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About Artistry Unleashed: A Guide to Pursuing Great Performance in Work and Life by Hilary Austen & Roger Martin:
This book examines the importance of artistry in many professional careers, no matter what kind of vocation may be calling. Artistry Unleashed explores how artistry can help many professions (including painters, athletes, and scientists) put their passion to better use. Mastering the arts can lead to improvements in business, daily life, and education.
Why Cydcor recommends this to future leaders:
It can be tough to appreciate art when you’ve invested so much in objective thinking. Business and leadership requires a certain set of skills, but improving upon these skills isn’t the easiest job. This book is the perfect road map to taking artistry and applying it to aspects of life that we’d never think would work. Artistry Unleashed can help leaders find value in knowing how to turn their originality into something useful, beneficial, and innovative in their professional life.
Our favorite part:
Austen’s and Martin’s book acts as both an introduction and guide to characterizing artistic style, while also applying it to all aspects of life. The “knowledge system” is a term describing the collection of elements that generate artistic desire. In the book, this system is validated using a diverse set of artists and case studies.
For example, readers might learn about a photographer or a chef, how they used their artistic passion throughout their workday, and how that passion aids them in finding more motivation in their profession. The book serves as the perfect compliment to someone trying to find his or her artistic potential and how they might harness it to benefit their career.
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The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the world today. Although it may have become harder to innovate and come up with the next big thing, there’s still a possibility that it exists somewhere close. The following are a collection of quotes to motivate any entrepreneur.
“It’s not that we need new ideas, but we need to stop having old ideas.” —Edwin Land, Polaroid co-founder
This quote speaks to any person who likes to dream big. Nothing grows in the comfort zone, so be ready to put yourself out there and think outside the box. We don’t always require genius new strategies. It’s about looking at what you have, and moving forward from there.
“Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” —Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder
It’s rare for a person to strike it big without putting in the hard work that’s needed. Biz Stone puts things in perspective. What really goes on behind the scenes of the world’s biggest successes? Often, much more than most people realize.
“Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical.” —Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO
There is no reward without risk. Every day, a decision will need to be made that may not have a guaranteed happy ending. Dream big, and don’t be afraid to take the necessary chances.
“The most dangerous poison is the feeling of achievement. The antidote is to every evening think what can be done better tomorrow.” Ingvar Kamprad, Founder of IKEA
Kamprad makes a simple point: never be satisfied. No matter how much success you have found, always look to the future and discover what else can be done to improve the world. By keeping focused on what else can be done, achievements can be that much sweeter.
“If you just work on stuff that you like and you’re passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” Mark Zuckerberg, Co-founder and CEO of Facebook
Not one person in the world has a playbook of shortcuts in life. To really get to where you want to go, always keep in mind the things you feel passionate about. Every step toward that passion, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.
What entrepreneurs have inspired you? Let us know in the comments below!
About Leading Outside the Lines: How to Mobilize the Informal Organization, Energize Your Team, and Get Better Results by Jon R. Katzenbach and Zia Khan
Focusing on the modern workplace, Leading Outside the Lines is a great book for managers and leaders who are looking for success with their team. Katzenbach is one of the better sources for tips on organization and leadership, and this book is a great example. It’s tough to find success with organization in the 21st century, but looking at the right research and striving to live a life with value can help discover that success. Katzenbach also offers great guidelines for company leaders and provides examples of companies that use these strategies, including New York City schools systems and Home Depot.
Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:
Developing skills on how to think correctly about the informal systems at work is key for many business owners today. This book provides a well-written overview for developing these informal aspects of any organization. Since the book reflects the current times, most notably the advent of social media and its affect on organization. This is a great book for people who will find benefits in becoming a better leader.
Our favorite part:
Most management books find it difficult to simplify the challenges that workplace cultures tend to face. Katzenbach and Khan provide a clear explanation of ways to tackle this type of culture. Being a manger is far from easy, but this book is a great place to start if you lead a team and need a way to think outside the box. The case studies are great examples that can be applied for any organization and are just one of the book’s many strengths. Cydcor recommends this book for anyone looking to improve their leadership skills.
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Not many people love it, and almost no one just likes it. Waking up early to catch the worm on a regular basis is not the easiest thing in the world. However, there are countless benefits to waking up earlier than scheduled, having a healthy morning routine can all be the first step to reaching success. Get started today with these morning routine tips:
The Obvious: Breakfast
Touted as the most important meal of the day, breakfast can have a big impact on how the rest of your day goes. Starting off the day with a healthy and balanced meal can guarantee you have enough energy for anything you are up for. Fruits, whole grains, and eggs are all nutrient rich foods that will keep you full and focused. Try and stay away from anything with too many carbohydrates; foods like bagels or donuts have a tendency to slow people down after the initial sugar high ends.
Meditate
When was the last time you had a few minutes to yourself? Our lives have never been busier, so it’s important to take a step back and let yourself focus on where you are in your life. Even fifteen minutes of guided meditation (Cydcor recommends the app Headspace) can make a world of difference. Being able to find moments of tranquility and relaxation during a hectic schedule will help you find success.
Staying Informed
No matter what your source of news is, take a few minutes each morning to catch up with the world. What is everyone talking and caring about? This not only helps to keep you informed, but also allows you to learn things that can be helpful for the rest of the day. Maybe it’s bringing up a new social app at lunch for coworkers, or learning some new tips on making the most of the workday. Being able to be caught up in the world as its benefits, and they show well at work.
Exercise
To stay cool and relaxed under pressure is something that all successful people need to be able to do. One way to improve this is to exercise in the morning. Try going for an early morning jog or doing a few push-ups before breakfast—anything to get your heart beating a little faster. The physicality of the activity will get your energy up for the day, clearing your mind and allowing you to focus on the most important things. Did you know that Apple CEO Tim Cook hits the gym every morning at 5 a.m.?
Have any other tips to starting success in the morning? Share them in the comments!
About The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules for Winning in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy
The 24-Hour Customer argues that corporations need to pay more attention and strategize around the customer’s time and attention in the world today. Customers live in a world where time is tough to come by. Author Adrian Ott explores why customers can devour hours to social networks, but still feel they have no time to get things done. The book is filled with many case studies, including lessons from Amazon, and gives great tips on making the most of the time a company can hold a customer’s attention.
Why Cydcor recommends this to Future Leaders:
As the world continues to evolve, so does our time to do things that we love. Consumers are thrown brand new information on an hourly basis, and don’t have the patience to wait on anything that’s slowing them down. Ott offers a great amount of insights and recommendations to make an impact on consumers in our world today.
Our favorite part:
Adrian Ott has written an amazing guide that is efficient and cuts right to the chase of why time matters. She is one of the most sough-after strategists in Silicon Valley, and this book validates that prestigious standing. The book includes in-depth research and detailed findings that demonstrate how time has increasingly become valuable to consumers and has had a large effect on why consumers make the decisions they do. Our favorite part has got to be the great case studies, the standouts being Netflix and FreshDirect.
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Here is Cydcor's Review of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard:
About Switch:
Switch is a story-driven narrative of why making changes to our everyday lives is difficult, but worth the trouble. This can be applied to companies, communities, and our own personal lives. Switch demonstrates that a successful change can be completed, and the steps you take to make that change can be applied to any other change you’d like to make as well. All it takes is creating a game plan that aligns well with changes that can result in the success we’ve always wanted to achieve.
Why Cydcor recommends this to future leaders:
The business world is tough, especially these days. Although it may be difficult, a few small changes can make a world of difference. The authors do a great job of explaining why change is important, and that it’s achievable. The motivation to want to change comes from one half of our mind; the other half wants to stay the same. By having a balance, any positive change can be achieved. It’s up to leaders today to realize this, and make these kinds of changes a reality.
Our favorite part:
Switch uses great examples of every day people that mastered balancing the two minds – and achieved excellent results. One of these stories regards a manager who took his customer-support team to the next level. Without spoiling anything, the manager removed a tool that most customer service teams use regularly. This resulted in a positive change for the company, creating the customer support team that customers have always wanted. By providing these examples, the authors showcase that anything is possible, if we’re willing to make the changes necessary for success.
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“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” – Douglas Adams, author
When you look to offer a service or product for consumption or use, you want to offer your clientele something that you believe in, and that has been created with authenticity. A well-treated customer who has been approached with care and earnestness is a customer who feels appreciated—and it is these customers that are much more likely to purchase a product from someone they feel has their best interests in mind.
Know your product and service inside and out. Understand what goes into it, how it’s crafted or how it will be executed so that you can explain easily and without stress how your product is worthier than the competition’s product. It’s imperative you believe in what you are looking to sell. Showing a competent knowledge will not only make it easier to describe and illustrate how it can benefit your potential customer, but it will also allow the customer to feel that you are confidence in what you are offering.
A huge portion of job satisfaction comes from how we feel about ourselves at the end of the day. This can be attributed to how we treat our customers, and whether we are authentic in ourselves and our services. Being authentic to one’s self drives the beliefs necessary to make a huge difference in our lives, and the lives of customers.
As Bruce Barton, an American author once said, “The essential element in personal magnetism is a consuming sincerity - an overwhelming faith in the importance of the work one has to do.”
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Cydcor is excited to announce our continued relationship with Operation Smile. Operation Smile and Cydcor plan to fund two additional medical missions, providing free surgeries to repair cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities for children in need around the globe.
Cydcor’s relationship with Operation Smile began in 2010, and together we have helped heal nearly 2,100 smiles through fundraisers, donations, and our Week of Smiles fundraiser, to help fund charity medical missions to Guatemala, Mexico and Brazil. Through the dedication and compassion of teams across the nation, Cydcor has raised more than $500,000 to heal the smiles of children in need and help fund missions globally. We simply can’t do it without the support and dedication of our Cydcor employees and the many independently owned sales offices across the U.S.
"We are so proud to have funded three medical missions for Operation Smile, and we are on our way to funding a fourth and fifth," said Cydcor Chief Operating Officer Vera Quinn. "We are honored to be able to support Operation Smile in such a way that we can help make such a difference for so many families around the globe."
At Cydcor’s annual Keys to Success 2015 in Dallas, Texas Operation Smile founders Dr. William P. Magee, Jr., and his wife Kathleen S. Magee were guest speakers where we celebrated the hard working teams across the country. Speaking to an audience of 800, the Magees spoke on the importance of charity and dedication.
To help support Cydcor's fundraising efforts, visit www.operationsmile.org/cydcor. For more information on Operation Smile's global efforts, visit www.operationsmile.org, and follow on Twitter and Facebook.
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About Operation Smile
Operation Smile, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is an international medical charity with a presence in more than 60 countries, whose global network of thousands of credentialed medical volunteers from more than 80 countries is dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children. Since its founding in 1982, Operation Smile has provided more than 220,000 free surgical procedures for children and young adults born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. To build long-term sufficiency in resource poor environments, Operation Smile trains doctors and local medical professionals in its partner countries so they are empowered to treat their local communities. Operation Smile also donates medical equipment, supplies and provides year-round medical treatment through its worldwide centers.
The following is a review by a Cydcor employee of For Better or For Work: A Survival Guide for Entrepreneurs and Their Families by Meg Cadoux Hirshberg.
About For Better or For Work:
This book is a remarkable guide to navigating the perfect balance of entrepreneurial business building, while still being able to enjoy a happy life at home. Hirshberg continually reminds readers that this is no easy feat, and will require great amounts of effort. Very few people have mastered running a business successfully with a balanced personal life, but the tips found in this book can get any person on the right track. For Better or For Work is a reminder that a balancing both lives is possible, using small successes that can be simple to find.
Why Cydcor recommends this to future leaders:
Entrepreneurship can be a stressful career choice. Late nights, extravagant scheming, and taking chances are all aspects of being a great entrepreneur. This book gives practical advice on building your support system together to maximize motivation and determination. Family and friends can sometimes take a back seat to an entrepreneur when they’re focused. For Better or For Work is a wake up call for any entrepreneur to spend their time more wisely, and be able to have the personal relationships they’re looking for. Any aspiring leader can find beneficial advice in this book.
Our favorite part:
Meeting challenges are difficult for all relationships, personal or professional. Hirshberg outlines useful tips on how to handle things when they get tough, like when a startup fails or a company owner resigns due to a serious illness. There are plenty of books and articles to help an entrepreneur and their company exceed; this book instead focuses on succeeding with interpersonal relationships, while still balancing the hectic life of an entrepreneur.
Check out Cydcor on CareerBuilder for our latest job openings!
Having clear and excellent communication skills is crucial for any business professional. A person must be able to articulate exactly what they mean if they want work to get done correctly. You may think you have a genius idea, but if you can’t articulate it well, it will be difficult for your team to jump aboard. Communicating clearly can make all facets of business a little easier. Here are a few tips to regularly communicate more concisely:
Brainstorm the Idea
Try to avoid expressing an idea to others too soon after inception. Flesh out the idea fully to ensure it makes sense and is understandable for others. By putting in extra effort to think of all the different possibilities, you can avoid presenting an idea that just doesn’t work. Think about it for a bit, and if it still makes sense, move forward!
Write It Out
Write down the idea and read aloud it yourself. This will create a visual and auditory representation of what you’re trying to communicate. If it sounds right and makes sense, you’re on the right path. If it doesn’t, you may have to go back to the drawing board.
Feedback
Need a little assurance before communicating to your team? Present the idea to someone you trust, such as a co-worker or friend. They can give you another layer of feedback, and bring whatever you’re trying to say to the next level.
Simplify the Message
It’s not a good idea to start rambling when it comes to communicating. If it’s too confusing, many people may tune out and miss out on what you’re trying to get across. Simplifying the message can ensure that people get the most important pieces of information first. After you’ve formed a simplified message and can finally introduce it to others, be sure to….
…Ask if People Need Clarification
There have been countless times when I’ve assumed I understood a request, only to find out later that I didn’t fully comprehend what I needed to do. Be sure to ask if what you’ve just described is clear to everybody. It can add another layer of understand for some, as well as fill in someone who may not have been listening as attentively as they should have been. It also guarantees that what you’ve said is made crystal clear.
Communicating more clearly is something that all business-oriented individuals struggle with. It doesn’t have to be impossible. Just keep in mind that clear communicators make sure their ideas are fleshed out and will make sense to as many people as possible—the first time they explain it.
Cydcor recently wrote on Life Hacks for Left-Brain Thinkers, but what about those of us who identify as “right-brain” thinkers? People who excel in creative arts, love to experiment and tinker and learn better when things are explained visually are considered “right-brain” dominant. However, along with these positive attributes, right brain dominant individual are often thought to be easily distracted and unorganized.
Being a visual-spatial learner means your brain learns best through visual clues and observation. Long, complicated mathematical problems or block-text can often cause right-brained individuals to tune out.
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Right-brain dominant people often like to work in groups, but it’s also good to give your left brain some exercise as well. To do so, encourage yourself to work alone whenever possible. While team tasks can be great creative opportunities, it’s also important to learn how to be able to tap into your left-brain by giving yourself some quiet space to focus on the task at hand.
Visual-spatial learners don’t do well under pressure. Give yourself as much time as possible to finish a project, and avoid procrastination by scheduling this time and ensuring ample opportunity to get things done without time pressure setting in.
Encourage yourself to draw webs and links while taking down notes, rather than writing things in a more linear fashion. Draw pictures if it helps illustrate a point—even something as a simple doodle can reinforce the information.
Managers can assist right-brain thinker by showing the whole picture for facts that need to be memorized, versus just handing out a document for them to read and memorize. Visual supports such as pictures and maps help with ideas and facts. In addition to providing information verbally, use colors, charts and other visual aids to help them commit information you need to know by memory.
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