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"Inspiration is the most used and abused word in our daily existence. Whether it is business, politics, sports, or any other endeavor of life, inspiration is considered to be the panacea or silver bullet which can transform personal lives and propel organizations to unbelievable heights.
No wonder, everyone (individuals and organizations alike) is constantly seeking this transformational wonder and are expending an enormous amount of money and time in this search. It has come to such frenzy that a large number of experts have surfaced as inspirational gurus and are having a brisk commercial business by offering their expertise to inspire individuals and organizations. However, despite this obsession to master the art of inspiration, most individuals and organizations do not achieve their desired goals and keep on guessing what went wrong."
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"Let's get a few things straight right from the start: Leadership is not about coming to work on time, dressing professionally or having a firm handshake. Leadership is not about 200 carefully worded phrases or five shortcuts to credibility. Leadership is not about calling people out or gloating. The moment you think, 'I've got this' is the very same moment you've lost it. Leadership is one of the hardest things you will ever do. And make no mistake about this... you are on your own.
This leadership discussion is not about correcting something that is wrong in a performance review kind of way. I walk in the shoes of a leader every day and don't always come out on top. It's what we as leaders choose to do when we are at the bottom that defines us.
There are leadership voids to fill in our workgroups, organizations, groups, clubs and communities and you are perfectly positioned with interest and intent to fill. You are selling yourself and your leadership short if you are listening to that voice in your head that is telling you that you can't do this and that this call is meant for someone else.
Listen closely, this call is for you. Leadership is a choice. Sometimes you choose it, other times, it chooses you."
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"Social psychologists have determined that primitive humans, in their struggle for existence, developed the ability to judge other people almost instantly along two categories of perception, which are known as warmth and competence. In fact, all humans have a primal, unconscious ability to make these two crucial judgments with a high degree of speed and accuracy: What are the intentions of this person toward me? And how capable are they of carrying out those intentions? [...]
We apply these warmth and competence judgments in all our relationships, including those involving commercial transactions. Companies and brands have the same capacity to stir up these hard-wired primal passions as people do, and we engage with them on the same basis. We experience feelings of affection and admiration for companies and brands that treat us well, and we feel insult or even rage when we believe that one of those companies has given us poor service or cheated us. [...]
Unfortunately, our studies show that most companies and brands fall well short of customer expectations on both warmth and competence. They are seen as selfish, greedy, and concerned only with their own immediate gain. The constant pressure for faster and larger profits raises the question of whether most of them can ever meet the standards for trust that we all unconsciously expect from everyone we interact with."
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"To compete and win in today's ultracompetitive environment, where consumers are in control and switching costs are very low, the customer experience is more important than ever before. Businesses cannot stand still; they must continue to push the envelope and evolve—not only products, services, and marketing, but also analytics.
[...] Companies with insightful and actionable analytics can respond to the market and their customers quicker than their competitors. Tomorrow's winners will be defined by the innovative strength of the customer experience analytics they use and implement.
The key to measuring this new world of customer experience analytics is to understand the rise of big data. In 2000, only one-quarter of all the stored information in the world was digital; paper, film, and other analog media ruled. No more. With the amount of digital data doubling every three years, as of 2013 less than 2 percent of all stored information is nondigital."
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"Do you have what it takes to make a difference in your nine-to-five job? What if you could restructure your work to do what you love? And, what if it all starts with firing your boss?
Don't Quit Your Job. Fire Your Boss is a manifesto, a change in trajectory for your future. You own the opportunity to be the best at what you're already doing. Asking permission to pursue your dreams and do meaningful work doesn't start with hitting the eject button. Maybe it starts with staying right where you are, but there's a catch: your boss, well, you need to fire him.
Blogger, writer, and career liberator Aaron McHugh shares from his own experience what it took to fire his boss. Creativity, inspiration, and fulfillment mixed with struggle and uncertainty form this type of journey. Only the brave are willing to make this disruptive shift in their career. Yet for every convert there is a guarantee of the most fulfilling, challenging, and liberating work you've always wanted.
Make the change. Read this book, and then go fire your boss."
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