If there is magic on this planet it is contained in water (Loran Eisely)
Last morning I woke up at 5 a.m. and went into the kitchen to have a glass of water, but nothing came out of the tap. In only a few seconds of time a number of thoughts crossed my mind, and although fearless about many things I must admit that the thought of running out of fresh water causes a small panic in me. Without fresh tap water, how would I be able to brew my morning coffee, and take a shower?
A couple of hours later the same morning, fresh tap water was available again, and I remembered the pipe renovation works in my neighborhood. The pipe renovation workers had started out early in the morning and turned off the fresh water supply for a while. Short break in fresh water supply, but enough to wake me up and remind me about what actually is the most important asset and necessity in life.
You do not know what you have got until it is gone. Water is the basic necessity of all life, and has unfortunately become a luxury that not everyone has access to. Do not waste it.
Do we take the existence and access to fresh, clean water, for granted?
The answer is yes, we do.
All of us who have access to fresh, clean water every day, without having to think about whether water is available or not. However, we should not take water for granted, since according to estimations based upon research made e.g. by the United Nations, 2/3 (two-thirds) of world population will live in water scarcity already in 2025. Needless to say, we can all without difficulties understand what this signifies for all world population. Water scarcity is something that affects, and will affect, us all, both directly and indirectly.
What can we do to appreciate, and save fresh water? We can all start by understanding that each one of us can make a difference through understanding, learning, sharing information/knowledge, changing our ways of consumption in general, and developing new, sustainable ways in how e.g. business, and agriculture are run. Learn the basics of fresh water supply by watching the following TED video “Where we get our fresh water”:
With a rapid growth of world population (7,3 billion today according to World Population Clock) understanding the importance of fresh water supply and availability for everyone upon Planet Earth is a necessity that we cannot afford to ignore. Every individual can make a difference with his/her personal choices, and by sharing knowledge and educating others about the importance of sustainable development.
Learn more about freshwater resources (YouTube video produced by Robert Goettler):
Thank you for reading, reflecting, learning, commenting, sharing awareness, and educating others about the importance of thoughtfulness in fresh water consumption, and sustainable business development.
“Triangle and Eye”. Artist: dan/Freedigitalphotos.net. ID: 10041825.
As an entrepreneur, one of the biggest challenges you will face will be building your brand. The ultimate goal is to set your company and your brand apart from the crowd. If you form a strategy without doing the research, your brand will barely float – and at the speed industries move at today, brands sink fast. (Ryan Holmes)
Unbiased or not, but working and reflecting upon strategies from various perspectives, I have learned that there are huge differences between creating and executing strategies, depending upon the setting, organization, and surroundings you are operating in.
To simplify; the gap between creating a sustainable, long-term strategy as an entrepreneur is very different from developing and executing a strategy within a large organization, or a well-known brand. Business-owners and entrepreneurs will definitely understand the point here, and those people who actually have created their strategies from scratch, rather than operated with a “security” backup from a large organization. Both involve risks, but failing in the execution of a strategy probably have more severe consequences for a business owner who has sacrificed his/her whole life into building a successful business, than it has for a strategist of a large organization who, perhaps, will only risk losing his/her job if the thought-out, and executed strategy won´t lead to desired results.
Swift as The Wind, Quiet as The Forest, Conquer like The Fire, Steady as The Mountain (Sun Tzu)
Creating and executing a long-term strategy/multiple strategies requires long-term, processed thinking, continuous work, and persistence. There is no simple answer to how to create, and how to live out, a strategy, as it depends upon the desired outcome, and upon the complexity of the strategy.
Strategic vision, on the other hand, can be developed, and maintained through a number of regular activities, including the capability of handling complex thinking-processes, long-term planning, a vision of the desired future state, persistent work and efforts towards the goals, flexibility.
Our world knows, and has known, a number of strategists, some more successful than others. From my educational background I can refer to author Michael Porter, University Professor at The Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness based at the Harvard Business School, whose work became familiar to me through my MBA studies a few years ago. Furthermore, entrepreneurs especially, may be interested in learning more about the Blue Ocean Strategy @ www.blueoceanstrategy.com/
Michael Porter speech upon Why Business Can be Good at Solving Social Problems:
There is no development strategy more beneficial to society as a whole – women and men alike – than the one which involves women as central players. (Kofi Annan)
A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all. (Michael LeBouef)
Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men. (Miyamoto Musashi)
Success doesn’t necessarily come from breakthrough innovation but from flawless execution. A great strategy alone won’t win a game or a battle; the win comes from basic blocking and tackling. (Naveen Jain)
You may not be interested in strategy, but strategy is interested in you. (Leon Trotsky)
The best CEOs I know are teachers, and at the core of what they teach is strategy. (Michael Porter)
Thank you for reading, reflecting, learning, commenting, and sharing.
Dream more, complain less, listen more, talk less, love more, argue less, hope more, fear less, relax more, worry less, believe more, doubt less, play more, work less. (unknown)
Excellent leadership consists of so many different attributes that it sometimes makes you wonder whether it requires more than being a normal human being in order to achieve all the desired characteristics to qualify as an excellent leader. How can anyone, naturally, possess, or even during an entire lifetime develop in oneself the qualities of an excellent leader? Tough question, the answer of which I do not know. Perhaps it is even easier to recognize, and develop, these qualities in other individuals rather in focusing on ourselves?
We rise by lifting others. (Robert Ingersoll)
One of my previous posts, “The World Needs Excellent Leaders”, received a number of comments, including this excellent comment from Mr. Andreas Jaffke:
Anne-Maria, the problem is that those great leaders are usually invisible due to the fact that they don’t need any recognition for their leadership, they are not big egos, they are humble, supportive and don’t ask for anything in change. As Lao Tzu said: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim is fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.” They are there, but you won’t find them 😉 (Andreas Jaffke, CEO and founder of TopCoach4You).
Great thoughts, but how can an individual progress to that “level”, or state of leadership? And, how much of an inward/mental journey, is excellent leadership? Is excellent leadership rather a state of being than a state of doing?
Excellent leadership cannot be classified through words put in alphabetical order, but listing and organizing words/attributes is certainly a way of reflecting upon these, and picking those which apply to you personally may help in seeing which attributes you already do have, and where you may need to develop (or want to develop). Perhaps an even better exercise would be to work these through in a group to find out how other individuals see you.
Adjectives/attributes of excellent leaders:
A – Analytic, Accepting, Allowing, Aware, Adjusting, Approachable
You get to say the world is flat because we live in a country that guarantees your free speech, but it is not a country that guarantees that everything you say is correct. (Neil Degrasse Tyson)
On World Press Freedom Day, May 3rd 2015, Finland ranks number one in press freedom index for the fifth year in a row. Quite an achievement for a country where the old saying “speech is silver, but silence is gold” is widely practiced. And, where the volume of media content available to the public is in decline due to growing competition, layoffs, and digitization fiercely shaping the future of media.
True Alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words. (William H. Gase)
Freedom of expression and freedom of speech as stated in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights allows every human being the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.
It is not until the freedom is being taken away, or until media is being manipulated in various manners, e.g. through professional PR, covert/overt government propaganda disseminating propaganda as news that freedom of expression and speech turn into a Trojan horse, with the intention to mislead and cause insecurity among the population.
If you tell the truth you do not have to remember anything. (Mark Twain)
In a world with so many sources of information, and news being created by other individuals, how can one be certain about the truthfulness of the information provided? Is there any ultimate truth, and if there is, how can you know with 100 % certainty that it actually is the ultimate truth?
Definitely, one can, and should be selective in choosing what to read/hear, compare various sources of information, consume media in a critical and selective manner, and analyze the content of the media. And, when producing media individually, utilize the same instruments in the creative process by defining why, how, when, for what purpose, and for whom the media is addressed. Perhaps most importantly of all, whether the media produced involves any risks, and if, what these risks may be?
Although a Universal Human Right, using the freedom of expression and speech is unfortunately a risk in many parts of the world, with journalists, bloggers and writers risking their safety in speaking their truth to power.
More information about freedom of expression and speech @:
(“Asian New Born Infant Sleep in Towel”. Artist: Keerati/Freedigitalphotos.net. ID: 100213901)
Gendercide, the systematic extermination of a particular gender, is a socioeconomic injustice caused by a number of reasons: poverty, cultural traditions, lack of education and comprehension about the fact that every human being has a right to live, regardless of gender.
In certain highly populated countries, and regions, 20-30 % of all baby girls, unwanted, are being killed before birth through sex selective abortion. If not killed before birth, in some poor, rural areas, it is common that an infant girl is being either killed, given away, or simply thrown away because she is regarded to be a burden, rather than a gift, to her family.
Although illegal, the abortion and/or killing of baby girls is “socially acceptable”, affected by deeply rooted cultural traditions, poverty, and social ostracism. The killing of baby girls has gone so far that whole generations of male population in certain geographical regions have difficulties in finding a female partner, leading to further socioeconomic problems such as kidnapping of children (girls), and sex trafficking.
Gendercide alone has led to the death of more girls/women than all genocides combined. Our world is estimated to be missing as many as 100 million women, caused by either feticide and/or infenticide. Females are being dehumanized.
For more information about human rights, women´s rights, and related topics, please visit:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
un.org/en/documents/udhr/
The War on Baby Girls:
economist.com/node/15606229
Gendercide – All Girls Allowed:
allgirlsallowed.org/gendercide
World Health Organization. WHO: Gender Based Violence:
who.int/gender/violence/gbv/en/
Women´s Rights Without Frontiers:
womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/
Thank you for reading, sharing, and for helping the world overcome gendercide, and other gender inequality problems.
“Super Hero”. Artist: Jeroen Van Oostrom/Freedigitalphotos.net. ID: 100125802.
“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength” (Criss Jami)
Regardless of whether you are a newly selected leader or a senior leader with years of experience, perhaps one of the most crucial elements to your success as a leader will be the capability of being vulnerable, and knowing how to best express and communicate that vulnerability. Being a vulnerable leader is not equal to running around crying or being out of balance in general, although a tear spread every now and then for a reason only does demonstrate that you are humane.
From a scientific perspective, the act of crying is defined as a complex secretomotorphenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus. In some cultures, crying is regarded selfish while others tend to show more acceptance towards this, as with expressing emotions in general.
However, vulnerability has not necessarily much to do with how well an individual can express his/her emotions, but rather in what manner the individual does express these, and how he/she deals with the emotions of other individuals/coworkers.
Vulnerability is not weakness. And that myth is profoundly dangerous. Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change. (Brene Brown)
It takes courage to express vulnerability. To be sensitive, but strong, at the same time.
Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. (Saint Francis de Sales)
Every leader knows that he/she is a social being, dependent upon other individuals.
No man is an iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee…. (John Donne, original from year 1624)
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for an empathetic leader is to learn how to set boundaries. As a leader you have to realize that you cannot help everyone. And, you have to help yourself first – if you are too vulnerable, you will end up helping others to the point that you feel completely drained of energy. Thus, to develop healthy vulnerability is the ability of setting boundaries, being centered, focused and balanced. Rather than doing everything for others, teach them how to help themselves. Rather than doing everything by yourself, learn how to involve people, and let others help you too.
Always be yourself, keep growing, and surround yourself with people and circumstances that support your growth. Spend time with different people and learn from them, but also remember to take some time out for yourself and engage in activities which allow you to stay connected with your intuition, and your true nature.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
The difference between successful and really successful people is this: really successful people say no to almost everything. (Warren Buffet)
Think about individuals from your own circles, or celebrities, who have become truly successful through vulnerability. What can you possibly learn from these people?
I am still learning, but my experience has taught me that true leadership is a quality that only a few men, and women, possess. More than 20 years of activity in working life, but only rarely, if ever, have I encountered any man or woman fulfilling the qualities of a truly great leader.
Yet, our world needs excellent leaders more than ever. In times of increased demand for excellent leadership, how can we achieve our target of developing such qualities in people? And what are the qualities that a great leader ought to have?
Many times, a leader is thought of as someone capable of inspiring, motivating, and driving “the pack”. True, to a certain extent, but a true leader is always willing and ready to walk the talk alone if required. Sometimes, a leader should not listen to what everyone else is saying, but rather show the way and take action – followed or not.
A true leader always expresses integrity. Intuitive and awaken people will always sense honesty – from miles away. Non-loyal and dishonest behavior always leaves a trail – direct, assertive, and honest behavior, on the other hand, require no further explanations.
Furthermore, excellent leaders do not engage in “lower spiritual activities”, such as gossiping, poor behavior, backstabbing, spreading rumors or anything alike. Neither do they behave in a way that increases uncertainty or mirrors non-excellence in other people. Excellent leaders focus on achieving a goal, a mission, and work with purpose.
Excellence is a choice, and a path of learning. Leaders can be both born and developed, and despite of insecurities and deficiencies, almost anyone can be developed to become an excellent leader. Moreover, excellence has nothing to do with age but rather with experience, behavior, and readiness for leadership.
We all have our weaknesses. One step towards achieving greatness and becoming a great leader is to recognize our humanity, our personal weaknesses, and the ability to transform those into our greatest source of strength. If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission!
“As a magician, you must think about chaos and order. Those are the two forces that control the universe”. (Rick Riordan).
During my entire life I have had the pleasure and opportunity to encounter countless people, individuals, and professionals who have not only become my mentors, teachers, friends, business contacts, and much more than I could ever have imagined. The lessons I have learned through experiences, observation, analysis and open-mindedness expand much farther than I could ever have imagined.
My fears in the past have been huge, perhaps the most important reason why I so eagerly want to help other people in overcoming their fears, and using their fears as a stepping stone towards manifesting true greatness. I am fearful, but I am also very courageous, because it takes a lot of courage to be capable of admitting that you actually are fearful. We all have fears, but only when overcoming those fears can we truly become capable of manifesting the most magical things in life, and business.
We are all creative individuals with the ability to create, and develop, the most wonderful things and circumstances. The moment we, or you, realize your true potential, you become a magician to whom nothing is impossible.
Many times creativity is undervalued, mainly due to narrow-mindedness, legal restrictions and so forth. But true creativity, when fully expressed, knows no limits.
Children are naturally creative. Until they have to adjust to the general rules of life, being restricted and limited to express themselves in a creative, and expected to behave in a certain manner. Why is creativity so strongly being suppressed in a world that so strongly longs for increased creativity?
The world needs creativity, and creation. Just think about it for a moment. If you had no limits to what you want to create, and how you want to see planet Earth develop in the coming decades, what would you do? What would you create? How would you create it?
In your creative endeavors, forget about money. Too many individuals think in terms of money, and restrict themselves due to monetary issues. If money were no issue, what would you do? What would you create?
Individuals who are accustomed to creativity do not put money on top of their list of priorities. Needless to say, we all know that this list includes e.g. creative artists, but also entrepreneurs from all possible industries.
What I have learned from truly successful entrepreneurs is their capability of taking risks, being ready to invest their time and effort for something they believe in rather than working in a “secure” 9 to 5 job, investing in building relationships, networking, and utilizing their creativity to a full potential.
YOU, my friend, are a creative magician, blessed with many talents and capabilities of creating a future world of your dreams. Your creative ideas and actions are valuable. You may have ideas that can change the course of many people’s lives, leading to the Golden Age to which the Universe is guiding us with the help of creativity, creative expression, and creative actions.
Stop waiting for magic to happen in your life. Get out there and make it happen with your mad magician skills. (Chris Cade).
The most important thing in life is to stop saying “I wish”, and start saying, I will. (David Copperfield).
Nature is like a magician. You should watch it attentively and carefully. (statusmind.com)
Some people think it is impossible to change the future, but in reality, the future is only what you make it. (Dynamo Magician)
It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. (Walt Disney)
Yesterday ́s fairy tale is today ́s fact. The magician is only one step ahead of his audience. (Anne Morrow Lindbergh).
Along with integrity, being of service to other people and individuals is an essential ingredient for any individual – especially for those in power. The more influence and power an individual has, the more the individual has to focus upon integrity and upon being of service to people and society. And when leaders with influence and power are about to lose themselves on the path of servant leadership, they need constant reminders from people around them. This is true across societies, regardless of which industry or influential role the leader is involved in. The higher the role, the more demanding the hierarchical authority level, and the more integrity and serving the leader out to express.
Being a leader is never easy. It is not a task, but rather a calling. If leadership is not a calling, then better let go and let others lead instead. Leadership signifies a great amount of responsibility, starting from being capable of leading oneself first. Before taking on a leadership role, remember to ask yourself:
Why Do I want to lead? If the response is “I want to have power over others” (or something in the same direction), then you are not qualified/ready for leadership.
Am I capable of leading myself? Do I value and respect myself enough to be able of leading others as well?
Do I have enough time and energy for a (demanding) leadership role?
Do I care enough about other people and about helping/supporting/empowering other individuals in order to be a leader?
Am I reliable as a leader? Remember, leaders do not put other people down, but rather empower them.
What are my motivations? If you are motivated by material values primarily, then leadership is not for you. Leaders are driven and motivated by other than material values.
These are some of the basic questions to keep in mind before accepting/taking upon leadership responsibilities.
Also keep in mind: Servant leaders ARE NOT/DO NOT:
Emotional drop boxes for insecurities and bad moods/behaviors of other individuals.
Needless to say: however empathetic you are; as a servant leader, you deserve to be treated well by other individuals. You do not have to accept poor behavior.
You are not here to motivate other individuals. Motivation comes from within. You can inspire people, but never motivate them.
Carry other people’s problems: you can listen, but always remember to protect yourself.
Take anything personally.
Always leading people, and managing things/tasks/circumstances.
“If you cannot handle other people’s disapproval, then leadership is not for you”. (Miles Anthony Smith)
“Serving others prepares you to lead others” (Jim George)
“We rise by lifting others” (Robert Ingersoll)
“True leadership is servanthood. Put the interest of others in at the center of your decisions”.
LEAD HUMBLY.
“You lose power when you use power and gain it when you give it”.
Loyalty
Excellence
Attitude
Discipline
Education
Reliability
Service
Humility
Integrity
Purpose
“I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” (Maya Angelou).
“One of the most important servant leadership lessons is to realize that you are not the most important or the most intelligent person in the room”.
Servant leaders are always in demand, across societies, in all functions, because in our core, we are all servant leaders. Some of us only need to be trained, and reminded, at times, or most preferably, on a very regular basis.
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny (C.S. Lewis)
Has your life been easy? Easy in the sense that everything seemed to run smoothly, without you ever having to face any real adversity, or setbacks? Well, congratulations – you should consider yourself lucky. Or perhaps not? If life treats us too easily, and we always get whatever we reach out for without any effort at all, we do not experience the need for pushing boundaries, or having the need to struggle for anything at all.
Success is hard work.
Not everyone realizes this, especially those who can afford to live in mediocrity. Those who choose not to, and/or those who are forced to, due to e.g. geographical and societal circumstances, even because of family backgrounds, understand the true meaning behind the word struggle, and hard work. Everyone should have to work and make an effort for their living, but there are differences between the concepts of getting everything for free, taking things for granted, having to work hard, needing to struggle, and/or being forced to do something. The next time you want to complain about your personal situation – please spend a moment to think universally, and compare your life to those of others in different geographical locations on Planet Earth. If you feel like struggling, you may change your thoughts after comparing yourself to others. Useful or not, but a certain amount of struggle always brings out the true qualities of people. Have you ever had to struggle or not?
Why is it that countries which we call strong are so powerful in creating wars but are so poor in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so hard? We are living in the modern age, and we believe that nothing is impossible. We have reached the Moon 45 years ago, and maybe we will soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century, we must be able to give every child a quality education. (Malala Yousafzai)
Before responding to this question, please take some time to watch and listen to this inspiring and touching speech by the World’s Youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan:http://bit.ly/MalalaYousafzaiNoblePeacePrizeSpeech Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education, is known for human rights advocacy for EDUCATION, and for WOMEN. Today, she is regarded to be one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Advocacy for humanity, equal human rights for all citizens of this world, inspiration, and influence has nothing to do with either gender or age, but with our backgrounds, experiences, interests, spirituality, and things we truly care for. Not everyone has to be abused, exploited, or experience other suffering in their lives in order to become an advocate for change, and humanity – but often struggle brings out the true leadership qualities in people.
Develop Empathy. Always walk a mile in another person’s shoes before judging or criticizing anyone – as you never know what they may have experienced in their lives.
Thank you for taking the time to read, reflect, analyze, comment, for sharing your thoughts and for giving feedback, and most of all, for watching and listening to Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize video. I look very much forward to reading your thoughts, and receiving your comments.
Anne-Maria Yritys 
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