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O c t o b e r 2 0 1 8
LEADERSHIP C omes D own to U nderstanding H ow O thers C ommunicate
FROM THE DESK OF Ron Cousins
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The kids have started going back to school and are increasing their knowledge on a daily basis. Have you considered learning something new lately? Currently, I am in the middle of a training course to increase my productivity. Breaking bad habits and replacing themwith good ones is a daunting task — challenge accepted! Two things that have made a huge impact for me so far are clearing out the distractions and quit multitasking. Distractions are the atomic bomb to cognitive processes. I’ve always thought of myself as a great multitasker, but now I know better results are produced when focus is on a single task. Have
With the rapid rise in leadership training and development of best practices, the opportunity to learn effective leadership skills is at the fingertips of anyone who wants it. Books, podcasts, and training seminars are just a few of the training mediums used, but even with the considerable amount of information available, leaders everywhere continually fall short in one significant aspect: Leading others is not about fitting your team members into your management style; it’s about you fitting into theirs. There’s a common belief that to be a great leader in business you need to have a plethora of skills and an even more substantial breadth of knowledge. But this rationale couldn’t be further from the truth. Leadership isn’t about knowing every detail about your industry, and it certainly isn’t about being the best at your job. To be an effective leader, you need to help others achieve their goals. Leading in a style that meets the needs of your team doesn’t come naturally to most people, and that’s why a great leader is so valuable. They are capable of adapting to meet the needs of those they lead. It’s a multifaceted objective that requires a lot of emotional intelligence and a willingness to collaborate. While there are many strategies to help leaders understand how to lead others properly, communication is the most important part. In many instances, someone is placed in a leadership role because they have a distinct personality and skill set. Those who climb the ladder are often strong-willed and communicate in a particular way. The biggest mistake leaders make is trying to communicate in a way the people they are leading don’t fully understand. To provide an example, let’s use the fictional people Natalie and Larry. Natalie is in a leadership role at her company where she manages a small team of people. Larry works under Natalie and communicates with her on a daily basis. Natalie is a nose-to-the-
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grindstone person who values a good work ethic and is very task-oriented. Much of her leadership training has been centered around understanding the emotional complexities of others, and she’s been making significant progress. Larry is a creative person with an innate ability to connect with others and produce quality work. His weakness is meeting deadlines, and his training is also progressing. For Natalie to effectively communicate with Larry, she has to understand how he will be most receptive to feedback. Natalie’s natural communication style is straightforward. She doesn’t beat around the bush, but jumps right in with specific comments based on what she sees. Larry does not respond well to this style of communication. He needs to be understood, know that he’s valued, and encouraged on how he can do better. Without Natalie adapting her communication style to meet Larry’s needs, she will never get through to him. Even worse, if Natalie gives critical feedback to Larry, there’s a potential he will shut down, and his morale will take a nosedive.
The onus for this communication adaptation is strictly on the leader. It’s not Larry’s responsibility to adjust his communication style to meet the needs of Natalie. This doesn’t mean that there should be an expectation for Larry to communicate however he wants, but leaders are in their roles because they are trying to help others achieve their goals. If Larry is shutting down because Natalie can’t understand how to communicate with him, then he’ll never grow or find the success he desires. you need to change who you are for every person you work with. In actuality, nothing will confuse your team more than wondering which personality their leader will adopt. You need to be your authentic self but develop the skills to achieve effective communication for your teams. By finding a common point of connection and learning to be more multifaceted in your communication skills, you’ll find greater success in leadership. From there, it’s all about how you deal with success and how you give praise. The most common misconception about this idea is that to lead in the style of others means
Learn a New Language as a Family Let Your Children Speak to the World
As the weather cools down, finding ways to spend quality time as a family can become challenging. It’s too cold to camp or barbecue, and money may be tight with the holidays coming up. So why not turn learning a new skill into a bonding experience this fall? You can do it inside, it’s free, and it will open doors around the world for the rest of your children’s lives. WHY LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE? Speaking multiple languages creates opportunities for your child. Being bilingual makes you more qualified for a variety of exciting careers and can improve your competitiveness in the job market. Knowing a second language can also allow you to travel with greater ease and become more culturally well-rounded. There are some studies that claim learning languages is even good for your health. Research shows that our language acquisition skills peak in childhood or adolescence, so starting young is the best way to become fluent. If your child is in school, they probably already know classmates who speak another language. WHICH LANGUAGE SHOULD YOU LEARN? Did you know that 40 million Americans currently speak Spanish at home? The U.S. is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, and we border the largest, so learning this language is a great way
for children to communicate with more people in their community, and they’ll be more hirable as adults. Bonus: It’s commonly considered one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn. Mandarin is the most-spoken language on the planet, and China’s growth as an economic powerhouse has made this language even more useful around the world. German, Arabic, and Japanese speakers are also highly sought-after in the job market. Of course, you can always let your wanderlust or passions decide for you! Is your child obsessed with K-Pop? Have them learn Korean. Want to take them to Paris someday? Enroll in French classes. Learning a new skill has never been easier! While there’s no substitute for a full-time class or moving to another country, there are countless ways to teach yourself a new language right at home, usually for free. YouTube tutorials, podcasts, and audiobooks let you rewind and listen to the lessons as many times as needed to master pronunciations. Can’t tear your child away from their cellphone? Download Duolingo, rated by PCMag.com as the best free language-learning app of 2018. THE LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD ARE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.
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Protein Pandemonium Should You Worry About This Nutrition Craze?
In the age of ketogenic and paleo diets, protein is king. Moms pack baggies of mixed nuts for their kids’ soccer practices, high-protein variants of foods line the shelves of the supermarket, and nearly every household with a regular gym-goer has a tub of whey protein hidden away somewhere. Protein is essential to every single living cell in your body. But are we going overboard in our protein obsession? Short answer? Probably. Though marketers would have you believe otherwise, it’s actually pretty easy for the average person to get all the protein they need from regular meals. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein — the minimum you should be getting each day — is only 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. If you’re an average American woman weighing 168.5 pounds, that means you should take in roughly 60.66 grams of protein per day. For reference, a serving of chicken breast about the size of your palm will contain about 35 grams. Even if you’re vegetarian or vegan (and tired of being asked how you get your protein), it’s relatively easy to meet the recommended daily minimum. It’s worth noting, though, that these recommendations are minimums — they’re for sedentary folks, not for elite athletes or those engaging in regular exercise. For people who are training nearly every day, the recommendations range from 0.55–0.91 grams per pound of body weight
a day, depending on activity level. One 2017 summary of recent research suggests that the sweet spot for highly active athletes hovers around 0.72 grams per pound of body weight. So, for that same 168.5-pound woman, the RDA skyrockets to a total of 121.32 grams of protein. Of course, these are rough estimates. It’s impossible to pinpoint a one- size-fits-all approach that will work for you. But if you’re an ordinary person going to work, heading home, and maybe walking the dog every now and then, you probably don’t need to worry. If you were an elite athlete pushing your body to the limit every day, then protein intake would definitely be something to keep your eye on.
Most dieticians recommend paying more attention to protein quality than quantity. That means consuming more fish, beans, nuts, chicken, and eggs instead
of beef or processed meats. So, whenever you can, put away the powder and focus on eating high- quality foods instead.
Take a Break!
Spiced
PUMPKIN SEED CRUNCH
Ingredients
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1 large egg white
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1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
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1 teaspoon light agave syrup
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1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped
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1/2 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
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1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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Nonstick vegetable oil spray
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1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
Directions
1. Heat oven to 300 F. 2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk
4. Using a slotted spoon, strain spoonfuls of mixture over bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess egg white mixture. 5. Bake 20–25 minutes, tossing once. 6. Let cool and serve.
together egg white, agave, salt, and spices. Add nuts and seeds and toss until evenly coated.
CAULDRON COSTUME DRACULA GHOST
HALLOWEEN HALLOWS EVE
SCARY STORIES SPOOKY TRICK-OR-TREAT ZOMBIE
HAUNTED PUMPKIN
Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Ron PAGE 1 Communication in Leadership PAGE 1 Learn a New Language as a Family PAGE 2 Are You Getting Enough Protein? Probably! PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Spiced Pumpkin Seed Crunch PAGE 3
Would You SurviveThese Marketing Nightmares? PAGE 4
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
MARKETING HORROR STORIES
A Lesson in What Not to Do
Every marketing professional wants their campaign to be memorable. They want consumers to take notice — or take the bait — and make their company a big profit. But sometimes, things don’t go exactly as planned. The campaigns below certainly won the attention of consumers, but in each case, what started out as a marketing dream quickly turned into a nightmare. FIAT’S DIRECT MAIL DISASTER In 1992, women across Spain received anonymous letters inviting them to go on a “little adventure.”The letters stated, “We met again on the street yesterday, and I noticed how you glanced interestedly in my direction.” Fearing a stalker, many women locked themselves in their homes. A few days later, another letter arrived, revealing the identity of the “secret admirer” as the new Fiat Cinquecento. Yes, the creepy letters were part of a marketing campaign by the Italian car company. Fiat apologized and ended
the campaign after criticism from consumer protection groups, Social Minister Cristina Alberdi, and the 50,000 women who received the letters. KFC AND HOOVER CAN’T DO MATH A shocking number of companies hold giveaway promotions without calculating exactly how much they will cost. Here are a few examples. Back when “Oprah”was the biggest show on television, KFC ran an ad offering a free two-piece chicken meal with two sides and a biscuit for anyone who went to their website and downloaded a coupon. Over 10.5 million coupons were downloaded, and KFC had to give away $42 million in free food. In the 1990s, Hoover Company in the United Kingdom offered two round-trip plane tickets with the purchase of a vacuum. Unfortunately, even in the ‘90s, • •
most vacuums were still cheaper than plane tickets, and Hoover lost 50 million pounds in what remains the biggest promotional disaster ever. CARTOON NETWORK CAUSES A BOMB SCARE Guerrilla marketing can create valuable word of mouth — think about the success of the movie “IT” last year. The marketing for the film included simple red balloons tied to storm drains. But Cartoon Network didn’t have quite the same luck in 2007 when they tried to promote their show“Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” When the network put electronic devices featuring a character from the show all over Boston, city residents thought the strange contraptions looked like bombs and called the police. This triggered a terrorist scare that ultimately cost the general manager of Cartoon Network his job.
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