Nine Quiet Leaders' Commandments And Nine Ways To Distinguish Yourself

Nine Quiet Leader Commandments
1. Always learning, always improving, always practicing.
2. Stay balanced.
3. Be resourceful, be a problem solver.
4. Show vision.
5. Be nice, be decent, be fair.
6. Serve.
7. Show gratitude.
8. Communicate well.
9. Listen always.

Nine Ways to Distinguish Yourself
1. Learn
2. Laugh
3. Look
4. Leave a Lasting Impression
5. Love
6. Leverage
7. Likability
8. Listen
9. Lead
Source: Lead Quietly

Leadership Defined. Has it Faded Into Myth In Niagara County?

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. They are much like eagles...They don't flock, you find them one at a time." -Mac Anderson

Leadership is a complicated topic, because there are probably as many definitions as there are leaders in the world. That's because a leader is a person with many roles...CEO, soldier, coach, entrepreneur, department head, politician, teacher, minister...as well as parent, spouse, and other personal roles. That's what this movie is about...the most important leadership lessons that we could find. Just click HERE to watch this three minute inspirational movie about leadership.

Stay Motivated,
Motivation in a Minute
A Simple Truths Company
P.S.- Forward this to your family, friends, co-workers, and anyone else who is a leader!

http://www.theleadershipmovie.com/miami?cm_mmc=MIAMI-_-NL-_-05.15.2010-_-TEOLmov

Company Wins Best Place to Work Award : Congratulations Eastern Hospitality Advisors

Thousands Of Happy Employees
Friday, March 26, 2010, 7:53am EDT

Going back in time is fun. I know this first hand, because I had an 80’s flashback at this week’s Business First Best Places to Work event. It was held Thursday at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. Hundreds of people gathered to recognize the Best Places to Work in Western New York.

Every year, Business First teams up with Quantum Workplace to uncover the top employers. Participating companies allow their employees to complete surveys about the workplace. Companies with the top scores make it onto the annual list.

They have also achieved what many companies cannot. They’ve recruited and retained good people and made them feel engaged in their work. The benefit of such a relationship is two-fold: studies show that employee attitudes are stronger at companies that show appreciation for employee efforts. And in turn, the hard work and dedication of employees directly impacts the company’s bottom line.

Oh yeah, now back to the reason I was wearing leg warmers and a banana clip in my hair. This year's event was complete with an 80's fitness theme. Past events featured a 50's and a 70's disco theme, all thanks to Karen Schiffmacher of Business First. Talk about mixing business with pleasure! The themes allow happy and satisfied employees to show their fun side and creativity! Instead of dreading a boring business lunch, employees are encouraged to have fun and enjoy the retro costumes and music.

It should be easy for them because they are used to enjoying work and work events. One employee described their workplace as “fun” in their survey. Another said, “People are productive here because they feel comfortable.” Several employees lauded the “comfortable, fun atmosphere with open door policy and ability to grow” at their companies. Most noted appreciation for their employer with family issues. “Heavy focus on quality of life and work/life balance,” one employee wrote.

This year, more than 80 companies qualified for the list, which is broken into categories based on size. You can find complete information on each company in the new print edition of Business First.

Here's a look at the top companies in each size category.

Micro: with ten to twenty employees: Eastern Hospitality Advisors, a construction management company.
Small: Leon Studio One, beauty salon and school in Williamsville.
Medium: law firm Rupp, Baase, Pfalzgraf, Cunningham and Coppola.
Large: DiVal Safety, an industrial supply company.
X-Large: CPA firm Freed Maxick & Battaglia.
XX-Large: West Herr Automotive Group.
Jumbo: with more than 1,000 employees: Erie 1 BOCES.

Article from Buffalo Business First

Leadership Assembly

Last week a discussion took place with the Leadership Niagara Class of 2009--the best class ever! Several provocative questions were asked on the final day. "Who decides who will be the leaders? The individuals interviewing the potential members for the class of 2010? What about the people who were rejected? Were they not qualified? Why not? Who decides the role of leadership?" Does anyone actually have the right to make that decision about someone? Maybe it's simply politics as usual in Niagara County. Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Leadership Assembly

View more presentations from Nina Moore.

Thought of the Day

LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

The most elusive and desired quality of leadership is vision.
Vision is the perfume of the mind. --Harriet Rubin

Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog @ LeadershipNow: LeadershipNow 140: October 2009 Compilation

Leadership Now: Here are a selection of tweets from October 2009:

* Effective crisis leadership is really imagining a future that brings you beyond the status quo ~Ron Dufresne, St Joseph’s Univ

* We're Governed by Callous Children http://bit.ly/3GerXd

* RT @hulmevision: “People in distress will sometimes prefer a problem that is familiar to a solution that is not” | Neil Postman

* RT @MargieMcKinney: "The secret of being boring is to say everything." ~Voltaire

* In order to lead and influence others, we have to be available and intentional in our relationships. ~Becky Robinson @LeaderTalk

* http://bit.ly/M7vli Discussing definitions of leadership not any good unless it affects the way you do your job.

* RT @hulmevision: Rehabilitating Stalin http://bit.ly/pHZ0r

* On the pain involved in most change: There is no fruit that is not bitter before it is ripe. ~Publilius Syrus (85-43 BC)

* For a short-term fix, fear based leadership wins out every time.

* RT @HarvardBiz: Don't Let Your Strength Become Your Weakness http://bit.ly/3uC7pE
* Taboo or not taboo? Some new office guidelines http://ow.ly/ub1w

* Generational differences have to do with life stages, not date of birth http://ow.ly/ub0k

* Spouse Test: Before you submit a proposal ask your spouse to read it. If they can’t make sense of it, rewrite it. http://ow.ly/uaOR

* My Nobel Prize for Leadership would recognize individuals who have unquestionable moral authority, says Alan Webber http://bit.ly/EtkkZ

* RT @stevefarber: The Best Advice Ive Ever Gotten #1 - http://ow.ly/15UvJF // Good read. "Assume he was right and go from there."

* Overconfidence: When leaders stop listening to the advice of others.

* RT @hulmevision: Lights make light not noise—unless they are defective. // What kind of an example are you?

* Sometimes the greatest act of courage and show of character is the willingness to change.

* What kind of person do you need to become for you to be the leader you need to be?

* As a leader, sometimes you need to change; sometimes you need to be changed.
* How to compete in an upside down world: Leading managers do not wait for crises to concentrate their minds http://bit.ly/OJrrI

* The upside of anger http://bit.ly/CL3cB

* Strengths become weaknesses: We need tough, strong, confident leaders. But how can we prevent them from spiral. http://bit.ly/3wZmL7

* “Every age has its own outlook,” wrote CS Lewis. Tradition must have a voice but not a veto.

See more on twitter.

350 Degees.org Because The World Needs To Know

Message from Leadership Niagara - Class of 2009

If you’re a Leadership Niagara Alumni, you've undoubtedly heard the phrase "The BEST Class EVER!" Well, the time has finally come to determine which class in the 25 year existence of Leadership Niagara IS "The Best Class Ever."

The LN Class of 2009 is hosting the Taste of Leadership Niagara to be held on November 21, 2009 at Antonio's Banquet Center, 7708 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls from 6:00pm-9:00pm. The event will feature food vendors from Niagara County and the wineries of the Niagara Wine Trail. Tickets are $40 per person. This event raises funds to support the efforts of Leadership Niagara. In addition to the opportunity to network and get reconnected with your Leadership Niagara friends, the evening will feature a great DJ and a basket auction.

Here's how it works:
1. The LN class with the greatest percentage of attendees will be named the BEST class EVER. The winning class will be toasted with a complimentary glass of wine and recognized on the LN website. (The Class of 2009 will not compete.)

2. In the event of a tie, the LN class that donates the most baskets ($50 value) for the basket auction will be the winner.

Call your classmates and have them meet you at Antonio's on November 21st!

For tickets, information or to donate a basket, please contact the Leadership Niagara offices at 716-286-7908.

Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,

Class of 2009

ViewPoint: Western NY Elected Are Uninformed, Oblivious

Partners for a Livable Western New York Newsletter

David McCollough, author and historian in speech at the Chautauqua Institution in August 2009. Comment: this quote brings to mind the recent comments about Western New York elected officials made by noted government experts David Rusk who said Western New York elected officials were “isolated” because they did not make the effort to find out what is going on elsewhere in the United States and William Hudnut who said "Western New York elected officials were “oblivious” to steps taken by other regions in the U.S. to improve themselves.

As noted architect and planner Andres Duany has stated:

“It is the duty of elected officials to educate themselves on the matters on which they are to legislate rather than merely listening to the [mostly uninformed] public.”

We still have a long way to go in our community when it comes to improving land use as evidenced by the failure of our public officials to educate themselves on the benefits of an Erie County Planning Board. If our elected official s had visited other places or found out about what is going on elsewhere they just might learn more about how to improve land use policies and practices here in Western New York.

Subscriptions to and information about the Partners for a Livable Western New York newsletter may be directed to: ggrasser@irdprojectmanagers.com.

The Road to Success in Niagara County?

An allegorical 1913 cartoon from an original drawing issued by the National Cash Register Co. to point to business success. Found by an RSS feed posted by Lead Quietly and flowingdata.com, its application is relevant, especially if used to depict progress towards removing the Robert Moses Parkway.

One can also use it to map today's leadership in Niagara County: "In LeadQuietly thinking, the match is nearly perfect and author Andrew Churches could literally search and replace teacher with leader and submit the article to almost any modern leadership blog."

EMPACT America Conference Sept. 9 and 10, Niagara Falls, NY Convention Center

I was asked to pass along this information. If you have questions or comments please do not reply to me but to the original sender.mstmary@msn.com Thank you

EMPACT America is working to increase the public awareness of the risk of an EMP attack and also spur a grassroots movement to place pressure on the US government to devote the necessary resources to prevent and/or prepare for such an attack.

I am helping to get the word out about an upcoming conference of national significance that will be held in Niagara Falls on September 9 & 10th, 2009. Keynote speakers include Newt Gingrich and Gov. Mike Huckabee. We need your help!

Can you assist us in letting raising the awareness of our fellow citizens about this topic, the importance of preparedness and the upcoming Conference?

Here is some information about recent media coverage:
This topic was recently covered on NPR's Science Friday:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111889490
August 14, 2009
America's electric grid is vulnerable to attack from electromagnetic weaponry, and building a smart grid might make it worse, says Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD). Bartlett, a former research scientist and engineer, offers his solution for securing U.S. electronics from attack.
In addition, this recent Associated Press (AP) article highlighted the EMPACT America Conference:
http://www.buffalonews.com/nationalworld/national/story/764139.html

And additional details about the Conference:
EMPACT America Inc. is pleased to announce its upcoming EMP Conference:
Protecting America from Permanent Continental Shutdown from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). The conference will take place at the Conference Center, Niagara Falls, NY. It will feature EMP experts and local and national leaders addressing the need for infrastructure protection and recovery planning in local communities and across the nation.

This conference is expected to be a watershed event, helping to establish the recommendations of the congressional EMP Commission as a critical step in ensuring U.S. national security in the face of this dangerous threat.

EMPACT America Inc.
EMPACT America works with local citizenry, civic-minded companies, and grassroots activists to help prepare communities in New York State and across America to prepare for an EMP attack. Working with local city governments and first responders, EMPACT America provides for coordination, education, and consulting services, helping to create a growing grassroots movement focused on EMP preparedness and recovery.

An EMP attack can cripple our infrastructure causing all of our electronic equipment and infrastructure to fail. That means even basic modes of emergency response, like cars, planes, and other emergency vehicles, may not even start. Current emergency planning is primarily based upon short-term disasters, and is heavily dependent upon assistance from peripheral communities; unfortunately, an EMP could have long-lasting and wide-spread effects that are not adequately addressed by current planning. Moreover, availability of fundamental resources such as our food, water, and medical supplies would almost certainly break down.

Who Should Attend the Conference?
All Concerned Citizens
Managers of infrastructure or crisis management of the following:
› Electric, Natural Gas, and Water Utilities › Renewable Energy Systems
› Banks › Financial Institutions
› Transportation Systems › Healthcare Institutions
› Transportation Systems › Healthcare Institutions & Agencies
› Communications › Computer & Software
› State & Local Governments › First Responders
› Disaster Recovery Organizations › Homeland Security
› Disaster Preparedness › Business Continuity
› Universities › Electronics

We invite you to join us from the evening of September 8th through September 10th, 2009, in Niagara Falls, New York, to help better understand the impact of EMP. Learn how it could affect you, as well as proactive, hands-on ideas to protect your home, business, or organization from the devastating effects of this threat.

Attend this conference to learn about:
• The EMP Threat • Recovery & Emergency Preparedness
• How to Update Your All-Hazards Business Continuity Plan
• How to Prepare Your Company • How to Protect Your Government Infrastructure

Conference Pricing
Registration
$75 per person
Prices have been greatly reduced due to sponsorships and subsidies to allow greater attendance by a diverse group of interested attendees. Space is limited, so register early. Also, special conference rate pricing is available at the hotel for a limited time. See our accommodations page on our website and/or call the hotel for details.

Special Reduced Rate for Government Employees, Students, Volunteers, Members of Community Groups, First Responders:
$25 per person*
*In addition to the greatly reduced pricing for government employees, students, and first responders, EMPACT America is coordinating additional funds to help first responders come to this conference.

EMPACT America wants every first responder who wants to attend to have that opportunity.
We're working with various sponsors to set-up conference scholarship/sponsorship funds to pay, or help pay, for registration fees of first responders who want to attend but have funding issues, including those waiting for funds and those departments/agencies that would like to send more representatives than they currently have funds to cover. The scholarship/sponsorship funds are limited, but we're working to get more. We encourage you to contact us if funding is an issue. Given the limitation on funds, a firm attendance commitment must (and will be) required. Contact us at: info@empactamerica.org or 716.435.7873.

Conference information and registration is available at www.empactamerica.org .
Questions & more information: info@empactamerica.org .

Thank you for your assistance in spreading the word about this extremely important topic and Conference. If I can answer any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards,
Mary

Mary C. St.Mary
www.empactamerica.org
716.867.7973

What We Expected From Niagara's Leaders

Leadership carries expectations. We expect leaders to think independently and omit private agendas. We assume the elected will be progressive and well informed. We expect them to include everyone when planning economic development. Leadership actions and closed-meeting decisions affect us all.

When making public statements, we expect leaders to have reviewed the facts. If they have not, then we expect integrity. We expect them to withhold opinion until thorough research occurs.

Here are some facts about the Robert Moses Gorge Parkway (RMP)—the section between Niagara Falls and Lewiston.

Fact: Other than Legislator Renee Kimble, Mayor Paul Dyster, and the Niagara Falls City Council, no elected official, Commission, or Authority in Niagara County has requested information from the Niagara Heritage Partnership (NHP).

Fact: The “recent meeting with concerned citizens to discuss parkway removal” excluded the NHP and their advocates.

Fact: The RMP removal “debate” truly is “the few against the many.” Over 1 million people, tourists, residents, and 80 organizations supporting the NHP proposal, want Niagara Falls and the Niagara River gorge reclaimed, restored, and preserved. They want to experience a natural landscape, a magnificent, scenic wonder.

Fact: The RMP is a cars only, no commercial traffic road. As to the “abandoned section of the former parkway,” that’s a clear example of how and why compromise on the RMP fails.

Okay, “let’s pretend the RMP disappears.” Let’s ignore Lewiston Road, too. That eliminates the DeVeaux neighborhood, Maple Avenue School argument.

Fact: There are alternative routes between Niagara Falls and Lewiston. The I-190 and Military Road (route 265) are major links. Witmer and Porter Packard are available exits into Niagara Falls, also.

Fact: Tourists follow signage. They use the routes indicated.

Fact: The I-190 is “the best and most efficient way to travel” in either direction between Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Lewiston.

Fact: Traffic going north to Youngstown can use exit 25A. Keep left, merge onto the RMP, and continue to Old Fort Niagara.

Fact: Travelers using the RMP bypass every business district in Niagara Falls, including Main Street and Pine Avenue, and they bypass Main Street, Youngstown.

Fact: That cripples business.

Fact: Removing the RMP will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, temporary and permanent.

Fact: RMP removal will reinvigorate our challenged local economy. It will infuse billions of dollars in heritage tourist revenue. A dozen cities that removed roads provided the figures quoted. I’d love to share this information with you. It’s exciting to embrace opportunity and know it includes and benefits us all.

Fact: Removing the RMP and restoring the native species capitalizes on our urban old growth forest, the Underground Railroad, and our Native American legacies as experiential, walkable history sites. This documented approach emulates Oregon’s Wagon Train route and Missouri’s Lewis and Clark Expedition. It involves and keeps tourists much longer than a day or two. It educates.

Fact: NHP acquiesced on their preservation vision for the gorge region. They backed up to the Niagara Falls north city line.

Reluctance to compromise has nothing to do with a “take no prisoner’s mentality.” In actuality, clandestine organizing to keep the road holds Niagara Falls’ businesses hostage.