Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Assessing the Impact of Your Mind Over Your Thinking



If you want to learn the true art of mind power then it is of the greatest importance that you understand two functions of your mind and how they interact with each other.
You only possess one mind, but it has two totally different functions - and the names generally used to distinguish these two different functions are as follows.

1.        The Conscious Mind
2.        The Subconscious Mind

There are many other terms used to describe the mind, but these are the commonly used names.  To help us better understand the conscious and subconscious mind, they may be compared to a tree and its roots…

•    Your conscious mind being the tree, which helps you with daily situations like, decision-making, rational thinking, or just simply figuring out what to do and how best to do it.
When we think of ‘me’ we think of our conscious mind, the mind of which we are fully aware.  This part of the mind makes decisions for us and directs our activities; it also analyzes, criticizes, and even commands us.

•    Your subconscious mind being the roots; it deals mostly with the repetitions of learned behavior.  This can be very helpful for you, because it enables you to deal with situations easier due to the predictable patterns that have been established.  For instance, once you have learned to ride a bike you don’t have to consciously think about it anymore.  This is because the stored information will come to you automatically the next time you get on your bike to ride it. Whatever we see, hear, smell, taste, touch or feel passes through the conscious mind and reaches the subconscious mind where it is stored.   Not only is this memory stored as the incident itself, but also any feelings which went with it at the time are also stored.

Your subconscious mind does not only store your memories and feelings.  It is the maker of all the great ideas you have ever had and the seat of your intuition and creativeness.  Your subconscious also keeps you going without you even being aware of it.  It takes care of your bodily functions – your heart beat and automatically runs such activities as: movement, language, visual perception, and a whole host of other processes of your mind and body for you.  It also scans your mind for conflict and distress; assesses your environment for danger and threats, and relays and interprets perceptions, sensations, and feeling… last but not least it is also the storehouse of all your experiences and decisions – everything which makes you the person you are.

Understanding your mind is important for becoming more profitable in developing innovations.  James Allen, author of the classic book, “As a Man Thinketh,” said “The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state...Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”

If you want your life to become more prosperous, it essential not only to monitor your behavior, you must be vigilant over your thinking.

For more information for improving your thinking to become more productive and inventive, click here: http://ibarcriticalthinkingmethod.com

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Self-Assessment Through Critical Thinking Is The Key To Productivity


Lacking productivity is one of the major reasons why there are so many people who are unhappy in this world.  Due to unproductivity, many people are unable to get the job they want or meet the people they desire.  The sad fact is that many people are unproductive, because they have not developed the critical thinking skills to become more productive. In part, it isn’t their fault.  My educators up until college seldom asked me what I thought about anything. Kindergarten to Grade 12 education is fundamentally about remembering—facts, dates, and people.  It wasn’t until I went to college and later graduate school that I began improving my critical thinking skills. Fortunately, part of my graduate school experience included law school, where critical thinking is the core of the curriculum. So if I had to go to law school and later receive a master’s degree before I became an effective critical thinker, how could the average person become a better critical thinker without enjoying similar experiences?

Whether you have a college or graduate degree or no degree at all, it is important to determine whether you truly have developed the critical thinking skills to be productive in the workplace as well as your personal life. It all starts with an adequate assessment of yourself.

Getting started

Although self-assessment, for some people in group settings, can be a good start in building a positive attitude and outlook in life, this might not be applicable to all people, especially to those who prefer to do things on their own.

If you are one of these people who would rather do things on his or her own, then now is the time to realize how big self-assessment can contribute to your being productive. Experts say that if one starts with the process of self-assessment now, it will be easier for him or her to be productive and accomplish greater things for themselves and for the people that they love in the future.

Experts agree that for one to excel and become successful in life, the concept of productivity is very essential. This is because knowing how to be productive, even when you’re down, creates unforeseen opportunities unavailable during any other time.  Being productive also serves as an inspiration that keeps your spirit high no matter how challenging the times may be.

For those who want to start being more productive, it would be best to begin with a self-assessment by following these two tips:

- Discover and re-discover your purpose in life. Indeed, the most powerful thing that can help a person get started with self-assessment is discovering your cause or your purpose in life. Once you are able to do this, you can find a reason in your heart for becoming more productive. The reason may be for the betterment of yourself or for your family.  No matter what it is, it is important to anchor yourself to a motivation that promotes productivity.

- Be thirsty and hungry for something. For people who are just starting out with the process of self-assessment, enjoy the process for the end result. This is because wanting to learn the concept of productivity alone would not fuel your drive to aim for greater heights.  If you really want to use self-assessment to excel and be productive, don’t be content with what you have right now nor merely go through the motions without an objective.

It is best to always be hungry for knowledge as fuel for learning. If you are consistently learning new things, you will be able to acquire new skills and even boost your self-confidence in the long run.  Although it may be unlikely or impractical to immediately enhance your critical thinking skills through formal education, if you can engage in some form of critical thinking training to improve your productivity, you are encouraged to do so. One of the greatest yearnings we have as human beings is to be seen as significant as well as leave a legacy that defined our life.  If we can understand and embrace our unmet need to create legacies, we will be moved to become more productive.

To gain the tools for becoming more productive through critical thinking, visit: http://ibarcriticalthinkingmethod.com 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

How Charismatic Leaders Use Critical Thinking to Innovate



Charismatic leaders use their insatiable curiosity and ability to spot business inefficiencies through critical thinking to innovate products and services.  But what is innovation?  Innovation is simply the foundation of new beginnings. Through innovation, you can find new products, learn new techniques, offer better quality, and even help to bring the dollar out a little farther.  But, what many business owners do not realize is that you can use innovation to help move your business to the next level, one that is better for the customer and for you. Can you ask for more than that?

There are several ways in which you can use critical thinking like charismatic leaders to innovate and transform your business. For example, it can be as simple as having access to the right information so that you know what the latest and greatest is. From the Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute’s IBAR Critical Thinking Method, this is called “Benchmarking.” In benchmarking, you compare and contrast your business operations to industry leaders, standards, or best practices. By juxtaposing your operations with these standards, you are able to select the options best suited for innovation.  

Think it is too difficult to manage on your own? Send your most promising employees to a critical thinking class to encourage them to look at your internal operations differently.  Or, simply hire a group of creative people to manage innovation on their own. You would be amazed at the quality that can be improved as well as the efficiency of even the simplest of tasks when you encourage innovation in some form.

Innovating is challenging to get started. Innovation research will be needed, brainstorming will have to be done and ideas will have to be brought to the forefront. But, there are enormous resources open to everyone in every type of business out there. Books, websites, organizations, and many more avenues are available to you.  Although you are spending time, resources, and money on finding the answers, learning how to make it better for you will help you increase your business’s profit margin.  Innovation changes every single day. Do you know what it can do for you, yet?

For more information on developing the critical thinking skills necessary for innovation, click here: Charisma

Monday, November 12, 2012

New Critical Thinking Method Makes Students and Employees Smarter



For immediate release:                                                                                    
November 12, 2012
12:00PM (EST)

Atlanta, GA—November 12, 2012---Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute recently developed the IBAR Critical Thinking Method (IBAR) in response to corporate employers’ desire to see employees become more effective thinkers in the workplace.  According to St. Olaf Institutional Research & Evaluation website, “Eighty one percent of employers say students should place more emphasis on developing critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills; 63% say they should place more emphasis on developing quantitative reasoning skills.” IBAR is a hybrid critical thinking method influenced by the legal analysis used in American law schools and the qualitative and quantitative research methods used in master’s degree programs within universities, but geared for the lay person.

Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute founder and developer of IBAR Edward Brown says, “Although the Internet was supposed to make individuals smarter, it actually has done the opposite-produced a society of non-thinkers.  If you can begin critically thinking about the world, inside and outside, of your organization in a more enlightened form, you’ll begin creating options for yourself as well as benefits to your company. Typically, to be valuable as an employee, you should be either making or saving the company money. If you are not doing one or the other, you are expendable.  IBAR allows you to do both.”

IBAR will be marketed to corporations and educational facilities as a one (1) day workshop as well as a webinar for online education.

Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute investigates, analyzes, and synthesizes how charismatic leaders think, act, and make decisions about power, productivity, and profitability. Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute was founded in Atlanta in 2002.

For more information on the IBAR Critical Thinking Method, visit: http://go.ibarcriticalthinkingmethod.com or call: (404) 767-6592.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Trends in Productivity the Obama Administration Should Consider



Productivity, defined as a measure of the amount of output per hour of work, is shown to be typically pro-cyclical. This means that productivity increases during economic upswings and slows down (or even declines) when the economy is in a downturn.  Several causes have been forwarded to sustain this. One declares that labor and capital inputs are worked harder during boom times than in busts.  Another observation pronounces that the reallocation of resources to more productive activities is faster when the economy grows rapidly than when it slows down.
   
Pro-cyclical exceptions

In 2009, productivity growth was expected to slow down further in many countries. However, there appeared to be some exceptions to the pro-cyclicality of labor productivity. The experiences of the United States and Europe are two examples reflecting this economic wrinkle. Compared side by side, striking differences are evident between these two regions in terms of the productivity growth rates with which they entered the current recession.  For the long period of 2000-2008, labor productivity in the United States increased at 2% against 1.5% in the European Union. (The 1.1% figure is even much smaller in the original EU-15 member states that exclude the new member states from Central and Eastern Europe.)

These differences reflect a more efficient use of capital, labor, and other sources of growth in the United States. The most recent productivity advances of the U.S. have been realized, however, through rapid layoffs. This further suggests that the productivity of the remaining workers and firms is actually strengthening.

Traditional productivity growth rates 

During the run-up of 2008, the Euro Area showed a surprisingly weak productivity growth (below 1%). This was attributed to the large increases in employment coming from a relatively large labor reserve pool.  In the same quarter, output and productivity growth rates in the Euro Area turned negative following the traditional pattern that employment growth does not adjust as quickly to a deteriorating economy in Europe as it does in the U.S.  Presently, productivity growth rates in advanced economies are falling below historical structural productivity trends. These represent the rate where productivity can grow.

To get back to the structural growth trend, an increased productivity through investment in new capital and innovation is needed - and not just through cost-cutting of the current resource base.  This would comprise investments in technological change and innovation, skill and performance level of the labor force, and all the organizational intangibles (management and workplace practices, organizational structure, and human resource strategies).

Given the current constrained economic climate, all these are big challenges. Added to this is the expectation that high productivity growth rates also imply greater efficiency of resources once the economic environment improves.  Productivity growth will also translate into high levels of output per hour. These higher productivity levels will also reflect the presence of a strong resource base in terms of human and physical capital per worker.  When maintained during the downturn, they will provide the firms with the means to more easily innovate themselves out of the recession resulting in a better resurgent productivity growth.

Click this link to discover how productivity and profitability can be increased through Charisma.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

How Charismatic Leaders Develop Breakout Discoveries Through Critical Thinking



Charismatic leaders are viewed as visionaries who create ideas and innovative products and services through pure imagination. However, there is something else going on in the minds of these leaders. They have a preternatural love for information and an uncanny way of fusing disparate ideas together. Through effective critical thinking, you can begin doing the same thing; creating great discoveries that are transformational. 

Begin reading essays, articles, or books on subjects you normally would not read about to begin connecting seemingly unrelated ideas to enhance your critical thinking skills. After some time, you will establish a daily diet of information that leads to new and insightful ideas, connections, and trends.  This is an example of using outside stimuli as a means to jumpstart your critical thinking.

Fall in Love with Information

Reading a magazine, newspaper, or periodical is fairly simple when you are interested in a wide array of subjects that allow you to understand human beings better. Get a magazine, a highlighter, and perhaps some paper or your journal.  Then begin reading.  Skim over the things that you may have a limited interest in and really read the stories that build on your focal point. Read everything.  Read the articles AND any supplemental material.  And while you are reading, ask yourself things like…

                What does this remind me of?
                Who was this article written for?
                What did they do that I can do?
                What does this say about the coming trends?
                What gaps were left that my creativity can fill?

These certainly aren’t the only questions you can ask, but they are enough to get you started.  You can go into this critical thinking process with a very specific challenge or problem in mind, or you can just do it to see what imaginative ideas you generate – either way is fine!

How to Build on Your Insights

Shakespeare reportedly said that he made new words out of old words. In other words, Shakespeare didn’t create a new language of sorts, but took what he observed in human nature and created a legacy of work behind it. What’s new about love, betrayal, and vengeance? If you’re looking to build a body of work through your critical thinking, nothing is out of bounds. If there is news of a man eating the face of a homeless man in Florida, become outraged at first by the barbarism of the act itself, but also become curious about what the act means as a message about the state of the world.  Every act, news account, or latest fashion communicates a message about where people are or where they are going. As you begin seeing patterns, not only will you understand human nature better, but you can create products and services that solve problems created or perpetuated by human beings.

Charismatic leaders may do common things in an uncommon way and so can you. Start becoming your own social scientist by sharpening your critical thinking skills.  You might just engineer the next breakout idea, service, or product that the world has been looking for, but didn’t know it.

To improve your critical thinking skills, go to: Charisma

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Insights of Charismatic Leaders for Increasing Productivity Effectively



Charismatic leaders are noted for being transformational pioneers based on their ability to execute a compelling plan. Researchers suggest that there is little demarcation between the charismatic leader’s performance and self-image. In other words, they judge themselves by their performance. You don’t have to be as harsh and demanding on yourself as these leaders, but you can adopt some of the strategies of charismatic leaders to ensure that you are as productive as you possibly could be.
 
Do you aim to boost your productivity? You should start with your goals. Goals are sometimes very simple and sometimes very complicated and hard to achieve. Nobody would ever suggest attaining goals is easier than setting them. But, you need to begin setting yourself on a course to bolstering your overall productivity, if you want a more fulfilling life.  

Using the Charismatic Leadership model, here are a few guidelines for setting and achieving goals for greater productivity, which leads to greater income potential.

• When setting goals for yourself, consider and know yourself really well first. This is important because you should take into consideration your various skills, ability, talent, capacity, competency, and knowledge in achieving or executing your goals. If you run short of any of the mentioned concepts, chances of realizing your goals could be unimaginably hard.

• Being realistic is an essential part of the process. You would not set goals that are too impossible to achieve, right? Otherwise, it is not a goal you are setting, but an impossible and impractical dream, which could only be achieved by mere luck or chance. Being realistic keeps your goals relevant to the people and things you want to effect.

• Make sure your goal is specific. To do so, specify or have a clear picture or idea what it is you really want to get done. If the goal is still too broad or general, simplify it further until you get to the specifics. 

• To maintain clarity and organization, it would be helpful to write down your goals on a piece of paper. In doing so, make sure to include the time frame or when you want the goal to be achieved and what necessary measures you should undertake to stay on course. That way, it would be clear to you how and for how long your efforts in achieving such goals will take.

• Set time frames. If possible, timetables should be imposed. Although you may have to make some changes along the way, it is important to stay in tune with the clock and calendar as you move forward. If you don’t have a start and end time, you may become disenchanted with the overall process and give up. Pacing and timing yourself allows you to stay in the game on your terms.

Charismatic leaders revolutionize organizations by taking the necessary steps to develop and complete specific goals. If you emulate the actions of these leaders, not only can you revolutionize your organization, but your life.

To cultivate the skills of charismatic leaders, visit: Charisma

Monday, November 5, 2012

The Society for Charismatic Leadership Research & Analysis Has Been Established on the Social Networking Site, LinkedIN



For immediate release:                                                                                     
November 5, 2012
12:00PM (EST)


Atlanta, GA—November 5, 2012---The Society for Charismatic Leadership Research & Analysis (The Society) was recently formed as an online discussion group on the social networking site, LinkedIn. The objective of this group is to review the latest reports, studies, and trends on the impact of charismatic leadership on organizational development and politics. Given the closeness of the 2012 Presidential Race, in which President Barack Obama falls under the charismatic leadership model, the Society looks at issues dealing with a candidate’s level of magnetism, public speaking strengths, as well as the ability to captivate an audience’s attention through compelling ideas. The Society seeks to operate as a resource, repository, and advocate for the charismatic leadership model.

The Society for Charismatic Leadership Research & Analysis founder Edward Brown says, “I grew up in a community where charismatic personalities, who didn’t have money, connections, or education, used their personality to influence people.  Recently, I was looking for a scholarly online networking and discussion group for charismatic leadership and couldn’t find one. With Pop culture being the catalyst for all things captivating, I couldn’t understand how a leadership model made up of compelling figures and big personalities was not being included in an ongoing discussion within leadership circles. Hopefully, the Society will open up this dialogue.”

The Society is open to any interested member on LinkedIn. Members are asked to bring insightful ideas and thoughts to discussions backed by documented or commonly accepted resources.

To join or view the latest information on charismatic leadership. Visit: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Society-Charismatic-Leadership-Research-Analysis-4687312?gid=4687312&trk=hb_side_g

Friday, November 2, 2012

How Charismatic Leaders Boost Motivation and Productivity within Organizations



Researchers are challenged to quantify how charismatic leaders enhance profits within an organization through productivity. The issue isn’t whether charismatic leaders help build morale, inspiration, and innovation to a company, but how these leaders increase employee productivity that leads to profitability.  Productivity and motivation are two mutually-related concepts, the latter fueling the former, while the former is the end result of the latter. Basically, productivity is a performance measure to show how an organization can effectively convert its resources into its intended products (or services).

Motivational productivity

This is related to how motivated a person is to perform a task (or activity). Worker enhancement programs are built on ways on how to motivate workers to optimize productivity.  Some organizations offer their workers sports and recreational activities, fitness and leisure activities and some family-oriented programs.  This comprehensive approach in enhancing worker performance may capitalize on quality measures like value, TQM (total quality management), quality circles, innovations and performance standards (profitability, efficiency, customer satisfaction, on-time delivery) and carries a wide range of personal and team rewards and incentives. Companies like Apple, which falls under the charismatic leadership model, create infrastructures (playful work areas, open space, and great eateries) that lend itself to employees gaining a high level of comfort, which leads to greater productivity.

MRT

MRT (mutual reward theory) is an incentive program where the organization assists an employee to reach his or her goals. This is accomplished while sill meeting the company’s production goals.
The greatest rewards are achieved when the benefits are at an optimum for all persons. Usually, productivity is directly proportional to the degree of success of MRT. Charismatic leaders want employees totally committed to the mission of the organization. Consequently, giving employees what they desire most is a way for achieving organizational objectives.

Productivity growth

Productivity growth is the measure of the amount of goods and services produced within a specific time period. First, a standard is determined. Next, that standard (or benchmark) becomes the measure against which all future productions are to be measured against.  In a country, the annual growth rate is being watched. Productivity growth rate is directly proportional to a person’s wealth. If the levels of productivity rise, so does a person’s buying power. The total economy in turn benefits from the increase.

Most valuable resource 

Most productivity researchers have agreed that the world’s most valuable resources are people.  It has been suggested that education and training are responsible for raising the levels of productivity of people.  Researchers further suggested that attaining expertise via education and training can be maximized by developing people who want to learn, work at their potential, and continuously improve.  For charismatic leaders, this cuts both ways. Employee development is designed for organizational productivity. Charismatic leaders feel a sense of betrayal when a trusted, loyal employee takes the investments afforded to him and leaves for a competitor.  For these leaders, the organization is a family dedicated to a mission.

Motivation 

When an employee is motivated to take pride in his work, that employee adds value to the organization. He will contribute to the overall productivity for himself, his organization, and the economy at large. The charismatic leader knows this emotionally and intellectually and will go the extra mile to ensure that “knowledge workers” are provided all of the essential resources necessary to increase productivity and profitability.  Under this model, any employee departures are seen as an ungrateful mutiny.  The charismatic leadership model is steeped in the idea that missions create communities. For the employee, he is not merely doing a job, he is recreating the world.

Under the charismatic leadership model, does a structured motivational environment coupled with inspiration increase profitability? Although these intangibles are difficult to measure, conventional wisdom suggests that they do. Only when employees are reminded that such environments are luxuries, not to be taken for granted, will employees further embrace the “specialness” of doing good and well simultaneously.

For more information for developing charismatic leadership traits that boost organizational productivity, visit: http://charismaticleadership.coreedgecharisma.com and http://coreedgehrworkforcesolutions.core-edge.com

Thursday, November 1, 2012

What Can Innovation Do to Your Life by Emulating the Traits of Charismatic Leaders?




Charismatic leaders have a preternatural way of creating great ideas, structures, and organizations from pure imagination.  Alexander the Great is said to have begun crafting his epic life after reading Homer’s “Iliad.” Innovation merely means exploring the possibilities of a fantasy by which you bring to reality.  It's a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't.  If you've ever marveled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten was not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential.  You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive a car? It's the same with innovation. It takes a bit of practice and a lot of time before this skill set becomes easy. This article will teach you a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.

Don't listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't.  And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on it. I cannot stress that enough, although, please do not mistake this tip to tell you to quit your day job entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both in. 

Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up. 

Record your dreams.  Aren't some of your dreams just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure you have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.

Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are. 

Don't hide behind pretty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft; he knows what works and what doesn't. 

Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen DeGeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become virtually unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going. 

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

Charismatic leaders inspire innovation, but you can duplicate the same process.  Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anyone else's. But soon enough they will notice and everything should snowball from there. As Shakespeare once noted, “The fault of man lies not in our stars,… but in ourselves.”

To develop the innovative skills of charismatic leaders, visit: Charisma