Love Songs

One may make fun of or even mock the number of love songs played on the radio. It is easy to label them as 'soppy' or 'mushy'. I do not deny that love songs are 'soppy', however, they play an integral part of our existence.

I realise that love is an intrinsic emotion that ties us together. Inside, we as humans, all crave love, dream of love won, cry at love lost. Although some may not like to admit it, love is one of the most powerful emotions we have. We can relate to at a deeper level. It has the power to touch others and move others, to destroy us from within, to create exhilaration.

Offence Against Ignorance

The cyclone in Myanmar has left over 22,000 dead, with predictions that the death toll could be as high as 100,000. According to the UN, around 5,000 square kilometres remain underwater, and more than a million homeless need emergency relief. Food prices have skyrocketed and petrol prices have doubled.

This is one of the worst natural disasters in recent history.

Yet, despite the enormity of the destruction, aid is only slowly trickling in. The world governments may be cynical about the ruling military junta, but the effort deployed in assisting those most in need is far too insignificant. There has been no substantive coordinated approach from the world to deal with this crisis. All efforts must be made to overcome any political roadblocks and deliver aid to the desperate survivors.

Blame must also be apportioned to the media who have not given enough coverage to the disaster. It is disappointing to witness the ignorance of those capable of assisting.

Qualities of a Leader

A leader EMPOWERS OTHERS by BUILDING PEOPLE AND MAKING THEM SUCCESSFUL.

Qualities of a Leader:

• Influences people by providing others with self-determination, confidence, purpose in work, and skills
• Asks if the right people are in the right roles, communicates personally with the team in a way each member of the team connects with and finds out how they each like to be managed
• Brings in and initiates new ideas after thoughtful consideration
• Makes the team feel energised, valued, focused and purposeful, building a curious tension in guiding the team towards a shared vision
• Provide people with progression opportunities, respect and support, compensation, and a challenge

To succeed one needs to:

• Have ambition, courage, and drive
• Have intelligence of the context combined with strategic action by identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
• Build strong networks by being likable with everyone who they associate with including managers and employees alike

There is a difference between leadership and management. Management is more about the people and processes and products.

McKinsey found was that leaders in organizations with high-quality leadership teams were supportive, operated with strong results orientation, sought different perspectives and solved problems effectively.

Life

What will be said of your name if it were to be found in a dictionary? What will you have accomplished?

I feel a chill down my spine when I think of this very thought. It makes me understand my purpose in life and where I want to go. It gives me strength to figure out the 'how' in getting to where I want to go.

Make the most of life.

Update (14/12/10): I penned down what I want to be remembered for.

* was an amazing man, a wonderful father, a true gentleman, an inspiration to so many.

He battled through difficult times to become a success.

* worked hard to become who he was. He grew up from humble beginnings. From an early age he learnt the hard way what it took to succeed. He studied hard to gain entry into a prestigious course, worked in government and finance before venturing out and creating an empire.

What shone through with * is his determination to succeed. No matter what happened he never gave up, he was optimistic, and he dared to believe. * believed in creating the future, that everything is vanity, and that life was there to to be enjoyed.

* played hard. He was very competitive, but in a good way. * loved exploring, loved travelling, and loved helping others.

* was always there for his family and friends, his loving wife and children, and the wider global community. He always thought about other people, and did what he could to improve their lives. This was encapsulated by the time and energy he devoted to those less fortunate. Through his actions, many of the poor today face a brighter future.