THE LEADER WHO HAD NO TITLE: The New Way to Win in Business - and in Life

The old way of leading is dead. Many of our best-known organizations have fallen and some of our most revered leaders have lost face. The global economy has now transformed and with all the new media ranging from Twitter to YouTube, everyone now can build a following. And lead their field.

We have just entered what I call The Decade of Leadership. Leadership has become democratized. I'm not at all suggesting that we don't need titles and people at the top of organizations to set the vision, manage the team and take overall responsibility for the ship. What I am offering is that we now work and live in a world where leadership isn't just something executives do. It's something everyone needs to do - for their organizations to survive, in this period of dramatic change.

For the past 15 years, I've had a simple mission that has become my obsession: to help people in organizations lead without a title - and play at their best in all that they do. This mission has taken me into client companies like Nike, FedEx, GE, Panasonic and Unilever where I've not only helped their best people grow even better but learned what world-class teams and enterprises do to create wow. This mission has allowed me to serve as the private leadership advisor to many billionaires and celebrity entrepreneurs. And this calling has caused me to meet people from every walk of life in every industry and learn what keeps them from stepping up to their leadership best when that's exactly who they are built to be.

I've distilled everything I've learned into a step-by-step formula that I've shared in my new book "The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and in Life" (Simon & Schuster). Here are 9 smart moves you can make today to start changing the game and creating exceptional results:

1. Remember that you need no title to be a leader. Leadership has less to do with the size of your title than the depth of your commitment. I've seen front-line employees, taxi drivers and carpet installers doing their work like Picasso painted. Leadership isn't really about authority. It's about a choice you can make to do your best work each and every day, regardless of where you are planted.

2. Shift from Victimhood to Leadership. No great career, business or life was ever created on a platform of excuses. Too many people play victim at work. They blame the boss or the economy or the competition or the weather for their less than mediocre results. Leaders Without A Title are different. They get that they have power. It may not be the power granted through a title like CEO or SVP. But they have power. And that's the power to see opportunity amid crises. That's the power to drive positive change. That's the power to encourage everyone on your team. And it's the power to step into the person you've always longed to be.

3. Innovate or Stagnate. To Lead Without A Title is to leave everything you touch better than you found it. Mediocrity happens when people refuse to change and improve all that they do. Look what happened to some of the big car companies because the slowed down their devotion to innovation. The competition ate them for breakfast. And put some out of business. The best leaders and the best enterprises have a hunger to improve. It's such a deep part of their culture they know of no other way to be. And that's the edge that makes them great.

4. Become a Value Creator versus a Clock Watcher. Success comes from the value you add rather than from the busyness you show. What's the point of being really busy around the wrong things? Leadership is a game of focus. Focusing on fewer but smarter activities, the ones that create real value for your teammates, customers and the world at large.

5. Put People First. "The business of business is people" said Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher. We have a ton of technology yet less and less humanity. Yet let's remember that people do business with people they like, trust and respect. One of the clients we've done leadership development work with is RIM. Yes, they are a fast and innovative technology company. But they also get that excellent results come from people playing at excellence. So build your team. Meet your customers. Deepen human connections. Treat others with respect. And put people first.

6. Remember that Tough Times Build Strong Leaders. Look at any exceptional leader and you'll find that they stepped into their leadership best during a period of crises versus calmness. To Lead Without A Title is to hunt for opportunity amid every adversity. Every setback has the seeds of an opportunity. Companies like Apple, Google and Amazon were built because their people leveraged disruptive times into brilliant wins. And because their people refused to give up when faced with difficulty.

7. Go to Your Limits. The more you play out on the edges of your limits and take intelligent risks, the wider your limits will expand. The more you leave your comfort zone, the bigger your comfort zone will grow. Each day at work, do the things you know you must do but are scared to do. That's how you grow, build your leadership capability and access more of the leader within you. There's zero safety in staying within what i call "The Safe Harbor of The Known". That's just an illusion that bankrupts too many businesses and breaks too many human beings.

8. Lead Yourself First. "The Leader Who Had No Title" isn't just a book showing you how to create exceptional business success and win at work; it's also a handbook for personal leadership. Because how can you lead other people if you haven't first done what it takes to lead yourself? Get to know your values. Think through what you want your life to stand for. Become physically, mentally and emotionally strong. And have a remarkably good relationship with your family. What's the point of becoming super-successful yet being alone?

9. Give Back a Legacy. Success is good. Significance is even better. Sure profit and peer recognition and doing great work is mission-critical. But even more important than that is what you give - and all you leave behind. As I write in the book, "even the longest life is pretty short. And all that matters when you get to your last day is the difference you've made and the people you've helped." So as you Lead Without A Title and step into your leadership best, stay focused on adding value. And making an extraordinary contribution.

Robin Sharma is one of the world's most highly respected leadership experts, with a client list that includes Microsoft, GE, NIKE, FedEx, Yale University and IBM. In a survey of 22,000 business people ranking top leadership gurus, Sharma was in the top 5, along with Jack Welch. His books such as The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and The Greatness Guide have sold millions of copies in over 60 countries. His new book is "The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and in Life" (Simon & Schuster). Robin's blog is at robinsharma.com.

Leadership Quotes

Another interesting information sharing from Robin Sharma..

Leadership Quotes "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." - Picasso "The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were." - John F. Kennedy "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."  - Martin Luther King Jr.

Powerful Leadership Tactics

Tactic #1 Engineer Experiences In a world where connectivity and technology have turned the foreign into the familiar and people can choose from an endless selection at every corner, leaders have to bring more to the table. One way to bring more is to be an engineer of experiences. Turn everyday occurrences into memorable moments. Take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Use your resources to build out and build up situations. Add on extra at every angle. Move away from a generic approach and customize and personalize the everyday. Make it your mission to engineer adventures, moments, and memoirs. Tactic #2 Fire Up your Innovator "Innovation." It's the word on the street. Innovating, inventing and creating are the rising stars. Successful leaders have fantastic analytical minds. It's one of their vital attributes. They must be able to problem solve. However, sometimes problem solving is a direct barrier to innovating. When innovation is called for, moving out of a problem solving mindset into an innovative mindset starts with how you proposition yourself. Rather than asking "what's the problem or what's the solution?" try asking yourself, "what do I want to create here?" Tactic #3 Leaders Go First If there is a deficiency in your personal or professional life the best way to have more is to initiate more. If you are disappointed by the lack of human connection, initiate more connection. If there is a lack of imagination, invite imagination by modeling it. If you want more understanding, be more understanding. If team camaraderie is falling short, initiate acts of good-fellowship. Leaders go first. They don't wait. They take the lead and initiate. Tactic #4 Comic Relief. It's serious business A study conducted at Canadian financial institutions reported that top performing organizations had managers who employed humor. Harvard Business Review featured an article called "Transforming A Conservative Company - One Laugh at a Time," by Katherine Hudson, the president and CEO of Brady Corporation. The article describes how Brady "has made fun an integral part of its corporate culture, not as an end in itself, but for serious business reasons." Scientific research shows that laughter increases productivity, those who laugh out loud are more creative at problem solving, and those who laugh are healthier and miss work less often. Consider your work culture. Would you say serious business is balanced with light heartedness and fun? Is laughter a part of progress? What can you do to lighten and liven things up? Seriously.

Lead Where You Are Planted

Another interesting newsletter from Robin Sharma...

Hi Amol,

Our future success will depend on how we respond to the new opportunities that the turbulent world presents. The playing field is wide open for WOW. The former ground rules are gone. And the leaders who are playing to win know it. We can now use their Smartphones to deposit checks using photos. Consumers can pay for products at Apple stores via "floating" checkout clerks. Ford drivers just "say the word" to activate a menu of sophisticated features on their in-car system. Today leadership is about impact. Imagination. Innovation. It's about a commitment to influence.

People want enriching experiences. They want their lives revolutionized through innovation and creativity. People want remarkable. They crave connection. Delivering to the people is no longer reserved for those in the corner office. The old exclusive world having only two clubs - giver and receiver of orders - has been rebooted. The reboot has created a new opening - Leading Without a Title. Success,keeping the game in your hands, is knowing how to Lead Where You Are Planted.

Five Actionable Insights to help you Lead Where You Are Planted:

1. Personal Philanthropy

Winning in life today depends on the value you contribute. Bureaucracy is no longer the decision maker on what you contribute, or when, or to whom you make that contribution. The size of your paycheck isn't the dictator either. Today it's your call. You have free license to be a philanthropist of your personal gifts. You can add value at any opportunity by applying your talents: your ingenuity, mastery, and imagination. The new world has given you the green light to give your greatness.

2. Don't Accept the Death Sentence

Many people will decide that leadership is not for them. They are more comfortable following than leading. That's just fine. But remember what others do is not necessarily for you. Those that resist greatness will try to hold you back. Don't let anyone tell you taking a leadership role is bigger than your position. Don't let anyone set the limits on your life. Get yourself around believers and other leaders: the commanders of cutting-edge and the non-conformists. Talk with the risk takers. Refuse to accept the death sentence of cynicism.

3. Get out of your League

You were not born for smallness. Your life did not come with a pre-set ceiling of success. Sometimes people fall into and stay in a certain league. Going beyond the wins of yesterday doesn't seem possible. Going beyond previous levels of achievements doesn't occur to them. Get out of your league. No one is keeping you there. Go beyond yourself. Your habits. Your standards. Challenge your limiting beliefs. Challenge your personal status quo. Find a way to do more today than you did yesterday.

4. Compose your Leadership MO

We cannot be all things to all people. We want our influence to be potent. To make a powerful impact we must first understand our influence and then act on it. Are you the symphony conductor or the musical genius on the piano? Are you the solutions guy or the innovative magician? Are you the song writer or the singer? Compose your leadership MO and act on it daily.

5. Refuse the Dead End System of Status Quo

I have yet to see mediocrity lead to magnificence. There is only so far you can go with the status quo. Yet so many people get seduced by this dead end system. Unknowingly they've subscribed to the belief I don't have a title therefore I cannot make a difference.

We've all got a choice to make. We can either continue to buy into the status quo or set it on fire. To Lead Where You are Planted you must get off that burning ship. Stand up for your opportunity for awesome - it's your birthright.

Keep Leading Without a Title,

Robin

what is keeping you from breaking through

Another Advice from Robin Sharma..... 

Hi Amol,

I want to take a moment and introduce you to something which will have tremendous impact on you both personally and financially.

T. Harv Eker is a bestselling author and one of the world's top trainers. His book "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind^TM is a publishing phenomenon that reached #1 on the N.Y. Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists in its first week out. In the book, he reveals 17 specific ways that rich people think and act differently from poor and middle-class people.

Simply put he teaches people how to master the "inner game" of wealth in order to create outward success.

The sad thing is that most people don't achieve their full financial potential. It's an absolute shame that they don't know what keeps them from achieving the wealth and happiness they desire. There are unlimited ways to fail--people find them every day! But there is one proven way to ensure your success: think and act the way rich and successful people think and act.

So, what is keeping you from breaking through?
"Give me five minutes and I can predict your financial future for the rest of your life!" --T. Harv Eker
Sound unlikely? Well it's true. In just a few minutes of conversation, the Master Trainers at Peak Potentials Training can predict your financial future by identifying what T. Harv Eker calls your "inner blueprint" for money and success. And they can help you figure out whether your own blueprint is set for wealth, moderate success or poverty.
The live Millionaire Mind Evening seminar is a really powerful way to learn about your inner blueprint. At this powerful 3-hour seminar the concepts illustrated in T. Harv Eker's book will come to life. And you will learn to identify the childhood conditioning that created your personal money blueprint.
The Millionaire Mind Evening will be presented in these cities on these dates:

• Kelowna, BC - March 9
• Vancouver, BC - March 11
• Salt Lake City, UT - March 11
• Portland, OR - March 16    
• Seattle, WA - March 18
• Scottsdale, AZ - March 23
• Phoenix, AZ - March 24
• San Diego, CA - April 7
• Anaheim, CA - April 8
• LA (airport), CA - April 13
• Valencia, CA - April 14
• LA (downtown), CA - April 15
• San Francisco, CA - April 20
• San Jose, CA - April 21
• Red Deer, AB - April 26
• Edmonton, AB - April 27
• Calgary, AB - April 28
• Colorado Springs, CO - May 4
• Denver, CO - May 5
• Dallas, TX - May 11
• Houston, TX - May 12
• Austin, TX - May 13

Seminar Time: 7 pm - 10 pm
Check-in Time: 6 pm - 6:30 pm
All dates and locations are subject to change.
Due to the incredible popularity of the Millionaire Mind Evening, the event dates are filling up quickly. I strongly suggest that you find the city nearest you and register to reserve your seat today.
http://www.mmeregistrations.com/?wid=&u=www.millionairemind.com/evening&src=126
If you are not able to attend one of the live seminars, you can participate in a LIVE TeleSeminar from the comfort of your own home. For information on the next scheduled class, please visit:
http://www.mmtregistrations.com/?wid=&u=www.millionairemind.com/teleseminar&src=126
During the Millionaire Mind Evening the Peak Potentials Trainers will:

• Reveal the root causes of money problems
• Explain how (and why!) some people are programmed to fail
• Show how to generate amazing results
• Help you expose your unconscious conditioning
• Spell out how you can reach your full financial potential

Each ticket to the Millionaire Mind Evening seminar is a $39 value but if you register through the links in this email, you'll be able to reserve your seat at absolutely zero cost! In fact, the only thing you'll have to spend is a few hours of your time.
The value you'll take away from this program is so great I recommend that you do whatever it takes to be there. Reschedule your existing plans if you have to. Financially speaking, your life could depend on it.
Register for the city of your choice here:
http://www.mmeregistrations.com/?wid=&u=www.millionairemind.com/evening&src=126
To your success,
Robin
P.S. Not attending this program could literally be the difference between struggling financially for the rest of your life and creating the prosperous future that you envision. Make the commitment and reserve your seat:
P.P.S. If you can't find a way to attend a live one, dial in to the upcoming TeleSeminar:
http://www.mmtregistrations.com/?wid=&u=www.millionairemind.com/teleseminar&src=126

Indian City, Pune, in Olden times..

Pune (pronounced [puɳeː], Marathi: पुणे), also known as 'Punawadi' or Punya-Nagari or Poona, is the eighth largest city in India, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai. Once the capital of the Maratha Empire, situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula (Marathi: मुळा) and Mutha rivers (Marathi: मुठा),^[4] Pune is the administrative capital ofPune district and the 8th Metro city of India.

Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD.^[5] Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire, lived in Pune as a boy, and later oversaw significant growth and development of the town during his reign. In 1730, Pune became an important political centre as the seat of the Peshwa, the prime minister of the Chhatrapati of Satara. After the town was annexed to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the "monsoon capital" of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India.^[6]

Today, Pune is known for its educational facilities, having more than a hundred educational institutes and nine universities.^[7] Pune has well-established manufacturing, glass, sugar and forging industries since 1950-60s. Pune also has a growing industrial hinterland, with manyinformation technology and automotive companies setting up factories in Pune district. Additionally, Pune is known for various cultural activities like Classical Music, Sports, Literature, Foreign language learning and Administrative, Economics, Social Science studies. These activities and job opportunities attract migrants and students from all over India, and also attract students from Middle-East, Iran, Eastern Europe, South-East Asia which makes for a city of many communities and cultures.

Source: Wiki

Top 10 Sources for Budget Decor

You'll be amazed what finds you make when you shop for budget decor items. A small budget doesn't mean you can't find some wonderful pieces of furniture and decorative pieces. There are plenty of sources for decorative bargains and it can be lots of fun to search for, and find, the items that will make your house a home.

Garage Sales and Tag Sales

There are bargains galore at garage sales. If you don’t know how to shop them, just ask around and you’re sure to find a friend or relative who would be happy to show you the ropes. Cash will get you the best bargains as will showing up early or just before closing time.

Flea Markets

Not for the faint of heart, these are often mega events with booths for refreshments as well as furnishings. Expect to bargain with vendors for the best prices. Take a buddy and wear walking shoes since you’ll spend the day on your feet. More must-haves: water, sunscreen, a tape measure, plastic bags, lots of cash, and a rolling cart.

So many people are shopping for bargains these days that About.com has its own site for flea markets. Check it out!

Online Auctions

You can look for bargains day or night on Internet sites, with eBay as the granddaddy of them all. Do a bit of price research before you bid, searching for similar products and noting the bids as well as the asking prices. Pay attention to condition of products as well, and ask questions before you buy. After is too late.

Local Consignment Stores and Junk Stores

These retail outlets offer furnishings and décor items that are shopworn or used. Items maybe in excellent condition or they may be damaged or heavily worn. Look often at these types of sources, since inventory can change dramatically from week to week.

Free Sources

Nothing will stretch your budget farther than accumulating items that cost nothing. Whether you trade with friends, find items left by the curb, or ask for donations from family and friends, this can be a great way to get started in a first home or trade out items you no longer love.

Damaged Furnishings and One-of-a-Kind Sales

Retail stores have a back room filled with furnishings that have been damaged, returned, or are last season’s merchandise. Items are sometimes marked down on a regular basis, by week or by month. Call your favorite furniture stores to find out how they sell these less-than-perfect items.

Rental Furniture Outlets

Rental companies in your area may have a warehouse of furnishings that are no longer rentable. Look for used furniture in the phone book or call these businesses to inquire how they dispose of used furnishings.

Salvage Yards

Though you may not find furniture in a salvage yard, you will surely find an ever-changing assortment of windows, hardware, moldings, and parts to create your own unique furnishings. Take a look. You may just find an interesting piece or two to use as wall art or as parts for a shelf, table, or bookcase.

Warehouse Outlet Sales

Large retailers may have an annual warehouse sale of furniture and appliances in your area. Watch the newspaper for these events or ask a salesperson how to find out about these sales.

Local Estate Sales and Auctions

Look for these in local newspaper classified sections. Attend the “Preview Day” whenever possible, to check if you are interested in any of the items. It will also be your chance to examine the items close up and ask any questions about them. You may also have time to research prices and determine how much you are willing to pay.

Top 10 Mistakes In Blogging – Part 2/3

This is a continuous part of the 1st article that I have Written Here. Here’s the next 3 major mistakes made by lots of bloggers around the world.

4. Always Use A .COM To Represent Your Blog

Most people who blog online would use free services like blogger to create their own personal blog. However by this do, you are actually not helping yourself in branding your blog to be a professional blog. It is always recommended to get a .COM for your own blog site.

The recommend platform to create any blog is by using the Wordpress free open source software that can be found at this website. 

5. Post Articles Regularly On Your Blog

Blogging can be a real tiring thing to do on a daily basics. However, many fail to realized that if they do not update their blog often the chances of getting your blog exposed on the internet would be lessier.

Infact, I have blog for more then 2 years and what I realized is that when you have more content on your blog. The chances of them been picked up by Google can be pretty high once you know how to target the right keywords on your blog.

This in return can help to bring more traffic to your blog and the best part it’s all free. The recommend amount of articles to be posted is at least one blog post every 3 days.

6. Install Tracking Softwares To Find Out What Your Visitors Are Doing

There are various free tools, you can use to track what your visitors are doing. It’s an important element in onlinebusiness that many people always fail to do. 

With these two tools, you will be able to find out visually what your readers are doing on your blog and you will also be able to track what your readers like to click and read on your blog. Which are important information for you 

7. Interact With Your Readers

An active and successful blog will only be good if they managed to connect to their readers. Getting your readers to interact with you is another important part in blogging. As to what I realized, the more you are able to connect to your readers, the more they are willing to trust you.

Being trust from your readers is important when it comes to selling products to your readers. Once they have trust in you, chances of them getting a recommended product from you would also be higher 

I am going to stop here and post the next part of article in the next post  Mean while, you can find out what I am doing now by following my Twitter here. If you like this post, you may consider clicking here to subscribe to my blog  To get a more comprehensive guide on blogging, I would highly recommend you to get  Full Blogging Guide Book Here   If you have any further comment please do remember to comment below.