Where is the Leadership?

I arrived at the trainstation at 7:30 in the morning yesterday ready to take off my train from Vienna to Budapest, zip my breakfast coffee and read the newspaper. This was my seat-cover, and to my surprise all the seats were that dirty. Just click on the photo to see it bigger…

C’mon guys at ÖBB, the Austrian National Railways, you cannot treat your customers with this kind of dirty shit. This was even the ‘1st class wagon’. Please go back and learn your lessons about cleanliness and customer service…because this was just YAK!! and DISGUSTING!!! Next time I’ll fly or take a car….

Success and Leadership

Last Saturday I held a presentation about Success & Leadership for the “Leadership Academy” of Finland.

The students of the Leadership Academy are 15 hand-picked, most talented young entrepreneurs and leaders of Finland that have been selected for the one year Academy that consist of three parts.
The first part is a 3-day intensive seminar in Northern Finland, the second part is a one week retreat in Cyprus, and the third part is the closing session held in Vienna, at the Hotel Tulbinger Kogel.
Last year I took myself in this Academy as a student, and it was a great experience. This year I was invited there as a Speaker, and it was a great honour for me to present for this great audience. I spoke about success and leadership; what I learned from my own experiences in Timbuktu, Kazakhstan and California. I am very much looking forward doing similar session next year as well.
Thanks Ollis for inviting me over.
Respect, Niko

Hiring the Best

Prepare yourself well for the job interview. Identify the talents & skills you need for the job. Review the resume beforehand and brainstorm some questions that make sense (dont just stick to the standard blablabla) and remember, it might be a good idea to hire the weird. And with this I mean that in order to get your organization the creative kick it may need right now, you need to hire people from different backgrounds and cultures, otherwise there is a danger you just keep producing the standard stuff, and no GREAT ideas are flourishing…

Conducting the Interview

Plan enough time, avoid distractions, take notes, ask weird questions… Try to get to know the person, his talents, his skills, his aspirations, how he is spending his freetime, what his values are, what his 5/10 year vision is, what he thinks is the purpose of life, if he has kids yes/no,…and so on… And: YES! Abolsutely! - In todays business world, we need to get personal; we need to get to know the potential new hires before we hire them; we need to get to know them damn well; how else should we find the right person for the right position? Too much resources are spend everywhere in the world for people who dont love what they do. Do you have any of these in your team? Are you one of these yourself? If any of the answers is YES: try to find a suitable position for your staff member/yourself; Try to find a position that will match your/his talents; Try to find a position that you/he will be able to say, everyday: I LOVE WHAT I DO!

Upgrade your skills.

There is one point in leadership and life that is extremely crucial in staying competitive in the global human capital marketplace: YOUR SKILLS. As we live in this highly competitive time with huge amounts of human knowledge capital, skills, and brain capital (most of it unfortunately ends up in cemeteries without any purposeful use), that is now available from all the corners in the world within a mouse click; we as leaders need to constantly…

upgrade your skills

Upgrading skills should become our daily habit and a life-long journey.  Peace.

High Performance Leadership

Today I received a recognition letter and certificate for completing the High Performance Leadership Program by Toastmasters International. The letter says:

Dear Toastmaster Viramo,

Congratulations on achieving the Leadership Excellence Award. Earning this award is a great accomplishment. Not every Toastmaster has the drive and dedication necessary to achieve this award.

Today, more than ever, our world needs strong, confident leaders. By completing a project using the High Performance Leadership program, you have demonstarted outstanding leadership skills. You are, indeed, an effective leader and a dedicated Toastmaster.

In your role as leader, you have shown that good leadership skills help to improve self-confidence and, by fostering understanding between people, aid in enhancing human relations.

I am privileged to recognize you with the Leadership Excellence award. Your outstandning achievement will serve as an inspiration to all Toastmasters.

Sincerely,

Nancy Langton, Director

Naturally it feels awesome to be recognized from the TMI head office for my personal achievement in such a formal way; it even feels better having achieved another goal and milestone of becoming a better speaker and leader. My own committment for myself is very strong:-). 

Toastmasters International educational system is wrapped tightly around on the deepest need of the human nature: the need for recognition. When you enter a Toastmasters Club anywhere in the world, you will be greeted by friendly fellow Toastmasters, and you will be continously supported along your journey  of becoming better speaker and leader, by the local, national and the international Toastmasters community. There are so many things corporations and businesses can learn from the VOLUNTEER organizations such as Toastmasters International. Respect!