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February 23rd, 2015 at 7:49 am
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Is Creative Thinking innate-
or can it be taught?
     
Yes, people are born with creativity and talent.  
But these traits can be nurtured, cultivated, and enhanced.  
Get access to the right resources and you'll be calling yourself a creative genius before you know it. 
 
   
Imagine

 

Did you know that the most creative companies have centralized bathrooms? That brainstorming meetings are a terrible idea? That the color blue can help you double your creative output?


From the New York Times best-selling author of How We Decide comes a sparkling and revelatory look at the new science of creativity. Shattering the myth of muses, higher powers, even creative "types," Jonah Lehrer demonstrates that creativity is not a single gift possessed by the lucky few. It's a variety of distinct thought processes that we can all learn to use more effectively.

Lehrer reveals the importance of embracing the rut, thinking like a child, daydreaming productively, and adopting an outsider's perspective (travel helps). He unveils the optimal mix of old and new partners in any creative collaboration, and explains why criticism is essential to the process. Then he zooms out to show how we can make our neighborhoods more vibrant, our companies more productive, and our schools more effective.

You'll learn about Bob Dylan's writing habits and the drug addictions of poets. You'll meet a Manhattan bartender who thinks like a chemist, and an autistic surfer who invented an entirely new surfing move. You'll see why Elizabethan England experienced a creative explosion, and how Pixar's office space is designed to spark the next big leap in animation.

Collapsing the layers separating the neuron from the finished symphony, Imagine reveals the deep inventiveness of the human mind, and its essential role in our increasingly complex world.


Lawyers. Accountants. Radiologists. Software engineers. That's what our parents encouraged us to become when we grew up. But Mom and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind. The era of "left brain" dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which "right brain" qualities-inventiveness, empathy, meaning-predominate. That's the argument at the center of this provocative and original book, which uses the two sides of our brains as a metaphor for understanding the contours of our times.

In the tradition of Emotional Intelligence and Now, Discover Your Strengths, Daniel H. Pink offers a fresh look at what it takes to excel. A Whole New Mind reveals the six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend, and includes a series of hands-on exercises culled from experts around the world to help readers sharpen the necessary abilities. This book will change not only how we see the world but how we experience it as well.
 

 

For those starting out in their careers-and those who wish to advance more quickly-this is a delightfully fussy guide to the hidden rules of the road in the workplace and in life.
 
As bestselling author and social historian Charles Murray explains, at senior levels of an organization there are curmudgeons everywhere, judging your every move. Yet it is their good opinion you need to win if you hope to get ahead.

And on the great topics of life, the curmudgeon urges us to leave home no matter what, get real jobs (not internships), put ourselves in scary situations, and watch Groundhog Day repeatedly (he'll explain).
 
Witty, wise, and pulling no punches, The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead is an indispensable source book for living an adult life. 

Fish For Life


There's a new FISH! in the pond! Here's a brilliant parable for everyone who wants to lead a fuller, happier life illusions of business people have already used the bestselling FISH! books to improve the way they work. Now, the authors turn their attention to life's daily personal challenges, helping readers deal with them simply and effectively.


 

By applying the FISH! principles of Play, Make Their Day, Choose Your Attitude, and Be Present, FISH! for Life shows readers how to confront life's issues and to reach their full potential. With advice on such life issues as weight loss, personal finance, and relationships, the book is a road map for achieving personal happiness and well-being in all areas of life. After all, life shouldn't be work.


 

 


 

59 Seconds: Think A Little Change A Lot
 

Richard Wiseman has been troubled by the realization that the self-help industry often promotes exercises that destroy motivation, damage relationships, and reduce creativity: the opposite of everything it promises.  Now, in 59 Seconds, he fights back, bringing together the diverse scientific advice that can help you change your life in under a minute, and guides you toward becoming more decisive, more imaginative, more engaged, and altogether more happy.


 

From mood to memory, persuasion to procrastination, resilience to relationships, Wiseman outlines the research supporting the new science of "rapid change" and, with clarity and infectious enthusiasm, describes how these quirky, sometimes counterintuitive techniques can be effortlessly incorporated into your everyday life.  Or, as he likes to say: "Think a little, change a lot."


 
In his instant self-help classic, the international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael J. Gelb identified seven aspects of Da Vinci's genius that contemporary readers can emulate and apply in their own lives.


 

Now, in WORK LIKE DAVINCI, Gelb adapts these principles to the specific demands of the workplace, sharing the innovative solutions to contemporary corporate and career challenges that have kept him in constant demand as a top-tier speaker and consultant to Fortune 500 clients.


 

In Gelb's expert perspective, DaVinci's genius can be distilled into seven principles for the business listener:


 

* Ask the right questions 

* Put your answers to work (Dimostrazione)

* Develop your business senses (Sensazione)

* Turn uncertainty into opportunity (Sfumato)

* Strike a profitable balance (Arte/Scienza)

* Integrate for success (Corporalitá)

* Make the break-through connection (Connessione)


 

These principles will help you tackle such timeless business challenges as: leadership; innovation; teamwork; strategic planning; decision-making; managing change and uncertainty; giving powerful presentations; giving and receiving feedback; and more.

 
February 2015
3Leaf Group 
 
Views:
4069
October 27th, 2014 at 7:38 am
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"I want every girl who's told she's bossy to be told instead she has leadership skills
-Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook
Women are taking the business world by storm.  They've been known to be multi-taskers and jugglers with friends and family, but learn how women are teaching the world a thing or two about the corporate
and cultural world. 

Do you feel the meetings you lead aren't very productive? Do you hesitate to give their difficult feedback for fear of sounding too critical? Are you afraid to take risks? Turn those feelings of doubt into confident actions with See Jane Lead. The truth is that women lead all the time- they just don't call it leadership. In their personal and professional lives, women are ignoring the qualities and assets they already possess that can make them great leaders. And in doing so they are sabotaging their careers. Now, in this breakthrough book, bestelling author internationally recognized executive coach Lois P. Frankel, PhD, shatters the myths of female leadership and empowers women to take charge at work.


 

Filled with distinctive practical advice and real-world examples of successful female leaders, See Jane Lead reveals the most effective ways women can lead in the business world, the home, or beyond- using their natural capabilities. By overcoming their self-sabotaging behaviors, women will realize their full managerial potential and become the best leaders they can be.

Knowing Your Value  

Why are women so often overlooked and underpaid? In Knowing Your Value, bestselling author Mika Brzezinski takes an in-depth look at how women today achieve their deserved recognition and financial worth.

Prompted by her own experience as co-host of Morning Joe, Mika interviewed a number of prominent women across a wide range of industries on their experience moving up in their fields. Mika shares the surprising stories of such power players as presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett, comedian Susie Essman, writer and director Nora Ephron, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg, television personality Joy Behar, and many others. Mika also gets honest answers from the likes of Donny Deutsch, Jack Welch, Donald Trump, and others about why women are paid less, and what pitfalls women face--and play into. Knowing Your Value blends personal stories with the latest research on why many women don't negotiate their compensation, why negotiating aggressively usually backfires, the real reasons why the gender wage gap persists, and what can be done about it.

Written in Mika's brutally honest, funny, and self-deprecating style, Knowing Your Value is a vital book for professional women of all ages.
Gabby
 
As INDIVIDUALS, CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GIFFORDS 
and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, showed Americans how optimism, an adventurous spirit, and a call to service can help change the world. As a couple, they became a national example of the healing power to be found in deeply shared love and courage. Their arrival in the world spotlight came under the worst of circumstances. On January 8, 2011, while meeting with her constituents in Tucson, Arizona, Gabby was the victim of an assassination attempt that left six people dead and thirteen wounded. Gabby was shot in the head; doctors called her survival "miraculous."


 


 

As the nation grieved and sought to understand the attack, Gabby remained in private, focused on her against-all-odds recovery. Mark spent every possible moment by her side, as he also prepared for his final mission as commander of space shuttle Endeavour.


 

Now, as Gabby's health continues to improve, the couple is sharing their remarkable untold story. Intimate, inspiring, and unforgettably moving, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope provides an unflinching look at the overwhelming challenges of brain injury, the painstaking process of learning to communicate again, and the responsibilities that fall to a loving spouse who wants the best possible treatment for his wife. Told in Mark's voice and from Gabby's heart, the book also chronicles the lives that brought these two extraordinary people together-their humor, their ambitions, their sense of duty, their long-distance marriage, and their desire for family.


 

Questions are answered with unvarnished candor. How do Gabby and Mark feel about the angry political discourse that was swirling in America at the time of the shooting, and that remains prevalent today? How do they see government living up to the highest possible ideals? And how do they understand and mourn the loss of the people who did not survive that day?Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope is a reminder of the power of true grit, the patience needed to overcome unimaginable obstacles, and the transcendence of love. In the story of Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, we all can see the best in ourselves. As Mark and Gabby's friends have said: "The two of them are America as we dream it can be."

Condi:  The Condoleeza Rice Story

Felix presents a well-written, highly readable portrait of national security adviser Condoleezza "Condi" Rice. It's hard to resist the story of a black woman born in segregated Birmingham, Ala., in 1954, who broke down every barrier to excel in an arena dominated by white men. Felix (Laura: America's First Lady, First Mother) credits an extraordinary upbringing-parents wholly devoted to their only child's achievement through education and public service.

Her father, John Rice, a Presbyterian minister and academic, was her primary role model, while her mother, a pianist and teacher, instilled in her a continuing love for piano playing. Felix explores the woman behind the powerful position: her diverse passions, from football to music, weight training to Russia; a fluent reader by age five and at 38 the first black, first woman and youngest person to become provost at Stanford University; the first woman national security adviser. Although Felix didn't interview Rice, this informative biography draws on a thorough list of secondary sources and on interviews with family, friends and colleagues.

Because her media profile has risen dramatically since September 11 and there has been talk of her running for office in the future, those wanting to find out more about the most prominent woman in foreign policy today won't be disappointed with this thorough and engaging profile.
 


 

The nineteenth daughter of a local village leader in rural Afghanistan, Fawzia Koofi was left to die in the sun after birth by her mother. But she survived, and perseverance in the face of extreme hardship has defined her life ever since.


 

Despite the abuse of her family, the exploitative Russian and Taliban regimes, the murders of her father, brother, and husband, and numerous attempts on her life, she rose to become the first Afghani woman Parliament speaker. Here, she shares her amazing story, punctuated by a series of poignant letters she wrote to her two daughters before each political trip-letters describing the future and freedoms she dreamed of for them and for all the women of Afghanistan.

Her story movingly captures the political and cultural moment in Afghanistan, a country caught between the hope of progress and the bitter truth of history.


 

In 2008, Sarah Palin burst onto the nation political stage like a comet.  Yet even now, few Americans know who this remarkable really is.  As chief executive of America's largest state, Sarah Palin had built a resonrd as a reformer who pushed through changes other politicians only talked about: Energy independance.  Ethics reform.  And the biggest private sector energy infrastructure project in U.S. history.  While revitalizing public school funding and ensuring the state met its responsiblities to seniors and Alaska Native populations, Plain also brought Big Oil to heel.


 

She was a Main Street American woman: a working mom, wife of a blue collar union man, and mother of five children.  But as the presidential campaign unfolded, Palin became a lightning rod for both praise and critisism.  And few knew the real Sarah Palin.

In this egerly anticipated memoir, Palin paints an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska; meeting her lifelong love, her desicion to enter politics; the importance of faith and family; and the unique joys and trails of life as a high-profile working mother.

 
October 2014
3Leaf Group 
Views:
3168
December 20th, 2012 at 4:50 am
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This holiday season, you will no dobut be wrapping a multitude of gifts – for your kids, nieces, nephews, cleaning lady, hair stylist, etc.  The list goes on and on.

 

While you're investing in scotch tape, wrapping paper, and ribbons – let's remember to invest in something greater than ourselves. 

 

Looking to organize an office event OTHER than a holiday party?  Think about charitable projects that can be organized in the walls of your own office.  CBS News came out with a few bright ideas for office-charity projects this holiday season:

 

  • Auction Off a Day Off – Divide your office into teams and have each team fundraise for a specific cause using a trusted online fundraising tool like GoFundMe.  The team with the highest number of proceeds will win – you guessed it – a day off!
  • Sell Admission to Casual Friday – Have everyone in the office vote for a charitable cause – then have employees donate to that specific cause.  The employee who donates the most money gets to wear jeans to work for one day… or maybe more...
  • Hold a Food Drive – Offer a Superb Prize – Think of something enticing and worth competing for – perhaps the top parking space for one year?  Click Here for some food drive ideas and inspiration. 
  • Incorporate a “CEO – Serving the Staff” Day – Have an executive serve lunch to her employees in exchange for a donation.  If you work in a very small company, have the boss host a lunch or dinner at her home - for a donation, of course. 
  • Help Clothe Other Workers – Have a friend or relative struggling to dress properly for work or an interview?  Dress for Success and Career Gear are both excellent organizations that provide work-appropriate clothing for those in need.

 

Who knew – the holidays at the office could mean more than just pot-luck and gift wrapping.  Put your creativity to work and scheme up some exciting charitable projects! Good Luck!  

Views:
2898
January 31st, 2012 at 7:41 am
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It's 2012.  People are thinking outside the box, especially in the corporate world.  Work no longer refers to where you go, but more importantly, what you do - and how you do it.  Take the traditional conference for example -- a number of employees shuffling into an ordinary office, sitting around an ordinary table, taking ordinary notes in an ordinary notebook.  You know what the end result is don't you? Ordinary ideas, ordinary insights, and ordinary results. 

 

Looking to be more than ordinary? I would hope so.

 

Wouldn't it be fun to try something new?  Something that would generate creativity, excitement, and innovation.  Check this out – the conference bike.  It's a bike peddled by seven riders who sit in circular position around a steering wheel.  One person steers, while the others pedal in unison to achieve an effortless and fun mode of transportation!    Talk about teamwork and creativity – the perfect elements of an effective meeting. 

 

Let's take it one step further.  Alexander Kjerulf, one of the world's leading experts on happiness in the workplace is on a world-wide crusade to educate companies on the benefits of working in exciting, unique, and ENJOYABLE physical spaces.  Click Here to check out some of his inspirations.  These companies are taking the “conference bike” to a whole new level.

 

Show these ideas to your boss and see how willing he is to replace tables, chairs, and cubicles with twisty slides, tube tunnels, and bouncy trampolines.  Even if he's opposed, I'm sure he'll get a kick out of it. 

Views:
2887
January 31st, 2012 at 4:59 am
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Do you update your Facebook status or browse Stub-Hub for hockey tickets on the job?  If you do, chances are you're looking over your shoulder to make sure your supervisor isn't watching.   RELAX.   You'll never believe what a recent article in TrainingIndustry.com stated:

 

According to the Department of Management and Marketing at the University of Melbourne:   "Workers who engage in workplace Internet leisure browsing are 9 percent more productive than those who don't".  Why? Leisure browsing generates ideas and discussion, boosts engagement and productivity, and sparks creativity amidst the mundane duties of a standard workday.  Some go as far as considering leisure browsing to be adding to an employee's knowledge-base, thereby fulfilling companies' overall objectives. 

 

Sounds far-fetched?  Believe it or not, there is some truth to these statements.  What do leisure Internet browsing and corporate productivity have in common?  It's all about the platform.

 

The vast migration toward E-Learning and real-time collaboration in the workplace can only be attributed to today's incredible attraction to the virtual sharing world.  Individuals who engage in virtual knowledge sharing are indeed strengthening the mobile business world and demonstrating the power of harnessing brainpower regardless of time or space. 

 

So tell your boss to allow her employees to sharpen their Facebook skills.  Have your manager encourage eBay bidding and Craigslist negotiating during company time.  Want to demonstrate that creativity and shoe shopping go hand- in-hand in the workplace? Now's your chance to prove it!

Views:
2985
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