POST CATEGORY : CEO Leadership

Can a Small Business CEO Have a Vocational Degree?

I am a recent graduate of a four year University, and I will say it wasn’t exactly National Lampoon’s Animal House like I expected. Sure I went to my share of parties and football games, but I also sat in a lecture hall Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and oh yes, Friday.

can a ceo have a vocational degree

When I first went to college I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do – my major started undecided, changed to marketing, changed to PR, changed to journalism, and finally landed on English education. For me, a four year University was exactly what I needed to get my thoughts together, and the career path I ultimately choose required a four year degree.…

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Due Diligence for Mergers and Acquisitions – Why Include IT?

include IT in merger due diligenceAs we start to see mergers and acquisitions activity ramp up, we shift focus to the value of technology due diligence.

What do you review during due diligence? You probably look at financials, customer lists, markets and existing executives. You may even review operations, eyeing potential efficiencies, such as those gained by integrating departments like HR, accounting and IT.

Randy Myers, CFO Magazine, states “For CFO’s, valuing the synergies to be realized by eliminating overlapping or redundant systems and operations is a fundamental aspect of M&A due diligence.” But how often do you review the technology area itself?

Not planning ahead can be painful.…

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Leadership Assessments – Do 360 Degree Feedbacks Work?

Does 360 ° feedback really work? Some organizations decide not to use this process as a leadership assessment, while others support it. I am a fan, and I’ll share tips in this article that will help to increase the effectiveness of 360 ° feedback for you.

First of all, for those who do not know what 360 ° feedback is; it is a leadership assessment that provides feedback about a leader’s behaviors. It is one of many types of assessments that can be used to increase leadership effectiveness.

What’s different about the 360 ° feedback process is that it gathers input from people who work for, above, and side-by-side with the leader (hence, the name 360 ° feedback).…

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Leadership Styles – Be An Empowering Leader

“I am the type of manager who is most comfortable giving direction to my team members. I am very good in my field, and I believe that my knowledge has gotten me promoted to management positions. Therefore, I need to keep directing them since I’m the expert and highest in authority. But lately, I’m hearing more and more about empowerment to create engagement. What is it and how do I do it?”

how to be an empowering leader

This thought process is a common one for many of today’s managers. We simply do not know how to empower others. To empower is to give over power and authority to someone else; to enable others.…

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Leadership Lessons From 3 Great Business Leaders

Being a CEO of any business is not a walk in the park. Leadership is more than just sitting behind a desk all day,  preparing action plans for employee misdemeanors and clocking out at 6. Tenured employees may know all about business operations but tenure is just one of the factors to be considered for a managerial position.

leadership lesson from 3 great leaders

While it takes time to make any one person a leader, there are some born with the qualities inherent in being an effective business leader. Aside from leadership styles, it is the leadership qualities of a CEO, a manager, a supervisor even, which sets a mediocre operation apart from a thriving, successful business.…

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Business Leader vs. Thought Leader, Can You Be Both?

thought leadership vs business leadershipSome people think that it is easy being the CEO of a certain company. They think it’s all about delegating tasks to your employees. And since you’re “the boss” you could pretty much do nothing except point out employees’ mistakes and get an occasional headache when the numbers don’t add up. Those in the business of leadership, know better.

It’s not just about assigning tasks to someone and then kicking off your shoes to place your feet on your desk all day, waiting for employees to deliver. It is about thinking of ways to sustain the value of your business. It is about handling complex issues, synergism and finding new ways to develop opportunities.…

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Upholding a Culture of Confidentiality

protection customer confidentialityAccording to a recent Trend Micro Global Survey, data loss is one of the biggest concerns for small businesses. It is hard to safeguard your company information if not all your employees think of its importance. Not everybody can appreciate the fact that ensuring the safety of your data is the lifeline to the success of your business.

Confidential information is entrusted to your company by your clients and it is done because they trust you and your services. It is natural therefore that everyone who represents your company in one way or another should be vigilant in protecting confidentiality.…

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Guide To Being In More Control Over Managing Your Work

guide to better control over your businessSmall companies are often controlled by one person in particular, the CEO. Often times the CEO will take on many different kinds of tasks in order to make sure that the company will be able to enjoy better success.

The only problem is that by wearing the different hats necessary to do everything from lead generation to closing sales, it can leave little time for anything else. It is a hectic lifestyle to be sure. This is why it is important that you take a practical approach to managing yourself, your time and your future. This will help you to be more successful as well as make it where the company can be more successful.…

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5 Smartphone Apps CEOs Shouldn’t Ignore

smartphone apps for CEOsEverywhere you look, people are doing something with their phones. They are either texting someone, or they are using one of the thousands of apps available.

Small business CEOs need to have access to their office even when they aren’t in them.   Here are some smartphone apps to help you out.

1. iTerminal – One thing any company needs is the ability to get paid. The iTerminal app will allow you to accept credit card payments right from your iPhone. All you have to do is enter the information in the easy to use interface and it will process the payment immediately.…

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The Importance Of Hiring The Very Best Employees

hiring the best employees possibleAs small business owners, we wear many different hats.   Among which, hiring the right people, and helping them achieve their highest potential, are two of your most important responsibilities.   But which one is MORE important?

This is an oft-debated topic – at big companies and small – about whether it’s more important to:

A.           Hire the best people, or

B.           Get the most from your people

Many large companies spend a lot of time and energy teaching their managers about choice (B) – getting the most from their direct employees – while devoting surprisingly little attention to the recruitment of “A Players.”…

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