De seneste posts fra danske RSS feeds og weblogs på Overskrift.dk om tag'et leadership http://www.overskrift.dk Wed, 16 May 2012 05:01:22 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.overskrift.dk/images/overskrift.gif http://www.overskrift.dk Overskrift.dk http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/strategy/communicate-the-vision-through-storytelling/ Communicate the vision through storytellingMartin Luther King will forever be associated with the vision of America achieving its aim of a ?more perfect union”. King?s speech envisioned a renewal of America, a redeeming of its “soul”: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by ... Torben Rick Tue, 15 May 2012 18:57:04 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/change-management/better-be-the-first-to-disrupt/ Better be the first to disruptBetter be the first to disrupt. Why? Because it?s probably going to happen anyway and it?s much more profitable to be the disruptor. Instagram versus Kodak Let’s start with the most recent: Instagram versus Kodak Facebook has acquired Instagram, a fun, popular photo-sharing app for mobile devices for  approximately $1 billion in a combination of cash and ... Torben Rick Sun, 13 May 2012 07:04:47 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/culture/killed-by-a-corporate-culture-of-complacency/ Killed by a corporate culture of complacencyWhat happened to Kodak, Schlecker and Blockbuster? They all have declared bankruptcy. Usually, when this hits the news it is analyzed by the numbers people who, looking at five years? worth of financial data, give their quantitative and financial explanation of the failure. More qualitative types will go back 10 years sometimes, and even go ... Torben Rick Sat, 12 May 2012 06:16:44 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/change-management/driving-and-managing-change-will-remain-the-number-one-priority/ Driving and managing change will remain the number one priorityFew companies can avoid big, periodic changes in the guts of their business. Whatever the cause – market maturation, a tough macroeconomic environment, creeping costs, competitive struggles, or just a desire to improve. For companies to survive and strive in today?s competitive environment, they will need to change quickly and successfully. Managing change has to ... Torben Rick Tue, 08 May 2012 19:06:33 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/performance-management/when-is-comes-to-performance-effective-leadership-matters/ When is comes to performance effective leadership mattersToday?s leaders make decisions in an increasingly unpredictable business environment. In a recent IBM study of 1,500 CEOs worldwide, more than 60 percent believed that their businesses today were more volatile, uncertain, and complex (IBM Global Business Services, 2010). It?s no wonder that the quality of leadership can make or break the sustainability of any ... Torben Rick Mon, 07 May 2012 19:05:46 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/leadership/high-levels-of-employee-disengagement-and-under-engagement/ High levels of employee disengagement and under engagementAn employee of GE once said to Jack Welch: You have paid for my hands for 24 years, but you could have had my brain for free So even the most successful companies fails to engage all employees. According to a recent survey on employee engagement in the US workforce from Modern Survey, it seems that only ... Torben Rick Fri, 04 May 2012 04:47:14 +0100 http://jannetholstrup.dk/hvad-er-ledelse/ I min optik, er ledelse ikke en person men derimod en funktion, som varetages af en ledelseskompetent person. For at være en god leder, er der nogen personlige egenskaber, der skal være opfyldt, for at opnå succes med ledelsesfunktionen. Du skal være visionær, hvilket betyder at du skal have visioner for, hvor du gerne vil lede din “flok” hen. Du skal besidde evnen til, at komme på idéer og løsninger på, hvordan man kan udføre den opgave, du og din flok har ansvaret for at løse. Du skal være omstillingsparat, og have lyst til, at tænke i nye muligheder og procedurer, såfremt du oplever, at den nuværende form for procedurer ikke er en succes. Du skal besidde leadership, hvilket betyder, at du skal have evnen til, at formidle dine visioner på en sådan måde, at din “flok” føler sig trygge ved at følge dig og du skal kunne motivere dem, således at de får lyst til, at gøre som du siger. Hvis din “flok” ikke følger dig, er du ikke længere leder, og derved kan mange alvorlige problemer opstå. Du skal udføre management, hvilket betyder at du evner at håndtere, at regler og procedurer bliver overholdt. Du skal være i stand til, at træffe beslutninger om afskedigelse og ansættelse, og du skal varetage den almindelige personaleledelse og sørge for trivsel blandt dine medarbejdere. Denne del kan over tid tillæres. Sidst, men vigtigt, så skal du indeholde ekspertise indenfor det område, hvor du er leder. Kravet om ekspertise er vigtigt i forhold til, mange af de beslutninger du bliver nødt til at træffe. Denne del kan over tid tillæres. Såfremt du ikke er ekspert, er det påkrævet, at du har en medarbejder tæt på dig, som varetager det faglige ansvar som ekspert, indtil du selv er rustet til at varetage opgaven. Det vigtige ved denne beskrivelse er, at ikke alle mennesker egner sig som ledere. For det første er det vigtigt, at man har lyst til at “lede flokken” og ikke blot er leder, for titlens skyld. De første 2 punkter, er desuden evner man besidder i form af personlighed og disse evner er umiddelbart ikke noget man kan tillære sig på samme måde, som man kan tilegne sig de to sidste egenskaber. Jeg kan hjælpe dig med, at forme dit lederskab således at du kommer til at indeholde alle de vigtige aspekter i en lederposition. admin www.jannetholstrup.dk Fri, 04 May 2012 00:01:28 +0100 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Newspakistanpk/~3/rB-d3OHqV2E/ Imran Khan?s Tsunami turning into a threatening force to the current incompetent politicians Pakistan?s history has been witnessing countless changes in the emergence of political parties. Nevertheless, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that emerged almost fifteen years ago has become an irresistible force backed by the innumerable youngsters. Imran Khan?s Tsunami has become inexorable threat for the traditional politicians of the country who have been ruling the country for the last three decades. It is said that change is the only permanent thing in this ever changing world and the people of Pakistan also want change. General masses want this change in the political setup of Pakistan. They want a change in the leadership, which has become corrupt and is destroying the prestige of the country. People want to get rid of the family politics and corrupt people. The PTI has grown into a potential threat to the corrupt leaders because of its rapidly growing popularity among the general masses of Pakistan. This is one of the fastest growing political parties in the country and has grown into an inescapable threat to those who have been ruling this country for decades. Imran Khan, who has the potential and characteristic of true leaders, is leading this Tsunami to destroy all bad elements which are causing huge loss to this country. Imran?s vision is clear that Pakistan should be self dependent and should avoid taking help from other countries in the form of loans. Imran wants to make it a sovereign state in the true sense. Different anchor persons in talk shows spit on PTI by saying that the party has no agenda. It has no policy to get people out of the current miserable situation. But these anchor persons are doing nothing but following the agendas of their media organizations. These people should think on it that why the hell people are leaving the established parties to join PTI. Have these people gone mad? These media persons should keep the real essence of Journalism alive instead of favouring one political party or the other in their talk shows. If PTI does not have any agenda, they people should not follow it. The youth of Pakistan is with Imran Khan and if he gets a chance to serve the country after getting into power, the general perception is that it will be good for the national interest of Pakistan as he will put the country on the right track. Muhammad Ahmad Nazir NewsPakistan.pk Thu, 03 May 2012 15:19:49 +0100 http://mikehohnen.com/2012/05/01/followership-is-underated/ Are we too focused on ‘Leadership’ – and not enough about ‘Followership* What does it take to develop followership – check out this video Mike Mike Hohnen Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:58 +0100 http://vedbaek.net/maersk-abner-lederudviklingscenter-i-vedbaek?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=maersk-abner-lederudviklingscenter-i-vedbaek I al stilfærdighed har A.P. Møller-Mærsk købt ejendommen ?Rolighed? beliggende på Skodsborg Strandvej i Vedbæk. Købet blev gennemført tilbage i 2010, hvor rederiet købte ?Rolighed?, og siden december måned sidste år har koncernen uddannet sine topchefer i Vedbæk. Ejendommen, hvis historie går flere hundrede år tilbage, var indtil 2010 ejet af Fonden af 28. maj [...] mik Vedbæk - Vedbæk.NET Tue, 01 May 2012 07:42:53 +0100 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Newspakistanpk/~3/c329FFdsxQI/ Pakistan in need of a sincere and loyal leader To build the image of any nation, leadership plays the most crucial role. It leads towards prosperity, peace and progress by showing loyalty to the country and working in the right direction. On the contrary, a bad leadership can also damage the image of the country by preferring self benefits over the interest of the whole country and nation. Regrettably, Pakistan does not have that privilege of having a loyal leadership. A leadership which could put the country on the right track of progress and success. Leaders of Pakistan are deathly busy in devising treacherous methods to gain as much benefits as they can instead of working for the welfare of the state. Leadership is least concerned for Pakistan as their only concern in their personal interests or benefits. Leader of any country is supposed to be among the most patriot and loyal persons, but the case is different in Pakistan where leaders do not have any concern for the common people. Layman is suffering with numerous problems but the government remains indifferent from those problems. Despite reducing the problems of people, the rulers are increasing their sufferings by putting them burden of unbearable taxes, which are imposed on them because industrialists and feudal do not pay their taxes and are protected by the leaders. The main reason behind the miserable condition of Pakistan is that industrialists and feudal are governing this country in their own way. A never ending problem that is haunting the country is corruption and those who are supposed to stop and eliminate it, are generally considered the most corrupt people Pakistani land. The foreign policy made on the basis of personal gains coupled with the miserable condition of law and order have damaged the credibility and prestige of Pakistan in international community. Our leaders are even ready to sell this country in order to get Dollars, Euros and Pounds. Nation cannot become self-dependant and self-sufficient unless its leaders are corrupt and mean. If the leadership becomes loyal to the general masses, the country will grow rapidly. At the current hour, Pakistan desperately needs a brave and loyal leader who possesses the real qualities of leadership, a man who could lead this country towards prosperity while remaining loyal and patriot. Muhammad Ahmad Nazir NewsPakistan.pk Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:53:21 +0100 http://www.hippebrun.com/leading-from-a-strength-based-perspective In 2010 Mikkel Ejsing and I wrote the book named “Styrkebaseret Ledelse” in Danish. It has now been translated into English, which we are very happy with and proud of. We hope it will help spread the word of Strength-based Ways of Leading which we believe so much in together with mindfulness and other new ways of developing sustainable, efficient and healthy organizations.   The English title of the book is: “Leading from a Strength-based Perspective - tools for promoting efficient and healthy organisations”.    You can read part of the book here: Part of the book in English   If you want to buy it, follow on of these link: Danish Psychological  Publishers´Series On Amazon   Enjoy! Pernille Hippe Brun hippebrun.dk Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:35:44 +0100 http://responsibleprocurement.dk/blog/2012/how-can-i-collect-responsible-data-from-my-suppliers-the-easy-way/ Like in every other aspect of life: there is no easy way. In this blogpost I will give you some ideas to how you can … Alis Hemmingsen Responsible Procurement Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:25:17 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/change-management/change-is-inevitable-and-require-companies-to-re-invent-themselves/ Change is inevitable and require companies to re-invent themselvesMassive transformation is sweeping across many different industries. Unfortunately to many companies are stuck in the jar. The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings ? Kakuzo Okakaura Blockbuster, once the dominant DVD franchise, has fallen into bankruptcy in an era of other video options. In Blockbuster’s case, it was streaming service and mail-order ... Torben Rick Sun, 22 Apr 2012 06:33:47 +0100 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Newspakistanpk/~3/Il9FBgWgszM/ US Embassy in Zambia to be awarded silver level leadership award The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) announced today that the newly constructed U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia was awarded the silver level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification under LEED for New Construction. The U.S. Embassy is the first building in Zambia to receive LEED certification. The embassy was designed to reduce energy costs through the installation of a white roof, light colored façade, and sun shades around windows to reduce solar heat gain. Occupancy and daylight sensors automatically turn off overhead lights. Additional energy-efficiency is gained from solar hot water, daylight harvesting, and electric traction elevators. The building conserves water through the installation of low-flow and low-flush plumbing fixtures. All water consumed is cleansed at an on-site treatment plant, reused for irrigation, and ultimately infiltrated on-site, replenishing the ground water. The base building materials have a combined recycled content value of 20 percent. Most notably, the rebar contains 98 percent post-consumer recycled content and the gypsum board has 94 percent pre-consumer recycled content. LEED certified buildings are designed to lower operating costs while increasing asset value, reduce waste sent to landfills, conserve energy and water, be healthier and safer for occupants, and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The embassy in Lusaka was constructed by the design-build contractor, B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, Alabama; Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing design was completed by H&A Architects & Engineers of Glen Allen, Virginia; and the architect of record is EYP Architecture & Engineering of Albany, New York. Since 1999, as part of the Department?s Capital Security Construction Program, OBO has completed 89 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 43 projects in design and construction. The program has successfully moved more than 27,000 people into new diplomatic facilities, furthering OBO?s mission to provide safe, secure and functional facilities that represent the U.S. Government to the host nation and support our staff in achieving U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities should represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution. Fayyaz Yaseen NewsPakistan.pk Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:32:26 +0100 http://www.hippebrun.com/team-training-on-the-emba-in-kenya Just returned from Kenya, where the second E-MBA class of University of Inoorero is now in module 2 of their 18 months of study. In this module they work in groups/teams while doing a strategic project for a Kenyan business. It is exciting – and a lot of hard work. In the middle of it all they also have to reflect on their group-proces: how is it going, what is working well for them in the groups, what is challenging and what will they do to improve their team-work. All in order to learn, grow and reflect about how to make a High Performing Team and what it will require if a team-structure really should function – not only in words, but also in practice. At the E-MBA – and in their companies. Here are some pictures from our three days training in Lukenya – Kenya: Pernille Hippe Brun hippebrun.dk Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:00:15 +0100 http://www.mardahl.dk/2012/04/14/thomas-fleming-day-on-design-simple-solutions-leadership-and-responsibility/ 100 years ago, a man wrote passionately about the incompetency that led to a terrible tragedy. The freshness of his words struck me when I first discovered them in 2001. Today, on the 100th anniversary of that tragedy – the sinking of the Titanic, I thought the words of that man – Thomas Fleming Day – were worth repeating. The Open Library makes it possible to do so. When I read this 1912 article in 2012, many questions come to mind. How are we designing today? How do we communicate simple safety procedures? How do we conduct training? How do we shoulder responsibility at all stages of a project? (As an uncomfortable parallel, read D.A. Winsor’s IEEE PCS article from 1988 called “Communication Failures Contributing to the Challenger Accident: An Example for Technical Communicators” (link opens PDF).) We are supposed to learn from past failures. Is that happening, or do we need to listen to a 100-year-old voice? Background and Copyright Information Thomas Fleming Day was the founder and editor of The Rudder, a magazine about boats. The contents of this post come from part of a regular section in The Rudder magazine called “Round the Clubhouse Fire”. The source for this post is a 1912 edition of The Rudder found at the Open Library. In the edition from Volume XXVII, May 1912, Number 5, “Round the Clubhouse Fire” began on page 360. This particular version began with the commentary that I am sharing with you in this post. For reading convenience, I made headings that are from the first sentence of the following paragraph. In the printed version, these sections are merely marked by three asterisks. I made no other changes to the original text. To ensure publication of this text without violating any copyright rules, I did some research. On the Internet Archive page for this magazine, it states “Possible copyright status: NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT”. I then found an explanation about NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT in the Internet Archive forum. I used a link in that thread to make sure there was no copyright listed for this magazine. If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know in the comments, and I will make corrections accordingly. Vol. XXVII, May 1912, No. 5 begins on page 331 in the PDF (scanned image) version on the Open Library (page 309 in the original bound volume). The article I reference is found on page 382 in the PDF (page 360 in the original bound volume). (Do visit the Open Library on your next break. They provide a good home to many, many books, and they have high ambitions. Check them out!) This post is like having a guest blogger, only my guest wrote his post 100 years ago. Thank you, Mr. Day. Round the Clubhouse Fire – by Thomas Fleming Day WHAT we have all expected and predicted would happen, has happened. Many a day I have stood on the bridge and watched one of the mailboats go rushing by at 20 or 25 knots, thick or clear, driving through so as to make her tide and land the mails and passengers on time. We watched her out of sight, and then said, “Some day one of those fellows will hit a berg or another ship and there will be a terrible killing,” I have talked with the men who drive those ships. They have shudderingly admitted the danger. “But what are we to do? We are put here to drive them, and drive them we must. If it is thick and there is ice ahead we will hit it.” For this disaster the American traveling public are wholly to blame; it is their mania for speed that has brought about the abnormal and dangerous development of the Western Ocean steamship. The American has no love for the sea, every day upon it is to him a day of torture. But then is he ever happy anywhere unless he is being rushed along at a speed dangerous to life and limb? Hear the constant’ cry on ocean steamers, “Captain, can’t you get us in to-morrow? Can’t we hurry and land to-night?” etc. “Get us over this ocean as soon as possible,” is the cry. “Never mind risking our lives, take the shortest route and rush your vessel through. Never mind the fog and ice or the other ships. Rush ! rush ! rush !” We have the same mania on land, trains running at 70 miles over tracks built for a speed of forty, and the passengers paying an extra fare for the privilege of risking a horrible death. It is to play to this speed demon It is to play to this speed demon that the mailboats have been taken across the cold water in Spring and Summer. To go South into the warm water meant a longer distance and more time at sea. If a line refused to let its ships take the risk, it lost the favor of the public. They transferred their patronage to the line that would send its ships over the shorter route, and take the chances of hitting ice or bashing another ship in the thick. The fact that none of these vessels carried sufficient boats to salve a full passenger and crew list was well known, and often commented on. But steamship men, like the rest of the world, grow indifferent to such conditions; the dangers are too remote; long relief from serious accident made boats an ornament and a nuisance, and the less carried the less work and bother. Not two months ago an officer of Olympic said, in response to a passenger’s remark that there were not boats enough, “Oh, we’ll never need them; just carry them to comply with the law.” Another theory that has sent many a ship to the bottom is the watertight bulkhead. No bulkhead with an opening through it is watertight. When you put a door through it, it becomes a menace not a safeguard. Bulkheads should have absolutely no opening of any kind through them, and should be carried up to the main deck intact. “That cannot be done,” cries the designer. “Impossible,” echoes the builder. Then, gentlemen, don’t call them watertight, and don’t tell people they will prevent ships sinking. I have known ships to be saved by their bulkheads, but they were solid partitions reaching from keel to deck. The saddest thing to me in this terrible happening is that hundreds might have had a chance for their lives if only some one had been there with the brains to direct those inexperienced landsmen. I have spent hours thinking over what I would do in just such a crisis. I never go on a steamer but what my first duty is to look over the boats, to see what tackles they are fitted with, and how they are released. Then I look around and note what other stuff aboard can be used in an emergency. On Titanic there were probably four or five thousand mattresses, and yet no one seems to have thought of using them. How often have you looked over a ship side and seen a mattress, a sailor’s “donkey’s breakfast,” floating perhaps days after it was thrown over from some inbound packet. There were hundreds of wooden cabin doors; why were these not torn off and thrown overside? Because nobody was there who had been trained to think of these things. If you are ever caught on a sinking steamer remember this: Take two mattresses out of the bunks, place between them an empty suit-case, a cork life-preserver, or if you cannot get anything else two pillows or any bulky article that will float, take the bed sheets, twist them, and lash the mattresses together, sandwich-fashion, with the suit-case or life-preserver between. Here is float that you can lie full length on and that will keep your head and body above water. When in the water several of these can be brought together and lashed side by side and thus be prevented from capsizing. I know a man who saved himself by taking two water-jugs and stuffing their mouths with towels; he floated with a jug under each arm until picked up. He told me he thought of this method years before, and when the hour came it flashed back into his mind. The loss of Titanic is a dreadful lesson The loss of Titanic is a dreadful lesson, but, like all such that have from time to time been given to man, it will go unheeded. The same disregard of safety when safety is present will rule, and ships will speed merrily over the ocean, bearing crowds of passengers only too delighted if they break a record and get to port before the sunset gun closes quarantine. There is one lesson that man never has learned and never will learn, and that is to put into power the competent, to choose for his governing masters the trained, experienced, and intelligent. Instead, he allows his governing masters to choose themselves, consequently we have men entirely ignorant controlling our affairs and dictating the laws and conditions under which we shall live and travel. As a specimen look at the British Board of Trade: a collection of incompetent civilians, acting under the advice of theoretical landsmen, making laws for navigating the seas. Was there anything more criminally imbecile than the late work of this body in raising the Winter load-line, a piece of folly that has sent dozens of ships and their crews to death. The Winter load-line should have been sent down, not up. Would these men have sent it up if they had spent a stormy night on the bridge of a deep-loaded vessel? No; but they are ignorant politicians who, afraid to offend the clamoring vessel owners, played politics, the stakes being the lives of men. Look at our Senate, sending three hayseed senators to investigate a shipping disaster; men who by their questions show they know nothing about the sea. What would the public say if we sent three ship captains to inquire into a mine explosion in Colorado? It is the same story: men designing and building vessels who never go to sea in them, men making sails who never set or trimmed one, men writing about the sea who never saw it. There is only one knowledge that is of value There is only one knowledge that is of value,?the knowledge gained by experience; all other is secondary and of questionable value. It is not so much what experience teaches but what it unteaches. You learn to unlearn, a most difficult lesson, the most difficult of all. Theoretical knowledge is piffle; it is the empirical that counts. All the speculations of all the philosophers were not worth the experience of Magellan; they with all their talk proved nothing, he by his voyage established a fact. It was this theoretical humbug, mathematical office work, that sent Titanic to sea an unsinkable ship. This monster was unsinkable because calculations proved she was so, calculations worked out by men with no seagoing experience. The Board of Trade man sits at his table and proves that with the Winter load-line where he wants to put it, the ship will have ample reserve buoyancy. Yes, certainly on his paper; but how about on a black stormy night at sea? O man, how long will you let yourself be governed by imbeciles and your affairs be regulated by blockheads? Now I will give the world a piece of advice Now I will give the world a piece of advice. It will not accept it, because it is a product of sense, and therefore at variance with all the accepted methods of regulating our earthly affairs. Choose three veteran captains of each of the maritime nations and form them into a Board with international powers, and give into their hands absolute control of the Western Ocean traffic. Let them plot and establish the routes, regulate the speed, specify the equipment, and make rules governing the lights, signals, and the use of the wireless telegraph. These men know what is wanted; you don’t, your Congress doesn’t, your Parliament doesn’t; the vessel owners do, but they won’t because they are after money first, last, and all the time. The members of such a board would safeguard your lives because they would be safeguarding the lives of men who have stood with them on the bridge, and they know what it means. These old skippers would be free from owners’ influence, and free from political influence, they would bring to the council table the experience of years. They would not have to call and question advisers and experts, they would be their own experts and advisers. You and I who have been down to the sea in ships will see the sense of this suggestion, but will our imbecile blockhead rulers? Never! There’s nothing in it for them. Safety at sea is the product of constant vigilance Safety at sea is the product of constant vigilance. Never allow this vigilance to sleep in yourself nor in others, if you can possibly help it. It is not only necessary that you should be constantly on the lookout, but those under you should be trained to be eternally on the alert. Nothing is too small to notice and care for, if it concerns the safety of your vessel. The majority of ship officers I have been with have shown an interest in their duties, especially when on the bridge, and the same with lookouts; but there is one fault that is too common, and one that there is no question has often led to disaster, and that is, what a watch officer cannot see or does not see a lookout cannot have seen. I make it a practice never to ignore or deny a lookout’s report until it is proven groundless. It is better to believe he has seen the thing or something until you are absolutely sure he has not. Once while running in for the Hook in a thick fog, the lookout reported a buoy; the officer on watch laughed at him, as we were supposed to be ten miles offshore. I saw the buoy at the same time and told the Captain so. He stopped the ship and took a cast of the lead; we had about three feet under the keel, and in two minutes more would have been aground. No doubt Titanic’s bridge was warned of ice by the lookout; but the officer on watch did not see it, so nobody saw it. Orders were to push her through, make a record, land the passengers early, big advertisement for the line. Everybody delighted. Skipper congratulated, chief thanked. Same old story, the office on shore running the ship at sea. The truth of what I have preached to you for years You people will now realize the truth of what I have preached to you for years?that safety at sea has nothing to do with size, and that because a ship is big she is not necessarily seaworthy. As I have told you, small vessels are safer than large, providing they are properly designed, strongly built, thoroughly equipped and skilfully manned. The risk of being overcome by a storm or being destroyed through what seamen call stress of weather, is only one of the dangers of the sea; there are others to which all vessels are liable and which are more likely to wreck large than small craft. Of these collision is the most to be dreaded, and from a collision a small vessel runs scant risk. Huge steamers cannot go slow, because they will not answer their helms at small speeds, and it takes a long time to turn them on their helms; whereas a small vessel moves slowly and answers her helm quickly. A long straight keel vessel, like a steamer, pivots on her bow, so that when the helm is put over it is her stern that turns, not the bow, and she continues to approach the object she is helming to avoid until she swings round. The greater danger on large vessels But the greater danger on large vessels arises from the enormous increase of the attractive force. The attractive force between two large steamships, or a steamer and a berg, is enormous, and unless worked against will bring them rapidly together. It is this and not suction that draws vessels together; there is no suction between vessels in deep water. This attraction is what causes collisions in fogs and strandings especially on high coasts. It is dangerous because it not only affects the vessel but affects the minds of the men on the vessel. It pulls every particle of matter, even the brain matter of the crew. In thick weather or a dark night, if left without the guidance of a compass, a man will invariably direct his vessel towards the land or towards another vessel if close to it. I have tried it time and time again. Your eminent office philosophers will probably deny this and assert that suction, and currents, and waves of one kind or another are the cause of these collisions and strandings, but try it for yourself with two small pieces of match stick in a glass of water. The laws of nature operate in the same manner in a glass of water as they do in the ocean, you will admit, even if you are an expert. I never remember any disaster affecting me as this one did I never remember any disaster affecting me as this one did. It made me fairly sick. Even now it seems like a dream, as though it could never have happened, that monster sinking as she did in less than three hours after receiving the thrust. The calm water made the thinking of it worse, for with no sea on nearly all could have been saved if the boats had been there. But, thank God, the officers and crew did their duty like sailors. No fireman shirked his duty, and no seaman left his place, For the honor of the calling and the glory of the race. For the very pride of nations?the pride that lifts them high? Is the strength to do their duty when the straw is drawn to die; And in this the Anglo-Saxon?I say it not in boast? Has gained the heart to perish like that Roman at his post. For the first thought in our danger, the last before we pray, Is our ancient grace for battle?And what will England say? O Life, we cannot shame her, for all that thou canst give, When brave men stop to perish and weak men flee to live! For her glory’s in our keeping, and her face shows grandly when They bring the log and tell her that we lost the ship like men. Nothing man can write or can utter can add to the glory of those who died, passenger or crew. But perhaps some day such a time for us will come, then let the example of these men and the example of others who have gone as bravely to an ocean death be with us, and help us to meet our fate as they met it that calm Sunday morning in fifty West. karen Mardahl.dk Sat, 14 Apr 2012 22:58:05 +0100 http://mikehohnen.com/2012/04/12/the-future-of-learning/ I just love this whole concept: A MOOC is not for credit, it?s for (networked) learning. You participate in a MOOC because you want to learn about a particular topic or subject. A MOOC is an alternative (attractive?) mode of learning in a flat, technologically interconnected world and supports life-long networked learning. See the article and further links here Mike Mike Hohnen Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:06 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/strategy/incremental-changes-wont-be-enough-to-survive/ Incremental changes won’t be enough to surviveThe strategic conversation in most companies has shifted from cost-cutting to growth and expansion. But how do companies get out of the “survival mode,” identify the right new products and services, and motivate employees to create real competitive advantage? Companies that do the same old things, make only incremental changes, and demonstrate “me-too” thinking will ... Torben Rick Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:53:56 +0100 http://mikehohnen.com/2012/04/09/pinoners-of-a-great-service-culture/ South West Airlines introduced the concept of the Service Profit Chain long before the original book was written. Here is a great post from Micah Solomon http://www.micahsolomon.com/ to remind us on how important a strong culture is in a service organization. You will find the post What you can learn from Southwest Airlines? culture here Mike Mike Hohnen Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:19:39 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/social-media/engaging-employees-through-pinterest/ Engaging employees through PinterestPinterest continues to gain in popularity, and now it seems that more and more companies are using it to engage with their employees. There are the various ways companies can ? and already do ? leverage Pinterest to engage with employees and allow employees to engage with each other to provide a glimpse into their company?s ... Torben Rick Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:48:24 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/change-management/keeping-pace-with-future-change/ Keeping pace with future changeWe live in an era of profound and accelerating disruption. The world is moving so fast nowadays that the man who says it can?t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it - (Elbert Hubbard) Many companies have had some tough years with recession, increased competition, changing consumer behavior, rapidly shifting technologies and emerging ... Torben Rick Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:28:51 +0100 http://jsaaby.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/if-you-want-to-lead-you-must-learn-to-follow/ Saw the first episode of Game Of Thrones season 2 today. In it, Jon Snow is asked by the master of the black guard: “Do you want to lead one day ?” He answers yes. “Then you must learn to … Continue reading → jsaaby SaabyPedia Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:31:27 +0100 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Newspakistanpk/~3/GKKrSveEgMM/ Right person is desperately required to liberate Pakistan from current situation Leadership plays the central role in the growth and image building of any nation. It can lead towards prosperity, peace and progress by showing loyalty to the country and working in the right direction. On the other hand, it can also damage the image of the country by preferring self benefits over the interest of the whole country and nation. Regrettably, Pakistan, a country of 180 million people, does not have loyal leadership. A leadership which could put the country on the right track of progress and success. Instead of working for the welfare and progress of the country, the leaders of Pakistan are deathly busy in devising treacherous methods to gain as much benefits as they can. They are least concerned for Pakistan as their only concern in their personal interests or benefits. Leader of the country is the biggest servant of the general masses of that country, but the leaders of Pakistan do not have any concern for the common people. A layman is suffering with numerous problems but the government remains indifferent from those problems. Rulers in Pakistan, despite reducing the problems of people, are increasing their sufferings by putting them burden of unbearable taxes, which are imposed on them because industrialists and feudal do not pay their taxes and are protected by the leaders. The reason is that these industrialists and feudal are governing this country in their own way. Corruption has become a never ending problem in Pakistan as those, who are supposed to stop and eliminate it, are also corrupt. The crawling law and order situation in the country and the meagre foreign policy has damaged the credibility and prestige of Pakistan in international community. Our leaders are even ready to sell this country in order to get Dollars, Euros and Pounds. A country cannot become self-dependant and self-sufficient unless its leaders are corrupt and mean. If the leadership becomes loyal to the general masses, the country will grow rapidly. Currently, Pakistan desperately needs a brave and loyal leader who possesses the real qualities of leadership, a man who could talk to advanced nations or super powers of the world with self esteem and pride.  Muhammad Ahmad Nazir NewsPakistan.pk Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:25:58 +0100 http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/leadership/has-lack-of-employee-engagement-become-the-norm/ Has lack of employee engagement become the normHas lack of employee engagement among employees become the norm rather than the exception? That question may already have been answered. The vast majority of the German workforce is not engaged with its work. According to Gallup 86% percent of German employees are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their work, meaning they are emotionally disconnected from ... Torben Rick Sun, 01 Apr 2012 07:19:20 +0100