VOLUME 11, ISSUE 11
In This Issue:

• Maxwell Moment
Thought Busters

• Leadership@Large
Criticism That Count

• Mi Opportunity
From the CEO - Looking for a Leader

• Quick Quotes
Evaluation... Shaw, Churchill, Drucker, Friedman

Thought Busters
by Dr. John C. Maxwell

The power of thought is indisputably great. For illustration, look at the life of Henry David Thoreau, a 19th-century Massachusetts philosopher.

In 1849, Thoreau, as a relatively unknown scholar, published his thoughts in a controversial essay about civil disobedience. The essay expressed his ideas about justice:

• Not all laws are just.
• A person should respect justice more than the law.
• Without resorting to violence, a person of conscience is justified to transgress the law to protest its injustice.

Thoreau's thoughts, as the basis for nonviolent resistance, would end up fueling two of the greatest social advancements of the 20th century - Ghandi's struggle to free India from Britain's colonial rule and the American Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read the full article...

Criticism That Counts

Americans have a warped view of criticism. Unfortunately, most of us see criticism almost exclusively in a negative light. We dish it out tactlessly, use it to tear down rivals, and attack others with it even when we have no authority to do so.

It certainly doesn't help that we are inundated with poor examples of criticism in the media. For starters, consider American Idol's British judge, Simon Crowell. It's not uncommon for Simon's scathing criticisms to elicit tears from contestants. His words are given sincerely, but heartlessly. Watching Simon, it's as if he relishes finding faults in another's imperfections.

Election season paints another ugly picture of criticism. Politicians wield it like an ax to cut down their opponents. Instead of debating ideas in a civil forum, too often politicians lower themselves into a mudslinging contest.

Another media avenue, the blogosphere, has become criticism central in America. Bloggers attack the character of leaders they don't know and rail against decisions made in circumstances they could never understand. Far too frequently, their inflammatory tone escalates conflict without adding any substantial value to the interplay of ideas.

Read the full article...

From the CEO - Looking For a Leader

Opportunity is a fun word. In my mind it is the taking on of a responsibility with the ability to receive reward for the hard work and diligence. That is what we are offering to a specific individual. A few weeks ago we listed a job posting under the title of VP, Sales. While we received some really good candidates we soon realized that we were not specific enough on what we were looking for within our companies.

Let me be clear and share a truly good opportunity for someone special. First, we have an amazing company. I know that might sound arrogant, but I really feel that way. We have a company culture that has energy, high values and creativity at our core. We get paid to motivate, inspire and impact people all day, every day. That is truly fun. Second, we are looking for a key individual that can add very positively to this culture and move the company forward rapidly as a servant leader.

Read more about this opportunity...

Evaluation

"The only man who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew every time he sees me, while all the rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them." ~ George Bernard Shaw

"True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information." ~ Winston Churchill

"The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question." ~ Peter Drucker

"One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results" ~ Milton Friedman