Executive Coaching: Articles

The Meaning of Life

The Meaning of Life – In 25 Words or Less

What is the meaning of life – and could you sum it up in 25 words? What if someone offered you $10,000 for your best description?

The website www.themeaningoflife.com is running such a contest, and while it may be a marketing ploy, it’s an astute one. Who isn’t intrigued by this question? Who hasn’t struggled to figure out his or her true purpose?

Like Arthur Dent in A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we wish the meaning of life could be reduced to one simple solution: in his case, “42.”

What if there are no meanings to life, except those we choose? As new-age gurus assert, “It’s all made up, anyway!” Or, as religious doctrines proclaim, “Follow God’s will for you. This is the true meaning of life.”

Between “any which way you want” and “His way or the highway (to hell),” many decisions must be made along the way.

Even if we turn over some parts of our lives to leaders, religious or otherwise, other parts and decisions remain. What do you eat? What kind of work do you do? What about play and having fun? Marriage and relationships? How do you manage spending and saving?

What are some of the guidelines for exploring and giving meaning to your life? How can you decide who and what you should be, and which principles will keep you on track?

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People-Power Your Conferences

How to Get the Most “People-Power” from Your Conference

Most people are required to attend conferences and trade shows at some point during their careers. Attitudes can range from “have to go” to “want to go.”

If you’re an extrovert, chances are you’ll welcome the opportunity to socialize and connect with other people. And if you’re an introvert, you’ll likely struggle to stay focused as you contend with sensory overload.

Regardless of personality type, time spent at a conference is a waste if you fail to remain “plugged in” and follow up with contacts when you return home. It’s not really about the number of business cards you collect or how much you network. Your goal is to develop relationships with potential colleagues and clients.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, social contacts often generate new business opportunities. Once you open up to people and connect, you unleash creative energy and power.

This may happen naturally…or not at all. So, what can you do to pave the way for conference success? Here are some tips for making the most of your experience, maximizing its value through personal contacts.

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This is a brief synopsis of an article available for use in your newsletters, blogs and web site content.

If you're interested in learning how to purchase similar content you can use for your own newsletters and blogs, visit ContentforCoachesandConsultants.com.

Leadership Personality: Do You Have the Right Traits?

“Personalities at work are like cars in the city: They often can keep us from our destination.” Pierce J. Howard, The Owner’s Manual for Personality at Work, 2001.

How well do you understand basic personality differences among the people at work? Knowledge of personality structure, dynamics and development is helpful to your:

1. Personal professional development
2. Relationships with associates
3. Relationships with superiors and the organization in general

The bottom line is performance. Whether you are working in a team, leading a department, or selling a service or product, the way you communicate and persuade is critical to your personal success and your company’s overall effectiveness.

If you aspire to climb the leadership ladder, you will need to learn the basics of personality. Without studying for a PhD in psychology, you can gain a firm understanding of your own personality and those with whom you work.

Psychologists now believe that of all the various methods for classifying personality dimensions, only one stands out as the most statistically robust: the Big Five. This means personality factors can be differentiated and distilled into five separate components:

N = Need for stability, negative emotionality, neuroticism
E = Extraversion, positive emotionality, sociability
O = Originality, openness, imagination
A = Agreeableness, accommodation, adaptability
C = Consolidation, conscientiousness, will to achieve, goal-oriented