Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Leadership Book on College

Yesterday I wrote about public libraries carrying my books. Last night I received an email from a reader who purchased my book LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY: CONQUERING THE FIVE CORE PROBLEMS FACING LEADERS TODAY at the bookstore at the University of California-Berkeley.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Leadership Books in Public Libraries

Public libraries across the nation continue to purchase my books.

I recently heard from an interested reader who found my book The Way of Leading People: Unlocking Your Integral Leadership Skills with the Tao Te Chingin a public library in San Marcos, Texas.

Holiday Blues ...

Wow. What a holiday season for businesses.

Toyota Motor Corps, one of the world's leading manufacturers of automobiles, is predicting a fairly significant loss ... it's first annual loss. Ever.

Retail sales are down. Significantly.

... and the U.S. government has no idea how banks are spending the $700 billion bailout we gave them.

Economically, this is shaping up to be a very difficult season, and 2009 will probably follow suite.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Unemployment Blogs

As more and more leaders are dealing with issues around unemployment, a number of unemployment blogs are cropping up.

I find Unemploymentality to have interesting perspectives.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Looking for a Motivational Leadership Speaker?

Want your organization to learn more about tomorrow's leadership strategies today? Are you looking for a motivational keynote speaker for a leadership event in 2009?

Timothy H. Warneka, author of LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY: CONQUERING THE FIVE CORE PROBLEMS FACING LEADERS TODAY and THE WAY OF LEADING PEOPLE: UNLOCKING YOUR INTEGERAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS WITH THE TAO TE CHING is an nationally recognized leadership expert and an in-demand speaker. An expert on Emotionally Intelligent leadership as well as the interconnection of spirituality and leadership, Timothy H. Warneka is an experienced inspirational speaker who provides powerful leadership insights to:

* Business leaders;
* Health care leaders;
* Life Coaches;
* Leadership Coaches;
* Tomorrow’s leaders at colleges and universities.
* Retreat Centers

Drawing on the power of Emotional Intelligence, Mr. Warneka will show your audience cutting-edge leadership science in ways that are entertaining and fun. Mr. Warneka speaks at:

* Professional conferences;
* Organizational conventions;
* Staff Development days;
* Team Retreats.

Timothy H. Warneka can customize the presentation your organization needs … anywhere from a 30 minute motivational speech to multiple days of in-depth leadership training.

Contact Mr. Warneka today by calling 440.944.4746

Friday, December 12, 2008

Review from the HINDU Business Line

LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY: CONQUERING THE FIVE CORE PROBLEMS FACING LEADERS TODAY continue to gain stature around the world.

This book review just came in from The HINDU Business Line:

"Start Listening

Unlike the ineffective leader, when a skilled leader hears something he doesn’t like, he stops talking and starts listening, even more so than he was previously, writes Timothy H. Warneka in Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the five core problems facing leaders today.

You can’t learn anything about what’s going on in your organisation if you’re always talking, and trying to argue someone out of a perspective, Warneka advises. “If you ask a person whether or not he or she feels empowered and the answer is ‘no,’ then quietly ask ‘why’ and listen to what is said. You will inevitably learn something you did not know.” If, on the other hand, you become defensive and begin arguing how empowered the person should be feeling, then you were not ready to ask the question in the first place, the author avers.

Useful guidance."

Monday, December 08, 2008

Swallowing Economics

Economics was one of my least-favorite courses in college, and I've tended to shy away from economic books since then. Given the enormous financial upheavals of the past six months, I've decided I better brush up.

Economist Paul Krugman impressed me during several of the pre-elections debates I watch on the media, so I've decided to start with him. When I start reading an author, I try to start with their early work and come up to date.

Hence, my notes on:

THE AGE OF DIMINISHED EXPECTATIONS
By Paul Krugman (1990).


“The beginning of action must, however, lie in understanding.” (p. xii)

There are only three important factors for the US economy:
1. Productivity.
2. Income Distribution
3. Unemployment

“Indeed, for the median American worker there has been no increase in real take-home pay since the first inauguration of Richard Nixon.” (p. 1)

“When Ronald Reagan was elected, the supply-siders got a chance to try out their ideas. Unfortunately, they failed.” (p. 16)

"[During the '80's] The ranks of the extremely well-off were reinforced by the vast fortunes made by traders and investment bankers on Wall Street and by huge increases in executive compensation. Meanwhile, the amount of sheer misery in America has surely increased much faster than the official poverty rate, as homelessness and drug addiction have spread." (p. 20)

“The 1980’s have been an era in which fabulous fortunes have been made in corporate finance.” (p. 154)

“Americans no longer expect much from their economy or from the politicians who manage it.” (p. 169)

“Looking back from the year 2010, we will surely marvel at our stupidity in 1990.” (p. 170)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Circuit City Files Bankruptcy ... Here's Why

Circuit City announces bankruptcy . An article by AP states in part,

"Circuit City, which has had only one profitable quarter in the past year, has faced significant declines in traffic and heightened competition from rival Best Buy Co. and others. The company laid off about 3,400 retail employees last year and replaced them with lower-paid workers, a move analysts said could backfire, hurting morale and driving away customers."

Boy, did that strategy ever backfire.

Why did it backfire?

The executives of Circuit City ignored the importance of emotional intelligence. By laying off their highest-paid floor staff and hiring low-paid workers, they demoralized the sales staff, creating an enormous amount of emotional disengagement (for more on emotional disengagement, see my book LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY: CONQUERING THE FIVE CORE PROBLEMS FACING LEADERS TODAY).

As a consequent of emotional disengagement on the part of the sales staff, service suffered. I can personally attest to this, as several recent trips to Circuit City left me frustrated by either the unavailability or incompetence of the sales staff.

I'm not alone in these thoughts, either. This article by TIME magazine has the following to say about Circuit City's service:

"For many consumers, however, Circuit City's most obvious failing was its customer service. In March 2007, it announced plans to lay off its highest-paid hourly employees, including salespeople, and replace them with cheaper workers. That same year, then CEO Philip Schoonover received some $7 million in compensation. It may come as no surprise, then, that a quick Web search on "Circuit City complaints" brings up hundreds of thousands of entries."

A word to the wise to CEO's: Rather than focusing on your yearly bonus, focus on building emotional engagement in your staff ... especially those in sales.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

A Brilliant Election Year Marketing Strategy

7-11 has nailed a fantastic election marketing strategy, one that they've been running for years now.

Check it out.

It's brilliant because it ...

* gives people a choice
* has a tie in with USA Today newspaper
* sells more products
* is repeatable every four years.

... and SO much more!

Hats off to 7-11 for a brilliant marketing strategy.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

If anyone doubts the importance of Emotional Intelligence for leaders, one only has to look at the emotional responses to the economic crisis of the past week.

Do emotions impact the bottom line?

Without a doubt.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Leadership in Economic Crisis: Seven Steps

I've had several clients contact me about the psychological implications to the current economic crisis. Many leaders want to know how to handle this crisis in an emotionally intelligent way.

My advice?

Treat this crisis the same as any other crisis.

Leaders need to:

1. Keep calm.
2. Breathe.
3. Think clearly.
4. Get support for yourself.
5. Gather consensus.
6. Don't rush decisions.
7. Act decisively once decisions are made.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

More Evidence of Employee Emotional Disengagement

This article at CNN.com discusses the impact of 'daylighting' or people working more than one job at the same time.

The article by Ron Dicker states, "Many Americans are squeezing two jobs into one shift -- moonlighting by day, as it were -- as a hedge against a sagging economy or to maintain their style of living."

... and ...

"Shoehorning a second career into the same shift as your primary job is tricky -- and ethically questionable. Some workers do it with the approval of their superiors. But many do it in defiance of company policy (the main reason most "daylighters" interviewed preferred to remain anonymous) frustrating managers and human-resource executives."

As I wrote in my book LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY: CONQUERING THE FIVE CORE PROBLEMS FACING LEADERS TODAY, research consistently shows that between 70% - 80% of employees are working at far less than peak capacity because they are emotionally disengaged from their jobs.

The culprit? The epidemic of poor leadership across corporate cultures.

As long as leaders continue to ignore the emotional impact of their emotionally unintelligent leadership processes, daylighting will continue, erroding the emotional connection of employees even more.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Einstein said ...

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."
~ Albert Einstein

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Sometimes Leadership Means Saying "No" ...

Saying "no" as a leader can be a smart move.

Especially if your company is attempting to take on a well-established giant.

Take Dell Computers, for example. Reuters News reports that Dell has plans to take on the ever-popular Apple ipod. From a story based on a Wall Street Journal report,

"... the music player which Dell has been testing features a small navigation screen and basic button controls to scroll through music play lists, the Journal reported."

The story recalls Dell's previous failed attempts at leveraging the MP3 market:

"[Dell's device] would connect to online music services via a Wi-Fi Internet connection, and Dell would likely price the model at less than $100, the Journal said. Dell's first foray into the music market in 2003 was a huge disappointment. It withdrew from the music-player market after its DJ Ditty player failed to make major inroads."

I am predicting that this will be another failed attempt on Dell's part. There is little to separate their new MP3 player from the ipod, except for pricepoint. The mp3 market is already saturated with players in the $50 - $150 USD range.

With little to distinguish their product, I would have encouraged Dell's leadership to have said "no" to this project.

Time will tell.

Friday, July 11, 2008

... another thought ....

"One must work and dare if one really wants to live."

- Vincent Van Gogh

Interesting Quote

"I must continue to follow the path I take now. If I do nothing, if I study nothing, if I cease searching, then, woe is me, I am lost. That is how I look at it — keep going, keep going come what may.

But what is your final goal, you may ask. That goal will become clearer, will emerge slowly but surely, much as the rough draught turns into a sketch, and the sketch into a painting through the serious work done on it, through the elaboration of the original vague idea and through the consolidation of the first fleeting and passing thought."


- Attributed to Vincent Van Gogh

Friday, June 20, 2008

You're Invited ...

... to an Open House at the Cleveland Aikikai (Aikido school) in Cleveland, Ohio.

If you're interested in the leadership approach that I discussed in my book Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today, then you owe it to yourself to visit the Cleveland Aikikai next Saturday, June 28, 2008.

Here's the information:

Cleveland Aikikai


Evolved from the ancient arts of the Samurai, Aikido is a modern martial art that emphasizes peaceful, non-violent conflict resolution – ending the at-tack without harming the attacker. While most martial artists are taught to only use their training in the event of an unprovoked attack, Aikido is also considered a spiritual path of self development with self defense techniques designed to prevent injury to the attacker. There are no competitions or tournaments in Aikido and students of all ages and physical abilities progress at their own pace.


• Aikido Demonstrated by Adults & Children

• Iaido—the art of drawing and cutting with the Japanese Sword

• Snacks & Refreshments


Date: 06/28/2008
Time: 10:00 AM—2:00

Located in Cleveland Heights on Mayfield Rd just west of Warrensville Center Road
Date: 06/28/2008
Time: 10:00 AM—2:00
For more information, call 440.725.9494


You can download a flyer here.

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to learn more about Aikido!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Keynote Speaking in California


Hi all!

I've been busy these past couple of days, presenting a keynote address in Long Beach, California. (I'm typing this at LAX as I wait for my flight home.)

I spoke to a group called the California County Information Services Directors Association (CCISSDA). The title of my speech was:

Collaborative IT Leadership: Are You Pushing, Pulling or Actually Leading People?


Great group of people ... and Long Beach is a beautiful city. I'm hoping to vlog a bit more when I get the chance.

My brother Patrick Warneka ... a professional photographer ... came along to shoot photos. Here's one of me from the night of our arrival.

Personal learnings from this trip? Breathe, stay flexible and listen carefully.

Monday, April 21, 2008

New Media Interview - The Black Belt Way

I was recently interviewed at Web Wise Business by Chris Curtis. Chris and I talked about "Martial Arts Mindpower for Business."

Here's the interview:



Enjoy!

Tim

A Loss to the Music World ...

I often listen to music when I am working. I particularly like blues and jazz, both style as mellow or rockin' as my mood permits. I've been super busy with business, so I was sadden to hear of the March 2, 2008 death of Toronto guitar player Jeff Healey.

One of my favorite tunes Jeff played with the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn (not the best video quality in the world):



...and here's a heart-felt goodbye to Jeff, written by Nathalie Vanderheyden

My thoughts and prayers go out to Jeff's wife and children.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Friday, April 04, 2008

Contrarian Success ...

Successful leaders understand that following the "latest and greatest" is not always the pathway to success.

Take Craigslist for example.

According to this article from ClickZ, points out the Craigslist, an on-line classified ad website, is poised to make over 81 million dollars this year.

The article quotes Classified Intelligence Principal Peter Zollman describing Craigslist as "...looking at a Web site from 1996," but there's no sense in fixing something that isn't broken. "They could change the look and feel," he said. "But, for many people, that wouldn't be an improvement...It's a very dated look and that's the way they want to keep it."

So while so many other companies scramble to increase their on-line sales with the latest and greatest technology, the leadership of Craigslist clearly follow a contrarian position:

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Friday, March 21, 2008

Investigating the Possibilities of Apple's Macbook

I've been in the market for a new laptop computer, and several colleagues have suggested the new Macbook. After spending an enormous amount of time researching my choices (I've been using Windows-based computers for years), I've decided to make the switch to Apple.

Read my blog about transitioning from Windows to Apple

http://www.vistarefugee.com

Monday, February 25, 2008

Patrick is On the Move!

Some people have emailed about contacting Patrick for some photography sessions. He's in the process of moving to a new loft space, so he's off the radar for a week or so.

Feel free to check out Patrick's powerful photography.

U.K. Blogger Focuses on LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY

Josh MacArthur, a Management Consultant from the U.K. has some interesting comments to blog about my book, LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY: CONQUERING THE FIVE CORE PROBLEMS FACING LEADERS TODAY.

Mr. MacArthur (who I do not know) writes a fascinating blog called, "MacArthur's Rant: Human Resources, Organisations, and H.R. 2.0".

Visit Mr. MacArthur's blog here.

Tim

Writer Geek Side Note: Is "Organisation" with an "s" a British spelling? I've never seen it that way.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Embodied IT Professionals

I had an insight while I've been preparing my keynote speech that I'm giving for the 2008 Spring Meeting of The California County Information Services Directors Association:

Leaders seem to only get upset at the IT department when the technology causes problems. Otherwise, IT is mostly invisible...

In the same way, most leader only pay attention to their bodies when the body causes problems.

For leaders, ignoring one's IT department or one's embodied experience is a certain recipe for problems.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Want to Talk to Humans?

The bane of every business leader ... especially small business leaders ... is having to "talk to the computer." You know the scenario. Your on the road and you need to get something done. You call that major company, and you are told to say a number ... after number ... after number. How frustrating!

Call IVR, or Interactive Voice Response, by geeks in the know, leaders simply know it as a colossal time-waster.

You don't have to waste time anymore with this very cool website called

Get Human


This is a great site, and doesn't cost a cent to use.

I recommend it for every leader as a great time saver!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Self-Defense for Leaders, Corporate Travelers, & Mental Health Professionals

AP Press posted an article on the tragic death of New York psychologist Kathryn Faughey, who was brutally murdered by her office, possibly by a client.

The article states,

"An attacker slashed Faughey 15 times with a meat cleaver and a 9-inch knife in her Manhattan office Tuesday evening. A psychiatrist who worked in the building, Dr. Kent Shinbach, came to Faughey's rescue and was badly injured."

Clearly the work of a sociopath in a rage, the article noted,

"Police also recovered three knives at the scene, including a 9-inch knife and a meat cleaver that were apparently bent from the force of the attack."

Sadly, these violent people are out there.

Leaders, Mental Health Professionals and Corporate Travels need to know what to do. Tim Warneka, CEO of The Black Belt Consulting Group, black belt martial artist and author of several best-selling books including: Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today; and Healing Katrina: Volunteering in Post-Hurricane Mississippi; and The Way of Leading People: Unlocking Your Integral Leadership Skills with the Tao Te Ching; and Black Belt Leader, Peaceful Leader: An Introduction to Catholic Servant Leadership has a program that fits your needs.

Tim Warneka offers Self-Defense Keynote Speaches & Training for Leaders, Corporate Travelers and Mental Health Professionals.

Let's keep Dr. Faughey's family in our prayers.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Our Leadership Books Featured by Midwest Book Review ... for the SECOND TIME!

Important Book Reviewer Features Brothers’
Leadership Book for Second Time


Updated Chinese Leadership Classic Chosen by
Midwest Book Review for MBR Bookwatch Magazine.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Tim Warneka at 440.944.4746
P.O. Box 20
Cleveland, OH 44092
Tim [at] asogomi [.] com
http://www.asogomi.com


Cleveland, OH – February 11, 2008. Asogomi Publishing International and the Midwest Book Review are pleased to announce that Asogomi’s The Way of Leading People: Unlocking Your Integral Leadership Skills with the Tao Te Ching by brothers Patrick Warneka and Timothy H. Warneka has been selected for the Midwest Book Review on-line review magazine, MBR Bookwatch. This is the second time that Midwest Book Review has featured The Way of Leading People. The first time the book was featured on the MBR website was in the August, 2007, Small Press Bookwatch.

Patrick and Tim Warneka, the co-authors of The Way of Leading People are real-life brothers (Tim’s older). The Warneka brother’s interest in Chinese leadership strategies stems from the fact that they are both black belts in the martial arts. Patrick’s is in Tae Kwon Do while Tim holds ranking in Aikido. Tim Warneka contributed the writing, while Patrick Warneka added his award-winning photographs.

“We’re very proud to have The Way of Leading People selected by the Midwest Book Review,” said co-author Timothy H. Warneka. Keynote speaker and leadership expert Tim Warneka is author of several leadership books including the best-selling Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Leadership Problems Facing Leaders Today, and Healing Katrina: Volunteering in Post-Hurricane Mississippi and his newest book on Catholic Servant Leadership entitled, Black Belt Leader, Peaceful Leader: An Introduction to Catholic Servant Leadership. Tim’s book’s have sold around the world, and Tim is a well-known motivational keynote speaker across the country.

“The Midwest Book Review [MBR] is a well-known champion of independent presses,” observed Patrick Warneka. “Getting recognized by MBR is fiercely competitive, and I’m pleased that The Way of Leading People had the rare honor of being chosen for the second time.” Patrick Warneka is an award-winning photographer based out of Chicago, IL. One of the “Top 100” photographers on Art.com, Patrick’s past clientele have included The University of Michigan, Colgate and several prestigious law firms from the greater Chicagoland area.

Patrick and Timothy Warneka have recently announced their availability for keynote speaking. “We’re the only actual brothers we know of who provide keynote speeches together,” noted Tim. The Warneka brothers have made themselves available for speaking on creativity and the creative process. “Writing and photography both require creativity,” observed Patrick. He went on, “We know there are many conferences, associations put on by writers, photographers, graphic designers, painters, singers, musicians, dancers, martial artists and other creative types who are looking for qualified keynote speakers.” An experienced keynote speaker himself, Tim said, “Patrick is hilarious … and creative. You can see his creativity in his photographs. I know I’m his brother, but I personally think he’s a genius at photography. I’ve been trying to get him into keynote speaking for some time, and I’m glad he’s finally agreed.”

Here is the text of the review in full:

“’Let's play Follow the Leader!’ Perhaps you remember playing this game when you were younger. Didn't we all want to be the leader? In fact, were you disappointed when you weren't chosen to be the leader? We can't all be leaders all of the time. Imagine if we all wanted to be leaders in the workplace. You can't all be leaders as there has to be some followers. Perhaps you have been placed in a position of being a leader and aren't quite sure what qualities a leader should possess. What should a leader do in order to have his followers walk alongside him to success?

Are all leaders always successful? No, they aren't. It is a smart leader who realizes his mistakes, makes changes and leads others in the right direction. "The Way of Leading People" seeks to convey the Tao Te Ching method of leadership. It is over 2500 years old but remains effective to this day. Not only can these principles be utilized in business, but also in relationships and life.

"The Way of Leading People" is a soft-cover manual. This is not a textbook by any means. It is written in very easy-to-understand language and is sure to help any of its readers. There are 81 sections in content. Each section is written in poems with the ideas of Tao Te Ching clearly presented. Each section has black and white pictures of large skyscrapers and other abstract art to add to the ideas. It is sure to make you think and evaluate just what a successful leader is. This is an excellent book for anyone who is currently a leader, hopes to be a leader or is a follower who wants to help his leader become more effective. "The Way of Leading People" would make an excellent addition to the reference section of libraries of businesses and families alike.”

END

Need an author or book cover picture? Download your complimentary photos at:
http://www.wayofleadingpeople.com/pressroom.html

To read the February, 2008 Midwest Book Reviews, MBR Bookwatch, visit here:
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/mbw/feb_08.htm

To read the August, 2007 Small Press Bookwatch Review, visit here:
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/feb_07.htm

To learn more about The Way of Leading People: Unlocking Your Integral Leadership Skills with the Tao Te Ching, visit the book’s website here:

http://www.wayofleadingpeople.com

For more information about Catholic Servant Leadership:

http://www.catholicservantleader.com

For more information about Patrick Warneka’s award-winning photography:

http://www.patrickphotography.com

For more information about leadership keynote speaking and other leadership development opportunities, contact Tim Warneka at 440.944.4746 or visit him on-line at:

http://www.blackbeltconsultants.com

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Is Dilbert Right?

I'll confess: I love Scott Adams' Dilbert cartoon. So much what Scott reflects in his cartoon are truths that I see on a daily basis in organizations. Sometimes Scott Adams's humor is so right on target that I wonder if he had a camera hidden in the organization I was at.

In his newest book, "Dilbert's Guide to the Rest of Your Life: Dispatches from Cubliceland," a quote that stood out for me is found on page 53:

"If you steal a little bit of money,
you are a criminal.
If you steal a lot of money,
you're a leader."


In these days after companies such as Enron, WorldCom, so many people believe this to be true about leaders.

Prove them wrong. Discover the Black Belt Way.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Seeking a Creativity Keynote Speaker?

Are you hosting a Creativity conference in 2008? Are you connected with a photography association, writers conference, martial arts exhibit or other creative event?

If so, you know that finding a keynote speaker is a HUGE task.

What if you knew not just one, but two excellent keynote speakers? And what if you could get two keynote speakers for what you would usually pay to get just one?

Well, now you can!

The creative team (and brothers!) of Patrick & Timothy Warneka, co-authors of the best-selling THE WAY OF LEADING PEOPLE: UNLOCKING YOUR INTEGRAL LEADERSHIP WITH THE TAO TE CHING, are pleased to announce their availability for keynote speech presentations in 2008!

For more information on THE WAY OF LEADING PEOPLE, visit the book's website:

http://www.wayofleadingpeople.com/

(Their mother must be so proud!)

An award-winning professional photographer, Patrick Warneka consistently ranks in the TOP 100 Photographers at Art.com website. You can learn more about him here. Patrick's breath-taking photographs form the centerpiece of THE WAY OF LEADING PEOPLE.

Co-author Timothy Warneka is an award-winning author of several internationally-acclaimed leadership books, including LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY: CONQUERING THE FIVE CORE PROBLEMS FACING LEADERS TODAY and BLACK BELT LEADER, PEACEFUL LEADER: AN INTRODUCTION TO CATHOLIC SERVANT LEADERSHIP and HEALING KATRINA: VOLUNTEERING IN POST-HURRICANE MISSISSIPI. Learn more about Tim here.

To celebrate their Keynote Speaking partnership, for a limited time you can get TWO Warnekas for the cost of ONE. For keynote speaking rates and additional information, please visit here.

Just think of the media buzz you'll create when you have a pair of actual brothers keynoting your event!


The Warneka brothers are booking now for 2008! Please call 440.944.4746 or email:

TWarneka [at] blackbeltconsultants [dot] com.

Looking for a Keynote Speaker for 2008?

Planning a conference, retreat or annual event in 2008?

You know that selecting your keynote speaker is the most important part.

If you are planning an event for 2008, then you should consider leadership expert Timothy H. Warneka.

Every keynote Mr. Warneka presents is carefully created drawing from recent advances in Adult Learning strategies, Emotional Intelligence and principles from the revolutionary non-violent martial art of Aikido. Mr. Warneka's highly interactive approach will keep your participants engaged in the exact material you want covered!

An experienced keynote presenter, some of Mr. Warneka's most often requested keynotes include:

* Leading People the Black Belt Way

* Developing the Integral Organization

* Powerful Productivity Through Coaching

* Five Black Belt Strategies for Leading Diversity

* The Emotionally Intelligent Leader

* Three Secrets of Black Belt Leaders

Don't see the topic you're looking for? Email Mr. Warneka directly or call him at 440.944.4746 and find out how easy it is to have a customized keynote topic created just for your organization!
Mr. Warneka's 2008 calendar is filling up! Be sure to book him ... before it's too late!

To download Mr. Warneka's Keynote Speaker sheet and to learn more about how you can bring Mr. Warneka to your next event, please visit here.

You can contact Mr. Warneka by calling 440.944.4746 or by emailing him at:

TWarneka [at] blackbeltconsultants [dot] com.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Interesting Documentaries

If you're like me, you're always interesting in learning more about something. Here's an interesting site for watching video documentaries:

http://www.freedocumentaries.org/

Have fun!

Interesting NEW MEDIA Commentary

For those leaders who are watching the "new media" emerge and evolve, here's an interesting commentary from PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/

The new media shift is happening. Pay attention.

Citizen Journalism

With the amazing advances in technology in the last 5 years, things are possible to do now that were never possible before. Witness the rise of what's being called Citizen Journalism, where everyday people with video recorders and other technology can create and distribute their own journalistic masterpieces (okay, not all of them are that hot, but hey, the technology is new!).

One fascinating site that is distributing the citizen journalism information is THE UPTAKE (found at http://www.theuptake.org/).

A fascinating trend that leaders will certainly be keeping an eye on.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Pricing Points & Perceived Value

This interesting item in from Yahoo news ...

In a recent research study, people where given two samples of wine and told that one was expensive and one was not. The participants were then asked to rate the wines. People consistently rated the more expensive wine better. The problem is ... both samples were from the same bottle of wine.

Not only did the people self-report, they were also physiologically measured on an MRI. According to the article by Randolph E. Schmid,

The testers' brains showed more pleasure at the higher price than the lower one, even for the same wine, Rangel reports in this week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In other words, changes in the price of the wine changed the actual pleasure experienced by the drinkers, the researchers reported.

When people pay more for things, they perceive it as higher value. Perhaps we should call this the "Starbucks effect."