Another popular television series by Shonda Rhimes that revolves around the journey of surgical interns that gradually transform into trained surgeons. The lives of these interns and residents unfold within the walls of the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The happy, the sad, the romance and the heart breaks of their lives take its course with its ups and downs as they go about saving the lives of others. One could say that sometimes they save lives when their own lives are sinking. The story gives an up close and personal look into the lives of surgeons while giving the viewers a front seat pass to an O.R.

But is the show really about handsome male and stunning female surgeons? Well that’s definitely a treat to the eyes but look closer, at the HR of Greys Anatomy.

Dr. Miranda Bailey

A dedicated surgeon with absolutely great bedside manner but when it comes to her role as a leader, she takes a much different approach as she is often known for her tough personality and blunt attitude. And that why many referred to her as “The Nazi”. She isn’t a mean personality but her attitude towards the job is so strong that she expect everyone to be of the same. A supportive and loving personality on the inside but puts up a tough exterior to maintain the she deserves from respect from her subordinates and colleagues. We all have manager that are a bit tough on the outside but are lovely personalities once you really get to know him/her. It is their love and dedication to the job and the amount of discipline that they experienced, that has made them practice tough love towards others. So if there is someone who make you think of bailey, don’t take it personally, cos there’s a lot to learn from people who has that much dedication and love towards their job.

Dr. Richard Webber

A delightful father like figure that has more experience than anyone in the hospital. He enjoys teaching and loves taking trips down memory lane with all the insightful stories that make excellent teaching moments. He is strong leadership figure that is just the right mixture of mature and fun and is the most approachable one among all. A soft spoken personality who has a pleasant relationship with everyone around. Someone who treats people kindly and fair and always stands up for those who are mistreated. His passion and love for the subject is portrayed with every word spoken. This is a management personality that we all have had the opportunity to meet at least once in our lifetime. A strong fatherly personality who always knows what to do. A well experiences manager who enjoys passing down the torch to the new generation.

Dr. Meredith Grey

The most complicated and distant personality in the show, her long history with the hospital and her childhood has made her become very distant from the world. She is not your typical touchy feely friend. She is approachable but isn’t the most emotionally connected person out of all the characters. Her leadership methods are more neutral, she is a confident leader who always stands up for herself. A straight forwards personality that isn’t afraid to voice her opinion. Someone who understands people and knows the value of keeping a secret. Although these leaders are not those that will give you a hug when you’re having a bad day but someone that might give you the right amount of space that you might need. Distant yet focused. Often misunderstood as rude and uncaring when in reality they are the ones that are genuinely caring enough to understand the situation.

Owen Hunt

This character enters later during the show and grabs the attention of the viewers instantly. At first the he does seems a little on the bossy side but as the show goes on we see a whole new personality emerge. Looking from a distant perspective the character appears very tough, someone that does not flinch at anything. And he is that, but to sum up his personality would be that he is someone who has a good grip in life. A survivor who has been through the worst of the worst. Someone who can make a decision within a split second, willing to take a challenge and grab charge of the situation no matter how bad it might be. A responsible person who doesn’t back down at any cost. This is definitely a rare leadership character that only a few may have the opportunity to meet once in a life time. Someone who is willing to listen and care yet has a strong mind that can keep everyone around him grounded.

Christina Yang

A strong character that grabs your attention with her unique personality. Her hard and straightforward personality is what makes her one of the toughest out of the team. The strong love and passion she has towards cardiology, becomes her drive that makes her the crème de la crème of all cardiologists. She is definitely not the most loving and caring leadership role that you will meet but she is someone who will be straightforward enough to tell you the truth about the situation. Her policy of life is very different to the rest of us as she stands on her own and what people might think or feel about her doesn’t concern her. A very strong minded personality, with a heart that can withstand the worst of situations. A coat of sugar can cover up a lot of things and we sometimes need a dose of bitter to cut through the sweet and Christina is just that. As a leadership personality this is one in a million. Although a little difficult to handle, definitely a great source of knowledge, discipline with a touch of reality.

So on a typical day at work, stop and look at all the different leadership roles that you might find. Some that you interact with on a daily basis and some that you have had a love hate relationship for very a long time. These are character might come into your mind while you go about your day.

Tom Chatfield

Meaningful collaboration between people and machines must not subvert human creativity, feeling and questioning over speed, profit and efficiency

When I think about the future of human-machine interactions, two entwined anxieties come to mind.

First, there is the tension between individual and collective existence. Technology connects us to each other as never before, and in doing so makes explicit the degree to which we are defined and anticipated by others: the ways in which our ideas and identities do not simply belong to us, but are part of a larger human ebb and flow.

This has always been true – but rarely has it been more evident or more constantly experienced. For the first time in human history, the majority of the world’s population is not only literate – itself an achievement less than a century old – but also able to actively participate in written and recorded culture, courtesy of the connected devices pervading almost every country on earth.

This is an astonishing, disconcerting, delightful thing: the crowd in the cloud becoming a stream of shared consciousness.

Second, there is the question of how we see ourselves. Human nature is a baggy, capacious concept, and one that technology has altered and extended throughout history. Digital technologies challenge us once again to ask what place we occupy in the universe: what it means to be creatures of language, self-awareness and rationality.

Our machines aren’t minds yet, but they are taking on more and more of the attributes we used to think of as uniquely human: reason, action, reaction, language, logic, adaptation, learning. Rightly, fearfully, falteringly, we are beginning to ask what transforming consequences this latest extension and usurpation will bring.

I call these anxieties entwined because, for me, they come accompanied by a shared error: the overestimation of our rationality and our autonomy. In asking what it means to be human, we are prone to think of ourselves as individual, rational minds, and to describe our relationships with and through technology on this basis: as isolated “users” whose agency and freedom are a matter of skills and reasoned options; as task-performers who are existentially threatened by any more efficient agent.

This is one view of human-machine interactions. Yet it’s also an account of human beings that gives us at once too little and too much credit. We know ourselves to be intensely social, emotional, intractably embodied creatures. Much of the best recent work in economics, psychology and neuroscience has emphasized the degree to which we cannot be unbundled into distinct capabilities: into machine-like boxes of distinct memory, processing and output.

Neither language, culture nor a human mind can exist in isolation, or spring into existence fully formed. We are interdependent to an extent we rarely admit. We have little in common with our creations – and a nasty habit of blaming them for things we are doing to ourselves.

What makes all this so urgent is the brutally Darwinian nature of technological evolution. Our machines may not be alive, but the evolutionary pressures surrounding them are every bit as intense as in nature, and with few of its constraints. Vast quantities of money are at stake, with corporations and governments vying to build faster, more efficient and more effective systems; to keep consumer upgrade cycles ticking over. To be left behind – to refuse to automate or adopt – is to be out-competed.

As the philosopher Daniel Dennett, among others, has pointed out, this logic of upgrade and adoption extends far beyond obvious fields such as finance, warfare and manufacturing. If a medical algorithm is proven to produce more consistently accurate diagnoses than a physician, it’s both unethical and legally questionable to refuse to use it. As self-driving or semi-autonomous cars become more affordable and road-legal, it’s hard to argue against the ethical and regulatory case for making them obligatory. And so on. Few fields of human endeavour are likely to remain untouched.

Machines, in other words, are becoming stunningly adept at making decisions for us on the basis of vast amounts of data – and getting better at this at an equally stunning rate. Forget the hypothetical emergence of general purpose artificial intelligence, at least for a moment: we’re handing over more and more of what happens in our world, today, to the speed and efficiency of unthinking deciders.

It’s precisely because our present machines can neither think nor feel that this matters. We call them “smart” and marvel at their powers; we paint pictures of a world in which they, not we, are determining what we do and how. We can’t help ourselves: we see purpose, autonomy and intent everywhere.

Yet in ascribing agency and intentions to our tools that they don’t possess, we misunderstand several fundamental points. Humans aren’t slow, dumb and heading for the evolutionary scrapheap; machine efficiency is a very poor model indeed for understanding ourselves; and cutting people out of every possible loop – the better to assure speed, profit, protection or military success – is a poor model for a future in which humans and machines equally maximise their capabilities.

Our creations are effective in part because they are unburdened by most of what makes humans human: the broiling biological pot of emotion, sensation, bias and belief that constitutes the bulk of mental life. We are biased, beautiful creatures. Technology and intellect allow us to externalise our goals; but the ends pursued are those we chose.

Do the incentives our tools tirelessly pursue on our behalf include human thriving, meaningful work, rich and humane interactions? Do we believe these things to be unachievable, unknowable or worthless? If not, when are we going to shift our focus?

If we wish to build not only better machines, but better relationships with and through machines, we need to start talking far more richly about the qualities of these relationships; how precisely our thoughts and feelings and biases operate; and what it means to aim beyond efficiency at lives worth living.

What does a successful collaboration between humans and machines look like? One, I would argue, in which humans remain in the loop, able transparently to assess a system’s incentives – and either to influence its direction or debate its alteration.

What does a successful collaboration between humans mediated by technology look like? We have plenty of these already, and they’re characterised by the maximisation of all resources involved: human creativity and questioning; machine search, speed, processing and recall; an iteration involving all parties; and the recognition that efficiency is not an end in itself, but simply a measure of velocity.

Finally, let’s be clear about one thing. Ours is an amazing time to be alive: to be debating such questions together. If there’s one thing our swelling collective articulacy as a species brings home, it’s that people care above all about other people: what they think, do, believe, fear, hate, love, laugh at – and what we can make together.

Our creations are certain to grow far beyond our current comprehension: how far and how fast is perhaps our most urgent existential question. Our best hopes of progress, however, remain deceptively familiar: understanding ourselves better; asking what aims may serve not only our survival, but also our thriving; and striving to build systems that serve rather than subvert these.

This is an edited extract from Tom Chatfields’s address at the launch of the Humanities and Digital Age programme, led by The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities at Oxford University in the UK, on 21 January. The discussion will be broadcast live on 21 January from 17.30 GMT and some free tickets are available

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/20/humans-machines-technology-digital-age

You landed the interview. Awesome! Now let's seal the deal.

BY JEFF HADEN Contributing editor, Inc.

Maybe you haven't started a business yet. Maybe you're a serial entrepreneur in between startups. Or maybe you're trying to gain additional skills while you launch your venture.

Whatever your reason, if you're interviewing for a job, you want to land the job. And that means preparing to do your absolute best. Here's a guest post from Ryan Robinson, an entrepreneur and marketer who teaches people how to create profitable side businesses. At CreativeLive, he helps the world's top business experts market their transformational online classes.

Here's Ryan:

Interviews can be tough.

If you want to stand a chance of landing the job, you have to be well-versed on the industry and company, and command a deep understanding of the value you're bringing to the table for your potential new employer.

Throughout my career in content marketing, I've spent countless hours researching companies, reading reviews, and asking for tips from current employees before walking into an interview for a dream job.

Despite all the preparation I put into my interviews, I've still had a handful where I left wondering how I could possibly have done any worse. From making no-brainer people-skills blunders to conveying insecure body language, we all know how easy it can be to slip up on your critical first impression.

Now that I've had the opportunity to regularly interview new marketers here at CreativeLive, I'm able to very quickly assess whether or not someone will be a good fit for the job.

Based on my experience on both sides of the interview table, here are my 16 best interview tips to help you land your next dream job.

Before the Interview

1. Research the Company.

Did you know that 47 percent of hiring managers have eliminated candidates after an interview because they had little to no knowledge of the company? Nearly half of professionals are going into interviews without having a well-formed understanding of the company and what they do. Take the time to do your homework on the company's website, blog, social channels, Glassdoor, and Wikipedia, and be sure to check out their competitors and make a mental list of what differentiates them.

2. Find Out Who You're Interviewing With and Research Them, Too. With 43 percent of hiring managers reporting that cultural fit is the single most influential factor in determining which candidate gets the job, how you come across in your interview is a big deal. Based on your research and email conversations ahead of time, be sure you have as clear an idea as possible of how well you're going to relate with the people you're interviewing with, and prepare accordingly.

3. Prepare Creative, Insightful Questions and Craft Your Personal Story.

Sure, some of the standard questions like, "Where do you see the company in five years?" can be useful in some cases, but make sure that the act of asking them doesn't compromise your own credibility. Depending upon your potential role in the company, the person interviewing you likely doesn't want to hear you asking about what the day-to-day activities will be--they want to hire an expert in your field, so act like one. Be sure to refresh your memory on your most relevant recent experience and craft an engaging story that effectively communicates your employment journey. Focus on how your experience will benefit your potential new employer.

During the Interview

Here's an insightful statistic: Over 33 percent of hiring managers say they know within the first 90 seconds of an interview whether they'll make a job offer to the candidate. That makes your interview prep even more important.

4. Dress for the Job.

Should I wear a suit or play it more casual? The real answer is, it depends on the job you're interviewing for. If you're not dressed for the job you want, you're not doing yourself any favors. A whopping 70 percent of hiring managers say they've eliminated candidates after an interview because they were too fashionable or trendy. Don't be afraid to ask how you should dress ahead of your interview.

5. Bring Two Extra Copies of Your Résumé.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but I'm surprised at how many people show up to an interview without any copies of their résumé--leaving it to chance that the person they're meeting with was given a copy, or had the chance to research them beforehand. Plan for the need to have a résumé for every person you're meeting with and you'll never be caught off-guard.

6. Perfect Your Handshake.

Some 26 percent of hiring managers say they've eliminated candidates after an interview because their handshake was weak. Mastering the art of the perfect handshake is required homework before heading into an interview.

7. Turn Your Phone Off and Arrive Five to 10 Minutes Early.

It may seem like overkill with all of the options we have for silencing ringers and putting your phone on vibrate without actually turning the device off, but there's another reason you need to turn your phone off before an interview: so you won't be tempted to check it. You're at an interview for one purpose, and one purpose only: toland your dream job. Don't allow any distractions to creep in.

Naturally, you don't want to arrive late to an interview. If you're running late, call ahead and be honest as to what's setting you back. Aim for showing up five to 10 minutes early, as anything earlier can really throw a wrench into a busy person's schedule if they feel that they need to accommodate your arrival.

8. Use Confident Posture.

Some 33 percent of hiring managers say they've eliminated candidates after an interview because of bad posture. As you're waiting in the lobby, standing, and walking around the office, be mindful of how your posture looks to the people around you. Are you slouching, or confidently arching your back? Take a launch stance while standing, and keep your back arched while sitting down for conversation.

9. Use the Triple Nod When Listening.

Some 38 percent of hiring managers say they've eliminated candidates after an interview because of a lack of smiling and engagement during conversation. With employers consistently citing having a positive attitude as one of the most important factors in choosing to hire one candidate over another, showing that you're excited and engaged while listening to your interviewer will go a long way in showing off yourstellar people skills.

10. Use Hand Gestures While Speaking.

Within reason, utilizing a healthy amount of hand gestures to illustrate your points will significantly help reinforce your communication skills and show them your confidence in what you're saying.

11. Maintain Eye Contact.

Some 67 percent of hiring managers say they've eliminated candidates after an interview because they failed to make enough eye contact. This is a big one for me, too. I have a difficult time trusting someone who's constantly looking down or around the room instead of confidently communicating with me. According to many studies, people who have strong eye contact are perceived as being more persuasive, a necessary skill that every company places value on.

12. Get the Email Address of Everyone You Speak With.

If you're unsure about the company-wide email naming convention, then be sure to ask each person you interview with for the best email address to reach them at. This will come in handy after the interview.

13. Ask When to Expect a Decision and With Whom to Follow-Up.

If you're interviewing with multiple people, be sure to ask the hiring manager (or last person you interview with) when you can expect to hear back on next steps. There's nothing worse than leaving an interview feeling left in the dark about when the company is looking to make a final decision. If you're paying close attention, how they respond will also tell you a lot about how they felt the interview went.

14. If You Want the Job, Say So!

Don't allow there to be any ambiguity about whether or not you actually want the job. If, by the end of your interview, you're still feeling excited about the opportunity and want to move forward with the company, you need to say it! Never leave anything up to chance with the interview process.

After the Interview

15. Send a Follow-Up Thank You Email.

Before you go to bed on the date you had your interviews, be sure to send a brief, personalized thank you email to everyone you met with earlier in the day. Make sure to mention a small personal detail, mutual interest, or topic point you discussed with each person, and it'll solidify your great impression in their minds. Bonus points for sending a handwritten card, which has become a much-appreciated lost courtesy.

16. Follow-Up If You Don't Hear Back Soon (One Week).

If you don't hear back within four or five business days of your interview, it's completely acceptable to follow-up with either the person who's been your point of contact throughout the interview process or the hiring manager for the position. Keep the follow-up very short and seek to provide value, rather than coming across as pushy or as trying to nudge them toward making a decision.

Will this be the year you land your dream job?

Source: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/how-to-get-hired-the-perfect-job-interview-in-16-steps.html

Jiff's platform lets employers use multiple fitness devices and apps in their corporate wellness programs.

BY KIMBERLY WEISUL

Editor-at-large, Inc.com

You have a Fitbit. Your neighbor is addicted to his Jawbone. Your girlfriend likes the Misfit Shine.

There's certainly no shortage of enthusiasm for technology aimed at improving health and fitness. Yet most companies have been slow to get on board--their efforts to help their employees in those areas, and to thereby keep health care costs down, have been sporadic, not fun, or both. Who wants to have a nurse call during dinner to ask about diet?

To entrepreneurs, that shortfall spells opportunity. "This explosion in consumer devices, apps, and services has transformed the way people think about their health," says Derek Newell, the co-founder and CEO of corporate wellness technology providerJiff. Now startups are looking at ways to help companies deliver wellness programs through those consumer technologies, and at games and challenges that will help employees meet their wellness goals.

Jiff, with about $50 million in venture capital behind it, is one of the leaders in the field. But it's a crowded field, with companies such as Limeade, Welltok, Red Brick, EveryMove, Keas, and Virgin Health vying for a piece of a corporate wellness market that researcher IBISWorld expects to grow 8.4 percent annually to $12.1 billion in 2020. "There is such a frenzy at the moment," says Soeren Mattke, a senior scientist at the Rand Corporation.

That's also part of the reason that a few companies, including Jiff, are trying to separate from the pack by becoming platforms for wellness programs, providing a way to integrate offerings from multiple vendors, rather than focusing solely on serving up wellness services themselves. A company might partner with Fitbit, but what if lots of employees are using another device? How can the company manage those programs across multiple devices and apps, and get comparable data from each? The answer, says Newell, is what he refers to as an enterprise health benefits platform.

"At scale, no employer is going to contract with 20 direct-to-consumer companies to create disaggregated crazy experiences," says Newell. Instead, an employer can allow any sort of device to connect to Jiff's back-end system, and Jiff will create a social and gamified experience that works across the devices. With employees' permission, Jiff then pulls all the resulting data together. That lets employers see which devices are working and worth possibly paying for, and which aren't. It could be, for example, that everyone who's using MyFitnessPal is happy and getting fit, while everyone at Weight Watchers is struggling. "They can say, 'I don't want to subsidize that one anymore--it's low satisfaction and nobody's losing weight,'" says Newell.

Pivot, then pivot again.

Jiff was founded almost by accident. Newell, who had been running a patient-monitoring company, understood that mobile technology was going to change the way health care was delivered, but was having trouble raising money for a company that would capitalize on that. James Currier and Stan Chudnovsky had been successful game developers, and wanted to apply their expertise to health care, but they weren't getting funded either. Then, by chance, all three visited the same partner at Aberdare, a venture firm in San Francisco, in the same week. "He said, 'If the three of you team up, I'll give you money to just figure out an idea,'" says Newell.

They started with a tool to help doctors and patients communicate better. Next came Circle of Health, designed to allow patients, their caregivers, and their families to communicate and store medical information and records on a HIPAA-compliant platform.

Then, in June 2013, Jiff announced the development of a back-end platform for digital health applications, as well as a partnership with consulting firm Towers Watson. Unlike the previous products, that one stuck. Jiff got its first enterprise customer at the end of that year, and Newell says that 20 of the 500 largest companies in the U.S. now use the product. Clients include Qualcomm, RedBull, and Johnson & Johnson.

Surprisingly, employers don't seem to be using Jiff primarily to cut health care costs, which was the original promise of corporate wellness programs. "It's incredibly difficult to correlate wellness programs with dampened health care spending," says Newell. "There are so many different variables, especially at companies with high turnover."

Activision Blizzard, a Jiff customer, is using the platform, among other reasons, "to make this a higher-value place to work," says Milt Ezzard, Activision Blizzard's senior director of global benefits. He says that in the case of pregnancy, it's relatively easy to make a business case for wellness programs, since a premature birth can be so expensive and distressing to employees. Compared with the company's previous wellness program, Ezzard says, Jiff's pregnancy tracker has tripled the number of women who track their pregnancies. Still, he says, "do we really know if an employee delivered a healthy baby because she tracked her baby through the healthy pregnancy tool? We'll never know that."

Perhaps as a result, benefits other than reduced costs are getting a lot more attention. "It's not hard to see productivity gains and cultural gains and affinity gains" from wellness programs, says Newell. "It's not hard for HR people to measure those and see them and appreciate them." Jiff costs companies from one to five dollars per employee per month; Newell says that 80 percent of employees on the Jiff platform report that it has given them a stronger affinity for their employer. The way he looks at it, "Employers' interest in this is never going away."

Source: http://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/best-industries-2016-enterprise-wellness.html

As we approach the end of the year and look to 2016, think about the advice these leaders say helped guide and shape them.

BY JOHN BRANDON

Contributing editor, Inc.com

What's the best advice you ever received? Sometimes, it takes just a small tidbit to motivate you or help you see a clear path to success. These leaders have shared the best advice that helped them through a tough period or to jumpstart their careers.

1. Don't lose sight.

"'People who used to run car companies were really into cars. People who ran hotel chains loved hospitality. Now, everything is run by accountants, and you feel it as a consumer.' This slightly grumpy rant from one of my mentors, the famed mad man Martin Puris, inspires me to stay focused on the purity and passion of a business pursuit." --Andrew Deitchman, co-founder of The New Stand

2. You get only what you settle for.

"The best business advice I ever got came from my dear old Dad. It's quite simple and immeasurably powerful. It goes like this: 'You, and only you, should set the value of your talents, ideas, services, and/or product. Don't ever expect anyone to pay or give you more than they have to.' As an entrepreneur, you have to get used to the fact that, quite often, you'll be faced with an offer that seems less than the value of your talent, ideas, services, or product. That's business. You are the sole arbiter of what you, your ideas, services, or product is worth. Therefore, what you get is what you are willing to settle for. You have to fight for what you feel you're worth. Not that settling is necessarily a bad thing, but where you end up is what you settle for. Sage advice." --Neil Powell, fine artist and co-founder of Mugnacious

3. Be clear and transparent.

"I learned many things while working for Steve Jobs in the '90s, including what not to do. While Steve was arguably the greatest marketer of our generation and gave some of the most inspirational speeches of our time, he wasn't the best communicator when it came to individuals. Steve didn't set defined expectations for me or other employees: he simply knew it when he saw it. Watching him operate made me recognize the importance of clarity and transparency with my team, and how imperative it is to set expectations and effectively communicate with them. The more transparent I am about where I want to take the company, the clearer my team is about how to get there. Making sure everyone is on board before you make business decisions will help ensure you won't alienate people (sometimes your best ones) in the process." --James Green, serial entrepreneur and CEO of technology company Magnetic

4. Forget "having it all."

"These days, there's an ongoing debate about whether women can 'have it all,' and I've often been asked that question. I'm a person who likes to give 100 percent to everything I do. I want to be the best at my job and as a mother. But I realize I can only give 100 percent in the moment. If I'm at work, am I giving 100 percent to my kids? No. If I'm at home, am I giving 100 percent to my work? No. It's a balancing act, but worthwhile as long as we don't kid ourselves that we're superwomen." --from the book Getting Real by Gretchen Carlson, host of The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson on Fox News, used by permission

5. Don't get caught in analysis paralysis.

"Work is never going to be as slow as it is today. The pace of business in general -- and start-ups specifically -- will only quicken in 2016. So, we have to make a lot of important decisions quickly. I got some great advice early in life, which was: 'Sometimes you won't know the right decision, so you have to make the decision right.' In other words, when you lack perfect information and time, you have to be thoughtful about your process, be diligent in your analysis, then make the decision quickly. After that, it's all about execution and putting all your energy into making it work." --Don Smithmier, founder and CEO of The Big Know

6. Listening is very different from hearing.

"The best piece of advice ever imparted to me comes from my mom, who is fond of saying 'What you say matters less than what people hear and understand.' As a teacher, she was a brilliant listener, and she used what she heard to build a bridge between what she needed to teach and how the student needed to learn. From that, she taught me to focus my efforts on helping people understand rather than on what I wanted to tell them. She taught me how to hear, and it is the single most important skill in my professional success." --Courtney Buechert, founder and CEO of creative marketing agency Eleven, Inc.

7. Put your weirdness into your work.

"These words were spoken to me by famed voice-over and recording artist Ken Nordine. This was many years ago, and I've carried these words with me ever since. He recognized that we all get a little weird from time to time, but it's how we choose to channel our weirdness that's key. To offset my very ordinary life, I infuse every project I touch with experimental and fluid creations. It's what's led to my best work and most successful endeavors. With weirdness and imaginative thinking embedded in all facets of your work, you are free to spend the rest of your time enjoying the little things in life, a balance that is delicate yet so profound." --David Slayden, founder and executive director of designer-founder accelerator BDW

8. Action creates opportunity.

"There's a variety of advice that has had lasting impact, but this is the one that I continue to return to on a weekly basis. It's a quote from my former CEO. This phrase remains valuable in the big and small, in the tactical and the strategic. We are in an industry that requires the creation and fostering of constant change. We have to invent new ideas, create new services and capabilities, all while increasing the quality of our craft. So while we can all spend an endless amount of time contemplating and planning, there is one force that cannot be denied. Take action, as it will surely create and open up new opportunities." --Ed Brojerdi, CEO of KBS New York and co-founder of Spies & Assassins

9. No cohesion, no team.

"In creative industries especially, teams are central to the work. They are integral to collaborative cultures and, far more often than not, essential to innovation. What too many people fail to recognize, however, is that two or more people working together doesn't automatically constitute a 'team.' These people may be partners and co-workers, but that's not enough to effect the magic that genuine teamwork can produce. When I was running the brand-strategy practice for consultancy FutureBrand, we assembled teams to take on each assignment and were careful to include a diversity of skills and backgrounds in each. I couldn't help but notice, though, that certain teams were far more effective than others. In a management meeting, we discussed the issue and then we each went off to gather more data. When we reconvened, the lesson became clear: No cohesion, no team. It turned out that the highest performing teams simply liked each other more. They would break for dinners. Go bowling. Share their weekend plans and recaps. They genuinely cared about one another. And that led to a level of performance that far outstripped anything that less cohesive teams could hope to achieve. I keep that lesson in mind, not just when I'm putting teams together but also when I'm hiring. However brilliant or accomplished a prospect is, I don't want to hire that person if he or she can't play well with others. I look for the right mix of skills and mindset, of course, but beyond that I want to know that the person will be worthy of colleagues' trust and a positive presence within the company. If not, I'd prefer that person play on someone else's team." --Andrew Benett, Global CEO of Havas Worldwide and Havas Creative Group

10. See the spaces, not the trees.

"This is a snowboarding reference. It can be daunting, standing at the top of the mountain readying yourself for the trip down, and seeing all the trees in your path. But the key is to see the space between the trees. This sort of mindset, seeing the opportunity and not the obstacles, is important as you start out on your next life chapter, both personally and professionally. When you're deep into your work or facing a personal challenge, it's easier to see the barriers, but don't let them stop you from pursuing the opportunity that exists around them. Remember the business of your business. Many companies get caught up in the service they provide versus what actually drives their business. For example, Twitter is a micro-blogging service. But at the end of the day, what pays the bills is selling ads and sponsored tweets on the platform. Don't lose sight of the actual economics of your business; it's what keeps the lights on.

You Join a Company, but Leave a Boss.

"Most of us say we want to work for a company, whether it's Google, GE, Facebook, or IBM. Let's say you score the interview and land the job--congrats. But once you're there, you'll see that you don't actually work for the company; you work for your manager. Through actions and management, your boss is the one who has a direct impact on your experience at the company. That relationship is incredibly important to your future, both inside the company and for your next job. It's the team and people you surround yourself with that matters every day. When people leave a company, it's usually their manager or the leadership that they're really leaving, so when choosing your next adventure, select equally on leader and logo." --David Gaspar, managing director at innovation consultancy firm DDG

Source: http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/10-leaders-share-the-best-advice-they-ever-received.html

This wisdom from a long time ago and a galaxy far, far, away will inspire you to be thoughtful, brave and successful!

BY KEVIN DAUM

Inc. 500 entrepreneur and best-selling author

When I was 12 years old, I stood in line for three hours to see a new space adventure. I was so entranced I went back six times over the next several days to see it again. For the next 38 years, I, like many others, would quote Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Han Solo, among others. George Lucas, one of the greatest entrepreneurs in this star system, did not simply create a fantasy empire or a business empire. He established a philosophy, one that has shaped our culture for decades. So much of what Lucas created in the series is applicable in business and in life. The memorable moments of the Star Wars series are countless, and so are the inspirational quotes from the characters, and of course their creator. Enjoy them below, use them in your journey, and let the Force be with you. 1. "If you want to be successful in a particular field, perseverance is one of the key qualities." -George Lucas

2. "You have to find something that you love enough to jump over hurdles and break through the brick walls."

-George Lucas

3. "If you can tune into the fantasy life of an 11-year-old girl, you can make a fortune in this business." -George Lucas

4. "A lot of people like to do certain things, but they're not that good at it. Keep going through the things that you like to do until you find something that you actually seem to be extremely good at. It can be anything." -George Lucas

5. "My first six years in the business were hopeless. There are a lot of times when you sit and you say 'Why am I doing this? I'll never make it. It's just not going to happen. I should go out and get a real job, and try to survive.'" -George Lucas

6. "You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plough right ahead." -George Lucas

7. "I took over control of the merchandising not because I thought it was going to make me rich, but because I wanted to control it. I wanted to make a stand for social, safety, and quality reasons. I didn't want someone using the name Star Wars on a piece of junk." -George Lucas

8. "Right or wrong, this is my movie, this is my decision, and this is my creative vision, and if people don't like it, they don't have to see it." -George Lucas

9. "Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose." -Yoda tells Anakin that fearing loss makes one greedy, thus in turn making one more apt to turn to the dark side. (Episode III: Revenge of the Sith) 10. "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." -Yoda tells Anakin the consequences of having fear. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

11. "Always pass on what you have learned." -Yoda tells Luke as he dies. He wants Luke to turn into a teacher and keep the culture of the Jedi alive and well. (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi)

12. "That is why you fail." -Luke tells Yoda that he cannot believe that the little guy lifted his X-Wing out of the swamp. Yoda's response is to assert that Luke's lack of faith is the reason for his failure. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

13. "If once you start down the dark side, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."

-Yoda to Luke. Once you make a morally questionable decision, you will start a cycle that will end in your own destruction. (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi)

14. "If you end your training now-if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did-you will become an agent of evil." -Yoda doesn't want Luke to run into a battle he isn't ready for. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

15. "Patience you must have, my young Padawan." -Yoda tells an impatient Luke at the start of his training. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

16. "A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind.... All his life has he looked away...to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless."

-Yoda notes how Luke simply cannot keep himself focused on the present moment, but is instead always looking to run before he can walk. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

17. "You must unlearn what you have learned." -Yoda tells Luke at the start of their relationship. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

18. "In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge lights our way."

-Yoda says this as he returns to Coruscant with Obi-Wan Kenobi to uncover what has happened in the Jedi Temple. (Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)

19. "You will know when you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack."

-Yoda tells an angst-ridden Luke. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

20."Truly wonderful the mind of a child is."

-Yoda says this to Obi-Wan about the purity of innocence and the insights that can be gleamed from listening to fresh ideas. (Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

21."The fear of loss is a path to the dark side."

-Yoda to Anakin, after the latter asks about losing a loved one. Yoda tells him that fear of loss will lead to an unstable emotional state that will eventually push him down the dark path. (Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)

22. "Do or do not. There is no try."

-Likely one of the most iconic Star Wars quotes, Yoda says this to Luke after the latter questions his own abilities to pick the ship out of the swamp using the Force. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

23. "Only what you take with you."

-Yoda's final comment to Luke as the latter prepares to enter a dark cave. Luke asks what he should bring with him. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

24. "Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

-Yoda says to Luke after Luke complains that his sinking X-Wing is too big to lift up using the Force. Yoda tells him that size makes no difference. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

25. "Wars not make one great."

-Yoda tells Luke. In the context of all six films, this is Yoda's response to the disillusionment heexperienced after fighting in the Clone Wars. He knows that battling and fighting is ultimately fruitless due to the losses of life one must endure for its sake. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

26. "Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future."

-Yoda on predicting the future. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

27. "Much to learn you still have...my old Padawan."

-Yoda tells Count Dooku as the two face off for the first time. Yoda wants to temper Dooku's arrogance. (Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

28. "Greed can be a very powerful ally."

-Qui-Gon Jinn, as he prepares to make a deal with one of the junk dealers on Tatooine. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

29. "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."

-Qui-Gon Jinn to the rambling Jar Jar Binks. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

30. "Your focus determines your reality."

-Qui-Gon Jinn tells Anakin. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace) 31. "Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think, use your instincts."

-Qui-Gon Jinn tells a nervous Obi-Wan Kenobi as the two enter an uncertain situation. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

32. "There's always a bigger fish."

-Qui-Gon Jinn's observes that there are always bigger obstacles awaiting you. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

33. "Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them."

-Obi-Wan provides some advice for Luke, who is frustrated by the training exercise. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

34."Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our point of view." -Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke after revealing that Darth Vader and Anakin are not the same person, despite occupying the same body. (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi)

35. "Who's more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?"

-Obi-Wan tells Han Solo after the latter complains of their having to hide in the compartments of the Millennium Falcon. Obi-Wan is defending his plan by pointing out that Han Solo opted for being a follower instead of bringing his own wisdom to the situation. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

36. "In my experience, there is no such thing as luck."

-Obi-Wan tells Han Solo after the latter claims that there is no Force controlling everything. He sees life as random and fortuitous. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

37. "Use the Force, Luke."

-Obi-Wan tells Luke as he makes the trench run to destroy the Death Star. Obi-Wan is asking Luke to switch off his targeting computers and use his impulse and feeling to deliver the death knell. (Episode IV: A New Hope) 38. "The Force will be with you always."

-Obi-Wan reassures Luke as they see one another for the last time. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

39. "Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

-Obi-Wan's words to Darth Vader as they duel on the Death Star. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

40. "Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin. They will betray you."

-Obi-Wan's guidance to the ever-impetuous Anakin as he dreams of a romance with Padm. (Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

41. "I can feel you anger. It gives you focus. It makes you stronger." -Chancellor Palpatine's words to Anakin as the two confront one another for the first time. Palpatine's identity as Darth Sidious is now out in the open. Instead of dwelling on frustration, one can use it to focus one's mind and strengthen resolve. (Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)

42. "I find your lack of faith disturbing."

-Darth Vader confronts an imperial general for questioning the power of the Force. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

43. "When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master." -Darth Vader tells Obi-Wan Kenobi during their final confrontation on the Death Star. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

44. "The Force is strong with this one."

-Darth Vader as he tries to take down Luke in the Death Star trench. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

45. "Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is essential to a Jedi's life. So you might say that we are encouraged to love."

-Anakin reinterprets the Jedi code, acknowledging that love and compassion are crucial to his role. (Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

46. "Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us."

-Padm tells Anakin as the two head to Naboo as fugitives. (Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

47. "I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

-Luke comes to terms with his true identity in front of the evil emperor, moments after taking down his own father in a duel. In this moment, Luke refuses to accept turning to the Dark Side. (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi)

48. "You serve your master well. And you will be rewarded."

-Luke tells one of Jabba's minions upon entering his palace. (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi)

49. "I'll not leave you now. I've got to save you." "You already have." -Luke and Anakin Skywalker's final exchange on the Death Star. Anakin acknowledges that his son has already done all he can to redeem him. (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi)

50. "Great, kid. Don't get cocky."

-Han Solo tempers Luke Skywalker's enthusiasm after he shoots down an Imperial TIE fighter. (Episode IV: A New Hope)

51. "Never tell me the odds."

-Han Solo in response to C3PO telling him the odds of surviving an asteroid field. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

52. "I am not a committee."

-Princess Leia responds to Han Solo when he refuses to acknowledge her point of view. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

54. "You have your moments. Not many of them, but you have them."

-Princess Leia tells Han Solo as a compliment after he saves them from an asteroid field. (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

55. "I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war."

-Queen Amidala makes this statement when attacking the Trade Federation is brought up as a potential plan. She refuses to start a war, preferring a diplomatic solution. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

56. "I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee."

-Queen Amidala tells Senator Palpatine that she is unwilling to sit around without being proactive. Her next move is to return to her planet to save her people from the occupation of the Trade Federation. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

57. "Now, be brave and don't look back. Don't look back."

-Shmi Skywalker tells her son Anakin as he embarks on a journey that will change his life. (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

Source: http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/57-inspirational-and-useful-quotes-from-star-wars-and-george-lucas.html

An important life lesson is revealed by an unlikely source.

BY JUSTIN BARISO

Founder, Insight

Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) is marked by a person's ability to recognize and understand emotions (both his or her own and those of others), and to use that information to guide decision making. It includes demonstrating extremely complex qualities such as empathy, sympathy, and compassion. Of course, these qualities help us to be better people. But they can also help youbreak your worst communication habits, so that others receive your message in the best way possible.

For example, have you said something recently that you wish you could take back? For years, I struggled with the weakness of speaking too quickly, without thinking things through.

Curbing that tendency is easier said than done, but there's a quick "three question method" that can prevent you from saying something you'll later regret.

The 3 Vital Questions

I discovered this brilliant strategy through an unlikely source. I was watching an interview with comedian and television personality Craig Ferguson, when he gave some very sage advice:

There are three things you must always ask yourself before you say anything.

Does this need to be said?

Does this need to be said by me?

Does this need to be said by me now?

Ferguson says it took him three marriages to learn that lesson.

Before you dismiss this method as simplistic, think about how many antagonistic comments this would eliminate from social media. Or, we can take it a step further and consider how it might apply at work:

Let's say you're a manager, and you've been working hard to improve the relationships with certain individuals on your team. One day, you witness someone doing something great at work, and you take advantage of the opportunity to commend them. Great job! (Sincere, authentic, and timely praise goes a long way in motivating employees.)

But suddenly, you remember how they messed something up a few weeks ago. "I should bring that to their attention, too," you reason. "Let me tell them before I forget..."

No! Stop! Ask yourself:

Does this need to be said?

Does it need to be said by me?

Does it need to be said by me now?

True, constructive criticism is best delivered soon after a mistake. But you've alreadymissed that boat. If you give that negative feedback now, it will completely destroy whatever goodwill you built with your praise and commendation. The person will think:

"So, essentially you just told me something nice to soften the blow of what you really wanted to say. Jerk."

When you ask yourself the three questions, you'll probably conclude one of the following:

• You know, the criticism I wanted to share wasn't so important after all. My opinion may even be changing on this.
• It might be better if I speak to their team leader first. Maybe what I saw a few weeks ago wasn't really the whole picture.
• I definitely still need to talk to them about the problem I saw. But now's not the right time. Let me set a reminder to schedule an appointment with the person after I'm better prepared.

See how well it works?

This is just one scenario, but practicing these three questions will help you in various situations. Imagine if everyone did it: We would see far fewer (and shorter) emails, shorter meetings, and fewer employee complaints about others' inappropriate remarks...and yes, maybe even a few saved romances.

Keeping It Balanced

Of course, I'm not discouraging speaking up when appropriate. I strongly believe in honest and direct communication, and there are times when the answer to all three questions will be a resounding yes--even when what we need to say isn't comfortable for us or the recipient.

When those times come, the three question method will help you speak with confidence--and learn to be assertive when it counts.

Source: http://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/these-3-questions-will-immediately-increase-your-emotional-intelligence.html

Apple's iconic co-founder had an unmatched talent for zeroing on what's most important.

BY MINDA ZETLIN

Co-author, 'The Geek Gap'@MindaZetlin

There was only one Steve Jobs, and it's easy to see why we're so fascinated with him. A twin separated at birth; a visionary who made products that changed how we use technology; a college dropout who studied coding and calligraphy for fun; a wisdom seeker who spent months wandering India barefoot in a sarong. Oh, and after a long flirtation with sweater vests and bow ties, a man who wore a black turtleneck and blue jeans everywhere he went.

Here are some of the reasons more freelancers, startups, and other businesses are going the coworking route.

BY JEREMY GOLDMAN

Founder and CEO, Firebrand Group @jeremarketer

More and more Americans are turning to freelance employment; in fact, by some accounts, it's now reached 34% of the workforce. These workers are looking for productive spaces to conduct their businesses. When your home isn't conducive to concentrating and cafes are too loud and crowded, where is a freelance professional supposed to work? One major solution to this growing problem is coworking spaces--communal offices that are shared by new businesses, digital companies, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. When I started Firebrand Group, I turned to coworking spaces as a viable, future-oriented way to start our digital consulting agency. While coworking has been on the rise for a few years now, it looks like 2016 may be the year that coworking goes mainstream. Here are some of the many reasons why freelancers and others are turning to coworking spaces:

47 percent of people surveyed reported that the meetings they attend are not productive. Don't make it worse by saying these

words and phrases.

BY PETER ECONOMY

The Leadership Guy@bizzwriter

Few of us enjoy--really enjoy--the time we spend in meetings. Part of the reason for this is the fact that, for a variety of reasons, meetings can be particularly unproductive. In fact, in a survey of 1,000 people, intranet provider Igloo found that fully 47 percent reported that meetings were unproductive. That's pretty abysmal.