Lead with Love – Social Media will Lead us to the top!

Exciting News! With the release of my 4th book, Lead with Love, coming on April 6th, I am pushing all the limits and test the Social Media world on a whole other level. Together with an Internet Evangelist and a Brand Manager, I am doing a mass release of my book through multiple social media networks. I am posting the book, line by line on Twitter– and chapter by chapter on my blog. I am releasing the book on YouTube through videos of me reading the book– and using media deployment sites. I am also sending out personalized video messages to book reviewers and TV stations.

Why the extreme media push? Simple. I want the book to reach best seller status! Best seller status will get more attention for the book and better placement in the stores, which will help spread the message of the book. Lead with Love, is inviting managers and associates to bring love to the work place– the kind of love that moves businesses and maximizes performance! This method has been working for me throughout my career as a Corporate Executive and CEO, and it can work for leaders in any business or industry!

I believe social media is the new PR. For most of human existence, or at least since we adopted language–we have had conversations with people we know. Our circles of connections have tended to be limited to those we encounter on a personal and physical basis, and often have resulted with networking in professional and social circles. In the old paradigm world of advertising and Public Relations, our circle of contacts was expanded by spending money and energy to send our message out to the rest of the world. PR firms used a broad range of ways to connect with others and to have them learn about us. The messaging was generally controlled by us, and we connected through those communications telling the story about ourselves.

In many ways, the ability to have conversations and in particular to be listening to our connections is dramatically changed by the internet. Web sites were originally designed to act as a substitute for traditional collateral material. These brochure-type sites became the first phase in which the messaging was available to the world at large. Search engines created a way for people looking for information could find the sites. These sites provided a one way conversation. We spoke, the visitor listened.

Today, Social Media is changing the way in which we have those conversations. These conversations become true, two way communications. Blogs were the early efforts, and remain essentially at the core of this process. I write, you respond. Eventually we actually can have a serious dialogue as not only you, but others chime in. Blogs then started to evolve as small groups of people started to connect. Then the next evolution became the true social media sites. My Space, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., have all opened up a whole new world of conversation. In many ways, these groups of connected people now have the ability to control the message, rather than the person or organization using traditional PR techniques to send the message.

This emerging pattern is both good and dangerous at the same time. It is good because millions of people can now be part of your conversation, and a message can go viral in an instant, and the buzz about you and your message can explode awareness. On the other hand, that message can be either positive or negative, and you may have no control of it. You can go from a strong positive image, to a devastating one, overnight.

This all means that given the social media world as it now exists, it is essential that organizations and brands constantly monitor the chatter to be certain that they are aware of what is being said. It may not be possible to completely stop erroneous and damaging information from appearing on the social media networks, but it will be essential that when negative or damaging comments appear, that the organization have a positive and constructive response that can set the record straight.

All that said; in the long run, the free and open exchange of ideas continues the explosion of information available on the internet. There is no running away from the fact that we have more information available about us than ever before. That is why I am making such a push to make it possible for the world to know about the message in my new book, Lead with Love. I have great passion about that message and I want to have a true conversation with the world about it.

Help “Lead with Love” become an Amazon Bestseller and you will have 2 chances to win an iPad -OR- A spot on a National Television show. Go to www.leadwithlove.com

Areas of Improvement for Every Manager

As a corporate leader, one must always strive to improve and change with the changing business environment. At a certain level, “training” has become a culmination of all previous management experiences and not something that was read in a book or gleaned from a web conference. Perhaps the most important lessons come from management mistakes. The more failures made, the more opportunities there are to learn from them and succeed in the future. Of course, no one wants to fail.

Even the best corporate leaders have areas to improve upon. While these are largely based on the individual, there are a few global areas of improvement for all managers, regardless of team size or company size.

My top picks for management improvement:

1. Communication & Listening
This is not earth shattering, but essential. Regardless how seasoned a corporate leader becomes, there is always room for improvement—particularly in the listening department. Think back to Communications 101 in college. Taking this course as a college freshman probably had little impact on you. It was a requirement and if you were like most 18-year olds, you dreaded speaking in front of the class. Fast-forward to where you are today. If you could retake the class you’d realize just how crucial and relevant that course is to your management career.

2. Cultural Awareness
Sensitivity to diversity issues and becoming more culturally aware will get you much further today. As the globe shrinks due to e-commerce, and if you work for a global company or travel (even domestically) this is a key area for development. It is important to recognize that cultural awareness is necessary even within our own borders, as regions of the US often have their own “cultures” and ways of doing business. Of course, this is a broad area covering gender issues, religion, geographical nuances, race issues, as well as foreign cultures. When traveling or even meeting a customer for the first time, do your homework. Your cultural sensitivity—or lack thereof—can make or break a deal. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this skill as we evolve. I mean “we” in the human / society sense and not the management sense. This will help you in business dealings, recruiting new talent, developing your teams, setting an example as a leader, and raise your level of awareness and understanding. In short, it is a path to success in business and in the community.

3. Removing Bias
This is one area that is an offshoot of cultural awareness, although may be broader in scope. It is also one that is inherently difficult to successfully achieve, because we all have biases ingrained in us at some level. This is also one area that has legal repercussions if not fostered earnestly. In particular, it is important to groom new managers both by example and by providing training on hiring practices, legal interview questions, and what defines a hostile work environment. I would also include newly hired managers (even those with long track records) under this umbrella. Do not assume because the newly hired director of accounting has 10-years management experience with a former consulting firm that he or she has had proper or current equal opportunity and non-discrimination or diversity training. Regardless, your organization bears the burden of liability if that individual asks an illegal question in an interview.

4. Compliance
Compliance and governance is another hot area that is fortified by the risk involved due to complacency. Everyone is talking about Sarbanes-Oxley. Few really understand it or its implications, which are far-reaching. There are now companies whose sole purpose in life is leading audits and guiding corporations through “SOX” compliance. Accounting practices can be complex and with corporate security awareness and financial reporting at an all-time high, you definitely want your executive team and managers to understand the reasons behind compliance, as well as the impacts. This is an area that will only grow over time.

5. Time Management
This is nothing new. Managers for decades have been plagued with time management (and stress management) issues. Not much has changed. Some leaders are expert in this area and others struggle with it. My point is that everyone can benefit from additional help in this area.

6. Stress Management
Another oldie but goodie—stress management—is not going away any time soon. Today’s executives are under a tremendous amount of pressure and largely overworked. Especially with the mobile workforce and communication devices, there is no escape from the daily grind and work schedule. The office follows you everywhere. According to the United Nations’ International Labor Organization (ILO), workers in the United States are putting in more hours than anyone else in the industrialized world. Of course, this creates physical and emotional stress on the body. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related illness and injury.

To read more, please see the NIOSH booklet titled Stress at Work:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html