Natalia, Author at The Career Success Doctor

A Humble Leader Is The Best Leader

Written by Natalia

The dictionary defines humility as modesty, not being arrogant, having a feeling of insignificance, not believing that you are superior to others and being courteously respectful. But what humility has to do with leadership? Why being a humble leader is so important?

A recent study by Catalyst (“Inclusive Leadership: The View From Six Countries“) shows that when employees feel more included in their work groups, they are more innovative in their jobs (identifying opportunities for new products and processes and trying out new ideas and approaches to problems) and more engaged in team citizenship behaviours (going above and beyond the “call of duty” to help other team members and meet work group objectives).

According to the study, in order to create an environment where employees feel included, managers need to follow the altruistic leadership model. The four attributes of altruistic leadership are empowerment (empower employees to learn, develop and excel), humility (such as learning from criticism, admitting mistakes, and seeking contributors), courage (such as putting personal interests aside for the general good and taking personal risks), and accountability (showing confidence to employees by holding them responsible for results).

Being a humble leader was the second most important behaviour in this study (humility was right after empowerment), although it might be a little unusual to link humility with leadership. When we think of leadership, we often think attributes like self-promotion. But, as the study shows, being and altruistic leader -thus, a humble leader- will help your employees create the sense of belonging and uniqueness; the key elements of feeling included.

How to be a humble leader?

Admit your mistakes, learn from them and share them so that others can learn too
Listen, engage in dialogues and learn from others’ point of view
When uncertain, or lacking certain skills and/or knowledge, admit it and seek the right people who can contribute to the team

Erica Bell, in her article in talentzoo.com, provides some good tips on how to be a humble leader.

” If you want to be a CEO, COO, or hold any leadership position, you’ll have to manage others effectively. Part of being an effective leader is remaining humble. While you may be able to request major adjustments within the company as whole or your customer call center department, you won’t be successful unless you have the respect of those who are executing the projects you’ve planned. Humble leaders make others feel important and valued. Being humble isn’t always easy after working hard to get to a leadership position. Here’s what you can do to stay more grounded… “

Read the whole article here: “How to Be a Humble Leader”

World’s Toughest Job – You Think You Are Working Hard?

Written by Natalia

Do you think that you are working hard? That you’re doing a tough job? Perhaps that your hard work is not even appreciated? That your day is full of difficult tasks and have no time to rest because your company or employer depends on you? I certainly know that feeling! However, checking the description of the world’s toughest job might change your perspective.

Let’s look at some of the requirements of the toughest job in the world, exactly as the hiring manager described them to the candidates: mobility, high-level of stamina, constantly on your feet; seven days a week; no breaks available; excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills; degree in medicine, finance and the culinary arts; ability to wear many hats, and a lot more… (and you don’t even want to know what the salary is!)

In the video below, you can watch the interviews with the job applicants and their reactions to the manager’s demands. You’ll be surprised by the number of people who are actually doing this job! Make sure to watch this through and you will be truly amazed!

http://youtu.be/HB3xM93rXbY

Ok, now that you know what this is about, please, do me a favour and watch it again one more time. It will make a lot more sense and you’ll definitely see things differently.

It’s true; mums have the hardest job ever! And we don’t appreciate it as much as we should. We take everything they do for granted. I mean, they’re our mums, it’s their job, right? Well, it’s the world’s toughest job! And mothers around the world are doing it for so many years without complains.

These ‘magicians’ are there for us 24/7 taking care of us, helping us and making everything possible! They’re always by our side when we need them (and even if we don’t know when we need them, they do).

And it’s not only about the big things (like the ones mentioned in the video), it’s the little ones too that matter. If you think about it, they’re not ‘little’ at all. That’s what I call magic.

As Guy Hatcher -in his article “Taking Time to Notice Mom“, on crosswalk.com- describes a simple ‘everyday-life’ scene:

” Eventually I was struck by a family of three – a noticeably efficient mom with a daughter approximately four years in age and a slightly older son. They’d arrived precisely on-time armed with a dual stroller, and mom’s carry-on bag thrown over her shoulder. As the evening wore on, I watched as a computer, head phones, milk bottle, cuddle blankets, books, games, Kleenex, wipes, videos and snacks were retrieved, all from this not-so-big bag – a bag of tricks for sure – as whatever need arose was instantly met with a quick dip inside by mom’s wonderful sleight-of-hand.

Observing this young mother with her little ones reminded me of my own family, and how my wife so lovingly and expertly cares for our children when we travel – somehow always able to meet their need at a moment’s notice. Her accomplishments are amazing and truly a gift for which I am grateful. But this experience made it all the more joyful, and turned an otherwise frustrating evening at the airport into a blessing I hope to always remember – not only to continue appreciating my wife, but to see motherhood as the gift it truly is. “

With Mother’s Day around the corner, take the time to appreciate, respect and thank your mother for everything she’s done for you throughout the years. Understand the challenges and sacrifices of volunteering to do the toughest job in the whole world. And live by that every day. Not only this Sunday. Show her your love and appreciation every single day of your life.

And for those of you who have children, a big ‘Thank you’ for being one of the billions doing the world’s toughest job! Our world is a better place because of you.

I love you mum!

Job Seekers Need To Stop These 5 Job Search Tactics

Written by Natalia

Happy May Day everyone! Spring has officially sprung and today‘s date has a double meaning in the Nothern hemisphere: spring festival and International Workers’ Day.

If spring‘s message for a new beginning this year means a new job to you, keep reading because this article will help you a lot in your job hunting. Are you sabotaging yourself by using the ‘wrong‘ job search tactics?

Whether you are looking for a career change, a different working environment, or you‘re currently unemployed and looking for a new job, chances are that as a job seeker you do have a strategy in place. From how to write a winning CV and prepare for interviews, to how to promote yourself and include the hidden job market in your search.

We‘ve shared a lot of tips for finding a new job and we‘ve covered a lot of job searching tactics in different phases of the process in our articles so far. However, the article I want to share with you today by Heather R. Huhman, published on Doostang, discusses all the things that you shouldn’t do. A beautiful wrap-up of the job search tactics that won’t get you the desired result.

Among the things discussed in this article are the importance of doing your research before applying for a job, the negative impact of proceeding your job search based on fear ending up with a job offer you don’t like and outdated cover letters.

” Ever had a really great interview or found a job posting that seemed like an absolute perfect match? Then, after landing the interview, you may figured you were a shoe-in for the position. So you sat back and waited for the offer letter to come through.

But nothing ever came.

There are currently 6.7 million job seekers in the U.S. and, although job prospects are getting better, the reality remains that there are still a number of qualified candidates looking for jobs in a limited job market. The position you were perfect for likely had at least 20 other perfect candidates apply for the job as well. The bottom line? In order to be successful in your job search, you just can’t afford any slip-ups.

So, if you want to land your next job, stop taking part in these job search tactics immediately: ….. ”

Read the whole article here: “5 Job Search Tactics You Need To Stop Now”

Career Spring Cleaning

Written by Natalia

Spring cleaning is the yearly act of cleaning the house from top to bottom which traditionally takes place in the first days of spring. Now it’s the time when we all clean our houses thoroughly, organise our drawers, and de-clutter our closets.

I stumbled upon an article today whose author suggested a brilliant idea! Why not do some career spring cleaning as well?

I believe a career-cleaning might benefit us more than we think. We tend to make plans and stick to them, trying to achieve our goals and then we realise that these goals are not in alignment with our lives any more. It might be what we needed or wanted 5 years ago, but now our life has changed and so did our aims and desires.

Akshaya Vardhan of ‘Ms. Career Girl’ gives us 3 steps to spring clean our career too this year, along with our closets.

” Though there are a few residual flakes, spring has officially sprung in Chicago! Spring conventionally signifies restoring your garden, organizing your closet, and new fashion trends. Aside from these options, why not clean more, like our careers? To help you get started, here are 3 basic steps to get you in the career-cleaning spirit:

Step 1: Assess Your Career
Our daily endeavors can deter us from passionately pursuing our careers. Regardless, springtime can be a great time to evaluate your current situation. A helpful evaluation technique is to create a 2 year plan of your desired career progress. The timeline can include graduate degrees, promotions, and other accomplishments…. “

Read the whole article here: “Spring Clean your Career”

Spring has finally come and it’s time to de-clutter our houses, our lives and our careers.

.
How do you plan to do your career spring cleaning?

Easter Traditions Around The World

Written by Natalia

Easter and Christmas are the two most important Christian holidays. With Easter Sunday coming in 3 days, I thought it would be a nice idea to see some of the Easter traditions and customs around the world, along with some facts. Did you know that many aspects of the celebrations pre-date Christianity with some of them having ancient roots?
.

Easter Facts

Date Calculation

First things first, Easter is a moveable feast and the number 1 question I’ve had since my childhood is “how on earth do we know on which date Easter falls each year? Who decides it?” -well, back then everything I couldn’t understand had to be a “grown-up decision”. You’d be surprised, but I didn’t get my answer until recently. I found out how this date is calculated last year, while searching for a particular name day.

Do you know the answer? The truth is, it is very simple actually.

Easter Sunday can only fall between the dates of 22nd March and 25th April and it is based on the lunar calendar. Easter Sunday always falls on the first Sunday following the Spring Equinox Full Moon (the full moon after 21st March, which is also called the Paschal Full Moon).

Easter Name

It is believed that Easter derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of spring and fertility, Eostre (other known names: Oestre, Eastre, and in Germany Ostara). Eostre had a hare as her companion (rings a bell?). The Christian holiday usually took place during “Eostremonat” (meaning “the month of Eostre”) which was the time of the pagan celebration of spring. In an attempt to Christianise the celebration, it took the name Easter.

Before that it was called Pasch (Passover) from the Jewish word ‘Pesach’. In most non-english languages, this is still the root for the holiday’s name (e.g. Pascha in Greek, Pasqua in Italian, Pascua in Spanish, Paques in French).

Easter Traditions Around The World

Easter Bunny

Bunnies have always been known as symbols of fertility. According to some sources, the Easter bunny has its root in Eostre’s hare. When the first German immigrants arrived to America in the 1700’s they brought their tales of Ostara’s egg-laying hare with them.

Easter Eggs

There are many explanations for the origin of this tradition. It is a fact that eggs symbolise new life. Eggs and rabbits (fertility and new life) were both featured in pagan spring celebrations. In the Christian holiday they represent Jesus’s resurrection and victory over death. Some sources claim that people started decorating eggs in the 13th century and that this custom might have its roots in the Lenten season. People celebrated the end of it by decorating eggs which were a forbidden food during Lenten.

Easter Parades

In Medieval Europe, churchgoers would take a walk after Easter Mass, led by a crucifix or the Easter candle. Today these walks endure as Easter Parades. People show off their spring finery, including lovely bonnets decorated for spring. (Johnson, David. Ross, Shmuel. “Easter Symbols and Traditions.” Fact Monster.)

Greek Red Eggs

Easter is the biggest holiday in Greece. Each and every day of the Holy Week has its own dedicated activities. There are many traditions related to Easter and many places have some more customs of their own.

Perhaps the most apparent traditions are the Easter sweets (special tsoureki and Easter Cookies) and red Easter eggs. In Greece eggs are hard-boiled and painted red, to represent Jesus’ blood. At Easter table, everyone takes an egg and a game of egg tapping (egg knocking) begins. The aim is to knock out all your competitors’ eggs, while keeping your egg’s shell intact. Whoever wins will have good luck.

German Easter Trees

In Germany, one of the traditions not passed to the American world by the immigrants is the Easter Tree (“Osterbaum”). Germans decorate either small living trees and bushes, or branches with painted eggs (wooden and real).

Britain’s Royal Maundy Service

This tradition is inspired by the Biblical tale of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples on Maundy Thursday. The Royal family gifted clothing and money to the poor, along with the foot wash, for centuries. The tradition has undergone many changes (yes, the foot wash has stopped).

Nowadays, on Maundy Thursday, elderly men and women who are considered to have given Christian service to their community—one for every year of the Queen’s life—receive two leather string purses, one white, one red. The white one contains normal British currency for food and clothing, and the red one contains Maundy coins, the amount given corresponding to the current Queen’s age in pence. (McAlpine, Fraser. “Five British Easter Traditions That Will Surprise Americans”. BBC America.)

Hungary’s Sprinkling

In Hungary and other territories with Hungarian-speaking communities, the day after Easter men visit women’s homes and sprinkle them with cologne, water or perfumed water and receive Easter eggs, cookies or alcohol in return.

Norway’s Easter Crime

In Norway, a popular Easter tradition is Paskekrim (Easter Crime) which is reading or watching crime mysteries. Television channels run crime shows and detective stories and book stores are filled with crime novels.

What about you? What traditions do you have where you live?
Do you have any special customs in your family?
Share them!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Sources:

1. Wikipedia 2. History.com 3. Daily Journal Online 4. Fact Monster 5. BBC America

6. Easter bunny image by Jeroen van Oostrom, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

7. Red eggs image by graur razvan ionut, FreeDigitalPhotos.net