Leadership in a Nutshell

Leadership is the art of influencing others to accomplish individual and organizational goals by providing purpose, direction, and motivation. Management is the process of working with and through individuals and groups and other resources such as equipment, capital, and technology to accomplish organizational goals. There are several distinctions between leadership and management. Warren Bennis, one of the foremost experts on the scholastics of leadership, differentiated the extremes of leadership and management by stating that "Leaders conquer the context-the volatile, turbulent, ambiguous surroundings that sometimes seem to conspire against us and will surely suffocate us if we let them-while managers surrender to it."(Bennis, p.12) There are a number of ways to distinguish the differences between leadership and management.

Take for example the following: The leader is innovative and creative; the manager is administrative. The leader is an original; the manager is a copy. While the leader develops, the manager maintains. A leader inspires trust; the manager relies on control. The leader is forward thinking with his or her eye on the horizon while the manager has an eye on the bottom line. Leaders challenge the status quo while managers accept it. Finally, Leaders do right things; managers do things right. General Colin Powell, one of the greatest military leaders of our times has said, "Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management say is possible." In today's business world developing and implementing an effective strategy is vital to obtaining and maintaining a competitive advantage.

The Importance of Leadership to Effective Strategy Development and Implementation

As stated in the previous section, change requires leaders as opposed to managers. Leaders are vital in today's fast-changing markets. The text summarizes the importance of leadership by addressing what leaders are - "Industry leaders are proactive agents of change, not reactive followers and analyzers. Moreover, they improvise, experiment, develop options, and adapt rapidly." (Thompson, Strickland, & Gamble, 208) Strategy equals execution. All the great ideas and visions in the world are worthless if they can't be implemented rapidly and efficiently. Good leaders delegate and empower others liberally, but they pay attention to details, every day. (Think about supreme athletic coaches like Jimmy Johnson, Pat Riley and Tony La Russa). Bad ones, even those who fancy themselves as progressive "visionaries," think they're somehow "above" operational details. Paradoxically, good leaders understand something else: an obsessive routine in carrying out the details begets conformity and complacency, which in turn dulls everyone's mind. That is why even as they pay attention to details, they continually encourage people to challenge the process. They implicitly understand the sentiment of CEO leaders like Quad Graphic's Harry Quadracchi, Oticon's Lars Kolind and the late Bill McGowan of MCI, who all independently asserted that the Job of a leader is not to be the chief organizer, but the chief dis-organizer.

Leaders are the ambassadors to change. One of the most known statements concerning change, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms. It's a mind-set that assumes (or hopes) that today's realities will continue tomorrow in a tidy, linear and predictable fashion. Pure fantasy. In this sort of culture, you won't find people who pro-actively take steps to solve problems as they emerge. A great way to understand the expectations of employees is to simply ask them what they need from a leader. Employee Perceptions of what Constitutes Effective Leadership

In an effort to get the "reality" behind this topic a survey was conducted using the senior leadership (First Sergeants) under my command within the Montgomery Army Recruiting Battalion. The summary of their responses is that the leaders they have looked up to in their careers have all had the following traits: Good leaders will point out faults, take corrective action but always end on a positive. Motivation is always key - creating an infectious, up beat attitude that fosters a positive work environment. Great leaders are not afraid to listen to their subordinates and would admit that some good ideas come from below. Empowering subordinates to take on more challenges creates and develops our leaders for the future. Reading people and developing rewards that make individuals push to their potential is key to creating a winning team. Strong leaders are comfortable with themselves and do not attempt to recreate themselves to please others. Employees agree that effective leaders share certain characteristics, but what are they? Characteristics of Effective Leaders

Character-who you are-contributes significantly to how you act. Character helps you know what's right and do what's right, all the time and at whatever the cost. Character is made up of two interacting parts: values and attributes. Stephen Ambrose, speaking about the Civil War, says "at the pivotal point in the war it was always the character of individuals that made the difference." Leaders must be those critical individuals of character themselves and in turn develop character in those they lead.

Some characteristics of effective leaders include values and attributes. Some of the values demonstrated by effective leaders are: Loyalty - bear true faith and allegiance to the organization and subordinates. Duty - taking initiative, doing what is right in the absence of direction. Respect - treat people as they should be treated. Selfless service - place the needs of the organization and subordinates above your own. Lastly, Integrity - do what's right, legally and morally. Values tell us part of what the leader must be; the other side of what a leader must be is the attributes. Leader attributes influence leader actions; leader actions, in turn, always influence the organization. As an example, if you're physically fit, you're more likely to inspire your subordinates to be physically fit. Some of the attributes of effective leaders include mental, physical, and emotional attributes. The mental attributes of a leader include will, self-discipline, initiative, judgment, self-confidence, intelligence, and cultural awareness. Physical attributes-health fitness, physical fitness, and professional bearing-can be developed. Leaders maintain the appropriate level of physical fitness and professional bearing. As a leader, your emotional attributes (self-control, balance, and stability) contribute to how you feel and therefore to how you interact with others. Your people are human beings with hopes, fears, concerns, and dreams. When you understand that will and endurance come from emotional energy, you possess a powerful leadership tool. The feedback you give can help your subordinates use their emotional energy to accomplish amazing feats in tough times. Leadership skills, like any other must be developed.

How can one Develop Leadership Skills Required for Today's Rapidly Changing Environment?

Too often, people who cling to familiar turfs and job descriptions stifle change. One reason that even large organizations wither is that managers won't challenge old, comfortable ways of doing things. But real leaders understand that, nowadays, every one of our jobs is becoming obsolete. The proper response is to obsolete our activities before someone else does. Effective leaders create a climate where people's worth is determined by their willingness to learn new skills and grab new responsibilities, thus perpetually reinventing their jobs. The most important question in performance evaluation becomes not, "How well did you perform your job since the last time we met?" but, "How much did you change it?"

The text discusses the capability-building process as a three-stage process. Stage one - develop the ability to do something by selecting the right people with the required skills and experience then shaping them in collaboration with efforts and work products to create organizational ability. Stage two - practice makes perfect. As experience grows and leaders become more efficient and effective, ability evolves into competence. And finally, stage three - polish and refine. (Thompson, Strickland, & Gamble, 325)

It is a firm belief by many that self-development is more necessary now than ever before. Leaders seek responsibility and take responsibility for their actions. There are many articles that can help leaders self-develop.

Summary of Findings from Three Articles Concerning Leadership

The Leadership Advantage by Warren Bennis

Bennis discusses the concept of generating intellectual capital as a leader stating that, "In a knowledge economy, leaders cannot command employees to work harder, smarter, or faster. Without leaders who can attract and retain talent, manage knowledge, and unblock people's capacity to adapt and innovate, an organization's future is in jeopardy." He also addresses the qualities of a leader. Using effective research the author found Harvard University indicates that 85 percent of a leader's performance depends on personal character. Serving the needs of those workers is a new leadership imperative. Effective leaders bring passion, perspective, and significance to the process of defining organizational purpose. The article also explains that people want leaders to provide context. Leaders have honesty that creates trust among employees and fosters hope within the organization. These are measured by the level of effectiveness (results) that are realized by the organization. Finally, the author explains "Exemplary leaders believe they have a responsibility to extend people's growth and to create an environment where people constantly learn." Leading Transition: A New Model for Change by William Bridges and Susan Mitchell Bridges

The authors do a great job in addressing change in today's business world. As we have already learned, business conditions change and yesterday's assumptions and practices no longer work. Leaders need to coach and mentor subordinates through the transition process. In the past leaders could simply order the changes to happen. Whereas today transition is the state that change puts people into. The authors put it nicely by stating "The change is external (the different policy, practice, or structure that the leader is trying to bring about), while transition is internal (a psychological reorientation that people have to go through before the change can work)." An issue with transition is that most leaders imagine it as automatic - that it occurs simply because the change is happening. The article also discusses the format that no training program can prepare a leader for managing transition and that it is only experience that can overcome training deficiencies.

Creative Leadership by Max De Pree

This article impressed me with its belief that leaders want to encourage creative and innovative employees. It is all about creativity. A leader acts as a buffer between bureaucracy and legalism that is prevalent throughout business today. Creative people are used to foster an attitude of drive and self-satisfaction amongst the employees. A great line in the article reads, "creative people can be great teachers; leaders prepare the classroom." Creative employees still need to have reigns put on them so as to not disrupt the good order and discipline of the company. These employees desire a fundamental level of trust and as stated earlier in this paper only honesty can create that trust. I like to equate this article to a term "If the baby is ugly, it's ugly."

Conclusion

There are many arguments on whether people are born to be leaders or must learn how to be leaders. We have discussed many items throughout this paper. Some of the items may be controversial to some whereas most would agree that leadership is an art. There is a significant difference between those who lead and those who manage. Leaders seek out change and take advantage of the opportunities for change. They are ever mindful that change in today's world is essential for maintaining a competitive advantage. Leader's are "out front" when developing and implemented strategic operations. They can do this because they are grounded by firm values and have the necessary attributes to effectively influence others to accomplish agreed upon goals. Leaders are always learning, gaining valuable experience from their own leaders, peers, and subordinates. Self-development is essential in "sharpening the saw" of leadership. Leader's learn and grow on a daily basis.

Works Cited

Bennis, Warren "The Leadership Advantage" Leader to Leader. 12 (Spring 1999).

http://www.pfdf.org/leaderbooks/l2l/spring99/bennis.html Bridges, William, and Susan Mitchell Bridges "Leading Transition: A New Model for

Change" Leader to Leader. 16 (Spring 2000).

http://leadertoleader.org/leaderbooks/L2L/spring2000/bridges.html De Pree, Max "Creative Leadership" Leader to Leader. 20 (Spring 2001).

http://leadertoleader.org/leaderbooks/L2L/spring2001/depree.html Thompson, Jr., Arthur A, Strickland III, A.J., & Gamble, John E. (2005). Crafting and

Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, Concepts and Cases 14th

edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Autor: Cory Olson

Cory Olson, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), served 16 years of his career in the United States Army Recruiting Command. He has held several successful positions within the command that includes three years as a Battalion Command Sergeant Major, five years as a Company First Sergeant, two years as a Brigade Master Trainer, four years as a Station Commander, and two years as a Field Recruiter. Mr. Olson was the U.S. Army Recruiter of the Year 1994.

Mr. Olson has dedicated his career to mastering human resource management by providing the necessary leadership to achieve unprecedented operational effectiveness.

Added: October 11, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Two Important Principles For Pioneering Leadership Unfolds

There are occasions when a highly painful experience can result in a glorious conclusion. This happened as these events in Philippi unfolded.

These two men, leaders in this pioneering team, Paul and Silas, were falsely accused and unfairly imprisoned. They responded in that Philippian jail by praising Almighty God. Now, I do not know if that is how I would have reacted if thrown into similar conditions.

That senior prison officer in Philippi called out to Silas and Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" What did Paul say? Keep the Ten Commandments? Be kind. Come to our fellowship which is meeting in Lydia's home? NO!

Paul stated and proclaimed from prison, "Believe in the Lord Jesus - and the people in your home can be saved too." You can almost hear the jailer say - "Tell me more." He took these two prisoners into his home.

Imagine taking top security prisoners into your home - what a risk to run - but he so wanted to hear more, and that was worth any risk. "Bring a sponge and warm water. Let me bathe their wounds." What a change in this man's life already!

When Jesus Christ becomes so real, people do the most extraordinary things - beautiful things.

Then Paul says, "Let's now wash you, and he took them and baptised them." Paul realised that this was an essential element in their being born again.

They all heard - believed - and were baptised. It is vital that we see and understand that clearly. There were no infants in that household at that time.

In the New Testament we never read of new believers having to wait more than 24 hours before they were baptised in water. Check it out and you will find that to be the pattern, and it is a good one to follow wherever possible.

This tough jailer and Lady Lydia were now brother and sister in Christ. Changed lives includes and involves changed relationships - black and white - rich and poor - tough and sophisticated - are one in Christ. There is no alternative - no choice is given - we have no option - not if we are in Christ. And now the fellowship newly birthed in Philippi has a man to lead it, and that too is important. You can read all about this in Acts Chapter 16 in the New Testament.

But let's read on in verse 35. Daylight came in Philippi, and Paul and Silas were still prisoners, despite everything that had happened to the senior prison officer and his family.

The magistrates had decided to release Paul and Silas, "Go. Off you go - out of our road - off our patch - go in peace." But Paul said - "NO. They have beaten us openly - we are untried - illegally imprisoned - and now you want to dismiss us quietly and privately - as if it had never happened. No - No - No. Let the magistrates come and meet us."

This is quality leadership which is scarce. Paul knows exactly what he is saying and doing because there is a principle involved here.

Paul is not standing upon his dignity. There is an important principle at stake. He wants to make sure that the magistrates are fair and true. He is thinking about others. He does not want any other Philippian disciples to get into trouble as a consequence of their ministry.

The authorities had been very much in the wrong, and Paul's desire is that these new disciples of Jesus can live in comparative peace.

When all this is resolved and sorted out, they went to Lydia's house for a fellowship meeting - the jailer and Lydia. There is a now a fellowship of Jesus Christ in Philippi, and Paul encouraged and comforted them. He always wanted to strengthen new groups of disciples - always. Do whatever you can to encourage, comfort and strengthen believers in Jesus Christ.

It was as if God had said - "Paul there is a man in that prison who needs my love. Are you prepared to go in there that I may reach him and touch him?" How else could he have been reached?

And - a man was required to lead that new fellowship of disciples of Jesus in Philippi!

What a way to live - preaching - bleeding - marked - chained - filled with the power of the Holy Spirit - concerned for all the others - in the place where God wants you to be no matter what the cost - being used by God wherever you are - and having that interest and compassion to see young believers encouraged and built up and rooted in the local fellowship. Paul's concern and interest for them continued.

When you are sore - know that Jesus can soothe you. When you are laughed at - know that Jesus sees. When you are down - know that Jesus can lift you. When you are hurt - know that Jesus can heal you. Wherever you are - know that Jesus can use you. When you are in prison - continue to praise.

Sandy Shaw

Autor: Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Attract Love By Allowing Yourself To Receive It

Everyone desires to experience love with others. It is the greatest joy to feel love. We all know how to give love, but the problem is when we don't know how to receive it. Not being able to receive love is a major cause for many of the frustrations we face in relating with others. It is the same thing for anything that we give but seem to have problems receiving it in return. If we are able to receive love as much as we are able to give it, we will complete the cycle of experiencing love with others for full happiness.

We have been conditioned with the wrong beliefs that prevents us from receiving love. We think that it is pride to think highly of ourselves and expect others to think highly of us. That is why we do not openly receive compliments, adoration and all the gestures and expressions of love by others towards us. We turn away, try to hide from it and respond in all kinds of ways just not to appear as being proud, not knowing that we are actually rejecting the very love that is being given to us, than accepting it fully.

Be aware of how you respond to others when they are showing love to you. Do you get uncomfortable when others are looking at you and sending thoughts to make them stop looking at you? When someone tries to be extra nice to you, are you unable to accept it because it feels weird? When someone shows you adoration and praise, do you shy away and in any way try to diminish their expression? How you respond is exactly how you treat the love that people are giving to you whether you know it or not.

All the negative response that we make is the reason why we experience less and less expression of love from others. Each time they express love, we respond in a manner that says "please don't show me love, I'm unable to receive it" and we wonder why other people get to receive all the love in the world but we don't. We are the very ones creating all that we experience from other people. We program the way people treat us or don't treat us. We reinforce other people's behaviors negatively or positively.

Instead of rejecting love from others unknowingly when they show it, receive it. Do not just accept it but embrace it. When they behave extra nice to you, warmly receive them and show with the look in your eyes that you embrace their expression totally with appreciation. When others compliment you, allow them to do so freely and thank them for it. Show that you see yourself as a person worthy of all the love that others can give to you, and that others are free and welcomed to give it to you when they do.

There are those are so good at receiving love. They are able to attract all the love from others wherever they go. They act as if they are the star and everybody likes them. They are always expecting love and adoration from everyone and are showing it in the way they behave to you. They talk to you as if you admire them, like them, adore them, love them and want them. You can almost feel that they're tugging on your heart strings and drawing love from you to them. They appear and behave as so loveable.

Your relationship with love is mirrored in the external world in the way people respond to your love. Now you know why the ones whom you love and desire to express love to, can't seem to receive your love. It is because you can't receive love yourself. When others try to give you love, you unknowingly reject it. When you give love to the ones you love, you unknowingly reject them when they try to love you in return. When you can receive love from others, those you show love to can receive love from you.

Open yourself to love by allowing others the joy of loving you. Give them the gift of loving you by being loveable and attracting love from them. This is the magic key to making others love you and be able to show it to you. Allow them to express love to you in their action, words and expression, and having it well received. Our world will be so much more beautiful when others are able to express love to us and have us receive it fully, and we are also able to express love to others and have them receive it fully.

Some of us respond to love by an immediate counter expression of love. We are not really receiving the love when we give it back immediately. When someone says "I love you" to you, do not immediately respond with an "I love you" back at them. Take a moment to feel that love, receive it and let it sink in. Show that in your smile and the light in you eyes that you receive and appreciate it. Then out of the love that you feel, tell them that you love them. Do the same thing when responding to compliments.

In order to receive love from others, you must first be able to receive love from yourself. Declare mentally "I love myself" and then let the feeling of love generate from your heart area and expand to fill your entire being. Imagine a white light of love energy wrapped all over you on the inside and outside. Feel the love for yourself as you give it unconditionally and wholeheartedly. When you step into any place with the feeling of complete self love, you'll have an unassailable form that cannot be shaken by anyone.

From the place of self love are you able to truly love others. Allow yourself to be so full of that love for yourself and being that love, that it just spills over onto those around you. Then you can start projecting that love onto others. Let the love expand and fill the entire space that you are in so that everything around you is filled with the love that you are. When you love others from a place of self love, they are able to love you back freely because you do not need them to love you back since you have love yourself.

Autor: Enoch Tan

Enoch Tan aims to help people achieve greater awareness in living and experiencing life. To evolve human consciousness to higher levels. To change lives and transform the universe. To revolutionize the way we understand the mind and reality. Because that is what governs every area of life and destiny. Get Free Ebooks of The Most Powerful Knowledge and Learn Secrets of Mind and Reality That will Fully Benefit You Now at: Secrets of Mind and Reality

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://contentdesk.com/view.php

The Four-Step Antidote to Worry

Recently, in Singapore for a coaching event, I found myself starting to worry about the trip back. As I wasn't able to check in online, I would have to wait to reserve my seat until I arrived at the airport and, with claustrophobic visions of being trapped in a middle seat, I found myself becoming quite anxious about the 23-hour flight back to the US. As it turns out, I was assigned an aisle seat and, for the final leg, actually had the whole row to myself. All the worrying turned out to be....unnecessary!

So why do we engage in the negative thought loop that is worry? Part of it is conditioning: we grow up seeing people around us worrying and think it's the thing to do. Perhaps we think if we "suffer" in advance then whatever we're worrying about won't happen. And there is a scientific explanation: "when you're engaged in the process of worrying, you activate the intellectual part of the brain while suppressing the amygdala, the part responsible for emotions," says Robert Leahy, Ph. D., author of "The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You."

But putting a lid on your emotions doesn't keep them from showing up elsewhere: in the form of muscle tension, indigestion and back pain. And despite the illusion we might have that worrying will lead to a definitive conclusion, it never does - the mind will simply circle endlessly. Moreover, as evidenced in my Singapore example, worrying (without action) is fundamentally a waste of time.

Once it truly clicks that 1) worrying doesn't make you feel better, 2) it doesn't affect the result and 3) it's a waste of time, you can start to re-program yourself. Here are a few ways to become more conscious of when you're worrying and short-circuit the whole cycle:

Step 1. Ask the right questions. Start with: "Is this situation under my control?" If the answer is "no" - you're stuck in traffic or the rain clouds are rolling in before your picnic, for example - then, despite what your mind insists, it's quite pointless to worry. (If your response is, "But I can't help it!" see the tips below.) If the situation is under your control, then determine the smallest action you can take and do it.

Step 2. Make a list. Sometimes the next action can simply be writing down all the things that are worrying you. Putting it all down on paper will interrupt the thought loop and help you gain perspective. What seemed like a huge mass of anxiety in your head may actually only be three things.

Step 3. Pinpoint your anxiety. Once all your worries are down on paper, narrow down each item as much as possible. If you're feeling anxious about an upcoming sales presentation, see if you can pinpoint exactly what you're afraid of: That you'll forget key points? That the clients will be bored? That telltale moment of asking for the sale? By isolating what's making you anxious, you can them come up with concrete action items.

Step 4 (optional). Set your watch. All right, let's say you really just can't keep from worrying about global warming, axe murderers or whether your remark about your colleague's haircut sounded catty. A negative thought loop, by definition, will continue endlessly - and often as an unconscious undercurrent that subtly undermines your sense of wellbeing. So, make worrying a conscious activity, allow yourself a set amount of time (10 minutes, say), then scrunch up your face into your best worry expression and do it right.

When time's up, ask yourself this: If worrying is optional - and it is! - then how much of your precious time and energy do you really want to focus on it?

Autor: Renita Kalhorn

Peak performance coach Renita T. Kalhorn is a Juilliard-trained pianist with an international MBA and a first-degree martial arts black belt. She specializes in helping entrepreneurs and corporate professionals achieve extreme focus to reach the top of their game. Subscribe to In The Flow, her FREE monthly newsletter and receive her FREE Energy Playbook, Find Your Flow! 21 Simple Strategies to Banish Tedium, Reduce Stress and Inspire Action at http://www.intheflowcoaching.com.

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://contentdesk.com/view.php

How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything

When I lived in Japan, I was amazed by the pride that workers took in even the most "unglamorous" tasks. Garbage trucks were virtually spotless, thanks to their drivers' concerted efforts, and it was not unusual to see city employees carefully wiping down the public trash cans out on the street as if they were a Rolls Royce.

Some people, however, seem to have an internal mechanism that calibrates their enthusiasm and attention according to whether they "feel" like doing something - whether they think what they're doing (or who they're talking to) is worthwhile, interesting or important. What they don't seem to realize is their approach in any one instance is a reflection of their approach in every instance.

In fact, thanks to the power of individual perception and context, nothing is inherently interesting or dull. There are factory workers on noisy assembly lines who enjoy their work and brain surgeons who are bored with theirs. An actress who was thrilled about attending her first few movie premieres on the red carpet might, years later, view them as routine and time-consuming. It isn't the nature of the activity that has changed, just her perception of its significance.

So the bad news is: there's no set of given circumstances that is guaranteed to be exciting. The good news is: there's no set of given circumstances that is guaranteed to be tedious if you can create a context that will give it more meaning (e.g. if it's something you've done a thousand times, find a way to learn something new, recall a time when you were excited to be doing it or make it into a game).

But, wait a minute. Doesn't applying the same degree of enthusiasm and effort into everything require a lot more time and energy? Not necessarily - here's what actually happens:

Get done quicker. It takes time to determine how much you feel like doing something. Once you're in the land of inevitability, why not skip the internal debate and simply default to giving your all regardless of what you're doing.

Energy begets energy. Whining and grumbling sap your energy and slow you down. On the other hand, if you throw yourself with enthusiasm and a sense of fun into a dreaded task - I imagine I'm in a TV commercial when cleaning the kitchen - you may just find yourself enjoying it, and having more energy than when you started!

Transform the result. Have you ever seen that commercial for Volkswagen that illustrates the chain reaction of kindness? One person sees a VW Bug, smiles happily at a passerby, who smiles back and stops to pick up something someone dropped, who then pays the parking meter for someone else, and the chain continues. Every human contact, no matter how mundane, creates energy - don't underestimate the power of your attitude to influence others and start a ripple effect. (Remember this when calling the phone company!)

Enhance your reputation. Become known for your integrity, for being someone who always gives their all, every time, and the trust and credibility you earn will be priceless.

Preparation for the big time. "Doing your best" isn't something that can be turned on as if it's a faucet. It's more like priming a muscle; you can't suddenly lift something heavy if you haven't been consistently building up strength and stamina. If you're used to doing the minimum - cutting corners, taking shortcuts - it will be difficult to step it up when there's actually something at stake and you need to perform your best.

This is not to say you should spend the same amount of time on a casual email as you do on an important client proposal, but once you're actually committed to doing something, then ditch the disclaimers, dive in wholeheartedly with all your attention and see if that doesn't change everything.

Autor: Renita Kalhorn

Peak performance coach Renita T. Kalhorn is a Juilliard-trained classical pianist with an international MBA and a first-degree martial arts black belt. She specializes in helping entrepreneurs and corporate professionals achieve extreme focus to reach the "top of their game." Subscribe to In The Flow, her FREE monthly newsletter and receive her FREE Energy Playbook, Find Your Flow! 21 Simple Strategies to Banish Tedium, Reduce Stress and Inspire Action at http://www.intheflowcoaching.com.

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://contentdesk.com/view.php

Fear of Driving and Automatic Negative Thoughts

The fear of driving is often complicated, if not caused by, the individuals' automatic negative thoughts. These thoughts can be scary and irrational, such as the concern that they will veer into oncoming traffic or drive off a bridge, or they may be centered on the person's physical feelings of anxiety such as a rapid heartbeat or dizziness. These thoughts are often described as the most bothersome symptom of driving anxiety and they can be the actual triggers for panic attacks while driving. Controlling these thoughts is critical to success in eliminating a driving phobia.
Thought Stopping
It is sometimes advised that the individual who has a fear of driving diligently try to stop their negative thoughts. Although this is well intentioned and the goal certainly is to reduce the quantity of these bothersome thoughts, the technique is inherently flawed. Requiring the individual to remember what not to think of infers that they have already thought it. It is akin to telling them to not think of a blue banana. The first thing they will think of is a blue banana because the very act of remembering what not to think of requires the thought that is intended to be avoided. Methods of mentally visualizing a stop sign or snapping oneself with a rubber band to train the mind to no longer have the thoughts is unfortunately an often suggested technique that is not recommended.
Scheduled Worry Time
Worry time is setting aside specific periods of time through the day, typically morning and evening, to devote to letting these thoughts run their course. For instance, a common thought associated with the fear of driving is that of being trapped and not being able to escape and losing control. For this thought, the individual would force themselves to ruminate on the thought twice a day for a predefined period of time. The intention is twofold. First, the thought becomes less powerful as the person becomes disinterested in it after repeatedly playing out the scenario mentally. Secondly, the technique teaches the person to be able to postpone their worrying until the designated time, which eventually may allow them to postpone the concern indefinitely.
We have seen moderate success with this approach for very isolated thoughts or specific driving fears. For instance, if there is a particular bridge that is bothersome, but not bridges in general. For the overall fear of driving, there are too many fearful thoughts to effectively use this technique for long term. It also does not foster the acceptance and understanding of the fearful thoughts and sensations that is so critical for success.
Creative Visualization
The vast majority of those with irrational, compulsive, and scary thoughts associated with a fear of driving are highly intelligent and creative people. Many of the bothersome thoughts they have are not based on historical evidence or fact (they have likely never responded in the manner they fear, yet the fear remains), and are created by their overactive creative imagination. These abilities allow the phobic person to play out situations in the mind very convincingly and this realism helps to perpetuate the fear. The Driving Fear program, which specialized in the treatment of driving phobias and anxiety has developed a technique which uses these creative skills to eliminate instead of perpetuate the bothersome thoughts. It actually allows the same traits which created the fear to end the fear.

Autor: Michael

The Driving Fear program offers self-help techniques for those that suffer from anxiety and fear of driving, or a phobia about a specific driving situation such as bridges or highways. For more information on the Driving Fear program and their exclusive fear elimination strategies which we're unable to print here, visit http://www.drivingfear.com.

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://contentdesk.com/view.php

The Good Muslim?

Perhaps one of the most famous parables of Jesus, besides the parable of the prodigal son, is the parable of the Good Samaritan. Even non-believers who have never picked up a Bible are familiar with the term Good Samaritan as someone who helps another in a time of need. We have organizations honoring the famous Samaritan (such as Samaritan's Purse) and laws as well (such as the Good Samaritan law). The most obvious meaning is that all of us should be willing to lend a hand when we see someone in a desperate situation.

As much as I love the Sunday School version of the story, this was not the primary meaning to the original hearers of the parable. What would have shocked the first century Jewish audience the most was the fact that the hero of the story was, in fact, a Samaritan. What seems to us like a simple help your neighbor story was acutally a clever literary device by Jesus to condemn one of the most prevalent sins of his era (and our own I might add). The sin Jesus was referring to was, of course, racism. Jews simply didn't like Samaritans because they were half-breeds, racially impure.

Given that the majority of my readers are Christians with a similar background as myself, I am reasonably sure that what I have written so far should come as no surprise. All of us have heard sermons on racism at one time or another and, thank God, most of us realize that racism is a sin. What may come as a surprise is that the parable of the Good Samaritan was not only a slight against racism but also against another sin that I feel is far less talked about, and that is the sin of religious bigotry.

The Samaritans were not just racial half-breeds between ethnic Jews and Assyrians. They were also apostates from Judiasm. They believed in the God of Abraham and yet, they mixed their belief in God with pagan idolatry. The Samaritans were the descendants of the 10 tribes of Israel who broke away from Judah and Benjamin and set up their own version of temple worship complete with their own priesthood-something they had no authority to do under the Law of Moses. Not only that, when they were finally taken captive by the Assyrians, they interbred with them and adopted some of their religious beliefs as well.

In this remarkable parable, by making a hero out of a despised Samaritan, Jesus cut to the heart of religious pride to teach us that individuals should be judged on the content of their character, not on their race or, yes, even their religion.

If Jesus were giving this story today on a pulpit in one of the thousands of mega-churches that dot the American landscape, I wonder if He would tell the story of the Good Muslim? Or...dare I say....the good Palestinian? Furthermore, I wonder what kind of reaction He would get if He did.

Autor: Aaron Taylor

Aaron Taylor is a seasoned missionary and the founder of Great Commission Society. Aaron is currently working on his book, "Reformation: A Biblical Response to Holy War." You can read Aaron's blog at http://www.aarondtaylor.blogspot.com. Aaron can be contacted at fromdeathtolife@gmail.com

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://contentdesk.com/view.php

A Fairy Tale Starring Self-Esteem And Self-Improvement: Believing In Yourself

Once upon a time...

There was a creative department that produced award-winning advertising campaigns year after year. The team was made up of writers, who rarely wore shoes, and designers who rarely spoke to the little people. These creative types need to look different, act eccentric and be outrageous because it was expected of them. In the center of this dynamic group, there was a quiet and incredibly efficient department secretary. She was so quiet that most of the creative types didn't even know her name (which could be attributed to their huge egos, but that is another story.) Many times someone would yell from his/her office for the "secretary person" and she would come running in, poised to take notes for the almighty creative people.

One day, the department hit a gargantuan creative block. The writers were without words. The designers had no designs and the creative director was lacking inspiration and direction. All they needed was a bang-up, totally effective, catchphrase for a very big client. Every idea was explored and eventually trashed for one reason or another. After two dry days (which is an eternity when deadlines are looming), that very shy secretary slipped a piece of paper onto the Creative Director's desk. The director barely glanced at the words and realized that the lowly secretary had struck gold. Not gold. Platinum.

As the Creative Director screamed that the secretary was brilliant, the secretary did something most people rarely see in a creative competitive environment. She blushed. She couldn't handle the praise. At that very moment, she wished that she had stayed at her desk. What was she thinking giving her idea to the Creative Director? The secretary ran out of the office, completely embarrassed. Lucky for that secretary, the Creative Director was intrigued.

The Creative Director took time out of the day-to-day challenge of being a creative genius to be a real human being and actually talk with the secretary. As it turned out, the secretary had never finished her college education and opted for secretarial school when money ran out. She always felt "less-than" because of that. It was also apparent that her upbringing did not include a lot of praising. If she did something well, she was told she could have done it better. It was very obvious that her low self-esteem came from years of being told just do what you are asked and get out of the way of really good people.

Armed with that information, the Creative Director enlisted the Human Resources department to help the secretary complete her college education. But there was more work to be done.

The Creative Director asked if she had done any writing other than the successful catchphrase. She said that she had, but she never showed off any of her ideas because they weren't good enough. She was convinced that the very educated shoeless writers and wildly creative designers were so much better than she could ever be, how could she even dream of competing in their same arena. After some prodding, she reluctantly let the Creative Director read her work.

Her writing samples were fresh, humorous, and surprisingly edgy. She was a brilliant writer, yet her low self-esteem had effectively stopped her from growing as a person and as a professional. She was just as creative as any of the other team members, but she didn't believe it. And if she didn't believe, she would never succeed even if a job was handed to her on a silver platter. With her first goof-up, she would revert to her old self. She wasn't good enough. Why did she even try. So the Creative Director and the secretary embarked on a long journey of change.

Without any fanfare, the Creative Director worked with Human Resources to expand the secretary's training and enrich her creative education.

To bolster her self-esteem and help her realize her true worth, the director and secretary started a series of professional mini reviews. With honest feedback, the secretary could see her true value, not her perceived inadequacies. The Director would praise her for her excellence and encourage her to see herself as the contributing professional that she was. When improvement was needed in any area, the secretary was advised and asked to improve. As her self-esteem improved, the ugly duckling started turning into the swan she really was.

Finishing her college degree was her first big hurdle. The fact that she could learn at home made the plan more palpable. After one free Internet lesson, she took advantage of free computer training and free Microsoft Word training to brush up on all of her skills that she would need on her way. She became quite a savvy Internet user and discovered that the Internet was a valuable resource. She took courses online, and with the help of her computer software training, and earned the credits she needed to get her BA.

As she took more creative writing courses online, she became more confident with her talent. She stopped wearing drab outfits and started wearing clothes that were more suited to her age and figure. Her makeup brought out her bright eyes and lovely smile. She sat straighter and smiled more.

One day, one of the designers was in a creative session and needed some files. He yelled out the door, "Hey! Secretary person!" The secretary came to the door and very confidently replied. "Hey! Designer person. Learn my name and learn some manners."

It was at that point the Creative Director knew the secretary had the self-esteem he needed in a new writer. He offered her the position and she accepted it with a firm handshake.

And they lived happily ever after.

The moral of the story? Unless your self-esteem allows you to believe you deserve better, you will never seek anything better than what you already have. Once you start believing in yourself, you can start improving yourself.

Autor: Video Professor

About Video Professor:
Video Professor is the industry leader in self-paced computer software tutorials. Tutorials are offered on CD-ROM and through Video Professor Online, an Internet-based program.

About the Author:
Elaine Landau is a freelance writer, publicist, web site editor, and television writer with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and publicity.

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://contentdesk.com/view.php

Make Sure Your Next Gig Fits

I creative talent for a large, independent marketing and advertising agency. I see a lot of resumes every day. These observations may serve you well in your next search, no matter what the field.

Tell your story

Many, many people do pretty much exactly what you do. The companies and the dates may vary, but on paper, your professional existence is virtually identical to thousands of others. What's going to make you interesting enough to get the call? Your story. YOUR story. No two candidates have the same story. Yours is 100 percent unique-and that makes you exponentially more interesting. Start your document with a short paragraph about who you are and how you think. Make sure your personality and your philosophy come through. Be brave. If your story turns someone off, then the opportunity probably isn't a good fit. That's good to know early on. Your story is particularly effective if your previous experience is limited, irrelevant or at firms with low brand awareness or cache.

Be authentic

You'll never reach your potential if you're not true to who you are. Before you hunt, take some time to think about what you really want to do every day vs. what you think you're qualified to do every day. Think about school for a minute. Remember how you got better grades in your favorite classes? Likewise, when you're passionate about what you do for money, you'll be better at it than those around you. Satisfaction, recognition and financial rewards will follow. Don't take a job just because it's offered, or because it pays a little more than your last gig. Take it because it intrigues you. Or scares you a little. You can't go wrong with this one. It'll keep you from trapping yourself in a career that's not you, just because you think you're making too much coin to change course.

Talk it through

People love to give free advice. And people genuinely feel good about helping others find the right job. Reach out to people you respect and people who interest you personally or professionally. Take them to lunch, or buy them a cup of coffee. Talk to them about what you think you want to do next, and let them play back what they're hearing. They'll either validate what you already know, or they'll open you up to something brand new. These folks will inspire you, and they'll give you the confidence you need to take a chance. Make an opportunity to return the favor. Suddenly you've created an amazing professional network that will open many interesting doors now and in the future.

There you go. Three simple guideposts. No magic pill. No rocket science. Just common sense. Figure out how these ideas will work best for you and how they'll get you closer to a gig that fits.

Autor: Michelle Gagne

Over the course of his 17-year career in marketing and advertising, Michelle has worked with a long list of national consumer brands to help them meet their strategic business and marketing goals. Today, as Creative Services Director for the largest independent, employee-owned, full-service agency in the country, Michelle is focused on finding exceptional creative idea generators to support a portfolio of brands and build a national reputation for the agency.

http://talentzoo.com

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Accounting Resume and Sample Cover Letter

Many people have wanted to get into the accounting field of work, so finding an accounting resume and sample cover letter can be a very valuable tool in getting you into the right company so you can do what you love. The Internet is a great resource to find an accounting resume and sample cover letter. If you take the time to search for it, you will be presented with many, many places who are more than willing to share with you what they have created.

What you need to do after you have found an accounting resume and sample cover letter is take and make it your own. That means inputting your own information into the pre-made form. There is nothing wrong with this because the web sites that offer up an accounting resume and sample cover letter expect you to copy what they have made available to you. So take what they are offering and make it your own.

The Accounting field is one with a lot of competition. You will need to stand out with your resume and cover letter. So when you go looking for an accounting resume and sample cover letter, remember that there are probably other people out there doing the same thing. That is why you will want to tailor what you have been given and make it your own.

It is not difficult to make a resume and/or a cover letter. But it can really help when you have a sample to refer to as you are creating what will be a representation of you. After all, the resume and the cover letter is what your potential employer will see first. You want it to look as professional as possible and project the image that will get you the interview and ultimately the job.

You can find a lot of web sites who will offer up an accounting resume and sample cover letter. What you need to do once you get the sample is tailor it to fit your education and qualifications. Then add a little bit of pizzazz to get the attention of your potential employer. You need to get his or her attention. So take that accounting resume and sample cover letter and make it your own. Then you can sit back and wait for that interview call!

Autor: Mitch Kono

Mitch Kono runs a website to help people writing a winning resume that gets them a call for a job interview. Visit his site at ResumeWritingTips.eliv.info and get more free tips for your resume success.

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

10 Questions To Ask At A Graduate Job Interview

So you've managed to get through an interview for that graduate vacancy, you think you've answered the interviewees questions well and are fairly confident that you've secured the position. Until the question that every body hates in an interview arises, that is of course "do you have any questions to ask us?"

This is where your mind goes blank and there is an awkward silence if your not prepared. A potential employer doesn't want to hear "no thanks", they want to see if you have been listening, or want to get a better idea of your personality.

Even if your questions about the role had previously been answered, you still need to make conversation here, so here are ten topics that you could ask. I wouldn't recommend that you ask them all though, two or three will suffice!

- Ask about how many other people work in the team or department that the vacancy is and ask about their roles and responsibilities.

- If the job is a new one, ask about the reason for the job and if there are any further development plans.

- If the job is vacant as somebody had departed, ask who you are will be replacing and why they have left the position.

- If you are replacing somebody as they left as they were removed from the position, ask how the previous employee failed to perform in this position and why.

- Ask about how your performance will be measured

- Ask about appraisals and performance reviews: find out how frequent they are and if they will be linked to any pay increases and or bonuses.

- Ask about the possibility of any promotion, or any existing development opportunities or structure that the company has.

- You could ask if the interviewer would like any further information, such as references.

- You could then go on to ask when they are looking for somebody to start, this will allow you to tell them about any notice period you may have to give to your current employer.

You could also ask about any social aspects of the company, such as sports clubs or any scheduled events

Now that you've read this, you'll never be lost for words when this question is asked!

Good luck!

Autor: John Steven Bult

This article is written by Jonathan Walker of Graduate Jobs

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Motivation And Self Determination For Winning

Real winning never happens by accident. Winners have a goal and a plan and plenty of determination to see them through. You like to win, and you know what motivation has done for you up to this point in your life. And now you must think that you are going to have even more of it for the remaining part of your life.

How does one accomplish this objective?

Affirmations!

What is an affirmation?

It is simply hearing yourself talking directly to you and at the same time, seeing yourself putting these positive "self-suggestions" to work for you.

You must see yourself already having continual determination and stimulation in the pictures you create in your mind from these affirmations. Listen to every though and every idea that these affirmations will be suggesting in your mind. Your positive determination to be a winner or an achiever, will guarantee that you stay a winner or achiever of your goals.

You already have the "self-determination for winning" embedded the that brain of yours. Affirmations highlite or bring out this asset your already possess. Is this you?

You continually affirm to yourself that you are persistent and that you have a winning determination inside you. You just need to begin your affirmations talking directly to yourself. You affirm that you are 100 percent committed to reaching the goals and dreams you have created for yourself. You make your own decisions. You have a clearly defined purpose in everything that you do. You never let defeat or failure stand in your way. You always keep moving and you always keep winning. You have a good attitude about who you are. You keep yourself in good physical shape and in winning condition. You have made your decision to be a winner and you are one.

Do you recognize yourself? Yes, you do! That is you all right. You are a winner!

And when you affirm to yourself everyday, here are some things you say...

I know that in my success plan, motivation and determination are the two most important ingredients -- I have determination.

I am a winner. I am totally determined to achieve my aims. I am steady and persistent in the pursuit of my goals and I WILL NOT GIVE UP!

I am a winner. I make decisions about myself. I set my own goals. I determine my own course and direction. I allow no one else to make these decisions for me.

I have strong convictions about winning and strong convictions about keeping myself in "winning condition."

Believing in yourself, setting your goals, positive affirmations and staying motivated is the combination for winning.

YOU ARE A WINNER!

Autor: Jim Kelley

Jim Kelley, a veteran of 38 years in the Executive Business World, has spent several years in organizing and designing Company Operating Stuctures.

He is a past member in the National Speakers Association presenting Motivational Speeches to thousands of listeners.

After his retirement, he has taken his expertise and motivational insights to the Internet. His most recent book entitled, "Motivation and Success" can be viewed at http://www.adamantinehq.com/motivation/ His newsletter, Adamantine Ezine can be read at http://www.adamantineezine.com and his blog at http://www.adamantineblog.com

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Top 5 Tips For Improving Your CV

Your CV is an invaluable mechanism for creating a positive impression to organisations that you are interested in working for: it is the foundation on which their perceptions will be based, so it is important to take the time to make sure your CV contains everything that is needed in order for the recipient to decide that they would like to invite you for an interview.

Your CV serves as a special kind of autobiography, offering a short written account of your achievements and experience. To make it as effective as possible, imagine yourself in your potential manager's place and think about the skills and qualities they may wish to invest in and why. You can then organise and present the information in your CV in a way that is most likely to interest potential employers.

Easily avoidable errors are common among the CVs put forward by engineering personnel, according to the results of a recent survey by specialist technical and engineering recruitment firm, NES. The company, which places technical, engineering and IT personnel, has issued five top tips for maximising the impact of a CV, based on the errors identified:

Pay attention to the layout of your CV:

The way in which you present your CV requires careful consideration. Over 70% of the recruitment consultants questioned in the survey by NES cited a poor layout as one of the most commonly occurring errors made by candidates when composing their CVs.

Uniformity, clarity and flow of information are particularly important when you bear in mind that an employer only needs to look at a CV for a few seconds before deciding whether or not to continue reading it.

Information should be presented under clearly labelled sections, with education and employment history documented in reverse chronological order - with the most recent position first. Contact details should always be clearly visible at the top of the CV. The most effective way to present your CV is with bullet points, bold headings and underlining. These simple methods can achieve a clear and structured style.

Check (and double-check!) for spelling and grammatical errors:

The importance of checking over your CV for spelling and grammatical errors cannot be stressed enough. Despite wide agreement that spelling, punctuation and grammar must be perfect when writing a CV, almost half of the survey respondents regularly encounter this type of error.

This suggests that applicants are either over-familiar with their own CVs having spent a lot of time compiling them, or are over-reliant on spell-checkers. The simplest way to avoid submitting a CV containing these types of mistakes is to ask someone else to read over it.

Tailor your CV to a specific role:

Tailoring your CV to a particular role will generate a much more positive response from employers than mass-mailing a standard CV to a large volume of recipients, according to NES recruitment consultants. In the survey, 50% of consultants cited failure to tailor a CV to a specific role as something they most frequently came across. While this relates primarily to permanent or long-term expatriate positions, contractors should tailor their CVs according to the specialist area of the organisation for which they would like to work.

Explain gaps in work history:

According to the same survey by NES, large gaps in work history were also cited as frequently encountered among technical and engineering CVs. Almost half of NES recruitment consultants said that this acted as a deterrent to hiring managers.

People who leave gaps in their work history leave employers with no alternative but to question why they have done so. By explaining that you spent time travelling or had a career break, you will eliminate the need for this: seemingly fragmented careers are unlikely to create a positive impression; although with contract roles, greater potential for career gaps means that it is only necessary to explain significant breaks in continuity.

Document the responsibilities of previous positions:

The fifth most frequently encountered CV error, according to over a third of respondents, was failure to list the responsibilities of a role. NES advises candidates to be specific and, wherever possible, tie in responsibilities to achievements. The company insists that, when composing your CV, there is no time for modesty: self-promotion is imperative.

To ensure that you secure interviews, read over the above tips and apply them to your own CV. Is it the CV of the perfect candidate? Give yourself a head start by paying attention to detail at this crucial stage of your job search.

Autor: Kath Finney

www.nes.co.uk

NES is a leading global technical recruitment business providing professionally qualified contract staff to blue chip clients across the world in the oil and gas, infrastructure, rail, power and IT sectors. Founded in 1978, a committed workforce has facilitated the company's success and continues to ensure that NES experiences ongoing growth in terms of customers, geography and sector.

Added: October 4, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Engineering Job Vacancies In The United Kingdom

The engineering job market for professionals in the United Kingdom is quite fertile at present. Between major government projects to expand infrastructure as well as private attempts to move into a larger share of their market, engineering firms are bringing in millions of pounds a year in new projects. New projects and clients require top notch engineering graduates to fill junior engineer positions, which allows for greater movement upward of experienced engineers. Not all engineering positions are created alike, however, and several engineering jobs are ideal for those interested in general engineering jobs.
Civil engineering positions are important in the general market today. Civil engineer professionals work on projects which collaborate government agency and private organization efforts to create solid engineering projects. These projects, ranging from storefront projects to the improvement of commonly travelled roadways to meet commercial needs, require massive amounts of manpower and money that need to be invested wisely. The exceptional civil engineering candidate can find a great position in the field and the constant need for civil projects means it is a steady point of entry for graduates.
Green engineering is a growing sub sector of the engineering industry in the United Kingdom and Europe. This type of engineering uses renewable energy sources, recycled materials, and the use of engineering designs to utilize the least amount of resources down the road. The green engineering field is great for young engineering graduates who want to mix their interest in public service with their exceptional technical talents.
Mechanical engineering has been a steady field in the United Kingdom and Europe for the last decade and should remain so for years to come. Job seekers looking to work in factory and other industrial environments need to consider mechanical engineering as a career. This type of engineering covers the full range of industrial processes, from the machinery needed at the introductory phase of production to automated painting and coating at the end of production. While the demand for engineers oscillates slightly due to the rise and fall of the general economy, there will always be a need for mechanical engineers to help factories and warehouses work efficiently.
The engineering job market in the United Kingdom will keep improving for graduates in the next five years. Government agencies and companies alike will continue to work together to expand their resources, requiring top notch engineering professionals to facilitate new plans. As such, engineering professionals need to consider leveraging their exceptional talents to find the best engineering job vacancy for them.

Author: Wynnwith

Wynnwith are a specialist engineering recruitment agency based in Woking, England. They provide a wide range of recruitment and managed services which include rail recruitment, aerospace recruitment and pilot recruitment solutions.

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://articlesalley.com/article.detail.php/55728/13/Careers~

A Good Leader Is Not Born, But Is Made

The eventful point of time took place during my second year. I was apparently selected to be the Honorary Secretary, based on the voting from the other members of the club. Wow! That was an absolutely eminent position in the committee. I was facing mixed emotions upon hearing the news. As much as I was ecstatic about being appointed as the secretary, I was a little skeptical about my capabilities.

But what drove me to giving my all to this temporary commitment was that there was so much I could explore about being one of the leaders in the club. A member of a club or group needs to be 100% dyed-in-the-wool towards his or her duties, but a leader of the club or group needs to be doubly committed. Throughout my reign as a secretary, I had accomplished my self-research and analyzed my fellow friends who were in the same boat as me, and I managed to figure out what it really took to be an effective leader that others can look up to in admiration.

Here are my personal thoughts and I would like to share them with you, especially you who are also taking up a leadership role like I did before...

1. Take initiatives. The others around you are usually relying on you to lead the way in any matter associated with the group. So you should put on your thinking cap and show them the direction you feel is beneficial for you and for everyone.

2. Take the lead, but do not dominate. A good leader is someone who is receptive of others' feedback and opinions. He or she should not be the egghead of the club who only is in favor of his or her own suggestions. In fact, more brains are better than one! That is why a few people are involved in the committee instead of just one person.

3. Leaders do make mistakes, but do not let those mistakes pull you down to the ground. Take them as stepping-stones for you to generate better ideas, and be a better leader in future.

4. Do not be a quitter! Quitters never prosper. Giving up halfway through implies that you have chickened out from your duties. You would not want to be labeled a 'chicken' would you? So prove to yourself and others that you can pluck up your courage and take up the challenge, come what may.

5. Most importantly, be a role model. Monkey see, monkey do. The way you render yourself will reflect on the way your members will perform and whether the group is going towards the right path. Show your utmost dedication to the group and your committee, and others will emulate you, and the club or group will prosper under your control.

My friends, when you are given the opportunity to hone your leadership skills, give it your best shot. You are not born to be a leader, but you are entitled to be one. All you need to do is believe in yourself and make others believe in you too.

Autor: Danial Fadina

Danial Fadina

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

When is It Okay to Lose?

If you ask people when is it okay to lose they will usually come up with some interesting scenarios and attempt to rationalize losing? However, if it is a competition, no matter how friendly, it is never okay to lose. Normally we do not teach our kids to lose or that losing is acceptable, but the end result of the direction that we as a society are headed is to avoid conflict at all costs.

Not keeping score in Junior High School Soccer and teaching kids that everyone is automatically a winner is making us weak and hurting our competitive edge as a nation and civilization. The level of weakness I see is unnerving, everyone so afraid to say what they think or call it how it is.

If one is afraid of intimidation or conflict, that is something they need to deal with, thru enhanced self-esteem, self-confidence, it is not up to another to go light on them to make them feel all warm and fuzzy. If someone is a knuckle-head, cannot perform, not sure why I would wish to treat them other than the harsh reality. Why live a lie? Life is not easy. Maybe someone should write some articles on this subject if they disagree - the titles might read:

• Dispelling the Myth of Weakness
• How You Can Build a Team Without False Praise
• Intimidation is Not a Form of Tough Love
• Increasing Performance without Intimidation
• Attaining the Competitive Edge by Incrementally Increasing Initiative with Integrity

If someone under performs you maybe able to get them to do what you want that time by being really nice to them and telling them how wonderful they are, yet, if they are a weak link, discharging them, means they will not waste your time, next time. Business owners and coaches alike need to be thinking here.

Constantly coaxing folks, splashing employees with compliments and agreeing to disagree is one way, but to win without intimidation. Yet, you need 120% to win, accepting less or avoidance of the underlining problem, means in the end you are settling for less that what you truly want or desire. Thus, in the end how would that help you consistently win, long-term - all the battles, all the wars, all the games.

Sun Tzu theory uses some intimidation; Karl von Clauswitz strikes first; and Machiavelli tries to be loved and respected but will indeed go to his second best choice "feared and respected" when it is necessary. Winning is necessary, so is keeping score, therefore under performers, excuses, etc. well that simply does not calculate as a good time expenditure. Thus someone writing on this subject might make some additional articles with titles such as:

• Sun Tzu Peaceful Intimidations - Know Your Opponent - Diffuse Him
• Karl von Clauswitz Preemption and Intimidation
• Machiavelli Suggests Being Loved and Respected
• First Time Shame on Me - Second Time Use a Mirror
• When Winning is Paramount Harness Power Without Intimidation
• Winning All the Battles All the Time Without Firing a Shot

Well, if you are a motivational or leadership type person and you feel this is an important subject perhaps you might shed some light on this topic or write from a different perspective such as "We are All Equal in All Ways" or from the collective consciousness perspective. Yet, remember us real winners will be on the field playing while you are sitting in the stands wondering why you did not make the team. Think on that - Sincerely, Lance.

Autor: L. Winslow

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur http://www.worldthinktank.net. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Crew Rosterers And Their Daily Responsibilities

At most industrial and blue collar work environments, there is a premium put on using the right personnel for the right tasks. Indeed, production and manufacturing jobs require people to work in one specific aspect of their particular process for years before becoming proficient. Since most industrial plants and other production facilities run around the clock, skill is mixed with the need for proficient staff all hours of the day to make for the difficult task of scheduling. Rosterers, or those people who determine the daily schedule of employees in a workplace, have an unenviable task on their hands.
One of the most difficult jobs for a rosterer is in the airline industry. Like manufacturing plants, airlines need to have staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in order to facilitate the level of service expected by customers. Crew rosterers need to develop an intricate matrix of scheduling for maintenance crews, pilots, and other flight staff in order to keep flights in the air. A crew rosterer at an airline or at an airport needs to consider a variety of factors in building a daily and weekly schedule.
The most important consideration for a flight crew rosterer is the amount of hours a week the give to a particular professional. National flight laws, as well as international laws governing flights around the world, require a certain limit of hours in flight per day for pilots and flight crew members. Because of these limits, a crew rosterer needs to use their human resources wisely to find the best balance between necessity and regulatory limits.
Another important consideration in providing a daily work roster is determining the ebb and flow of the airline industry on a year-round basis. While there may be down times for airports, particularly in between holidays and heavy travel seasons, these can be the best times to perform maintenance, do paperwork, and work on other projects which are neglected during heavier travel seasons. As well, the aforementioned heavy travel seasons need to be staffed carefully in order to meet work limitations and the requirements of scheduled flights.
Those who want to enter the area of airline or airport administration should consider the position of crew rosterer. This position allows a professional to gain an intimate knowledge of every aspect of the industry because they need to schedule for every contingency. Indeed, the position of crew rosterer is one of the most important administrative positions in the industry.

Author: Wynnwith

Wynnwith Flight Crew are specialists in pilot recruitment with a particular focus on airline pilot jobs, flight crew jobs and airline captain jobs. Operating out of Woking in the UK, Wynnwith Flight Crew is a leading provider to many pan European airline companies.

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://articlesalley.com/article.detail.php/55733/13/Careers~

Leaders Learn Lessons Which Were Soon To Be Put Into Practice

When Jesus Christ stepped onto the world's stage He came preaching the Kingdom of God. It became a theme of the early church and must remain a priority.

When Jesus sent out His disciples on a brief mission to preach and heal, one man was not in His kingdom, and he did not want to be in His kingdom, but the ministry of these disciples made this one man tremble, and he had every cause to tremble.

Herod heard of all that was being done by Jesus, and now Jesus has a group of men out preaching and healing. When the Word of God is preached tremendous things happen, and people tremble. Some are saved from sin, rescued, healed and blessed, whilst others become upset and perplexed.

Some were suggesting that John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and Herod had cut John's head off, because John had the courage and boldness to preach against Herod's sins. Now he is worried and trembling as his conscience convicted him. There can be no escape from God, and touching men of God can result in something very serious.

Herod is terrified. It can't be John. I sorted him out, but who is this going around preaching and healing? He has this desire to see Jesus. You can read the amazing details in Luke Chapter 9 in the New Testament.

Kill John and you have a Jesus to reckon with. Kill a prophet and you have to face the living God. You can kill a messenger of the Lord, but the Holy Spirit makes the message live on.

The disciples return, and report to Jesus, telling Him what had happened. Jesus saw that they needed to rest - time to be quiet - time to be alone - away from the needs and demands of people. Do you see the rhythms? They needed an opportunity to reflect upon their ministry and work out the implications.

Work and rest - work and worship are vital. We all need this.

Nevertheless the crowds came. Jesus welcomed them, and spoke to them, healing those who needed healing - wonderful. He feeds them with spiritual food too. And, when they are hungry He feeds them from what is available - 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus takes what it there - nothing special - but when in HIS HANDS - ah, that alters everything. He gives thanks, and feeds, and satisfies the people. When Jesus ministers there is always enough to go round - and even some left over.

It is very organized, and Jesus does not like waste, nor untidiness. Would these disciples ever forget the sight of these twelve baskets?

Never forget what Jesus has shown you - said to you - done for you.

Jesus is alone with His disciples. He knew when it was right to withdraw from the sick and hungry and needy, and spend time in prayer.

Here He is teaching essential lessons regarding spiritual leadership. There are times for withdrawing - when we are NOT available - because we have something else to do - prayer - worship - rest - re-charging our batteries.

If this is not done regularly, the ministry can become flat, powerless and ineffectual.

What a beautiful picture, as He rises from prayer and goes over to ask His men a question. "What are the people saying about me?" Did He not know? They reply giving the most favourable comments. It is as if they edit out the unfavourable things people were saying. John the Baptist - Elijah - one of the prophets - Jeremiah - most of the people out there consider you to be unique.

Then comes the big question - Now - never mind what they are saying - "Who do you say I am?" Jesus confronts us and challenges us at times. Peter answers - The Christ of God - the Messiah - the anointed of the Father.

Jesus commanded them NOT to let men know what they knew. Sometimes we are encouraged to share everything and at other times we are commanded to say nothing - or at least keep it within the fellowship, because people could NOT accept it.

To say nothing at times can be a real test of character, as real as having to speak and testify.

When Jesus tells you to speak - speak - and when He tells you to be quiet - do so.

Jesus goes on to speak about having to suffer, be rejected by the religious leaders, be killed, and raised. The world would not be able to accept all that but these men could. A man needs spiritual eyes to be opened to see these things of which Jesus Christ is speaking. People in the world are basically blind. You hear them say - "I just cannot see that!"

It is interesting to note what Jesus said to the crowds, and compare it with what He would share with His chosen disciples. Jesus knew what lay in front of him - rejected - crucified - raised. It is at that point that He teaches His men that this is what will happen to you. He could have lost them at that moment.

He spells out what will happen and what is essential for every disciple. There is a cross to carry and who are involved - all - everyone - and daily. There are no choices - no options - on certain matters - as HE lays down the conditions.

"Jesus is there not an easier way?" - and he has to shake His Head and say "NO". What you try to save you lose, and what you are willing to lose you save.

His final words in this conversation with His trusted disciples applies to each of us too. Never be ashamed of Jesus or of His words.

He is coming again, and those who reject Jesus now, or disown Jesus now, or are ashamed or embarrassed by the Name of Jesus now, will one day be marked out for what they are. Jesus knew the truth - spoke the truth - shared the truth - taught the truth - and was the truth.

Sandy Shaw

Autor: Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Considering Flight Jobs Throughout The World

When the average student or young professional thinks about the flight industry, they typically think of major carriers that fly international routes. After all, commercials and the use of these airlines by millions of passengers per year make it all but impossible not to think of them when provoked. However, potential flight professionals need to consider the bigger picture when thinking about the flight job market. There are many jobs for companies big and small throughout the world, with a job to fit almost any personal or professional need. As well, pilots and other flight professionals who want to see different parts of the world can find work almost anywhere. Pilots and mechanics alike have special skills that set them apart from the majority of the working population. They need to use their talents and skills to leverage themselves for a more secure future.
Charter flight companies offer an interesting opportunity for young pilots looking to make a name for themselves. These companies exist in almost every nation around the world and provide flights for tourists, the wealthy, and business travelers looking to destinations within a certain region. Charter pilots can earn a great living while experiencing life in a totally new place to them, which gives these types of positions a sense of adventure.
There are plenty of regional carriers in Europe, North America, and Asia for young flight professionals to consider. These small airlines have popped up as major airlines have increased their ticket prices or decreased their fares. Often, regional carriers offer snacks, meals, or other perks in an effort to entice passengers to use their airlines. Young pilots who want to use modern equipment while keeping themselves away from corporate culture should consider regional carriers in their employment search.
One final employer of interest for young flight professionals are cargo and package delivery companies. Many of these companies, known for their distinctive delivery trucks, have branched out to air delivery in order to facilitate growth on the international market. As such, they require skilled pilots, mechanics, and tower personnel in order to keep packages delivered on time. The benefits of a position with a cargo or delivery company are a fine balance between that of a major airline and a regional carrier. Young professionals get a solid wage and benefits, as well as access to new equipment and the experience of flying into major airports. As well, these young professionals often get to work in more intimate settings and get to know their flight crew better than working at a major airline.

Author: Wynnwith

Wynnwith Flight Crew are specialists in pilot recruitment with a particular focus on airline pilot jobs, flight crew jobs and airline captain jobs. Operating out of Woking in the UK, Wynnwith Flight Crew is a leading provider to many pan European airline companies.

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://articlesalley.com/article.detail.php/55732/13/Careers~

Unwanted Unwelcome Lessons Can Often Be Just What Leaders Require

On this occasion, which is quite unique, the division between two leaders resulted in the doubling of the work, and not the hindering and hampering of any progress.

At the end of Acts Chapter 15 in the New Testament, we read of rift between Paul and Barnabas, but the resulting outcome was two missionary teams instead of one! Now, I am not saying the rift was good, but we do see that God used it for good. Is there anything which separates Christians worth holding on to? Is there anything worth dividing over?

This rift arose and Paul and Silas move off to Syria and Cilicia. They go, confirming the churches, strengthening every fellowship, reassuring them, grounding them in the faith, and encouraging each group. This is such an important activity, and it is often overlooked.

When they come to Derbe and Lystra, in modern Turkey, Paul meets a young man who had been converted under his ministry on that first missionary journey - Timothy.

Timothy comes from a divided home. His mother and grandmother were Jewish and had come to faith in Jesus Christ. His father was a Greek and not in the fellowship. Timothy was well spoken of by the believers in his home town, and also by those who lived in the neighbourhood. "Isn't it lovely to see how he is growing?"

Paul wanted him on their missionary team, and he took Timothy and had him circumcised - not to save Timothy - but so that Timothy could be used by Jesus Christ to save others - so that Timothy would be acceptable to the Jews.

Now he could go into the Jewish culture - into the synagogues, that otherwise would have been closed to him. It was done for social cultural reasons, not spiritual reasons. There is an amazing lesson from that incident.

Paul and Silas and Timothy went off together in the name of Jesus Christ - two mature men and one apprentice. That was the pattern of New Testament ministry, and later Timothy becomes a Pastor - converted under Paul - trained by Paul - discipled by Paul - and having learned from Paul by observing the variety of experiences which he would have witnessed.

Barnabas and John Mark have gone off elsewhere, and God provides Silas and Timothy to be alongside Paul, in what is to become quite a remarkable mission - and Luke, the writer of Acts concentrates on the travels and ministry of Paul and Silas.

In Acts Chapter 16 at verse 6, we are read of Paul and Silas setting out on what has become known as The Second Missionary Journey. They visit Christian Fellowships - strengthening the believers - reassuring and confirming the disciples - giving encouragement to each individual believer in Jesus.

We can never over-emphasise this aspect of mission. We need to be strengthened continually - in the service of Jesus Christ - and for the service of Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God.

Over the years I have met very few confident, strong, reassured, disciples of Jesus.

We saw how young Timothy was recruited. He was going to be trained under Paul's leadership to be a soldier of Jesus Christ, and some years later he graduated as a Pastor.

Off they go, in verse 6, in the Name of Jesus, and another crisis arises. This is another aspect of reality. Paul wanted to go north and preach the Gospel there, but the Holy Spirit prevented them from going north. The Holy Spirit would not allow them to go just where they wanted to go.

God wanted to keep Paul and Silas and young Timothy in His Holy and Perfect Will, and walking in His Ways, where God wanted them to walk, and not where they might choose to serve. What a lesson!

Even with spiritual leaders of the calibre of Paul, there can be a difference between where Paul wants to go and where God wanted him to go. Isn't this the case with us sometimes? We want to do something, and God has to make it very clear - "NO". Or, we don't want to do something, or go somewhere, and God somehow has to make us obedient to His Word, and bring us into line, and that can be sore at times.

These can be unwanted and unwelcome lessons, but they are essential for effective mission.

Sandy Shaw

Autor: Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Focusing Your Job Search To Meet Your Needs

Graduates in industries as diverse as publishing and medical sales share a common affliction. Most graduates have never had to perform a job search for anything more than a part-time or temporary position during breaks from school. Indeed, many graduates leave the university setting unsure of their professional situation and perform a job search that is unfocused. Random applications with an unwieldy CV in hand can lead to frustrations and settling down in a job that they don't like. There is no reason to fret, however, as it is simple to focus your job search to fit personal and professional needs.
No matter which industry a graduate works within, the first step is assessing application materials like the CV and references. The CV is the only way in which a potential employer can confirm the experience or aptitude of an applicant. Updated references that are informed before hand that they will be contacted by an employer can offer better recommendations. Indeed, the CV is key to getting a foot in the door with an employer. Graduates should look to refine their CV to avoid going over the one to two page limit set by most employers. As well, applicants need to focus their CV on the particular job and industry they are applying to.
Graduates also need to keep track of the various applications and CVs submitted to companies during the job search. After all, the ease of using online job sites means that a graduate can send off dozens of applications in a day without much thought. The best way for a graduate applying for multiple jobs to keep track of his applications is to create a chart of when the application was sent, when the follow up communication was sent, and whether an interview was established.
Invariably, the graduate job search will lead to some interviews or group sessions with potential employers. While the application process often seems like it is done in a vacuum, the interview process can be nerve racking. After all, the people in an interview room are deciding whether a graduate lands a job or continues their job hunt. Graduates should not prepare in excess for interviews, as hiring managers can tell when an applicant is feeding them what they want to hear. Instead, a graduate needs to think about their achievements, their goals, and their potential and answer questions truthfully. Indeed, being genuine in interviews is an overlooked aspect of the process.

Author: Wynnwith

Wynnwith are a specialist engineering recruitment agency based in Woking, England. They provide a wide range of recruitment and managed services which include rail recruitment, aerospace recruitment and pilot recruitment solutions.

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://articlesalley.com/article.detail.php/55731/13/Careers~

One Aspect Of Mission Which Is Frequently Ignored And Overlooked - I Wonder Why?

A girl, living in Philippi in Greece, who was deeply involved in the occult, and who was owned by pimps, followed Paul, the man of God, shouting and screaming - "These men are servants of the most high God who are telling you the way to be saved." Every word is true. She is being fed the truth about Paul, but from a wrong source.

It has been said that today she would have been welcomed as a founder member of the fellowship in Philippi. You can read all about this poor pathetic demonised girl in Acts Chapter 16 and at verse 17 in the New Testament part of the Bible.

This went on for a number of days. Paul ignores it to begin with, and puts up with it for a few days.

Paul is not going to be diverted suddenly. He wants to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ first. The enemy will do anything to stop the preaching of the Gospel.

The day arrived when he became so troubled, that he has to deal with the circumstances and " he turned round and said to the spirit, 'In the Name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her'." At that moment the spirit left her.

What she was saying was true - but it was not edifying, nor attractive. It was screaming and off-putting, because it was not coming from Jesus. Her motive was bad. Her source was corrupt. This whole questionable episode had to be confronted. Paul had to face up to reality, because she was not going to go away. She was not going to allow him to get on with his work, and Paul discerned this.

The way we speak about Jesus - the way we speak about the Fellowship - the way we say things, can be as important, as what we say. Our life must be consistent with our testimony - hers was NOT. Our witness must be consistent with what we claim to believe.

It is vital that we do things decently and in order - in such a way that our testimony will draw people to Jesus Christ - and the source of what we say must be the Holy Spirit. Our aim must also be to ensure that the truth of God is saturated with the love of God.

All this was missing in what this girl was screaming.

When Paul was so troubled, he spoke with the commanding love and authority and power of Jesus.

There are times when we need revelation from God, so that we see the situation clearly, as it actually is.

If you are facing a difficult awkward situation just now pray that God will give you discernment and wisdom.

Paul sets a girl free from an evil spirit which was controlling her. Verse 18. She was released from that evil spirit which controlled and dominated her life. This too can be part of mission, but how often is that taught today?

She was a slave in more ways than one. Now she is released but release for her meant financial loss to her owners. When the hope of personal profit is gone, trouble usually comes.

Some people want to make money and they do not mind how they do it - alcohol, drugs, occult, immorality, pornography. They exploit human weakness, and when the Holy Spirit moves, such men are going to lose business.

When her masters saw how they were going to be the losers, they seized Paul and Silas, and brought them to the rulers. Look at the first accusation - verse 20. Do take time to read of this incident.

"They are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar." What exaggeration! What lies! "They teach customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practise."

Was the immorality they had been involved in lawful? Legal? If revival came to your town and area, consider for a moment those people who would lose money. Do you think they would remain quiet? When God moves it is disturbing.

Paul and Silas were more than a mere nuisance, and these nuisances have got to be silenced. This thing has got to be stopped.

Apply the law of God and the ways of God to those who are not disciples of Jesus Christ, and they will fight. Reveal a genuine move of God to those who are not disciples, and there will be a reaction!

A crowd rose up against Silas and Paul. Their clothes were ripped off. They were beaten severely and thrown into prison, into the innermost cell - the high security cell - which usually was a dark dank musty cold filthy place. And their feet are in chains.

Now this was also unlawful and illegal! There is not a word of outcry, but Paul had touched a source of easy money. He had touched the financial comfort of certain men, and these men were furious.

Was this what God brought Paul and Silas over to Europe for? And what was going through the mind of young Timothy? What was he thinking? What was he learning about being a disciple of Jesus Christ in the front line?

Paul and Silas had only been in Europe a few days, and already they are in prison as a consequence of their ministry? What a change from Lydia's home! Those who openly challenge the domain of Satan in some way can expect to bleed!

As you read and study the book of ACTS are you really prepared for such suffering, remembering that in our world today many thousands are experiencing sore persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ?

Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to God. No complaining - no pity party! Their positive witness influences that jail.

The jailor and his family are soon to become believers in Jesus Christ, as a result of Paul and Silas being illegally imprisoned. God has a man to lead that fellowship in Lydia's home once the team move on.

Sandy Shaw

Autor: Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Finding The Best Mechanical Engineering Positions

Mechanical engineering is a position that is vital to the industrial economy in the United Kingdom and around the world. On a daily basis, mechanical engineers maintain product processes, work with other engineers to develop new production methods, and perform troubleshooting operations to keep their factories and workshops running. Indeed, the mechanical engineer is one of the most underappreciated professionals in the job market today. However, companies that need to improve and maintain their daily production quotas and other measures of efficiency know all too well the necessity for a good mechanical engineer.
As such, mechanical engineering positions in the UK are plentiful because of the specific technical skills needed for such positions. More and more graduates are leaving universities with liberal arts or business degrees, leaving a select group of professionals to compete for more technical positions. The result is a refined job market where mechanical engineers need to carefully consider each job before sending in applications.
There is no objective measure for the best mechanical engineering positions in the UK. Indeed, a great job to one engineer may be a difficult or annoying job to another. This means that mechanical engineering prospects need to consider their ideal work environment before starting the job hunt. Mechanical engineers need to think of the type of workshop they would want ideally, the type of coworkers they would want to work with, and the type of resources available to them. In this way, mechanical engineers can narrow down the list of possible employers to a few candidates.
From this list, mechanical engineers can find the best positions by doing some background research on the company and project their path in the future. For example, an automotive firm may have been prominent in the past but a mechanical engineer may pass up the firm because it is sinking in sales numbers within the industry. Mechanical engineers, therefore, need to consider more than just their professional interests when finding a job. They also need to think about the professional environment they are heading into.
Mechanical engineering graduates and experienced professionals alike have a strong job market in which to make their living. In the end, they need to think of themselves as highly skilled workers with their choice of job. While every job may not be open to them, their specialization in mechanical engineering means that they can work in almost any industry. Engineers need to think of the best thing for their professional life, their family, and their financial situation and proceed from there.

Author: Wynnwith

Wynnwith are a specialist engineering recruitment agency based in Woking, England. They provide a wide range of recruitment and managed services which include rail recruitment, aerospace recruitment and pilot recruitment solutions.

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://articlesalley.com/article.detail.php/55730/13/Careers~

God Raises Up A Man To Lead That New Fellowship In Philippi

Paul and Silas, having been thrown into prison in Philippi, for preaching about Jesus Christ and releasing a young girl from a python spirit, are praising and worshipping the living God - the only God there is - in that prison cell - and God honours their testimony. The jailer falls trembling before Paul and Silas. He brings them out and asks - "What must I do to be saved?"

I do not want to perish. What do I have to do to escape what is awaiting me - and receive what you have received? You can read about this sordid but splendid incident in Acts Chapter 16 in the New Testament.

In verse 31, they replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your household."

It is significant that this is said to a man - to the head of the house - "Believe, and it can happen!"

Paul and Silas went to the jailer's home, and preached the Word of the Lord to him and to all the others who were in his house. This man had been quite cruel, has been suddenly and completely transformed by Jesus Christ, and he is ministering to the immediate needs of Paul and Silas - their stripes - their sores - their wounded backs.

Then, Paul and Silas attend to the immediate spiritual needs of the household without even waiting for daylight - without waiting for Luke and Timothy - without waiting for a meeting of the Fellowship which had been gathering in Lydia's house.

Get on with it. Use your initiative and do what has to be done. These new believers were baptised, (plunged) in water. Then they had a meal. Then they celebrated - after they had been adequately and fully birthed into The Kingdom of God. What a sudden and radical change - from the start of that man's shift!

The world asks - What must I do to be rich - to become wealthy - to be popular - to be successful - to be famous?

God waits for a man to ask - "What must I do to be saved?"

The jailer realised he was a sinner in need - with needs - and these were men of God who could help.

He would be a tough, independent man to be promoted to this responsible post, and probably proud, and God knows how to shake him so that he cries out for help. Paul and Silas give him and his household all the initial help they require. Is this how you would have behaved had you been imprisoned in that Philippian prison?

When that senior prison officer in Philippi called out to Silas and Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" -what did Paul say? Keep the Ten Commandments? Be kind. Come to our fellowship in Lydia's home? NO!

Paul stated and proclaimed from prison, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and the people in your home can be saved too." You can almost hear the jailer say - "Tell me more."

Imagine taking top security prisoners into your home - what a risk to run - but he so wanted to hear more, and that was worth any risk. "Bring a sponge and warm water. Let me bathe their wounds." What a change! When Jesus Christ becomes so real, people do the most extraordinary things - beautiful things.

Then Paul says - "Let's now wash you, and he took them and baptised them." Paul realised that this was an essential element in their being born again.

They all heard - believed - and were baptised. It is vital that we see and understand that clearly. There were no infants in that household at that time. In the New Testament we never read of new believers having to wait more than 24 hours before they were baptised in water. Check it out and you will find that to be the pattern, and it is a good one to follow wherever possible.

This tough jailer and Lady Lydia were now brother and sister in Christ. Changed lives includes and involves changed relationships - black and white - rich and poor - tough and sophisticated - are one in Christ.

There is no alternative - no choice is given - we have no option - not if we are in Christ.

Now the fellowship newly birthed in Philippi, which up to this point was made up of women, now has a man to lead it, and that too is important.

Sandy Shaw

Autor: Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Finding the Best Candidates

Finding the best employment candidates for your company, business, organization, or firm is critical not only to fill the position(s) and to have the job done right and well, but also to ensure the overall success of your company. However, finding the best candidates and narrowing them down to the right candidate can be tricky, challenging, and time-consuming. In fact, many companies find that they often just can't find the person or people for the job(s), and end up settling for someone who is perhaps less than desirable, but the best they can find.
One option for finding the best candidates for your company's position that is gaining momentum all across the U.K. and other parts of the world is to use a recruitment agency or a recruitment site that focuses on connecting clients with candidates, helping fresh graduates find jobs they not only need but love, and helping clients fill their vacant employment positions with highly qualified, interested, and motivated individuals.
The main benefit to using a recruitment-based agency or site for clients is that instead of solely waiting for registered users who are job-seeking or inquiring about your job offer and possibly applying, you generally have the option of contacting qualified job seekers: people that have listed their credentials or posted their resume-which will get you much farther in finding the right candidate than just advertising and sitting around, waiting.
In fact, this is essentially the key to finding the best candidates for the job, no matter what medium you use or how you go about it. You need to get proactive and start actively searching for and seeking potential candidates and employees and directly contacting them about your job offer-making it sound as attractive as possible, of course. You may even come across desirable candidates who are employed elsewhere, but you can still try and snag them with your attractive job offer.
There are other methods you can use to lure in those qualified candidates as well, such as employee referral systems, networking, using professional associations, even mailings and cold-calling. However you go about recruiting, remember to be proactive, motivated, determined, and engaging, and it also helps to learn the art of selling.
Recruitment web sites and interaction via phone work with both candidates as well as clients and strives to develop an effective and harmonious partnership between them. These sites are recruitment-focused and as such are designed to maximize your exposure as a valued client to a wide range of both interested and qualified applicants to help you not only find the best candidates for the position you are advertising, but the right candidate.

Author: Wynnwith

Wynnwith are a specialist engineering recruitment agency based in Woking, England. They provide a wide range of recruitment and managed services which include rail recruitment, aerospace recruitment and pilot recruitment solutions.

Added: October 2, 2007
Source: http://articlesalley.com/article.detail.php/55729/13/Careers~

What To Do When Real Serious Conflicts Arise

My two friends, Barnabas and Paul, if you know what I mean, have returned to their local church. They have come home to rest and be refreshed - to recuperate and be repaired. They have also shared what God has been doing through them during these past two years or so as they travelled across Cyprus and through central Turkey - but this is not a travel story.

It is important to tell those who have prayed for you what God has done in you and with you and through you. Those who had supported them in prayer now sit and listen to their account of how Jesus used them, and how doors were opened, and also of how stones were thrown. But now they are worshipping with all the others in Antioch and you read about this in Acts chapters 14 and 15 in the New Testament and it is worthy of serious study.

Everything appears quite peaceful until certain men came down from Jerusalem, and they began to teach something very strange. "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."

Now this raised many questions, and could have caused much trouble. This can happen in the Church of Jesus Christ. Someone comes along and says - Unless you do such and such a thing, you cannot be saved. Unless you do such and such a thing you cannot be a real Christian - a real disciple. Unless you have done what I have done - or live the way I live - then there is something missing.

We have never been able to get rid of this type of problem. Conflict is inevitable. It has been so since the beginning. As soon as Jesus Christ was baptised in the waters of the River Jordan, He was then tempted by the devil in the wilderness around the area of Jericho. Jesus faced up to this level of battle and conflict and overcame by quoting the authoritative Word of God. There is no better weapon!

What they are saying is and this is why it was so very serious - "To be a real true believing disciple, you need something more than faith in Jesus Christ."

The success of that first lengthy mission - the success of the first missionary outreach has brought problems - new problems.

Paul and Barnabas had quite some argument with these men, and they decide to go to Jerusalem, with a group of disciples of Jesus, to meet with the leadership in Jerusalem to deal with this vital issue - to meet with Peter and John and the other leaders.

Here is positive leadership. The leaders in Antioch decide to go and meet with other leaders to deal with the severity of this potentially damaging issue and to damage irreparably. Leaders must know when a matter must be resolved immediately, or the cancer will grow.

They are welcomed in Jerusalem, but there arose a fierce furious argument.

Some people would want to say today - "Let's keep off doctrine and theology - let's keep politics out of the pulpit - these divide us - let's just get on with preaching about Jesus Christ." But, it is when we truly preach about Jesus Christ that these issues arise, and Christians must face up to the serious matters facing our society and world. Sometimes varying views have to be shared, with the aim of always desiring to come to some agreement and harmony and unity - without compromising the truth.

Here is the secret of how to do it, and to learn this secret revealed in God's Word is never a waste of time.

The Church of Jesus Christ should be the place where arguments and differences are dealt with and resolved - in the love of Jesus - and in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Sandy Shaw

Autor: Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

Added: October 2, 2007
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