Google Lessons; 10 Relationship Tips; Smart Thinking; Complimentary Book

"…out-learning the competition" 

HEADLINES: (book fest)

Free Book on Writing a Book


— more below, but first…

Smart Thinking — University of Texas-Austin Professor Art Markman is a
great teacher – and his 52
minute online seminar about
Smart Thinking, based on his book
by the same title, is about giving your team a knowledge edge over the
competition. More below, but second…

Lessons from Google's Leadership Change
— Larry Page, CEO, recently reshuffled the senior team at Google – and it makes
sense. The key is keeping the more entrepreneurial members of the team doing
innovation – and turning over the more mature product lines to execs that love
managing – it's all about the S curve (start-up, growth, maturity) and knowing
who is great at which part of the curve and then knowing where a product is on
that curve. So I think Page's move is right – to take the guy that created
Android, pull him out of running it, and tell him to go create some more!! Study
this article if rethinking your own organizational structure.

10 Relationship Tips — Brad Feld, the famous venture capitalist and co-founder
of the TechStar movement, produced an insightful online
seminar for us based on his book Do More Faster.
Most recently he and his wife Amy have written a book entitled

Startup Life: Surviving and Thriving in a Relationship with an Entrepreneur. Here are their top 10 Quick Tips, knowledge useful for any
busy executive of a growth firm:

1. 
   Never Schedule High Priority Activities or Deadlines on Fridays:
   Doing so will likely create a scenario that drifts into Friday night,
   Saturday, and then Sunday. Always be realistic about the ebb and flow of the
   work cycle.
2. 
   Don't Bring Up Charged Topics at Bedtime:
   
   Your bedroom
   should be a sanctuary and a safe haven from the demands of the world. Never
   start a conflict when you and your partner are in bed and dozing off to sleep.
3. 
   Laugh and Laugh Often:
   We believe you can never hug each other enough, say you love each other too
   much, or laugh too often.
4. 
   Apologize and Forgive:
   
   Practice
   apologizing when you hurt your partner's feelings. Offer forgiveness when your
   partner has been careless with your feelings. Know that you will try to be
   your best self but that you will often fail and will need to hone your apology
   skills.
5. Have
   a Life Dinner Once a Month:
   
   Make a
   reservation right now at one of your favorite restaurants. Go out–just the
   two of you. Buy your significant other a gift. Turn off your cell phones and
   hand them to the other person. Spend a long slow dinner enjoying each other's
   company.
6. Set
   Limits on Technology:
   
   You do not
   need to do just one more e-mail right before bedtime. You really don't. You
   need to sleep well and restore yourself and reset your brain chemistry during
   a nice night of rest. Those who need to take breaks from technology are often
   the least likely to do it.
7. Live
   Where You Want to Live:
   
   Pick the
   place where you want to live and build your life around it. Our contributors
   to the book, Mark and Pam Solon, say "We believe it's important for young
   people embarking on their lives to realize that geography matters in your
   happiness quotient and that it can even out-weigh the highest-paying job
   opportunities."
8. Life
   Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint:
   
   Another
   contributor to the book, Dave Jilk, says "If I could send my younger self a
   message from the future, it would tell me to treat my career more like a
   marathon than a sprint."
9. 
   Commit to Each Other's Dreams:
   "Recognizing that one's partner is pursuing their dream, they are satisfied
   down to their soul and, in so being satisfied, are that much more alive. That
   level of aliveness is a gift few partners can ever give, and successful
   couples recognize this," say Tim Enwall and Hillary Hall.
10. 
    Always Answer His or Her Calls!
    While it
    might seem like a small gesture, the cumulative impact of doing so on a
    regular basis shows your partner they matter to you.

To this last point, I watched an interview with Brad and
during the interview his wife called and he took the call! People don't really
care when it's your spouse.

Powerful Branding
(and free book) — Brad has cranked out 6 books with 2 more
due this summer. If you want to build authority, credibility, and expertise in
your market and generate more business, publishing your own book is one of the
best, if not the best, ways to do it…and it is easier that you think. My
friend Adam Witty has authored a new book entitled The Book
Itch: Is There a Book in You?
This book will quickly answer that question. Adam is giving away copies of the
book to the first 250 insight readers that request them. Visit

http://www.thebookitch.com/gazelles. Once they're gone they're gone, so
request your free book now.

Smart Thinking — Leading a team to achieve great things isn't always
easy. In this

Smart Thinking online seminar, Dr. Art Markman tells how to help your
team outthink your competition and achieve your most important goals by building
a workplace culture built around the application of cutting edge knowledge to
get things done. In his online seminar you will learn:

• 
  How to help
  your team identify critical gaps in their knowledge
• 
  The best way
  to create working conditions that help your team excel
• 
  Strategies
  for removing common workplace distractions
• 
  How to foster
  the openness to try new ideas and collaboration
• 
  The best way
  to spot the hidden connections among team members

Dr. Markman is
the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology and Marketing at
the University of Texas at Austin and director of the Program in the Human
Dimensions of Organizations. As always, money back guarantee.

"You Can't Outperform Your
Knowledge"
— I still marvel at the simplicity and power of this statement Bob so
nonchalantly included in a note to me. Thinking it must have been spoken by some
biz guru, I searched the internet and found nothing (OK, another cleaning
company used it). I think we've found our new mantra – and the precise rationale
for investing two days and attending our upcoming

Leadership Summit in Orlando May 9 – 10. See you there.