Determining Your Career Path

Determining Your Career PathDetermining Your Career PathIf youve been in a new abverkauf job for several weeks or months, you may be reaching the career point when you begin to map out your career path. But determining your career path may not be as simple as asking your sales manager, consulting with your menschenfreundlich resources department or taking a long, hard look at your organization chart. Start With Your Long-Term Goals While your next step might be (and should be) a small step up the corporate ladder, youll serve yourself well by seeking to get a good understanding of your long-term career goals, both with your current employer and potentially with a new employer. If, for example, you feel that you are interested in regional management positions for your current employer, talk to people who currently hold regional management positions and ask them what career paths they took. Modeling yourself after successful people is a fantastic shortcut to success. If someone who has earned the level of success that you desire is willing to offer advice or even to mentor you, you will be better able to make mora empowering decisions and to avoid career mistakes. Be Quick, But Dont Hurry Legendary NCAA Basketball coach John Wooten was famous for telling his players to be quick but not to hurry. What this means for your career is that you need to be quick to explore and take advantage of career-advancing opportunities but to not grow impatient and hurry into a position that doesnt fit with your career goals. When it comes to professionals regrets, two things are commonly listed Not taking advantage of opportunities when opportunities presented themselvesRushing into promotions that were known to be bad choices The moral to the story is the more clear you are on what you really want in your career, the more likely you will be to recognize good opportunitiesand to avoid making bad career choices. Establish a Time Frame Every business in different and ea ch will have their own unique time frame of when it is reasonable for their employees to climb their corporate ladder. While these time frames will certainly not be written in any employee manual, youll be able to determine what time frames your employer usually follows for employee advancement. If you determine that your career goals should find you moving to the next level position within 2 years of your start date but your employer doesnt usually promote people till theyve been on the payroll for at least 3 years, you need to make some decisions. Either youll need to consider altering your time frames or will need to consider looking for a promotion with a different employer. Have a Sit Down with Management Many people in sales management and senior leadership will complain that they are hard-pressed to accurately list their employees who are interested in advancement. If you dont let your supervisors know that you are interested in advancing your career, they may never know until they post a position and you apply for it. You would be doing your career a tremendous favor by making your career goals known by those who may ultimately determine whether or not you get promoted. The last thing you want to do is to surprise your manager when you apply for a promotion.

Fashion Tips for Older Job Seekers

Fashion Tips for Older Job SeekersFashion Tips for Older Job SeekersEven though experience should count as a big plus when youre job searching, its not necessarily an asset these days. In fact, the older you are, the longer it can take, and the more difficult it can be tofind a job. ?You cant change your age, but you can update your wardrobe and hairstyle, which can go a long way toward presenting a more youthful image. You canstrategically write your resume and deckblatt letter, but you cant change the basic facts - your actual age and your employment history are etched in stone. These days, you can be considered old in your forties and fifties, and sometimes even younger. However, there are ways you can work on your appearance when you are job searching. And that can make a big difference, especially when youreinterviewing. So, take some time to go through your closet and plan for a quick shopping trip, and maybe a trip to the hair salon, before your next interview. Fashion Tips for Older Job Seekers Here are some fashion and style tips from fashion expert, Cynthia Nellis. By updating your appearance and going with a new style, you can use your age and experience to your advantage rather than being considered dated. A new contemporary look can go a long way towards helping during your job searching. In addition, a new fashion-forward image may help if you have a job and are trying to move up the career ladder. Cynthia says, Thethree tip-offs to a womans age hair cut/color, shoes, and handbag. Ive found that those three things are the least likely to be updated in our wardrobes on a regular basis. Here is Cynthias expert advice on how to update your job search image. Update Your Haircut and Color Cynthia thinks an updated haircut and color is one of the most transformative measures you can take to project an updated image. How do you know if its time for a change in hairstyle? Well, if its been more than five years since youve done a major overhaul, yo u can pretty much be sure that your style is outdated. There are so many great styles for older women, from a chin-length bob to a cute, cropped pixie haircut like Jamie Lee Curtis wears. Find someone in your office or a friend with a hairstyle you like and askwhere she gets it done. A trusted stylist can guide you in the right way for both style and color. If youre going to change your hair color, its best to go to a pro rather than do it with an at-home kit unless youre experienced. While it looks easy, hair coloring is hard, plus a stylist can help you select a hair color that goes with your natural skin tones. Choose Comfort Shoes With Style As for shoes, Cynthia knows that comfort is key as a woman ages, but that doesnt mean you need to be wearing white sneakers to work. There are options that are both comfortable and stylish. So-called comfort shoes come in all sorts of price levels and you can find some pretty fabulous work pumps that deliver comfort and style. Rockport m akes all sort of comfy boots and pumps, and there are many styles like Bella Vista and Fitzwell for budget-minded gals on sites like Zappos. Get an Updated Classic Handbag For the office and job interviews, you dont need to carry a trendy handbag but make sure its updated. Avoid busy-looking bags with studs or crossbody styles that can be awkward to shuffle around when you sit for your interview. In general, womens handbags have gotten larger and softer over the years, with styles like hobos with pockets becoming work classics. The easiest way to buy an updated handbag is to shop in a store that carries younger or more contemporary items that are work ready, like Banana Republic. What to Wear to an Interview There are so manyalternatives for womenin the workplace right now, in addition to traditional suits. A cardigan worn belted over a pencil skirt or pair of trousers gives a polished option. A shirt dress looks pulled together and professional. And pantsuits (yes, the matc hy-matchy kind) are a big fashion trend that will never go out of style in the boardroom.

The Nirvana Fallacy How to overcome perfectionism (and take action)

The Nirvana Fallacy How to overcome perfectionism (and take action)The Nirvana Fallacy How to overcome perfectionism (and take action)If you wait for the perfect conditions, you will never get anything done Ecclesiastes 114In the early 1980s a researcher Bob Goldman began researching and conducting a study into the psychology of elite athletes. (1)As part of his research he would interview elite athletes and ask them whether they would be willing to take a drug that would guarantee them a gold medal - This welches a straightforward test but with a strange caveat.This hypothetical drug would kill them within the next 5 years.Goldman repeated his surveys bi-annually with different groups of elite athletes. By the end of his research period he accumulated and analysed the feedback.The results were astonishing.Goldman found that over 50% of the athletes had agreed to take this drug, win the Olympic gold and passiv within 5 years. In essence, they were willing to die in their pursuit of perfection.This human tendency to strive for perfection was well noted by one of the greatest writers of all time, Voltaire.The Nirvana FallacyIn his book La Begueule, the 18th century writer Voltaire wrote le mieux est lennemi du bien (perfect is the enemy of good).Voltaire understood that we have a tendency to look for a perfect solution and dismiss alternatives in comparison to this. Unfortunately, this perfect solution does not exist - its an illusion that this nirvana exists.This false assumption of a perfect solution is more commonly known as - The Nirvana Fallacy.By looking for a perfect solution, we may ignore opportunities for the necessary improvements and failures required to achieve any goal. At its worst, the perfectionist mindset could completely paralyze you from getting started or even finishing a project - A classic example is famous painter and artist, Leonardo Da Vinci who took 15 years to complete the Mona Lisa Painting.You may have experienced this in your ow n life. For example, lets say you decided to launch a side-hustle business. Youve done your market research, business plan and have the money to launch your website. Youre finally ready to launch but then after a couple of months nothing has happened.Instead of launching your business, marketing and making sales, youre still tinkering with the website, graphic design and changing details of your 50 page business plan - your pursuit of the perfect product, website and business caused inaction.This is the most damaging effect of the nirvana fallacy. It paralyzes and prevents you from trying new things, making the necessary mistakes to improve and ultimately achieving success in any endeavor.Fortunately, there are several practical strategies you can use to overcome the nirvana fallacy, stop procrastinating and begin taking productive steps towards your goals.How To Overcome Perfectionism1. Practice self-awarenessIn a recent study, the interpersonal traits of 72 executives at public a nd private companies were examined to determine the key to their success. The researchers discovered that the strongest predictor of overall executive success were high levels of self-awareness.(Source)By paying close attention to the thoughts that cross your mind, you can begin to change your actions.For example, if youve recently been hesitating on a writing project take inventory of the thoughts that arise anytime you sit down to write. As soon as those thoughts flash across your mind make a decision to logically challenge them and take immediate action.2. Set a deadlineThe more time you have to complete a task, the more likely you will begin over thinking the details and looking for a perfect solution. Instead, you can simply reduce the time to deadline of the given task.For example, if you have a writing project to complete in the next 3 months simply cut the deadline in half. This will force you to simply get started and avoid obsessing over the end result.3. Build confidence slowly (by taking small actions)The more confidence you have, the less likely you will procrastinate or look for a perfect solution.The best way I have found to build confidence is simply by taking very small but productive steps towards your goal.For example, if your goal is to start going to the gym and lose weight, you can begin by going 10 minutes a day for the rest of week. Then next week you can then build up to 20 minutes and so on. By building this momentum of mini-wins your self-confidence will rise and taking action will be easier.But there is a catch 22.The more you hesitate and procrastinate the lower your self-confidence. This is simply because you did not accomplish what you set out to do.The lower your self-confidence the less likely you will take action and the more you will look for a perfect solution - its a destructive downward spiral and the solution is tosimply just take any action no matter how small.4. Affirmations, prayers and meditationsRegardless of your r eligious affiliation or beliefs, there is something very powerful about spending time daily in prayer and meditation. As a Christian, I find these combined with reading encouraging scriptures in the bible reaffirm my self-worth and remind me that its okay to take action, fail and be imperfect.If youre not Christian or religious by any means, the general takeaway is practicing daily zusagungs to give yourself that confidence to take action on an imperfect solution - any affirmation will work. (3)For example, you could repeat to yourself that Its okay to fail, Failure is only feedback etc. Simply create one relevant to you and read it daily.5. Focus on contributionThis was a massive breakthrough in my personal development journey. (4)I realised that my pursuit of perfection was deeply rooted in my selfish desires for external approval and validation. By shifting my mind-set away from my selfish needs and towards being of service to and helping others, I have been able to alleviate th e anxiety, fears and paralysis behind perfectionism.You can simply begin by asking yourself the following How can I impact the lives of others through what I am doing right now?By turning my attention away from myself and instead towards helping you, I spend less time thinking about the perfect solution and more time thinking of how I can solve your problems.Your TurnGrab a piece of paper. In the middle of the page write down what youve been hesitating on and looking to have perfect solution for.Divide the page into 4 sections and under each section write the followingDeadline - Write down a short time frame to complete the goalMini-Win - Write down the smallest action you can take right nowAffirmation - Write down an encouraging statement you can repeat to yourself dailyContribution - Write down how your goal will make someone else better offRemember, there is no perfect solution - in the end, you can only try your best.Make it happen today.Mayo Oshinwrites atMayoOshin.Com, w here he shares ideas and proven science on building habits for greater productivity, better health and motivation to achieve your goals. To get these strategies,join his free newsletter here.This article was originally published onMayoOshin.Com

How to Succeed at Asking for a Pay Raise

How to Succeed at Asking for a Pay Raise How to Succeed at Asking for a Pay Raise Asking for a pay raise can be an awkward conversation for most people. While many companies have a pay increase policy, it may not address your needs. Competitive industries, such as tech, usually are more inclined to grant wage increases, but the question of a raise still may be valid. How should the conversation go? And what can you do to increase the chances of a salary increment?The Key Elements of Asking for a Pay RaiseUnfortunately, there is no magic formula that will guarantee your boss agreeing to a raise, but enough preparation will make a difference. Before you have the conversation, consider:Company policyTimingProof of your accomplishmentsMarket researchYour boss’s personalityMethod of communicationThe more you prepare, the more confident you’ll be. If you believe in your skills and that you deserve a raise, negotiations will be much smoother.Company PolicyMany companies dont grant pay raises to employees except during employee-review cycles. Additionally, they already may pay competitive, industry-standard wages which they may  adjust for  cost of living. If this is the case at your company, and you demand an out-of-cycle pay raise, your chances of success are slim. You wont fare any better if you want more than the average for your position.Check your employee policy manual (or similar document) for information on pay raises. Follow policy guidelines to the letter. If theres no flexibility on out-of-cycle pay raises, perhaps wait until your next review. Then ask for a better-than-usual increase. You might see better results than by trying to buck the system.TimingIf you’ve scored some recent wins, strike while the iron’s hot. Did you hit your targets out of the park or finish a project ahead of time and under budget? Maybe you solved a serious problem for the company. Most bosses will recognize the merits of a reward under these circumstances.Of course, the opposite holds true as well. Are you way off budget on a project or  behind schedule? Then put pay negotiations on the back burner for now. If the scale of the work you do is disproportionate with the bump in salary you’ve been promised, you still can talk to your boss. Companies set budgets for pay raises before annual reviews, so don’t leave it until then.Approach your boss a few months before and begin the conversation. They can investigate how much you do for the company to justify an out-of-policy increase. You’ll need to do your research to back up your argument.AccomplishmentsDon’t just ask for more money. Give the decision-maker  incentive  to reward you. If you do little above the call of duty, your employer probably thinks you get paid enough. If you do more than expected, prove that you deserve a pay raise by emphasizing your value to the company. Document your accomplishmen ts, then present your case to the decision maker when the time comes. Be specific, use examples, and include impressive feats such as:Revenue you earnedMoney you savedCustomer satisfaction you achievedTight deadlines you met or beat Solutions you implementedProducts or services you improvedInitiative you demonstratedExtra hours you worked without overtime payUse action verbs during the conversation to underscore what you’ve done for the company.You also could play the long game if you think the time isnt right because of issues like financial difficulties or company restructuring. Consider taking on more responsibilities to justify a pay raise in the future.ResearchHave a reasonable figure in mind and prepare to  negotiate. Establish your earnings range based on your job, company size, location, experience, skills, and demand.Conduct research the following ways:Look at  salary surveys. Get a rough idea through sites like Glassdoor and Payscale. They contain salary data on a range of jobs. Numbers could be limited to industry averages, though,  and may not reflect experience, geography, demand, etc. Talk to peers. Talk to people with similar circumstancess include performance-based bonuses, extra paid time off, or other benefits. If negotiations are a success, get it in writing with authorizing signatures.Some sample letters can give you a framework from which to craft your own written request.Pay Raise Letter SampleDear (Manager’s Name),Im grateful for the opportunity to work for you, and my time with the company has been a pleasant and rewarding one.I hope youll agree that in the two years Ive worked for you, Ive become an integral member of your team and accomplished a great deal. For example, in the last six months alone, I have[Bulleted list of major accomplishments]However, Im still working on the initial salary on which we agreed two years ago.As I recall, we also agreed to renegotiate my salary in two years based on my accomplishments, and that time has come. In light of my accomplishments and per our agreement, Im respectfully requesting an immediate pay raise of 6%, to be followed in six months by a performance-based pay raise of an additional 3%.I feel strongly that Ive earned the immediate pay raise and Im confident that I also will earn the six-month raise based on my performance. But Im willing to negotiate, per our agreement. If you would like to meet to discuss this, please let me know. If I dont hear from you by [reasonable date], I will assume that youve waived our meeting because youve agreed to my terms.Thanks again for the opportunity. I look forward to continuing to be a key player on your team in a mutually rewarding relationship.Pay Raise Letter Sample Asking for Meeting # 1Dear (Manager’s Name),Im grateful for the opportunity to work for you, and my time with the company has been a pleasant and rewarding one. I would appreciate your advice on how to increase the reward for my contributions. Would you please schedule a time for us to meet within the next week or so?Any time that is convenient for you will work for me.I look forw ard to our meeting.Pay Raise Letter Sample Asking for Meeting # 2Dear (Manager’s Name),Im grateful for the opportunity to work for you, and my time with the company has been a pleasant and rewarding one. Im also pleased that youve added new responsibilities to my job and I appreciate the chance to grow my skills. I would like to meet with you to further discuss my new responsibilities and the possibility of a pay raise for performing them well.I can meet with you anytime this week that is convenient for you. If this week isnt convenient, please let me know.

Study Your long-held sleep beliefs may be sleep myths

Study Your long-held sleep beliefs may be sleep myths Study Your long-held sleep beliefs may be sleep myths Is sleeping in a hot room better than sleeping in a cool room? If you read Ladders, you already know that the optimal temperature is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. What’s the verdict on naps? Sleeping in on the weekend?Researchers from NYU School of Medicine reviewed over 8,000 websites to find the 20 most common assumptions about sleep. Gathering a team of sleep medicine experts, they ranked these assumptions â€" from whether sleeping five hours a night is fine for adults to whether naps are an adequate way to catch up on lost sleep â€" on whether they were myths or facts supported by evidence.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!“Dispelling myths about sleep promotes healthier sleep habits which, in turn, promote overall better health,” says study lead investigator,  Rebecca Robbins, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health, in a release.Here are some myths the study found, along with an explanation.Myth #1: Many adults need only 5 or fewer hours of sleep for general healthMany business leaders claim to get by on sleeping five hours a night, but sleep experts say that sleeping this little is a health risk due to long-term sleep deficits. “Habitual insufficient sleep” is related to adverse outcomes related to cardiovascular, metabolic, mental, and immunological health. Robbins and her colleagues suggest that for healthy sleep, you get at least seven hours of sleep nightly, along with a consistent sleep routine, with the addition of naps when your sleep schedule falls short.Myth #2: One night of sleep deprivation will have lasting negative health consequencesWhile there are some negative effects, like worse performance in attention and stress on the cardiovascular system, you’ll recover if you catch up on your sleep.Myth #3: Taking naps in the afternoon is a good way to catch up on sleep if you have trouble sleeping at nightYes and no. While siestas are a cultural norm in some places, and naps are a good way to catch up on lost sleep from the night before, there are reasons not to nap. If you have insomnia, it could make it worse, for example. And “habitual napping” could be associated with adverse health outcomes. In other words, you don’t want to become a daily napper.Myth #4: Watching TV is a good way to relax before sleepingTV-watching is most common amongst those who sleep for a short period of time. It also contributes to various difficulties with sleeping. Given that, researchers don’t recommend TV as part of your nighttime pre-sleep relaxation routine.Myth: #5: Your brain and body can learn to function just as well on less sleepWith restricted sleep, you’ll be tired for the first few days, and eventually, that tiredness will start to plateau. Less sleep has been shown to cause a decline in performance. Night shift workers, who sleep less than the rest of us, have higher morbidity due to breast cancer and all-cause mortality. While people might “adjust” to a consistent lack of sleep or the “circadian misalignment” that night shift workers deal with, they face serious consequences to their health.You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

Stop worrying that youve missed your chance at successScience says you probably havent

Stop worrying that you've missed your chance at successâ€"Science says you probably haven't Stop worrying that you've missed your chance at success- Science says you probably haven't Career anxiety hits many of us throughout our lives, beginning in the early days of our first jobs and continuing through the frenetic mid-career responsibilities: Am I doing enough? Am I lagging behind other people my age? Why have I not yet achieved “success”?A study published in the journal  Nature  suggests we don’t need to  worry  so much: 90% of working adults will experience a “hot streak” in their  careers  - a period of several years that result in an elevated quality of  professional  output. These streaks don’t have a time limit, either: They occur at different points for different people. And productivity doesn’t have much bearing on them, either - what defines these hot streaks is the quality of work people produce, not the amount.So if you haven’t hit your hot streak yet, don’t panic - odds are, yours is coming later in your career. And that’s not because you haven’t been working hard enough.The Nature study focuses on creative and scientific ca reers. But the lead study author, Dashun Wang, Ph.D., an associate professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University, told the New York Times, “the idea that most people hit a hot streak at some point in their career does translate to other professions.”The study authors also explain that if your hot streak strikes later than your peers, you may feel yourself underestimating your potential. But you shouldn’t. We spoke with Wang, and he gave us his central advice for dealing with career anxiety while you’re waiting (and working) for your hot streak:Don’t give up“Keep going. Don’t give up. Your hot streak may be yet to come,” Wang explains. That sense of optimism and hopefulness, as well as faith in your work, can propel you forward towards success: “In other words, there is hope: Each new gray hair, literal or figurative, does not by itself make us obsolete. As long as you keep putting work out into the world, one project after another, your hot s treak could be just around the corner.” Wang’s sound advice gets at the heart of career anxiety and the dangerous pull of the desire to give up.That hope, however, does not necessarily come easily. Here are some concrete pieces of advice on what to do to mitigate your career anxiety as you await your streak.Identify and accept your anxietyThe crucial first step to dealing with you career anxiety is identifying where exactly it’s coming from. “Anxiety is a normal part of career development, unfortunately - but emotions give us information,” explains Katherine Crowley, M.Ed, an author, therapist who specializes in questions around career, and host of the podcast “My Crazy Office.” Taking a good look at which part of your career is prompting your anxiety is crucial for taking steps to dealing with it.Set goalsDon’t wait around for change to come - tackling your anxiety demands being proactive on your own behalf. Once you’ve identified which part of your work life is leading to your anxiety, you are in a position to set goals that address the anxiety.For example, if you are anxious about stagnation in your promotion trajectory, your goal might be to take actions that will increase your likelihood of getting promoted. Crowley instructs us to ask, “What are the actions in my control that I can take to increase the chances of that happening?” She emphasizes that your answer “should be very specific.” Ask yourself if you “need to start networking outside of your company and building more connections, if you need to gain visibility by volunteering for a task force or special presentation or if you need to take a course to build your skillset.” Choose which of these goals advances your career aspirations, and resonates with you, and actively pursue them.Find a partner in crimeThis action partner could be a friend outside of the office who is also trying to advance their career, and with whom you can strategize, Crowley suggests. It might also be a mentor within your industry who can guide your career trajectory. Having someone to talk out your anxieties with can be enormously helpful.Remember to treat your anxiety holistically“Anxiety is energy,” Crowley says, and it’s important to channel that energy to minimize its effects on your mental health. She suggests exercise. Apps like Headspace that help with breathing, relaxing and meditating can help calm anxiety, too, and like exercise, can provide you with an immediate source of relief. Remember to take care of yourself as you are working towards your career goals and fighting to remember Wang’s words: “There is hope.”This article was originally published on ThriveGlobal.

Be a Social Media Leader and Influence the Marketplace

Be a Social Media Leader and Influence the Marketplace Be a Social Media Leader and Influence the Marketplace Be a Social Media Leader and Influence the Marketplace Chaney In 2006, well-known Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen developed the Community Participation Pyramid, otherwise known as the 9091 Principle. Nielsens findings, whichremain prescient about social media behavior to this day, state the following: 90 percent of users are lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but dont contribute). 9 percent of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time. 1 percent of users participate a lot and account for most contributions. I fall into that one percent bracket and tend to think everyone else either does (or should) as well. They dont and, according to Nielsen, they wont. Rather than be dismayed at the lack of participation, perhaps those of us who are assiduous creators of content should view this as a blessing in disguise, in that it gives us the opportunity to become all the more influential. The Relevance of Social Media Personally, I did not get into blogging and social media just to have a bully pulpit. While I enjoy sharing my points of view, my chief goal has always been to start conversations. Ive long held the view espoused by Internet pioneer Dave Winer, who once said, in regard to blogs, that comments left by readers are often more insightful than the post itself. True conversational marketing nirvana is achieved when conversations within the comment thread take on a life of their own. The original post becomes nothing more than tinder to start a fire. Still, in spite of the promise social media holds for allowing everyone to be proactive contributors, the fact is, most wont. What are the implications of this trend as it pertains to content creators? We have the opportunity to become a center of influence using social media. Being a member of the one-per center club means there are 99 percent that we have the ability to influence. Becoming a center of influence via social mediais easier now than ever. Perhaps the real promise of social media is not that everyone participates equally, but that those who choose to take up the mantle of one-percentership have the opportunity to do so with fewer obstacles. We can become tribal leaders. Think of the ways that social media could benefit your business. Theres an explosion of new tools available to help lead the tribes were forming, said Seth Godin in his book Tribes. There are literally thousands of ways to coordinate and connect groups of people that just didnt exist a generation ago. All of it is worthless if you dont decide to lead. With influence comes responsibility. We cannot take this issue of leadership lightly. We have a responsibility to use our influence not for selfish motives but to benefit the community as a whole, and those who take this responsibility seriously will be rewarded by those very same communities. Here are some ways you can use social media to exert influence: Express servant leadership. Lead by example and have a do unto others attitude. Thats the mindset I believe an influencer needs to have. In other words, be a mentor and a mensch. Provide valuable content. Value is subjective of course. One persons trash is another ones treasure. Nonetheless, I think there are some common sense principles that can be applied to content creation. Think in terms of what will benefit the community. Face it, most people dont really care what you or I have to say unless it benefits them in some way. You have to win the right to be heard. Think of the example of Jesus feeding the 5,000. Only when he had met his followers felt needs could he go on to meet their real ones (think Maslows Hierarchy of Needs). I dont mean to imply that people are selfish by nature, but one thing is for sure, we are strapped for time. We only have time to consume the information that will provide most benefit. If your aim is to become an influencer, be the person who serves that function. Dont take it personally. While social media is a personal medium, people will tend to value your content before they value you. For example, if Im in the market to purchase a home, Im probably going to search for properties before I search for a realtor. One of the people who best exemplifies the highest and best of this leadership ethic is new media marketing consultant Chris Brogan. Even he said via a Twitter message that sometimes he feels more like a service than a human. It goes with the territory and is one of the hazards of the job. Research, research, research. There was a time when creating content for the Web was much easier than it is now. For example, on average a given blog post may take as much as two hours to write. (Two hours! And some take much longer than that, believe it or not.) That may be in part because Im getting older and not as fast on my feet as I once was, but I think largely its due to the fact I try to substantiate my commentary with appropriate documentation and cite a number of other resources. Its a far cry from the pithy, anecdotal rants and raves of days gone by. There is more I could say, but you get the point. If Nielsens numbers are valid, and experience tells me they are, a great opportunity lays at your feet to become an influencer, the leader of a tribe. Excerpted with permission of the publisher John Wiley and Sons from The Digital Handshake: Seven Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business Using Social Media.Copyright (c) 2009 by Paul Chaney. Author Bio Paul Chaney is the president of International Blogging and New Media Association (IBNMA), a non-profit trade association dedicated to the advance of new media as an industry. In less than 1 year, it has become one of the leading resources on social networking, offering information, conferences, and networking opportunities for thought leaders in the industry. Paul also serves as Marketing Director for Bizzuka, a Web content management software company.