What I love about the blog?

(1) Seth published a post on his blog almost every single day.. And for that one reason, I truly admire him as a blogger

(2) Posts are short (I personally love short posts) and easy to read & comprehend (I love that he simplifies his articulation so that anyone can understand the message); and are usually filled with wisdom / food for thought – which can keep you pondering for the rest of the day

(3) The user experience on the blog is good – Readability of content and navigation is easy

(4) The general design of the blog, colors, fonts and format is great; and of course Seth’s photo which says “Click on my head” always brings a smile to my face

As a reader, do I wish something was different on the blog?

Absolutely nothing I could think of..

If you’ve not visited Seth’s blog, you should start following today

And I’ve intentionally kept this post short – Inspired by Seth Godin

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. —Max DePree

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. —Jack Welch

A leader is a dealer in hope. —Napoleon Bonaparte

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. —John Maxwell

Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position. —Brian Tracy

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes. —Peter Drucker

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. —Kenneth Blanchard

A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. —John Maxwell

Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems. —Brian Tracy

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. —Bill Gates

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out. —Stephen Covey

Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. —Vince Lombardi

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. —John F. Kennedy

Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better. —Bill Bradley

There are three essentials to leadership: humility, clarity and courage. —Fuchan Yuan

Sharing below the key messages from my session

Overview to Corporate Innovation

1. Innovation has evolved from “Nice to Do” To “Good to Do” to “Must Do”. Innovate to survive
2. There is no “universal / standard definition” of Innovation
3. Innovation within an organization can happen at any time, at any place and from anyone. Innovation can occur at any level within an organization – from entry level to executive management
4. Innovation can be of technology, process, business, delivery methodology, product or user experience
5. What the wise have to say about Innovation. To read a set of interesting Innovation Quotes, click here
6. Focus of Corporate Innovation is how to “Simplify” / “Solve problems” / “Make things easier and better” / “Improve efficiencies” for internal (employees) and external (customers , partners, suppliers, vendors) stakeholders. Of course, corporate innovation initiatives focus on “Reducing costs” / “Improving Revenues”

* Innovation Life Cycle : Every innovation typically follows a life cycle as depicted below

* Importance of Corporate Innovation

1. Getting employees to “Think”, “Learn”, “Reflect”, “Experience”, “Comprehend” and “Apply” : Build a culture of innovation
2. Key Differentiator ; Competitive Advantage in the market
3. Additional “Revenue Potential” ; Non-Linearity
4. Better Customer Engagement
5. Market Positioning & Thought Leadership

* Lessons from my Corporate Innovation Journey

1. There are three distinct phases in the Innovation Life Cycle and each requires a different mind set
2. Your idea need not be unique; How you position your innovation makes all the difference
3. The Business Plan is just a baseline plan
4. When you start the GTM [Go-To-Market] activities can make all the difference
5. The first customer is the most crucial in your journey to success
6. Corporate Innovation should be a priority from the top
7. Internal communication and collaboration is critical to succeed

Extracted from paper published in the IIMB Summer Magazine (2012)

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower – Steve Jobs.

Innovation is the central issue in economic prosperity – Michael Porter.

Innovation is not the product of logical thought, although the result is tied to logical structure – Albert Einstein.

Innovation by definition will not be accepted at first. It takes repeated attempts, endless demonstrations, monotonous rehearsals before innovation can be accepted and internalized by an organization. This requires “courageous patience” – Warren Bennis.

Innovation is the process of turning ideas into manufacturable and marketable form – Watts Humprey.

Just as energy is the basis of life itself, and ideas the source of innovation, so is innovation the vital spark of all human change, improvement and progress – Ted Levitt.

Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it – Steve Jobs.

“The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”— Dr. Linus Pauling

In this post, I have listed down the key factors which may influence one’s writing style – This is purely based on my observations, analysis and inferences!

(1) Your self-confidence

(2) Your view of the world (in general) – Good, Bad, Ugly

(3) Your past – Experiences, Life

(4) Your future outlook of life – Optimistic, Pessimistic

(5) Why do you write? – For yourself or for others

(6) What does “Writing” mean to you?

(7) Your basic personality / nature

(8) Your view on “sharing” – Writing is one form of active sharing

(9) Your educational background

(10) Your language skills (Command on the language) – You can write in any language!

(11) Your age

(12) Your culture

(13) Your upbringing

(14) The writing habits of people you know (friends / family / others)

(15) Your reading habits

(16) The reading habits of people you know (friends / family / others)

(17) Your immediate living environment

(18) Your teachers / mentors – especially during impressionable / vulnerable years

(19) Your inner network – friends / family

(20) Your self-discipline

(21) Your creatvity

(22) Your observation skills

(23) Your imagination skills

(24) The times (era) you were born in

What’s your view? What do you think influences the “writing style” of an individual.. Leave a comment to let me know

Gone are the days when the role of an author was to simply write. In today’s era, a book is really a “product” which needs to be “packaged and marketed” well. And an “author” represents a “brand which interacts” with the world

In the US alone, there were more than 15,000,000 published in 2012. And I am sure in 2013 the number is going to only increase. One of the possible triggers could be Social Media – which is giving everyone a voice and opportunity to write and express, and many first time authors start their journey on social media platforms.

As I look at the journeys of several books and authors, I am compelled to write this post with a few observations I’ve seen:

* The Marketing Strategy for a book typically depend on the following:
(1) Whether you’re a first time author or serial-author or best-selling author (Simply because it makes a difference in the “existing reader base”)
(2) The Category of Book (Fiction, Non-Fiction, Self-Help, etc.)
(3) Language (English, Vernacular, etc)
(4) The Author (and whether he / she is already a celebrity in one / more circles and has an “existing fan base”)
(5) Whether the book is Self-Published or is published by a Publisher (& the “muscle-power” of the publisher in the publishing world)
(6) Who the target readers are and what are the best channels to get their attention?

* The Marketing for a book has 2 broad phases:
Phase 1 – Before the Book is released
Phase 2 – After the Book is released

* Some of the most common Marketing Strategies adopted before a book is released (Most of them are really in the online world)
(1) Create a web-page for the book. For e.g: Check the APE site for Guy Kawasaki’s book
(2) Publish a post on your own blog announcing that you have n upcoming book release. Check Seth Godin’s New Book Announcement on his blog
(3) Launch contests on your site / publisher’s site (in case a publisher was involved). This gets potential reader’s further engaged in your book, and also spread the work within their circles. For e.g.: Guess the name of the book, Guess the name of the characters in the book, Check the name of the places in which the book was set, etc. Check Preeti Shenoy’s blog asking reader’s to guess the name of her new book
(4) Tweet about your book (It helps if you’ve built a good Twitter base before you launch a book)
(5) Ask your friends to share your blogs, tweets, etc – in social media channels & other channels where people may be interested in your book
(6) Give interviews – In print, In the radio, In podcasts, In the TV (provided someone asks for your interviews
(7) Share complimentary copies with a selected audience, and ask them for Reviews even before the book is formally launched
(8) Participate in live (& relevant) events and speak about your upcoming book – Of course, you should get the opportunity too. If you get an opportunity, don’t pass it! For e.g.: Book Festivals, Business events, Conferences, etc.
(9) Participate in virtual events and talk about your book. For e.g.: Online chats, Tweet chats, etc.
(10) Create a teaser marketing trailer about your book (Catchy Video with great visuals and racy music) and publish it in every possible forum which has your target audience [Trend is many publishers do it themselves based on the kind of book, but if you've self-published it is still worthwhile to create a marketing trailer for your book]
(11) Post about your book on your FaceBook Fan Page if you already have one. If not, create one and link if to your blog / other social media channels

* Some of the most common Marketing Strategies adopted after a book is released
(1) Formal Book Launch (Usually easier if you go with an established publisher) – And do something “WOW” at the book launch. In addition to the book launch itself, the “WOW” factor will be a trigger for additional media / social media attention. For e.g.: When Jessie Paul released her book “No Money Marketing”, she had both Narayana Murthy (from Infosys) and Girish Paranjpe (from Wipro) at the book launch. I know that a lot of people still talk about this even after 3 years of the actual book launch!
(2) Launch contests on your site / publisher’s site (in case a publisher was involved). For e.g.: Book Give-aways based on a Writing Prompt. Check Preeti Shenoy’s blog for an example of the Writing prompt
(3) Create a Twitter Hashtag for your book, and encourage discussions and interactions around this. For e.g.: #apethebook is the Hash tag for Guy Kawasaki’s book APE
(4) Continue to Tweet about your book regularly – At least for a few days after the book release, every single day and a few times every day
(5) Ask your friends to share your blogs, tweets, etc – in social media channels & other channels to widen audience reach
(6) Ask people of repute to write book reviews and spread the word in their circles
(7) Host a live / virtual MeetUp – so people can speak and interact about the book
(8) Participate in live events and speak about your book. For e.g.: Guy Kawasaki spoke about his book APE at the New Media Expo. The video can be viewed here.
(9) Participate in virtual events. For e.g.: Online chats, Tweet chats, etc. For e.g: On MyBookClub
(10) Give interviews – In print, In the radio, In podcasts, In the TV (provided someone asks for your interviews

* Next and most important is that as an Author , one needs to continuously engage with your readers. Some things which are really important:
(1) Be clear about the brand image you want to build (& ensure that its in line with what you really are) – You can’t portray something that you’re not for too long
(2) Be clear on how much personal information you want to share. Draw the line clearly so that there is no conflict with respect to your “personal life” and “writing life”
(2) Be honest and sincere in your interaction with your readers
(3) Establish clearly how accessible you want to be to your readers (Do you want to be accessible to everyone all the time?)
(4) A book launch is a one time activity, and most books have their own active life. But reader’s may want to connect and reach out to you any time. So do keep a channel for interaction – Twitter, FaceBook FanPage, Mail – Choose whatever suits you best. Have at least one, If you can keep up with all then great, go for it!

For a book, any marketing can make an ocean of difference. All one should aim for is to get a potential reader remember the name of your book and the essence of what it’s about. Beyond that, its your writing (& editing) which counts and makes all the difference.

The other thing about reading is that most “readers” usually get book recommendations from specific sources (friends, online reviews, etc.) – So if you can figure a way to feature here, then half your marketing job is done

And lastly, a book is really a “creative piece of art”. You do you BIT and BEST, and release it.
Beyond that it is luck, fate, destiny and your reader’s reactions which determine the success or failure of the book

Is it predominantly the topis you tweet about? For e.g: Marketing, Leadership, Social Media

Is it your online brand image?

Is it your offline brand image?

is it your Profile description on Twitter?

Is it your Twitter profile photo ?

Is it the quality (read as relevant and valuable information) of your tweets?

Is it the quantify (read as frequency) of your Twitter activity?

Is it having some Twitter activity every single day?

Is it a complex equation with all of the variables above?

What’s your view? Leave a comment to let me know

And yet the one thing we all know is that the sooner we beat the blues, the better for us.

And from personal experience, I can say that Social Media can help lift your spirits.. Here are a list of ways that Social Media has helped me

1) Read a blog that makes you laugh or inspires or makes you forget the blues. For e.g.: I check this blog Worth a Read, and always find something which is an instant mood lifter

2) Login to FaceBook and look at the photos of friends and family. Most people tend to upload only the good pictures, fun moments or interesting events. So you get to see the “good slice of others life”; and it usually changes your mood

3) Pinterest – You will always find something to laugh about or something which will amuse or interest you on Pinterest. Click here for one example

4) Twitter – Go through the tweets of random people or someone your know or someone really funny, and your mood will instantly change. For e.g.: Check this list of 25 Twitter Accounts to Make you Laugh. And at least one of them will cheer your spirits

Has Social Media helped you beat the blues? If yes, leave a comment to let me know HOW?

Why I am writing about TED Talks here is this – After watching several TED videos, I was left wondering with a thought on “WHAT MAKES A GOOD SPEECH”..

Now I know that there is no universal definition of “GOOD”.. So what appeals to one may not appeal to another..
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which is rich in data and analysis
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” means getting all the facts 100% right
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which makes you think
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which inspires you
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which teaches you something new
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which opens you to new worlds and perspectives
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which has some Return on Time Invested (or ROTI as I call it)
for some “a GOOD SPEECH is all of the above

And yet when you look back at history or your own life; you will agree that there are some speeches which left a mark, which you recall with amazing clarity, which made a difference.

So coming back to the question “WHAT MAKES A GOOD SPEECH?”..
Before we start, Let’s just make a few assumptions
(1) The speech lasted for 20 – 30 minutes
(2) There was a decent audience size which was “interested in what you have to say” and “were actually listening when you spoke” (No matter how good a speaker you are, the audience does make a HUGE difference.So from my experience, even the best speakers deliver a different quality of output based on the audience size, interest levels and attentiveness) – And even I can vouch for this from personal experience
(3) There was a specific topic to speak about (It was not an extempore speech)

So what makes a GOOD SPEECH? Here’s my view:
(1) A well-thought STRUCTURE – With 3 basic sections : An Introduction / Beginning, the main body and a Conclusion
(2) A powerful opening – How one starts a speech usually makes all the difference in how interested and attentive an audience is in what you have to say. Starting with humor, a personal real life incident, some less know data / facts and figures are powerful ways to get audience interest and attention
(3) A POINT-OF-VIEW – A good speech should have a view. Either for a topic, against a topic or should present both view or state facts for what they are or explain a concept. And readers should be able to understand this from your rendition
(4) RIGHT Data and Facts – In today’s day and age, it is very easy for an average and interested individual to verify and validate facts on Google. So, get the data points right!
(5) Quotes from the WISE – Always quoting a wise / well-known individual to strengthen / emphasize your point is a great way to add some punch to your message. Of course, it have to be relevant and contextual
(6) A “CREATIVE” rendition – Makes so much difference. And by creative, I mean anything – Music, Actions, Videos, Photos, Acting, etc/ – Whatever helps to drive home the point
(7) The “RIGHT” pace - Too fast, and no one gets you. Too slow, and you lose the audience. It has to be just RIGHT for the average listener
(8) Humor – A dash of humor does a long way in making your speech memorable and impactful. Of course, you have to be cautious about this and not say something which you may regret later.
(9) A touch of EMOTION - Add a touch of the right emotion, and if your words touch an emotional chord with the average listener, the speech is likely to be a winner
(10) Personal anecdotes – Stating personal anecdotes from your own personal experience helps in making a co-relation, and also strengthens your credibility as you speak from personal experience

Last but not least, the SPEAKER profile does make all the difference – in terms of his / her brand image, position, authority, power, public sentiment for / against him / her, integrity & strength of character. So if the same speech is given by a politician / professor / business professional / social-worker / motivational speaker – It would have a different effect and impact!

What’s your view? Leave a comment to let me know….

So the TOP 5 things that I really LIKE about his blog?
1) Amazing Compelling Insightful Content – All through the year! Truly admirable for any blogger!
2) He regularly updates his blog – At least once a week, many times twice or more
3) His writings are real – And usually based on his own life experiences. He cites real life examples and his own personal journey which adds a lot of weight to the points he makes
4) Easy to read and understand the message – Very well written. Simple, Clear and precise
5) The layout – I personally love the font size (Larger than most typical blogs) and the minimal usage of color (Just Black and White)
6) I like his copyright / uncopyright policy

Is there anything I wish he could do DIFFERENTLY?
Honestly, I had to think really hard.. After a lot of thinking this is what I came up with
1) Logical Categorization of the Archives – There’s lot of amazing content, but sometimes its so hard to wade through it to find what I’m looking for. A little grouping and categorization will definitely help. For e.g.: Writing, Exercise, Eating Healthy, Habit Formation, etc.
2) A place to comment – I know Leo has turned off comments on his blog for good reason (And as a blogger, I completely understand where he is coming from)… But sometimes I feel so strongly about something that he has written and would love to express it on his blog.. But am unable to do it! So then I do wish he let me comment..
3) I sometimes wish he’d have some pictures / visual representations on his blogs. Again, even I don’t use any visuals in my blogs, but sometimes just sometimes it’s nice to see some color

Other than that, a PERFECT BLOG.. One of the BEST I have seen in the blog-o-sphere
And I’d give it a 10 / 10, a Golden STAR and Thumbs Up!