This is where my son and I heard her story of courage on a recent trip to Honduras.

With the help of the couple who ran the group home and the “tias” who worked there, Maria was getting the love, support and safety she needed to heal from the trauma she had experienced and to begin to trust again. Miraculously, Maria was able to see her child as a gift to be prized and cared for instead of a reminder of the horrible trauma she had experienced. And in the community of other young mothers who had experienced similar challenges, she found friends and belonging:  she was not alone.

Unfortunately, her two younger sisters were still at home. And Maria’s step-dad was still in the home because she had been too scared initially to testify against him to the authorities. Maria’s mom had told her not to say anything and was unwilling to kick him out of the house because she was financially dependent on him.

So when a psychologist who had been helping Maria recover asked her again if she would testify against her step-dad – not just for herself but for the sake of her sisters – she initially shrunk back into her seat, visibly recoiling at the thought of standing up to this man.

But despite her very real fear and despite her “powerless” stature in her family and in her culture, Maria chose to testify.

How was she able to make such a brave choice?

I believe four things helped Maria demonstrate courageous leadership:

1. She saw a reason bigger than her own self-interests. People she deeply cared about were in danger, and she could help.
2. She had supportive friends and mentors:  people who accepted her, affirmed her, and stood with her.
3. She was encouraged and challenged to do the right thing, the courageous thing, by people she trusted and respected.
4. The love and strength she had received and the vision to help others inspired faith and hope that standing up with courage was better than cowering in fear.

Thankfully, most of us have not experienced the trauma that Maria went through. And the choices we face may not be as serious as hers. But we all have choices to stand up and live courageously or to shrink back in fear.

What opportunity(s) do you face to live and lead courageously? And who will you benefit if you do?

Joe Baker is a Partner and Executive Coach with PeopleResults.  You can reach him at  jbaker@people-results.com or on twitter @JoeBakerJr.  Sign up to receive his and his colleagues’ blog at Current.

As a follow-up, I then queried the group as to who had made their profiles robust and updated them recently. A large number of hands came down at that point. After the program was over, several people came up to me and said that they had a profile up but it wasn’t something of which they were particularly proud, but they knew other Linkedin users were looking at them, based on the stats.

My message?

WAKE UP! Don’t be a LinkedIn “Ignoridiot!”

Folks resisting technology and plugging their heads into the proverbial ostrich hole and other people who just post up the minimal content are completely MISSING THE BOAT.

Looking for a job? Many companies are ONLY using LinkedIn to post employment opportunities, preferring the “six degrees of separation” aspect of how candidates might be linked to their company. But only people who are already LinkedIn users can apply, which means you are shut out of that process completely.

Not looking for a job? Many recruiters are prowling LinkedIn looking for industry talent. Don’t you want to have your door open to these offers?

The point is that if you aren’t on there, they cannot find you.

And what you post on this social media platform profoundly impacts how others see you. It is critical that you view LinkedIn as one of the main cornerstones of your career marketing materials much like you would view your resume or cover letter.

But here’s the catch:

LinkedIn is available 24/7/365 and anyone in the world can find you. And if you aren’t on there, there’s a major door to your career future that hasn’t been opened yet.

Some people scoff and see LinkedIn and all new technology as a contrivance. But from everything I have heard, learned, and listened to from industry experts, it is a fallacy to believe that you can still be out there working and not have an active, completely filled out profile.

A careers industry colleague, Jason Alba, who is recognized as one of the country’s top LinkedIn experts, recently provided a great example of a top-notch LinkedIn profile – check this out so you can see what one looks like. While this is an excellent example, there are still some things that can be done to fill out the entire profile itself, but it is a good start.

Some tips to avoid being a LinkedIn “Ignoridiot”:

1) If you Aren’t on There, Get on There

You are only hurting yourself and keeping yourself shut off from opportunity.

2) Add a Photo

Don’t be a blank “egg” – humans are visual creatures. For your photo shoot, dress conservatively like you would for an interview. Because it is. Linkedin is like an interview that is available year-round, 24/7. Please DO NOT go to Glamourshots. Please do make the best clean-cut appearance possible with minimal jewelry. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

3) Add a Headline

Don’t list “unemployed” because unemployed is not a direction. You want to point to the positive goal you are aiming towards, so create a job title headline. Then you can list that you are available underneath that.

4) Get a Personalized URL

Linkedin provides this option. It is a heckuva lot easier for an employer to type in your name than the lengthy default number, letter, and symbol URL that Linkedin assigns.

5) Create a Compelling Summary

Saying that you are an experienced blah blah blah manager is NOT good enough anymore. This is social media, folks, and that means adding a warm touch. Use this summary to convey a bit about your personality and unveil some of your passion for your field.

6) Add Some Bling

Make sure to add links that augment and enhance your profile. Use SlideShare to include a presentation that enhances your credentials. But whatever you do, make sure that the links that you include lead to useful, polished, and relevant information.

7) Make Sure to Include Your Specialties

(Pssst … here’s the secret – this is your keyword search area). Don’t know what those are? Go to onetonline.org and type in your job title. Presto! Make yourself searchable.

 Tell a Story about Each Job Record

Of course you are limited with the number of characters so you only want to include the “biggies” about your accomplishments, but toss a bone to your former employer and make yourself look good: lead off with a story talking about what the biggest takeaway and / or lesson you learned at that company.

It’s a win-win situation – you look generous, your previous employer looks good, and the potential employer feels like they have a future employee in front of them who is a learner and adapter.

9) Don’t Forget the Awards

If you have any specific accolades in your field, make sure you list them. In essence, this is how you have separated yourself from the crowd. Remember, the cream rises to the top.

10) Education

Besides the good old-fashioned book learning, leverage (if possible) what you learned in school and provide a good example of how you have been able to apply it in the real world. Employers LOVE that! But please don’t list what year you graduated – LinkedIn lets you choose the “blank” option. This will help avoid potential age discrimination problems.

11) Volunteer

Being engaged and involved in your field or industry shows traction. Remember to keep track of these engagements.

12) Get Recommended

By asking others to make a recommendation (no “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”), you are actually leveraging their reputation to endorse you, which also gives you a boost in credibility. Think supervisors, former bosses, colleagues, mentors, industry partners, or subordinates. But please don’t have your best pal or family members recommend you. Just don’t.

13) Join Industry Groups

Keep on top of trends and share ideas. Hmm … all very attractive things to employers.

14) Answer or Ask Questions

Being part of an active online dialogue is a great way to boost your own profile and subject matter expertise. Better yet, if your answers get rated as “best responses,” you gain little stars in expertise.

15) Update Your Status Regularly

If you don’t use your profile, how do you expect others to? Just remember, if the lights are on and no one is home, employers will move along to someone else who will answer the door.

Cultivating an active LinkedIn profile requires vigilance, persistence, and resolve. But by doing so, you avoid becoming an Ignoridiot and instead open the doors to who knows what kind of opportunity.

It’s your choice. What are you going to do about it?

About the Author: Dawn Rasmussen, CMP, is the president of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, where she provides results-oriented résumé, cover letter, and job search coaching services. She is the official “Get the Job” columnist for One+ Magazine distributed to over 26,000 meeting professionals worldwide, and Talentzoo.com, a job resource site for creative and marketing professionals. Dawn is also a recognized career expert on Careerealism.com – a top 10 world-ranked career advice blog – and a regular contributor to TalentCulture.com’s weekly meeting #tchat on Twitter. Follow Dawn on Twitter!

In this round, judges’ chairs swivel backwards, so they can hear but not see the singers on the stage. The premise: judges can only access contestants’ voices, eliminating visual appearance as a factor in the impression formed.

Sexy idea — not to be judged by our physical baggage, e.g. age, weight, attractiveness, skin color. It made me wonder … would we all be better listeners if we closed our eyes (or turned our backs) to filter out visual stimuli?

In real life, though, we know that physical and non-verbal cues hugely impact our understanding of the message and have significant influence on the gut level impressions we form. How do we feel when we see someone:

• Unwilling to make eye contact?
• With slumped shoulders or a grimace on their face?
• Fidgeting excessively?

Supposedly, we humans crave patterns that make sense. We assume that The Voice judges would form negative first impressions by seeing:

• A jazzy, sultry ballad crooned by a geeky looking nerd
• Steven Tyler-type rocker growls emanating from a tiny, demure-looking adolescent

It’s likely that the judges’ “blindness” does help neutralize some potential bias. Don’t we all relish similar opportunities to be partially stealth, e.g. when we do a business call from home in or bathrobe, or introduce ourselves through email?

But interestingly, on this show, the audience can hear and see the contestants, and enthusiastically cheers them on regardless of the dissonance (or maybe because of it?). I’m thinking most of us actually enjoy the rush of having our predictable initial impressions blown away! Example:

Last night I attended a lecture given by a world renown scientific researcher/author. After an incredibly impressive introduction, the speaker stepped to the podium. First thing I saw was a full Grizzly Adams beard and down-his-back pony tail. Not what I expected!

It made me sit up straighter in my chair. I felt a similar buzz around me. He proceeded to mesmerize the audience with humor, insight and amazing intelligence. I would say his distinctive look grabs people’s attention and imagination in positive ways.

That old axiom: “you only get one chance to make a first impression” is something I’ve been known to say often to learners in my Effective Presentation classes. Well, I’m going to rethink that!

Be aware of and don’t get tripped up by biases and perceptions. Suspend judgment and allow yourself to be surprised by others. And mostly, own who you are and be genuine to it.

Rest assured, though, I’m not planning to do any future teleconferences in my bathrobe.

Which means I’m so excited to break into Susan Cain’s new book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.

As I was poking around Cain’s website, I came across her “Manifesto” . Here are a few of my favorite (manifests?):

Solitude is a catalyst for innovation.

The next generation of quiet kids can and should be raised to know their own strength.

Sometimes it helps to be a pretend-extrovert. There’s always time to be quiet later.

But in the long run, staying true to your temperament is the key to finding work you love and work that matters.

Everyone shines, given the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight, for others, a lamp lit desk.

Rule of thumb for networking events: one genuine new relationship is worth a fistful of business cards.

It’s OK to cross the street to avoid making small talk.

Love is essential, gregariousness is optional.

“Quiet leadership” is not an oxymoron.

Cain’s Manifesto reminded me of the common introvert misconceptions I wrote about in my post, Debunking the Top 5 Myths About Introverts:

• Introverts don’t make good leaders.
• Introverts aren’t good networkers.
• Introverts are shy.
• Introverts don’t like people.
• Introverts would rather work alone.

Nuh-uh! [Wave your finger as you say it.]

Now go high-five an introvert and tell her she’s awesome.

Marta Steele is a partner at PeopleResults. Follow her on Twitter @MartaSteele.

For February, my book selection is Great by Choice by Jim Collins and Morten Hansen. They studied more than 20,000 companies to find the truly exceptional performers – the 10Xers – a term they coined because these companies beat their industry index by at least 10 times!

They engaged me from their first salvo, which read - We cannot predict the future. But we can create it. Their premise is that volatility, chaos, uncertainty and instability are “givens.” And trying to predict them is futile. The goal of their research was to uncover why some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not.

Their findings will surprise you. The best leaders in the world:

1. Don’t have a visionary ability to predict the future
2. Aren’t bold risk-takers
3. Aren’t more innovative than less successful companies
4. Don’t embrace the ethos of “Fast!Fast!Fast!”
5. Don’t change radically in response to external factors
6. Don’t have better luck than the companies that don’t do as well.

They weren’t saying the 10Xers lacked creativity, ambition or the courage to bet big – they displayed all those traits – but these things were not what distinguished them or made them great.

Ok so what did make these leaders, and their companies, great?  It came down to three core behaviors:

1. Fanatic discipline – manifested as extreme consistency of action, which isn’t the same as regimentation or adherence to bureaucratic rules. It means staying with a program long enough to generate sustained results – not chasing every new shiny object that comes into your path.
2. Empirical creativity – using empirical evidence as the foundation for decisive action, allowing them to simultaneously make bold moves and bound their risk.
3. Productive paranoia - presuming worst-case scenarios and preparing for them, channeling fear and worry into action, developing contingency plans, building buffers and maintaining margins of safety.

In addition, they channel their ego and intensity into something larger and more enduring than themselves. They define themselves by impact and contribution and purpose.

They don’t make excuses and believe it’s up to them to correct for failure, period. They know that confidence is built from actual achievement, not motivational speeches, charisma or hope. And when they do get lucky, they have the ability to get a high return on luck that has a huge multiplicative effect.

The one overarching message from across all their research is this: greatness is not primarily a matter of circumstance; greatness is first and foremost a matter of conscious choice and discipline.

Discipline isn’t easy. It’s human nature to react – to thrive on chaos rather than thriving in it. Particularly now, when chaos is all around us. But the research clearly shows that’s not what makes a leader, or a company, great.

There are so many insightful leadership concepts in this book, I couldn’t do justice to all of them in the space of this blog. I encourage you to read it for yourself and learn about the 20 Mile March, firing bullets then cannonballs, leading above the Death Line and creating a SMaC Recipe just to name a few.

And in case you missed it, you can find my January review of the book Futurework here.

Kristi Erickson is a partner at PeopleResults. Follow her on Twitter @KMErickson.

His name was Paul, which is my husband’s name as well. My husband has not worked directly with Paul for more than 20 years, yet what he did for him has had long-lasting effects.

As we were reflecting on the time they worked together, one key theme continued to surface — there was always lots of laughter and a sense of fun when you worked with Paul. He could make something fun out of the ordinary activities in a day. For example, as they were driving from one appointment to the next, Paul had a challenge – “I’ll bet you we can make it to our next appointment before the William Tell Overture is finished playing!” He cranked up the music, put the pedal to the metal and the race was on! Of course, my husband cannot hear that music without thinking about Paul.

Paul was also a big practical jokester, so he and my husband were constantly looking for funny ways to prank one another or other unsuspecting colleagues. Paul was also quite successful in business, not only for his expertise, but also due to the relationships he built and maintained. He would host costume parties at his home at Halloween, invite people to enjoy some fun at his lake house and when he traveled to new cities, he ALWAYS embraced the opportunity to get out enjoy what the city had to offer. He was not one to just order room service and stay cooped up in the hotel. He would explore museums, local restaurants or other touristy destinations to meet and learn about others. He would get engaged in other people’s lives. Paul certainly did a lot for my husband’s career in making introductions to key people, which led to even more opportunities to grow and develop.

It’s funny how it often takes a death of someone to make us stop and reflect on our own lives and priorities. This event made me ponder the question, what will my leadership legacy be? What do I want to be known for? What do I want to be remembered for?

The reality is that we do things everyday that have an impact on others and we are typically clueless about how we have touched other’s lives. So my challenge for you is this:

1. If someone has made a huge impact on your life, let them know it! I guarantee they will be stunned and amazed and you will give them a huge gift by letting them know.
2. Think about what you want your leadership legacy to be. Write it down. Start living it. The little things you do every day is what creates your legacy.

Martha Duesterhoft is a Partner with PeopleResults. Follow her on Twitter @MDuesterhoft.

HOW that is done is the real issue, of course – because the answer varies so much from person to person. However,

With genuine confidence, interns can impress with their personality and through sincere hustle. Others achieve this through work ethic and being coachable. Still more rise above the rest through initiative, by solving problems and contributing without being asked. They are willing to contribute unabashedly with everything they have, and in doing so, will readily learn from successes and mistakes.

In the best, confidence allows them to combine all of the above. Usually identified with an ‘S’ on their chest, I will go out of my way to make sure I acknowledge their potential, support their super powers – and become a champion of their career.

What holds back those who never rise to this level, however, seems to come down to one issue: ego.

With tons of passion and/or enthusiasm on display, ego and confidence can initially be confused. The difference is that ego keeps us from asking what we think may be a stupid question, or bouncing back from a mistake. Ego holds us back by creating insecurity… generating a fear of ridicule, perhaps, or of appearing weak; arrogance is often the over-compensation. The ego doesn’t want to be told it did something wrong. Without a doubt, it is inflated ego that keeps us from being curious and coachable.

And for all of us, here’s the lesson best learned quickly: discovering the difference between ego and confidence will have a significant impact on your career.

You, at some point, are going to be insecure. Undoubtedly, you are going to be wrong. Mistakes and you may become good friends. You WILL be judged. The person confident in their ability can leverage those less-than-comfortable moments – and be all the better for the experience.

Think about this for a moment: Who do you respect most? Who do you want serving as your mentor? Who do you trust most in a team effort? Who makes the better leader? Who seems to enjoy the most success?

The confident? Or the ego?

Confidence comes from your core. Ego comes from your fear.

Choose to be confident.

About the Author: A passionate supporter of Gen Y talent, CEO and Founder of YouTern Mark Babbitt is a serial entrepreneur and mentor. Mark has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Mashable, Forbes and Under30CEO regarding internships, higher education’s role in preparing emerging talent for the workforce and career development. Recently, Mark was honored to be named to GenJuice’s list of “Top 100 Most Desirable Mentors”. You can contact Mark via email or on Twitter.

Change predicament

Enticing options lurk, but

What does done look like?

Until next time … wishing you business readiness success!

Kirsten Jordan is a Partner at PeopleResults. She can be reached on Twitter @Kirstenkbdb.

The average spot during the Super Bowl costs $3.5 million. There are 114 million viewers. So it only costs $.03 per potential customer. Three cents! You can’t even mail a letter for that. That seems like dirt cheap price for huge penetration! Sign me up.

Not so fast. The problem I see is one of conversion. Let’s assume everyone watched your commercial instead of making another trip past the guacamole, and let’s assume everyone of the 114 million is a potential buyer. Of the commercials that created some of the most buzz (per the USA Today Ad Meter), let’s examine them a little further …

1. Dogs Barking Star Wars.

This one is what I call WTF? As in, What’s That For? I don’t remember the product, or how it could have possibly been connected to a schnauzer in an Ewok hat. So the likelihood I’ll go out and buy the product based on that is, um, exactly 0%. Three cents, down the drain.

2. Dream Car for a Real Life.

This is a problem I like to call, “You had to go and ruin a good thing?” I remember the ad was for a car, and I remember it was about being all satisfied with your spouse, kids, dog, muffin top, and your suburban self. I even remember it was either Kia or Hyundai. The problem I see here is no one watching the Super Bowl wanted to be reminded they have a normal life. People who watch the Super Bowl are still hanging on to 2 basic tenets

1) I can do better than that. I do play in the Investment Bankers’ touch football league and I did win my Fantasy Football league this year.

2) I look better than the Halftime Show act.

3. Vampire Party

This one was all about taking something au courant and forcing it into your ad campaign like an unwilling toddler into a pair of tights.

This one almost had it–it had brand awareness. I remember it was for Audi, and it was something about an actual feature of the car. So far so good. It was about the headlights. Say what? Right. Many a time have I been car shopping and made my decision based on the wattage and ability to simulate high noon through my headlights. Do I remind you I’m not shopping for a tanning bed?

I understand it’s about creativity and the “art form” if you can call it that. My problem is it’s so much about the creativity it has lost the plot on the metrics.

Ha! If I’d told you this was a blog about metrics, you would have stopped reading long ago.

What I’d like to know is how much of that $117,000 per second translated into actual sales. Now that’s a WTF (Worth Tallying Facts).

Barbara Milhizer is a Partner at PeopleResults. She can be reached on Twitter at @mother_zen or on email at bmilhizer@people-results.com.

I’ve subscribed to Sports Illustrated (SI) for many years. I read it voraciously. I watch my mailbox on Thursdays like a hawk, eagerly anticipating its arrival. I’ve signed up for the electronic version on my eReader, so that when I’m traveling, it comes to me.

I do NOT, however, elect to receive the annual Swimsuit Edition. So they extend my annual subscription by one more week. See, I actually read the magazine for the – get this – SPORTS COVERAGE! The swimsuit edition doesn’t actually cover much of anything (and I’ll stop there) …

When is the last time YOU said “no” to something? As a consumer? As a professional? Maybe even in your personal life?

How long did it take you to answer those questions? If longer than a few seconds, then perhaps it’s been too long.

I participated in Steven Covey training many years ago on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit #3 - Put First Things First; Covey even wrote an entire book on this particular habit. My biggest takeaway related to this habit has changed the way I manage priorities ever since. (You could say it’s become a habit for me!)

Here’s the nugget: Saying NO to one thing means saying YES to something else.

I found that concept incredibly empowering! When I could articulate to myself what I was saying “yes” to, then it became much easier to say “no” when needed. My priorities become clear to me in these situations.

For me, it’s not difficult to say NO to the SI Swimsuit Edition and YES to another week of actual sports content. It was much more difficult at work a couple of years ago to walk away from a change project when the sponsors were disengaged and clearly not investing themselves into the work.

At that time, I didn’t know if it would come back to haunt me, but I had many competing initiatives I elected to proceed with instead. It was a risky move, but I made it anyway.

What chances have you taken? How do you manage your priorities? I’d love to hear from you.

Betsy Winkler is a Partner at PeopleResults. She can be reached on Twitter at @BetsyWinkler1 or on email at bwinkler@people-results.com.