DareBooster

The need for new leadership.

I've been out for a while. I had no computer or internet connection where I was and it helped me to get a clearer view on what I was doing.

Oh yes, there wasn't any television or radio, hard to imagine?! I was in God's country, nature. Touching trees, making long walks and looking at the free horses that accompanied me.

I had some books with me and I learned Table 12.1 Differences between workers, managers and leaders by heart. (from : Psychology of Executive Coaching, Bruce Peltier)

What makes a man a good leader?

• He creates things
• He changes things
• He finds resources
• He gets the mission defined
• He creates an environment
• He needs managers
• He interacts with outsiders and inspires people
• He uses influence, convinces, shows the direction

STOP that's the man we all need in these changing times. Only He can and will save our planet. Are you such a leader?

Keep on reading I have a nice video for you :

Green to Go !

Green is the signal to proceed, permission to go ahead with a project. Take off, Launch, Create, Inspire, Change, Develop. (Source : Oxford Dictionary)

Or as in Funky Business Forever: How to Enjoy Capitalism (Financial Times):"...technology is changing and will continue to change faster than any government can issue regulations to control it."

Every day I hear Business Owners say : "What will be the next step? How can I stay on track? What will happen if we can't control it?"

This is fear, there are no rules anymore, you have to find out how to get along.  With your clients, customers, employees.  But also with your students, family and children. That's it.

Ridderstrale & Nordström mention 3 drivers  moving us forward into the unknown, naming changes in technology, institutions and values.
This means that we all have to find out for ourselves how we will manage our lives and businesses.

A good question asked by Eckhart Tolle in A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61) : "What about turning choosing from being chosen to do something?"  You have to serve your soul. What is your mission?  If you think about your children's future, are you helping to build a better place for them?" Making this place healthier can be an inspiring guidance.

Look for the green light, with your eyes open to the future... three, two, one GO!!!

Economy Back on Track

What did I write in my previous post?

"What about 1973?"  First real oil crises. US did not take this opportunity to change the economy. Even in the mid seventies Japanese cars used only half as much petrol compared to American cars.

What I read today on Yahoo!news by JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer
"Even though Bernanke has made clear the Fed's top priority — for now — is trying to get the economy back on track, he also says he remains mindful of inflation risks, especially from high energy prices".

Oil prices have reached new record highs, galloping past $100 a barrel in recent days. High energy prices can spread inflation by boosting the costs of a wide variety of other goods and services and can put a further damper on overall economic growth by crimping consumer spending.
Fears have grown that the country is heading for a recession or is already in one.
Are we talking about oil again ? Are we going to take the opportunity this time ?
Imagine if the USA and the European Community would make the change now from oil-based to renewable energy economy!!!

By the way,  taking action can be very powerful !

For example, China started their family control policies in the 1970s and it boosted prosperity. Now blinded by wealth, luxury and a "money can buy you anything" mentality they start thinking about canceling the one-child policy. It all started because world's biggest population strained scarce land, water and energy resource. And oil ???

What if tomorrow China changes his economy from oil-based to let's say Hydrogen or another alternative energy source ??

We have all the technology, but as long we do not apply it, we leave them an opportunity to out-race our already weak economy.

Let's start with private transport. I remember the story my grandfather told me about the lazy dog of the milkman in his neighborhood. One day somebody started feeding the animal pulling the small buggy and overnight others followed the example ... everybody started to pet and feed the dog.   Within a week the milkman and his dog zigzagged from door to door.
Grandpa always told me this story with a big smile.  As a kid for him it was funny but it was a real nightmare for the poor milkman who had to follow his dog, hunting for treats. He pulling the buggy to make his dog slow down trying to protect his milk bottles.

It is hard for me to imagine how it was in those days, I've seen some pictures of carts pulled by horses and dogs. This was transport a few years before World War I (1914-1918). In less then 100 years we moved from carts and bicycles to car and motorcycle. What a change in such a relatively short period. 
By the way it took less then 2 decades for oil prices  to rise from 10 to +100 $.

And still you're thinking the Chinese will not make this change from oil to something else?  I can't believe this.

Do you know when the first Japanese car was sold in the USA? 1956 (source : http://www.scaruffi.com/)  Back then, nobody in the USA would have believed me if I had said : "And there are many more to come!"
Every good American would have answered me : "Nobody can beat Detroit"
"What about 1973?"  First real oil crises.  Japanese cars used only half of the petrol compared to American cars.
Why Japanese cars are the best seller in USA ?  Because American car manufacturers were practicing what's called "planned obsolescence" and Japanese developers kept on improving and innovating.

The change is happening :
In 1997: Toyota introduces the Prius, the world's first commercially mass-produced hybrid automobile, (source : http://www.scaruffi.com)
2007: Toyota passes General Motors as the world's largest car manufacturer !!!

Japan is a very small country, it's population is estimated at around 127.4 million.  But what about China?
With just over 1.3 billion people (one out of every five people on the planet), China is the world's largest and most populous country.
And what about India?
India is currently the world's second most populous country with 1 billion people.  By 2040, India is expected to become the world's most populous country (by then it'll be home to over 1.5 billion while China will have a population of under 1.5 billion.) (source : http://geography.about.com)

They don't have the money to pay the energy-bill and in crisis people get creative. They will eventually find an alternative  for highly expensive oil consuming cars.
Honestly ?  What is more fun then driving your own car ? Anywhere in the world ...

"Dear customers, We Care About Our Children's' Future ! All Our Printed Materials are Environmentally Safe !"

In my coaching practice, I often hear the following question from managers:
"Where do I start ?  I have no experience in going green or being green at all."

What is the first thing that customers see from your company ?  What is the first impression they have from your product or service ?  Right, it's information, publicity, ads in papers, packaging, leaflets, user manuals.  It is a lot of printed material.

Let's say you are not a printer, but you use printed material to promote your service or product.  What do you know about printing?  Not that much because it is not your responsibility.  You or the copywriter creates an idea and you'll send it to the printer.  So, what about asking him for advise?

From now on you want to print environmentally friendly.  You will use less resources, less to no pollution.  Doing it this way will add a value to your message : "Dear customers, we care about our children's future."
You don't have to know anything more about green printing then you did about printing in the old days. Let your printer know that you want to create environmentally friendly material.
Ask him. "How will you do this?" Let the printer help you to define how green you want to go.
Green alternatives are available for any piece of the puzzle. Guide to Book Publishing (The Green Guide Girls)

Here is a list of green alternatives to get you and your printer going :

• More then sixty environmentally responsible book papers Tyson Miller of The Green Press Initiative.
• Up to 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Rule of thumb: "1 ton of 100% post-consumer content paper, such as copier or printing paper, saves 24 trees. This number is based on calculations that Conservatree did with Environmental Defense from data in Claudia G. Thompson's book Recycled Papers: The Essential Guide  published in 1992.  Combined with data from Environmental Defense "Paper Task Force Recommendations for Purchasing and Using Environmentally Preferable Paper" published in 1995. (Source: www.Conservatree.org)
• Vegetable based inks instead of petroleum-based inks
• The use of renewable energy products during the printing process.  Paper can be made using wind, solar power, water power or other renewable energy sources
• Chlorine free paper : Chlorine is a chemical used in the bleaching, or whitening, of papers, and to say chlorine is a "dangerous" chemical is the understatement of the century.  Dioxins are the byproducts released during the manufacturing of chlorine-bleached papers. According to Deborah Bruner of New Leaf Paper: "For a long time paper mills were the number one source of dioxin pollution in waterways in the U.S." and as a note "Dioxin is considered the most dangerous carcinogen to mankind".
• And last but not least you are saving trees. More tips on Going Green on TreeHugger.com
  

"Being mindful can save your life !"

"Stay calm, it will save your life !" is what my grandmother used to say on the many occasion where I was going for it at 180 km/h !
And then she told me the story of her first walk in the Alps in Austria .

Me and my grandma, we both are very much like a muscle car, we hit the pedal to the metal from the start and then ... pain and disappointment when we find ourselves stuck in the first traffic jam.
And so it happened somewhere in the early sixties one morning she took of for a hike in the Alps.  After a couple of hours she came by an old man which she passed over in her youthful enthusiasm.  Another two hours later she had not jet reached the summit but, completely out of breath, she had to stop to rest for a while.
There she was, huffing and puffing for oxygen in the thin mountain air.
Just at the point where desperation made her consider to go down again, the old man arrived.  He gave her a friendly smile and said in a calm voice : "You see, this is the way you have to do this." and continued his path in a slow but steady pace ...

She followed his wise advice and reached the refuge on the summit.  And if I want to see my grandma shine, I just have to ask her to tell me this wonderful story once again ...

Are Negative Thoughts Stronger then Positive Thoughts ?

Very often ways for spiritual development are presented to you as if they are as easy as pie : Think positive and your life will change for the better.  The images you create in your mind will materialize themselves for you.  Think good of others and goodness will flow back to you.
This is all undeniably true but ... what is very often left out is the fact that making changes in your life demands loads of energy, insight and persistence.
How often do you feel you theoretically know how to deal with negativity but in practice things automatically go the other way ?

In spite of all good intentions we catch ourselves often on not having such positive thoughts at all.   We want to help other people by having positive images about them but prejudice and critics tend to come so much easier.  We feel hurt or annoyed by people.  This happens so effortlessly that it seems as if we are not in control.  But is this really true ?

Very often ways for spiritual development are presented to you as if they are as easy as pie : Think positive and your life will change for the better.  The images you create in your mind will materialize themselves for you.  Think good of others and goodness will flow back to you.
This is all undeniably true but ... what is very often left out is the fact that making changes in your life demands loads of energy, insight and persistence.
How often do you feel you theoretically know how to deal with negativity but in practice things automatically go the other way ?

Save the Planet = Stop the Blame-game !

Plastic made of petrol and chemicals is not biodegradable.  This means that if you don't burn it (which, by the way, produces highly toxic gasses) they will stay on our planet for much longer then you and I will live.
Almost everything we eat and many of the things that we use in our daily lives are made of or packed in plastic made from petrol.

To give you an idea of the enormous quantities : a vast swath in the South Pacific of about twice the size of Texas, is full of floating plastic garbage. (this was november 2007)  Yesterday I heard on the news that meanwhile the plastic whirlpool has grown as big as the United States.

You can read many scientific reports about the consequences of this immense pollution.
Amongst many others, Captain Charles Moore is one the people who is sounding the alarm.  You can read a most depressing article  in Life Best Magazine about Charles Moore and his work if you click here.
But be warned, if you read all through to the end you might feel a little bit discouraged and depressed ...

Unfortunately it's always the same old song, someone is shocked and tries to saddle up people with a guilty conscience. 

Ecology + Progressive Left = Poverty or Why Ecological Progress and Progressive Left do not match

Progress is Change and Change can only take place if there is an open state of mind.
Fear and anxiety have a paralyzing effect, fear makes us small, causes stagnation.
The most common reaction to being attacked is to protect and build up defenses.

We all agree  that the earth should be treated more respectfully, even if it were only to save our own lives or those of our children.   It is clear some changes must take place.

As long as ecology will remain the domain of left and "alternative" we can compare  ecological activists

Let it come to you

Have you ever heard of RSS?
Do you know how to use it?
Do you know why it is good for you?

I do, but I'm not going to explain it.

I never saw such a simple explanation on RSS as the one you can visit by clicking the following link :

RSS In Plain English

 

This little clip was made by Mark Hendricks.