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They are motivated by their purpose.

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Last updated: 28 March 2017

Here's a fun fact for you about the Obamas:

When they left the White House in January, Michelle was more popular than former President Barack Obama.

Don't believe us? Check out the results of the final Gallup poll published in the Washington Post to get a better idea of their "popularity" at the moment they were packing up their bags and leaving the White House.

Surveys aside, there was clearly something about Michelle many people loved and admired.

Some of her celebrated qualities? She stood out as one of the most passionate and accomplished First Ladies in history because of her charisma, compassion and powerful speech-making.

That said, even before Michelle's rise to fame during her time in the White House, she was already an accomplished lawyer, writer and community activist.

Once in the White House, her special mix of talents and accomplishments made Michelle a role model for millions of women around the world.

Especially given that First Ladies have the freedom to define their roles as they see fit, during her 8 years in Washington, Michelle chose to address racism, women's rights and public health.

She called herself "Mom-in-chief," and applied herself to issues ranging from children's education to the needs of military families.

This included launching the Let Girls Learn initiative to fund girls' education projects tackling everything from leadership to poverty.

She was also a risk-taker and stepped outside traditional first lady stereotypes.

Given her achievement and clear leadership skills, rumor says many Democrats wanted Michelle to run for office after her husband's presidency ended in January 2017.

Although for now, the Obamas have ruled out a political career for Michelle... that said, it pays never to say never.

After all, Hillary Clinton went from First Lady to within an eyelash of becoming the first female president in U.S. history.

The Obamas have been an inspiration to many, and the legacy they leave behind is partly owed to Michelle.

Regardless of your political beliefs, it's hard not to feel inspired by Michelle's achievements as First Lady... but also as a leader.

So why don't we take a look Michelle Obama's 10 greatest leadership qualities to see how they've shaped her legacy and inspired millions.

1. Strong Character

We said it before - Michelle Obama wasn't your typical First Lady. Her capacity to motivate, inspire and call others to action was rooted in her strong personality.

Her strong character helped her fight for social issues, regardless of how controversial they were.

She was also vocal and honest about some of the harsh realities faced by minorities in America.

This came to a head in a 2015 commencement speech at Tuskegee University where she reminded black students to stay strong and persevere against the odds.

Michelle's stance on social issues made her an iconic figure - and will remain her legacy.

To truly lead and inspire others means standing up for what you believe in and living by your values - regardless of opposing views or fear of rocking the "status quo" boat.

This is what will inspire courage in others to do the same. Plus, you'll build a sense of purpose by sticking by your convictions when the going gets tough.

2. Compassionate

"All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do - that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be." - Michelle Obama

When it comes down to it, leadership is about much more than having a "type-A" personality. It's about being compassionate to people from all walks of life.

Before Michelle was First Lady, she was a practicing lawyer and fought against injustice through her work at Chicago City Hall where addressed her community's social issues.

Later, she went on to establish the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, a national service network to help prepares youth for a career in the civil service.

But being a successful leader is more than just having good business skills. You also need empathy and compassion in order to build healthy relationships within an organization.

Make no mistake: compassion is your ticket to people's hearts. It will also help you earn the trust and respect of your employees - which is essential if you want to be an influential and inspiring leader.

3. Self-Confidence

"One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals." - Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama demonstrated her self-confidence in numerous ways. Whether it was her uplifting DNC inauguration speeches or championing courage and self-esteem for women, Michelle never shied away from standing up for what she believes in.

Biographers say Michelle's willingness to speak her mind goes all the way back to her college years, where she criticized one of her professor's teaching methods. She credits her parents and older brother for helping her find her "voice" at an early age.

That voice would later resonate with the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world.

While not everyone is as fortunate as Michelle to have had a strong support network growing up, the great thing about confidence is that it can be improved once you make the decision to do so and start appreciating who you are and what unique qualities you have to offer.

Yes, these efforts take time - but most worthwhile pursuits in life usually do.

The former First Lady's example showed that everyone matters and everyone has a voice that can change the world.

But remember, it all starts with one thing... your choice to believe in yourself. Once you do, your capacity as a leader will rise ten fold.

4. Powerful Speaker

Michelle Obama had an uncanny way of captivating her audience during her husband's 8 years in office.

She had an amazing way of making people feel as if they were part of something bigger. And she did it by relating her own experience.

As First Lady, she also gave powerful speeches about her experience as a black woman competing in academia, as well as the need to stand up for women's rights.

She also didn't shy away from calling out lewd behavior, including sexist remarks by politicians. And when doing so, she never lost her cool.

Some of her most inspirational speeches include:
2012 DNC Speech: International Women's Day speech: And her emotional commentary at Maya Angelou's Memorial Service:
.

Having said that, many people would prefer death to public speaking ( yes, really, this has been proven!), but it goes without saying that it's an invaluable leadership quality - especially when you need to get your point across and inspire the masses.

5. Perseverance

Here's a simple fact: life isn't always easy. Many great accomplishments take a significant amount of time and hard work. As the saying goes:

The only time "success" appears before "work," is in the dictionary.

So to achieve amazing feats, perseverance is key.

Michelle became the first African-American First Lady in U.S. history - all while the odds were firmly stacked against her and her husband.

She also achieved several important milestones while in the White House, such as passing a bipartisan School Lunch program to provide free and reduced-price meals to more than 20 million low-income children.

In 2014, she also launched the Reach Higher Initiative to inspire young people across the country to put their education first.

Even her life before becoming First Lady was filled with accomplishments that demonstrated her perseverance.

This included graduating cum laude from Princeton University before finishing up her law degree at Harvard.

Michelle's life story shows us how a strong commitment to one's values can lead to tremendous change in the world.

Not all of us will get to influence public policy like Michelle, but you can all learn to stay committed to your goals regardless of what life throws at you.

To sum it up, the art of perseverance sets great leaders - and great organizations - apart.

6. Inspirational

"You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own." - Michelle Obama

Needless to say, the former First Lady's life story has inspired millions of people.

Her ongoing efforts to fight poverty, inequality and obesity gave her a sense of purpose that transcended political lines and racial divides.

Michelle was adamant in her claim that the power of the individual is paramount, and why you shouldn't underestimate your ability to inspire real change in your community.

7. Honesty

"We learned about honesty and integrity - that the truth matters... that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules... and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square." - Michelle Obama

Great leaders are honest about their strengths, weaknesses and expectations. This applies to the business world and any other life endeavour.

Michelle Obama was dedicated to many important social causes before and during her husband's presidential tenure.

And authenticity was one of her most valued leadership traits. Michelle's success can largely be attributed to her honesty as well as her dedication to show up each day and work towards her goals.

So here's a tip: if you want to be an inspiring leader - start off by being honest. Honesty is more than just telling the truth - it's about creating a culture of transparency.

8. Graceful Under Pressure

A lot of attention has been paid to Michelle Obama's sense of style. But her sense of style was more than just fashion.

She spoke eloquently, walked with grace and portrayed herself in a positive and respectful light.

Whether you supported her husband or didn't agree with him at all, it was difficult not to like the former First Lady.

Make no mistake: the way you carry yourself says a lot about you and your values.

Make it your aim to carry yourself with confidence and composure, even when no one is watching - and as if everyone was watching.

9. Relatable to Others

"My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before. I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong." - Michelle Obama

As you can imagine, when you're the First Lady, it's very easy to become detached from reality.

Not Michelle Obama.

Throughout her husband's 8-year term, she talked openly about her personal life. Everything from her experience at school to her first date with Barack - her story resonated with millions of women across the country.

She also empowered African-American women to fight against stereotypes. She did all this by being relatable. Many women saw some of themselves in Michelle Obama.

Although your business or passion might not be political, your ability to inspire others to action is an important leadership quality.

That's why it's important to speak from the heart and show vulnerability when expressing your hopes - and even your weaknesses. Effective leaders inspire others to see their vision - so when it comes to relating to others, remember to be genuine!

10. Time Management

"My first job in all honesty is going to continue to be mom-in-chief. Making sure that in this transition, which will be even more of a transition for the girls... that they are settled and that they know they will continue to be the center of our universe." - Michelle Obama

From her dozens of accomplishments to raising Malia and Natasha, Michelle made it a priority to manage her time so she could focus on what was most important to her - with her children always at the top of the list.

The fact of the matter is - there often aren't enough hours in the day, so you need to define your non-negotiables and be realistic about what you can manage - and what you need to delegate or say no to.
So there you have it. Our pick of Michelle Obama's top 10 most inspiring leadership qualities and how she used them to inspire change.
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Courtesy of Prairie View A&M U.

At age 72, Ruth J. Simmons is ready for her next act.

The former president of Brown University, and first black president of an Ivy League institution, has been named the sole finalist for the permanent presidency of Prairie View A&M University, a historically black college near Houston.

Ms. Simmons, who was also the first black president of Smith College, has been known as a trailblazer. The Texas native has lived just outside of Houston since stepping down as president of Brown, in 2012. She graduated from Dillard University, a private, liberal-arts black college in New Orleans, before earning a doctorate at Harvard University.

Ms. Simmons made stops at the University of Southern California and at Princeton University, where she is largely credited with raising the profile of the black-studies program. She then served as an administrator at Spelman College.

When she was appointed president of Smith, in 1995, the elite women's institution had just 86 black students in its enrollment of more than 2,000. "She's the Jackie Robinson of college presidents," Henry Louis Gates, a prominent black scholar and professor at Harvard, said at the time. Ms. Simmons, however, pushed back at the pioneer label in an interview with The New York Times.

And, she added, "my involvement in both white and black institutions provides a kind of example of how we must move through these artificial barriers that separate higher education." But she kept breaking barriers. In 2000, Brown selected her as its 18th president.

This past June the Texas A&M System announced that Ms. Simmons would serve as interim president of Prairie View A&M. She admitted that she had been taken aback when first approached about the position. And she had turned down offers to lead other institutions since leaving Brown. But this was different.

Black colleges have often been criticized as hosting a broken leadership pipeline. So the announcement that a seasoned college leader like Ms. Simmons would take the reins of the university was seen as a coup.

"I know how important historically black colleges and universities are for kids like I was."

Prairie View A&M appealed to Ms. Simmons because of its history and mission. It didn't hurt that her brother had gone there. "I was from a very poor family with 12 children, at a time when colleges were just desegregating," she said in a written statement. "I know how important historically black colleges and universities are for kids like I was."

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"She has the credentials to be the president of any university in America," he said at the time.

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But as it turned out, Ms. Simmons saw herself as that "next great leader," and she agreed to become the permanent president.

"I knew Dr. Simmons was the right fit to lead Prairie View when we asked her to serve as interim president," Mr. Sharp said in a news release on Thursday. "I am so excited by the prospect of President Simmons' serving our campus for the long term."
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With genre-bending hits that have earned her a place on top of the pop, R&B, and hip-hop music charts, is an undisputed success. Though her level of fame and fortune might be one in a million, there are a lot of practical lessons to learn from Beyoncé's rise.

How to Manage Your Career Like Beyoncé

1. Align yourself with people whose skills complement yours: Collaborations with powerhouse artists, producers, and co-writers like Jay-Z, Pharrell, Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliot, and Lady Gaga have further cemented Beyoncé's status among the stars. Want to apply this best practice in your career? Consider forming your own personal advisory board.

2. Be the best in class - excel at what you do: Beyoncé's hard work continues to pay off. As a solo artist, she's sold over 100 million albums, and taken home over 20 Grammy Awards. Her onstage performances are highly choreographed, and critics all over the world hail her as one of the best entertainers in contemporary popular music. As a business professional, you can model Beyoncé's tireless work ethic to improve your reputation in the workplace and impress your boss.

3. Take a stand when you believe in something: Beyoncé made waves with her 2014 article "Gender Equality Is a Myth!" Carefully laying out the case that the global workforce has not yet done enough to close the gender gap. As an emerging leader, it's important to understand that you can't make everyone happy. Take a lesson from "Sasha Fierce," and develop the professional confidence needed to lead.

4. Have an impeccable work ethic: Even though Beyoncé is a billionaire, she doesn't take it easy, and she never stops delivering (she's a self-described workaholic). Beyoncé is a master of her craft who never accepts mediocrity from herself or from her collaborators. In today's world of work, individuals can no longer rely on their employer to provide development. To remain relevant, you must continue to seek out new ways to grow and develop your professional skills.

5. Don't be afraid to make tough decisions: Great leaders have to make tough decisions from time to time - it's one of the reasons they remain successful. Beyoncé's decision to fire her father as manager after a controversial booking was undoubtedly a tough one, but it helped clear her mind and contextualize her ethical standpoints.

6. Build your personal brand: Over the course of her career, Beyoncé Knowles has achieved international fame through her unique blend of hard work and artistry. As a result of her strong brand presence and worldwide name recognition, Pepsi asked Beyoncé to become their brand ambassador in 2013. Take a cue from Beyoncé and cultivate a personal brand that will help you stand out from your peers and impress your boss.

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Who Was Mother Teresa?

Nun and missionary Mother Teresa, known in the Catholic church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, devoted her life to caring for the sick and poor. Born in Macedonia to parents of Albanian-descent and having taught in India for 17 years, Mother Teresa experienced her "call within a call" in 1946. Her order established a hospice; centers for the blind, aged and disabled; and a leper colony.

In 1979, Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work. She died in September 1997 and was beatified in October 2003. In December 2015, Pope Francis recognized a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa, clearing the way for her to be canonized on September 4, 2016.

Photo: Terry Fincher/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Mother Teresa's Family and Young Life

Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, the current capital of the Republic of Macedonia. The following day, she was baptized as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu.

Mother Teresa's parents, Nikola and Dranafile Bojaxhiu, were of Albanian descent; her father was an entrepreneur who worked as a construction contractor and a trader of medicines and other goods. The Bojaxhius were a devoutly Catholic family, and Nikola was deeply involved in the local church as well as in city politics as a vocal proponent of Albanian independence.

In 1919, when Mother Teresa - then Agnes - was only eight years old, her father suddenly fell ill and died. While the cause of his death remains unknown, many have speculated that political enemies poisoned him.

In the aftermath of her father's death, Agnes became extraordinarily close to her mother, a pious and compassionate woman who instilled in her daughter a deep commitment to charity. Although by no means wealthy, Drana Bojaxhiu extended an open invitation to the city's destitute to dine with her family. "My child, never eat a single mouthful unless you are sharing it with others," she counseled her daughter. When Agnes asked who the people eating with them were, her mother uniformly responded, "Some of them are our relations, but all of them are our people."

Education and Nunhood

Agnes attended a convent-run primary school and then a state-run secondary school. As a girl, she sang in the local Sacred Heart choir and was often asked to sing solos. The congregation made an annual pilgrimage to the Church of the Black Madonna in Letnice, and it was on one such trip at the age of 12 that she first felt a calling to religious life. Six years later, in 1928, an 18-year-old Agnes Bojaxhiu decided to become a nun and set off for Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin. It was there that she took the name Sister Mary Teresa after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

A year later, Sister Mary Teresa traveled on to Darjeeling, India, for the novitiate period; in May 1931, she made her First Profession of Vows. Afterward, she was sent to Calcutta, where she was assigned to teach at Saint Mary's High School for Girls, a school run by the Loreto Sisters and dedicated to teaching girls from the city's poorest Bengali families. Sister Teresa learned to speak both Bengali and Hindi fluently as she taught geography and history and dedicated herself to alleviating the girls' poverty through education.

On May 24, 1937, she took her Final Profession of Vows to a life of poverty, chastity and obedience. As was the custom for Loreto nuns, she took on the title of "Mother" upon making her final vows and thus became known as Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa continued to teach at Saint Mary's, and in 1944 she became the school's principal. Through her kindness, generosity and unfailing commitment to her students' education, she sought to lead them to a life of devotion to Christ. "Give me the strength to be ever the light of their lives, so that I may lead them at last to you," she wrote in prayer.

'Call Within a Call'

On September 10, 1946, Mother Teresa experienced a second calling, the "call within a call" that would forever transform her life. She was riding in a train from Calcutta to the Himalayan foothills for a retreat when she said Christ spoke to her and told her to abandon teaching to work in the slums of Calcutta aiding the city's poorest and sickest people.

Since Mother Teresa had taken a vow of obedience, she could not leave her convent without official permission. After nearly a year and a half of lobbying, in January 1948 she finally received approval to pursue this new calling. That August, donning the blue-and-white sari that she would wear in public for the rest of her life, she left the Loreto convent and wandered out into the city. After six months of basic medical training, she voyaged for the first time into Calcutta's slums with no more specific a goal than to aid "the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for."

Missionaries of Charity

Mother Teresa quickly translated her calling into concrete actions to help the city's poor. She began an open-air school and established a home for the dying destitute in a dilapidated building she convinced the city government to donate to her cause. In October 1950, she won canonical recognition for a new congregation, the Missionaries of Charity, which she founded with only a handful of members-most of them former teachers or pupils from St. Mary's School.

As the ranks of her congregation swelled and donations poured in from around India and across the globe, the scope of Mother Teresa's charitable activities expanded exponentially. Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, she established a leper colony, an orphanage, a nursing home, a family clinic and a string of mobile health clinics.

In 1971, Mother Teresa traveled to New York City to open her first American-based house of charity, and in the summer of 1982, she secretly went to Beirut, Lebanon, where she crossed between Christian East Beirut and Muslim West Beirut to aid children of both faiths. In 1985, Mother Teresa returned to New York and spoke at the 40th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly. While there, she also opened Gift of Love, a home to care for those infected with HIV/AIDS.

Mother Teresa's Awards and Recognition

In February 1965, Pope Paul VI bestowed the Decree of Praise upon the Missionaries of Charity, which prompted Mother Teresa to begin expanding internationally. By the time of her death in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity numbered more than 4,000 - in addition to thousands more lay volunteers - with 610 foundations in 123 countries around the world.

The Decree of Praise was just the beginning, as Mother Teresa received various honors for her tireless and effective charity. She was awarded the Jewel of India, the highest honor bestowed on Indian civilians, as well as the now-defunct Soviet Union's Gold Medal of the Soviet Peace Committee. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her work "in bringing help to suffering humanity."

Criticism of Mother Teresa

Despite this widespread praise, Mother Teresa's life and work have not gone without its controversies. In particular, she has drawn criticism for her vocal endorsement of some of the Catholic Church's more controversial doctrines, such as opposition to contraception and abortion. "I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion," Mother Teresa said in her 1979 Nobel lecture.

In 1995, she publicly advocated a "no" vote in the Irish referendum to end the country's constitutional ban on divorce and remarriage. The most scathing criticism of Mother Teresa can be found in Christopher Hitchens' book The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice, in which Hitchens argued that Mother Teresa glorified poverty for her own ends and provided a justification for the preservation of institutions and beliefs that sustained widespread poverty.

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When and How Mother Teresa Died

After several years of deteriorating health, including heart, lung and kidney problems, Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87.

Mother Teresa's Letters

In 2003, the publication of Mother Teresa's private correspondence caused a wholesale re-evaluation of her life by revealing the crisis of faith she suffered for most of the last 50 years of her life.

In one despairing letter to a confidant, she wrote, "Where is my Faith-even deep down right in there is nothing, but emptiness & darkness-My God-how painful is this unknown pain-I have no Faith-I dare not utter the words & thoughts that crowd in my heart-& make me suffer untold agony." While such revelations are shocking considering her public image, they have also made Mother Teresa a more relatable and human figure to all those who experience doubt in their beliefs.

Mother Teresa's Miracles and Canonization

In 2002, the Vatican recognized a miracle involving an Indian woman named Monica Besra, who said she was cured of an abdominal tumor through Mother Teresa's intercession on the one-year anniversary of her death in 1998. She was beatified (declared in heaven) as "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta" on October 19, 2003, by Pope John Paul II.

On December 17, 2015, Pope Francis issued a decree that recognized a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa, clearing the way for her to be canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. The second miracle involved the healing of Marcilio Andrino, a Brazilian man who was diagnosed with a viral brain infection and lapsed into a coma. His wife, family and friends prayed to Mother Teresa, and when the man was brought to the operating room for emergency surgery, he woke up without pain and was cured of his symptoms, according to a statement from the Missionaries of Charity Father.

Mother Teresa was canonized as a saint on September 4, 2016, a day before the 19th anniversary of her death. Pope Francis led the canonization mass, which was held in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. Tens of thousands of Catholics and pilgrims from around the world attended the canonization to celebrate the woman who had been called "the saint of the gutters" during her lifetime because of her charitable work with the poor.

"After due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a saint, and we enroll her among the saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole church," Pope Francis said in Latin.

The Pope spoke about Mother Teresa's life of service in the homily. "Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defense of human life, those unborn and those abandoned and discarded," he said. "She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity. She made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognize their guilt for the crime of poverty they created."

He also told the faithful to follow her example and practice compassion. "Mercy was the salt which gave flavor to her work, it was the light which shone in the darkness of the many who no longer had tears to shed for their poverty and suffering," he said, adding. "May she be your model of holiness."

Legacy

Since her death, Mother Teresa has remained in the public spotlight. For her unwavering commitment to aiding those most in need, Mother Teresa stands out as one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century. She combined profound empathy and a fervent commitment to her cause with incredible organizational and managerial skills that allowed her to develop a vast and effective international organization of missionaries to help impoverished citizens all across the globe.

Despite the enormous scale of her charitable activities and the millions of lives she touched, to her dying day, she held only the most humble conception of her own achievements. Summing up her life in characteristically self-effacing fashion, Mother Teresa said, "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."

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Mother Teresa was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor. Considered one of the 20th Century's greatest humanitarians, she was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.

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They believe in themselves even when no one else does and they work tirelessly to prove their naysayers wrong.

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Martin Luther King's Last Speech: "I've Been To The Mountaintop"

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They want to be FIRST! They spend a significant amount of resources on growing their business/organization and being leaders in their respective industry.

Jay-Z promotes his brands and consistently finds new ways to do business.

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While on vacation recently, I thought I'd do some light reading by the pool... break away from work and business books and read some fun pop culture stuff. So I Kindled Jay-Z's book, "Decoded." I was expecting to learn about the stories behind his lyrics, his life, and some of the causes he's been involved in. I didn't expect the innovative writing, video integration, and graphic style of the book. I love "Decoded," which turns out to have a lot of relevance to business. There's no doubt that Jay-Z is a smart businessperson - he's come a long way and been extremely successful, so I shouldn't be surprised. So here are 5 great business leadership lessons from Jay-Z:

1. When you're the new kid, listen and learn before you try to direct or change things.

Jay-Z tells a story about sitting in on Jaz 's recording sessions and being a "sponge":

I never gave my opinion about how his business was being run. I was new and I didn't necessarily know how things worked in the music business.

Often, leaders come into a business and immediately give advice, make changes and stir things up. This is not all bad, but it's important, as Steven Covey says, to " seek first to understand, then to be understood." If you do so, the changes you make will stick and be embraced much more effectively.

2. Help employees realize dreams, not promotions.

Jay-Z talks about how it took him a long time to realize how much courage it took for kids to work at McDonald's instead of getting involved in the drug trade. His understanding of why hustlers on the street, as they work to achieve prestige and a dream lifestyle, ignore the stories of peers being shot, killed and put in wheelchairs is insightful:

There's no dream in fast food. Manager? That's a promotion, not a dream.

How can businesses help employees connect with their purpose, be excited about possibilities, and realize a lifestyle more aligned to what they want? I've worked in restaurants. I know the hours and hard work that goes into managing food service. I also think there are innovative ways to offer better balance, inexpensive perks, and make the manager lifestyle something for young people to look forward to.

3. Live your brand.

Jay-Z talks about Russell Simmons, the CEO of Def Jam, and how Simmons represented "winning" to Jay-Z. He connected with the people who were his customers and potential artists. Simmons knew where they were coming from and lived the life that they wanted. He involved the people living the hip-hop culture in the success. Simmons helped Jay-Z realize that being a CEO might even be better than being a rap artist.

Russell was an evangelist for hip-hop. He knew the culture's power and was never shy about leveraging it and making sure that it was the people who were creating the culture who got rich off of it.

By living the Def Jam brand, Simmons created connection with his target audience and created a powerful brand in American entertainment. Whether you have your own business or work for a corporation, if your values and lifestyle aren't aligned with that of the company, true success will be elusive.

4. Be authentic.

Jay-Z recounts the story of meeting ?uestlove, a new artist. Jay-Z told ?uestlove not to "try to give me a hot radio single." This may sound like odd advice, but Jay-Z really hit on being authentic. He explains:

You can't face whatever the current trend is if it's not you, because it might work for a second, but it's a house of sand.

I've worked with companies that re-branded because they saw the success new competitors were having with a different look and feel. But the changes caused an identity crisis with employees and customers. One company spent a lot of resources and a year's worth of time re-branding back. It's important to know who you are and what you stand for, and be true to that core.

5. Tell a story with your brand.

I like what Jay-Z says about giving definition to brands:

We gave those brands a narrative, which is one of the reasons anyone buys anything: to own not just a product, but to become part of a story.

Jay Z describes how, before hip-hop, Cristal was a premium brand primarily known only to connoisseurs. He rapped about it, drank it in clubs, and created a different story about Cristal, which became a portal into a new world. Cristal became widely known as young fans of Jay-Z followed suit, drinking it themselves.

I've still got a couple of chapters of Jay Z's book to go... and then I'll have to read something truly light and non-business related! Any suggestions?
Read more from this author

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Decoded: 5 Business Leadership Lessons from Jay-Z - TalentCulture

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While on vacation recently, I thought I'd do some light reading by the pool... break away from work and business books and read some fun pop culture stuff. So I Kindled Jay-Z's book, "Decoded ." I was expecting to learn about the stories behind his lyrics, his life, and some of the causes he's been involved in.

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Apple = computer, Google = search engine, Pampers = diapers. Good leaders know how to make their products synonymous to the entire industry.  They use advertising, promotions to make people feel connected to their brands.

Sir Branson is great at marketing his brand.

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Posted by Robert Half on 21 October 2016

Sir Richard Branson isn't just an authority on entrepreneurialism, he knows a thing or two about leadership skills as well. Throughout his long history of running businesses, the Virgin Group founder has been a well-respected employer - someone who has created thousands of jobs for talented people around the world. He is known for his rule-breaking approach to leadership, one which encourages every employee to become an innovative thinker, who can add value in their own way.

Sir Richard Branson has always played an active role in the selection of who joins his business, recognising the importance of having the right people at the helm. He understands that his business leaders are the people charged with inspiring and motivating the workforce, not just merely organising and monitoring productivity. As such, there are a number of qualities Sir Richard Branson looks for in his employees - here's a list of the qualities and attributed that he looks for:

1. The ability to think differently

" Leadership doesn't have a secret formula; all true leaders go about things in their own way," Sir Richard noted in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. It's the leadership skill of being able to think differently that sets them apart. He contrasted his own leadership style - which is collaborative and democratic - to that of the late Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple), who was known for his autocratic style. Despite their differences, both have experienced great success with their own philosophy and approach. There are no hard and fast rules about which leadership skills work the best; it is all about choosing a style that fits the organisation and optimises the talent available.

2. An eye for talent

Sir Richard Branson believes it is important that business leaders have an eye for talent, and an ability to get the most out of their employees. " What leadership boils down to is people," he noted. " Whatever your style, whatever your method, you need to believe in yourself, your ideas and your staff. Nobody can be successful alone and you cannot be a great leader without great people to lead." He claimed that employers need to hire people who have the necessary skills, experience and drive, but are also a good cultural fit for the business.
Related: How to recruit the ideal employee
3. A positive company culture

In Sir Richard's view, qualifications are far from the be-all and end-all, when it comes to leading people. His philosophy is " personality before CV" - ensuring people who want to work at senior level have the soft skills required to unite and direct staff as well as strong leadership skills. " A person who has multiple degrees in your field isn't always better than someone with broad experience and a wonderful personality," he told Forbes. " I like to take chances on people, and whenever possible, promote from within -- it sends a great message to everyone in the company."

Sir Richard Branson said the best candidates take their roles seriously and lead from the front, but are also quick to see the lighter side of life. Another one of his leadership quotes; " Some 80% of your life is spent working. You want to have fun at home; why shouldn't you have fun at work?" Looking for leadership who are eager to have fun a work will pass that on enthusiasm on to other employees in the company, supporting a positive work environment.

4. The ability to delegate
Related: How to delegate to boost productivity
Successful business leaders master the art of delegation, helping to reduce their own workload and give opportunities to ambitious employees. " I have always believed in the art of delegation finding the best possible people for Virgin and giving them the freedom and encouragement to flourish," Sir Richard Branson told the Daily Telegraph. " If you are not always there, it forces other people to call the shots, which in turn improves their own leadership skills, builds their confidence and strengthens your business." He said that, whatever the philosophy a business leader has, they must give other people the space to thrive. " Employees want to know... am I being listened to or am I a cog in the wheel? People really need to feel wanted." One way people can feel valued is being provided the opportunity to learn and take on new tasks.

5. Willingness to listen and learn

According to the Virgin founder, it is vital that business leaders are able and willing to listen and learn. This is because nobody - no matter how senior they are, or how impressive their CV - has a monopoly on good ideas or good advice. " As a leader you should always be listening. Be visible, note down what you hear and you'll be surprised how much you learn," he advised. Speaking to Forbes, he claimed that learning and leadership skills go hand in hand. " Too much credit goes to me for what we have achieved at Virgin," he claimed. " The successes happen from working and learning with some of the world's most inspiring and inspired people."

6. A hands-on approach

Sir Richard Branson believes great business leaders should have good leadership skills, be highly visible, engaging with employees and making things happen wherever possible. " Walk the floor, get to know your people," Branson urged. " Even though I don't run Virgin's companies on a day-to-day basis any more, I still find it crucial to get out and about among our staff." Being engaged with the business and employees will help to ensure that your employees see you as part of the team, not just the people watching from afar.

7. Make decisions (and move on from mistakes)

Business leaders need to be collaborative, in order to get their most out of their people, but they must also know when to make a firm, final decision. Sir Richard said it is vital to know your own mind, and " walk the walk, as well as talk the talk". He claimed that " nobody respects a leader who doesn't know how to get his hands dirty and innovate personally". Sir Richard Branson suggested that the key is to strike a balance between empowering staff and setting an example to follow. " There will be times when strong and decisive leadership is necessary, to make sure the right moves are made," he stated.

When a decision doesn't work out as planned, Sir Richard Branson credits his background in competitive sports for the discipline, teamwork and leadership skills it can teach. " One key lesson I've learned, which applies far beyond the court, is to treat each point separately," said Branson. "Tennis, like business, moves so quickly that if you dwell on the past for even a few minutes, an opportunity will have passed and the moment will be lost. You have to get into the right frame of mind in order to perform your best, and need to be able to put setbacks behind you instantly." It's critical to move on from the last mistake and focus on the next challenge.

8. Attention to detail

Sir Richard Branson thinks effective leaders pay close attention to detail. " If you place the emphasis on getting the little things right, and address the everyday problems that come up, you can encourage a culture of attention to detail," he claimed. Sir Richard Branson told the Daily Telegraph it is possible to have " a lot of fun with relatively tiny issues", whether this involves dealing personally with customer complaints or paying a surprise visit to front-line staff.

9. Passion for the job

Ultimately, business leaders need to be passionate about what they do - making strategic decisions, building team and motivating employees to give their all. " You are far more likely to be inspired and have great ideas if you love what you do, and can instil that spirit of fun throughout your company," Sir Richard claimed. " Finding gaps in the market, and creating products that make a real difference to people's lives, can only be accomplished if you have passion for what you are doing." He said that if business leaders do something they are proud of, this filters down through the

A successful business leader
More leadership advice Note: This article was originally posted in January 2015 and has been updated to reflect more current information.
For every professional looking to advance their careers, and element of every promotion will include the development of a wide range of attributes and qualities requiring leadership skills.

To be a successful business leader and climb the higher rungs of your career ladder, your ability to lead a project, lead a team, lead a department and inspire a business will need to improve.

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9 leadership skills from Sir Richard Branson

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Posted by Robert Half on 21 October 2016 Sir Richard Branson isn't just an authority on entrepreneurialism, he knows a thing or two about leadership skills as well. Throughout his long history of running businesses, the Virgin Group founder has been a well-respected employer - someone who has created thousands of jobs for talented people around the world.

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They are meticulous in mapping out a plan of action.  If they don't do it, they recruit people who will.

Heidi Klum reinvented herself through her business ventures and is known to be an exceptional planner.

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"What you see is what you get."

The thing is that one sees so much. There is Klum's obvious beauty, of course; at 41, she wows in any crowd. But there is also the Klum who sat on Piers Morgan Tonight and dismissed the idea of Botox with a flip "I'd rather age."

She is whip-smart, a veritable Dr. House when diagnosing the shortcomings of a garment that has been feverishly assembled by some aspiring designer on the reality hit Project Runway, and cognizant that the success of the show often depends on her ability to act like a point guard, setting up opportunities for her fellow panelists rather than scoring herself.

She is playful, lowering herself to the floor on the stage of America's Got Talent in order to kiss a pig; but what's obvious, if never exactly seen, is all the steely seriousness undergirding her success: her discipline, her determination, her preparation, her professionalism, her drive to make everything she touches a victory for herself and her partners.

So many parts, so many sides, so much motion. In 2011, Forbes said that Klum's $20 million income made her the world's second-highest-earning model (behind Gisele Bündchen) but observed that Klum was a work in progress, stating that she was continuing "her transformation from supermodel to business mogul." By the following year, the evolution was complete. Klum had successfully parlayed her healthy good looks and playful appeal into a brand, a larger public image that encompasses model, TV personality, product spokeswoman, fashion designer, clothing entrepreneur, mom and humanitarian.

On television, she is the Emmy-winning host and executive producer of Project Runway, which will start its 14th season in July; the executive producer and host of Germany's Next Top Model, now in its 10th season; and a judge on America's Got Talent, entering her third season on the show this summer.

That would seem to be employment enough for anyone not named Ryan Seacrest, but evidently Klum has time for everything but idleness. In January she introduced Heidi Klum Intimates for the lingerie company Bendon, making it a stablemate for her own brand, Truly Scrumptious, a line of kids' clothing and gear that she sells through Babies "R" Us. In partnering with Klum, the New Zealand-founded, Australia-based Bendon ended its 25-year licensing relationship with Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson. The decision reflected not a wish to make a generational change (Klum is nine years younger than Macpherson) as much as a desire to make a Q-rating leap.

"She's very active in the media today," Bendon's CEO Justin Davis-Rice told the newspaper The Australian. "We were looking for somebody who gave us a much larger international reach, and Heidi elevates that." Klum's appeal doesn't just go beyond borders-it goes through walls. Klum can sell lacy bras and teeny corduroy overalls, flimsy thongs and durable diapers. She is a mom Jordache hired to sell jeans to teenagers, a fitness advocate Carl's Jr. picked to cuddle with a double cheeseburger, a supermodel Macy's selected to represent its commitment to high fashion, and Dr. Scholl's chose to sell pads to cushion her Jimmy Choo'd-up feet.

Klum is as global as UNICEF ... which just happens to be one of the charities she supports.

One might look at such a roster of clients and conclude that Klum simply says yes to everybody. But the opposite is the truth. "They say that when you are successful, you have to be pickier about what you get involved with," Klum tells SUCCESS while relaxing at her home in Los Angeles. "I choose things I believe in. Many companies come to me, but I try to limit my involvement to the ones that fit what I stand for or that represent something that interests me."

In Bendon's case, Klum says, it was her familiarity with the brand and the market segment. "I come from the lingerie world," she says. "I have always been more associated with Victoria's Secret and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue than the high-fashion world of Paris and Milan. I have always been opinionated about the clothes I've modeled, never been one to stand around with my mouth shut when I've had something to say about the material, or the cut, or whatever. So when Bendon, who I knew had done a good job with Elle Macpherson, offered me my own line, where I could make my ideas heard and have a home, I was very interested."

Most remarkable about this whirling-dervish level of activity is that it's Klum herself who makes it all happen. She has a group of colleagues who support her, but it's not as though she leaves her team of associates to juggle everything. It's always Klum herself with the clients, Klum on the runway, Klum on the set. Sheer physical energy would seem to be the essential element to managing it all, but she says the true cornerstone is organization.

"I'm a planner-quite German that way," Klum says. "I can tell you everywhere I'm going to be for the next nine months."

She ticks off a series of bookings and commitments... 17 episodes of Germany's Next Top Model, five days devoted to each, shot over the course of five months, followed by 2½ months spent shooting America's Got Talent. "On Mondays, NBC books a private jet to fly Howie Mandel, Mel B. and me to New York. We shoot live on Tuesdays, then fly back Wednesday." Summers are for Project Runway: six intense weeks in New York. Five or six design meetings climb onto the calendar every month, along with postproduction recording sessions for Germany's Next Top Model, done from her home studio. "I do all my own voice-overs," she says. "Just 'all right' is never good enough."

And the rest of the time? "When I'm not working," Klum says brightly, "I drive the kids to school, catch up on email, and go to my home office and start designing." (Klum has two boys and two girls to help keep her busy.)

A detailed schedule, of course, is fairly useless without a commitment to sticking to it. Jennifer Love, vice president of the Heidi Klum Co., remembers a day a few years ago when Klum was supposed to leave at the end of a cosmetics shoot in Prague and grab a train for Munich, where she would be taken to a job in Salzburg, Austria. A sudden snowstorm bollixed up traffic, stopping Klum's car short of the train station as departure time neared.

"The next thing I knew, Heidi had jumped out of the car," Love says. "She was running down the street to the terminal-running in high heels, mind you, until that got too dangerous, and then the rest of the way in her bare feet." Such dedication deserves reward, but not in this case; the train had left, and no more were scheduled. At that point, many stars would have checked into a nice hotel and left their colleagues in Austria to sort out the damage. Not Klum. "She sat in the station working her phones, trying to rent a car, all the while trying to get the railroad to schedule a train," Love says. "You might think that she would have been tense, or angry, but she was as calm and pleasant as can be. After a while, she got hungry, but there was nothing open, so she ate a cold hot dog from a vending machine." Klum's patience paid off: The snow stopped, the trains started rolling, and she got to Munich in time to make her connection, after all.

***

Determination was characteristic of Klum from the very start of her career. Raised in a small town outside Cologne, she had no aspirations to model-"My passion was dancing; I wanted desperately to be a dancer"-until a friend persuaded her to enter Model '92, a nationally televised competition. Out of 25,000 contestants, Klum was voted the winner.

Only a few minutes of highlights from the series have been preserved on YouTube, and constitute some of the rare bits of footage in which Klum seems even slightly overwhelmed by her surroundings. And not everyone was impressed. Too short, the barons of high fashion sneered at the 5-foot-9-inch Klum. Too heavy. Too...bosomy.

"She always grins so stupidly," German designer Wolfgang Joop sniffed.

Klum went from Paris to Milan to London without making much of an impression. Eventually she gave up high-fashion modeling to focus on lingerie and swimwear, where success had been attained by models like Cheryl Tiegs and Kathy Ireland, who were curvier and more personable than the runway walkers of haute couture.

Finally she came to New York. "There was no guarantee that she was going to make it," recalls Desiree Gruber. Now the producer of Project Runway, Gruber was then a young fashion publicist. "She had to move to a new country, had to learn English-it wasn't easy for her. But you could see that she wanted to succeed, that she had a natural desire to do well. What was remarkable was that in a field where there is a lot of ambition, no one resented her. She was just so eager to learn. She would identify the people who had been where she wanted to be, and she would study them and ask them how they got there."

"What is this 'publicist' job?" Klum recalls once asking Gruber. "And can you do any publicizing around me?"

In January 1998, she appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, crouching on a pristine white beach in the Maldives. She never looked back. From there it was on to a long and beneficial association with Victoria's Secret, covers of Vogue and Elle and Marie Claire, and all the opportunities that superstardom allowed-provided that she put in the work required.

"It's amazing to me how often people are unprepared to perform in a professional environment," Klum says. "You go on shoots-there are models: They're late; they're hungover; they're asleep in the makeup chair; their armpits aren't shaved. We have these girls on Germany's Next Top Model. They're 16 or 18 years old. I tell them modeling is a great job. You can make a lot of money. But treat it like a job. If you come in and you're late, or you're whiny or moody, you're not going to be asked back. Be pleasant. Be nice to be with. Don't be looking at the clock all day. Pay attention and do your part. This is not a kaffee-klatsch. They're paying you a lot of money!"

This is the attitude that Klum brings to all her endeavors. "Preparation is everything," Klum says. "Making a soufflé is challenging, but the 20th one you make is easier than the first. Every year the finale of Germany's Next Top Model is a three-hour live program, a huge affair, broadcast from a stadium in Cologne. And as the host, so much of it is on me. I introduce the contestants, I conduct the interviews, I bring on Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Justin Bieber. There were things in my career that came to me easily-looking cool, looking sexy. But not talking. Not working with a teleprompter. I had to work at it, and even now I don't take it lightly. When the director says, 'OK, the rehearsal tomorrow is at 11,' I say, 'Great, the teleprompter guy and I will be here at 7.' "

When the finale wraps, Klum says, "It's like the biggest rock has been lifted from my shoulders. People say, 'Oh, you make it look easy,' but they have no idea how I feel."

Rankin, the photographer, has frequently seen evidence of Klum's work ethic. "She just doesn't quit until the job is done," he says. "But what's special about Heidi is how much fun it is to work with her." Among his collaborations with Klum, which include advertising and magazine work, is the 2009 book Rankin's Heidilicious, in which the model is caught snarling, pretending to be a cat, and getting drenched in chocolate, among other poses. "Heidi is super-super-smart," Rankin says. "All of the great models understand how they look at every angle, but Heidi was one of the first models who looked at the pictures that had been taken on a monitor, the way photographers and art directors do. She understands that she is a figure that people are drawn to-it has to do with her eyes, I think-and she knows why, and how to use that to get people to respond to her."

This, Rankin says, makes her especially valuable to a client. "If you come in with a very specific idea about what you want, Heidi will go an extra mile and half to make sure that you are happy. But then she'll bring something else-another idea, another look, something you didn't expect. She'll put on a record, she'll start moving; she'll change things up and give you something else. Maybe it's something new and different. Maybe it's the original idea with something extra. But it really comes from the fact that she understands fashion, advertising, marketing, the full range of the business, and most of all, herself."

In Melbourne in January to promote the introduction of Heidi Klum Intimates, Klum took the podium wearing a low-plunging, thigh-high black dress, and little more besides fire-engine red lipstick. Posing with a soccer star turned model named Kris Smith, Klum leaned over and planted a bouquet of kisses on her hunky associate, leaving a map of perfectly formed lipstick lips on his somewhat stupefied mug. The pics flooded gossip pages, and swamped Pinterest and Instagram. The media may be new, but in the hands of a master, the tricks are eternal.

***

As the pivotal figure in her enterprises, there is no doubt that Klum's voice carries tremendous authority, but she says she never considers herself the boss. "I just don't," she says. "The publicist, the girls in the office, we're a team. If anything, I think of myself as a soldier. I'm out there in front working, and my team is behind me. And I report back on how things went and what we can do better. I owe a lot to my team, and I appreciate what each one does." Part of Klum's shtick at the end of each episode of Project Runway is to float twin air-kisses to the departing disappointed designer, but as it turns out, "I've never fired anyone [in real life]," she says. "I'm very loyal. Everyone who's with me has been with me for eight or 10 years, and it's important to me that they are comfortable and happy."

One reason that Klum can maintain a steady atmosphere is that she doesn't allow problems to fester. "I never yell," she says, "but I never let things go. If something goes wrong, we sit down, we talk about it, we brainstorm, we figure out how we can improve. Not everything works, but you can't be unhappy about it if you've worked hard and tried your best. [Still,] we should always try to do better."

Klum carries this attitude with her everywhere. "On a Heidi project," producer Gruber says, "everybody has a part in the win-the client, the crew, the sponsor, everybody. She's very good about bringing her various interests together for their mutual benefit, particularly her charities, like the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles." Klum's penchant to network for good was never more apparent than in 2012, when Hurricane Sandy slammed into the New York-New Jersey area. Working with another favorite charitable group- God's Love We Deliver, which takes hot meals to homebound people-Klum filled a truck with Truly Scrumptious clothes, diapers and other necessities and took them to the suddenly homeless in the region. "I'm a mom," Klum says. "I know what families need, and right then, they needed a lot."

Her scheduling may be tight, but seldom does she allow business to break into family time. Her days often start early, but they end around 5, when she goes home to her four children. "I have dinner with them, bathe them, read to them-be a mom," she says. "And during that time, the phone is off. Sometimes, things can wait."

She's worth it, after all.
Heidi Klum has successfully strutted from model to mogul. Check out 4 pieces of wisdom she learned on her way to the top.

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How Heidi Klum Created Her Multimillion-Dollar Empire

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"Watch Heidi Klum on television," says John Rankin Waddell, the internationally acclaimed fashion photographer, better known in that world by just his middle name. He has frequently worked with Klum-German-born supermodel/personality/executive/too-much-to-mention-for more than a decade. So, Rankin? "What you see is what you get."

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Visionary leaders are action oriented and work tirelessly to get their tasks done!

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How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek

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http://www.ted.com Simon Sinek presents a simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers -- and as a counterpoint Tivo, which (until a recent court victory that tripled its stock price) appeared to be struggling.

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Visionary leaders are exceptional communicators and team builders. When ideas are communicated with passion, zeal and backed by a person/leader who works tirelessly  to bring ideas to fruition, believers start to follow.  Having one's ideas heard by others is one thing, having people accept those ideas and make those ideas part of their own goals and aspirations is what a visionary leader does.  He/she, through their communication skills, invites others to see the benefit in believing as they do and joining forces to achieve a common goal or shared vision.

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Leaders must also be action oriented.  Visionary leaders are hard workers, who lead by example and expect the best from others within the organization. Those who work under the visionary see his/her persistence, are motivated by their incremental results and the ability of the leader to do exactly what he/she said would be done.

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Visionary leaders possess the ability to BUILD GREAT TEAMS.  Not only do effective leaders look for great talent, they attract it.  One person cannot run a company alone.  The visionary leader recognizes that to be the best, one must recruit those who are smart, passionate and strategic about the mission of the organization.  He/she is going to ask those who are strategic and purposeful in their actions and persuasive moving the company forward.

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Becoming a visionary leader is not the easy. Many of these characteristics can be learned, but with great sacrifice, dedication and practice. Communication skills can be learned and strengthened through organizations like Toastmasters International and practice.  Building a great team also takes works and practice.  Often when one works hard at a task and shares his/her goals with others, he/she invites attracts others with like goals and similar energy to collaborate on projects and bring visions to reality.

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www.inspiringleadershipnow.com
www.legacee.com
www.forbes.com
www.sedl.org
www.visionarylead.org
www.money.com
www.maxwellcenter.com
www.ceoeffectiveness.com
www.success.com
www.entrepreneur.com
www.youtube.com
www.biography.com