A fool can be defined as "someone who lacks good judgment."

I'm sure you would agree that being called a fool isn't something most would consider a complement.

So why then am I suggesting that you consider being a fool?

Actually, I'm not encouraging you to "lack good judgment" - on the contrary, the suggestions that follow will prove that you have incredibly good judgment; it just might not be considered "common judgment" or even what your first reaction might be.

Let me explain.

As a leader and professional you want to be informed and "know your stuff," this can lead to the challenges outlined in what I call The Paradox of Expertise.

Part of the paradox is how your expertise can get in your way with those you are leading or trying to work with in any way. While you need to be knowledgeable and informed, you also need to be able to influence, engage and persuade others. Your ability to do this can rest on more than just your expertise, but also your relationships and humility.

So while your first reaction or common judgment might be to share what you know about a situation immediately, that might not serve you best. In other words, in order to reach your desired results you may need to downplay your knowledge rather than directing attention to it.

Here are five things you can do to help get better results for yourself, others and your organization. Granted, they may seem foolish at first, but they will help (no foolin').

Look for what you don't know. Rather than looking for what you do know that you can apply to a situation, approach any problem or challenge with an open mind and scanning eyes. Look for subtle differences. Look for new opportunities. Consider situations as learning opportunities rather than the chance to showcase what you already know.

Ask more questions - including "foolish" ones. Sometimes the naïve or foolish question is the most important one. When you approach situations based on what you already know, you make assumptions that may hide a critical factor or issue. Develop the skill of a master "question asker," rather than only an expert "question answerer."

Listen longer. Asking a question is only half the task. Next comes the crucial skill of listening. After you ask a question (especially if you think you already know the answer), listen. And then listen some more. Listen expecting new knowledge and information. Listen for facts and insight. Listen.

Allow time for others to share. Your goal should be to get everyone's opinion on the table, so you will need to spend the time required to get everyone's input whenever possible. Doing all of this first will set the team up for greater agreement and understanding.

Leave your opinions until last. If you are doing the rest of these suggestions, this one almost comes naturally. Yet, the importance of this step cannot be overstated. Your first three tasks almost always need to be ask, listen and learn - in that order. Of course your opinion matters, as a leader people will want to know your thoughts and ideas. But if during the "ask, listen and learn phase" the group already shares your idea, let it be theirs. If you have an additional idea, adding it later in the conversation will make it more accepted and understood. By letting others share their ideas first you are creating a climate of engagement and commitment that won't come as easily when you remain in the expert role.

These actions may not leave you feeling as expert or knowledgeable as before, but it will be hard to argue with the results.

Potential Pointer: Recognize that your knowledge and expertise is absolutely valuable, yet sometimes it is best to not share your expertise right away so you can value and use the input of others too.

In December I wrote a recommendation to read a classic. One of the classics I mentioned was Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.

This book clearly qualifies as a classic. It was first published in 1937. The copy on my shelf, printed in 1981, says that more than 15 million copies had been sold. Now, 28 years later, it's currently #101 on Amazon.com's top sellers list.

There's a reason this book has sold so many copies.

It's good.

It talks about the important skill of building better relationships, and it does it in a way that is understandable and relates to our lives - even though it was written more than 70 years ago.

In a time when many readers are looking for the latest book or idea, it is more important than ever to go back to the foundation.

This book is a foundational text for any current book on relationships, networking and sales. Since you will succeed in part because of your relationships, it makes sense to work on these skills.

This book is the best place to start. If it isn't in your library, it needs to be. Read it, and then buy copies for your team and your family and encourage them to read it as well.

If you would like to have people like you more, to be more influential in helping others change their behaviors, and to be more successful in selling yourself and your ideas, get your copy today.

Imagine walking into a 20-story office building, knowing that your upcoming meeting is on the top floor.

You walk into the building and immediately search for the elevators.

To your surprise, and disappointment, some of the elevators show "out of order" signs and the rest are currently being worked on by a team of repairmen.

You ask one of the repairmen how to get up to your meeting on the 20th floor, and he points to a nearby door and says with a shrug, "you'll have to take the stairs."

While a situation exactly like this may have never happened to you, metaphorically, it's your life.

You want to reach top of your career, the top of the pay scale, the pinnacle of success.

You want to not only do well, but find the shortcuts or "elevator" to the top.

While you know your success in any endeavor, personal or professional requires some effort, wouldn't you like to make it as painless and easy as possible (which, of course, is why we consistently look for the elevator or the fast track)?

There are no "overnight" successes.

Great success comes from "taking the stairs" and moving towards your goals one step at a time.

As you start to walk up the stairs to your meeting, you realize that while you would have rather ridden, there are some advantages to the stairway.

You are getting exercise, building your stamina, gaining a new perspective, creating a new experience and as you climb the last flight of stairs you realize the pride that comes from the effort!

All of these things are true for the effort you put into life. The efforts you expend create exactly these same benefits: exercise, stamina, perspective, experience and pride.

Given the metaphor of "success in the stairway," what are the ways you can take the reality of effort and make the most of your effort, improving your likelihood of reaching the top floor as quickly as possible?

There are five ways you can use your effort intelligently to make your path to the top straighter and more direct - even if you do have to walk:

Informed effort (find the correct stairway). Many people believe that to create great results you must work hard. Effort, as you're already seen in this article, is required, but the effort doesn't have to be hard. More important hard work is informed effort. Are you doing things the way other successful people have done them? Are you taking time to learn the things that will minimize your effort? Make your effort more informed and you will make your job easier.

Continual effort (keep walking). Getting into the stairway is great, but you won't reach the top unless you keep walking. In order to be successful you must make continual effort. What did you do last week to move towards your success? What about yesterday? What have you done (or will you do) to create greater success today?

Reframe effort (does it have to be work?). If you always think about your work being hard, guess what it will be? (Here's a hint - it will be hard.) But does work have to be hard? Could it be enjoyable? Could it be rewarding? Once you create a new frame of reference for effort, you make climbing the steps to your success so much easier.

Collaborative effort (why not climb together?). Find others to travel with you. When most people feel like a part of something larger than themselves - whether through a teammate or a friend - they will be more disciplined and more effective. Who do you know that could mentor you or work with you or support you? Or, who can you mentor, help or support?

Enthusiastic effort (enjoy the trip). Choose to enjoy the trip up the stairs. The fact is the elevator is broken; the walk is real and necessary. Why not choose to find the positive and enjoy the experience? You know that when you are enjoying a situation it goes faster and easier - and you are probably more productive as well. You know this is true. Make the choice to be more enthusiastic and positive.

Yes, effort is definitely still required, but these are things you can do to make that effort more effective and enjoyable.

Potential Pointer: Success in any area of life requires effort - there is no free lunch. But how you view and tackle that effort will make all the difference in the speed and ease with which you climb your path to the top.

I'm about to do something I very rarely do; recommend something I haven't finished reading yet.

I started Greater Than Yourself last night - and I love it. Of course, I'm not surprised because I loved and recommended Steve Farber's other great books The Radical Leap and The Radical Edge. Plus, Steve's blog has been a finalist in our Best of Leadership Blogs Contest two years in a row.

Because of my history with Steve, I knew I would like his third business parable. Because I haven't finished yet I can't yet tell you if it will be my favorite of the three, but I can tell you that the idea he shares is the most powerful.

In a "mostly fictional" account (that he describes in the Prologue) he teaches us the three tenets of Greater Than Yourself:

• Expand Yourself
• Give Yourself
• Replicate Yourself

His premise (with which I wholeheartedly agree) is that when we do these three things we are doing what all great leaders aspire to - making the world a better place.

If you like the business parable, you will love Steve's writing. Even if you haven't liked the genre in the past, try it again (and make it this one). If you aren't typically a big reader, this book will be a pleasant way to learn and think about a big concept - the concept of serving others to the degree that they become Greater Than Yourself.

Learn more and purchase at Amazon.com

Throughout life most people tend to look up to others who are experts in their fields – whether they are authors, speakers, leaders, athletes or some other expertise. In our minds and in our culture we value - and sometimes even revere - expertise.

For this reason it isn't surprising that most everyone strives - consciously or unconsciously - to become an expert in some area(s) of life. When you want to be an expert in your work, you strive to learn the skills and tools that will make you more successful. You probably study and passionately practice a hobby or two or other related interests with the goal at least in some part to gain knowledge and expertise.

Reaching new levels of expertise does more than satisfy your sense of self competition. It helps you create better results, achieve more in less time and, when you share your expertise, help others achieve better results as well. Plus, beyond all of these things, your expertise can give you status, promotions and higher pay.

When you think about all those ideas (and many more), it's not too surprising we want to become experts in our fields and areas of interest is it?

And yet this expertise can also get in your way . . . if you allow yourself to fall into a very seductive trap - the trap of arrival.

When you're an expert and you're in the know, it's so easy to feel like you've "arrived" and once you believe you have arrived, you run two major risks:

• You "know-it-all". If you believe you know it all, you have very little incentive to continue searching. If you're in list trap, you might not listen to people with less experience than you. You also may not be open to new ideas because of your confirmed expertise. Your habits and dedication to become an expert can create a false sense of confidence. Yet when you look at someone else's situation you realize there's always something about the topic that you don't know. But in your field you may miss that fact - after all, if you do know it all, there really isn't anything else to learn is there?
  
• You've "seen-it-all". Your expertise and experience definitely helps you greatly in diagnosing a situation and seeing patterns that others might not see. At the same time, because of your experience you may miss a subtle difference because you automatically match the situation up to the pattern "you've seen a hundred times before." Your vast experience and exposure may actually blind you to what you really need to see. You must remain open to new possibilities to make your expertise of greatest possible benefit to yourself and others.

All of this proves the wisdom of the quotation from the great basketball coach John Wooden:

"It is what we learn after we know it all that matters."

What you already know may keep you from seeing what is most important in a given situation.

That is the paradox of expertise.

You strive to gain valuable expertise and when you gain it you may fall prey to the problems that your expertise can cause.

When you approach every situation with the curiosity of a learner, you will avoid many of those problems and actually continue to grow your expert status at the same time!

Potential Pointer: As you strive to grow your expertise realize that it's a journey not a destination. Remain open to learning new things and applying new techniques. When you match your ongoing openness and curiosity with your considerable expertise, you will avoid the paradox of expertise.

Creating and managing remote teams is an opportunity that is becoming more and more prevalent in the business world today.

As the economy becomes more global, people become more transient and technology becomes more prevalent, remote or virtual teams are becoming more and more important.

For that reason, I recently interviewed Wayne Turmel of GreatWebMeetings.com on my blog.

This issue is either already real for you or will likely become real for you in the coming years. Luckily, Wayne has created a new webinar called How to Create and Manage Remote Teams to help you be more successful in this area. Based on where you live, you have two options to participate:

March 30th for Europe and North America

March 31st for India, Asia and Australia

This is an excellent chance to learn from a real expert, and I highly recommend both Wayne and his upcoming event.

Labels: remote teams, team leadership, teams, virtual teams

Tom, a middle-aged CEO, is experiencing some tough times in his business. Changes in economic climate and competitors are leaving him and his team unsure about the validity of their strategy, so he attends an executive strategy workshop.

Andrea, a mother of two young children, has the chance to hear a talented female speaker, not too much older than herself, talk about a topic she is passionate about. In that moment she knows she wants to be a speaker too. She is crystal clear about this, even though she has no idea how to make it happen.

Tony is an excited four-year-old who heads outside on the first warm spring afternoon ready to play with the other neighborhood kids. The only problem is that none of them want to play. They're all zooming around on their bikes. And Tony can't ride . . . yet.

Tom, Andrea and Tony share something very important. They're all living in a magical moment.

That magical moment could also be known as "the teachable moment."

The teachable moment is a time where situation, setting and desire come together to create people who really want to learn something, really need to learn something andare really open to the new ideas and skills.

It doesn't matter if the desire comes from something potentially pleasurable (like Tony's situation) or something painful or hard (like Tom's); whatever the reason, this confluence of factors leads to willing learners.

These moments truly are magical.

And whether you are thinking about them for yourself or trying to see them in others so that you can be a more effective teacher, coach, leader and parent, these teachable moments offer a tremendous opportunity.

Here are some ways to take advantage of these opportunities.

• Look for them. After reading this far, I'm guessing you can think of several times you've experienced this in your life. The good news is that you don't have to just wait for them; you can proactively look for them. When you begin to look, more will show up in your life. You will meet just the right person to help at just the right time. You will get the perfect experience to help you see a need for growth and learning.

• Recognize them. Looking for them is important, but no more so than noticing when they occur! Recognize the situation when it occurs - how do you feel? What are you thinking? It's hard to personally take advantage of the teachable moments in your life unless you notice them.

• Take action. When you think of these times in your life you are usually very motivated by the desire to learn, improve, grow or solve a problem. Since these are the things that in some way describe the teachable moment, it is important to recognize that it's a moment - it's not a teachable week or month. Because of that, to capture the magic of the moment, you must take action! Sign up for the course, apply the feedback, try the idea; whatever your moment inspires, do it! Every minute that passes as a passive observant is a moment that keeps you from taking advantage of it.

• Notice when you aren't there. Sometimes you won't be open and ready to learn something new. Maybe too many things are changing and you are overwhelmed. Maybe you don't feel ready. Maybe you don't believe the new information you are receiving. Whatever the reason, there are times when you aren't ready to learn something new. When you know you are in this mental space, it's best to acknowledge it and perhaps try to understand why "now isn't the best time."

When coaching or giving others feedback

All of these steps are true when you're trying to teach or coach someone else. Become a look out or spy - begin spying for teachable moments. Because when those you coach are in that moment, they are much more likely to succeed in creating change. Ask yourself:

• Is this setting right for feedback?
• Do I sense an openness and a desire to learn?
• Does the situation lend itself to coaching, feedback and/or advice?

These questions will help you diagnose a teachable moment, and when you coach during these times you will have greatest success.

Potential Pointer: There are moments in your life and the lives of those around you that present a magical opportunity to learn. These are the times when situation, setting and desire meet to create tremendous and lasting lessons. As an individual you must look for these chances and seize them. As a coach of others you must know how to spot - and use - these moments for the ultimate success of others.

Want to know what books your bosses have probably read? Want to have a quick way to be conversant in the top business books? Not a reader, but wanting to be informed? Want to know what to buy next? Just love business books?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you will love this book.

Written by arguably the most influential business book sellers in the world (the leaders of 800CEOREAD.com), it is a fantastic tour and summarization of some great business books.

Because it's a list, you may not agree with all of their selections, and you might have others you add. That's OK and, in fact, is part of the fun.

The book breaks the list up into categories including:

You (personal development)
Leadership
Strategy
Sales and Marketing
Rules and Scorekeeping
Management
Biographies
Entrepreneurship
Narratives
Innovation and Creativity
Big Ideas
Takeaways

At the end of each 2 page summary there are suggestions of "What's Next" if you like that book and want to continue down a similar content pathway.

Beyond books there are suggestions of movies, events, fiction and much more.

Whether you are just starting as a business reader or are a long time fan, you will want a copy of this book!