Authority and the Speeding Train of Project Leadership

Much of project management is generating and maintaining project momentum. Many things can decrease momentum, and in many circumstances, it doesn’t take much to actually derail the train and kill the project altogether. When I am brought on as a project lead, I am focused on ONE THING. Keeping the train moving towards the successful completion of the project

Positive Momentum: How Do You Generate Your Forward Thinking?

Creativity requires momentum. It is much easier to let a creative project languish than it is to get in the studio and wrestle with it.

Truth, Transparency, and Trust: Establishing Our Connection

Social media is about transparency. If The Cluetrain Manifesto** taught us anything it is that the public will talk about the truth regardless of what the company or person wants the public to talk about.

Dear Graduate – a Toolkit for Learners and Job Hunters

Regardless of your degree or direction, you need to be able to write clearly. Communications have always been the core of success in business and in life. Your level of authority determines how many people you communicate with or even lead. How well do you communicate?

Positive Forces: Delayed, Deflected, Divorced, Distracted, But Not Deterred

We Are Voices! When I hear a like-minded and positive voice I will do almost anything to help. I had heard her story. I liked her rant and rave blog. I wanted to see her successful at her efforts to support her family via the web and not return to the cube farm of the corporate life.

Plussing or Dividing: How Do You Show Up in the World?

What’s the overall sentiment of your presence at a business meeting, or in life, with your friends and family? You are generally either a PLUS or not. And it’s more about sentiment and overall approach to life than it is about optimism or negative attitude. It’s a life path. And one I think you should pay attention to and perhaps cultivate.

Expert Not Found – Social Media is About Being a “Student” not a “Guru”

I have my opinions. I have an unapologetic voice. Don’t be an “expert.” Be a “student.” Even someone with a black belt in martial arts needs a master. Keep the beginner’s mind in everything you do.

Social Media Strategist Notes: You Blog, Right? Tell Me Why Not Again – Career Path Planning

A blog is the training ground for so many things. Content development. Layout and Information Architecture. Design. Metrics and Analysis. Optimization. Goals and Sales Funnels. “How’s it working for ya” kinda stuff. You need to be engaging in all of these parts of the process of social media strategy as well.

To Be a Leader In Social Media… “Tell me where you participate.” (BTW: LinkedIn is not enough!)

Social media is not an academic pursuit. You cannot lead and explore what you don’t yourself understand. And the only way to grok it is to jump in, feet and fingers first and be social.

The 7 Connective Practices of a Tribe – How To Build and Support Shared Plans

In a week or so the hash-tag of your conference (#TEDxAustin, #SXSW, #SXSWi) will be a ghost town. You can keep your vivid emotions and connective feelings alive through deliberate practice. And by joining with other from that event or cause, you can grow your tribe, supporting each other to remember the truth of the collective dream.

Antibodies and Positrons: Learning Project Management & Leadership by Consensus

In the path of successful project completion, you will face hurdles (can you show me the numbers again?), ambiguities (what exactly is the purpose of this project?), and antibodies (i’m not sure this is the best way to go about this). The quicker you accelerate past the antibodies and align yourself with the positrons the easier time you are going to have to deliver on your promises and deadlines.

Finding and Establishing Cadence: Team Updates & Milestones – Timing Is Everything

Basically, I needed them and needed their participation. They did not need me, nor did they necessarily want another “project” or another “meeting” to put demands on their workload. In a heavily siloed and matrixed organization, I relied on my people skills, my enthusiasm for doing good work, and my ability to lead without authority.

How Social Media Can Change Your Business – Social Media Strategist Notebook

And if there are ways that I can help, personally or professionally, I will do it. I am a connector and a communicator. There is no catch. I am writing this blog for you and your business success using social media. Everything else is a fringe benefit. If we become friends that is the greatest benefit of all.

Close of Business Rituals: End Your Week and Reset for What’s Next

Either Friday, before you leave work or Sunday before you go to bed, teeing up your next week, is a good practice. Here are few steps that will close out the work week with a satisfactory CLICK and set you up for success in the week to come.

LinkedIn PRIME Network Referral Request: Trust, Projects, Combined Forces, Revenue

Is there anything LinkedIn has done to enable your business relationships lately? What will wake them up to the next level of interaction?

Do Your Slides Resonate? How Slideshare Sets a Higher Standard for Your Presentation

So do us all a favor and share your best slides with the social web. You’ll get some authority and possibly some exposure for your business and blog.

Mental Jujitsu: Nothing Ever Works Out, Get Over It and Get to Work

Business, friendships, marriage, even true love will eventually fail us. That is not a pity party. It is a point of strength.

Online Collaborator’s Toolkit: The Sharing Tools You Need to Web It Up!

The tools you need to collaborate and work with others across the great web divide.

Critical Path Strategies: How Are You Getting Things Done? What Are You Cutting Out?

The critical path is the minimum string of events that have to happen in order for the desired result to be achieved.

Critical Path Leadership:

• Mental Jujitsu: Nothing Ever Works Out, Get Over It and Get to Work
• An Idea Is Not a Business; Learning the Hard Way How Entrepreneurs Succeed
• My Dream for You; How Social Media Can Change Your Life – This Is What I Do
• Crack the Motivational Code: Put a Ding In Our Universe and Your Team’s Universe
• The Six Pillars of Online Reputation and Brand Management
• “We Googled You”: What You’d Better Know About Your SERP on Google
• Drawing the Circles Around LinkedIn Contacts – Social Media for Business of Any Size
• Capture and Share Your Experience to Become a Leader: the Blogging Path
• Personal Branding, What’s In It For You?
• Getting to This Moment of Happiness and Lessons Learned Along the Way

Additional Leadership Posts:

• How Can a Social Media Strategist Help Your Business? How is Your Social Plan Evolving? (VIDEO)
• Social Creative Content: Simplifying My Passion For Social Media Marketing
• The Liability of Ignorance: How, Where, and When To Join a Social Community
• The First Cut: Applying The Way of the Sword to Life and Tennis

• Who Needs a Social Media Strategist In This Economy? What’s The Value Proposition?
• Personal Branding, What’s In It For You?
• What Is Your “Always On” Technology? How Should I Reach You Right NOW?”
• Sometimes We Miss: Other Times We Are Like Birds on a Branch Together
• Drawing the Circles Around LinkedIN Contacts – Social Media for Business of Any Size
• Friends, Tweeps, Links and Groups: Placing Value On Community and Friendship
• Agile Leadership: Steve Ballmer on Old Meetings vs New Meetings
• It’s Not ADD Mom, It’s Attention Deficit Trait – I’m Learning To Be This Way
• Zen and the Tennisball Machine – Alone with Patience and Agility
• GWD – Getting Webwork Done – tools, taxonomies, hacks, reviews, best-of-breed
• Where Do You Pay Attention – The Cost of Attention Deficit and Economic Recessions
• The Social Sharing Golden Rule: “And What Excites You About That?”
• Social Media is a Pool Party
• The seven immutable “blogging” rules to keep in mind and then crush!
• Why Wouldn’t I Share My LinkedIN Strategy With You: My #1 Blog Tip
• Writing a Plan for Your Future – A Career Path Template from Boxes and Arrows

John McElhenney – let’s connect online 

@jmacofearth & Google+ & Facebook & LinkedIn

more from uber.la

• Data Selfie – What the Internet Marketers Know About You
• Lifehack Quickie: Off-time Strategies
• How Does Facebook Suck? If It’s Free You Are the Product
• Does Type-A Always Mean Asshole?