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Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Generous Leader


Yesterday our Founder and CEO Matt Sileno took a couple of the people from the office to watch Strasburg pitch at the Nationals Stadium. We just want to shout out and say Thank you Matt for your leadership and giving back!!!

When expanding a company/organization there are many tasks that are going on all at once. A lot of time, dedication, and commitment is required to ensure that things go smoothly. With all of this going on, our company President Matt Sileno still finds the time to exemplify what a great leader is all about. Matt always takes the right actions to make people feel that the work they do is important, and that they themselves, as people, are important to the team.

In return, the morale of the team at The Intuitive Group, Inc. is always strong!

Often, leaders are so focused on future achievements, on realizing the vision of the organization, that in the process, they neglect the people who are there. On the other hand, Matt Sileno, is very much involved. Freely and generously sharing know-how, expertise, and ideas is not only beneficial for employees - it's a smart way of doing business.

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Attitude Is Everything



No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
Helen Keller


According to Helen Keller’s biography, she was actually the first deaf blind individual to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree! Of course from there she went on to achieve extraordinary things in her lifetime. The thing I want to point out is if Helen Keller, who was deaf and blind, did not let that stop her from building a life of significance, what are we missing? Shame on us!

People don’t really value or reflect on their purpose in life until something really bad occurs. Getting diagnosed with cancer, having a heart attack, a bad car accident. In essence the problem is really us, not the economy, not the government, not our children or our parents. Often we identify these as the problems which hinder our success. We allow them to loom large in front of us. We delay taking action because we want to be sure we understand the problem thoroughly and that we have analyzed every possible solution. Unfortunately by the time we think of something that certain problem has totally engulfed us! Envision that there is a house on fire and a person driving by just stopped and jumps out of the car and runs into the house. The person saves two small children inside. If that person had instead stopped to ponder about what to do rather than just doing it, and then guess what, two children might have lost their lives.

We are stopped by the words and thoughts of others as well. “You can’t do that.” “No one has ever done that before.” We’re stopped by these barriers that have no walls, no perimeters, and no blockades! In fact, the only true barrier is our perception. The only way to discover this truth is to make the journey yourself.

Urban legend has that the 409 spray cleaning formula product is named for the birthday of the inventor's wife or daughter. Some have thought that they named the formula after a large, powerful engine found in Chevrolet cars at the time. However, the product was actually named 409 because it took the inventors 409 tries to get the formula right! Most of us would have quit after failing maybe two or three times.


Want to know the secret to this piece of success?

Effective action is 30% what you know, and 70% how you feel about what you know.

This means that your accomplishments multiply a thousandfold when you infuse them with energy, excitement, and passion! The other day someone told me about a woman I would be working with. He said, “Oh, you’ll love her. She is so dynamic and enthusiastic.” People never say, “You will love her. She is so intelligent, and has a PhD.” As a matter of fact, it’s not what the woman knows that really impresses people, but how she gets that knowledge across. She is actually excited about what she knows, about what she is doing and how she can help. Excitement is absolutely contagious. Everyone she works with is more productive when she is around. For example, if you had the choice of hiring two people with the same background, the same skills, and the same academic degrees, you will always choose the one with the highest degree- OF excitement and enthusiasm. Trust me, hands down it is attitude that makes the difference!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

CHARACTER


Despite what the economy is like, despite the circumstances around us, we have to be inspired and encouraged about our future. It’s not enough to get a good start; we need to finish well too.

The words endurance doesn’t elicit positive feelings. However endurance has wonderful benefits.

One of the greatest benefits of endurance is that it enables us to build character. There is a clear connection with endurance and character. You cannot have one without the other. They go hand in hand.

The problem is I believe that our world is endurance challenged. Everyone wants a quick fix! We want things simple and we it want it fast! McDonalds has certainly gotten this formula perfected and as a result dominated the fast food industry. McDonalds makes it really convenient and there seems to be a location at every other block. Essentially, very few people understand the value of patience. Most people want instant gratification and to be successful overnight. How many get quick rich schemes have taken advantage of innocent people? You have probably heard this many times but it’s worth emphasizing that life is a marathon not a sprint! Overall it’s important to engage in strengthening of character by developing endurance. There are many things we will miss in life if we don’t endure.

What is endurance? Endurance is the ability to stand wear and tear, or the willingness to stay put and press through. The opposite is hopelessness which is to expect that nothing good will come. It’s kind of like being dropped in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the boat leaves you to tread water and find your way back alone. These bad times will test your endurance and strengthen your character. The key to developing endurance is to stick to commitments and not live by your feelings.

Understand character:

Character is all about quality. A person or object of quality has weight and substance. Most of us appreciate great character when we see it. Something that is handmade has better quality. For example, I love coffee. I can taste the difference between caffeinated and decaf, just as recognizing the difference between regular coke and diet coke. Real sugar versus splenda. People appreciate quality because there is authenticity and integrity, which can be demonstrated in a person’s commitments and relationships. A person of integrity is not all about image, it’s what you do when no one is looking.

Character is a combination of spiritual, mental, emotional, and relational.
I’ve had roommates in college that were very intelligent and had mental character, but were emotional basket cases!

Overall, character is a make or break issue. It is going to determine the success level of our lives. Weakness of character will always catch up with you at some time in your life; we will only be successful as the quality of our character.

In the following is a story about the creators of YouTube which taught me why character is a make or break issue. People who may not have the right character yet, won’t respond appropriately to the opportunities given to them.

It was while working at PayPal that Hurley and Chen became fast friends. They began to spend their free time discussing several different business ideas. When eBay purchased PayPal for $1.54 billion, the two received large bonuses for their role in growing the small startup. They decided to use their money to create their own venture. With Chen’s engineering skills and Hurley’s creativity, they thought forming a company together was a plausible idea.

In January 2005, Hurley and Chen attended a friend’s dinner party in San Francisco. They had taken a few digital videos of the event and wanted to share them with each other the next day, but could not find a good means to do so. The files were too big to email, while posting them online would take hours. With that, Hurley and Chen had their first idea for a sustainable business. Using the money they had received from the PayPal buyout, Chen and Hurley decided to create YouTube, to make uploading and sharing videos online as easy as anyone could want.

It was the birth of a revolution.

There are three kinds of people in the world: People who make things happen, people who watch things happen, people who wonder what happened.


Rest assured and prepare yourself, there’s another opportunity around the corner from you! Which one are you going to be?

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Continual Personal Growth



Today has been forecast as a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day, indicating unhealthy air quality.

Prepare for hot weather before it happens!

Take the following steps to reduce harmful air emissions:

Carpool, telecommute, or take mass transit to work;
Limit driving and combine errands;
Refuel after dark;
Avoid using gasoline-powered lawn equipment, including mowers;
Wait for a cooler day to use oil-based paints or switch to non-solvent or low VOC-based paints;
Avoid using aerosols and household products that contain solvents;
Avoid mid-day driving; or
Conserve energy at home and work to reduce power demand.
We are seeing this learning curve now with energy conservation. In the news, politics, technology, and even fashion, we are all encouraged to use clean, renewable energy. Embracing a greener lifestyle isn’t just about helping to preserve equatorial rain forests, it can also mean improving your health, padding your bank account, and, ultimately, improving your overall quality of life.

We all have “bad air days” and need to recognize them as a significant threat to our personal growth and development.

Causes

Bad air in our lives represents the pollution emitted from toxic relationships, negative people, bad attitude and habits, and negative environments.

Impacts

Pollution in our lives restricts people’s potential and leads to poverty thinking. It obstructs our sight and causes us to be reactive rather than proactive. According to Stephen Covey, 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

Tips on Beating the “Heat”

Energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption in order to preserve resources for the future and reduce environmental pollution. It can be achieved through energy efficient use. Likewise, we need to aim to become more efficient in our daily lives in order to become effective people. The best defense to preventing “heat” related illnesses is prevention and preparation!

Assess your attitude regularly. This will help build your resistance against “bad air days”. The key is to focus on continual personal growth by reading books and surrounding yourself with high energy, positive people. Adjust your expectations about life. Expect you will have troubles! By maintaining day to day activities that promote personal growth, you are developing endurance that results in a strong character.

What have you done in your life to expand your range of competencies through continual learning?

Visit INTUITIVE GROUP, INC. and learn more about the company and careers available right now! The Intuitive Group, Inc. is accredited an A rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Vienna, VA (PRWEB) April 23, 2010 Press Release

The Intuitive Group Celebrates Two Successful Years in Business

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Winners Find Ways To Win


IT is pretty exciting for folks in Washington D.C. because the Washington Wizards won the 2010 NBA Draft and welcomed John Wall to the team! As people watched this in excitement and wait in anticipation for the next season, I also want to point out some practical lessons we can pick up from this. For those who want to win, read on!

“I’m working on all the angles on my jump shot,” Wall said. “My jump shot is the key thing. Guys go on the pick and roll and will force me to knock down shots. I want to be one of those point guards who knock down shots you have to get over the top. I want to make it easier on my teammates. I’m not going to take bad shots but take shots that are open for me. I feel like I can be a great defensive player when I put my mind to it for the whole game, not just half the game.”

There are 2 key lessons from this statement:

Specialize in something
Leverage your specialized knowledge to get exactly what you want professionally, personally and more. John Wall demonstrates this when he first identified his talent as a basketball player, and then worked to develop his skills and perfect his jump shot! What paid off for me is understanding my field, having a definite plan that is conducive to growth in my field, and being motivated to succeed.
Take a step back and ask yourself what specialized knowledge you have and what specialized knowledge you need to acquire to achieve your goals. How can you acquire that specialized knowledge? Through schooling or maybe through an associate you know? If it is a character or leadership trait you need, then surround yourself with people who have these traits.

Accept Personal Responsibility
In business and in life, leadership will require the attitude of personal responsibility. John Wall’s emphasis on team work exemplifies his understanding of this concept. We can actually break down the word TEAM to say that “Together Everyone Achieves More.” In other words, develop accountability to bring you to that next level. However, realize that personal responsibility must come first before you can have accountability between yourself and others. John Wall declared he is going to be a team player.

How? Through conscious decision making and personal commitment to win, even when the going gets tough.
To wrap up, Kentucky coach John Calipari said:

“From what I saw in Wall’s leadership ability, which is the most important thing he had to develop, the ability to make plays when there were no plays, the speed and quickness that will move from college to pro. … The hardest position to fill in the NBA is point guard. There’s a handful of guys — Rose, Rondo, Billups, Williams, Paul — everybody’s looking for that guy. They’re going to see the next one who has that type of ability is John.”

Check out the Intuitive Group and career opportunities available right now!


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