Why do you want to work here? How to answer the million-dollar question

Whether on an application form or at interview, the question "why do you want to work here?" is one that you will undoubtedly encounter in any job hunt. 

Every employer needs to know that you really want to work for them; a new recruit who is enthusiastic about their company will work harder, be more productive and ultimately stay longer. 

While it seems like a fairly innocuous question, "why do you want to work here?" can be difficult to answer really well; it's easy for a reply to be too short or generic. 

Here are some pointers for making your answer stand out from the crowd: 

Research 
As with many aspects of the job hunt, the key to success lies in thorough research. While the company's homepage is a great place to start, you'll need to go beyond basic facts and figures to really impress. 

Look for news articles about the company – what recent successes and challenges have they faced? Has there been anything in the press about the industries they work in? Search to see if the company has a YouTube channel; if so watch some of their recent videos and see what information you can glean. Sites like glass door and the job crowd provide great insights into a company's culture. 

Avoid simply regurgitating everything you have read. Your potential employer will want to know that you have taken the time to research their organisation, digested and understood your findings. 

For example, if a company describes its culture as progressive, don't say: "I like the progressive culture of the company." Instead, say: "At company X, you aren't afraid to try new ways of doing things and always strive to stay ahead of your competitors. That's something I really admire." 

Topics to talk about and ones to avoid 
There are five main topics that you can talk about when answering the question "why do you want to work here?": 

• What the organisation actually does – the product/service it provides and what interests you about it. 

• The organisation's culture – what it's really like to work there. 

• The organisation's recent successes and the challenges they face. 

• The philosophy and mission behind the organisation. 

• The training and development they offer. 

Rather than spreading your efforts too thinly and reeling off every possible reason you can think of for wanting to work there, focus on two or three of these topics and go into more detail. 

There are several things that you definitely shouldn't talk about when answering the "why here" question. Anything to do with how fantastic the salary, commission or holiday entitlement is – in the majority of cases – are off the menu; it paints the picture of someone who is more interested in the perks than the organisation. 

If on researching a company you are struggling to find anything that piques your interest, it could be time to look elsewhere. Remember that finding a job is a two-way process; as well as the company needing to find out if you are right for them, you must also assess if they are right for you. 

Taking your answer from average to outstanding 
Once you have some solid answers for why you want to work at a company, it's time to take your answer to the next level by adding your reasoning. 

Giving reasons adds credibility to your answer and is an excellent chance to show off, albeit it in a subtle way, about what a fantastic candidate you are. Remember that your application and interview are personal sales pitches – you must weave into every answer why the potential employer should choose you. 

Continuing with the example above, rather than simply saying you admire a company because it strives to find new ways of doing things, you should also talk about how your skills or preferences match this philosophy. 

For example, you might say: "Through interning at company X and fundraising for charity Y, I developed the ability to think of innovative and cost-effective solutions to problems. I know that your company values the ability to find new ways of doing things, so this is one of the reasons I think I would be a great fit for you." 

It's this reflection on what you've researched, and your ability to match up the company's needs and ideals to your own skills and preferences, that will truly impress. 

12 Most Essential Habits for Success

Success. Everyone wants it, but few have it to the degree they would like. What is success? Is it more money, better relationships, emotional well-being, exceptional health?

Whatever your personal definition of success may be, here are a few practices that are guaranteed to get you where you want to be.

1. Read

Several sources indicate that less than 15% of the American population reads with any regularity. Information is ubiquitous, but unfortunately, most people are taking in frivolous information. Reading is making a deliberate choice as to what you introduce to your psyche. If you want to get ahead, this is not an optional activity.
(Just a an aside — aimlessly surfing the web does not count.)

2. Question

Don’t question for the sake of being argumentative. Question for the sake of clarification and comprehension. Make sure that the beliefs you hold are your own and not inherited conclusions.

3. Create a diverse circle of friends and associates

Establishing a broad range of individuals you interact with ensures that you remain open-minded. More possibilities and opportunities exist for those who can see beyond their own biases.

4. Reflect

It’s never a good thing to wallow in the past. However, it is beneficial to evaluate what worked well, what didn’t, and what needs to be revised. You can’t drive looking in the rear view mirror, but you do need to know your position at any given time.

5. Look ahead

Ongoing success requires that you be a visionary. Nothing stays the same. Just because you have had success in the past does not mean you will have it in the future by doing the same thing. Anticipate changes and act accordingly allowing room for flexibility.

6. Learn to delegate

Although it’s a good idea to have a working knowledge of processes that directly affect you, it is impossible to be a master of all. Don’t waste your genius by trying to conquer the tasks in which you lack efficiency.

7. Prioritize

Everything cannot happen at once. Focus on what is most important at the moment. Scattered energy will only yield scattered results.

8. Challenge yourself

Success is a dynamic state. It grows as you grow. Challenging yourself forces you to enlarge your comfort zone. By doing so, you enlarge your sphere of accomplishment.

9. Reframe failure

The things that don’t work can still work for you. Failed attempts are simply navigation tools. Use them for fine-tuning your approach. There’s always something to be learned if you choose to see it that way.

10. Share

Keeping success to yourself will always limit you in how much you can experience. The act of sharing the fruits of your success or “secrets” of your success will always come back to you exponentially.

11. Rest

No one can sustain a go-go-go approach without consequence. Take the time to rejuvenate in ways that work specifically for you. We give all of our devices time to recharge to full capacity. We owe ourselves the same courtesy.

12. Align with purpose

This is the secret sauce of success. It comes most easily when you are aligned with your true purpose. The elements of passion and personal meaning add that cosmic fuel that elevates individual success to un imagined levels. Find the path that is meant for you and achievement is a given.

Top tips for Skype interviews

From inappropriate posters in the background to sipping on a beer, Skype interviews can make job seekers either feel even more nervous than usual or as though they're off the hook. 

And they're on the rise. 18% of candidates have experienced a video interview in the past year, more than double the amount from a year ago, according to a survey by right management. 82% of hiring managers have used Skype, and 6% have used pre-recorded platforms. 

Although people are used to being on video to family and friends, with a potential employer on the other end there are a few things you need to think about: 

Preparation is key 
You're in control of what shows on the screen so make sure you set the scene ahead of time, considering the right lighting and surroundings. 

Tracy Johnson, founder of Brain box Consulting says: "Be aware of what is on the wall behind you. Tatty posters and an unmade bed won't make the best impression. Check out the alignment of your camera and screen too – you may not actually be making eye contact with the interviewer and this can interfere with developing that all-important connection." 

As for a regular interview, you also need to think about what to wear. You'll only be seen from the waist up, so you might be tempted to dress down, but this can be a risky strategy. 

"Your interviewer will only find out that you're in your pyjamas if you have to stand up to get something, so strictly speaking your can wear what you like. However, being in business dress might make you feel the part and help with your performance," says Joanna Keilt, consultant at Futureboard.

You may also want to think about doing a mock interview to see if you need to adapt your style for technology. Mike Higgins, career coach at this is my path, says: "If you can, do a dry run with a friend or someone who is a regular interviewer. If you are feeling brave, you can even record it and play back later. Pick out two things that you would like to improve for next time." 

Have a plan B 
While there's no worry you'll be held up by a late train, or get lost finding the right building, there is always the potential for technical issues. Make sure you know who is making the call and sign in early. 

Keilt says: "Download Skype well in advance of the interview and make sure you have a practice call to a friend to iron out any issues. Also, where possible, use headphones and a microphone to conduct the interview: this helps prevent feedback. If you can't hear your interviewer, let them know so they can try to fix the problem." 

Honesty is the best policy if you have issues. If you can't sort it out, suggest rearranging the call or using a phone for the audio, and skype for the video. 

During the interview 
Something you may not have thought about is social interaction and how your body language comes across on camera. A Skype interview gives you less time to make a positive impression, says Tracy Johnson. 

"You need to develop a rapport with the interviewer as quickly as possible. Think about your non-verbal communication: make lots of eye contact, smile and sit up straight. Roll your shoulders back and down so that you have good posture, open your chest and speak clearly." 

Mike Higgins agrees: "With audio and video channels, less body language information is transmitted, so focus on matching the tone and pace of your voice to the message you are trying to convey. If you say you are excited about a project, sound excited. If there is a mismatch between tone and message, the interviewer will go with the former rather than the latter." 

If you can't Skype at home 
If you don't have the right technology for the interview at home, you need to think carefully about where to do it. 

"If you don't have Skype at home, then ask your university or college careers service if they have a room that you can use – some will offer you a room for a telephone interview too," says Tracy Johnson. 

"If you have to interview in a public place, let your interviewer know in advance, says Joanna Keilt. "Arranging an interview outside of lunchtime hours should mean that the coffee shop or café is less crowded. Avoid main roads at all costs."

12 Most Lasting Skills to Develop a Leadership Bond with your Employees

Countless books, essays, seminars and studies have been conducted on defining and identifying the traits and characteristics that make up a strong, effective business leader. If you are in business, then one should assume you have spent a little time on this subject and since there are no new ideas doubtless many of the items on this list will be familiar, but hopefully I have presented them in a way that may be more tangible.

These are the top activities that a manager, owner or executive can do to inspire a sense of leadership within their organization, something I call the leadership bond. These topics will have more of an affect on the culture within an organization than the direction the corporation takes in business operations — someone can lead a company into bankruptcy just as effectively as to market domination, but still you will be hard pressed to find a successful company that does not have strong and, most importantly, recognized leadership at the top.

1. Know your business

Most franchises are weakest in this area as they are designed and promoted as businesses opportunities for someone with little or no knowledge of the specific business they are entering. They provide varying degrees of training depending on the franchisor and the business model but one will always see within a franchise a lack of sense of leadership from the staff to the owner during the critical first few years. They go to the owner with a problem and the owner lacks the experience to assist. It usually takes 3-5 years of hands on work experience for an owner to develop enough knowledge to instill a sense of confidence with the staff.

Doing everything you can to understand the business you operate in is critical for your company. This includes understanding the aspects of the operations you might not be involved in day to day. If you are in manufacturing, you might understand the product you produce, how your client uses the product, but not the equipment you own that manufactures it, or the raw materials required for production.

Find the time to learn this aspect; don’t be afraid to work on the floor alongside you staff. You don’t have to be an expert but you need to have a broad understanding of all that your company does. If you can’t spend time in production, then ask for detailed reports explaining these activities. You should keep a file on every department, or position within the company with an explanation of what goes on there.

2. Know your staff

Of course this is dependant on the size of your company, but the more you know your staff, the more they will look on you as involved and interested in them. Some will say this is manipulation and it certainly could be but that misses the point. It is human nature to want to be recognized and to engage with each other, showing an interest in knowing your staff, learning about their families and history will create a bond of trust and respect from the staff. These emotional links are critical for trust and loyalty that are foundations of leadership. By the way, unless you are borderline sociopathic, you too will be more connected to the staff through this process and have a better understanding of their strengthens and how they may contribute to the company in the future.

3. Involve people

The most important job of a leader is to make decisions, and direct the company in a profitable and successful manner. How this is accomplished is unique to the leader, the industry they work in and structure of the company. But if the company has more than one employee then there is a necessity to involve people. For anyone to make good decisions they need information and leaders will rely on staff to provide this information, but just as important for the staff is the act of being involved, in providing data, analysis and opinion for the leader to weigh and consider. Huge, far reaching, sleep depriving decisions usually involve days of discussion and data analysis, investing hours of work before a leader will act. The employee providing the market data, or sales data or SWAT analysis will feel invested and involved but more importantly, they will have a sense of responsibility to the person making the decision. It is interesting that this feeling of responsibility to leadership is instilled whether the decision is big or small; involving people at any level strengthens the leadership bond.

4. Listen

My wife, who I also work with, would say this is my weakest area and I would agree that I tend to drift when the topic of the conversation moves away from the original intent. Everyone has been in a situation when you are trying to explain something to someone and they are distracted or just not paying attention. If you are the boss and one of your employees is speaking to you then you have two choices: commit to listening to what they are saying or stop the employee and ask to continue the conversation at a later point — explaining that you think this is an important topic and you want to give it your undivided attention which is not possible at the moment. As long as you do not have a reputation of using the latter and then never returning to the employee with this topic, you will strengthen the leadership bond by demonstrating respect.

5. Delegate

If you can do it all yourself then you’re not very good at what you do; besides it is engrained in business leaders to grow and expand, and you can’t do that without delegating to others. Delegation is a complex activity and can be defined in many ways. In general , I view delegation as the transfer of responsibilities I currently hold to someone else so I can spend more time on higher leverage activities. As an example, I oversee multiple sales people working with different geographical territories and in order for me to focus on emerging markets I will transfer the management of the individual sales team to a team leader. They will perform the controlling I previously did and report to me on a regular basis. I did not create a new activity, but simply transferred the responsibility to someone I felt was capable of managing it. When it is done correctly you strengthen the trust with the person receiving the new responsibilities. It is an emotional raise (delegation does not necessarily need to be accompanied with an increase in compensation). If there is high degree of trust within the staff, even the people not affected by the transfer of responsibility will be empowered by the principle that they too can be recognized and advance within the company.

6. Self evaluate

Answer a simple question — can you be better at what you do? If you answered no, then please jump to the next section — but if you answered yes, then you need to analyze your skills and look for ways to improve. Techniques for self-evaluation are simple, you can ask for feedback from staff, you can bring in consultants to review your performance or you can simply look in the mirror although I would recommend the first two. Regardless, this should not be done as some secret mission — regularly and openly, you should ask for feedback from staff. Bringing in an independent consultant in addition to the staff feedback provides a comfortable barrier and prevents staff from feeling they may have to withhold information out of fear of reprisal (of course you would hope that there would be enough trust for this not to happen it is sometimes not fair to expect this). Keeping the process open and doing it regularly will demonstrate to the staff you want to be better, that you expect improvement from yourself and that you trust them enough to know you acknowledge your limitations but it is important that you make concerted efforts to improve on at least one deficiency after each evaluation. After all, we do not measure effort but results.

7. Practice humility

Of all the virtues a leader can demonstrate, strength, courage, conviction even honesty (we will get into that a little more in the next section) — I feel humility has the most influence on the leadership bond. Genuine humility allows for people to connect at the basic level of human nature. You are acting in a way that says, “This is not about me, this is about us. I am flawed but we overcome that. I am not better, I am equal but together we are great.” In addition to the immense personal benefits that humility brings to the individual, it is also the opposite of arrogance and nothing will tear down the leadership bond faster. One only needs to look at the life of Gandhi or Mother Teresa to see the direct relationship between personal humility and leadership, it is that powerful. Anything you can do to repress arrogance will make you a stronger leader.

8. Define integrity and apply it

I had the privilege of attending a presentation by my brother-in-law, Ralph Dandrea, president and CEO of ITX Corp. He is a brilliant leader and businessman and much more suited to write about these topics than me. His presentation dealt with the topic of integrity and profitability in business and it started with the premise that integrity is defined as “Doing what you say you are going to do and cleaning up your mess when you don’t.” It seems like a simple maybe ambiguous definition, but if you look at it closely you will see the brilliance.

In a perfect world you would say integrity implies morality. Someone with the highest level of integrity always keeps their word, always tells the truth, always has the best intentions as their motivation. In business and in life this is not possible — please don’t respond to me that we should always tell the truth, that we should never break a promise, or that we should always put the best before the good — this is idiotic.

Focusing on business, one has to have core principals in place to guide the organization. These principals need to both inflexible and flexible. Inflexible in that they glue the corporate vision to the ethics you instill and flexible so that you accommodate human judgment and flaws without failing to reach the goal. As an example, if you have a core principle that you will not break a promise to a client, then how do you respond when you promised not to back order a specific item but the manufacturer could not deliver? Do you change your principal to say you will not make promises? That’s not workable, promises or guarantees are required for businesses. What about honesty? Always be honest, but anyone in sales has heard from a client, “Is this price the absolute lowest you can go on this item?” Do you want your sales department giving away your entire margin?

Defining integrity in this way allows your staff to function according to the principals you value while accommodating unexpected situations. It states, without confusion, they need to keep their word and to do whatever is required to fix a situation and when they can’t. It doesn’t limit them nor does it absolve them of responsibility. Notice it doesn’t say “keep your word and the company will bail you out if something happens,” it is still their responsibility.

How does this strengthen the leadership bond? Simple — an employee who is trusted to make commitments and to fix problems will be more loyal to leadership. In addition, an employee who has a clear understanding of the values and principals the company operates under and if entrusted to protect, will out of respect be more careful not to subject the company and the leadership to a situation where they have violated them.

One last thought on this subject, this goes beyond client relationships — by defining integrity for your company and requiring everyone to operate with integrity, it becomes a system wide process — employee interactions, personal tasks and responsibilities, etc.

9. Communicate

We discussed listening, which is in my opinion the most important part of communication. But the rest needs to be mentioned also. Within companies, information flows up, instructions flow down and sometimes that is it, but people like to know the “why” of things, especially if there is a change. Providing communication, especially after a moderate to large decision has been made, is very important to the staff. If you have involved someone for information you needed, then follow up with that person after you make the decision and thank that person for the effort. If there was an opinion provided for a possible outcome and you make a different decision, then it is very important to sit with that person and explain why you are going in a different direction. They are invested and you need them to continue to provide thoughts in the future even if you don’t agree or can’t agree at this time.

10. Celebrate achievement

Do you want to instill loyalty, respect and a sense of pride in a job well done? Celebrate achievement. As a leader you have the responsibility to lift up the people following you, acknowledge skills and ability in people, and shine a light on anybody exceeding expectations. I have never been a big advocate about rewarding the expected — showing up for work everyday on time or not taking sick days when you are not sick does go very far with me. Even hitting a sales target has its limits but exceed this expectation and I think you deserve to be celebrated, and for the employee being recognized it means more then you can measure.

How you do this is up to you — it could be that you take that employee to lunch, or they are mentioned in the company newsletter. Flowers, pizza, a bonus — it doesn’t matter, but what does matter is that you make a person connection to that person — if not you, then the highest supervisor that can needs to celebrate the achievement with the employee.

11. Make yourself available

Leaders are generally busy people. If you are like me, finding time for everyone that needs attention is a struggle. Be sure to make this happen — when you are in the office there should be a few times during the day that for 10-15 minutes, people can just stop to ask a question or run an idea past you. A request for a meeting or a call needs to be placed at the top of the task list and respond to email at least twice per day, even if just to say you received it and will respond fully by a set time. Employees that know they can contact you when needed and you respond, are far more productive and even far more independent in their work.

I have had a number of people come to work for me from organizations where reaching the boss was like reaching customer support at a cell phone company. When they start they reach out to me with the expectation I am not available. Surprise is the usual response when I answer the phone or return the call within a few minutes. For the first few weeks I tend to receive more calls from these people than anyone else as they get accustomed to being able to speak to the boss but within a month these employees are acting independently and functioning at a high level of productivity. It is sometimes me calling them  or stopping by to check things. Making yourself available instills a sense of security and safety with the person, they are not alone.

12. Stay focused

Nothing can disrupt a company more than a flaky leader. Generally,a company is full of single task employees — it is their job to do this one thing or oversee this one department, run this piece of equipment or care for this one responsibility. The exception is the person at the top — you are looking for new opportunities, making sure the clients are being taken care of, thinking about efficiencies, worrying about the competitors, etc. You have to do this, and you probably love to do this, otherwise you wouldn’t be doing it but for your employees it can be a little unnerving to have a leader who can’t stay on-topic in meetings, who is bringing new business to the table while old business is still unresolved and is running around like a gerbil on crack.

Staying focused and on topic will allow your staff to stay focused. Remember, they are following you and although you may love being in the crashing surf, many do not. If you drag them along it won’t be long before they tire of the intensity of it all. Keep meetings focused, keep discussions on track, and tell your staff to remind you if you are the one drifting. Keep timetables on projects — don’t allow a new project to be started unless an existing one has been completed. All this will instill confidence with the people who work for you and that as a leader you can get to the destination with as few delays as possible.

The top 10 handshakes

10 different handshake types, what they reveal about the person and how you can use this knowledge to your advantage. 

1. Sweaty Palms
When a person is nervous their sympathetic nervous system often becomes overactive, sometimes resulting in sweaty palms. Do what you can to put this individual at ease.

2. Dead Fish
Indifferent handshakes that feel like the person has no bones in their hand often indicate a passive or reserved personality. This handshake ranks as the number two least favored. Individuals with this type of clasp are generally not people-focused. Knowing this, you can tailor your presentation to de-emphasize the people aspect and focus more on the mechanical or thing-focused benefits. Exceptions to this rule might be musicians and surgeons whose livelihood depends on sensitive hands and who are therefore reluctant to open up to a bone crusher.

3. Brush Off This handshake type is a quick grasp and then a release that feels like your hand being shoved aside. This handshake is a statement of “it’s my turf and my agenda that matters, yours doesn’t.” Listen first to what the person wants before talking about your ideas for them.

4. Controller
You feel your hand being pulled toward the person or strongly guided in a different direction, perhaps towards a chair. People who do this are controllers. This means they want to dominate any inanimate or animate object in the room (and that would include you). If your goals are different than theirs there may be challenges ahead. Do more listening than talking and see if you can find common ground so these individuals can control the situation toward your desired objective.

5. Politician
Your hand is firmly grasped as in a normal handshake. However, their other hand may cover yours or be placed on your forearm or shoulder. Unless the two of you are good friends, this is a form of false sincerity. The person is attempting to communicate that the two of you have a deeper relationship than you actually have. After receiving this kind of handshake, I recommend you check your pockets or purse to see if anything is missing. Similarly, be cautious about relying on this person’s word for anything and be attentive in your dealings with them.

6. Finger Vice
When someone grabs your fingers and not your entire hand it is meant to keep you at a distance. These people are often insecure. If they also crush your fingers they are adding a show of personal power, which is also designed to keep you at a distance or at least create some fear of challenging them. I wouldn’t recommend becoming submissive, however it will serve your purpose to be somewhat deferential to them.

7. Bone Crusher
The message of squeezing your hand until you cringe is clearly designed to intimidate you. Even when the person may not know how strong they are, there is still a message of intimidation and power behind the grip. You don’t have to pretend to be a wimp with them, and, in fact, they may respond positively to you if you present yourself with strength. Just don’t get into a hand-squeezing contest when you shake because then it becomes a competition and even if you win, you’ll lose.

8. Lobster Claw Like the claw of a lobster, the other person’s thumb and fingers touch the palm of your hand. The person doing this fears connecting at a deep level and may have challenges building relationships. Take your time. Allow them to open up at their own pace. As they become more comfortable with you their handshake may actually change. Once they fully accept you, they can become a client for life.

9. Hand Wrestler
Your hand is taken normally and then twisted under the other person’s. This is usually done aggressively. Be very careful in your own presentation as this person is absolutely committed to being on top, regardless of what they say they want.

10. Teacup
This handshake feels normal except that there is no palm-to-palm contact. The other person’s palm is cupped, like a teacup. This handshake indicates that the person is hiding something from you. It might just be a serious case of shyness or it could be something more substantial. Always check for missing information when working with this individual.

5 Ways to Uncover the Why Behind Your Digital Data

In the era of big data, there is no shortage of information for monitoring the effectiveness of your websites, mobile sites, and apps. Most companies with a digital presence have dashboards full of marketing metrics, Web analytics, and voice of the customer data.

But when these data sources suggest a problem on your digital properties, it's challenging to determine what to fix or how to fix it. Getting to the root cause requires a deep examination of the underlying user experience.

• What user experience issues caused the problem?
• Which improvements will make the biggest positive impact?
• How do you measure and demonstrate the impact of your changes?

Here are five down and dirty ways to get at the "why" behind your data. It all starts with intercepting customers with a few survey questions about their experiences just after they have interacted with your digital products.

1. Ask users why they came to your website and if they were successful in their intended tasks. This questioning allows you to pinpoint problematic aspects of your digital property by seeing areas of failure immediately.
2. Include several open-ended questions to find out "why" users failed their tasks. Reading these comments directly from customers will be revolutionary. Suddenly, you will know more than ever about why some website pages are performing better than others.
3. Pose a few key business questions about such matters as how they rate your brand and how likely they are to purchase from you. Pick the questions most important to your company. You can use these metrics to do a statistical analysis, and to find out which task experiences have the most impact on your business. The results of this analysis should provide solid direction for prioritizing where to make changes.
4. Run your intercept survey continuously on your digital properties in order to measure the impact of changes you have made over time. Continuous feedback from customers will also help you pinpoint problems early and make changes before they have a hugely negative drain on the business.
5. Invite users to be included in a community of customers for follow-up discussion. If you're having trouble convincing others in your company to make big change, a video clip illustrating user experience problems straight from the mouths of customers can be extremely persuasive. Invite customers to have further dialogue with you and record for others to see.

12 Most Valuable Lessons Learned from Steve Jobs

Many people have explained what one can learn from Steve Jobs. But few, if any, of these people have been inside the tent and experienced first hand what it was like to work with him. I don’t want any lessons to be lost or forgotten, so here is a list of the top 12 lessons that are learned from Steve Jobs.

1. Experts are clueless

Experts — journalists, analysts, consultants, bankers and gurus — can’t “do” so they “advise.” They can tell you what is wrong with your product, but they cannot make a great one. They can tell you how to sell something, but they cannot sell it themselves. They can tell you how to create great teams, but they only manage a secretary. For example, the experts told us that the two biggest shortcomings of Macintosh in the mid 1980s were the lack of a daisy-wheel printer driver and Lotus 1-2-3; another advice gem from the experts was to buy Compaq. Hear what experts say, but don’t always listen to them.

2. Customers cannot tell you what they need

“Apple market research” is an oxymoron. The Apple focus group was the right hemisphere of Steve’s brain talking to the left one. If you ask customers what they want, they will tell you, “Better, faster and cheaper” — that is, better sameness, not revolutionary change. They can only describe their desires in terms of what they are already using — around the time of the introduction of Macintosh, all people said they wanted was better, faster and cheaper MS-DOS machines. The richest vein for tech startups is creating the product that you want to use — that’s what Steve and Woz did.

3. Jump to the next curve

Big wins happen when you go beyond better sameness. The best daisy-wheel printer companies were introducing new fonts in more sizes. Apple introduced the next curve: laser printing. Think of ice harvesters, ice factories and refrigerator companies. Ice 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. Are you still harvesting ice during the winter from a frozen pond?

4. The biggest challenges beget the best work

I lived in fear that Steve would tell me that I, or my work, was garbage. In public. This fear was a big challenge. Competing with IBM and then Microsoft was a big challenge. Changing the world was a big challenge. I, and Apple employees before me and after me, did their best work because we had to do our best work to meet the big challenges.

5. Design counts

Steve drove people nuts with his design demands — some shades of black weren’t black enough. Mere mortals think that black is black, and that a trash can is a trash can. Steve was such a perfectionist — a perfectionist Beyond: Thunderdome — and low and behold he was right: some people care about design and many people at least sense it. Maybe not everyone, but the important ones.

6. You can’t go wrong with big graphics and big fonts

Take a look at Steve’s slides. The font is 60 points. There’s usually one big screenshot or graphic. Look at other tech speaker’s slides — even the ones who have seen Steve in action. The font is eight points, and there are no graphics. So many people say that Steve was the world’s greatest product introduction guy… don’t you wonder why more people don’t copy his style?

7. Changing your mind is a sign of intelligence

When Apple first shipped the iPhone there was no such thing as apps. Apps, Steve decreed, were a bad thing because you never know what they could be doing to your phone. Safari Web apps were the way to go until six months later when Steve decided, or someone convinced Steve, that apps were the way to go — but of course. Duh! Apple came a long way in a short time from Safari web apps to “there’s an app for that.”

8. “Value” is different from “price”

Woe unto you if you decide everything based on price. Even more woe unto you if you compete solely on price. Price is not all that matters — what is important, at least to some people, is value. And value takes into account training, support and the intrinsic joy of using the best tool that’s made. It’s pretty safe to say that no one buys Apple products because of their low price.

9. “A” players hire A+ players

Actually, Steve believed that A players hire A players — that is, people who are as good as they are. I refined this slightly — my theory is that A players hire people even better than themselves. It’s clear, though, that B players hire C players so they can feel superior to them, and C players hire D players. If you start hiring B players, expect what Steve called “the bozo explosion” to happen in your organization.

10. Real CEOs demo

Steve jobs could demo a pod, pad, phone and Mac two to three times a year with millions of people watching, so why is it that many CEOs call upon their vice-president of engineering to do a product demo? Maybe it’s to show that there’s a team effort in play. Maybe. It’s more likely that the CEO doesn’t understand what his/her company is making well enough to explain it. How pathetic is that?

11. Real CEOs ship

For all his perfectionism, Steve could ship. Maybe the product wasn’t perfect every time, but it was almost always great enough to go. The lesson is that Steve wasn’t tinkering for the sake of tinkering — he had a goal: shipping and achieving worldwide domination of existing markets or creation of new markets. Apple is an engineering-centric company, not a research-centric one. Which would you rather be: Apple or Xerox PARC?

12. Marketing boils down to providing unique value

Think of a 2 x 2 matrix. The vertical axis measures how your product differs from the competition. The horizontal axis measures the value of your product. Bottom right: valuable but not unique — you’ll have to compete on price. Top left: unique but not valuable — you’ll own a market that doesn’t exist. Bottom left: not unique and not value — you’re a bozo. Top right: unique and valuable — this is where you make margin, money, and history. For example, the iPod was unique and valuable because it was the only way to legally, inexpensively, and easily download music from the six biggest record labels.

12 Most Victorious “V” Virtues of Great Leaders

1. Valiant

English dramatist, Phillip Massinger, once penned, “He is not valiant that dares die, but he that boldly bears calamity.” Here is my take on this quote — it can be a “cop out” for leaders to set themselves up to become martyrs. Great leaders “boldly bear calamity” and keep their organizations going strong through all circumstances.

2. Validating

When is the last time you spontaneously complimented a teammate or employee (or a loved one for that matter)? I know I can always improve in this aspect of leadership and relationship. Great leaders validate the strengths and efforts of their people — even when the efforts fall short.

3. Vehement

This is one of those traits that can go either way: an asset or a liability. To be “vehement” is to be earnest, fervent — perhaps even fiery! If you’ve followed my thought process throughout this ABCs of Leadership series, you know I favor the passionate!

“People do not care what you know until they know that you care.” Give me an earnest, fiery leader who cares about the people and the company versus just a bottom-line. Good leaders care about the bottom-line. GREAT leaders achieve bottom-line results by caring.

4. Verifiable

I was part of a Google+ Hangout recently with the Influence Marketing boys (Sam Fiorella and Danny Brown), and we had a lively discussion around influence scoring in general — and LinkedIn endorsements specifically! Some people are gamifying endorsements to the point they are endorsing connections without firsthand knowledge that those connections have the endorsed skill set.

A great leader’s expertise is verifiable and organizations should do due diligence versus relying on something as simple as LinkedIn endorsements and +K’s in Klout.

5. Versatile

Speaking of LinkedIn, I do think the “Skills and Expertise” section is ideal for displaying the versatility of leaders (if you set aside the gamified endorsements). Great leaders are not one-trick wonders when it comes to talents. That allows them to adapt to volatile circumstances when “Plan A” doesn’t work and they have to rely on other strengths in order to succeed.

6. Veteran

Young leaders are our future, but we would all be best served if those young leaders rolled under the tutelage of the great leaders of today. These young leaders need to cultivate their own versatility, and overcome struggles when “Plan A” fails before assuming the mantle of huge responsibility.

7. Vibrant

High energy attitudes are contagious. Great leaders bring vibrant vitality, and they foster that attitude throughout the organization so that it becomes a sustainable part of the corporate culture.

8. Victorious

Losers do not keep a following for long, right? Great leaders are ultimately victorious and we want proof of past victories before tying our fortunes to leaders regardless of how charismatic they may be. And great leaders cannot rest on past accomplishments! They need to get up each morning with the intent and drive to be victorious.

9. Vigilant

Colin Powell said, “Never neglect details. When everyone’s mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant.” Great leaders must remain doubly vigilant — especially during successful times when our common sense may become dulled.

10. Virtuous

Throughout this ABCs of Leadership series, I’ve talked about words such as chivalrous… honorable… integrity… knightly — virtuous fits in this list of traits that I personally value the most. Great leaders need competence and the true ability to lead others. However, I’ll compromise some natural leadership ability in my leaders if I know they are uncompromisingly virtuous.

11. Visionary

Good leaders are capable of executing on a corporate vision statement. Great leaders are truly visionary when preparing vision statements and corporate goals. They move past the “lip service” frequently associated with vision statements and they help us BELIEVE.

12. Voracious

Another common theme in this series is how energy and eagerness are contagious. Voracious leaders not only lead — they are also eager participants in all aspects of company life: strategy meetings, community outreach, company parties and activities.

The word “voracious” is also used when describing “voracious readers.” Great leaders are always learning and improving, so many of them are voracious readers and “students of the game” when it comes to leadership.

12 Most Influential Books to Help Grow Team Leaders

Effective Team Leaders are always looking for ways to inform, inspire, and grow their people. How about books?

Business managers, school principals, and athletic coaches are all tasked with making their organization more successful but… the best way to ensure you develop and improve your organization is to develop and inspire your people!

The following list of titles is a tremendous resource for introducing and discussing ideas that will improve the people in your organization. Great team leaders realize that building a better sales force, or faculty, or athletic program is not achieved by providing content area knowledge and training only. Phil Jackson, who has coached two different organizations to a total of nine NBA Championship titles, is famous for giving his players books to read during their season together. But he did not give them books about basketball — he knew that to perform well as athletes, they needed to grow as people and teammates.

Take a look at the following list of the twelve most influential books to grow team leaders. As you read each title and its brief description, consider who on your team would benefit from the gift of its lessons and insights.

1. Leadership and Self Deception

This is a book by The Arbinger Institute that shares a parable about a business executive who is struggling both at work and at home. The main character eventually comes to find that much of his struggle is the result of being “in the box” — and his development is keyed by the realization that most of our problems are the result of self-deception and justifying self-serving behaviors. It is a powerful story that illustrates how we can sometimes “unwittingly sabotage relationships at work and at home.”

2. Made to Stick

People don’t just want to be heard, they want to be remembered. Chip and Dan Heath wrote this terrific collection of ideas and examples of how to make your ideas stick. All “sticky” messages throughout history have shared a few common traits, and if you are interested in crafting your messages to help them become viral and/or memorable, this book shares a number of useful suggestions. Be sure to have a highlighter handy as you flip through each chapter!

3. The Greatest Salesman in the World

Although the word “salesman” is found in the title, this book by Og Mandino is far less about sales than it is about living a quality life. The main character, Hafid, is in a short book that was first published in 1968 — but the 12 lessons that are shared by his mentor are tremendously powerful if they are followed each day. Profound in its simplicity, it will be a book that you want to read and reread throughout your life to be reminded of the priorities and principles it offers.

4. Success is a Choice

Rick Pitino is an impressive and successful basketball coach. This book gives us a valuable insight into why he has been so successful at every one of his coaching stops along the way. One of the main lessons it offers is that great teams must “deserve success.” Each point he makes, while relevant to teams in any field or industry, is supported by examples from his time at Kentucky. It is very effective as a collection of messages intended to help you and your organization understand how to build a culture of over achievement.

5. Soup

This book by Jon Gordon is a fable, much like his book The Energy Bus. What sets this story apart is its focus on building a great team and the importance of complimentary ingredients. Built on the idea that virtually every success is based upon the quality of the relationships you share with others, this story is a terrific reminder that team building begins with someone being willing to “stir the pot” and promote positive change.

6. The Five Love Languages

The golden rule is what we were taught as kids, but this book by Gary Chapman shares information that will help your people move beyond that paradigm and begin to enjoy the benefits of the “platinum rule.” Instead of treating people the way you want to be treated, we should treat people according to how they want to be treated. This is a powerful idea and is similar in importance to understanding team personality types and leadership style of influence that your teammates bring to the table.

7. Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins

No matter how knowledgeable or skilled you may be in your field, the ability to inspire and influence others is a requirement to accomplish truly great things. The power of stories is a tool that many teammates can benefit from discovering. In this “how-to” manual by Annette Simmons, you will learn that while most business communication is assumed to be effective when it is delivered in brief, concise, bulleted points, it is actually far more impactful to couch your ideas in a compelling story that your audience can identify with. Meaningful connections are made through stories, not by simply sharing information. This is a useful guide to help you begin to fashion stories to assist you with the process of building relevant stories.

8. Developing The Leader Within You

John Maxwell’s biblically based collection of leadership books have sold millions of copies but in my opinion, this is the best. He explains that the traits of great leadership can be acquired and developed, and provides examples and advice to assist you in that regard. Maxwell has been often quoted for saying “leadership is influence,” and this text offers insights into how you or others can maximize the amount of leadership you exert on your teammates and your organization.

9. The 4:8 Principle

Another book based upon biblical leadership principles, this book by Tommy Newberry takes one specific verse, Philippians 4:8, and expands upon it to emphasize the importance and impact of our thoughts and how they eventually manifest themselves as our reality. In an increasingly negative world, filled with people who harbor RATs (really awful thoughts), it is that much more necessary to remain focused on is what is honorable, admirable, and right. In fact, it may just be the wisest thing a leader can do and hope for people to emulate.

10. How to Win Friends and Influence People

This classic by Dale Carnegie, published originally in 1936, is one of the best known self-help books in history. That said, the lessons and examples that are provided will never go out of style because while technology continues to advance, our social and relational skills will always depend upon our understanding of how to create and maintain positive and mutually beneficial relationships with others. Human nature will never be outdated and this is a book that will forever be relevant and useful reading for leaders.

11. Fierce Conversations

If you are a leader, or if you are on a team with other people, there will come a time at some point that you will need to have an uncomfortable discussion with someone on your team. This book by Susan Scott provides you with the techniques and courage to confront those who need to hear the truth. It addresses the need to have internal honest conversations as well, but is mainly a collection of ways to approach situations you will likely encounter and shares useful ideas on how to build deeper and more productive relationships “one conversation at a time.”

12. QBQ! The Question Behind the Question

This last title is a tremendous resource written by John G. Miller. Strong leaders recognize the need to build a culture of accountability and this book, while a quick read, examines the powerful way that our questions either empower us or turn us into victims. Instead of asking “Why me?” or “Who was supposed to…?,” Miller encourages us (through real-world examples) to ask instead questions such as “What can I do to improve things?” This is an easy idea to implement and the decision to practice personal accountability will eventually filter down to everyone in your organization.

Remember that your team wants to grow, improve, and perform better. Your task as a leader then, is to offer the encouragement and information and inspiration that will help them to become not just better salesmen, or teachers, or engineers — but to help them become better people.

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. There are many others that had to be removed from my initial brainstorming list to cut it down to twelve titles. But I think I would kick myself if I didn’t at least mention that other books, such as 20,000 Days and Counting, or Entreleadership, or The OZ Principle, are all valuable and come highly recommended. Also, if you are looking for a book to inspire athletes or leaders in any field, you may also want to consider my team leadership book, fistitude as well. It is a short parable about a struggling basketball team that shares five steps to leading any team to success.