Tag Archive for ‘Thought Provoking’ at DrivenLeaders.com

Tag Archive for 'Thought Provoking'

Would You Change Your Personality to Advance Your Career?

Published

on September 28, 2009

. 1 Comment

personalities Would You Change Your Personality to Advance Your Career? Over the past few weeks, I’ve been on the road quite a bit and with each flight I find some needed time to catch up on industry journals, books, and whatever I can get my hands on. My last trip to Chicago proved to be just such an occasion, yet this time I found myself grazing the most recent issue of Spirit (Southwest’s in-flight magazine). Flipping through the pages, I came across an interesting article by Executive Editor Brad Cope, pondering an interesting question – is it possible to change your personality type to advance your career?

While there is no single personality type that can be label the “best” or “most successful,” it’s no secret that certain personalities seem to excel in the business. If you’re familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), you will find that “ESTJ’s” or those labeled as - Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging - are among those most frequently on the fast track for the corner office.

“More executives and managers are ESTJ’s than any other personality type,” says Rich Thompson, divisional director of research for CPP Inc., the organization that publishes the Myers-Briggs test. “ESTJ’s are the preferred personality of America’s business culture.”

To provide a little background, the MBTI enables one to discover and understand their personality preferences. Not necessarily a concrete picture of your every action, but in general, the natural preferences that make you who you are. The theory contends that:

An individual is either primarily Extraverted or Introverted
An individual is either primarily Sensing or iNtuitive
An individual is either primarily Thinking or Feeling
An individual is either primarily Judging or Perceiving

The possible combinations of these basic preferences form the 16 different Personality Types of which we all possess. (To learn more about each personality type visit the Myers-Briggs Foundation website.)

While I won’t ruin the fun of Doug’s adventure in changing his personality, his article brings to light the importance of understanding our own behavior, how we are likely to deal with different situations, and in which environments we are most comfortable. This understanding of our strengths and weaknesses will aid us in becoming a better leaders. Conversely, learning about others’ Personality Types help us to understand the most effective way to communicate with them, and how they function best - essential pieces to creating a winning team.

Don’t know your personality type? Visit the Myers-Briggs Foundation website to take the assesment and learn more.

Is There Such a Thing as a “Typical” Entrepreneur?

Published

Anthony Portuesi

on October 31, 2008

in Entrepreneurship and Thought Provoking

. 1 Comment

entrepreneurship1 Is There Such a Thing as a “Typical” Entrepreneur? Self-confident, driven, visionary, a risk-taker, all traits that quickly come to mind. Even so, the SBA Office of Advocacy has looked to give the question a more definitive answer by taking it one step further. This month the SBA released the results of an ongoing study, which attempts to determine if and what college experiences lead one to wear the hat of an entrepreneur.

The study looks at a group of college graduates from the class of 1993 and periodically tracks their job progress for 10 years. By delving into “college experiences” they were able to identify specific characteristics of individuals who are self-employed versus those who opt to work for a for-profit business, a not-for-profit entity, or the government. It’s an interesting study that establishes some thought provoking conclusions.

According to the study, if you did one or more of the following in college, you are more likely to be an entrepreneur than work for somebody else:

Majored in something outside of the hard sciences (engineering, math, chemistry, biology, etc.);
Tended to be a “jack-of-all-trades”—taking many different courses, but not mastering any;
Have not go on to graduate school;
Had a lower GPA than your peers who ended up working in the nonprofit and government sectors.

The study concludes that entrepreneurs seem to be more “average” than exceptional in respect to the general population. Keeping in mind that this was only a sample from one year, my experience shows the assumption to be fairly accurate. I’d be more interested to hear if the self-employed out there agree…

Starting Up in a Down Economy: Is it Wise?

Published

Anthony Portuesi

on October 19, 2008

in Entrepreneurship

. 1 Comment

questionmark Starting Up in a Down Economy: Is it Wise? Is it counter-intuitive to start a new venture in a down economy? Few will argue that the current environment provides the perfect breeding ground for success, however, amidst the negativity, opportunities do exist for new ventures to succeed. Many well-known businesses have been started during down economic cycles. Major brands, such as Hewlett Packard, Coors, Disney, Super 8 Motels, and even Microsoft were all started during periods when economic forecast was far from sunny. The question should be, “Who will be next?

In today’s environment, being a successful entrepreneur requires a solid strategy, unwavering commitment, a specific niche that will produce results. One niche that has been generating conversation recently is the growth of on-line retailing.

In an article from Entrepreneur.com, Jeffrey Grau, retail e-commerce senior analyst with eMarketer, believes that this may be the one bright spot amidst the fairly dark retail category. According to Grau,

“Online retail continues to grow at a pretty nice clip. If you look at total retail sales, annual growth is in the low single digits. However, the online channel has been growing in recent years in the low to mid-20 percentile.”

While the economic downturn is undeniably slowing e-commerce sales, Grau says that online sales are still growing at triple the rate of store sales, and believes that its is “still a very desirable marketplace.”

With the fluctuations in gas prices and the upcoming holiday season, it will be interesting to see how his prediction pans out. Furthermore, to support his belief, Grau provides 3 quick tips to keep in mind for those looking to move into the world of e-commerce.

Have a niche or focus on a specialty category. Since you’re essentially competing with box retailers like Wal-Mart or Target when you enter the online retail space, “be sure [you're selling] something niche-oriented, such as fashionable maternity wear or urban street wear,” Grau says. “Or focus on a specific category, like shoes, but that’s all you do. But offer great custom service, such as making it easy to return shoes.”
Offer an innovative marketing technology. A good example of this is Diapers.com, a small web retailer. “[The company is] very successful in part because it has an innovative referral program where if a Diapers.com customer refers somebody else to the company, that customer gets a discount. That is one way it has built up its customer base.”Grau also says Diapers.com uses innovative packaging that enables it to cut down on shipping costs. Finally, the company is innovative in its focus on convenience; it makes it easy for young parents to have diapers delivered to their door without having to make a midnight run to the store because they are out of diapers.
Keep pricing in mind. Even if you are selling a niche product, always keep pricing a priority.

Whether it’s a small on-line venture or the next Microsoft, the fact is, there are opportunities today for those willing to pursue them. I think Fabrice Grinda sums it up nicely when referring to entrepreneurs during this period…

“Your mettle will be tested and you will need all your grit, tenacity and passion, but if you stand the test of time and take advantage of the opportunities the crisis offers you, you will be richly rewarded!”

The New World of Work

Published

Anthony Portuesi

on July 31, 2008

in Gen-Y and Thought Provoking

. 0 Comments

A very telling video entitled the New World of Work, from e3unlimited, focuses on our ever-changing marketplace and the world in which we live. Quite an eye opening depiction of the years to come…

“Organizations are suddenly faced with a collision in the workplace: The Veterans, who, although rapidly diminishing in numbers are the epicenter of tradition, knowledge and experience; the Baby Boomers and Gen X who have lived through decades of overindulgence and luxury; then enter Generation Y, the child of the ‘baby boomer’ parent. Growing up in the most dynamic economy in the twentieth century they have been brought up to believe they can change the world. Optimistic, upbeat and filled with a sense of empowerment — they are the new kids on the block and think they can achieve anything…or so their parents told them. Taught they can do anything and don’t settle for mediocrity - Richard Branson meets Paris Hilton.”

My question to you is - What are you doing to align yourself for success in the “new world of work”? Are you prepared to make the leap and embrace what will be your future? Through my small piece of the web DrivenLeaders.com hopes to add a few thoughts, insights and strategies in becoming the dynamic leaders of tomorrow (or should I say…today). Enjoy!