10 tips for passing practical assessments when applying for a senior teaching job

Your CV has made the cut, now it's time for presentations, demonstration lessons and psychometric tests. Here's how to prepare for success

Interviews for teaching jobs used to involve a half-hour chat to a panel of well-meaning governors. But these days, they are more like physical and psychological assault courses with presentations, demonstration lessons, psychometric tests, observations and in-tray exercises. And if you're applying for a senior teaching job, you need to prepare yourself for the practical tests as well as the formal interview.

Demonstration lessons

Give a lesson plan to the observers beforehand so if it all goes horribly wrong at least they know what you intended to achieve. Detail how you plan to differentiate and show progress, even if there wasn't time during the demo lesson.

Mary Glynn, candidate development manager at Prospero Teaching, says: "The first question the panel are likely to ask at the formal interview will be about evaluating your performance in practical things like the demo lesson. Focus on answering this well - show you are a reflective teacher and can justify the decisions you made."

Be ready to explain at interview how you differentiated, especially for EAL or SEN, how you planned for progress, justify why you changed tack or improvised and acknowledge any mistakes you made.

Don't expect parity, though. You could get a tough year 9 group when another candidate gets sweet little year 7s. Your lesson might have to be taught after the formal interview while another might be interviewed before.

Presentations

You are likely to be asked to do a 10-minute presentation on the role you are applying for. You might be asked about your vision for the English department or how you would take forward safeguarding, pastoral care or behaviour in the school. Here's how to deliver a cracking presentation:

Plan a beginning, middle and an end - basically tell a story in about why you are right for the job.

- Your beginning (maximum two minutes). Think A,B,C and D:

A is for attention - get the panel's attention with an arresting quote or statistic.
B is for benefit - what is the interview panel about to learn from you in next 10 minutes? Summarise it in 15 seconds.
C is for credentials - tell them (again in 15 seconds) what your credentials are.
D is for direction - give them a 20-second outline of the structure of your presentation so they'll remember it once you have finished.

- Your middle (maximum seven minutes). This is your content, the meat in the sandwich. Give a compelling outline of your vision supplemented perhaps by a diagram or infographic, maybe a few stats, a very short video clip all on half a dozen PowerPoint slides.

- Your ending (maximum one minute). Finish with a call to action or an inspiring line that sums up you and what you will do.

Lesson observations

You are required to observe someone else's lesson to test whether you can identify outstanding teaching. They'll be looking to assess the quality of your written and oral feedback, your confidence to assess what you observed or a coaching tip to develop skill and technique. You also need to show a wider appreciation of your subject knowledge or leadership potential.

In-tray exercises

These test your ability to prioritise and cope under pressure. Can you deal with a dozen things coming at you at once? How will you prioritise urgent matters like multiple staff absences, coursework deadlines and the school boiler breaking down all on the same morning? You can prepare for these by searching for examples on the internet. Search for "in-tray exercises for teachers" - Exeter University and @TeacherToolKit has them. There are no right answers but practising helps you prepare.

Psychometric tests

These are a harder to prepare for because they are supposed to objectively test your mental ability, aptitude and personality. You may be asked to engage with a variety of exercises that test your verbal and numerical ability or your abstract, spatial or mechanical reasoning. I did one for a headship with the three other candidates for the job that involved building a three-foot high tower with paper clips and sheets of A4. It was worse than an episode of The Apprentice.

The next phishing email you get could be from your boss.

With high-profile security breaches on the rise, from Sony Pictures to Anthem, companies are on the defensive. And they want to make sure their employees are not a hack waiting to happen.

Data show phishing emails are more and more common as entry points for hackers. Unwittingly clicking on a link in a scam email could unleash malware into a network or provide other access to cyberthieves.

So a growing number of companies, including Twitter Inc., are giving their workers a pop quiz, testing security savvy by sending spoof phishing emails to see who bites.

"New employees fall for it all the time," said Josh Aberant, postmaster at Twitter, during a data privacy town hall meeting recently in New York City.

Falling for the fake scam offers a teachable moment that businesses hope will ensure employees won't succumb to a real threat. It's even a niche industry: companies like Wombat Security and PhishMe offer the service for a fee.

Phishing is very effective, according to Verizon's 2014 data breach investigations report, one of the most comprehensive in the industry. Eighteen percent of users will visit a link in a phishing email which could compromise their data, the report found.

Not only is phishing on the rise, the phish are getting smarter. Criminals are "getting clever about social engineering," said Patrick Peterson, CEO of email security company Agari. As more people wise up to age-old PayPal and bank scams, for example, phishing emails are evolving. You might see a Walgreens gift card offer or a notice about President Barack Obama warning you about Ebola.

The phishing tests recognize that many security breaches are the result of human error. A recent study by the nonprofit Online Trust Alliance found that of more than 1,000 breaches in the first half of 2014, 90 percent were preventable and more than 1 in 4 were caused by employees, many by accident.

Fake phishing emails are indistinguishable from the real ones. That's the point. In one sent out by Wombat, the subject reads "Email Account Security Report - Unusual Activity." The email informs the recipient that his or her account will be locked for unusual activity such as sending a large number of undeliverable messages. At the bottom there's a link that, were this a real phishing email, would infect the recipient's computer with malicious software or steal password and login information.

If you click?

Up pops a web page: "Oops! The email you just responded to was a fake phishing email. Don't worry! It was sent to you to help you learn how to avoid real attacks. Please do not share your experience with colleagues, so they can learn too." It also offers tips on recognizing suspicious messages.

In the 14 years since PhishMe CEO and co-founder Rohyt Belani has been in information security, he says the industry has changed from something a "geek in the back room" was supposed to take care of to something companies now handle at the highest level of management. The nature of the intruder also has changed, from pranksters to criminal organizations and nation-states.

As the security industry developed, he said, so did the idea of the user as "stupid" and the "weakest link," destined to continue to fall for phishing attempts and other scams. Belani disagrees with that, faulting the security industry for not better training workers.

"We posted posters in hallways, gave out squishy balls, (made) screen savers," he said. "When was the last time you changed your password because of a squishy ball?"

While phishing training emails are a "good cautionary measure," they aren't "actually going to strike at the core of the issue," believes Agari's Peterson. He, along with large Internet companies such as Facebook Inc., Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp., support establishing a standard that makes it impossible for scammers to impersonate your bank, social network or other business in an email. Think of it as a verification system for emails. For now, though, this seems a long way off.

So, at Pinnacle Financial Partners in Nashville, Tennessee, employees will continue to receive fake phishing emails, about one a quarter. The results are reported to the company's audit committee and board of directors, said Chief Information officer Randy Withrow. Since the 800-employee company started the Wombat program Withrow said it has seen a 25 percent drop in successful phishing attempts.

Workers "take it very personally" when they fall for it, he said. "They become apologetic and wonder, 'how did I miss it?'"

Luckily for Pinnacle, it was only a test.

Like the proverbial saying, putting all your eggs in one basket, many of us focus on just one thing -- usually our career -- and ignore the other aspects of our lives. Even in my own life I have found that it's easy to just delve into my work or training, maintaining a very single-minded focus that can be an advantage for what I'm doing at the present moment but at a disadvantage to the rest of my life.

You do want to be "in the zone" and focus your attention on what you're currently doing. But problems occur when you only focus and do one thing all the time. That creates an imbalance that affects all areas of your life. Those areas, which I believe are essential to a balanced life are career, relationships, health, spiritual, financial and well-being. You want all these areas to be in harmony with each other, and your core beliefs, so you live a life that's authentic to you.

A quick exercise to bring these areas in sync: Ask yourself these four questions across all six key areas of your life. You'll discover which areas are unbalanced so you can bring them -- and yourself -- back into balance.

What are your goals? For each area, write down what you really want. Putting your goals in writing is the first step in success. Be as specific as possible, do you want to learn a new skill to be eligible for a promotion or do you want a new job by the New Year? Putting your goals in writing focuses your intention on achieving your goal, and holds you accountable. I did this with a group of children and their parents in my leadership class over the course of a year, and the results were amazing -- from better grades to improved diets, everyone reached (or were well on the way to reaching) their goals.

Where are you? Notice which areas are currently out of alignment. Maybe your career is on track, but your relationship with your spouse could use some nurturing. Brainstorm ways you can better align future actions to meet your goals. Starting a new ritual with your spouse, such as a weekly date night or meeting for lunch one day during the workweek, may be all it takes to reconnect. Even catching up throughout your workday with texts can bring you closer. You can never communicate enough.

What can you do now? I'm sure you've heard the Lao-tzu quote, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." By taking even the smallest of steps you will be one step closer to reaching your goal. Start where you are, and take action. If you feel disconnected from your faith, perhaps you can devote a few minutes each morning to read inspirational stories, meditate, or pray. If you want to better manage your finances, schedule some time on your calendar this week to create a budget. What about your sense of well being? Is there something you can do right now, in this moment, that will make you a happier person? Calling a childhood friend, writing a thank-you note, petting your dog.

What can you do later? Not every goal is a short-term one, and not every step you take is going to yield immediate results. Think about it, making healthy changes such as quitting smoking or losing weight, are not going to be one-and-done tips or tricks. They may be long journeys with setbacks and you'll need different strategies to continue moving forward.

One thing to remember: there will be times when one area needs more attention than another, but you can't neglect one completely. They work as a whole to keep you balanced, happy, and living an authentic life.

De ældre modeller for styring stammer fra enten en militær struktur baseret på kommando og kontrol, eller en mekanistisk model. Dennemodel afspejler den industrielle epoke, der er så mange måder at omgås. Men alt for få virksomheder har erkendt, at de ikke eller i hvert fald ikke virker som en maskine i stedet for en levende organisme i et økosystem af andre levende væsener.

Gestern haben wir diskutiert, wie Führer, die oft ein wenig zu eifrig um ihre Mitarbeiter handeln beobachten ihre Bemühungen nach hinten losgehen. Trotz dieser Lektion ist es wichtig zu bedenken, dass Pflege Professionalität immer eine vollständige Unterdrückung Ihrer Persönlichkeit erfordern nicht. In der Tat, gibt es viele Unternehmen und Branchen, die sich

leisten konnten, ihre Sie-wissen-wo ist den sprichwörtlichen Stick entfernen.

Wie Unternehmer AJ Agrawal schreibt, gibt es viele erfolgreiche Unternehmen, die unter der Führung von Menschen, die ihre innere Kniffe in einem solchen Maße, dass "Weird" zu eigen gemacht haben einen integralen Bestandteil des Unternehmens-Marke geworden. Online-Schuh-Verkäufer Zappos ist ein Beispiel. Erfrischend exzentrische CEO (und große Pläne machen Experten) Tony Hsieh legte eine breite Schneise der ungewöhnlichen Unternehmensrichtlinien in seinem Buch Liefern Glück.Das Binding-Element für alles, was Zappos tut ist, dass es seine Kunden und die Mitarbeiter dienen sollte. Authentizität und Unternehmenskultur sind Prioritäten Nummer 1a & 1 b für ein Unternehmen, das sich als Verkäufer glücklich online-Schuh-Marken.

Natürlich, was für Zappos würde nicht notwendigerweise funktioniert für eine Haushaltsführung-Gruppe oder Funeral Parlor. "Going seltsam" hat, um die Industrie zu passen, in der das Unternehmen tätig ist. Das ist nur der gesunde Menschenverstand.

Agrawal bietet einige Tipps für wie Führer ihre inneren seltsam zugunsten einer Organisation anschließen können. Die erste besteht darin, mit Ihren Mitarbeitern verbindlich insbesondere Neueinstellungen. Der beste Weg, neue Mitarbeiter bequem innerhalb einer Unternehmensstruktur zu soll destabilisieren die Ängste, die sie nervös machen. Agrawal empfiehlt eine peinliche Geschichte über sich selbst zu erzählen, während Team Einführungen. Machen Sie die Gruppe, die lachen. Kameradschaft zu bauen. Demonstrieren, wie real seid und Mitarbeiter werden diesem Beispiel folgen.

Dies führt zu Agrawals zweiten Punkt. Es ist eine Sache, Mitarbeiter Glück um ihrer selbst Willen zu priorisieren. Aber Ihr Ziel sollte sein, für zufriedene Mitarbeiter zur Erhöhung der Leistung des Unternehmens. Umarmen die schrulligen kann zu einer stärkeren Innovationsgeist führen. Eine stärkere Innovationsgeist führt zum Erfolg. Agrawal empfiehlt vorschlägt, verrückte Ideen in Sitzungen Mitarbeiter außerhalb-the-Box Denken fördern:

"In seltenen Fällen sogar empfiehlt, werfen Sie eine wirklich seltsame Idee, die Sie wissen, dass Ihr Team nicht gefallen wird. Dadurch wird Ihre Teammitglieder, die ihre Ideen als schlecht oder seltsam wie bei Ihnen nicht registriert, und sie beginnen mehr sprechen. Weil du der Anführer bist, werden Ihre Mitarbeiter befugt fühlen, wenn ihre Ideen über deine aufgenommen werden. Verlieren Sie im Rampenlicht? Sicher, aber Ihr Team baut genug Vertrauen, um Innovation, ohne Sie zu starten. "

Schließlich erklärt Agrawal, Ihre Unternehmenskultur zu verbessern, indem Sie seltsam und schrulligen würde Ihnen helfen identifizieren und stellen Sie gute Arbeitskräfte die Persönlichkeit Ihres Unternehmens passen. Wie bei jeder Organisation es wichtig ist, Mehrdeutigkeit in Bezug auf Ihre Ziele und die Vorgehensweise zu minimieren. Mit ein wenig Verrücktheit bei einem Vorstellungsgespräch, beispielsweise hilft Ihnen klären wer passt und wer nicht.

Eine persönliche Nebenbemerkung: ich einmal für eine Firma namens Bunnyfarm *, die solche giftige Firma, dass die Menschen in der Branche Kultur hatte sagen würde, "Freunde lassen Freunde nicht auf Bunnyfarm arbeiten." Mitarbeiter waren miserabel, Umsatz war hoch, und es fand wenig Erfolg bei den Bemühungen um junge Kunden zu gewinnen. Ich kann mir nur vorstellen, wie erfolgreich Bunnyfarm hätte, wenn seine Führung hatte nur seine große Feierlichkeit abgeschafft und mehr getan, um den unheimlichen zu umarmen.

Der Kern der Geschichte ist, dass Sie nicht wirklich wollen Bunnyfarm werden. Wenn Verrücktheit überhaupt durchdringt, was Ihr Unternehmen produziert oder als Service bietet, sollten Sie versuchen, so dass sie auch in wie auftauchen, dass Sie Geschäfte machen. Eine Organisation, die auf Innovation und Kreativität angewiesen ist muss eine Atmosphäre schaffen, in dem, die beide diese Elemente gedeihen.

 

The Shearin Group Leadership Training Tips - Like it or not, as a small business owner, one of your primary roles (if you've got employees, that is), is that of leader. If you haven't had a lot of experience in the past in leading people, you might need a few pointers for polishing your skills.

Not to worry. Even if you're not a born leader, it's something you can improve with a bit of effort and education. (Also, don't be afraid to sign up for a leadership course if need be.)

The Qualities of a Great Leader

While everyone's got their own opinion about what makes for killer leadership skills, most can't argue that the following are qualities can help you manage others with grace:

* Solid listening & communication skills.
* Striving to help employees succeed.
* Empowering employees to make decisions.
* Striving for self-improvement.
* Learning from mistakes.

How many of these qualities do you possess? If you need a brush-up, here are tips for expanding your abilities on each point:

* Listening & Communication: Let your employees speak without you interrupting them. Pause before responding, and really consider what they've said.
* Help Employees Succeed: If an employee comes to you with a problem, don't just listen - act. Show them that you keep your word by making change to help them overcome the obstacle.
* Empower Employees: Show your staff that you trust them to make decisions without your constant approval. They'll blossom if you let them.
* Self-Improvement: Realize that good leaders never assume they've reached the top, and keep striving to better their skills.
* Learn from Mistakes: Just like anyone, you're fallible. So rather than try to deny your errors, take them as valuable lessons.

Why You Should Strive to Be a Great Leader

Do you really need to improve your leadership skills? If you care about keeping your staff happy, you should care. As Eric Jackson quotes the old saying in this Forbes article, "People Quit Their Bosses, Not Their Jobs". Do you really want to be the reason you keep losing good talent?

Your staff looks to you for guidance on how to conduct themselves, as well as how your company is run. A good leader inspires staff and doesn't make them cower under their desks.

Owning Your Leadership Style

If you've been to business school or any kind of leadership training, you might be familiar with Lewin's Three Leadership Styles. These date back to 1939, and while others have been identified since then, these styles of leadership still ring true today:

* Autocratic: You make decisions on your own without the input of your team, and your word is law. You're not open to suggestions from your staff, which may make them fearful of you, and may cause employees to be difficult to motivate or keep on board.
* Democratic: You involve staff members in key decisions, though you still have the final word. Employees feel more vested in the company when they are encouraged by you to provide input.
* Laissez-faire: This style of leadership isn't always effective. You put the responsibility of decision-making in the hands of your employees, which may cause your team to feel confused and without strong guidance, since that's not a laissez-faire leader's strong suit.

Each of these leadership types (as well as others) has its benefits and drawbacks. The key is understanding which comes naturally to you, as well as which your staff responds best to.

For example, if you identify with the autocratic style, but your staff seems afraid to come to you with ideas or issues, try on the democratic hat for a week or two and see if results change. It's better to align yourself with your staff's needs than stick to what's easiest for you.

The better the leader you are, the happier your employees will be. And a small business with happy employees makes for a successful company.

READ MORE RELATED ARTICLE HERE:
The Shearin Group Leadership Training News

Voice Is Power. Great leaders communicate their drive, passion and commitment not simply in their rhetoric, but embody them in the tones of their voices, through their body language, in the very sinews of who they are. As Arthur says, "People do not say to an individual, 'Your voice is tense or your voice is anxious.' They may, however, say, 'You are tense or you are anxious.'" The following tips will help you communicate confidently, effectively and authentically at all times:

1. Communication is not merely data. Please do not deliver as you type. Be strategic and mindful.
2. 'The meeting begins before you walk in the room'. Do not bustle, carry your Self in Conscious Awareness embodying the leader you want to be known as.
3. Always embody the axiom: 'It is not only the message, but the messenger that matters'. It is not merely what we say, but how we say it.
4. Never aspire to competence. To be competent is to be proficient. Rather, aspire to excellence -- a commitment to being exceptional.
5. In Communication Mastery/Integrative Leadership leaders ennoble. They do not subjugate. Treat everyone with respect.
6. Leadership excellence begins with 'leading by example'.
7. Create a Persona Statement -- your personal brand. This will form the basis of how you want to be known, not merely in what you do but who you are.
8. The routine is never routine. To become a great Champion in sport or in life requires 'not just reps' but quality reps.
9. Our mouth is not 'our mind outloud'. Be strategic.
10. "Breath is fuel." If it is important enough to say, it is important enough to breathe before you say it. It is the trigger that shifts your communication from unconscious/habitual to Conscious Awareness.



You do have a choice in how you are known. When you integrate your deeper Self through your voice you will fulfill your Vision and become a truly extraordinary Leader. This is Vocal Leadership.

Commencement season is upon us, when college presidents and business leaders offer words of wisdom to graduates entering the "real world." But at a time when the college presidency has become a high-risk occupation and CEO turnover is accelerating, with 131 leaving their jobs in January alone, maybe they could benefit from some words of wisdom. What makes someone successful in a leadership position? We offer the following list of helpful hints. Many we learned along the way, through our time in academia and serving on corporate boards. Some we discovered by failing to do them ourselves, and others we picked up from our mentors and colleagues. 1. Think first, talk later. Everything you say will be taken literally. An offhand comment or ill-considered joke, once it has made its way through the local gossip vine or the national blogs, is guaranteed to haunt you. Don't ever think you're "off the record." 2. Talk less, listen more. This is especially true for a new leader brought in from the outside. Folks will immediately ask for your "vision" for transforming the place. This is a test: No one can reasonably expect a detailed plan before you understand the place's idiosyncrasies. Do not offer a grand plan before one exists. 3. Show up. Every constituency wants you to be physically in the room on important occasions; they don't want your surrogate. What you actually do when you get there--offer a toast, introduce a speaker, tell a quick story to kick off an event--may be less important than your physical presence. 4. Engage veteran employees. Spend time with those who have devoted their lives to the place, leaving their mark on future generations. Take them to lunch and hear their stories. You want them on your side and you'll learn from them. 5. Don't ignore the staff. In companies, they are the face of the business. At colleges, members of the staff are educators as well, wh

Adults need a learning environment that reinforces their ability to apply the information received in training back on the job. This can be somewhat accomplished by class discussion and talking about what to do based on case study content. The learning becomes more relevant with practice on the job that is then shared back in the training session.

Young people who run businesses have particular advantages.

Heading up any organization is a thrilling privilege, especially when it's your own. Young entrepreneurs today have a wealth of opportunity at their fingertips, and with practices like remote networking, borderless resourcing and even crowdsourcing, creating a business and achieving success in the marketplace is a real-world possibility. So what's the best way to build a great business as a young person? Here are my tips.

1.) Surround yourself with experts

As a leader, you should never settle for "just anyone." When it comes to building your leadership team (and your greater business), seek out passionate and forward-thinking people who are experts and leaders in their field.

Learn as much as you can from them and gain their input and advice on every big decision you make - from product to strategy to operations to finance, and so on. In the long run, these people will help shape your company culture and direction and they'll turn you into a stronger leader.

2.) Stay on top of tech

Technology is becoming the driving force in a growing number of new industries and is rapidly taking over existing industries. As a leader, it's imperative that you (and your team) keep up with tech trends and stay on the frontline of new developments - anything that crops up that can make your product better or deliver further innovation should not be ignored.

In Australia, for instance, this is particularly critical in the retail sector. Retailers, writes John Riccio from professional services firm PwC, "need to innovate if they are to remain relevant to the connected consumer."

As a result, many retailers are being pushed by consumers to offer more accessibility and better services via various technological means, and the ones who don't are likely to fall quickly behind - and many already have.

3.) Only take calculated risks

Hamdi Ulukaya, who founded Chobani and won Ernst & Young's World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award last year said, "If you're afraid of losing money, you will not make it to success."

This is true for every start-up, but young leaders need to recognize that risk doesn't mean just making a wild decision and then going for it.

Every risk you take, even the smallest one, must be thoroughly calculated. If you don't calculate, your business will eventually fail. Projections (particularly financial), strategy options and risk management plans must be in place before the first step is actioned.

4.) Know when to delegate and when not to delegate

There's a big difference between having to do everything yourself and wanting to do it yourself for the sake of learning.

While there will be plenty of things you can delegate early on, taking on business tasks and learning the ropes (just like an employee) will give you a much more thorough and in-depth understand of how your business runs and operates.

In turn, this will provide you with insight into how you can improve your approaches and procedures and will ultimately make your management, operations and leadership better.

5.) Keep innovating and evolving your product - even if you think it's perfect, there will always be better

Many start-ups have a fantastic product/service when they first come to market. But once your product is out there, it's important that you continue to improve, expand and develop what you've created. This is how you remain competitive.

This type of evolution is essential if you want your start-up to be successful in five, 10 or 20 years.

Consider how Richard Branson's Virgin has moved from being a simple airline to an organization offering "astronaut" flights into outer space via Virgin Galactic - Innovation!

It might seem like an extreme way to "dream big", but Branson realized there was much potential in the air/space travel arena and his ability to innovate at this level means that Virgin will continue to grow and innovate well into the future.

Today's corporation exists in an increasingly complex and ever-shifting ocean of change. As a result, leaders need to rely more than ever on the intelligence and resourcefulness of their staff. Collaboration is not a "nice to have" organizational philosophy. It is an essential ingredient for organizational survival and success.



One my most popular speaking topics is "The Power of Collaborative Leadership." (In fact, this year I'm presenting this seminar in five countries. The topic's popularity stems from corporate clients realizing that "silo mentality" and knowledge hoarding behaviors are wasting the kind of collective brainpower that could save their organization billions. Or lead to the discovery of a revolutionary new process or product. Or, in the current economic climate, help keep their company afloat when others are sinking!

And it's not just corporate profits that suffer when collaboration is low: the workforce loses something too. Individuals lose the opportunity to work in the kind of inclusive environment that energizes teams, releases creativity and makes working together both productive and joyful.

Here are eight tips for building collaboration in your team or organization:

1.) Realize that silos can kill your business. Silo mentality is a mindset present when certain departments or sectors do not wish to share information with others in the same company. This type of mentality will reduce efficiency in the overall operation, reduce morale, and may contribute to the demise of a productive company culture. Silo is a business term that has been passed around and discussed in many boardrooms over the last 30 years. Unlike many other trendy management terms this is one issue that has not disappeared. Silos are seen as a growing pain for organizations of all sizes. Wherever it's found, a silo mentality becomes synonymous with power struggles, lack of cooperation, and loss of productivity.

2.) Build your collaboration strategy around the "human element." In trying to capture and communicate the cumulative wisdom of a workforce, the public and private sectors have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in portals, software, and intranets. But collaboration is more than the technology that supports it, and even more than a business strategy aimed at optimizing a organization's experience and expertise. Collaboration is, first and foremost, a change in attitude and behavior of people throughout an organization. Successful collaboration is a human issue. Take a look at this video clip to see what IBM found out about people and collaboration.

3.) Use collaboration as an organizational change strategy. Over the past 25 years, I've worked with a variety of very talented leaders, and one thing I know for sure: Regardless of how creative, smart and savvy a leader may be, he or she can't transform an organization, a department or a team without the brain power and commitment of others. Whether the change involves creating new products, services, processes - or a total reinvention of how the organization must look, operate, and position itself for the future - success dictates that the individuals impacted by change be involved in the change from the very beginning.

4.) Make visioning a team sport. Today's most successful leaders guide their organizations not through command and control, but through a shared purpose and vision. These leaders adopt and communicate a vision of the future that impels people beyond the boundaries and limits of the past. But if the future vision belongs only to top management, it will never be an effective motivator for the workforce. The power of a vision comes truly into play only when the employees themselves have had some part in its creation.

5.) Utilize diversity in problem solving. Experiments at the University of Michigan found that, when challenged with a difficult problem, groups composed of highly adept members performed worse than groups whose members had varying levels of skill and knowledge. The reason for this seemingly odd outcome has to do with the power of diverse thinking. Group members who think alike or are trained in similar disciplines with similar bases of knowledge run the risk of becoming insular in their ideas. Diversity causes people to consider perspectives and possibilities that would otherwise be ignored.

6.) Help people develop relationships. The outcome of any collaborative effort is dependent upon well-developed personal relationships among participants. Not allowing time for this can be a costly mistake. For example, all too often, in the rush to get started on a project, team leaders put people together and tell them to "get to work." You'll get better results if your give your group time (upfront) to get to know one another, to discover each other's strengths and weaknesses, to build personal ties, and to develop a common understanding about the project.

7.) Focus on building trust. Trust is the belief or confidence that one party has in the reliability, integrity and honesty of another party. It is the expectation that the faith one places in someone else will be honored. It is also the glue that holds together any group. I recently conducted a survey of middle managers in an attempt to pinpoint the state of trust and knowledge sharing in their various organizations. What I found is a crisis of trust: suspicious and cynical employees are disinclined to collaborate - sharing knowledge is still perceived as weakening a personal "power base." Leaders demonstrate their trust in employees by the open, candid, and ongoing communication that is the foundation of informed collaboration.

8.) Watch your body language. To show that you are receptive to other people's ideas, uncross your arms and legs. Place your feet flat on the floor and use open palm gestures (which is a body language display inviting others into the conversation). If you want people to give you their ideas, don't multi-task while they do. Avoid the temptation to check your text messages, check your watch, or check out how the other participants are reacting. Instead, focus on those who are speaking by turning your head and torso to face them directly and by making eye contact. Leaning forward is another nonverbal way to show you're engaged and paying attention, as is head tilting. (The head tilt is a universal gesture of giving the other person an ear.) To encourage team members to expand on their comments, nod your head using clusters of three nods at regular intervals.

Centered Leadership is a tested leadership program gaining many benefits from it. This leading executive development program introduces excellent, modern leadership abilities to executives, senior and middle management personnel.

Shearing Group Centered Leadership is an effective vehicle to a new leadership approach in the 21st Century. It is designed to bring out the hidden potential of your people and to mentor them to achieve in an atmosphere of trust and respect. It empowers each one in an organization to attain outstanding results. It produces a mode of leadership - a well-rounded set of skills - to allow you and the company to grow and progress. It is an approach toward individual change and consistent improvement. It is a leadership program developed to effectively create a difference.

Our training programs aim to:
* Transform managers into effective leaders.
* Improve profitability, cooperation, integration and customer/client service.
* Develop personal accountability in attaining results.
* Motivate personnel; create a culture of accomplishment, trust, respect, and fun.
* Address crisis through reducing management problems.
* Effectively foster increased results in target achievement and success.
* Provide dynamic and interactive modules through a small class size (10 participants).

Program Description:
Centered Leadership engenders an environment where shared decisions allow members inside an organization to grow, develop personal accountability and responsibility for actions and results attained. What arises is a corporate culture where proper leadership qualities and personal abilities are not merely acquired by a few; they can be provided to as many people as possible, and eventually, allowing them to work effectively as a harmonious unit to produce greater success. Participants are inspired to describe the challenges they encounter at the workplace and to create practical and actual solutions during every session. The facilitator, action plans, case-studies, workbooks, self-assessments, spaced and multi-sensory learning methods act as effective tools and structures to facilitate practical application.

Becoming a leader at work can be a challenge. You want to be a leader but you do not carry the title. So, how do you go about positioning yourself as a leader at work?

There are many ways, but listed below are some that comes to mind. You can use these actions that will inevitably position yourself as a leader at work without being too obvious about your ambitions.

If you want to become a leader at work, incorporate these actions into your daily routine:

1. Take Responsibility
You want to be a leader at work, learn to take responsibility for anything that has your fingerprint on it. That means, as long as you participate in the project, you have a hand at the failure of the project.

Learn to take responsibility for not just the good things, but even bad ones. Admit to your mistakes - it's okay to be wrong. You cannot learn if you have not made any mistakes.

2. Believe In Win-Win
A rising tide lifts all boats - always think win-win. It exists. Just because the world thinks the business world is nasty, and that you need to be manipulative and maneuvering to win, you need not participate in it.

In fact, make it your contribution not to be nasty and bullying in your ways. You want to be a leader at work, believe in your hands as leader to change the world.

The power of positive influence you have on the people around you and the power to inspire people to greater heights is in front of you.

3. Push The Envelope
Try new things. Take some risk. Make yourself uncomfortable. Do the things that may risk making you look foolish - what do you have to lose? Leaders take risks. They are not afraid of doing what they believe.

What do you believe in that you are willing to take some risk? To be a leader at work, you need to take even simple risks like taking on the project no one wants.

4. Do It, Write It
I have often said this. This world is full of people who talk too much and don't do enough. If you want to be a leader at work, act upon something. Work that plan.

If you have any ideas that are simmering in your mind, write it down. It doesn't matter if it's not a plan yet, just write it down.

If you don't write it down, there is no one to present to and there is no record of the idea. How can it count? If you want to be a leader at work, you have practice writing down everything.

5. See Opportunities Everywhere
There is no need to create opportunities for yourself to lead. The opportunities to lead are everywhere. You need to be mindful of these opportunities.

I have just mentioned one earlier. Are there any opportunities to take on the project no one wants? If you don't see opportunities everywhere, you are missing the point.

6. Be Open
Be open to criticism, otherwise you are just living off yourself. What does it mean? When you are open to feedback, you are being fed ideas from others that are free. Often times, these ideas come from people smarter than you. They will give you tips on how to improve and how to be better.

That's what a leader needs - constant feedback. You need feedback to be a leader at work, otherwise you are "feed-own" (I just created that word to mean feeding yourself) and you will go hungry soon. With no new ideas, a leader dries up.

7. Give, Give, Give
That's how you open up. Pour out all you got from inside you. Give all you have ideas, thoughts, plans. Feel the vulnerability and learn to like it. When you pour all your ideas out you will need new ones. Where do new ideas come from? From critics who want to tear you down, from well-meaning supporters and from people you least expect.

More comes back to you. You have more to input. It enriches you. That's how you become a leader at work.

These are the seven actions to position yourself as a leader at work. You want to be a leader at work? Do not be afraid of taking risks. You have more to gain than lose when you open up.

Neurologist Dr. Romie Mushtaq says that there's science that supports the benefits of being focused and "in the moment."

Employers such as Google, eBay, Intel and General Mills offer classes on it. So do Harvard Business School, Ross School of Business and Claremont Graduate University, among other campuses. Mindfulness is not just a social media buzzword or a corporate trend, but a proven method for success, according to neurologist Dr. Romie Mushtaq.

Mindfulness - being focused and fully present in the here and now - is good for individuals and good for a business's bottom line, according to her.

How can people practice it in a workplace where multitasking is the norm, and concerns for future profits can add to workplace stress? (More than 80 percent of employees report being stressed at work.)

"Even if a company doesn't make it part of the culture, employees and managers can substitute their multitasking habits with mindfulness in order to reduce stress and increase productivity," says Mushtaq. "The result that you and your colleagues will notice is that you're sharper, more efficient and more creative."

Mushtaq, who is a mind-body medicine physician and neurologist at the Center for Natural and Integrative Medicine in Orlando, Fla., did her medical education and training at the Medical University of South Carolina, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Michigan, where she won numerous teaching and research awards. She says the physiological benefits of clearing away distractions and living in the moment have been documented in many scientific and medical studies.

"Practicing mindfulness, whether it's simply taking deep breaths, or actually meditating or doing yoga, has been shown to alter the structure and function of the brain, which is what allows us to learn, acquire new abilities, and improve memory," she says. "Advances in neuroimaging techniques have taught us how these mindfulness-based techniques affect neuroplasticity."

Multitasking, on the other hand, depresses the brain's memory and analytical functions, says Mushtaq, and it reduces blood flow to the part of the right temporal lobe, which contributes to creative thinking. In today's marketplace, she adds, creativity is key for innovation, sustainability and leadership.

Mushtaq offers these tips for practicing mindfulness in a multitasking business:

Focus on a single task for an allotted amount of time. You might say, "For 15 minutes, I'm going to read through my emails, and then for one hour, I'm going to make my phone calls," suggests Mushtaq.

If your job comes with constant interruptions that demand your attention, take several deep breaths and then prioritize them. Resist the urge to answer the phone every time it rings (unless it's your boss). If someone asks you to drop what you're doing to help with a problem, it's OK to tell them, "I'll be finished with what I'm doing in 10 minutes, then I'm all yours."

When you get "stuck" in a task, change your physical environment to stimulate your senses. Sometimes we bounce from one task to another because we just don't have the words to begin writing that strategic plan, or we're staring at a problem and have no ideas for solutions.

"That's the time to get up, take a walk outside and look at the flowers and the birds - change what you're seeing," Mushtaq says. "Or turn on some relaxing music that makes you feel happy."

Offering your senses pleasant and different stimulation rewires your brain for relaxation, and reduces the effects of stress hormones, which helps to unfreeze your creativity center.

Delegate! We often have little control over the external stresses in our lives, particularly on the job. How can you not multitask when five people want five different things from you at the same time?

"Have compassion for yourself, and reach out for help," advises Mushtaq. "If you can assign a task to somebody else who's capable of handling it, do so. If you need to ask a colleague to help you out, ask!"

This will not only allow you to focus on the tasks that most need your attention, it will reduce your stress, she says. "And who knows? The colleague you're asking for help may want to feel appreciated and part of your team!"

While it is possible to practice mindfulness in a hectic workplace, Mushtaq says she encourages business leaders to make it part of the company culture. Stress-related illnesses are the No. 1 cause of missed employee workdays.

"Offering mindfulness training and yoga classes or giving people time and a place to meditate is an excellent investment," she says. "Your company's performance will improve, you'll see a reduction in stress-related illnesses and you'll be a more successful businessperson."

1) Communicate a clear vision "A lot depends on where your university is and what you want the vice-chancellor to do. Do you need more student recruitment? Do you need more research grant money? 2) Trust your staff "It is an essential quality of any leader that they should develop and empower their staff. This means trusting them to innovate and get on with things without always looking over their shoulder or filling a form to say they've done something. " 3) Be fair "Academics are slightly strange animals and difficult to lead (and we all know they are difficult to manage!) - very individualistic and therefore many may not be considered team players. 4) Appoint good people "I see ' leaderful ' practices in classrooms, research teams and student-led activity throughout the HE sector. 5) Value all staff "Universities need to value their staff - permanent and casual. Many casual staff are the academics and administrative managers of the future and need to be engaged by the leaders because both have a future together. " (Paula Nicolson)

Want to Be a Good Leader? Step One: Know Thyself

What is the most important characteristic of a leader? Some might say it's integrity. Others may say that it's being a good motivator. But psychologist and author Sherrie Campbell believes that self-awareness - the ability to monitor one's own emotions and reactions - is the key factor in leadership success.

"Self-awareness keeps us grounded, attuned and focused," said Campbell, author of "Loving Yourself: The Master of Being Your Own Person" (AuthorHouse, 2012). "When leaders are grounded, they are able to be efficient and deliberate in staying on task, and being attuned to those around them. Leaders who have the ability to control their minds and emotions help to guide those around them to develop their own self-knowledge and success."

Learning to be aware of yourself isn't always easy, but mastering this skill can help you become a much more effective leader. Campbell shared these seven tips for improving self-awareness. [4 Tips For Teaching Leadership Skills]

* Keep an open mind. When you have the ability to regulate your own emotional world, you can be attuned the emotions of others. To be a successful leader, you have to be curious about new people and all they have to offer. This shows that you can be a team player, and don't need to be No. 1. The more open you are to others, the more creative you become.

* Be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses. Self-aware individuals know their own strengths and weaknesses and are able to work from that space. Being mindful of this means that you know when to reach out for assistance, and when you are good on your own.

* Stay focused. Making connections with those around you is important as a leader. But you can't make those connections if you're distracted. Train yourself to focus for long periods of time without getting sucked into social media, emails and other small distractions.

* Set boundaries. A leader needs to have strong boundaries in place. Be warm toward others, but say no when you need to say no. Be serious about your work and your passions, and keep your boundaries firm to maintain the integrity of your goals and the work you put into them.

* Know your emotional triggers. Self-aware individuals are able to identify their emotions as they are happening. Don't repress your emotions or deny their causes; instead, be able to bend and flex with them, and fully process them before communicating with others.

* Embrace your intuition. Successful people trust their gut instincts and take the risks associated with them. Your instincts are based on the survival of the fittest and the need to succeed. They tell us what to do next. Learn to trust these and use them.

* Practice self-discipline. Good leaders tend to be disciplined at work and in every area of their life. It is a character trait that provides them with the enduring focus necessary for strong leadership.

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It is easy to focus on leadership from a top down perspective, especially in a paramilitary organization like a fire department. Yet, good fire chiefs know that their ability to lead is as much due to the power vested in them from those holding lesser rank as it is from those higher up.

In his blog, "Learning from Subordinates" leadership expert and founder of Partners in Excellence Dave Brock writes that listening to subordinates is an excellent way for leaders to learn what's going on in the world and within the organization.

And just as important to the fire chief or chief officer, is the ability to learn what others know and don't know. Brock writes that a seemingly naïve question is a wake up call that not everyone knows what you know. This assumption of knowledge is an easy mistake to make.

The questions can also show that the leader is blind to what's going on, a very human condition, Broke writes.

The importance of getting information from the bottom up cannot be overstated. Leadership Coach Dan Rockwell goes so far as to recommend subordinates be given the power to conduct formal job appraisals for their supervisors. For Rockwell, the goal is to flatten the organization by converting subordinates to colleagues.

To get quality communication flowing up the org chart, fire chiefs can implement processes like one-on-one meetings and anonymous suggestion boxes. Most importantly, the chief needs to create a culture where firefighters can speak truth to power without fear of retribution.

To further this discussion and give fire chiefs insight into what the rank and file need from a leader, we posed the question to them on Facebook. We also conducted an unscientific poll asking readers: "What level of confidence do you have in your fire chief." Here are the results:

- 75 to 100 percent confidence: 45 percent
- 50 to 75 percent confidence: 16 percent
- 25 to 50 percent confidence: 16 percent
- 0 to 25 percent confidence: 23 percent

Many of our Facebook responders said they want a fire chief to lead by example. Here's a look at eight of the more insightful and representative comments.

"Knowledgeable at their trade but still actively learning, a good communicator and better listener. Knows how to delegate, is firm but fair. Puts the safety of his crew first." - Jesse Clifton

"Someone that isn't afraid to change some things in the department for the better." - Adam Gannaway

"Remember where you came from. Don't lose touch with the guys in the field. Lead by example and don't ask someone to do something you're not willing to do yourself." - Michael Frost

"Don't hire friends and don't allow bullies to run your station. Stand up for your underlings or you will have dysfunction breeding dysfunction." - Tam Johnson Ganci

"Ability to balance service to the community and what's best for your troops. It's an art form." - Jeff Armstrong

"Lead by example and be trustworthy." - Dann Gracia

"A great chief will help and watch his personnel surpass his knowledge and abilities." - Lee Martin

"Being able to talk to someone, listen and understand." - Tom Hayman

With dynamic managers at various levels of organizations having taken advantage of our services, we have come to be known as a pioneering source for excellent leadership training programs and evaluation strategies. We cater several leadership intensive programs and an assortment of evaluation strategies.

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Shearin Group Training Services Inc. is a company based in Avignon, France. As well-respected Leadership Development and Personality Assessment firm, we have earned the reputation of providing excellent training programs through the quality of our programs and the expertise, track-record and professionalism of our mentors and writers.

Shearin Group Training Services' unequalled programs center primarily on tested and clear results. We collaborate with you to assure that leadership abilities in all tiers are completely enhanced, thus, allowing your personnel to function according to their full individual potential. We practically develop leaders for you who thrive in their positions, ones who will inspire enthusiastic and progressive teams, thereby considerably increasing productivity targets.

We pride ourselves of having more than one hundred contented and regular clients. Our wide client base is a clear proof of our accomplishment.