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Showing posts with label Powerful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Powerful. Show all posts
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
How to Turn Yourself Into A Powerful Leader
Do you talk, or listen? Do you demand, or motivate? Do you want to be a boss, or a leader? Leaders make great bosses but sadly, not every boss makes a leader. The fact that someone is in a position of authority doesn’t mean that they are respected or followed.
We can all name quite a few ‘bosses’, managers and small business owners who are tolerated, ignored or openly disrespected by their employees. As soon as they end up in the “my boss is a jerk” category, the company’s productivity plummets, the sales drop, and employees start sending out their resumes during work hours.
Fortunately, with the right knowledge and a little bit of effort, every boss can turn into a powerful leader.
Here are 11 tips that will help you turn yourself into a powerful leader who is followed, respected and admired.
When it comes to body language, a ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ principle works wonders in boosting your self-confidence and feeling more powerful. There are three quick changes you can make to your body language that will noticeably improve your self-image and send the right message to those around you:
Make eye contact. Look people in the eye when you speak to them. If you find yourself in public places or social situations, scan the room and look at people. Don’t stare though…it’s unnerving!Smile! Yes, powerful leaders do smile. They don’t frown. They don’t have an icy expression that sends shivers down people’s spine. And they certainly don’t look like they have just smelled a dead skunk. A smile is not a sign of weakness. It’s a message that says you are friendly, approachable and confident.Strong posture communicates confidence and authority, so straighten your shoulders, raise your head a little and stand tall.Often it is not a leader that people follow, but the powerful vision that they communicate. Make sure that you are very clear about your goals and verify if everyone is on the same page as you. It is your job as a leader to make it simple for your team to understand the mission and know their part in achieving it.
It is very easy to get distracted by new trends, new markets, and new projects, and lose sight of the big picture. Achieving and maintaining success takes discipline, focus and being clear on what the priorities are. When you extend yourself too far or start to micromanage, the quality of your work suffers across the board. Which brings us to the next point…
Anthony Robbins said it best, “A true leader is someone who inspires others to become more of who they truly are.” It is the responsibility of a leader to inspire, recognize and channel people’s talents in the best way to meet larger goals.
Sometimes, the greatest leap you can make as a powerful leader is stepping aside and putting more trust in your team. It is surprising what people can achieve when they are given responsibility and freedom to make their own decisions.
The ‘right’ people, in this case, are not the ones who think and act exactly like you. It’s actually the other way around. The best strategy for success is to hire people who are diverse, passionate and smart – and then listen closely to their perspectives.
It may be hard on our ego to accept that the best ideas don’t always come from us and that people in lower positions could actually be more talented or more experienced than we are, but powerful leaders, unlike wannabes, are more focused on getting results than making themselves look good.
This tip is pretty self-explanatory: nobody respects a leader who doesn’t deliver on their promises. What you do speaks much louder to people than what you say. Besides, your word is only as valuable as experience shows it to be. So practice what you preach and don’t ever give someone a reason to doubt your abilities.
Common sense and conventional wisdom work great in day-to-day situations for most people. The thing is…leaders aren’t most people and there is nothing ‘conventional’ or ‘common’ about breaking out of your comfort zone and taking a different route.
It would be naïve to believe that as a leader you will never encounter opposition or resistance from other people. There will always be somebody who believes that implementing new ideas is too risky and trying a different approach to business is a sure-fire way to fail. It’s perfectly normal. Be prepared to defend your point of view and challenge the status quo. It was Aristotle who said, “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” And he mentored Alexander the Great, so we should assume that he knew a thing or two about powerful leadership.
In order for people to follow you, they should believe that you are competent enough and more skilled than they are. It should be your priority to stay on top of things by constantly improving your skills, expanding your knowledge and gaining an edge on the latest trends and technology in your field.
Being able to discuss your work, confront your ideas or ask for advice from someone whose opinion you respect is beneficial for every leader – even a CEO. Passion needs to be balanced by wisdom that only comes with years of experience and repeated failures. You can wait to gain this experience, or you can find a mentor who will help you see things in a different way, and possibly prevent some costly mistakes.
Every successful person – every great leader – has always had a mentor. You should have one too!
There will always be people who will bring problems to your attention. It’s just the way it works. But as a leader they will expect you to have a solution ready. If you want to become a powerful leader, you have to train your mind to stay positive and focus on solutions. It doesn’t mean that you should be bubbling with joy and excitement all the time. But it’s important not to fall into the other extreme and lose your cool when the pressure rises.
Follow what I call the “PRST” Rule. That stands for “Praise – Recognize – Say Thanks”. Psychologists studying productivity at work discovered that in order to improve employees’ performance and motivation the ratio between positive and negative remarks should be kept at 3:1. It means that it takes three praises to neutralize the damage made by one negative remark. The same, by the way, is true for personal relationships and marriage (only the positive to negative ratio should be 5:1).
Make sure that you pay attention to your offhand remarks and make an effort to recognize people’s efforts. The U.S. Department of Labor says that the number one reason people leave their jobs is because they “don’t feel appreciated.” What does it cost you to say “Thank you,” or to praise someone’s efforts? Don’t take people for granted and they will appreciate you more as well.
What are your thoughts? What steps have you taken to become a more powerful leader?
It takes great leadership style to build great teams. 5 Leadership Styles that Help You Build a High Performance Team
Featured photo credit: Art by MarkACvia FlickrThursday, July 11, 2013
Stay Focused by Trying This One Powerful Tip to Stop Procrastination in its Tracks
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Thursday, May 23, 2013
6 Powerful Tips to Help You Strengthen Your Focus and Achieve Your Goals
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Monday, January 28, 2013
War stories: Read Janine di Giovanni’s powerful coverage of conflicts around the world
Global Issues TEDx Journalist Janine di Giovanni has covered wars in Bosnia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Iraq and most recently in Syria — and, yet, she has noted that they all seem to begin in the same way.
“This is how war starts—one day you’re living your ordinary life. You’re planning to go to a party, you’re taking your children to school, you’re making a dentist appointment,” says di Giovanni in today’s talk, given at TEDxWomen. “The next thing, the telephones go out. The TVs go out. There are armed men on the streets. Your life as you know it goes into suspended animation.”
In today’s gut-wrenching talk, di Giovanni describes some of the moments that have stuck with her over her years as a war correspondent, and shares what she has learned from covering many of the bloodiest conflicts of the last two decades. She says that her mind often wanders back to Sarajevo.
“I had the honor of being one of those reporters who lived through that [three-year] siege. And I say I had the honor and privilege of being there because it taught me everything — not just about being a reporter, but about being a human being,” says di Giovanni. “Even in the midst of terrible destruction and death and chaos, I learned how ordinary people could share food with their neighbors, raise their children, drag someone who’s being sniped at from the middle of the road, even though you yourself were endangering your life.”
In 2004, di Giovanni had a son. And in this talk, she explains why she opted to cover the war in Iraq despite having a baby at home. She also shares why, less than a week after speaking at TEDxWomen, she headed back to Damascus to continue covering the conflict in Syria.
“I believe it needs to be done. I believe a story there has to be told,” she says. “What I see is incredibly heroic people fighting for things — like democracy — that we take for granted every single day … All I am is a witness. My role is to bring a voice to people who are voiceless … To shine a light in the darkest corners of the world.’”
To hear what an important and heart-breaking job this can be, watch di Giovanni’s talk. And below, read some of the incredible stories that she has written about wars over the years.
“Christmas in Sarajevo,” The Sunday Times, Dec. 1992
On Christmas eve, the city of Sarajevo was pitched into darkness except for the occasional flare from the tracer rounds and the sound of the sporadic shells. On this day, like so many others before, The Susko family went to bed at about 9pm their only escape from the unlit cold.
On Christmas day light snow began to fall again and the temperature dropped to -5C. Mario Susko awoke to the sound of shelling in the borrowed unheated room where he lives with his wife, Maria, and his daughter Alexandra, 17. Wrapped in blankets on the floor where he sleeps, he could feel the detonations, but for some time now the 52-year-old Catholic Croat has not felt frightened.
“After three weeks without water, one month without electricity and eight months of total siege, I no longer feel fear,” he says. Keep reading »
“From the Kosovo Frontline,” March to June 1999
It was the heaviest night of the Nato bombing here in Kosovo. The commander with the kind face, a former hero of the war in Bosnia, told me and the soldiers in my tent to sleep with our boots on.
He was right. At 3am, the blackness of night was shattered by the terrifying crack of a Serb MiG dropping cluster bombs on us. “Go. Go. Go,” ordered the Swede, a former UN soldier. We tumbled in the darkness to a nearby muddy ravine and threw ourselves on to the ground. It was not easy, the trench is used by soldiers as a latrine. Keep reading »
“Goodbye to All That,” The Times Magazine, December 2004
I am not a big television fan, but recently a friend rang and told me to watch Prime Suspect. It was a two-parter in which Helen Mirren was investigating the murder in London of a Bosnian refugee who had witnessed a brutal massacre during the Balkan conflict. I watched it. The next night I stayed home to watch the second part. There was an actor I knew from Sarajevo playing the bad guy, and there was Helen Mirren, slowly going mad as she became more and more embroiled in the case. Eventually, she became obsessed. She disobeyed her boss, sacrificed her job and flew to Bosnia at her own expense to investigate the massacre. Strange behaviour. But I recognised that look in her eyes.
My friend rang me after the second part ended. “What was it with Bosnia,” he asked, “that made people so obsessive?” I could not answer, but I have been thinking. I began reporting the Bosnian war in 1992, and while I am fortunate enough not to have been injured or to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, not a day goes by in which the conflict does not enter my mind. I met my husband in Sarajevo. I forged some of my closest friendships in Bosnia. And, in a horrible way, my most powerful memories come from those years. Keep reading »
“Dark Days in Sierra Leone,” The Times of London, May 2000
West of Petitfu Junction, where the road turns to red dust and the bush grows darker, the villagers fly white neutrality flags over their mud shacks. It is their way of saying that they are peaceful civilians, a feeble protection from the Revolutionary United Front rebels, who are quickly advancing into this territory.
Further up the road that leads to Port Loko, there is real panic. The people who live in this bush are simple people who farm potatoes, grow rice and tap the palm trees for oil. This area was once held by the RUF, and the rebels know what the rebels will do if they come back. So the people are fleeing, walking quickly in the heat of the day, or pedaling on rusty old bicycles, their children walking alongside them. Keep reading »
“Nobody’s Children,” The New York Times Magazine, February 2002
Early morning, Mogadishu. The wet equatorial heat is rising from the chewed up streets, and the gunmen are already working. Truckloads of militiamen, hanging off the back of pickup trucks cruise the neigbourhoods of South Mogadishu. They chew quat, the bitter narcotic leaf imported from Kenya; wave Kalashnikovs above their heads, and stand defiantly in position behind anti-aircraft guns chained to the back of the trucks.
The American marines used to call them Skinnies, and it still makes the gunmen laugh, because it makes them seem innocent and sweet, like a cappuccino at Starbucks, which they are not. They are young men, some of them boys. They wear dark Gucci-style sunglasses, bandannas around their heads and Homeboy gear – jeans slung low, t-shirts, flip-flops. Some of them are barely into their teens, their weapons bigger than their tiny frames, but they know how to shoot and kill and ambush and raid. Keep reading »
“A Civil Tongue: South Sudan Tries to Learn English,” Harper’s, March 2012
When South Sudan, the world’s newest country, was born in July 2011, after nearly half a century of on-and-off civil war that left as many as 2.5 million dead, it was greeted with enormous expectations. A contest for a new national anthem was sponsored. Beauty pageants for Miss South Sudan were held. Carpetbaggers and scalawags from all over East Africa and as far as China, India, and even the United States descended on the capital, Juba.
Last autumn, I visited the country during a brief respite before another flare-up of looting and massacres that killed, as of this writing, an estimated 3,000 people. Driving past a quarry every morning, I saw exhausted-looking women wearing ripped nightgowns and rubber shower caps over their heads crouched roadside, pounding large rocks into smaller rocks, inhaling noxious dust. Keep reading »
“The Last Days of Iraq,” Vanity Fair, April 2003
On Ash Wednesday, a few weeks before war was declared on Iraq, I went to mass in St. Mary’s Church on Palestine Street in Baghdad. The mass was in Armaic, the ancient language of Jesus, and around me the Iraqi Christians knelt and prayed for peace. On their faces was etched all the fear and anxiety of the past few weeks as the diplomatic process unravelled and the world fought over whether or not their country would be bombed. A few of the women, wearing lacy white mantillas on their heads, were crying.
Towards the end of the mass, three American peace activists, stood and addressed the congregation. Over the past few months that I had been in Baghdad, there had been a flurry of pointless peace activities, beginning with the arrival of the actor Sean Penn in December, to a host of human shields from Seattle and Michigan, to men of the cloth spreading words of faith. One of the priests, from Washington D.C. said slowly, “We hope we carry the hopes and fears of the people of the world in the quest for peace.” It was meant to be reassuring, but the congregation looked wary. Keep reading »
“Gateway to Jihad: Pakistan’s Phantom Border,” Vanity Fair, June 2008
It has been more than 60 years since Pakistan was carved out of India by the British as a moderate, Muslim nation, a refuge rather than an Islamic state. For most of those six decades, Pakistan has been a friend of America’s. Since 9/11, it has been a so-called partner in the war on terror.
Up to a point. Newsweek recently called Pakistan arguably the most dangerous country on earth, harboring as it does a lethal combination of mostly foreign-born al-Qaeda terrorists and a native-born Taliban movement that is supported by its Taliban brethren across the border in Afghanistan. (American intelligence calls them “Big T” and “Little T.”) Given that the border is ridiculously porous and difficult to patrol, Pakistan has become a kind of haven for potential terrorists eager to be set loose into the wider world. Keep reading »
“On Reporting from Syria,” The New York Times, October 2012
I took the first of several visits to Syria in June 2012, legally, with a rare journalist’s visa, to report from the government side.
I flew from my home in Paris to Beirut, then got a driver and traveled to Syria. Damascus, the world’s oldest inhabited city, seemed to carry on business as usual — though there were already the car bombs, and the wounded soldiers in the hospital. I could look out the window of my hotel, the Dama Rose, and see women in bikinis drinking beer to hip-hop music at pool parties, then see the smoke of bombings in the background. I had worked in the Middle East for two decades since I was a cub reporter, but this was my first time in Syria. Keep reading »
“Denial is Slipping Away as War Arrives in Damascus,” The New York Times, October 2012
Rifa was growing frantic. Her husband had called to say that he and her brother were stuck on their way home from work outside the Syrian capital, normally a 25-minute drive. There was fighting in a northern suburb, he said, and traffic was frozen.
Tensions rose as the hours passed. It is never good to be out after dark in Damascus now, especially trapped in a traffic jam, unable to flee. Finally, Rifa’s husband called again. They had escaped and returned to their workplace to pass the night, another concession to their changing world. Keep reading »
And read much more from di Giovannie at her website, JanineDiGiovanni.com.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
5 Powerful Ways to Relieve Stress
Everyone experiences mental stress at one time or another. Maybe you’re starting a new career, job, or business, or you feel incredibly overwhelmed between work, parenting, and your love life (or a lack of it). It could even be that you simply feel that you have way too much to do and not enough time to do it, plus, on top of everything, nothing seems to be going the way it should!
Yup, we all experience mental stress from time-to-time , and that’s OK as long as you have the tools, techniques and knowledge that allow you to fully relieve it once it comes.
Here are 5 tips for relieving mental stress when it comes so you can function at your best while feeling good (and doing well) in work, love, or life:
Mental stress starts with your perception of your experiences. For instance, most people get stressed out when they perceive their reality as “being wrong” in some way. Essentially, they have a set idea of how things “should be” at any given moment, and when reality ends up being different (not even necessarily bad) they get stressed.
This process is simply a result of perception and can be easily “fixed” by recognizing that although life might not always be going as YOU think it should, it’s still going as it should—for your own benefit.
In fact, once you fully recognize that everything in your life ultimately happens for your own growth, progress, and development—so you can achieve your goals and dreams—your perception works in your favor. You soon process and respond to your experience of life differently, for your advantage. That’s the essence of becoming “rationally optimistic.”
The result: no more mental stress.
Just like you might need to unplug your computer when it starts acting all crazy, you should also “unplug” your mind.
How on earth do you unplug your mind? Simple: just meditate. It isn’t nearly difficult or complicated as some people think, so, if you don’t already meditate, give it a try. Whether you meditate for 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or 2 hours this is a surefire way to reduce mental stress. Meditation has been scientifically proven to relax your body (resulting in less mental stress), while also reducing anxiety and high blood pressure.
Yes, we know, we know—everyone loves a nice java buzz, and that’s okay, but there’s a fine line between a small caffeine pick-me-up and a racing heart and mind that throws you into a frenzy of mental stress.
Try giving up caffeine for a while and see how you feel. And, if that’s completely out of the question for you, at least try to minimize it. You might find that lots of your mental stress mysteriously “disappears” as your caffeine intake goes down.
SEE ALSO: 7 Simple Ways to Lower Your Stress in 15 Minutes or Less
That’s right: your body and mind are part of the whole being, and are constantly influencing and affecting each other. If you’re experiencing a lot of mental stress, try to reduce it by calming your body down—a calm body equals a calmer mind.
How do you calm your body down and reduce physical stress? A great way to reduce physical stress (thereby reducing mental stress) is to take natural supplements that are proven to reduce stress and anxiety while lifting your mood. Three good ones to look into are kava-kava, St John’s wort, and rhodiola rosea:
Kava-kava is a natural plant known to have mild sedative properties, and you should be able to find it at your natural health food store or vitamin store. It’s available in capsules or liquid extract form.
St John’s wort is a natural flower used to treat depression. Again, it’s found at your local health store in capsules or liquid. Because it uplifts mood (enabling you to see the brighter side of all experiences) it helps relieve mental stress as well.
Rhodiola rosea is a natural plant shown to reduce stress and uplift mood, and Russian athletes have been using it forever. Like the other two supplements mentioned, rhodiola rosea can be found at your natural health store in capsule or liquid form.
While these supplements are all natural and can be very helpful for most people, always check with your health care provider first as they can cause side-effects depending on your current health situation etc.
This tip has been around forever because it works. Nothing relieves mental stress like running, kickboxing—you name it. Anything super-physical will wipe out most of your mental stresses once the exercise endorphins (happy chemicals) are released into your brain.
The result: mental stress will be gone!
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or just plain stressed, try using some of the above tips. You can even print this out or save it to refer to regularly.
Now it’s your turn: what do you do when you’re overly stressed? What works, what doesn’t? Tell us in the comments below!
SEE ALSO: 45-Second De-Stress Tips
Featured photo credit: dark portrait via Shutterstock Cece Suwal and Mark Brener are coauthors of the national bestseller, A Guide To Your Supreme Power and cofounders of The One World Initiative, where you can discover your path to money, love, power, success, life purpose, and meaning. Get your free course on how to be happy and subscribe to their blog to learn how to become rich! Monday, December 3, 2012
7 powerful stories of recovery after injury
Cross-country skier Janine Shepherd was Olympics-bound in 1986, with many thinking that she was a strong contender to earn Australia’s first-ever medal at the winter games. But everything changed on a training bike ride through the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Shepherd was hit by a truck, and broke both her back and neck.
Doctors did not expect Shepherd to survive. And when she made it through surgery she received some jarring words.
As Shepherd recalls in today’s talk, filmed at TEDxKC, “The doctor came over to me and said, ‘Janine, the operation was a success … but the damage is permanent. They’re central nervous system nerves. There is no cure. You’re what we call a partial paraplegic and you will have all the injuries that go along with that. You’ll have no feeling from the waist down. At most, you might get 10 to 20% return.’”
To hear how Shepherd recovered, learning to walk again with only a slight limp, watch her incredible talk. As she explains, the key for her was realizing that she was more than just the circumstances of her body, and that she could create new dreams. For example: becoming a pilot. Shepherd took her first flying lesson in a full body cast, but within a year had earned her private pilot’s license. A commercial pilot license and instructor’s rating followed. Shepherd even went on to become the youngest — and only female — director of Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
Shepherd’s is a powerful story of recovery. After the jump, watch more TED Talks from speakers who beat their physical odds and learned about their own incredible strength in the process.
Ed Gavagan: A story about knots and surgeons
Years ago, Ed Gavagan was brutally stabbed while walking down a New York City street. In this talk, he shares how watching two medical students practicing their knots on the subway reminded him of the surgeons who saved his life. A powerful love letter to medical skill from TEDMED 2012. [Read much more on his story.]
Giles Duley: When a reporter becomes the story
Fashion photographer Giles Duley found his calling when he began traveling the world and documenting the stories of the forgotten and marginalized—a boy with autism, street teens in the Ukraine, refugees who’ve spent years in camps, the injured in the South Sudan. Duley’s life, however, changed when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan and lost both his legs and arms. At TEDxObserver, he tells his story.
Jill Bolte Taylor’s stroke of insight
Brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor became her own research subject when she had a massive stroke and experienced a shutdown of all her mental functions. In this talk from TED2008, she shares the incredible story of feeling herself exist on two different planes.
Simon Lewis: Don’t take consciousness for granted
Simon Lewis spent a month in a coma after a terrible car accident in Los Angeles. In this talk from the INK Conference, he shares how the experience of coming back gave him a whole new appreciation for consciousness — and for the plasticity of the brain, the incredible balance found in our bodies and for our capacity to communicate with others.
Aimee Mullins: The opportunity of adversity
Aimee Mullins is a record-breaking runner … who was born without shinbones. In this talk from TEDMED 2009, Mullins shares why the term “disabled” is no longer appropriate: because we will all face adversity of some kind, whether physical or otherwise. She shares a powerful message — that it’s not about whether you will meet adversity, but how you will approach it.
Joshua Prager: My personal half-life
In this harrowing talk from TED@NewYork, Joshua Prager describes a life-altering bus crash and its paralyzing effects. He shares a moment that was particularly meaningful for him—the exact minute when he had spent more than half of his life afflicted—and how he chose to spend it. [Read a TED Blog Q&A with Prager.]
Friday, March 30, 2012
A Powerful Three-Step Algorithm for Happiness
Today I’m going to share a really simple secret that can make your day instantly better. If you’re feeling down, it can make you happier, all day long.
It’s something I’ve been trying myself, with great results.
It’s three steps, and anyone can do them. This is an algorithm that can be repeated over and over, all day long. It starts with a basic assumption: that we are all human beings capable of goodness, of love, of pain, of broken hearts and passionate love. That we all have bad days, that inside our jaded exteriors is a person who just wants love.
It is based on my observation that we take other people for granted, and that we judge others and become irritated with them for almost no good reasons, and we expect everyone to make us happy or at least behave the way we want them to, and if they don’t, our day is ruined. That’s crazy. People are living their own lives, and aren’t trying to please us or act in accordance with our expectations, and once we accept that, we can be happy.
Here are the three steps. They might sound silly to some of you, but I urge you to give them a try. For just one day. Even just an hour. They are powerful, and they work.
1. Think “I love you, and I’m thankful for you” to every single person today. This sounds kinda silly perhaps, but it works. Seriously, try it. Look at each person you pass or encounter today, and think to yourself (as if you’re talking to the person you’re looking at), “I love you, and I’m thankful for you.” Try to say it with feeling. Mean it! Even to those you pass on the street, in the elevator, while you’re driving (you might only see them for a split second, from a distance).
2. Smile at that person, and look them in the eye. Many of us are used to not looking people in the eye, avoiding contact. But looking someone in the eye is acknowledging their existence and human-ness, and establishing a connection. Smiling helps pass your happiness on to others. Obviously you can’t do this if the person is far from you or driving past you, but when you can, apply this step.
3. If you feel comfortable, say it aloud to that person. Say, “I love you and I’m thankful for you.” You’ll probably only say this to people you know very well (though the bold among you might say it to strangers!). If you’re not comfortable with that, try to say it with actions instead of words. A simple hug, doing something nice, spending time with someone while treating them kindly, doing a favor without expecting a return favor, just being thoughtful. Obviously you can’t do this step with everyone you pass, but the more people you apply this step to, the better.
Try these steps, please.
Also know that I love you. And I’m grateful that you’re alive.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
5 Powerful Text Editors for Windows
Even though I am a Mac owner, I work in Windows 7, 8 hours a day at the minimum. I have 3 versions of Windows installed virtually on my Mac and a separate machine for a real installation of Windows 7. Programming on Windows is my thing and is what I do “professionally” so I tamper with text day-in and day-out. It’s important to have an awesome text editor to work with.
Let’s take a look at 5 powerful text editors for Windows.
The venerable Notepad++
Notepad++ is an open source text editor that hosts a massive amount of features for everyday users as well as hackers. NP++ is written in C++ and for most text editing tasks it holds its own. There is text folding, excellent search features with regular expressions, support for syntax highlighting in every programming language you can think of, column editing, tabbed interface, conversions, and also a way for contributors to include plugins.If you are looking for a free (as in free beer) way of editing code and text, there may be no better than NP++ for Windows.TextPad
TextPad is a paid application for editing forms of text. It isn’t as robust in the coding realm as NP++, but it is excellent for writing or plain text editing. TextPad supports a tabbed interface, search capabilities, macros for completing common tasks, document selection sidebar interface, spell checking, etc.It’s a simple, small-footprint editor and priced at $27 with a free trial.E Text Editor
With a tagline like “The Power of Textmate on Windows” it isn’t hard to guess what the E Text Editor is shooting for. Basically, E is a Textmate clone for Windows. Textmate is a super popular text editing and code handling app on Mac OS X that is beloved by many a coder.E supports Textmate snippets, bundles, version control, supports syntax highlighting for a ton of languages, has great search features, and can be used as a Unix scripting environment inside of Windows.There is a free trial while the full version is $46.95. Let’s hope that E doesn’t fall off the earth like its father app has.EmEditor
EmEditor is a powerful unicode text editor that does one thing really well; handles and opens extremely large text files. I’m talking about files that are several gigabytes large. I’m not sure the magic behind this editor but it can open huge files and allow users to search them as they are still being opened.If you don’t have a need to open and look at large files, EmEditor is sort of ho-hum as it doesn’t give the user anything extra than Notepad++ does. But, if you need your text editor to stop crashing when you are opening 100MB+ text files, then EmEditor is what you are looking for.There is a free trial and the full license costs $39.99.UltraEdit
In my experience, UltraEdit is one of the most, if not the most, powerful text editing programs on Windows or Mac. It was introduced to my while working my current gig and I have to say it’s pretty insane what the thing can do.It has a multi-row tabbed interface, script browser, macros, XML manager (to help you navigate XML files), give you a function list when working with source code, code syntax highlighting and more. The one thing that may get to you is that the UI is rather cluttered; but that can be remedied.It’s hard to believe the UltraEdit only costs $59.95 for either Windows or Mac because of all the features that it offers its users.So, if you want to get some real work done on a Windows machine, these are the tools that you need to do it. If you want to get a lot of editing done for no price at all, I can’t suggest NotePad++ enough. But, in my experience, if you want a “professional grade” app for editing, UltraEdit may be the way to go. Either way, you are going to be using one of the best text editing apps that Windows has to offer.
Chris is a developer, writer, tech enthusiast, and husband. He holds a degree in MIS and CMPSC from Penn State Behrend. Chris is also interested in personal productivity and creativity and how to utilize technology to get more things done. Check out his tech writing at androinica.com where he writes about Android.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Powerful Ideas That Will Bring Greater Clarity into Your Life
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Thursday, June 9, 2011
5 Quietly Powerful Strategies To ‘Press Play’ On Your Dream Life
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Thursday, June 2, 2011
My Free Webinar Today: How to Create Powerful Habits For Life
Hi friends … this evening I’ll be holding a free webinar on how to use habits to change your life, and why most people fail at creating habits — the webinar will be on tonight (Monday May 16, 2011) at 9 p.m. EDT. You have to register for free beforehand, and then just show up at 9 p.m. and sign in.
Update: The webinar will be recorded for those who won’t make it, and I’ll make the recording available tomorrow. However, if you can make it, I’d suggest you do so, as I’ll be answering questions at the end.
Register for free now and then join me in the webinar , an at 9 p.m. EDT on today (Monday May 16, 2011).
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
7 Simple Tips That Will Turn You Into a Powerful Leader
You don't have to be in a position of authority to be a leader. Conversely, just because you have authority doesn't mean that people will follow you. You must be a leader to get others to follow you.
There are many books on leadership. They can have lots of great examples and in-depth explanations, but sometimes you just need something simple to help you focus on the essentials. This article intends to do just that. These are the habits that will help you and your team achieve great things if you focus on them.
Goals
Make it simple and easy for your team to understand the mission and to understand their part in achieving it.
Concise Goals. Keep them simple and easy to understand.
Focus your team on as few goals as possible.Communicate the team's goals often and through various means (team meetings, individual meetings, emails, posters, slogans). And then do it some more.
Track progress on goals.Involve team players in tracking the goals so that they own the results.
Motivating People
What you reward gets done. It's that simple.
Incent team players to do the tasks that are most critical for reaching the team's goals. Make sure the rewards are meaningful to people. Understand each player and what they want from their job and in life. That's how you'll know how to reward them.Praise, Thank, and Recognize big and small contributions by individuals. Do this often and then do it some more.Set High Expectations. People will live UP to or DOWN to the expectations you set. Set them high and you're saying, "I believe in your ability to do great things!"Empower people by delegating responsibility.
Celebrate team accomplishments often.Encourage Fun. Make the work place a fun place to be. Yes, work needs to get done but short fun breaks can make all the difference in the culture of your team.Pride. Foster a sense of pride in your team. As a team you could establish a mascot, create a team chant, and have a meeting that is focused solely on each individual's strengths and the team's overall strengths.
Walk Your Talk
You need to practice what you preach. This is how you establish trust and credibility.
Model the Way by participating in the team's tasks as much as your position allows.Be Honest. Deliver on your promises. Actions speak louder than words.
Challenge Yourself. Do your best (and then some) just like you ask your team to do their best.Speak Up. Just like your team members sometimes need to let you know what they've done in order for you to be able to recognize and praise them. They, in turn, need to know what you've been working on and what you've accomplished. So find ways to communicate this, modeling this key behavior.
Stay Sharp. You need to be competent for others to follow you. If you're not improving, you're falling behind. Always be learning and keep on top of the latest skills, technology, and knowledge in your field.
Inspire through a combination of
Unwavering Positive Future Vision
Commitment to Improve things along the way that will make that positive vision a reality.Ability to Bootstrap as necessary when resources are tight.
Process Power
Good process is like having a high performance machine. Sloppy process makes things fall apart. So be sure to establish these key habits with your team.
Establish Routines. Do this for the team and also work with each individual to come up with their own high productivity routines. These are routines that dictate what work is done when.
Establish Processes for all the tasks that are done repeatedly. It takes time to set up at first, but after that it will pay off in saved time and less errors. Processes describe how work is done and might involve systems for doing the work.
Task Assignment. As much as possible, assign tasks according to the strengths of each teammate.
Change
Embrace change by seeking it out. This will tread a path for your teammates to follow.
Change Routines Quarterly. Look for better ways to achieve the team's goals.Take Risks. Don't be afraid of failure. No one ever reaches great heights without a few failures. Learn. Learn as a team from failures. "How can we improve it the next time?"
Encourage team members to take smart risks too by making it safe to fail. Focus on learning from past experiences and building upon them to find better solutions.
Advocacy
Support your team and they'll support you.
Promote your team members. Make sure others outside your team know about the individual team members' successes. You want your team members to excel and even graduate away from your team possibly. Don't worry. If your team is great there will be plenty of others who will want to join! This natural turnover of team members is like the renewal of cells in your body. It is necessary and healthy.
Promote your team. It's your job to market the great accomplishments of your team in order to get the rewards, recognition, and resources that your team deserves.Fight for the most important resources and changes that will benefit your team and the organization overall. Remember to pick your battles wisely.What else do you think is essential for a good leader? Got a good story? Please share in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The Habit Course: A Simple Method for Powerful Habits
Today I’m announcing one of the best things I’ve ever created (other than my kids): The Habit Course, a 4-week intensive, interactive online course meant to teach you how to create habits for life.
Habits have changed my life. I struggled for years to find the “discipline” to exercise, eat healthily, be organized and productive, reduce debt and save money, etc. But when I started figuring out what I was doing wrong — and how habits actually are formed — it transformed everything. Soon I was accomplishing any goal (read My Story).
So today, with the help of co-creators Katie and Barrie, I’m finally launching the course that will teach others how to successfully form habits. I’m really excited about it.
We’ve packed a ton of content into the course, and we have a wide range of experts contributing their knowledge as well. It will feature weekly modules, including:
Articles with specific strategies and actions for habit creation that have been personally tested by Leo, Barrie, and Katie, as well as by our beta test group.Case studies by people from all walks of life who have succeeded in creating habits despite having struggled with them.Support via an on-going forum for members only.Weekly live interactive Webinars hosted by Leo where you’ll learn specific actions, meet fellow participants and be part of the Q&AVideos and podcasts to inspire you and help you stay on track and motivated.Resources, worksheets and planning materials to help you stay organized and focused.10 Bonus ebooks and courses valued at more than $250.Interviews and appearances by a panel of experts.One new habit at the end of 4-weeks, and the tools to create a lifetime of powerful habits.Sign up for The Habit Course now if you’re interested — there are only 250 slots (and as of this morning, a bunch of those have already been taken by people who attended last night’s habits webinar. The course starts next week — Monday, May 23, 2011. (Update: The early registration discount is now over.)
Read more about it and sign up on the course website.
Oh, and if you wanted the recording of last night’s free habits webinar, it’s at the bottom of the page on The Habit Course site.
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