Leadership styles

Leadership is defined as the ability to lead and motivate people to achieve a desired goal. Leaders with great people management skills are needed in all organization. Here are some of the effective leadership styles

• Participative Leadership: In this leadership style, opinions are sought from all the team members. The team members get better job satisfaction and get an opportunity to develop their leadership skills. The process take a longer time as compared to other effective leadership styles but the outcome is relative better and satisfactory. This kind of leadership style makes every employee feel appreciated and be in control and always keeps them highly motivated. However it is important to remember in this leadership the leader makes the final decision. This kind of leadership style is suitable when high levels of quality is needed.

• Relations oriented leadership: The leader lays special emphasis on organizing, supporting and enhancing the people in teh team. The most important point being creative collaboration and excellent teamwork.

• Transformation Leadership: This is one of the top notch leadership style. In this style of leadership the leader consistently inspires the team with a shared vision. The stress is on the value enhancing initiatives.

• Charismatic leadership: The charisma of the leader is the driving force which inspires all the team members to deliver above par performance. The leader is universally respected and admired. Charismatic leaders invoke the trust of their followers.

• Autocratic leader: Here the leader wields absolute power and does not listen to his subordinates. This style is suitable for unskilled jobs or fighting wars. The advantage of this leadership style is a greater degree of control as compared to other effective leadership styles. However this style is resented by employees particularly in the corporate sector. It lowers the self-esteem and the morale of the team members, hence it can be counter-productive at times.

Note: The ideal leader must have to use a combination of various effective leadership styles to achieve the desired objective.

Healthy Living - Saffron

Saffron… the name itself exudes opulence and tantalises the senses with its delicate fragrance and subtle flavour. But there is more to these amber coloured threads than mere flavouring and colour.

Saffron, also known as kesar, is one of the most expensive spices in the world, but is worth every penny as its fine tendrils are loaded with innumerable health benefits that can cure several maladies.

Health benefits of Saffron:

• Potent antioxidant: Saffron contains anti-oxidants which protect the body from oxidant-induced stress, infections, cancers and acts as immune modulators.
• Rich in minerals: This novel spice is an excellent source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc and magnesium.
• Full of vitamins: Saffron is rich in vitamins that are essential for optimum health such as vitamin A, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin and vitamin C.
• Helps in healing: It is helpful in curing minor cuts and burns. The spice hastens the healing process and minimizes the chances of infections.
• Relieves menstrual problems: Saffron helps in relieving period pains and also regulates monthly periods.
• Regularises sleep: When taken just a pinch with hot milk every night, it is a great remedy for insomnia.
• Anti-ageing properties: Saffron is also known to have anti-ageing properties and is used in various skin lightening and other beauty products. It can be applied topically to soothe skin.
• Cancer suppressor: Studies suggest that crocin, safranal and picrocrocin (three major saffron metabolites) exhibit anti-cancer activity by suppressing the growth of human cancer cells.
• Heart-friendly: It helps in lowering the levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Anti-depressant: Saffron tea is an extremely good option if one is feeling low and depressed. It can instantly perk up a gloomy soul and bring in a feeling of happiness and elation.
• Eye care: Saffron improves vision and can prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the commonest cause of blindness in the older people. 
• Natural aphrodisiac: People looking to ‘spice up’ their love life should add this spice in their food to increase action in bedroom.

Healthy Living – Yoghurt

Produced by bacterial fermentation of the milk, yoghurt makes for a healthy and easy addition to your daily diet. This dairy product is a good source of protein, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamins, zinc and potassium. Added to that, the good bacteria present in yogurt, makes it even better.

Yoghurt has additional benefits when compared to its source – milk. It is more safe for those with lactose intolerance, the active cultures in yogurts are easier to digest, and thereby are less likely to cause lactose problems. (However, some people might experience lactose intolerance symptoms even when they consume yoghurt).

Health benefits of yoghurt:

There a host of indispensable benefits associated with yoghurt, they are:

• Good for the stomach: Yoghurt is known to have a soothing effect on the stomach, which is why eating yoghurt is one of the most common gharelu nuskha (home remedy).  The good bacteria found in yoghurt are extremely beneficial to our digestive system, especially the colon and the stomach. An effective way to digest spicy food is to consume some yoghurt along with it. Cow’s milk contains low fat and is the preferred choice for preparing yoghurt.
• Boosts immunity: The nutrients in yoghurt helps strengthen our body’s defence mechanism, thereby proving more protection against seasonal cold, cough and such.
• Good for your skin: Regular consumption of yoghurt hydrates the skin and improves skin texture and complexion. In fact, applying yoghurt on the face or mixing it in a facepack will help reduce blemishes and strengthen the collagen in the skin.
• For a healthy heart: Yoghurt lowers blood pressure. It helps lower bad cholesterol and reduces risk of heart attacks.
• A super-healthy source of proteins: Yoghurt is a wonderful source of natural proteins and thus extremely beneficial for vegetarians. It is also safer for those with lactose intolerance to eat yoghurt.
• For healthy bones and teeth: Being rich in calcium, it protects the bones against osteoporosis and arthritis. It promotes bone growth and strengthens the teeth. So, start consuming one cup of yoghurt daily.
• Increases life span: Bulgarians are known for their longevity, this is attributed to yoghurt consumption. So it can be said that yoghurt is responsible for their longevity.
• Discourages vaginal infections: Diabetic women are more prone to yeast infections. A study trial that included diabetic women found that, on consumption of yoghurt, the women did not develop yeast infections.
• Aids weight loss: Yoghurt is known to make one feel fuller and therefore helps in cutting down calorie intake in the next meal. In fact, some studies also suggest that yoghurt helps in burning fat. So if you’re trying to lose weight, you know what you should do!
• Protection against colon cancer: Regular consumption of yoghurt cleans the colon, flushing out harmful disease causing bacteria. This helps in prevention of colon cancer.

Effective Influence

Any man in a leadership role knows how important it is to exert influence over others. Influencing people can sometimes be a challenge and, like anything, there are certainly right and wrong ways to do it. Shouting and making threats is an ultimately ineffective way of truly wielding influence. In fact, research suggests that making threats significantly decreases one’s chances of influencing people. Truly influential people are ultimately respected and well-liked because they wield their influence with subtlety.

Here are 10 highly effective yet subtle ways to influence people:

1. Rational persuasion

In a business environment, one of the best and most effective ways of subtly exerting one's influence is by using 'rational persuasion.' Rational persuasion is the calm use of logical arguments and factual evidence to persuade the person being influenced that a proposal is viable and therefore should be carried out. This can also be applied to virtually any aspect of your life.

2. Colors

Humans, like many other animals, place great emphasis on the importance of colour and what it can tell us. Predators in the animal kingdom use colour to distinguish threats and, in a similar way, humans subconsciously perceive certain signals from different colours. There is such a thing as 'colour strategy' in the marketing world wherein the psychological value of each colour and what signal is emits is taken into account when formulating a new product or advertisement. For example, a marketing company may use a lot of red in an advertising campaign because it is the colour that the eye perceives quickest. In addition, research suggests that heart rate, respiratory rate and the frequency of eye blinks all increase when a subject sees red in stark contrast to blue which has a more calming effect. In addition to its relaxing nature, blue is a colour that is favoured by men and tends to represent surpassing oneself, loyalty, trust and authority: all the qualities that one would expect in an influential figure. And indeed, psychological evidence and studies on trust suggest that if you want to successfully influence others, wearing lots of blue will help.

3. Percieved competence

In order for a man to be influential, he must be good at his craft. No one would listen to and follow a man who gave the impression of being absolutely clueless in his field of 'expertise.' If you want to influence those around you, you have to convince them that you know what you're talking about and you need to earn their trust. This seems obvious, but convincing others of your competence doesn't simply mean saying: "trust me, I know what I'm talking about"; if anything, that makes people less likely to have confidence in your judgment. The frequent proper use of large words in your common speech also helps drive the appearance of competence and thereby raises your influential ability.

4. Word choices

Nothing is more powerful than language: it is an abstraction that can exert a strong influence over people and their actions. This is especially important in the English language which has a particularly large vocabulary when compared to other languages around the world: where one language has only one word to express a certain meaning, English may have five or six. However, words in English may have a similar meaning but vary slightly and therefore it is important to use the right word when it comes to conveying the right message. For example, 'bossing' and 'oversee' are two English words with similar meanings, yet their use in a sentence can produce very different meanings. If you were to say to someone in a junior position at work 'I'm your boss', this is likely to incite a negative reaction from the person being spoken to. By using the term 'boss', you are elevating yourself to a higher level and, by association, conveying that you think you are better because of it and they naturally will not appreciate this. If you were to say: 'I'm just overseeing this project', the meaning you're trying to convey is essentially the same: you are the person in charge and therefore a person of influence. The difference is that by using the word 'oversee' rather than 'boss', you are still emphasising your position of authority without alienating those around you.

5. Entourage

In general, people tend to make the heuristic assumption that entourages follow influential and notable people. The presence of an entourage has the same psychological effect as riding in a limousine: it makes you look important. The presence of an entourage is a form of social proof. It is simply a visual representation that can be used to tell others about the level of your own influence and cause them to likewise rank you of greater importance thereby making themselves more susceptible to your influence. You don't need to surround yourself with living, breathing sycophants all day every day, you just need people see you with as little as one or two men by your side every now and again. This will greatly improve the way people perceive you. Not only does having your own entourage project an exaggerated image of your importance and influence, but it also serves a greater personal purpose: it can make you feel important and influential, providing you with the motivation and confidence necessary to truly influence others.

6. Clothing and style

How you dress and how you appear to others - especially to the people that you are trying to influence - cannot be underestimated. One particular psychological experiment conducted in the eighties revealed that people who dress in a more masculine manner are more likely to be hired by professionals and to be taken more seriously in the business world. Additionally, a study conducted suggested that those who are physically attractive and stylish are more likely to be perceived as happy and desirable, both socially and professionally. The key is to dress for success: if you want to be seen as an influential and powerful person, dress like one. If you look like a mess, then people will think your managerial style is a mess. If you don't respect your own appearance, how will you ever expect people to respect you? You want people to look up to you and to aspire to be like you.

7. Verb use

Perhaps even more important than choosing the right word to use is knowing how to use the verb in the sentence. When trying to influence someone in a work situation, it is important to be aware of the verb that you're using. For example, if you want someone to photocopy a document and you phrase it as: "photocopy that document", it comes across as an order. By using what we call the imperative form of the verb, it gives the entire sentence an authoritarian quality and portrays you as bossy and demanding which is hardly the most effective and subtle way of influencing people. However, if you were to say: "could you get this document photocopied?" it gives the sentence an entirely different meaning. Here, the verb is in its passive form and the introduction of a new verb ('get') suggests that the person doing the photocopying is in control. You are still asking them to do something, but now the act is not so much an order and they are much more likely to comply with your request.

8. Manners

Everyone wants to feel respected but respect works both ways: you should never expect to earn it unless you are also giving it back. If you don't respect people, they won't respect you and your influence over them will be severely diminished. If you want to influence people, it's always worth keeping three little words stored in the back of your mind: 'please' and 'thank you'. These words are short and sweet, they can be tagged onto the end of any request and they mean a lot.

9. Praise

Praise is a form of reward and studies show that praise can be an effective motivator and reinforce of behaviour. People in a leadership role all too often overlook the importance of praise in a business relationship. If you want to influence others and you want to get the best out of people under your leadership, uttering a phrase as simple as 'good work' after they perform what you asked of them is all it takes. This distribution of praise needn't just be confined to instances of good work: even if an assignment isn't completed on time or someone doesn't do something you've asked them to do, always start with praise before giving criticism. HR professionals often use similar techniques. By reinforcing criticism with praise, this promotes a positive social relationship between you and the people around you. In doing this, it encourages others to carry out assignments because they owe it to you as a figure of respect.

10. Tone of voice

Studies on tone of voice have profound implications for influence. It seems that deeper, bass voice is a powerful indicator of high testosterone levels and representative of greater virility - an alpha male characteristic. It is important to note that various studies have consistently shown that people with deeper voices are considered more knowledgeable, commanding and credible than others with notably higher voices. If a man speaks with a higher-pitched voice, it gives the impression that he is unsure, uneasy and uncomfortable with himself and his surrounds and is therefore hardly the kind of figure to command faith and optimism in those around him. Practice speaking in a lower voice by lowering your chin and begin by speaking slowly and in a more monotone way.