Being Debt Free
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There is an unpleasant scene happening as the landlord and its artist tenant were fighting over the rent. It is obvious that the artist has been deep in debt and could not pay the rent and so the following conversation ensued:
The penniless artist was cornered by the landlord, who demanded several months’ back rent. “Just think,” the artist pleaded, “someday tourists will be pointing to this building and say, ‘The great abstract painter Antonio Garcia used to live here.’
Small Moments in Leadership
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An unusual tribute was paid to Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg. The poet wrote, "Not often in the story of mankind does a man arrive on earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect."
Lincoln demonstrated then and now how a person can possess both a will of iron and a heart of tenderness. Nothing deterred the president during the American Civil War from his "noble" cause, and few persons have ever endured more criticism and detractors than Lincoln. Yet he was no more a man of steel than one of velvet.
When General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army, Lincoln sent an unexpected message to the enemy commander. "Tell your men they may keep their horses; they'll need them for plowing," said the president. Then this: "Tell your men they may keep their rifles; they'll need them for hunting." When Lee read those words he wept.
This is why Lincoln was a statesman. He was not a mere politician.
Are Soft Skills Important?
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I get invitations to speak to people in the corporate world all the time.
I smile a little whenever HR people say, “Francis, we feel there is a need for us to train our people on “soft skills.” Others would brand it as “values training.”
The question is: “Are soft skills training necessary?”
When it comes to soft skills, most people think they are all about those warm-and-fuzzy people skills. While hard skills refer to the technical ability and the factual knowledge needed to do the job. However you define them, soft skills still suffer from a fundamental lack of respect. After all, how could anything described as “SOFT” be valued in the hard-charging, results-driven business world or impact the bottom line?
Point of Reference
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The 11th Asia Pacific Life Insurance Council (APLIC) Congress was held in Macau 2 weeks ago. Chairperson for the conference Nenette Aseniero of Sunlife Financials did a fantastic job. Thousands of delegates representing different countries assembled in The Venetian Hotel for 3 days of learning and fun. Nenette was able to do pull it off and this in spite of the economic gloom and turmoil that is besetting the whole financial world.
I looked at the roster of speakers. Most of them are from the industry. But I was greatly comforted to see that another Filipino speaker Vic Quisumbing, top man from Grepalife would be speaking too. Nenette and Vic are both achievers Filipinos can be proud of.
Is Jackie Chan Right or Wrong? Tell Me What You Think.
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My good Email-buddy Philip See gave me this article written by Associate Press writer Annie Huwant in Taipei. The question is: Would too much democracy on a nation of many undisciplined citizenry destroy a society? Would the points tackled in this article be applicable to the Philippines too? Write me your thoughts and opinions in the comments. Please refrain from using foul languages and derogatory remarks or the comments will be blocked. You may vote on the Poll at the right as well.
HONG KONG - Action star Jackie Chan 's comments wondering whether Chinese people "need to be controlled" have drawn sharp rebuke in his native Hong Kong and in Taiwan.
Chan told a business forum in the southern Chinese province of Hainan that a free society may not be beneficial for China 's authoritarian mainland.
"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said Saturday. "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."
The Belt Tightens
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Somebody said: “I'm planning to retire and live off my savings. What I'll do the second day, I have no idea.”
Another person looked sad and started talking to his friend.
He says to this friend, "I'm a walking economy."
The friend replies "How so?"
"My hair line is in recession, my stomach is a victim of inflation, and both of these together are putting me into a deep depression!"
What used to be funny lines seem to be realities for many people today in the wake of massive business closures and job layoffs.
The 38th Developing The Leader Within You™ Workshop
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January 27 and 28, 2009
8:30AM - 5:00PM
EDSA Shangri-La, Mandaluyong City
Becoming an Enlarger
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Dr. John C. Maxwell is a very prolific author. He has written many books on the subject matter of leadership. So what does Dr. Maxwell have to do with NBA players like Shaq, Olajuwon and Mutombo? A lot. I would like to share with you his article entitled: “Becoming An Enlarger.”
Dr. Maxwell says:
Before the NBA ever heard of Shaquille O'Neal, Dikembe Mutombo or Tim Duncan; back before anyone knew the name Hakeem Olajuwon; in the days before Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ruled the hardwoods, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell changed the nature of professional basketball with the way they played the center position.
Chamberlain was a great scorer and Russell was known more for his defense, but no matter which end of the court they were on, they played above the rim like no centers before them ever had.
Russell, however, is best known not for his offense or his defense but for something else - winning. His No. 6 jersey was retired by the Boston Celtics in 1972 to honor his contributions as the anchor to teams that won nine consecutive NBA titles. He added two more titles as a player/coach.
That's why it was such an honor to meet him at a recent NBA All-Star game, and that's why I wasn't surprised to hear what he said about great team players: "The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I'd made my teammates play."
One of the qualities of a great team player, you see, is that they enlarge others. Bill Russell isn't just a large man; he's a man who enlarged others. He made them better.
Steel And Velvet
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I was doing my 2nd day training of our 2 day John Maxwell Leadership Workshop and Seminar to some of the budding leaders for a very huge business organization and I talked about good leaders being big enough to apologize for their mistakes and earn the respect of his or her people.
Bigger Than You
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Bertoldo de Giovanni is a name even the most enthusiastic lover of art is unlikely to recognize. He was the pupil of Donatello, the greatest sculptor of his time, and he was the teacher of Michelangelo, the greatest sculptor of all time.