motivation

to succeed.

The best way to let criticism drive you is to be open to hearing it in the first place. Successful leaders

know how to identify valid criticism and adapt accordingly. They use it to help them succeed.

When your ideas come under fire, here are four steps to help you and your company benefit:

1. Detach yourself emotionally.When youre passionate about an idea or you have a lot at stake,

criticism causes a defensive gut reaction. "Its so easy to just write it off," says Thomas Plante, a

Silicon Valley psychologist and professor at Santa Clara University. "But thats not going to be

productive at the end of the day."

To take in criticism without letting it overwhelm you, look at the feedback as an outsider would. Rather

than seeing it as a personal attack, see it as a piece of information that could help you strengthen

your business.

Related:Inside the Successful Leader's Mindset

2. Filter out unproductive feedback.Some feedback simply isnt worth your time. Look at the critics

motivation. Are they trying to weed out competition? Are they jealous? Are they defending outdated

ideas?

"We have to remind ourselves that nobody has magic answers, really," Plante says. Ultimately, you

know whats best for your company. Trust your gut and stay focused on doing great work. Success is

the best way to prove your critics wrong.

3. Consult with people you trust.For criticism that does come from a productive or genuine place

(even if it seems harsh), give it some consideration. Evaluate it like any other business problem and

talk it through with trusted colleagues in other companies or industries.

"Consult with people who dont always agree with you," Plante says. "You want to get advice from

neutral parties." Without a personal investment in the company, they can offer diverse perspectives

and help you decide how to respond.

Related:4 Ways to Discover Your Strengths

4. See criticism as an opportunity to improve.If you decide the critique has merit, find creative

ways to solve the problem. Use the criticism as a springboard to help you adapt and grow as acompany. If you go in with an open mind, your solution may lead to an unexpected innovation. "The

most tenacious people come back with a new idea or a slightly different idea," Plante says.

The better you know yourself, the easier this will be. If you know who you are, youre centered, so

youre more likely to listen to criticism," Plante says. "You can take criticism and compliments

thoughtfully, sometimes with a grain of salt."
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In other words, don't wait for conditions to improve and plan to make up the loss later. Commit to

achieving the same consistent results no matter what. "We see tremendous consistency in any truly

great enterprise and the signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency," Collins said.

2. Empirical creativity.Discipline alone is not enough to be successful, but neither is creativity.

Collins argued that creativity is natural -- we are all creative thinkers as children -- but discipline must

be learned and practiced. Empirical creativity is a blend of creativity and discipline. It wasn't that the

successful companies that he studied were more innovative, their success was largely due to the way

that they were innovative.

For example, in the biotech companies that he studied, the more successful company beat the

comparison company by 30 to 1 in financial returns despite being less innovative (as judged by the

number of patents issued). He asserted that pioneer innovation is great for society, but not always

great for business. The goal, he said, isn't to stop innovating, it's to do it in a more disciplined manner

and to test your innovations, or as he quoted the billionaire owner of medical-supply company Stryker

Corp., John Stryker: "We strive to be one fad behind."

Related:Yelp Co-Founder Jeremy Stoppelman on Innovating and Staying Relevant

3. Productive paranoia.Collins categorized successful leaders as "paranoid, neurotic freaks." They

are always preparing for when, not if, the next big disruption is going to happen. They may be

preparing for the worst -- one company he studied prided itself on predicting the majority the

recessions in the past several decades -- but their pessimism pays off.


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The successful companies he studied held three to 10 times more cash assets than average, and

they did so from the time they started. In other words, Collins said, "how you perform in bad times

depends on how you prepare in good times."

Related:How to Become a Better Leader

Old Spice recently released a video of Terry Crews making "muscle music," another installment in

the brilliantviral marketing campaignthat has redefined the Old Spice brand. Such an absurd video

would make many executives squirm, but Old Spices willingness to embrace it wholeheartedly led to

six million views in the past week. People are sharing and seeking out their ads.

Bold choices that disrupt the status quo fuelinnovationand entrepreneurship. Leaders that learn to

embrace choices outside their comfort zones are able to push the envelope in ways that safe leaders

cant, helping them to stand out and succeed.

To take smart risks, you need to get comfortable with being a little uncomfortable. When you know

how to handle discomfort, youll be better equipped to evaluate risky choices and less likely to resist

innovation.

There are limitless ways to push your own boundaries, but ultimately, you want to put yourself in an

unfamiliar situation and stay there until you get used to it. The most effective strategies will also

exercise skills that directly apply to your business.

Related:How to Train Your Creative Mind

Try these three examples:
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Try to answer their questions honestly and hear their criticism with an open mind. You dont need to

pander to every concern, but recognizing larger themes may offer helpful insights. (This strategy is

particularly effective if a recent PR blunder has upset your customers.)

As an entrepreneur, you are responsible for building an effective team and enabling your employees

to do their best work. To do that successfully, you need to cultivate empathy, or the ability to imagine

yourself in another's shoes.

"Forleadersin particular, empathy means understanding how you come across to others and how

you're perceived by others," saysRobert Sutton,Stanford professor and author of Good Boss, Bad

Boss(Business Plus, 2010). "It also means understanding others' strengths and weaknesses, as well

as what motivates them."

Sutton describes one CEO who convinced two arrogant, uncooperativeemployeesto be rewarded

based on individual performance alone. If anyone helped them out, their pay would be docked. By the

end of the experiment, they had each lost a substantial amount of money and realized how much they

rely on others to do their best work. "She was aware of what motivated them and aware of their blind

spots," Sutton explains.

Awareness about ourselves and others is difficult to gain. "Power makes it worse," Sutton adds. We

naturally pay more attention to people who are above us in the social hierarchy, so those at the top

have to be aware of that bias in order to overcome it.

No matter your current level of empathy, your skills can improve with practice. Here's how to get

started:
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Record and review your behavior.To gain insight about others' reactions to your behavior,

observe yourself in a group setting. Try recording a meeting (with the permission of everyone

involved) and listening to it afterward. Sutton worked with one executive in this way, noting the

number of times he interrupted others and the amount of time he spent talking. "He massively

underestimated [the numbers] and he was shocked when I gave him the feedback," Sutton

says.

Related:How to Start Conversations That Make Instant Connections

Stop and listen."A good boss realizes that everyone who works for you is different," Sutton

says. Understanding exactly how each person differs is a matter of noticing their actions and

reactions to help you infer their thoughts or feelings. At your next meeting, stand in the

background or sit quietly and just observe the dynamics among the other team members.

Trust an empathic colleague.If you struggle with empathy, a trusted colleague can be your

eyes and ears in the company. "Ask the person who is really in touch with the people on your

team to have backstage conversations with you," Sutton says. That person can help you

understand others and give you honest feedback about your own behavior. Reportedly, Chris

Cox does this at Facebook, helping Mark Zuckerberg to gain insight that he might overlook on

his own.

Related:Are You Surrounded by "Yes" People? 3 Steps to Straight Talk

Don't mistake empathy for niceness. The best bosses employ empathy when and where it's

needed, not as a panacea or a plea for approval. For example, Steve Jobs was known as

controlling and harsh, but his former employees say he was incredibly in touch with others'
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strengths, weaknesses, and motivators. "Good bosses are empathetic but have the guts to do

the dirty work," Sutton says.

As Louis Pasteur once famously said, "Chance favors only the prepared mind." To be an innovative

entrepreneur, you want to foster creativity in your daily life so that your mind is ready when

opportunity arises.

"Creative ideas often come from unusual combinations," explains Steven Smith, professor of

cognitive psychology at Texas A&M University. "The best solution is not going to be the thing

everyone thinks of. It's going to be something unusual."

These unusual combinations, called "remote associations," are related ideas that may seem

unrelated at first glance. They are the essence of creative thinking.

Related:A Secret to Creative Problem Solving

To cultivate creativity, you want to increase your chances of stumbling on an unexpected link. Here

are four strategies you can use in your everyday life that will train your mind to be more creative in

business:

1. Shake up your routine.To expand your creative horizons, surround yourself with a broad range

of perspectives and experiences. A diverse workplace is helpful, but it isnt enough. Outside work,

seek variety in what you eat, where you hang out, the types of art you look at, the places you travel,

or the books you read.


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"Diversity introduces all kinds of new stimuli," Smith says. "It opens you up to a number of new

possibilities." You are more likely to find an unusual solution when you have more options at your

fingertips.

2. Cast a wide net for feedback. We often discuss important ideas with the same inner circle of

colleagues, but in doing that we can miss the obvious answers. "Someone less expert may notice

invisible assumptions right away," Smith says. They may help you see a problem or idea in a new

light.

Find intelligent people with little knowledge of your business and talk through whatever you're working

on now. You may be surprised by the solutions they help you discover.

3. Let go of rigid rules.Like the queen in Alice in Wonderland who thinks of impossible things for

half an hour each day, you want to train your mind to be more open. Practice letting your mind

wander and come up with as many ideas as you can, however absurd they may seem. You can even

be silly or funny. "Humor helps loosen up your constraints," Smith explains.

Relaxing your standards while you generate ideas increases your openness and boosts creativity. "If

you think of 99 stupid, impossible ideas and one that works, then that was time well spent," Smith

says.

Related:Dermalogica's Jane Wurwand on the Creative Process

4. Observe the world around you."When you get wrapped up in your own head, creative ideas can

slide under your nose," Smith says. The most creative people are always on the lookout for

interesting things, even if they don't apply to whatever they're working on now, he adds.
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Keep a notebook or a computer folder full of interesting ideas, articles, images, or even passing

thoughts. They will likely come in handy at a moment you least expect.

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