KACHARAGADLA

Princeton University lecturers John Danner and Chris Kuenne explain what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Every wonder if there was one type of entrepreneur who is the most successful? I have. So when two Princeton University lecturers came to the Greatness Studio to talk about their new book (about personality types of entrepreneurs), I had to ask. And they told me no, there’s not one. In fact, they’ve identified four successful entrepreneur types, and according to their research, each is equally effective -- but for different reasons. Of course I had to know more, and both John Danner and Chris Kuenne fascinated me with their explanations of these personality types. They identified which one I am right away and gave me great coaching on how I can improve my business strategy. They pointed out that it’s not enough to know your strengths in business -- you need to act on that knowledge, hire people who compliment you in those areas and build your team wisely. We talked

The   research   is clear: when we choose humble, unassuming people as our leaders, the world around us becomes a better place. Humble leaders improve the performance of a company in the long run because they create more collaborative environments. They have a balanced view of themselves – both their virtues and shortcomings – and a strong appreciation of others’ strengths and contributions, while being open to new ideas and feedback. These “unsung heroes” help their believers to build their self-esteem, go beyond their expectations, and create a community that channels individual efforts into an organized group that works for the good of the collective. For example,   one study   examined 105 small-to-medium-sized companies in the computer software and hardware industry in the United Studies. The findings revealed that when a humble CEO is at the helm of a firm, its top management team is more likely to collaborate and share information, making the most of the firm’s talen

Reading is the only proven shortcut to success. One of the best ways to ensure that you grow as a person and a leader is to read -- a lot. Time and time again, we learn that the most successful people are also avid bookworms. Constant reading allows them to absorb knowledge, broaden their worldviews and perspectives and challenge obsolete viewpoints. But of course not all books are worthy of the time and effort it takes to go from cover to cover. To help you on your journey toward becoming a successful leader, here are the top 10 books you should be reading now. 1.  Managing the Mental Game  by Jeff Boss Using a blend of mental-training methodologies, former Navy SEAL Jeff Boss shows readers how to build self-confidence and fortitude, enabling them to reach new levels of success. Managing the Mental Game  contains useful exercises on learning how to manage chaos and pressure in order to stay clearheaded and calm in uncertain and difficult situations. Boss’s advice hel

Early leadership experience can be very valuable. Selective colleges screen for  demonstrated leadership experience , and   studies   have found that people with high school leadership experience are paid up to 33% more than those without it. This wage premium is similar to the one associated with a college degree. However, we know little about what types of skills early leadership service may help to develop. Although adults who serve as leaders are observably different from nonleaders — leaders tend to have  higher cognitive ability, more self-confidence, and more motivation or drive  — we don’t know much about whether these differences arise because leadership service changes individuals or because these individuals are selected for their preexisting skills. To investigate this question, we  studied  378 seventh-grade students in a Chinese secondary school. Among the top 92 students, we randomly assigned classroom leadership positions to 46 of them. We tracked the students f

Applying for jobs just out of college or grad school, comfort may have seemed like the ultimate goal: to find the perfect job that was a natural fit and have a long, fulfilling career there. Forget all of that: comfort is the enemy. If things are easy, it's time to shake up your career. Remember when you were young, and you first attempted to write a bicycle? Were you scared at first? Absolutely. Was the end result worth it? I'm betting it was.  Hopping into a new job or career path is indeed a lot like that first ride on a bike: a heart-pumping, adrenaline-inducing risk-- and the payoffs can be as meaningful as the life-changing freedom of mastering two wheels.  Getting out of your comfort zone is a must if you want to achieve extraordinary success. I like to think of it as a shift into your "strength zone": identify, highlight and hone in on what makes you unique and lean into it so you stand out. The hardest part of shaking things up is taking

The speed and security of the internet has created a global economy allowing companies and employees to work from anywhere that has connection to the web. Some companies have adopted a series of smaller remote offices while others corporate giants like Mozilla, Automattic and Upworthy operate completely on a distributed basis. The opportunity and even necessity to work remotely has grown tremendously. In 2014, the number of  remote or telecommuting job listings rose 26 percent , and continued substantial growth is predicted. Although it's tempting to become a globally distributed company for advantages such as decreasing overhead costs, management can be  tricky . During virtual meetings, technical issues can arise, and employees are easily distracted or mentally checkout. Keeping meetings timely, organized and equally open to all involved parties is even more challenging when done through virtual platforms. Additionally, a wide spread team means that not everyone is always w

Procrastination affects everyone. It sneaks up on most people when they’re tired or bored, but for some, procrastination can be a full-fledged addiction. They avoid all day the work that is right in front of them, only to go home and toil late into the night, frantically trying to finish what they could have easily completed before dinner. “ Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him .” –Charles Dickens With the holidays approaching, the high season for procrastination is upon us. It’s even more difficult to get work done when you’re stuck at the office, wishing you were enjoying time with family and friends. Still, the procrastination cycle can become crippling at any time of the year, which is troubling, because recent studies show that procrastination magnifies stress, reduces performance, and leads to poor health. Psychologists at Case Western Reserve University conducted an interesting experiment where they offered college students a date range instead of a sin