Giovanni Livera Blog

What Makes A Great Leader?

Giovanni — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:49:59 +0000

This is not such an easy question to answer. Every great leader in history had their own unique traits that made them truly great, but they did have some things in common. I feel like the world could always use more great leaders, so I thought I would share some of the traits that have been shared by some of the best.

Great Leaders Always Surround Themselves With Smart People

A leader’s success is never an accident and it rarely comes from their work aloe. (If it did, they wouldn’t really be a leader would they?) The leader realizes that there are too many moving parts for one person to control so they delegate some of the other jobs out to their team of talented people and focus on the things that their best at.

Great Leaders Hold People Accountable

Great leaders aren’t afraid to dive right in to the uncomfortable conversations because they know they’re necessary. Leaders always ask

Who is responsible for overseeing it
What are the metrics of success or failure.

And of course they hold those accountable who accepted the responsibility.

Great Leaders Know How To Say Thank You

Success comes from hard work and long hours and no one is willing to give that if they don’t feel appreciated. Great leaders know that a simple thank you can go a long way in inspiring others to produce their best work.

The Science of Spreading The Word

Giovanni — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:56:39 +0000

I came across a really interesting article from FastCoExist that talks about how and why people spread information. The interesting thing about this article is that it’s based on actual sociological experiments. I picked a few of my favorite points to highlight for you.

1. Good Deeds Are Contagious

We naturally imitate the people who surround us. If we see people giving, we are more likely to give. In our 2010 generosity experiment (PDF), we showed that every extra dollar of giving in a game designed to measure altruism caused people who saw that giving to donate an extra twenty cents.

2. The Message Is Amplified When It’s Shared Naturally

There is no shortage of good causes in the world and there is no shortage of messages pushing and pulling at customers to act for the cause. When there’s so much clutter, people stop paying attention. But, if the message is spread within a group of people who have an existing trust between them, the message is amplified.

3. Our Real World Friends Are Online Too

Most people think of online relationships being weaker than ones we have in “real-life”. The truth is that our closest friends are online too and we often use social networking sites as a common touchpoint to them. People share articles, videos and messages with their friends both online and off.

4. Close Friends Matter More

The study shows that any successful attempt to change someone’s behavior usually comes from close relationships like spouses, family or good friends. Not the next-door-neighbor. “Any attempt to change people’s behavior should focus on motivating strong ties rather than broadcasting to a wide range of weak connections.”

The Wise Leader

Giovanni — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:46:54 +0000

No company will survive in the long run if it doesn’t offer value to its customers, create a future that others can’t and maintain the common good.

The Harvard Business Review put together this infographic to show what makes a “Wise Leader”. Even though that is something that can be explained to no end, I think they did a good job summarizing it in this image. Click on the picture below to see the full infographic.

What do you think really makes a leader ‘wise’? Share your thoughts with me on Facebook and Twitter or in the comment box below.

What Makes Your Best Employees So Great?

Giovanni — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:21:30 +0000

First of all, how often to you really take the time to appreciate your employees? Sometimes you get so used to having something great that you start to take it for granted and that’s the last thing you ever want to do as a leader. Your regular methods of evaluation might only be looking for the traits that make your employees “good”. That’s why I think it’s important that you have this list of traits that make employees GREAT, so you know what to look for.

1. They Completely Ignore Their Job Descriptions – They know what they’re supposed to be doing but they don’t let that limit their contributions to the company. They contribute anywhere they think they can help because they care about the success of the organization.

2. They’re A Little…Different - They take pride in being the good kind of odd. Their personality will help transform your team by bringing out that little extra in everyone.

3. They Have It Under Control - These employees won’t let their individuality get in the way of the job that needs to be done. They know when it’s time to be eccentric and fun and when it’s time to buckle down. Their behavior helps to set the tone for the entire group so value both their odd side and their focused side.

4. The Praise Everyone In Front Of Everyone – Your employees love to get praise from you but they also love to hear it from their peers. Your best employees will praise the different members on your team in front of everyone else. This also shows you that they are a team player and value the contributions that their coworkers bring to the table.

5. They Complain To You And You Alone – Your rockstar employees don’t want to shake things up so they bring their problems to you away from the group. They know that complaining to the whole group will only cause more problems and they’re more concerned about finding a solution than they are about being validated or getting an apology.

Your Sense Of Humor Will Pay Off!

Giovanni — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:38:09 +0000

Are Funny People More Successful?

More traditional members of the HR community would tell you that humor is dangerous in the workplace. It’s too easy to offend someone or fall flat or your face with a joke that no one gets or, even worse, thinks is funny. More recent research shows that a well-placed punchline might just pay off.

“Humor has three primary impacts: cognitive, emotional and physiological,” says psychologist Steven Sultanoff, Ph.D., former president of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor.

Humor may actually offer a different perspective on a given situation which helps the employees process it on a more in-depth level. Humor also helps to displace more negative emotions by giving them a positive spin. Your employees might HATE a new policy but a little humor can make it less like the bane of their existence and more like a nuisance.

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter or share your thoughts in the comment box below.

Never Feel Guilty About Having Fun

Giovanni — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:04:56 +0000

Do you have fun at work?

You should, life is fun and work should be no different, especially if you’re doing something you love to do. Fun has several benefits for both you and your employer. If you’re your own boss, then fun has benefits for your team and your business. No matter what your role is in your company, you should be actively trying to have more fun and to make the workplace more fun for others. It’s the key to making sure people enjoy their jobs. When people enjoy their jobs they put more effort into their work, which usually works out well for everyone.

New employees are made to feel welcome.

Meetings are positive and light.

We have fun activities at least once a month.

It’s common to hear people laughing around here.

I can be myself at work.

We have a lot of celebrations for special events.

When brainstorming, we like to have fun.

My boss is usually optimistic and smiling.

Customers would call us fun to do business with.

I have a friend at work who makes me laugh.

We have a good time together.

Do these statements apply to your job? How much fun do you have at work? Click on the image below to take a quiz from the book “The Levity Effect” and find out.

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter or share your thoughts in the comment box below.

The Power Of Critical Thinking

Giovanni — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:23:35 +0000

Let’s admit it, our brains are capable of much more than we use them for. We are all guilty of turning our brain to ‘auto-pilot’ and just floating through the day. I believe that if we take the time to truly and critically think about everything we do we will amaze everyone, including ourselves. Here are six animations designed to help you identify different aspects of critical thinking and learn how to use them to help you think your best.

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter or share your thoughts in the comment box below.

We Can’t All Be Early Birds

Giovanni — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:09:40 +0000

We always hear about how early risers get more done and are more productive. The unfortunate fact is that some of us just aren’t early birds. No matter how much we try to get up early and get moving before that sun comes up, we can’t. That doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from the lessons and insights of those who do. Here are some top secret productivity strategies to help you get more done.

1. Switch Out Your Caffeine For A Workout – Instead of taking 30 minutes to drink your coffee, read the paper and “wake up”, suck it up and go for a jog or a bike ride. Caffeine usually comes with a crash but exercising energizes your entire body.

2. Put Out The Fires – Take care of anything that really NEEDS your attention first thing so you don’t have multiple interruptions throughout your day.

3. Think Ahead – No one likes to work at home but it can save you a lot of stress to plan ahead. Spend about 15 minutes in the evening to organize and plan out your next day. This way you don’t have to exert your scarce supply of energy first thing in the morning.

4. Set aside time to let your brain do what you need it to do, distraction free. Don’t open your e-mail, turn off your phone, and find somewhere no one will find you. This could be in your bed at 6a.m. or at a small coffee shop at 1a.m. The point is that your brain has the time to finish some complete thoughts without being interrupted. You will surprised at how much you can get done in an hour of 0 interruptions.

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter or share your thoughts in the comment box below.

5 Business Rules Your Should Go Ahead And Break

Giovanni — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:12:14 +0000

There is no shortage of advice floating around the world, especially when it comes to business. As this advice gets more widely accepted it becomes a series of “rules” that the majority of people like to follow. The truth is that those rules aren’t going to work for everyone. Here are 6 of them that I think you should go-ahead and break.

1. Never Work With Friends and Family – Be clear about each person’s role and the expectations that you have for them and you won’t have any problems. There are plenty of successful businesses out there run by families and best friends.

2. Get Your MBA – You will learn more from experience in the business world than you ever could in a classroom. Learn from every opportunity you get and learn from the people you know. THat all combined is better than any MBA.

3. You Need A Business Plan – Sometimes you have to wing-it a little bit before you know exactly where you’re going.

4.Never Work For Free – Don’t need a paycheck to get value from a work experience. If you have an opportunity to learn a new skill or develop one of your skills to another level, take it!

5. Diversify Your Client Base – There’s nothing wrong with selling to your own tribe of people who happen to be very similar. Don’t exhaust your resources trying to sell to people who don’t want or don’t need what you’re selling just for the sake of having a diverse client base.

Replacing Negative Thoughts

Giovanni — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:58:04 +0000

Negative thoughts don’t do anyone any good. They bring down your mood and outlook which in turn makes the entire day seem longer and less enjoyable. They also keep you from doing your best or being your best. If you want to be more successful and happier in general you have to get rid of some of those dragging and nagging thoughts.

Here are a few ways to drop some of those negative thoughts…1. Listen to your favorite song2. Go somewhere you love to go or somewhere you haven’t been but always wanted to see. 3. Grab one of your favorite books or a new book you know you’ll love.4. Take a nap.5. Spend time with your loved ones. Friends, family, all of the above. 6. Spend some time doing one of your favorite hobbies. Playing music, taking photos, writing, etc. 7. Write your thoughts down on paper and then throw them away. 8. Cook one of your favorite meals. 9. Go for a walk. 10. Get or give a hug.Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter or share your thoughts in the comment box below.