POLITICS...LEADERSHIP...DO THESE TWO WORDS BELONG TOGETHER IN THE SAME SENTENCE?!!

I follow the political race for president pretty closely but I have never thought about leadership when thinking about the race for president. Ironic huh? I have not even considered the leadership qualities of the potential candidates. These candidates would be much better to sit at a poker table with than to think about as a leader. At the poker table Hillary Clinton would be the aggressive female that needs to prove that she can play with the best of them. Obama would be the strong silent force that when he plays a hand he means business. But he would much rather sit back and watch than be the aggressor. While Hillary would be the aggressor at the table because she has to prove that she deserves to be there. So what does that say about them as a leader? I think the similarities between poker and leadership are evident again. The aggressor at the poker table I see as the dictator leader. The leader that needs to exert their positional power is the aggressor at the poker table and will follow that pattern in leadership. The strong silent force would be the leader that would tend to be more diplomatic and listen to all points of view before reacting. But when push comes to shove that leader will make a decision and stick to it. When this leader acts he will mean business. So which leader do we want to be the next president of the USA?

Social networking over the Internet is an amazing concept that I never thought about before last week. Within days of signing up for linkden I was contacted by a friend that I have not spoken to in 8 years. Her and I had lost touch and she found my profile and contacted me. I was able to reconnect with her and we realized that we are in similar jobs at agencies in town. We exchanged information and ideas about our respective programs and agencies. It was an amazing thing that would never have happened without Internet networking. I still think that putting a face to a name in person is important but the initial connection is so easy to make over the Internet. My friend and I are going to lunch next week to reconnect on a personal level but also to continue to exchange information on a professional level. The information that I will gain from her will help me continue on my journey of growth as a leader and also enhance my personal relationships.

Class over the internet

Last week's class in the e-class room was an experience that I am so glad we had the opportunity to participate in. It was the only forum that we could have had the level of participation that we had from people that were spread all over the country. While the night began with technical difficulties it ended up being very successful. It was a very relaxed atmosphere in the classroom. The only thing is we missed the visual and everyone wished that we could have seen the guests and professor as they were speaking. Typing our responses to questions was a wonderful way to engage all of the cohort in discussions. People that may be less willing to speak in class, had no problem typing away in the virtual classroom. Overall the experience was very positive and overall very informative and engaging.

OK OK I know that I have three posts in a row but I have been really busy with my new job...
With that being said...Did anyone watch the presidential debates? I guess the new buzz word is CHANGE but do you know who said it the most out of all the candidates in New Hampshire? (answer next blog)

Leadership in the e-world is really about challenging your staff and yourself to find that e-world nitch that makes your business better and more efficient. Marketing is a big area that needs to be looked at when looking at the changes that the e-world has brought to business. Customers are no longer found in traditional arenas. Advertising in newspapers no longer brings in the volume needed for success.

But the other big component of leadership in the e-world is having an open mind. Leaders must recognize the innovation in the people around them and be ready to CHANGE and EMBRACE the ever changing world.

Well I started my new job yesterday...As I am meeting my new staff and co-workers I find that I am approaching my new job in much the same way I approach a new poker table. I sit back and observe before making a move. Even if I have a great hand (or idea) I still opt to remain quiet until I have really observed my surrondings and gotten the pulse of the table.