History of a merge

In November 2004, Jim Kilts called A. G. Lafley at P&G’s Cincinnati headquarters. Kilts, who had been Chairman and CEO of Gillette for 4 years, was seeking a buyer of the global Boston-based company. Lafley, who had been Chairman and CEO of P&G for over 4 years, was out of the office and had to call him back, unaware of what Kilts was about to propose. Lafley questioned Kilts on three topics. First, what was Gillette’s price? Kilts said he wanted a fair offer.Not $60 per share, but not $50. †Jim,† Lafley responded, â€Å"I can do the math. Are you thinking Gillette holdings into P&G stock and options and hold them for an agreed period of time. He would also consider staying with P&G for a year after official merger. Finally, Lafley asked about the description of the new culture he helped forge during his turnaround of P&G. â€Å"The P&G culture is more collaborative, open, and competitive than you may know it to be,† he said.Three days later, Lafley met Kilts’s personal office in Rye, New York. They spoke the entire afternoon and agreed to expand negotiations to include select senior managers. At one points , Kilts asked Lafley why he didn’t bring any bankers or lawyers. Lafley said they won’t necessary. Kilts, Gillette CFO Chuck Cramb, and vice chairman Ed DeGRaan met with Lafley and his CFO, Clayt Daley, to work out the merger teams. Culture and tone were major issues for Lafley. we were looking for a collaborative culture,â€Å" he said. â€Å"In fact, I decided that we were going to be collaborative in the negotiations. We had a friendly deal here, and there was no reason not to have the cards on the table. † Lafley called someone that both he and Kilts respected, Rajat Gupta, former managing director of McKinsey, who urged Kilts to give Lafley an open look at potential cost synergies and a peek at Gillette’s planned technological innovations. Kilts agreed.But come December 2005, they hal ted negotiations, realizing that they couldn’t strike an agreement before the upcoming analyst meetings and holidays. Lafley called Kilts back after Christmas. From a strategy standpoint, Lafley considered the acquisition a â€Å"no-brainer. † Both companies would obtain the scale needed to drive the global expansion of its products P&G’s developing market size was five times Gillette’s $11 billion in annual sales versus $2. 2 billion.Together, the combined entity would include 21 billion dollar brands, 16 from P&G and 5 from Gillette. Gillette’s brands further migrated P&G’s products portfolio toward high-margin beauty, health and personal care categories. The merger would fortify retail customer relationship, especially through the combined knowledge of male consumers, from Gillette, and female buyers, from P&G. And they could leverage respective business strengths, such as Gillette’s trade-up practices and P&G’s go-to-market expertise, to improve growth.

Gold Mining in South Africa Essay

The critical issue facing the mining industry according to Zoli Diliza chief executive, chamber of mines is ensuring that the mineral policies of South Africa aligns with the highest standard of administrative justice, promote an internationally accepted level of security of tenure and invariably promote an enabling environment that will attract investors into south Africa, hence, improving her competitiveness. Gold’s rarity, beauty and durability have ensured its use as a medium of exchange as well as astore of value There has been a power crises issue in South Africa which has led to the shut down temporarily of major gold operations. This is a serious problem that in that there is limited capacity to bring the mine workers of the enclosed spaces in the mine due to ventilation breakdown. Continues power outages which have resulted in disrupted operations in the goldmines obviously have a significant impact on world gold supplies mine, this is one of the reasons South Africa is taking the backseat as the world’s largest producer of gold with china taking the front seat. Lawrence William) (2008) It was recorded in 2010 that gold production was down to 200 tons. Despite the substantial increase in the real price of gold in recent years, there has been a continuous decline in gold production , unless substantive new capital investment in new mines is attracted the decline in production is likely to continue. There is also a decline in engineering and manufacturing activities associated direct ly to the gold mining industry. Inorder words, the consequence of the decline in gold production in south africa has been the loss of major sectors of South Africa’s previous substantive heavy engineering and manufacturing capacity The gold industry in the early 1990s experienced a tight profit squeeze and voilatility in prices, that period was also seen by rampant inflation. The pressure that generated the profit squeeze was as a result of workers demand related to their salaries as awell as housing, health and safety. Another important cause was due to stagnant prices which reducesd reserves amd discouraged exploration of mines. And as expected, the profitabilitu constraint led to retrenchment of workers as a management mechanism for the mines. The gold industry in SA faced a tight profit squeeze in the early 1990s. The gold price was kept at a constant nominal rand value by the Reserve Bank from 1988 to 1992 despite rampant inflation. The 1987 great mineworkers strike was the highpoint of employment numbers. Profit margins were under severe pressure both from worker demands–related to wages as well as housing and health and safety–and from stagnant commodity prices which reduced reserves and discouraged new exploration. In addition to profitability constraints, retrenchments were a weapon of mine management to reduce the effectiveness of the National Union of Mineworkers as it recovered from the strike–which had seen the dismissal of many union leaders. There was common cause that the industry needed to restructure in order to extend its life. The article put forward proposals from a labour perspective.

Movie Review: Singin’ in the Rain

Movies such as Chicago, Moulin Rouge, and Singin’ in the Rain are part of a file genre that places emphasis on music, dance, and song.   This genre is known as the Musical.   The power of the songs in Musicals explains why many people who have not seen the movie are still familiar with its title song â€Å"Singin’ in the Rain.†Ã‚   Aside from the memorable scores and lyrics, Musicals showcase the singing and dancing skills of their stars.   The critical and commercial success or failure of a Musical hinges not only on the storyline, as is the case with films of other genres, but the talents of the actors who bring the movie’s songs and dances to life. Singin’ in the Rain contains a number of elements that make it stand out from other American Musicals such as Chicago and Moulin Rouge.   The atmosphere of Singin’ in the Rain is light and happy which is accomplished by the character’s brightly colored clothing and the inclusion of relatively few night scenes.   This is not the case in either Chicago or Moulin Rouge, both of which have darker elements within them.   Because the theme of Singin’ in the Rain is more playful than the serious theme depicted in Chicago, there is a greater degree of entertainment in Singin’ in the Rain.   This movie was designed to be viewed by an audience seeking pure entertainment—an audience that need only sit back, relax, and enjoy the film from beginning to end. Many modern musical productions are far more costly than was Singin’ in the Rain; however, even with the discrepancy in production costs, several clever and memorable musical numbers from Singin’ in the Rain remain popular today. Because scripting and storyline are superseded in Musicals by choreography and score, the scenes most often remembered in a Musical are specific numbers contained within the film.   One of my favorites from Singin’ in the Rain is Cosmo Brown’s (Donald O’Connor) performance of â€Å"Make ‘em Laugh.†Ã‚   The song’s lyrics and the number itself reveal that Cosmo is Don Lockwood’s (Gene Kelly) sidekick.   It’s clear that Cosmo’s job is to keep Lockwood laughing and to prevent him from concern over anything bad. Cosmo’s enthusiastic performance in this number is easily the most comedic of the film.   Singin’ in the Rain is filled with mise-en-scà ¨nes, and Cosmo’s â€Å"Make ‘em Laugh† number uses mise-en-scà ¨ne to its fullest.   Every bit of setting, including the props and the people in this number are used by Cosmo as show instruments. Given the movie’s title, it isn’t surprising that the most famous number is Gene Kelly’s (as Don Lockwood) performance of the song â€Å"Singin’ in the Rain.†Ã‚   Narrative Convention dictates that rain signify sorrow or loneliness much as tense music in a horror movie signifies danger; however, the gloom one might expect to infiltrate Kelly’s performance simply does not do so.   Instead, this beautifully choreographed athletic dance and song number stands as Lockwood’s proclamation that he has succeeded in his career and in his heart.   Each step Gene Kelly performs is deliberate—each movement designed to thrill the audience the way Kelly’s Lockwood is himself thrilled by his fantastic fortune. The use of mise-en-scà ¨ne in the number â€Å"Singin’ in the Rain† does not detract from Kelly’s performance: it augments it.   His wearing a felt hat allows his facial features to be seen without the rain’s moisture obscuring his emotions.   The umbrella he carries adds a gentleman-like quality to his movements.   The street on which he dances remains basically deserted and is perfectly illuminated by the well-placed snug lights.   Personally, I think it is the most enjoyable rainy scene I have ever viewed in a movie. My only critical comments are centered on a portion of the film’s latter half during which time Lockwood, Cosmo, and R. F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) are planning to make the musical film Dancing Cavalier.   This is followed by the surreal performance â€Å"Broadway Melody† which I found unnecessary.   The woman in this scene seemed to have come from nowhere, did not have a clearly defined relationship with Lockwood or Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), but the odd emotion that was present in the number might be representative of American ideals. Singin’ in the Rain falls within the expected boundaries of the Musical.   The ending is predictable (but not unsatisfyingly so) and relatively little tension exists: the lovers meet serendipitously, and there is really no threat to their relationship. Singin’ in the Rain is from the 1950’s, and because of this, some younger people might not find the movie’s content satisfying; however, anyone, regardless of age, who can appreciate the outstanding singing and dancing performances of the movie’s characters will come away from the film satisfied.   In addition, part of this film’s content reveals the early development of movies from the silent era forward, and much of this is not only interesting but humorous as well. I admit to having been initially skeptical about enjoying this movie due to its age, but I found myself entertained throughout the entire film, and honestly, I can say that Singin’ in the Rain is the best Musical I have ever seen. Reference Freed, A.   (Producer), & Donen, S. & Kelly G. (Directors).   (1952).   Singin’ in the rain.   [Motion picture].   United States: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.   

Vaginal Delivery of Breech Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Vaginal Delivery of Breech - Dissertation Example The discussion will be based on the author’s perspective, available evidence and current practice. It shall discuss women’s options during births, especially where infants are in the breech position. This dissertation will further evaluate if the women’s choices with regards to delivery of the breech are significantly impacted by the deskilling of health professionals or by the actual risks of the procedure itself. Current practice, as supported by the NICE and RCOG Guidelines (2001) discourages women from having vaginal deliveries when their babies are presenting in a breech position. Many midwives have only ever experienced vaginal breech deliveries in a simulated environment. Since practice is now dominated by the opinion that the safest option for these babies is a caesarean section and the opportunities to gain experience in safe vaginal breech delivery are limited, the dominance of caesarean section is reinforced. This paper aims to highlight the evidence t hat underpins the current practice as well as investigate the emerging evidence that is the basis for certain midwives now considering breech vaginal birth to be a safe option. Historically vaginal deliveries were the chosen method for the delivery of babies with a cephalic or breech presentation. ... he current indications for caesarean births in developed countries include breech babies along with foetal distress, malposition, malpresentations, placenta previa, and other related complications (Fischer, 2012). Some of these complicated births have been delivered vaginally even though the risk for these births has been considered significant. At present, the training for Obstetricians has mostly related to the delivery of breech babies via caesarean Section. This development has been re-evaluated by midwives because some midwives believe that obstetricians must equally train in normal deliveries of breech babies, especially as women’s options have been limited by the risks involved in the birth as well as the decreased skill of midwives (Jadoon, 2008). Breech presentation deliveries are deliveries where the foetus is at a longitudinal position, with either the buttocks or the feet presenting at the cervical area during delivery. This presentation is seen at about 3-4% of al l term deliveries (Fischer, 2012). This type of presentation may be attributed to prematurity, uterine malformations, placenta praevia, multiple births, and sometimes foetal abnormalities (Fischer, 2012). Breech presentation is classified into: frank, complete, and footling. Frank breech is observed with hips flexed, knees extended; complete is seen with hips flexed and knees flexed; and footling or incomplete with one of both hips extended and foot presenting (Fischer, 2012). The issue of whether or not vaginal breech deliveries should be considered over Caesarean section is now also based on the skill of midwives. There are major concerns surrounding vaginal delivery of breech presentation and generally limited data on safe vaginal deliveries of a breech. There is also a lack of honesty on the

Yankee Fork and Hoe Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Yankee Fork and Hoe Company - Case Study Example Roberts deploys Sharon Place, the consultant to investigate the problem mainly focusing on its high-volume product ‘bow rake’. Place wants to know how Yankee plans bow rake production. According to the information given by Phil Stanton, the important faculty of marketing, Yankee does not have a formal method of production planning. The production forecasting depends on the information given by the marketing section. However, the forecasts are usually inflated and therefore, Stanton usually reduces the forecast by 10 percent. According to Stanton, the production will be cost effective only if the forecasts are good. However, it often flaws due to the inaccurate information given by the marketers. Ron Adams, the marketing manager has a different opinion regarding the causes of late delivery. He says that he prepares monthly forecasts relying on various factors like the changes in the economy, the previous year’s shortage, and the feedback collected from managers from various sales regions. He further complains that despite the whole efforts, they still fail to avoid customer

Puerto Rico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Puerto Rico - Essay Example Its original inhabitants were Aboriginal people. Christopher Columbus discovered it. It was a Spanish colony who transformed its culture and physical landscape. European knowledge, customs and traditions including Roman Catholicism, Spanish language, agriculture, stone constructions and the printing presses. In the present day, its people are American citizens and the region has a local constitution. They elect their own governor although they lack voting members in Congress and is a subject of the plenary jurisdiction of the United States under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950 (Luis, 2009). Its economy is a high-income economy and the most competitive in the Latin America. This economy is mainly driven by the manufacturing and service industries. The manufacturing industry comprises of pharmaceuticals, textiles, petrochemicals and electronics while the service industry is of finance, insurance, real estate and tourism. The Unites States controls its foreign affairs exerting trading restrictions especially in its shipping industry. It is also a small island lacking natural resources and depends mostly on imports (Duany, 2003). Puerto Rico experienced recession from 2006 to 2011 and again in 2013. However, it has managed to maintain a relatively low inflation in the past decade at the same time maintaining a purchase power higher than 80% of the world. It is unable to become a self-sufficient and self-sustainable economy since it has a public debt equal to 68% of its gross domestic product (Sanchez, 2009). It is, therefore, poorer than other American states, even Mississippi, with 41% of its population below the poverty line. Puerto Rico does participate in globalization through activities such as consumerism of society, attracting industries, computers and through its tourism program. On the other hand, globalization has greatly affected Puerto Rico’s natural environment. The future of the country is greatly jeopardized by the

Middle Range Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Middle Range Theories - Essay Example If properly analysed and explored within a systematic framework, mid-range nursing theories can actually proper guidance as well as direction in terms of what research goals to be pursued. The serious development of mid-range nursing theory started during 1960’s and 1970s when serious efforts were put in place to actually drift away from the existing models being followed in Nursing. (McEwen & Wills, 2007) Community empowerment requires a continual shift in the power relationships between individuals and groups. It is also considered as an outcome which varies with different distribution of resources within the society. The community psychology suggests a positive link between community empowerment and overall health outcomes. When it comes to self care, community empowerment and motivation can play an important role. This paper will actually discuss the issue of community empowerment and motivation with regards to self-care and discuss is it from the perspective of mid-range theories of nursing and how they can solve this problem. Brief Description of the Problem Literature on community psychology indicates that empowerment can actually increase the overall self-esteem and competence of individuals which improves the perception of control and which invariably results into better health outcomes. Empowerment is generally related with an individual’s actions and subsequent development of small groups, community partnerships and organizations which can further lead to the ultimate political action required to bring in the desired change in the public health. It is however critical to understand that concrete efforts have not been put in place in order to ensure self-care, community empowerment has not been viewed as one of the critical tools to ensure positive health outcomes. The overall domain of community empowerment as well as self-care has been mostly focused upon the environmental changes and how it can affect the overall health outcomes for t he patients. Individuals can have better chance to ensure their self-care and better health outcomes if individuals can participate into the communities and empower themselves. (Lundy & Janes, 2009) From the perspective of nursing, community empowerment is relatively important however, given the overall complexity involved, nurses need to take greater care in understanding the overall dynamics and how they can develop an effective link between community empowerment and self-care. It is critical for nurses therefore to understand the individual circumstances of their patients and attempt to deliver an overall experience which can improve the overall health outcome for the students. Nurses therefore face difficult and complex challenges in this regard. (Janice E. Hitchcock, Schubert, & Thomas, 2003) Comfort Theory Word comfort is considered as complex and diverse in nature and has remained one of the intriguing aspects of nursing. Comfort has been defined as â€Å"the immediate state of being strengthened through having the human needs for relief, ease, and transcendence addressed in four contexts of experience†. The comfort therefore is considered as the desirable and positive outcome which is required to bring patients and their families to engage into the positive health outcomes. Comfort theory was developed in 1990s by Katharine Kolcaba and is considered as middle range theory for nursing practice, education and research. This theory is

Health Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health Sociology - Essay Example Also included is the criticism of capitalism which forces the lower working classes to be subject to the exploitation of the upper classes. This includes not only the working standards of the employees but a variety of other factors such as the standards of health which are determined by the bourgeoisie set to attain power. Through manipulating these means, they are able to produce surplus product which leads to profits and the upper classes accumulation of wealth and power for themselves. The last pattern set by Marxism is the need for the worker to revolt. It is only by standing up to the orders set for them by the upper classes that the proletariat can escape. This requires the workers to unite through unions and political parties to stand against the control of the rich ruling classes. Thus, the Marxist policy is very consistent with the idea of exploitation done by the ruling class to maintain their power over the poorer and less powerful working classes. While most Marxist opinions are based upon the concept of economic determinism and its effect on the resulting class conflict, Marx and Engels have been unable to come with a unified and direct theory on over-all purpose of civil society itself. However this purpose of society can be understood by examining the work done by both men. This includes the criticism of the 19th century social systems, the advantages of a communist system and its superiority to the exploitation committed by the capitalist systems and the Marxist need for a justified revolution that would allow the workers to gain their due rights (Peffer 1990).Thus, Marxists aim for a health system that will not deprive the poor of their rights to a justifiable and efficient system that will provide for their basic needs and wants. Marxists view the health care system as a method for capitalist societies to search for profits while maintaining their capitalist domination and capital accumulation (Waitzkin 1983). Marx saw the problems created by the inequality amongst the classes. The conditions borne by the lower working classes were dismal. The working classes were living in an abject state of poverty and were deprived of many material goods. Not only were they paid a minimum wage which prevented them from buying anything but the basic necessities of life but they also lived together which allowed the diseases amongst them to spread at a much higher speed. This unbridled capitalist system created a breeding ground for disease amongst the proletariat (Baggott 2004). There is no doubt that the upper classes are not immune to the disease and infections spread caused by the social and economic conditions, but the number of ill-health between the rich and poor are severely disproportionate. This was coupled with the health services provided to the two different classes. Both were phenomenally different. This proved the Marxist concept that while the rich prospered; the working class lived in poo r conditions under them. The idea is that the health of managerial and professional classes tends to improve while those of the poorer

Future Goals and Reasons for Choosing the DNP Program Essay

Future Goals and Reasons for Choosing the DNP Program - Essay Example I would like to contribute in improvement of this situation. I also believe that the doctorate will put me at an advantage economically, more so because it will increase the enumeration which I will receive. I also believe that there will be high chances of obtaining scholarships in this program to enable me become a professor in the field. The program is relatively new and has room for accommodating individuals like myself in its line. Leadership in my view is an essential part of any nursing career path. I intend on continuing to develop my leadership skills through ongoing educational pursue and via taking greater positions of responsibility. My current position as a Captain with the United States Army reserves has allowed me to put leadership knowledge into practice. I also feel that the DNP program will further enhance these skills. I see myself as someone with wide and diverse knowledge in advanced practice with the ability to link classroom studies with clinical challenges. I also envision myself with the ability to integrate all the knowledge I will have obtained up to that level into my area of expertise in the health industry. I also believe that I will be able to research into various quarters that have been the cause of discrepancies in the health industry. Besides this, I will be able to cooperate with other fields of the profession to achieve effectiveness as a practioner. Some of the fields that I picture myself working with include administration and education. As I have taken on more responsibilities, I have become more cognizant of some of the problems with our health care system, and I plan to become more active toward creating and influencing a positive change. For example, I plan to advocate and to fight hard to force policy makers to take decisive steps to move today's bureaucracy driven, heavily regulated third-party payment system to a new patient-centered system of consumer choice and real market competition. I also envision myself as a competent manager of health care. This implies that I will have the ability to merge all the legal, ethical and professional requirements and standards during service provision. I believe that I will be able to provide adequate healthcare for all patients that I will deal with. This will be regardless of their background as I am ready to work and have worked with diverse population groupings during my practice. My position as a correctional nurse and a captain with the 6250th medical hospital, has given me the opportunity to work with a variety of patients from many cultures and backgrounds. I feel that this experience has enriched me and has allowed me to provide culturally sensitive care to the patients that I am entrusted to serve. Lastly, I envision my role as one who will be able to deliver changes in the field of healthcare delivery. I intend on doing this by affecting health policies in the industry and changing the attitude of service delivery. Professional experiences that contributed to nursing I will complete my bachelor's degree in nursing from Washington State University in May 2008. I also have a master degree from Chapman University in Clinical Psychology. Before I became a

In this assignment, discuss the diagnostic value of less invasive Assignment

In this , discuss the diagnostic value of less invasive imaging modalities - Assignment Example Atherosclerosis is the chief causes of  coronary artery diseases (CAD) which causes changes in structure as well functionality of blood vessels.  It is the process in which, progressive dumping of cholesterol and other fatty materials across the arterial wall occurs. These dumping results in a contriction of the lumen i.e stenosis, which restricts blood flow. Further, spasm, birth defect, lupus, arteritis, blood clogging are few other causes apart from atherosclerosis. Ten years ago, CAD is thought to be a disorder of men. Generally, CAD occurs a decade earlier in men than women,  up to the time of menopause, because a high level of estrogen  protects women from CAD. Anyhow, after menopause, it happens more frequently in women in comparability to men. It is noticed that ratio of women suffering from CAD is higher than men in the age group of or beyond 75. CAD is assumed to be the leading  lifer taker in developed countries. Studies imply about 5-9% of people aged 20+ are su ffering through CAD. The death rate rises with age, and it is more common in males in comparison to females,  but the  death rates for men decrease sharply after age of 55 and finally after aged 75. The death rate of women is higher than men, who are of the same age.  Ã‚  It is estimated that +16 million Americans are suffering through CAD and 8 million of them had a myocardial infarction (increased 1 Million per annum). Framingham trial predicts approximately 50% & 30% of males and females respectively in the age 40+ population are suffering through CAD (Helen H, and Munther K). The most convoluted part of CAD lies in its undetection, mostly CAD remains undetected until the moment of myocardial infarction or even death. It is an alarming situation for Biomedical Scientists to develop a mean to discover CAD as soon as possible to get the best result and prevent diseases. Early detection of CAD allows a physician to  reduce the potential risk factor associated with CAD. There are several methods by which CAD can be diagnosed including an echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, but imaging method like multislice CT angiography, electron-beam computed tomography, nuclear scan, and magnetic resonance angiography, etc, is assumed to be the most effective method for CAD diagnosis. Imaging of CAD is the demand of 21st centuries due to the uninterrupted activity of Heart & acuteness of CAD. Over the last decade, multislice CT Angiography (MSCTA) has been recognised as the most precious & productive method of CAD diagnoses because of lightning technical promotion & enhanced precision (Sun Z, 2010). It has exhibited an immense potential in early identification of CAD because of  improved spatial and temporal resolution.  Ã‚  MSCTA showed enormous technical growth from the early generation of 4-slice CT scanners to subsequent models such as 16-, 64-, dual-source, 256- and 320-slice CT. Retrospective ECG gated method was employed to show the feasibleness of MSCTA w ith 4-slice. It displayed mild accuracy with sensitivity & specificity of 78% and 93%, respectively.

Concept of Compounding DQ2 Positive NPV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Concept of Compounding DQ2 Positive NPV - Essay Example d amount of money or an expected cash flow; for instance if a person has $500 that money will be worth less in the future because money depreciates due to the effect of inflation. Based on the time value of money present value table $500 discounted at 3% will be worth $431.30 five years from now (Besley & Brigham, 2000). The NPV value technique is often used by managers when making decisions regarding capital projects. A project should only be accepted if its NPV is above cero (Garrison & Noreen, 2003). A positive net present value is the desirable outcome. When the NPV is negative a project should be rejected because a company would lose money by accepting such a project. The process to calculate net present value involves the use of present value tables to find the factoring factor. Another way to calculate the present value of an amount of money is by using financial calculators. Graphic calculators such as the Ti-89 titanium have integrated financial calculators in its systems which are very easy to use. The discounting rate a company uses depends on the risk the company is willing to take. Some companies require a higher discounting rate than others due to the industry in which they

One- Creative Writing Essay Example for Free

One- Creative Writing Essay Medic! the cry rang out through the hot street. Another gunshot, and men scrambled for cover like scared rabbits. The man still lay bleeding in the middle of the road. The war had started today, and he was already dying. He made an attempt to crawl for safety. Too late, he looked pleadingly to his comrades. A rifle bullet cut through stifling air and bit deep into the mans backbone. He writhed, screaming in pain. A final shot, this time better aimed. A burst of blood from his neck and a gargle, and he was gone forever. He was dead. His radio crackled. A few miles away someone needed help. Med Evac to grid 647- 321. Landmine detonation. One casualty. Serious. George Robertson lay in the muddy field, in a pool of dirty water and his own blood. Like a Valkyrie coming to claim him, a helicopter buzzed overhead, and two medics kneeling beside him spoke in terse, quiet voices. Of course, George didnt know any of this. George didnt know that his legs were a smoking ruin and that his pelvis had been smashed, fragments forced into his gut and spine. There was no pain, only the purgatory black of unconsciousness. A memory formed in his mind. The morning rally echoed out over the barracks. George woke up and sat on the side of his bed. Still dark outside, he thought, as he glanced at his watch. Five thirty- what was going on? Someone knocked at the door, and came in. It was Mark, Georges best mate. They had joined the army together, about a year back. Mark was from Liverpool and was the funniest person in Georges squad. Whaddya reckons going on then? asked Mark in his thick scouse. Dunno, replied George, still half awake. Might be about that thing in the Novistranos islands. Oh yeah. Yeah, I read abou that. Big time drug dealers rule half the place, I heard George, finally, was dressed. The two men walked out into the warm June night, across the parade ground where they drilled three times a week with that idiot Sergeant Major. Another rally call echoed through the mist. Cmon, were late!, exclaimed Mark loudly. Leg it! The men ran into the briefing hall, and not a moment late. Colonel Smith was stepping to the front. The men sat down. The situation in the Novistranos Island group has changed, gentlemen. A military coup has taken place there, led by a drug dealer called Pedro Alvarez. A picture of the man in question flashed up on the projector- he had a bushy moustache and wore huge sunglasses, with a straw hat on. Some of the assembled men laughed- he hardly looked the billionaire, mass murdering drug dealer he was. Okay, settle down now. He may look comical, but hes anything but. He bribed the army some weeks ago, and took control of most of the country. He sent the tanks into the capital last night. Latest estimates put the death toll in the thousands. The President is dead. The cabinet have either been murdered or defected to the rebels. This is serious. Novistranos has a capable army, with around 150,000 professional soldiers, and an unspecified number of reserves. NATO says we need to act fast. The Prime Minister makes a statement this afternoon. Prep for combat. You leave in 6 hours. You were formed as a rapid reaction force. Today, you fulfil that role. There was a shocked silence in the barracks. Every man attended to his weapons and kit. They sat on their bunks, writing final letters, cleaning firearms, assembling combat gear; webbing, body armour, radio sets. They knew that without proper preparation, they were going home in a cheap wooden box. On the helicopter, George lay on a stretcher, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, unknowing of his weakening pulse and massive blood loss. There were two dressings around what was left of his legs, and a line in his arm. The rotors buzzed like maddened flies, and the medic next to him noted his pulse. George dropped out of the paroxysm of nothing he was in, and lapsed into another flashback. George Robertson woke up. It was too early. Hed got the sack yesterday from the garage where he worked. He remembered how the boss had said something along the lines of an irreparable deficit between costs and sales. George had said to his best friend Mark about how the boss quite possibly had a deficit between his mouth and brain. George had liked his job at the garage- he liked working with machines and going down the local afterwards with his mates. Out of all the jobs in Sheffield, all thirty of em, thought George, that had to be the best one. He had thought about going down the Job Centre, but what would they have for a lad with 5 GCSEs in Sheffield? The steel industry had packed up about twenty years ago, and no office would take him with his qualifications. Damn. Sheffield can offer me no more, he thought aloud. He needed a job where he could travel, and carry on working with mechanical stuff. Preferably without being a gypsy who fixed caravans, he chuckled. Just then, the pho ne rang. Hello?, George answered. He couldnt be bothered with anyone today. A right mate?, answered the voice at the other end, in a thick liverpudlian accent. It was Mark. You got any ideas for a job? Me mams chucked me out again George laughed aloud. Its true what they say about scouse families, then? As a matter of fact, I do have an idea for a job. What would you think about joining the army? Sounds good to me- pay, free house on a base could be just the thing. Hes destabilising! In the hot and damp medical tent, orderlies milled around the man who lay on the table in the centre of the floor. George was dying. He thrashed around on his bed, his mind not registering the pain his body was in. Finally, the surgeon arrived. He wore a bloodstained apron, with scalpels and capped syringes full of morphine hanging out of the pouch like a sinister infant kangaroo. He had a weather-beaten face; hed seen it all before, too many times. Whats going on with him?, the Doctor inquired. Massive internal bleeding he needs surgery now, sir, recommended a senior medic, brandishing x- ray photos at the Doctor, who brushed past him. Uncaring of the swirling melee, like a ghost in the night, the Doctor walked to George, who was still thrashing about on the table. The Doctor took Georges arm, and took a syringe from his pouch. The needle slipped into the skin, like the mouthpiece of a hungry mosquito. A thumb pushed the plunger, and the Doctor shouted Ten millegrams morphine going in. A minute later, the potent opiate did its work and the thrashing stopped. His pulse was still weak, but had slowed to a safer level. His blood pressure, though, the Doctor noted, was through the floor. The room was silent and still. The doctor breathed in long and slow. Get this man to theatre. Im going to do what I can.. The Doctor said, and walked away to get ready. Oh, and contact HQ. They have to inform his family. The shaking stopped as the ramp on the Hercules transport reached its fully open position. The thirty young men checked their parachutes one last time. They looked at the light by the door- still red. The men turned their heads to the standing figure of Lieutenant Lewis. He shouted out the orders that they already knew about and had studied countless times on the way to this god-forsaken place. Stand up! 60 seconds!, he shouted over the whistling wind. The men stood up, unclipping their arrestor hooks from their chutes. Clip on!. The men took the hooks and attached them to the line running the length of the cargo bay. 30 seconds! George looked over at Mark, who was facing forwards, looking at the helmet of the man in front. He heard another man whispering the Lords Prayer; someone else simply closed his eyes and raised his head to look at the ceiling. George thought of all of his friends at home, his family, his little sister, and his girlfriend. He had never had a chance to tell any of them he was shipping out. He thought more of them, imagining their faces, imagining their voices. A huge explosion interrupted his reverie, and the plane lurched to one side. One unfortunate man was thrown out the door screaming, spinning uncontrollably to his death. Another was hit by burning kerosene from an auxiliary fuel tank that exploded next to him, and ran screaming through the door. Missile hit! Repeat, missile hit! Evac, evac, evac!, the pilot screamed through the intercom. Ejecting! There was a roar as the pilot saved himself from certain death. Shocked, George looked at the still red light at the back of the plane. He muttered a hurried prayer. Lets go!, screamed the Lieutenant. No- one needed telling twice. Like lemmings running to a cliff, they charged for the exit. Some of the men got out in time. Others were not so lucky. The planes nose jerked upwards as another explosion severed the arrestor line, and all the men in the plane were thrown out of the door, all spinning. except for the charred remains of what had been the co- pilot, who had been immolated in the first hit. The plane span downwards, hitting the ground with a cataclysmic explosion. George coasted down through the sky. He was still processing what had happened on the plane- it had happened so fast. One second he was thinking of home, next second he had watched two men die. Was this war, he thought? Was this what it was really like, simply watching your friends die completely randomly and without reason? War was hell, he decided, and hed been in one for less than a minute. He wanted to go home. Back in Sheffield, the Robertsons sat watching the TV. They saw the pictures of air strikes on the Novistranos Islands. They saw the British planes roaming the skies, firing missiles at seemingly random intervals at unseen targets. Another year, another war, the correspondents had said. Itll be over soon, they prophesised like fortune tellers, as they always did. The telephone rang. Hello?, said John Robertson, in his gruff voice. Is that Mr Robertson?, inquired the voice. Speaking. What do you want? My son is in a war zone. If youre another double glazing salesman- John was cut off by the insistent voice of the caller. Mr Robertson, could you take a seat please? I have some bad news. Its about your son, George. I cant do any more. Stitch him back up, you. All we can do now is hope. The Doctor took off his gloves and walked away from the dying man. The Doctor knew hed be dead in a few hours. There was so much damage to his arteries. Almost all of them were ruptured. Anyway, the Doctor reasoned with himself, hed never walk again- he had no legs. He would have to have a colostomy bag too- that much damage had been done by bone shards from the pelvis, shattered into hundreds of pieces. The doctor went into his private room, lay face down on his bed, and wept. There were so many dead just so many. All young men with their lives ahead of them. War. War. War. A three-letter word, with so many implications. George thought again. He was drifting away from these thoughts now; he was running out of the energy to think them. He remembered back to when he hit the ground. George unclipped his parachute and took his SA-80 from his pack. He had come down in a clearing, luckily. In training, they had showed the pictures of men who had landed on trees. Nervously, he spoke into his radio microphone. Bravo 2-6 to any friendly units, respondBravo 2-6 to any friendly units, please respond, over Bravo 2-5 here. Whats your status, George? It was Mark. Im OK, he replied. The plane. How many got out alive? Do you know? I saw 12 chutes as I came down, including yours. I was last out. The last thing I saw was the back of the plane completely shearing in two. theyre all dead. Sixteen men hurled to their doom. Sixteen friends. Sixteen families. It all sank in. OK Ive looked at the map. Meet at grid 502-178, said Mark. Roger, see you- George stopped talking. Hed seen something move in the trees to his left. George immediately went prone, and looked around him. He crawled through the undergrowth, and saw a man walking away. He looked in his early twenties maybe the same age as George. He carried an AK-47, and wore a red t shirt, with the words Always Coca Cola emblazoned on the back. George moved again, this time snapping a twig. The man turned around, eyes wild with panic. He lifted his gun to shoot George. George instinctively pulled the trigger on his rifle. A shout of gun, and the man was on the floor. George lay there, stunned. Hed just killed a man. He got up to look at the man. and jogged. The rendezvous couldnt be far away now. A half hour later, George was being briefed by the lieutenant. They had 11 men in the squad, and the main force had landed on the beach a few miles away. Helicopters buzzed overhead.. Now that the war is through with me George stepped forwards. Im waking up I cannot see. His foot hit something metallic.. Deep down inside I feel the scream.. Landmine! shrieked a squaddie. George was in terrible pain. This terrible silence stops me.. The world went white. Now the world is gone, Im just one, Oh God help me.. The pain stopped. George remembered no more. Hes dead, Doctor.

Comparing The Contrast Of Blakes Songs English Literature Essay

Comparing The Contrast Of Blakes Songs English Literature Essay William Blake was born in, London, England on 28 November 1757, he was born to a middle-class family and was the third child of seven children, two of whom died in childhood. William did not go to school, and was educated by his mother at home William Blake displayed a bright imagination at a young age, which was not looked upon positively during the pre Romantic period. He continued throughout his writing to drastically question faith and politics. His parents knew enough of his stubborn character. He enthusiastically read on subjects of his own choosing. During this time, Blake was also making explorations into poetry. On August the fourth 1772, Blake became apprenticed to engraver James Basire, for seven years. At the end of this period, at the age of 21, he was to become a professional engraver On October the eighth 1779, Blake became a student at the Royal Academy in Old Somerset House, while his study required no payment; he was expected to bring in his own materials during the six-year period. Blake met John Flaxman in 1782, who was then to become his supporter, and Catherine Boucher, who was later on, to become his wife. Blakes marriage to Catherine remained close and loyal until his death. She helped him to colour his printed poems while he taught her how to write, In this assignment I will compare and contrast three of Blakes poems from the songs of innocence and three poems from the songs of experience, I will comment on the context, themes and Blakes craftsmanship. In Blakes poems many poems fall into pairs Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience they both have opposing perspectives of the world, Most of the time Blake is trying to show us how experience corrupt innocence. The first two poems I will be comparing is Infant Joy and Infant Sorrow Blake wrote the song The Chimney sweepers song of innocence and The chimney sweepers song of experience from totally different perspectives William Blakes wrote the poem The Chimney Sweepers in 1789, the poems tells the story of what happened to many young boys throughout this time. Boys were sold at very young age for the purpose of cleaning chimneys. These children were exploited and lived a very terrible life. Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience both protests the living conditions and the overall treatment of young chimney sweeps The innocence version of the poem consists of six four line stanzas. The poem starts with a depressing tone telling us from the Childs perspective that before he had even learnt to speak his parents had sold him My father sold me while yet my tongue could scarcely cry. In the songs of innocence boys innocence does not allow him to not understand the social injustice and unlike the experience version where the boy in the poem sees the unfairness and is able to speak against it. The songs of Experience version consists of three four line stanzas. The poem starts of with the line A little Black thing among the snow this suggests the Boy feels lonely and depressed, the boy also does not have trust in god and feels that he has lost his purpose this shown when he says Where are thy mother and father, say? They are both one up to church to pray The Boy also Blames his parents for making him do this work, this is shown here Because I was happy among the heath and smiled against the winters snow, they clothed me in the cloth of death, and taught me to sing the notes of woe this shows that the boy was joyful until his parents sold him The Nurses Song tells a tale of a Nurse who is looking over some children playing in the field. However the experience version differs form the innocence version in the Experience version it is more bitter than the innocence version, it shows a nurse that is jealous of the children and is cruel. On the other hand the innocence version shows a nurse that does not mind the children playing, it also seems as if she is enjoying watching the children play this I shown at the very first stanza where she says When Voices of children are heard on the green and the laughter is heard on the hill, My heart is at rest within my breast and everything else is still. Whereas in the Experience version in the first stanza the nurse says that When voices of children are heard on the green and whips rings are in the dale, my face turns green and pale this could suggest that the nurse is an old nurse with a lot of experience from life. In the last stanza the nurse says Your spring and your day are wasted in play, and your winter and night in disguise this shows that the nurse is weighed down by lifes experience. In the experience version we do not see a lot of colors, unlike the innocence version where Blake paints a childrens drawing in the readers mind. He also uses very smooth language for example instead of saying the sun goes down it is said till the light fades away In the Poem Infant joy songs of innocence Blake s showing us a two day old child that is happy to arrive to the world. Blake creates a lot of joyful Images in the readers mind, He does that by only adding positive language in his poem, for example the word joy is repeated seven times in the poem. The language that Blake uses when the child talks is also uncomplicated and simple, the poem has two stanzas and is a bit rambling we also see that the mother witch has experience is positively reflecting on the two day old who represents innocence On the other hand Infant sorrow from the songs of experience the child feels he is unwanted and that he doesnt belong to this world we learn that when in the first stanza when he says My mother groaned and my father wept We also learn the child is struggling Struggling in my fathers hands striving against my swaddling bands, the child also feels discarded this is shown when he say bound and weary I thought best to sulk upon my mothers breast. Helpless, naked piping loud this could suggest that Blake is talking about the industrial revolution and that the world is becoming to dangerous for next generations, in the second line the child also says Into the dangerous world I leapt In all of Blakes poems he tries to tell us that everyone was born innocent and that lifes experience that forced the us into something good or bad and that lifes experience took away the innocence of youth. Most of his poems illustrate that belief

The Secret Language of Leadership Steve Denning

The Secret Language of Leadership Steve Denning Selected in 2000 as one of the worlds ten most admired knowledge leader, Steve Denning is an award winner for the books  «The secret language of leadership » and  «the leaders guide to storytelling ». He studied law and psychology in Sydney University and then went to Oxford in the UK for a law postgraduate degree. He worked in organization in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia and was until 2000 the program director Knowledge Management at the World Bank. In the book the Secret Language of Leadership, the steps that have to be achieved to become a successful leader are to get the attention, to stimulate desire, to reinforce the reason and to continue the conversation. To reach those, a leader has to use six enablers that will be describing in our analysis of the language of Leadership: key enablers. Articulating a clear, inspiring goal Stephen Denning starts his explanation of the key enablers of the language of Leadership by a quote o George Bernard Shaw: This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.† This quote shows us the importance we give on the recognition of the actions we can do or the goal we can reach. We will now analyze how important it is to articulate a clear, inspiring goal. Stephen Denning illustrate the chapter, Articulating a clear, inspiring goal, of his book; with the example of the company Apple. Steve Jobs the creator of Apple had created chaos in his company because even if he is a brilliant person he was not an inexperience chairman.   A new CEO took his place in 1983, John Sculley, who was a star manager of other big companies as Pepsi. Even if Sculley did a good job on stabilizing the corporation and rationnalized the products, the Apple staff was no supporting him. Sculley wanted to implement a shift in Apple life by producing low cost computers like Dell, but the staff was not interested in becoming just another computer company. They wanted to follow Steve Jobs goal of creating cool, innovative electronic products, a purpose that for themselves was worthwhile in itself. John Sculley was forced out in 1993, his instrumental goals were not embraced and he was not successful on inspiring Apple staff to pursue new goals energetically and enthusiastically. What the staff wanted was to pursue Apple original purpose, which was more seductive for them as they came into this company for those values. Michael Spindler, Sculleys successors met the same fate. Steve Jobs came back as the CEO of Apple, and he didnt try to change the company purpose, which he settled many years before. We now know the success of Apple, Steve Jobs became a great CEO and he spread the world with his initiate focus, which was designing cool, innovative electronic products. Apple is a success story and Steve Jobs is often associate to this success, even when he has medical trouble it has an important impact on Apple stock exchange. Steve Jobs is so link to Apple that every launching of his product and every keynote he does make a huge buzz. In my opinion and especially in the market of new technologies when a company his created with a new concept, a brand new idea, a new way to work and projection in the future; the people who mean to work for those values are so convince that it is what you have to reach that they wont consider any other proposition.   Sculley and Spindler did not take into consideration what was Apple staff considerations and first goals; it is why we ask them to quit the company. It is complicated to change the main purpose of a business and the common goals and ideas of a whole staff when there are extremely committed to it. Before making changes in a company you have to define a clear vision and history of what people working in are sensitive and committed to. 1. Articulating a Worthwhile purpose In this part, Stephen Denning set up the problematic of the importance of enduring enthusiasm. He is wondering why Steve Jobs could generate enduring enthusiasm while John Sculley couldnt. Stephen Denning take the example of two kids playing piano, one child loves it, its a joy for her to play, it fills her life with meaning and she wins prizes. Her joy of playing is even more important that the prizes or recognition she could get. An other child is forced by her parents to play, she has a natural aptitude for music but do not enjoy it so much. Those two girls have a different view on this activity, the first one feels energized and enthusiastic and the second one is bored. Stephen Denning link this example with the practice of sharing knowledge in the organization, which is called knowledge management. Some people within the organization commit their working lives to making the best knowledge available to those who need it. They are honest and open to others. The source of their own personal growth is from the knowledge they spread within the organization, the benefits for them is the inherent value of sharing knowledge itself. Some people are practicing knowledge management on their own, it is to bring more money into the company, but for those who want to share their knowledge, they will find reward in the essential fact that the knowledge will be share. Stephen Denning says: A principal difference between these two different ways of viewing an activity is that when the activity generates sustained enthusiasm, the activity is being pursued for its own sake, not merely to achieve some instrumental or external good such as money, status, prestige, power, or winning. The perceived inherent worth of the activity being undertaken is foundational.† For Stephen Denning the enthusiasm toward an activity is important, because if you are enthusiastic for an activity, you will be for the own sake of this activity and not for some other instrumental goals. I totally agree with this vision, as I consider than even if you can be successful for an activity you dont really like, you wont have the same interest and implication to that activity that if youre really enthusiastic about it. When you are a leader your are face to certain situation that if you are not enthusiastic about what you are doing it will be difficult for you to find solutions or it will take you more time to do it, or you will not act you should do. The enthusiasm you could have for an activity can have influence on the people you are working with. The have feelings and can perceive if you are running for instrumental goals or if you find happiness on the own sake of an activity. It is an element to recognize basic leaders to outstanding ones. In some situation, Stephen Denning   take the example of prisoners in a concentration camps, people can find psychic energy to create meaning for their lives.   The people who are able to find inherent value in whatever they are doing are sometimes called â€Å"autotelic personalities†: they have the capacity to be intrinsically motivated by almost any activity. It is a great advantage of being able to find value in what you are doing and to be motivated in whatever you do, but I am sceptical on the degree of enthusiasm of those people. I agree in the fact that you can motivate yourself for some activities that you are not really into it, but I think their might be a difference in the level of implication and enthusiasm for activities that really fit to you and you personality and vision that the one which are not. Stephen Denning define the characteristics of activities that can generate sustained enthusiasm: The participants in the activity can see themselves making progress toward something that is good for its own sake, additional effort is a joy and not a burden. The participants experience their own personal growth and development as part of the activity. A balance between ability level and challenge—the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult—is also conducive to enthusiasm. The participants see themselves as contributing to, raising the sights of, and enhancing the efforts of other people pursuing the same activity. Ideally, the activity should bring some positive instrumental benefits: income, status, prestige. But even without that, it should at least be without negative instrumental effects. If those four elements are in place, there are chances that enthusiasm can be sustained. We can also notice that the primacy of goals pursued for their own sake in transformational leadership does not mean that instrumental benefits are unimportant. In practice, instrumental benefits reinforce the pursuit of goals for their own sake. Instrumental goals are complementary to enthusiasm and the pursued of goals by their own sake. But you have to remember that even if instrumental benefits are important, if you placed them first, enthusiasm is likely to die. You always have to consider the inherent value of the activity. For Stephen Denning: â€Å"One central aspect of the language of transformational leadership is therefore to articulate goals and activities in terms that can be viewed by participants as worthwhile in themselves, not merely pursued because they lead to instrumental benefits.† This is a fundamental quote that resume the importance of articulating a clear, inspiring goal. Those facts are true for leaders, but it is also true for corporations, they are most inspiring when they pursue large goals that are worthwhile in themselves. In this book, we find the example of Toyota, their goal is to: â€Å"to enrich society through the building of cars and trucks.† Also the example of Johnson Johnson who defines the companys responsibilities as first, to the consumers and medical professionals using its products, second, to employees and managers, third to the communities where its people work and live, and fourth and last, to its stockholders. Or Costco, their goal is to provide its members quality goods at low markups. Transformational leaders present their goals as larger than any particular task or organization or time-bound objective.   Stephen Denning take the example in politics: â€Å"Thus Abraham Lincoln can be assassinated, but his vision of a nation pursuing a new birth of freedom lives on. John F. Kennedy can be shot, but his vision of changing race relations in the United States is implemented by his successor. Martin Luther King Jr. can be murdered, but a whole nation continues the work that he started.† It is true that Goals that are articulated as worthwhile in themselves enhance the possibility of sustained enthusiasm, and hence the possibility of transformational leadership. But, articulating the goal as worthwhile in itself doesnt mean that listeners will necessarily see it in this way. Enthusiasm and finding reward in the activity your are pursuing is important, you find more energy and capabilities of reaching your goals and you know that when an activity is pursued for its own sake, the activity never ends. You are so convinced of the meaning and the importance of the activity that you want to reach a level of excellence, the activity will have no limits. It is what give us excitement when we are doing something we are convinced to do. In my opinion to be a good leader you should look for those feelings and excitement in an activity that will fulfill you needs. Or if you want to become a good leader it is the way you have to perceive an activity, you have to tend to those attempt. We are now going to see the importance of setting priorities among goals. 2. Setting Priorities Among Goals Leader fails a lot because they dont have a clear and inspiring goal or have too many of them. Leadership is such a demanding activity that any one individual can probably pursue no more than a couple of significant change ideas at any one time. It is essential to set priorities. Selecting a goal, or at most several goals, and then persevering is a requirement for success as a transformational leader. Stephen Denning take the example of Ronal Reagan, who was a single mindedness leader and politician.   He success was mainly based on a relatively small number of goals : defeating the Soviet Union and reducing taxes and the size of government. What I learn for the chapter tow of the part two of   The secret language of Leadership, is the importance of commitment and enthusiasm toward an activity in order to embrace inspiring goals that will be define clearly and focus on some   domains, in order to make the activity a success. The leaders own story Committing to the goal Stephen Denning starts this third chapter by pointing out the fact that Abraham Lincoln did not begin his presidency as a transformational leader. By definition, transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms individuals. It is often associated with ethics and involves long-term goals. Transformational leadership focuses on the process by which the leader engages with followers, and together create a connection that raises each of them to higher levels of motivation and morality. A transformational leader must be attentive to follower needs and motivation, and tries to help followers reach their full potential. It requires long term strategic planning, clear objectives, a clear vision, the efficiency of systems and processes According to B.M. Bass, one of the leading theorists on transformational leadership, the leader transforms and motivates followers by: making them more aware of the importance of task outcomes, inducing them to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the organization or team, and activating their higher order needs. Transformational leadership is concerned both with the performance of followers as well as developing them to their full potential. What make Stephen Denning says that Abraham Lincoln did not begin his presidency as a transformational leader is that he was explicit in declaring that he had no intent to abolish slavery to his earlier speeches. Its explicit goal was to preserve the Union at that time, which mad sense as there was no consensus for abolishing slavery. But soon, in 1862, nearly 2 years after the beginning of his presidency, he came to the view that the Union could not be preserved without abolishing slavery. Stephen Denning says: â€Å"Privately, he continued to argue that his goal remained the pragmatic one of preserving the Union. But publicly, Lincoln became a leader in a moral cause.† In December 1862 Abraham Lincoln made a speech to the Congress: We say we are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union. The world knows we do know how to save it. We—even we here—hold the power, and bear the responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free—honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just—a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.† This speech symbolize the moment when Lincoln became a transformational leader, he justified his action on instrumental and legal grounds. This new vision, based on moral grounds, Lincoln showed that it was something worthwhile in itself. With this changes Lincoln is proclaiming a new Union who want to restrain slavery, who will fulfill the promise of liberty. We can say that Lincoln is a transformational leader after this participation in the Congress in December 1862 because he stimulates people to want to do something different, inspiring them to higher levels of aspiration. Abraham Lincoln gives a new vision of what the United States should sand for: â€Å"government of the people, by the people, for the people† Stephen Denning came to the point of studying politicians as leaders. 1. Politicians as Leaders We often think of our politicians as leaders. But they are more oriented on the acquisition and retention of political office rather than being worried about people moral values and inspiring them to change. But if they do care, they usually survive in the world of politics. A successful politicians is one who is willing to fight, to attack the establish order, who is flexible. And who is able to preserve a public image of being honest, compassionate, moral and devout. Stephen Denning notice that: â€Å" Retaining power is principally about listening to the electorate. â€Å"If you want to get elected, learn to speak,† said Tom Daschle, former Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate. â€Å"If you want to stay elected, learn to listen.† It is difficult to understand the commitment to change of politicians and also ambiguous, because you are not 100% sure of what drive them to the commitment of their goals. Stephen Denning says that we should not be surprised of the lack of leadership in politics because nothing in the terminology of politics suggests that the people are electing â€Å"leaders†. Also that politicians have qualities like containing conflicts, guiding forces of change by giving direction, value and purpose but that it is not necessarily the qualities of a transformational leader. I agree with the fact that politicians have qualities and that it is not the sign of a transformational leader. But when you choose to elect a politician, you would like him to manage your country and maybe to make yourself more aware of the importance of task outcomes, for your own self-interest, you might want his politician to be concern of developing the population to its full potential. But it is that in reality that does not happen that much, or will we know it and we would live in a perfect world or close to the excellence ! 2. CEOs as Leaders Stephen Denning takes the example of Alan Klapmeier in Cirrus Design, a manufacturer of private aircraft. Alan wanted to introduce a new innovation that would change the industry, but its board of directors stopped him because they just completes a market research highlighting that this product elicited the least interest. Later Klapmeier convinced his board of directors, the innovation was introduced and it became a success. The decisive issue for the board of directors was not if the innovation was worthwhile but it was the institutional preoccupation. Stephen Denning says: â€Å" If a firm can focus its efforts on activities valuable in themselves where it has, or can develop, an edge over its competitors, social responsibility can become not a drag on the firms profitability but rather a strategic business opportunity. Companies can do well while doing good.† He also highlight the fact that is easier to pursue an inherently worthwhile purpose in a privately held corporation rather than in a publicly held corporation as their business tend to be faire-weather corporate citizens, they are under continuing pressure to grow and do whatever is profitable. Furthermore, pursuing goals that are both worthwhile and profitable doesnt remove the inherent tensions between the pursuit of worthwhile activities and the goal of enhancing the bottom line. We can see that it is not easy for a CEO to be a leader, it depends of the environment, the context; it is why a leader as to be flexible and can adapt easily to the environment. We can also say that in publicly own companies they have the same tools as private own companies so they can try harder to pursue an inherently worthwhile purpose by develop a challenging and attractive vision, together with the employees and translate it to actions, express confidence, decisiveness and optimism about the vision and its implementation, realize the vision through small planned steps for its full implementation. But we also have to balances with the fact that objectives are not the same in private and publicly own companies. Speaking to the CEO (NB: people of power will be called CEO) Leadership is here approached through change. The main question rose by the author is â€Å"How to communicate disruptive new ideas to people with great power†. This implies the question of the HOW of course, which is one of the Management science and research main concerns but there is also here a dimension not that often developed, its the communication with people having power. We often hear how to be a leader and get your team and â€Å"N-1† to do things but it is not that often that the target of power people (CEO) is approached. The key idea expressed here is â€Å"understanding†. The author emphasis on the human part of every individual and on the importance of the context. He thinks the person as an individual but part of a global scheme. To lead correctly you have to explore deeper and learn about personal individual. What are their preferences, hopes, manners, fears The idea here is to understand how people work inside, what trigger them. Because if you can understand the deeper needs of an individual you cant then easily figure out the proper way to communicate with him. You have then greater chances for him to listen to you and then to believe you. 1. Garry Williams and Robert Miller theory The author then develops a theory by Gary Williams and Robert Miller. They have agreed on 3 main leaders categories (80%): the charismatic, the skeptics and the followers, and they. then talk about thinkers and controllers (20%) Leaders needs: For charismatic: the boldness of idea should be featured For skeptical: need to hear the message from a person he trusts For risk averse follower: need to be reassured other people do it do Controller and thinkers: need details Trust Issue: The question of trust is developed. They distinguish here in the game of trust two different parties: the people in the inner circle of trust of the leader and the others. Inner Circle Not yet †trusted† Has the CEOs attention Sponsors the interaction Can be perceived as an opponent Can be perceived as irrelevant If so wont be listened to When aware of that, the challenges are easier to identify. The problem is here to focus on the CEOs interests and to make him believe in the idea you want to present to him by making it a part of himself. Committing to change The author uses here a powerful expression â€Å"Commitment mind, body and soul†. He explains here that to him the only way for a leader to succeed is to commit fully to an objective. The leader is here expected to â€Å"see intensively even obsessively, to feel it†. Being committed 100% is crucial for the leaders effectiveness, but the real problem is not to get him to convince the other but to get him passionate about the goal and get it to become a part of him. Because if strongly and intimately convinced he will be able to take the goal/company or team to a higher level. The leaders feelings stressed out? Feelings are often considered in Leadership theories, how to connect with people to make them do what is needed for the common goal (often the company)? But what I think is extremely interesting here is the consideration made to the leaders feelings. The question is not how to deal with the teams feelings but to analyze what thrive the leaders and how they handle their emotions. The Author here develops a little paragraph on how stressful it can be for a leader to become a leader. The two mains reasons to this stress would be : Steve Denning then points out the famous and classical world Leaders such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Kennedy who so intimately convinced had to pay the price of their life for their causes. To conclude this discussion I found important to highlight the phrase p79 telling that â€Å"its an opportunity to lift their game to a new level† because to me it sums up very well the basic structure of leadership that is to say the dimension of a vision. 2. Howell Raines leadership tale Steve Denning choose to introduce this chapter with a story: â€Å"The Howell Rainess leadership tale†. He tells us more about Howell Raines, former executive editor of the New York Times and the kind of leader he is and how he lived and tried to implement is change strategy. To sum up, Raines wanted the times to be the first on the news, with bigger and more original stories covered by what he called â€Å"overwhelming force†. He was familiar with the firm and the staff and had strong backing from his boss. One of the first thing is did was to use his right of fire and hire to create the dream team he had in mind. He did implemented change and got the Times to win a Pulitzer but after 19 months he was dismissed because of one of his reporter accused of plagiarism. The underlying reason was a bit different though, he was told to have â€Å"lost the newsroom†. What happened here is that despite his vision and that he strongly believed in what he intended to implement, he had failed to win â€Å"the hearts and minds â€Å"of his staff. He did not listened to his people enough and was perceived as very intimidating and aggressive. He did not succeed in taking other with him in his change strategy mainly because he underestimated his change strategy and its interaction with the staff. New audience: The author here develops the concept of audience evolution. Communication and management as we know it now is pretty recent in human history. â€Å"Once upon a time† people were not considering work like they are now. They had no specific expectations except earning money and would not even think work as a way of making them feel better, important and individually considered. There are 3 notions I will highlight that I think are crucial to understand this change of audience expectations: Quest for happiness: Nowadays we are in what I call the endless happiness quest, everyone wants and have to be happy by any means, and it of course includes work. People have more skills, are more educated and therefore expect more. They want something in return. New relation to authority figures: Another important thing that changes a lot the way the audience is acting is that we nowadays have a new relation towards authority, in private spheres (Family with your parents) and public spheres (at work with your boss). This is very important to keep in mind to understand why the audience acts in a certain way and what it expects. Expansion of diversity: We are dealing with more and more differences between people: â€Å"gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, life style, age group and geographical location† Understand that new audience: The problem is that dealing with different people means that you wont reach them with the same tools. What is the common point to every single individual? We are humans. And what is common to every human being? Emotions. Whatever we do, wherever we come from we are driven by emotions, whether we try to hide them or we work with them we are all emotional. This is what the leader has to use: Emotions. He has to keep in mind that we are all different, have different goals, ambitions, perspectives and needs but a way to get us to understand the other and get involve in change or in a project is to use our emotions, the one that thrives us to go to â€Å"another level†. The author emphasis a 2 dimensions individual with a surface and a deeper world. To make something of someone you have to go to the deeper world, and for this you have first to get to know the individual personal story. They question. They explore. They intuit. They wander. They mingle. They live in it. They listen. They watch.† Its a matter of imaginatively reaching out and getting inside the subjective world of the people who need to change and getting a sense of what it is like living in that world, so that the leaders feel its logic and power and order and compelling harmony† Finding and encouraging New leaders Steve Denning develops an idea that I find particularly interesting it is that leaders cant work alone. No matter how charismatic and how committed he is to his vision an idea he will need the others to make change happen. He speaks about middle hierarchy and calls them â€Å"evangelizers†. He then makes a parallel with Raines story and how he failed involving his staff in his change strategy. He ends that chapter with the concept of Narrative intelligence required for understanding the story of the change idea and the audiences story†. 3.Steve Denning vision of leadership Why Do People Change Their Minds? Stephen Denning explains us that there are 3 ways for people to change their mind: by actual experience, by observed experience, and by symbolic learning. Actual Experience: The way we are living and experiencing things around us can change the way we think about them, mostly because of the feelings we have when experiencing those things. When you feel a strong emotion doing something, you trend to pay attention to it and to remember it more easily and longer than when you dont feel anything. Observed Experience: Actual experience is not the only way to learn from experiences, observing events can have the same emotional effect as real-life experiencing. In the public arena, 9/11 changed the way many people viewed terrorism. Symbolic Learning: Most of the time the learning of an idea communicated symbolically is not as powerful as an experience but it can have similar physiological reactions. In the author case, the combination of direct experience, observed experience, and symbolic learning led to his spending a large part of his life devoted to international development. 1. Changing minds through direct or observed learning: The more immediately people are involved in an actual or observed experience, the more meaningful the learning will be, and the more impact they will have. Direct or observed learning in a business environment can be: acting, conversations, visits, role-playing, simulations, prototyping, training, Advantages of experiential learning (direct or observed): Emotions are involved Participants make up their own opinion (durability of the change) Experiential learning is more effective than passive learning Limits of experiential learning: Leaders dont always have the power to change peoples actual experiences Most of the leaders falls on the use of language as a way to change peoples mind 2. Persuading people to change through language Methods of persuading people change their minds Abstract Narrative Direct and explicit Appeal to reason through detailed evidence and arguments Narratives in which the object is to have the listener live the story as fully and movingly as possible Indirect and implicit Appeals to intuition, through cues, signs, heuristics and manipul The Secret Language of Leadership Steve Denning The Secret Language of Leadership Steve Denning Selected in 2000 as one of the worlds ten most admired knowledge leader, Steve Denning is an award winner for the books  «The secret language of leadership » and  «the leaders guide to storytelling ». He studied law and psychology in Sydney University and then went to Oxford in the UK for a law postgraduate degree. He worked in organization in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia and was until 2000 the program director Knowledge Management at the World Bank. In the book the Secret Language of Leadership, the steps that have to be achieved to become a successful leader are to get the attention, to stimulate desire, to reinforce the reason and to continue the conversation. To reach those, a leader has to use six enablers that will be describing in our analysis of the language of Leadership: key enablers. Articulating a clear, inspiring goal Stephen Denning starts his explanation of the key enablers of the language of Leadership by a quote o George Bernard Shaw: This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.† This quote shows us the importance we give on the recognition of the actions we can do or the goal we can reach. We will now analyze how important it is to articulate a clear, inspiring goal. Stephen Denning illustrate the chapter, Articulating a clear, inspiring goal, of his book; with the example of the company Apple. Steve Jobs the creator of Apple had created chaos in his company because even if he is a brilliant person he was not an inexperience chairman.   A new CEO took his place in 1983, John Sculley, who was a star manager of other big companies as Pepsi. Even if Sculley did a good job on stabilizing the corporation and rationnalized the products, the Apple staff was no supporting him. Sculley wanted to implement a shift in Apple life by producing low cost computers like Dell, but the staff was not interested in becoming just another computer company. They wanted to follow Steve Jobs goal of creating cool, innovative electronic products, a purpose that for themselves was worthwhile in itself. John Sculley was forced out in 1993, his instrumental goals were not embraced and he was not successful on inspiring Apple staff to pursue new goals energetically and enthusiastically. What the staff wanted was to pursue Apple original purpose, which was more seductive for them as they came into this company for those values. Michael Spindler, Sculleys successors met the same fate. Steve Jobs came back as the CEO of Apple, and he didnt try to change the company purpose, which he settled many years before. We now know the success of Apple, Steve Jobs became a great CEO and he spread the world with his initiate focus, which was designing cool, innovative electronic products. Apple is a success story and Steve Jobs is often associate to this success, even when he has medical trouble it has an important impact on Apple stock exchange. Steve Jobs is so link to Apple that every launching of his product and every keynote he does make a huge buzz. In my opinion and especially in the market of new technologies when a company his created with a new concept, a brand new idea, a new way to work and projection in the future; the people who mean to work for those values are so convince that it is what you have to reach that they wont consider any other proposition.   Sculley and Spindler did not take into consideration what was Apple staff considerations and first goals; it is why we ask them to quit the company. It is complicated to change the main purpose of a business and the common goals and ideas of a whole staff when there are extremely committed to it. Before making changes in a company you have to define a clear vision and history of what people working in are sensitive and committed to. 1. Articulating a Worthwhile purpose In this part, Stephen Denning set up the problematic of the importance of enduring enthusiasm. He is wondering why Steve Jobs could generate enduring enthusiasm while John Sculley couldnt. Stephen Denning take the example of two kids playing piano, one child loves it, its a joy for her to play, it fills her life with meaning and she wins prizes. Her joy of playing is even more important that the prizes or recognition she could get. An other child is forced by her parents to play, she has a natural aptitude for music but do not enjoy it so much. Those two girls have a different view on this activity, the first one feels energized and enthusiastic and the second one is bored. Stephen Denning link this example with the practice of sharing knowledge in the organization, which is called knowledge management. Some people within the organization commit their working lives to making the best knowledge available to those who need it. They are honest and open to others. The source of their own personal growth is from the knowledge they spread within the organization, the benefits for them is the inherent value of sharing knowledge itself. Some people are practicing knowledge management on their own, it is to bring more money into the company, but for those who want to share their knowledge, they will find reward in the essential fact that the knowledge will be share. Stephen Denning says: A principal difference between these two different ways of viewing an activity is that when the activity generates sustained enthusiasm, the activity is being pursued for its own sake, not merely to achieve some instrumental or external good such as money, status, prestige, power, or winning. The perceived inherent worth of the activity being undertaken is foundational.† For Stephen Denning the enthusiasm toward an activity is important, because if you are enthusiastic for an activity, you will be for the own sake of this activity and not for some other instrumental goals. I totally agree with this vision, as I consider than even if you can be successful for an activity you dont really like, you wont have the same interest and implication to that activity that if youre really enthusiastic about it. When you are a leader your are face to certain situation that if you are not enthusiastic about what you are doing it will be difficult for you to find solutions or it will take you more time to do it, or you will not act you should do. The enthusiasm you could have for an activity can have influence on the people you are working with. The have feelings and can perceive if you are running for instrumental goals or if you find happiness on the own sake of an activity. It is an element to recognize basic leaders to outstanding ones. In some situation, Stephen Denning   take the example of prisoners in a concentration camps, people can find psychic energy to create meaning for their lives.   The people who are able to find inherent value in whatever they are doing are sometimes called â€Å"autotelic personalities†: they have the capacity to be intrinsically motivated by almost any activity. It is a great advantage of being able to find value in what you are doing and to be motivated in whatever you do, but I am sceptical on the degree of enthusiasm of those people. I agree in the fact that you can motivate yourself for some activities that you are not really into it, but I think their might be a difference in the level of implication and enthusiasm for activities that really fit to you and you personality and vision that the one which are not. Stephen Denning define the characteristics of activities that can generate sustained enthusiasm: The participants in the activity can see themselves making progress toward something that is good for its own sake, additional effort is a joy and not a burden. The participants experience their own personal growth and development as part of the activity. A balance between ability level and challenge—the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult—is also conducive to enthusiasm. The participants see themselves as contributing to, raising the sights of, and enhancing the efforts of other people pursuing the same activity. Ideally, the activity should bring some positive instrumental benefits: income, status, prestige. But even without that, it should at least be without negative instrumental effects. If those four elements are in place, there are chances that enthusiasm can be sustained. We can also notice that the primacy of goals pursued for their own sake in transformational leadership does not mean that instrumental benefits are unimportant. In practice, instrumental benefits reinforce the pursuit of goals for their own sake. Instrumental goals are complementary to enthusiasm and the pursued of goals by their own sake. But you have to remember that even if instrumental benefits are important, if you placed them first, enthusiasm is likely to die. You always have to consider the inherent value of the activity. For Stephen Denning: â€Å"One central aspect of the language of transformational leadership is therefore to articulate goals and activities in terms that can be viewed by participants as worthwhile in themselves, not merely pursued because they lead to instrumental benefits.† This is a fundamental quote that resume the importance of articulating a clear, inspiring goal. Those facts are true for leaders, but it is also true for corporations, they are most inspiring when they pursue large goals that are worthwhile in themselves. In this book, we find the example of Toyota, their goal is to: â€Å"to enrich society through the building of cars and trucks.† Also the example of Johnson Johnson who defines the companys responsibilities as first, to the consumers and medical professionals using its products, second, to employees and managers, third to the communities where its people work and live, and fourth and last, to its stockholders. Or Costco, their goal is to provide its members quality goods at low markups. Transformational leaders present their goals as larger than any particular task or organization or time-bound objective.   Stephen Denning take the example in politics: â€Å"Thus Abraham Lincoln can be assassinated, but his vision of a nation pursuing a new birth of freedom lives on. John F. Kennedy can be shot, but his vision of changing race relations in the United States is implemented by his successor. Martin Luther King Jr. can be murdered, but a whole nation continues the work that he started.† It is true that Goals that are articulated as worthwhile in themselves enhance the possibility of sustained enthusiasm, and hence the possibility of transformational leadership. But, articulating the goal as worthwhile in itself doesnt mean that listeners will necessarily see it in this way. Enthusiasm and finding reward in the activity your are pursuing is important, you find more energy and capabilities of reaching your goals and you know that when an activity is pursued for its own sake, the activity never ends. You are so convinced of the meaning and the importance of the activity that you want to reach a level of excellence, the activity will have no limits. It is what give us excitement when we are doing something we are convinced to do. In my opinion to be a good leader you should look for those feelings and excitement in an activity that will fulfill you needs. Or if you want to become a good leader it is the way you have to perceive an activity, you have to tend to those attempt. We are now going to see the importance of setting priorities among goals. 2. Setting Priorities Among Goals Leader fails a lot because they dont have a clear and inspiring goal or have too many of them. Leadership is such a demanding activity that any one individual can probably pursue no more than a couple of significant change ideas at any one time. It is essential to set priorities. Selecting a goal, or at most several goals, and then persevering is a requirement for success as a transformational leader. Stephen Denning take the example of Ronal Reagan, who was a single mindedness leader and politician.   He success was mainly based on a relatively small number of goals : defeating the Soviet Union and reducing taxes and the size of government. What I learn for the chapter tow of the part two of   The secret language of Leadership, is the importance of commitment and enthusiasm toward an activity in order to embrace inspiring goals that will be define clearly and focus on some   domains, in order to make the activity a success. The leaders own story Committing to the goal Stephen Denning starts this third chapter by pointing out the fact that Abraham Lincoln did not begin his presidency as a transformational leader. By definition, transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms individuals. It is often associated with ethics and involves long-term goals. Transformational leadership focuses on the process by which the leader engages with followers, and together create a connection that raises each of them to higher levels of motivation and morality. A transformational leader must be attentive to follower needs and motivation, and tries to help followers reach their full potential. It requires long term strategic planning, clear objectives, a clear vision, the efficiency of systems and processes According to B.M. Bass, one of the leading theorists on transformational leadership, the leader transforms and motivates followers by: making them more aware of the importance of task outcomes, inducing them to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the organization or team, and activating their higher order needs. Transformational leadership is concerned both with the performance of followers as well as developing them to their full potential. What make Stephen Denning says that Abraham Lincoln did not begin his presidency as a transformational leader is that he was explicit in declaring that he had no intent to abolish slavery to his earlier speeches. Its explicit goal was to preserve the Union at that time, which mad sense as there was no consensus for abolishing slavery. But soon, in 1862, nearly 2 years after the beginning of his presidency, he came to the view that the Union could not be preserved without abolishing slavery. Stephen Denning says: â€Å"Privately, he continued to argue that his goal remained the pragmatic one of preserving the Union. But publicly, Lincoln became a leader in a moral cause.† In December 1862 Abraham Lincoln made a speech to the Congress: We say we are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union. The world knows we do know how to save it. We—even we here—hold the power, and bear the responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free—honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just—a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.† This speech symbolize the moment when Lincoln became a transformational leader, he justified his action on instrumental and legal grounds. This new vision, based on moral grounds, Lincoln showed that it was something worthwhile in itself. With this changes Lincoln is proclaiming a new Union who want to restrain slavery, who will fulfill the promise of liberty. We can say that Lincoln is a transformational leader after this participation in the Congress in December 1862 because he stimulates people to want to do something different, inspiring them to higher levels of aspiration. Abraham Lincoln gives a new vision of what the United States should sand for: â€Å"government of the people, by the people, for the people† Stephen Denning came to the point of studying politicians as leaders. 1. Politicians as Leaders We often think of our politicians as leaders. But they are more oriented on the acquisition and retention of political office rather than being worried about people moral values and inspiring them to change. But if they do care, they usually survive in the world of politics. A successful politicians is one who is willing to fight, to attack the establish order, who is flexible. And who is able to preserve a public image of being honest, compassionate, moral and devout. Stephen Denning notice that: â€Å" Retaining power is principally about listening to the electorate. â€Å"If you want to get elected, learn to speak,† said Tom Daschle, former Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate. â€Å"If you want to stay elected, learn to listen.† It is difficult to understand the commitment to change of politicians and also ambiguous, because you are not 100% sure of what drive them to the commitment of their goals. Stephen Denning says that we should not be surprised of the lack of leadership in politics because nothing in the terminology of politics suggests that the people are electing â€Å"leaders†. Also that politicians have qualities like containing conflicts, guiding forces of change by giving direction, value and purpose but that it is not necessarily the qualities of a transformational leader. I agree with the fact that politicians have qualities and that it is not the sign of a transformational leader. But when you choose to elect a politician, you would like him to manage your country and maybe to make yourself more aware of the importance of task outcomes, for your own self-interest, you might want his politician to be concern of developing the population to its full potential. But it is that in reality that does not happen that much, or will we know it and we would live in a perfect world or close to the excellence ! 2. CEOs as Leaders Stephen Denning takes the example of Alan Klapmeier in Cirrus Design, a manufacturer of private aircraft. Alan wanted to introduce a new innovation that would change the industry, but its board of directors stopped him because they just completes a market research highlighting that this product elicited the least interest. Later Klapmeier convinced his board of directors, the innovation was introduced and it became a success. The decisive issue for the board of directors was not if the innovation was worthwhile but it was the institutional preoccupation. Stephen Denning says: â€Å" If a firm can focus its efforts on activities valuable in themselves where it has, or can develop, an edge over its competitors, social responsibility can become not a drag on the firms profitability but rather a strategic business opportunity. Companies can do well while doing good.† He also highlight the fact that is easier to pursue an inherently worthwhile purpose in a privately held corporation rather than in a publicly held corporation as their business tend to be faire-weather corporate citizens, they are under continuing pressure to grow and do whatever is profitable. Furthermore, pursuing goals that are both worthwhile and profitable doesnt remove the inherent tensions between the pursuit of worthwhile activities and the goal of enhancing the bottom line. We can see that it is not easy for a CEO to be a leader, it depends of the environment, the context; it is why a leader as to be flexible and can adapt easily to the environment. We can also say that in publicly own companies they have the same tools as private own companies so they can try harder to pursue an inherently worthwhile purpose by develop a challenging and attractive vision, together with the employees and translate it to actions, express confidence, decisiveness and optimism about the vision and its implementation, realize the vision through small planned steps for its full implementation. But we also have to balances with the fact that objectives are not the same in private and publicly own companies. Speaking to the CEO (NB: people of power will be called CEO) Leadership is here approached through change. The main question rose by the author is â€Å"How to communicate disruptive new ideas to people with great power†. This implies the question of the HOW of course, which is one of the Management science and research main concerns but there is also here a dimension not that often developed, its the communication with people having power. We often hear how to be a leader and get your team and â€Å"N-1† to do things but it is not that often that the target of power people (CEO) is approached. The key idea expressed here is â€Å"understanding†. The author emphasis on the human part of every individual and on the importance of the context. He thinks the person as an individual but part of a global scheme. To lead correctly you have to explore deeper and learn about personal individual. What are their preferences, hopes, manners, fears The idea here is to understand how people work inside, what trigger them. Because if you can understand the deeper needs of an individual you cant then easily figure out the proper way to communicate with him. You have then greater chances for him to listen to you and then to believe you. 1. Garry Williams and Robert Miller theory The author then develops a theory by Gary Williams and Robert Miller. They have agreed on 3 main leaders categories (80%): the charismatic, the skeptics and the followers, and they. then talk about thinkers and controllers (20%) Leaders needs: For charismatic: the boldness of idea should be featured For skeptical: need to hear the message from a person he trusts For risk averse follower: need to be reassured other people do it do Controller and thinkers: need details Trust Issue: The question of trust is developed. They distinguish here in the game of trust two different parties: the people in the inner circle of trust of the leader and the others. Inner Circle Not yet †trusted† Has the CEOs attention Sponsors the interaction Can be perceived as an opponent Can be perceived as irrelevant If so wont be listened to When aware of that, the challenges are easier to identify. The problem is here to focus on the CEOs interests and to make him believe in the idea you want to present to him by making it a part of himself. Committing to change The author uses here a powerful expression â€Å"Commitment mind, body and soul†. He explains here that to him the only way for a leader to succeed is to commit fully to an objective. The leader is here expected to â€Å"see intensively even obsessively, to feel it†. Being committed 100% is crucial for the leaders effectiveness, but the real problem is not to get him to convince the other but to get him passionate about the goal and get it to become a part of him. Because if strongly and intimately convinced he will be able to take the goal/company or team to a higher level. The leaders feelings stressed out? Feelings are often considered in Leadership theories, how to connect with people to make them do what is needed for the common goal (often the company)? But what I think is extremely interesting here is the consideration made to the leaders feelings. The question is not how to deal with the teams feelings but to analyze what thrive the leaders and how they handle their emotions. The Author here develops a little paragraph on how stressful it can be for a leader to become a leader. The two mains reasons to this stress would be : Steve Denning then points out the famous and classical world Leaders such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Kennedy who so intimately convinced had to pay the price of their life for their causes. To conclude this discussion I found important to highlight the phrase p79 telling that â€Å"its an opportunity to lift their game to a new level† because to me it sums up very well the basic structure of leadership that is to say the dimension of a vision. 2. Howell Raines leadership tale Steve Denning choose to introduce this chapter with a story: â€Å"The Howell Rainess leadership tale†. He tells us more about Howell Raines, former executive editor of the New York Times and the kind of leader he is and how he lived and tried to implement is change strategy. To sum up, Raines wanted the times to be the first on the news, with bigger and more original stories covered by what he called â€Å"overwhelming force†. He was familiar with the firm and the staff and had strong backing from his boss. One of the first thing is did was to use his right of fire and hire to create the dream team he had in mind. He did implemented change and got the Times to win a Pulitzer but after 19 months he was dismissed because of one of his reporter accused of plagiarism. The underlying reason was a bit different though, he was told to have â€Å"lost the newsroom†. What happened here is that despite his vision and that he strongly believed in what he intended to implement, he had failed to win â€Å"the hearts and minds â€Å"of his staff. He did not listened to his people enough and was perceived as very intimidating and aggressive. He did not succeed in taking other with him in his change strategy mainly because he underestimated his change strategy and its interaction with the staff. New audience: The author here develops the concept of audience evolution. Communication and management as we know it now is pretty recent in human history. â€Å"Once upon a time† people were not considering work like they are now. They had no specific expectations except earning money and would not even think work as a way of making them feel better, important and individually considered. There are 3 notions I will highlight that I think are crucial to understand this change of audience expectations: Quest for happiness: Nowadays we are in what I call the endless happiness quest, everyone wants and have to be happy by any means, and it of course includes work. People have more skills, are more educated and therefore expect more. They want something in return. New relation to authority figures: Another important thing that changes a lot the way the audience is acting is that we nowadays have a new relation towards authority, in private spheres (Family with your parents) and public spheres (at work with your boss). This is very important to keep in mind to understand why the audience acts in a certain way and what it expects. Expansion of diversity: We are dealing with more and more differences between people: â€Å"gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, life style, age group and geographical location† Understand that new audience: The problem is that dealing with different people means that you wont reach them with the same tools. What is the common point to every single individual? We are humans. And what is common to every human being? Emotions. Whatever we do, wherever we come from we are driven by emotions, whether we try to hide them or we work with them we are all emotional. This is what the leader has to use: Emotions. He has to keep in mind that we are all different, have different goals, ambitions, perspectives and needs but a way to get us to understand the other and get involve in change or in a project is to use our emotions, the one that thrives us to go to â€Å"another level†. The author emphasis a 2 dimensions individual with a surface and a deeper world. To make something of someone you have to go to the deeper world, and for this you have first to get to know the individual personal story. They question. They explore. They intuit. They wander. They mingle. They live in it. They listen. They watch.† Its a matter of imaginatively reaching out and getting inside the subjective world of the people who need to change and getting a sense of what it is like living in that world, so that the leaders feel its logic and power and order and compelling harmony† Finding and encouraging New leaders Steve Denning develops an idea that I find particularly interesting it is that leaders cant work alone. No matter how charismatic and how committed he is to his vision an idea he will need the others to make change happen. He speaks about middle hierarchy and calls them â€Å"evangelizers†. He then makes a parallel with Raines story and how he failed involving his staff in his change strategy. He ends that chapter with the concept of Narrative intelligence required for understanding the story of the change idea and the audiences story†. 3.Steve Denning vision of leadership Why Do People Change Their Minds? Stephen Denning explains us that there are 3 ways for people to change their mind: by actual experience, by observed experience, and by symbolic learning. Actual Experience: The way we are living and experiencing things around us can change the way we think about them, mostly because of the feelings we have when experiencing those things. When you feel a strong emotion doing something, you trend to pay attention to it and to remember it more easily and longer than when you dont feel anything. Observed Experience: Actual experience is not the only way to learn from experiences, observing events can have the same emotional effect as real-life experiencing. In the public arena, 9/11 changed the way many people viewed terrorism. Symbolic Learning: Most of the time the learning of an idea communicated symbolically is not as powerful as an experience but it can have similar physiological reactions. In the author case, the combination of direct experience, observed experience, and symbolic learning led to his spending a large part of his life devoted to international development. 1. Changing minds through direct or observed learning: The more immediately people are involved in an actual or observed experience, the more meaningful the learning will be, and the more impact they will have. Direct or observed learning in a business environment can be: acting, conversations, visits, role-playing, simulations, prototyping, training, Advantages of experiential learning (direct or observed): Emotions are involved Participants make up their own opinion (durability of the change) Experiential learning is more effective than passive learning Limits of experiential learning: Leaders dont always have the power to change peoples actual experiences Most of the leaders falls on the use of language as a way to change peoples mind 2. Persuading people to change through language Methods of persuading people change their minds Abstract Narrative Direct and explicit Appeal to reason through detailed evidence and arguments Narratives in which the object is to have the listener live the story as fully and movingly as possible Indirect and implicit Appeals to intuition, through cues, signs, heuristics and manipul