With  hundreds of thousands of different articles out on the world wide web, it can be extremely difficult to know which one to read. Being a lifelong student of leadership, I attempt to read as many articles on the subject as possible. Understanding that there are so many good articles out there on it, I wanted to share some of my recent favorites.  Many of these are quick reads and have powerful nuggets of wisdom for any leader to digest. These are not the only good articles out there on leadership and success in life of course, but they are worth reading and I believe will help anyone who wishes to improve themselves, their business and the quality of life for them as well as those they share time with. Enjoy!

1. 20 Qualities for a Successful Life — (by Dumb Little Man) How do you define a successful life? Is it by how much money or stuff you have amassed, or is it by the legacy you leave behind?
2. 7 Tips to Manage Your Boss — and Yourself — (by Steve Tobak) Strategies for a healthy employee-manager relationship from a manager’s perspective.
3. A Daily Dose Of Gratitude — (by Chris Hammer) Cultivating and practicing a mindset of gratitude can go a long way to feeling good about our own lives and the world around us.
4. America’s Best Leaders — US News and World Report — US News and World Report highlights a key number of leaders in many functions across the country. A pretty good overview of a listing of high end leaders in their fields.
5. Better Illustrations = Better Communicator (by Tim Milburn) There is a powerful connection that takes place between speaker and audience when one can share the right illustration, at the right time, and for the right reason.
6. Businesses Don’t Fail — Leaders Do — (by Mike Myatt) If you’re willing to strip away all the excuses, explanations, rationalizations, and justifications for business failures, and be really honest in your analysis, you’ll find only one plausible reason –poor leadership.
7. Communication: The Most Important Key to Leadership Success — (by Lee Froschheiser) You hear it all the time … aspiring managers or vice presidents want to know the most important key to an esteemed business leader’s success. Their jaws often drop when they learn the truth.
8. Don’t be the Grinch Who Resists Change — (by Scott Franklin) Change is often presented as a technical exercise. While this is all well and dandy logically, it usually fails to create an emotional connection and makes the change seem like a lot of tedious work. Enlightened leaders know that there is a natural desire to be part of something larger than ourselves.
9. Feedback Is Key To Leadership Success — (by Lee Coates) Any successful leadership system requires that the leader knows what’s working, knows what’s not working and knows what to do different.
10. Five Lessons About Cooperation From The Creation Of A National Volunteer Database — (by Mark Bernstein) Businesses in the same industry can be loath to work with competitors. But sometimes working together can result in more good than harm.
11. Five Lessons in Leadership — (By Mary Brandel) Five Top CIOs share what their careers have taught them.
12. Four Lessons on Leadership from Russian Businesses — (by Konstantin Korotov) Russia seldom comes to mind as a place that can teach anything positive to Western companies. Despite the multiple criticisms and problems that businesses are facing in the country, talent development is one area where Russia could teach some interesting lessons to organizations worldwide.
13. General Douglas MacArthur’s Principles of Leadership — A list of the principles that MacArthur followed in order to be an effective leader.
14. Growing Leaders of Character — (by Don Jacobson) A thought provoking Q&A with Gene Klann, author of the book “Building Character: Strengthening the Heart of Good Leadership”
15. How Thinking Like a Child Can Help Any Leader Achieve More Goals — (by Lead Change Group) Lucie, the daughter of a friend of the author, wrote a list of “things I whant to do when I get older”. At age 8, she knows the first and most important rule about goal achievement: to accomplish your goals, first you have to set goals.
16. How to Break Free from Negative Thoughts — (by Rhonda Jones) A mind that is filled with negative thoughts is like a dark cave that limits positive and faith-filled thoughts from entering in. Having a chronically negative thought life is a mental mindset that focuses more on what is wrong, than all that is right in life.
17. How to Deal with Really Tough Criticism: Five Steps — (by Christing M. Riordan) We rarely discuss dealing with criticism as a necessary part of leadership. Yet the reality is that every leader, whether chief executive, politician, sports coach, or first-time supervisor, will experience criticism.
18. How to Find a Business Mentor Who’ll Help You Achieve Your Leadership Goals – (by Rene D. Petrin) Providing a nice 8-step approach for finding a mentor.
19. How To: Develop a Mentorship Program — (by Emma Johnson) Guidance from an effective mentor can be rewarding professionally and personally for both the mentor and mentee.
20. Inside Facebook: How Do You Resolve Conflicts? — Quick video of Joey Flynn, Product Designer for Timeline at Facebook, answering this very important business question.
21. Is “Command and Collaborate” the New Leadership Model? — (by Herminia Ibarra) It’s not “either/or,” but “yes/and” when it comes to which leadership style to choose.
22. Leaders At Alibaba, Youku, And Baidu Are Slowly Shaking Up China’s Corporate Culture — (by April Rabkin) Three top Chinese tech companies are remaking the country’s waning, hierarchical corporate culture with an injection of new ideas from the West.
23. Leadership and integrity — (by Michael Ray Hopkin) People who live with integrity are incorruptible and incapable of breaking the trust of those who have confided in them. Trait of a good leader.
24. Leadership Caffeine: Warning! Your Words About Change are Falling on Cynical Ears — (by Art Petty) Even the most credible of leaders have to step up their game when it comes to talking about and promoting change on their teams and in their organizations.
25. Leadership character: The role of collaboration — (by Col. Eric Kall) West Point Colonel speaks about the importance of collaboration in successful leadership.
26. Leadership Is a Gift Given by Those Who Follow — (by Grant McCracken) Here is General Mark Welsh, Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Welsh’s biggest theme? Leadership as an act of service. As the General says, “Leadership is a gift. It’s given by those who follow. You have to be worthy of it.”
27. Leadership Lessons From Community Maven Tara Hunt: When Not To Listen To The Crowd — (by Lydia Dishman) Any entrepreneur or community-building connector worth their salt should know when to crowdsource, and when to listen to their inner voice.
28. Leadership Success Always Starts With Vision -  (by John Ryan) The president of the Center for Creative Leadership talks about not giving up on your dreams and how that, in his experience, is always the first major step toward leadership success.
29. Leadership Success is No Longer Measured by Money or Power — (by Glenn Llopis) What is leadership success? Is it money, promotions, happiness, raising a family, changing the world, or advancing your industry or community? This simple question has grown complicated over the years, so it’s more important than ever to clarify what success means.
30. Leading and the Multigenerational Factor — For the first time in human history, we have four separate generations working together in society. Each generation has its own characteristics, strengths, likes and dislikes, and working style.
31. Leading Older Employees — (by Jodi Glickman) As Millennials take on increased responsibility at office, they need to build management skills that allow them to work effectively with senior colleagues.
32. Lessons in Leadership – Flash, Bang, Wallop goes Kodak — Businesses fail for two main reasons – poor leadership and/or poor sales systems. In this case, the cause of the failure of one of the world’s greatest companies must be placed squarely at the door of poor leadership.
33. Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership — (By Richard Stengel) Writer talks about his possible last visit to him and how Mr. Mandela talked with him about leadership lessons he’s learned in his 90+ years of life.
34. Multicultural Leadership Starts from Within — (by Jevan Soo) Only through knowing other cultures deeply can a manager effectively connect the dots between them and highlight meaningful differences between cultures that impact business strategy.
35. Performance Leadership: 11 Better Practices That Can Ratchet Up Performance — (by Robert D. Behn) A report where the author, a professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, offers an approach that encompasses eleven “better practices” that he has observed in use by successful public managers.
36. Principles for a Successful Life — (by Ron Kurtus) A highly cited author (cited in 112 published books) talks about principles for having a satisfying and successful life.
37. Principles for Successful Work-Life Balance — (by Mike Hawkins) Leadership coach Mike Hawkins offers 10 tips for balancing workplace pressures with life responsibilities.
38. Secrets of Leadership Success — (by Susan M. Heathfield) Nature or nurture is a question often asked about leadership. Key leadership success secrets set the great leaders apart from the so-so leaders in today’s organizations.
39. Self-Image Is The Key To Success In Business And In Life – (by Ethan Hale) Individuals who expect to succeed at a given venture are more likely to do so than those who expect to fail.
40. Six Questions to Help You Avoid Protestors at Your Doorstep — (by David Peck) Six questions to ask yourself as a leader
41. Steve Jobs: 10 Lessons in Leadership — (by Erik Qualman) While we can never become Steve Jobs, nor should we strive to be (follow your heart), what we can do is understand what is the greatness of Steve Jobs and, where applicable, apply these principles to help us develop as leaders.
42. The 200 mph Tune Up: 4 Critical Decision Filters For The Startup Leader — (by Terry Starbucker) Developing a critical “filtering” process that can make those “on the fly” decisions easier, and more effective.
43. The Four-Letter Word that Makes You and Your Work Irresistible — (by Mark Sanborn) A four-letter word that in the business world makes many uncomfortable. It seems inappropriate or even taboo among some circles. What could it be?
44. The Third Level of Leadership — (by John C. Maxwell) As you ascend the levels of leadership, it’s important to build an effective team.
45. The Toughest Choices a Leader Must Make — (by Ray Blunt) There is less said about something that is more important to your initial and long-term effectiveness. They are the three toughest daily choices a leader must make.
46. Training Yourself To See New Strategic Options — (by Kaihan Krippendorff) the strategic choices we make every day are determined by the “strategic narratives” we tell ourselves. One’s ability to see new strategic options is a function of the number and variety of stories one recognizes.
47. Where To Find Inspiration When The World Tells You To Give Up – (by Kaihan Krippendorff) We do not all always have someone or something to keep us motivated. What do we do when we need extra inspiration when the world seems to be telling us to give up?
48. Why Faith is so Important for Success — (by Stephen Kennedy) Conceiving all kinds of useful ideas but having a great deal of difficulty with believing. Consequently, not achieving all that I desired? In short, there may simply be a lack of faith.
49. Why Great Leaders Don’t Take Yes for an Answer: The Leadership Challenge — (by Michael A. Roberto) Leadership is more than getting others to do your bidding. True leadership requires that you listen to others and understand (even if you don’t agree with) those who criticize your ideas.
50. Wise Words – 106 Maxims — Sayings and quotes intended to help one grow as a leader, as a friend and as a person.
51. Your Greatest Asset In Life is Free  (by John McBride) In our differing ways we are all engaged in the process of seeking success. Because of our aspirations, ability and commitment, we approach this in a variety of ways. Many will fail in their quest for what they have perceived as success, but need this be so?

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Sometimes it appears as though there are a lot of people who revel in boasting about their expertise in whatever topic they claim to be an expert in. This seems to be the case whether it’s cars, interrelationship skills, clothes, arts and crafts, or a sport. You name it; there will be an “expert” who can be found for it. Experts who can help others become better at that particular skill or hobby. In today’s world of ultra-competition this can be a blessing for those of us who need to develop ourselves in one of those areas. But what does it really mean to be an expert? If a person chooses to become better at something, and eventually be looked upon as an expert, having a basic understanding of what it means to be an expert will certainly be helpful in achieving that goal.

Joseph and Harry’s Window

In my humble opinion, the Johari Window is one of the most useful tools that helps describe the process of human interaction. Created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955 in the United States, a “Johari Window” is a cognitive psychological tool used to help people better understand interpersonal communication and relationships.

• The Arena or Open/Free Area is the part of us that is known by ourselves and that others see of ourselves.
• The Blind Spot is also known as the “Shadow Area” and it“s the part that is seen by others but not known by us.
• The Façade is known by ourselves but not seen by others. It’s the hidden area that we keep to ourselves.
• The Unknown is the mystery section that is unknown both by ourselves and not seen by others.

One of the interesting characteristics of the Johari Window is that the boundaries are not static. Communication is the key to the movement of the boundaries. Whenever we disclose or give feedback or when we ask for feedback, the boundaries between the windows move into the unknown areas. Increasing the size of the known areas. As you may have guessed it, whenever we choose to not share or not communicate with others, the boundaries can move in the opposite direction. Increasing the size of the hidden, shadow and unknown areas of the window. 

So What Does This Have to do with Expertise?

Originally used to help improve communication, the Johari Window is also useful to help understand the process of developing expertise. I’ll use the game of golf to elaborate my point:

(1)    Unconscious Incompetence (novice) – You do not know what you do not know. If you’ve never picked up a golf club, you likely will not be aware of the basic fundamentals such as grip, posture, and proper stance.

(2)    Conscious Incompetence (trainee) – You know what you do not know. Ok, you’ve started taking golf lessons. When you take your first lesson, your instructor makes you aware of the importance of grip, posture, and stance to help your golf swing. You will know what you need to learn.

(3)    Conscious Competence (proficient) – You know what it takes to perform the task at hand efficiently (but in order to perform the task, you have to think about every step). After several lessons, you’ve become aware of what you need to do in order to have a consistent golf swing. You have to really think about what you’re doing though. It hasn’t become second nature for you yet. But you are able to explain to others what works and why it works. You haven’t yet become an expert.

(4)    Unconscious Competence (expert) – You do not know what you do know. You’ve been working on your golf swing for years now. You are able to swing the club with great velocity and consistency. When faced with adversity, you automatically know how to handle it. You have difficulty in sharing your strategy with others because it’s so automatic for you now. You are not consciously aware of why it works for you.

Please note a very important point I’m making here:

“Just because a person is an expert at something, doesn’t mean that they are automatically good at teaching it.”

This is a very simplistic view of what it means to be a novice, trainee, proficient or expert. Do you think that I’m spot on or do you think the above shows too much a one-dimensional view of expertise? Would you consider yourself an “expert” at something?  If so, what at and why? Do you know of someone who is an expert? Why do you think so? Share them here…we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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A while ago I read a story about an elderly man who approached the famous nineteenth-century poet and artist, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and tell him if they were any good, or if they at least showed potential talent.

After looking over the first few carefully, he knew that they were worthless and showed no sign of artistic talent. But Rossetti was a kind man, and he told the elderly man as gently as possible that the pictures were without much value and showed little talent. He was sorry, but he could not lie to the man.

The visitor was disappointed, but seemed to expect Rossetti’s judgment. He then apologized for taking up Rossetti’s time, but would he just look at a few more drawings — these done by a young art student?

Rossetti looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately became enthusiastic over the talent they revealed. “These,” he said, ” these are good. This young student has great talent. He should be given every help and encouragement in his career as an artist. He has a great future if he will work hard and stick to it.”

Rossetti could see that the old fellow was deeply moved and asked, “Who is this fine young artist?” he asked, “Your son?”

“No,” said the old man sadly. “It is me — forty years ago. If only I had heard your praise then! For you see, I got discouraged and gave up — too soon.”

The author of the above story is unknown, and this story has been mentioned in many books, blogs and seminars. For me it’s a perfect example of how much some encouragement can mean to a person who may need it in their life. We may not always know when a person needs the encouragement or we may not see the result of it, but giving encouragement may be one of the most powerful tools each of us has in positively changing our world.

A Person with a Gift that Was Never Opened

The above story always reminds me of something that happened to one of my uncles. He always wanted to learn how to play the piano. Now in his early sixties, he noticed me playing piano and then guitar one day. He looked at me with a strange and at the same time proud look. After I was finished playing he came over to the piano and started playing a little bit. His level of playing was more by ear and at a beginner level of playing. I asked him what was on his mind when he was watching me play. His response was, “I wished I learned how to play an instrument at your age.”

When I saw how quickly my uncle picked up a melody and how easy it seemed to him, as a musician myself I realized he had a natural gift for playing music. I asked him why he never started learning an instrument earlier in his life. He told me that while he was in his pre-teens and then his teens, his mother would always be telling him that he didn’t have a musical ear and couldn’t possibly learn how to play an instrument. This discouraged my uncle so much that he accepted what he called his personal “lot in life”. No one ever told him he had a natural talent for music. People would see him in musical instrument stores and in school (playing on the piano) and never say anything to him about it. At the time he was a little too shy to ask another person’s opinion about his musical ability.

Who Would Benefit from Encouragement?

What would have happened to him had someone given him a little encouragement?

Would he have created some of the world’s favorite music? Would the elderly man in the first story have gone on to paint some of the most beautiful images people would ever see? We’ll never really know will we.

Have you ever noticed something in someone else that you believed deserved some praise?

Have you ever seen a person discouraged at something good they are attempting to accomplished? What remarks could we share to uplift that person’s spirits?

“Those who are lifting the world upward

and onward are those who encourage

more than criticize.” – Elizabeth Harrison

We never know how much the encouragement may mean to someone else until we give it. That someone else may be you in the future. Hey…you never know .

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It’s funny how in this digital age of ours, there is still a large number of people who are not able to find what they are looking for. I’m talking about people who are already connected to the internet, are reasonably internet savvy, and are able to perform searches via Google, Yahoo or what have you.

In the interest of helping people find good information about mentoring, I’ve decided to point out some avenues that I believe will help.

Websites and Blogs about Mentorships:

• Quintessential Careers — A comprehensive career development site with many articles on the subject such as “The Value of Mentorship” by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D..
• About.com — an online neighborhood of hundreds of helpful experts, eager to share their wealth of knowledge with visitors.
• Problogger.net
• Mentoring.org — known as one of the nation’s premier advocates and resources for the expansion of mentoring initiatives nationwide serving young people in their communities.

Online Mentorship Groups:

• The Professional and Amateur Mentoring Group — Group on LinkedIn.com created to help the ones who are willing to be either mentors or mentees to connect with each other on LinkedIn.

Other avenues to consider are professional organizations relating to a particular area of interest. Below are some excellent sites listing such organizations:

• Gateway to Associations Online — Maintained by the American Society of Association Executives, this site provides a comprehensive directory to Web sites of business and professional associations.
• Associations on the Net — This site, from The Internet Public Library, lists organizations that have a Web presence, enabling you to explore groups you might want to join.
• WEDDLE’s Association Directory — This site lists several thousand associations from around the world by their primary professional/occupational focus and/or industry of interest. Maintained by WEDDLE’s, a research, publishing, consulting, and training firm.

The above are not the only avenues for finding information about mentoring, but my hope is that the information above will help guide you or someone you know in finding what they are looking for.

Please feel free to comment on any of the information I listed above. Let’s stay strong and keep growing!

If you feel the above information was valuable to you, or if you feel someone else may find this information useful, feel free to share this site with them.

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If you think you don’t need one and want to “Get Ahead” in your career or business endeavor, you may want to think again. Mentors are probably one of the most important people you’ll have in your life. They are people who have either already navigated the landscape that you are currently working your way through or can simply give you sincere constructive criticism to help make the most of a given scenario. Mentorship refers to a developmental relationship in which a more experienced person helps a less experienced person develop in a specified capacity. The less experienced person in a mentoring relationship is sometimes referred to as a protégé or a mentoree.

So what is the big deal about having a mentor vs. doing it on your own with the help of your network? According to Katharine Hansen, Ph.D in her article The Value of a Mentor:

“Where a typical network contact might be associated with quick introductions, exchanges of business cards, and phone calls, your relationship with a mentor likely involves long lunches and time spent in the mentor’s office. A mentor is often in a position you’d like to be in and has the clout and connections to guide you to a similar position. He or she is someone you probably have unusually good chemistry with who will share stories with you of his or her own climb to success. An effective mentor isn’t afraid to criticize constructively. ”

The value of a mentor in your life for work, business, or even family reveals itself through time. More importantly the time saved by putting to use the input received from a mentor.

A Difficult Situation to Be In
A while back, in a position previous to the one I have now, I was having difficultly with my new supervisor. The issue of him trusting me was apparent within a couple of months after he became my boss. For the life of me I could not understand why he mistrusted me so much. In my eyes, there was no reason why he needed to.

Action items and deliverables assigned to me where always completed on time and in apparent good order. Whenever there was a question of getting the task accomplished, I would always have a contingency plan in place to help ensure the completion of the goal. Even though I did everything he asked of me and then some, there was always tension with my supervisor thinking that I was attempting to usurp his authority and take his position.

Regardless of what some of you may think, taking my supervisor’s place that was not my intention at the time.

A Mentor to the Rescue
One of my mentors, Steve, was a Senior Director within the HR department of a large corporation and we would meet periodically over lunch. I took the next time Steve and I met for lunch to go over the situation I was facing with my supervisor. After discussing it for a bit, Steve pointed out something to me that I was not aware of at the time. I am the type of person who when asked to get something accomplished goes out of their way to get it done. This would include reaching out to people in other departments at all different levels.

What I wasn’t aware of was that by doing so my name was getting around the company as a point of contact for my department. This would lead to people in other departments contacting me directly when they had a quick question instead of my supervisor. At the time I didn’t think anything of it, but Steve pointed out to me that my supervisor may be the type of person who needed to be the focal point for his organization. To add to the issue, whenever I reached out to people in other organizations, I would not always tell my supervisor every single person I spoke with (showing how green I was at the time).

Steve proceeded to give me some ideas that I could try in order to remedy the situation with my supervisor. He advised me of how important it was to let my supervisor know who I’ve contacted outside of the organization in order to accomplish the tasks he assigned me to do. Even if the contact appears minor to me, my supervisor may not believe so and by keeping him in the loop he would be able to feel more in control of his organization. After all, being his organization, he is ultimately accountable for what goes on within it.

Another item that Steve pointed out to me was the possibility of there being a personality conflict. My personality is to be open and relaxed around people. Not talking up a storm, but by nature I prefer to avoid long moments of awkward silence. If such an awkward moment of silence occurs, I am most likely to be one of the people who breaks the silence by asking a question or bringing up a point that people may find interesting. My boss on the other hand was much more reserved and would not interrupt a long awkward moments of silence. Steve suggested using a mirroring technique to help bridge the possible gap the different personalities my supervisor and I had.

After applying the advice Steve suggested, I noticed the level of mistrust begin to diminish. What was most surprising for me was how quickly my supervisor’s mistrust of me dissipated. Within a couple of weeks my supervisor was appearing more comfortable around the things I was doing. I kept him more ‘informed’ by letting him know everyone I spoke with in order to get the tasks he assigned me done. After a while, he became comfortable enough with me reaching out to so many people in different departments (and them contacting me directly) that he eventually told me he didn’t need to know everyone I spoke with. As long as the job got done, he was fine with the way I did it.

Looking back on the whole scenario, I realized that I was very fortunate to have Steve mentor me at this time. Had he not given me his advice based upon his own past experience, the situation would have most likely resulted in a different ending. One where the mistrust my supervisor had for me could have turned into a reason for him to push me out of his organization. The input from Steve allowed me to have a successful track record with that company that eventually led to me receiving a promotion.

If you Decide to Choose a Mentor
There is no limit to the number of mentors you have in your life. Some people have one, others many more. Some mentoring relationship last for less than a year, others last a lifetime. The number of mentors you decide to have is ultimately up to you. Just like with all mutually beneficial relationships, mentorships require time and need to be nurtured.

If you choose to find a mentor, and a mentor decides to choose you, it may be one of the most valuable and profitable relationships you ever have.

Feel that the above information was valuable to you, or that someone else may find this information useful, then feel free to share this site with them.

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