So what do you do when you’re in a new leadership situation and you’re feeling as if every good idea just took a vacation from your brain? (Who told all of those good ideas they could leave now?)

1. Pretend you’re an actor. Let’s face it: Actors get paid to display emotions that aren’t real. The best in their field are skilled at making us believe they know something they don’t actually know or feel something they don’t actually feel. Some adult education programs o
   Stress Reduction Tips
   Our doctors and therapists warn that stress is the cause of many illnesses and reduces the quality of sleep, relationships and well being. Yet, how can you reduce stress without shirking your duties and responsibilities? Everyone dreams of running away to a French chateau as they are driving the carpool in heavy traffic. However, usually we do not need to change our lives drastically to make substantial improvements to our health and happiness. Here are six steps for type A personalities and overworked moms
   Tom is a childhood friend of my brother’s. He lived about four houses from us since our junior-high days, and the guys have been friends for years. After getting his degree from Purdue, Tom went to work for a steel company. The guys have another friend, Mark, who, after graduating, wound up leasing a seat at the Mercantile Exchange and later buying it.

   Fast-forward several years, when Tom is married with four sons. A couple other friends of their jumped on the “Merc bandwagon” and were doing quite well. By now Mark was a millionaire. Mark offered to help Tom get started working at the Merc. Of course, that would mean Tom would have to quit his job at the steel company, and still support four children and two adults.

   I don’t recall how long he took to consider the offer. Eventually he quit the steel company job and headed to the Merc.

   My brother’s friends said that for Tom’s first two months at the Merc he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

   I recalled Tom’s story as I watched another episode of The Apprentice. Contestants who had watched other people in the role of the project manager on their teams seemed to forget everything they learned from observation.

   They could have made actual lists (if not on paper then at least in their minds) of what had worked and what had not worked for previous project managers, and then applied what they learned when it was their turn to lead their team.

   Rather, I saw deer-caught-in-headlights expressions. Then compassion would kick in and I cut them some slack as I thought, “Well, they’re on TV, so of course they’re nervous.”

   But then I would think, “Hello? You’re on TV and you know it! Create a plan and act on it!”

   The truth is, you don’t have to be on TV managing a team to get stuck looking like a deer caught in headlights while in a leadership role. You could be leading –

   • a corporate division
   • a small business’ distribution area
   • a meeting of a dozen people in a conference room
   • your kid’s soccer team

   and just freeze.

   So what do you do when you’re in a new leadership situation and you’re feeling as if every good idea just took a vacation from your brain? (Who told all of those good ideas they could leave now?)

   1. Pretend you’re an actor. Let’s face it: Actors get paid to display emotions that aren’t real. The best in their field are skilled at making us believe they know something they don’t actually know or feel something they don’t actually feel. Some adult education programs of
      Private Equity Deals Offer Alternate Exits to IPOs
      WSJ article "IPO Obstacles Hinder Startups" offers a good coverage of how IPOs are becoming tougher for small venture-backed companies.This raises the question, what should CEOs and early-stage VCs do, once a company has reached $100 M+ in annual sales? (Below this threshhold, it is absolutely undesirable to go public; investor courting, ongoing investor management, Sarbanes-Oaxley compliance related paperwork and massive expenses - being some key distractors ...)In general, by year 5 or year
      rk was a millionaire. Mark offered to help Tom get started working at the Merc. Of course, that would mean Tom would have to quit his job at the steel company, and still support four children and two adults.

      I don’t recall how long he took to consider the offer. Eventually he quit the steel company job and headed to the Merc.

      My brother’s friends said that for Tom’s first two months at the Merc he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

      I recalled Tom’s story as I watched another episode of The Apprentice. Contestants who had watched other people in the role of the project manager on their teams seemed to forget everything they learned from observation.

      They could have made actual lists (if not on paper then at least in their minds) of what had worked and what had not worked for previous project managers, and then applied what they learned when it was their turn to lead their team.

      Rather, I saw deer-caught-in-headlights expressions. Then compassion would kick in and I cut them some slack as I thought, “Well, they’re on TV, so of course they’re nervous.”

      But then I would think, “Hello? You’re on TV and you know it! Create a plan and act on it!”

      The truth is, you don’t have to be on TV managing a team to get stuck looking like a deer caught in headlights while in a leadership role. You could be leading –

      • a corporate division
      • a small business’ distribution area
      • a meeting of a dozen people in a conference room
      • your kid’s soccer team

      and just freeze.

      So what do you do when you’re in a new leadership situation and you’re feeling as if every good idea just took a vacation from your brain? (Who told all of those good ideas they could leave now?)

      1. Pretend you’re an actor. Let’s face it: Actors get paid to display emotions that aren’t real. The best in their field are skilled at making us believe they know something they don’t actually know or feel something they don’t actually feel. Some adult education programs o
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         There are many kinds of metal detectors - gold detectors, coin and jewel detectors, relic hunting detectors, beach-hunting detectors, and underwater metal detectors. Buying a metal detector can be a tricky affair. Before one decides to buy a metal detector, here are a few points to consider.How often will it be put to use? If it is for a new hobby, it may be a good idea to buy a one with a lot of features.Where it will be used? Will it be used on the beach, underwater, or in the woods?W
         ice. Contestants who had watched other people in the role of the project manager on their teams seemed to forget everything they learned from observation.

         They could have made actual lists (if not on paper then at least in their minds) of what had worked and what had not worked for previous project managers, and then applied what they learned when it was their turn to lead their team.

         Rather, I saw deer-caught-in-headlights expressions. Then compassion would kick in and I cut them some slack as I thought, “Well, they’re on TV, so of course they’re nervous.”

         But then I would think, “Hello? You’re on TV and you know it! Create a plan and act on it!”

         The truth is, you don’t have to be on TV managing a team to get stuck looking like a deer caught in headlights while in a leadership role. You could be leading –

         • a corporate division
         • a small business’ distribution area
         • a meeting of a dozen people in a conference room
         • your kid’s soccer team

         and just freeze.

         So what do you do when you’re in a new leadership situation and you’re feeling as if every good idea just took a vacation from your brain? (Who told all of those good ideas they could leave now?)

         1. Pretend you’re an actor. Let’s face it: Actors get paid to display emotions that aren’t real. The best in their field are skilled at making us believe they know something they don’t actually know or feel something they don’t actually feel. Some adult education programs o
            An Introduction to Supply Chain Management
            The mere mention of supply chain management, outside of business circles, tends to set eyes rolling. While it may not be of interest to the average lay-person, it is an item of great interest to those in the business community. Supply chain management is a crucial element of good overall business management. Long term viability and corporate profitability are critically dependent upon it. Let's spend a few minutes exploring the basics of supply chain management.Supply chain management refers to t
            thought, “Well, they’re on TV, so of course they’re nervous.”

            But then I would think, “Hello? You’re on TV and you know it! Create a plan and act on it!”

            The truth is, you don’t have to be on TV managing a team to get stuck looking like a deer caught in headlights while in a leadership role. You could be leading –

            • a corporate division
            • a small business’ distribution area
            • a meeting of a dozen people in a conference room
            • your kid’s soccer team

            and just freeze.

            So what do you do when you’re in a new leadership situation and you’re feeling as if every good idea just took a vacation from your brain? (Who told all of those good ideas they could leave now?)

            1. Pretend you’re an actor. Let’s face it: Actors get paid to display emotions that aren’t real. The best in their field are skilled at making us believe they know something they don’t actually know or feel something they don’t actually feel. Some adult education programs o
               Change Management and Over Regulations Causing Chaos
               There are more and more top executives in Corporations calling it quits. Indeed this gives rise to the next generations to move up the ladder, unfortunately when we look at the cause of all these departures we see some huge problems. Namely all this change management is being caused by over regulation such as Sarbanes Oxley and CEOs realize that they will be hung out to dry if a mistake is made and find themselves in litigation or worse in Prison.So, instead they are leaving the companies, with their
               b>freeze.

               So what do you do when you’re in a new leadership situation and you’re feeling as if every good idea just took a vacation from your brain? (Who told all of those good ideas they could leave now?)

               1. Pretend you’re an actor. Let’s face it: Actors get paid to display emotions that aren’t real. The best in their field are skilled at making us believe they know something they don’t actually know or feel something they don’t actually feel. Some adult education programs offer classes called “Acting for Non-actors,” which teaches acting skills for real-world social situations (such as leadership). Get the mindset of an actor to help you act more confident (until you really are).
               2. Put on your game face. Think about that deer-caught-in-headlights look you’ve seen on other people. Your “game face” should be the opposite of that look. Rather than looking lost, frozen, or fearful, your game face will be purposeful and assured. Stop by a mirror occasionally to check what you see in your eyes. Make adjustments if necessary. (If you don’t want people to see you do this, keep a small mirror in your pocket and take it to a place where you will have privacy.)
               3. Take a couple breaks in the day to write, review, or adjust a brief list of important topics & ideas. These will be topics that tend to take a vacation from your brain at the worst possible moments. Keep the list handy. By reviewing it regularly, those topics and ideas will be more likely to “stay” in your mind even when you’re likely to freeze up.

               Several years after Tom started his work at the Merc, I was headed downtown to a client’s office, walking through the train station around 11:30 in the morning. Passing me to catch a train to go home was Tom, looking confident. He was finished with his work for the day. Not bad. Life is good.