This has been a dream of mine for a long time.
I've always wanted to be featured as an Impact Investor, to show to the world that there is a new form of investing. That not only creates an ROI for the investor, but also provides a social, environemtnal, or positive benefit to the world. Here is a definition that I use, and is quite universally known as an Impact Investor: Impact investing into a multitude of companies to generate a measurable benefit for a social, environmental, economical, or ecological impact, while making a sustainable return for my future. These are the reasons you should invest. Thank you to Szandra, Tracy, and the rest of the team at Republic for the opportunity of a lifetime, and for making one of my silly little dreams come true. Want to be an Angel Investor and invest as little as $10 into a company? Check out republic, which is open to anyone internationally to invest in up and coming startups. Link to Republic: www.republic.co Check out the full Investor Spotlight below!
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Leadership is no simple task, and comes with a multi-faceted array of challenges of your own, challenges from staff members, challenges from the public; you become the scapegoat or posture child for both the good and the bad of your company or business.
For many people, that can be exhausting. It can be too much. But, for some, it can be exactly the motivation and opportunity they need to build their dreams, or empires, and help co-create futures with other like minded individuals. I've received this question a lot; How do I become an efficient leader? Below is one of my Top 10 Tips on how to become an efficient leader in any field that you are working in! EMPLOY STRENGTH BASED LEADERSHIP The traditional approach to leadership can be oligarchical, bureaucratic, and can either intentionally/unintentionally allow for the continuation of oppression, authority of tradition or custom, and an inefficient environment for staff members to excel. Many leaders are proficient at making the public eye see how their companies excel while staff members remain stagnant in their positions, eventually reaching their ceiling of output vs input. What this entails is that the staff members input of work begins to decline due to low motivation, no area for improvement, and no new challenges. This has a direct correlation on their output of efficiency in their work, which becomes sub par, meeting the minimum requirements of their job specifications. But, there is a key change that can be made that will allow for efficient leadership and maximum performance in your staff members/colleagues. You can employ strength based leadership. What does this mean? It's simple. First, set aside a few hours with your team, call it "professional development" if you have to, and have everyone take a personality test like the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), or a test more simple (and free) like 16 Personalities Test (both links are below). These tests will allow you to see how each of your staff members or colleagues associate stress, motivation, work ethic, team dynamics, etc. All of these will be important in working within a persons strengths and employing their strongest attributes. Secondly, take the time to read and learn each of the personalities associated with your staff. This is an important step/process that is missed by many leaders, because they become busy in the mundane work and busyness of the day to day operations to set aside time. You will become more efficient at working with your staff members if you understand their queues and how they react in certain situations! Thirdly, after you have given the opportunity for your staff members to learn about their personalities and their colleagues personalities, and you have taken the time to understand how your team works in a business environment, it's time to employ their strengths! Here are two examples of staff members with vary different ways of associations/personalities. Staff Member #1: This staff member has a slightly more aggressive approach to their communication(s) and needs their own sphere of control. What you can do to work within their strengths is to ensure that they are always the conveyor of information to their immediate team/team members. This will ensure that they are always in the loop with the operations of the business (i.e. control) and are able to be more communicative. Staff Member #2: This staff member likes to be behind the scenes and work in their own area with little supervision. My advice; give them exactly that. Allow that staff member to be out of the public eye as little as necessary, and do irregular check-ins (i.e. bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) to ensure that they are reaching their goals/responsibilities associated with their job. By giving them the opportunity to lead in their own respect, but ensuring that they are reaching their outcome based goals, they will succeed and become more efficient in their roles. Strength based leadership goes hand in hand with being treated fairly as an employee or staff member. One of the smartest tech CEO's I have ever met, Bohdan Zabawskyj, of Mercatus Technologies, talked about this topic at the 2017 Fireside Conference (link below). He stated that "being treated fairly farly out-ways the benefits of a job, or the salary." The benefits or the salary of the job are known as hygiene factors, and are usually contemplated when the work of the job is only seen as work. If you give each staff member respect and fair treatment, their efficiency and motivation to work will increase substantially. Are you not sold on the idea of strength based leadership yet? Really? Let me give you a more prominent opinion on it that I'm sure you'll have troubles denying its validity. Project Aristotle, a project created by Google can validate Bohdan's claims, and my claims, on the benefits of employing strength based management and treating employees fairly. In this study it was found there are 3 things to look for when hiring for a position within your company: Cognitive Fit, Culture Fit, and Environmental Fit (Duhigg, C. 2016) Cognitive Fit is the employees ability to learn, adapt, and evolve with the company as it grows, expands, scales, and changes over the years of operations. Culture Fit is the correlations of beliefs and values with the companies mission, along with purpose and intent behind the employees work. They need to truly believe in the product/service and vision of the company, and employ these beliefs and values with purpose in their work. The third thing to look for in an employee hire is an Environmental Fit; can the employee fit within the environment of your company? (Duhigg, C. 2016) That's it! This is my opinion on an easy way to learn more about your staff members, employ strength based leadership, and become a more efficient leader. Hope you enjoyed! Regards, Avery Konda #Article #Motivation I wanted to give back as much as I could this Holiday season.
But I didn't know how I was going to do this... Until I found World Tree 🌐. The World Tree Carbon Offset Program is a sustainable timber investment based on the Empress Splendor tree, the fastest growing tree in the world. This investment will not only OFFSET my personal carbon footprint for 50 YEARS but will also; 👇 🌍 Employs farmers in struggling nations and shares the profits with them directly. 🌍 Plants a sustainable, profitable tree for fast returns for communities. 🌏 Reduce the carbon footprint in the world. It just felt right to invest in something so positive on so many layers. For more information check out their website; worldtreecop.com 👈. Because of this, I feel content with my decision this holiday season 🙆. #Entrepreneurs #Investment #Create #ABetterWorld #Sustainable #motivate #motivation #environment #Holidays #Christmas #respect #rightdecision As Simon Sinek said- "entrepreneurship has really high highs, and really low lows".
I consistently feel lost. Feel like I'm not moving forward. Even when I have success. It doesn't feel like enough. Right now I'm in a rut. I'm stuck and the feeling of being lost is at its highest. But, rather than become immobilized. I work harder. My emotions go on autopilot while I work through them subconsciously. I reflect. I listen. And I keep working, harder and harder. But something funny happens. The second I take the time to think about the anxiety of feeling lost. It's usually gone. Instead of focusing on the problem. Or the challenge. I worked. I worked hard, and didn't let the stress of feeling lost take over. I followed through with my dream. Because what always follows after a really low low, is a really high high. One of my businesses has had a catastrophe happen.
And the outcome is out of my control. But it's presence has brought angry clients, poor team dynamics, frustrated staff members. And in leadership; It's you that deals with it all. I worked 15-18 hour days the past week and a half. I burned myself out. I became irritable. I became short sighted and negative minded. I became a poor leader. I had to be honest with myself and what my mind and body were craving. A break. Don't let mainstream entrepreneur motivation lie to you. BREAKS ARE NECESSARY. I took a day off. And I already feel more reflective, more energetic. And NOW I'm ready to find a positive, forward thinking solution to this mess. One of the lessons here is to listen to your body and mind. Always hustle, and put in 100% effort. But don't forget to take care of yourself first. Otherwise you're no good to anyone as a leader. #youngentrepreneurstories #Tandempark #MWF I employ and work with people who work for themselves.
It's quite easy to want to isolate, control, and dictate the direction of your company, or project. But, when you give someone the tools and basis to be creative and create their own actions. Something funny happens. They create better quality than you could have ever done. And the final product will create a better ROI. So not only have you developed and strengthened and employee or colleagues skills. But you have benefited the future of your company. The lesson here is to always work to develop people. Because business is about how you make people feel. It's how you help your employees grow. It's how you let go of control but maintain your vision. That is success. #youngentrepreneurstories #Tandempark #hustle It can be difficult to know when the correct time for your product, service, or action can be. But sometimes a gut feeling can be the difference between a sale or a flop. I learned this very quickly with some of my clients. When the timing is right, and you KNOW it's the right time; follow that intuition. It has been the difference between my future opportunities. It has allowed me to be successful with @Tandempark and other businesses so far. It is what has made me the early stage entrepreneur that I am today. #youngentrepreneurstories #stillhavelotsoflearningtodo #Tandempark
I don't believe in helicopter leadership.
I don't understand leaders who think they know it all. I lead from a distance and let my colleagues grow instinctively. An individual that is driven both internally but ALSO externally through positive leadership. This employee will only need reassurance of their direction infrequently. They will lead and work positively within their own realm of control. By leading to develop others. You create more leaders. You create more innovation. And you'll see your company. Your work relationships. And moral of your colleagues skyrocket. The lesson here is to never stunt a person's growth in leadership. And to help create more strength based leaders for a better tomorrow. #Tandempark #youngentrepreneurstories #Innovate Entrepreneurs are always busy.
We always take on too much. And because of that we have little free time. But free time and creative time are very different. I continually forget to give myself creative time. Time to think outside of the box. Time to be critical and create an authentic direction for your business. And for your life. The lesson here is to always allow yourself time to be creative. It might be the difference between your next big idea for the future. It might be what creates the most positive future for you. An incredibly hard working individual with many strengths to bring to the table.
But consistently creates a divide between team members. I believe I have figured out why. Although incredibly hard working, this colleague has little foresight. And has troubles putting themself into another person's 'priority list'. Some people have kids. A second job. All of which might take priority over being the 'first in the office'. This colleague believes that because they are the first one in the office that they work the hardest. That because they don't give themselves balance and burn themselves out that they are more committed to the job. My ideology is that just because you are at work physically does NOT indicate efficiency of work. This colleague brings a strength. But also a huge challenge. Their ego of self appreciation gets in the way of team dynamics and becomes a dangerous balance to moderate. I have realized that I can't work with someone who is not able to think empathetically naturally. If you can't work with a team. And won't try to work with a team. Then you will fail. No individual person has ever built an empire alone. Be a team player and you will see success. |
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