#Free: Accountability Leadership @DiWorrall

Are You Still Living In Hope That Your Employees Will Follow Through On Expectations?

Ask anyone in charge of managing people to define their number one leadership challenge, and they’re likely to tell you that it’s achieving accountability for performance. CEOs, top executive teams, managers, and line supervisors all struggle to get the right things done, the right way, by the right staff, at the right time. When goals are met or exceeded, everyone’s a hero. But even the very best organisations face unforeseen challenges and sometimes fail to meet their goals. At such times the organisation must quickly be put on the right track, and this cannot be done without a strong culture of accountability.

Many organisations continue to implement traditional systems of accountability in an attempt to drive high performance in the workplace - only to see those efforts fail. The problem is, in many organisations accountability is viewed as something negative that happens to you when things go wrong. This kind of accountability never works over the long term. Real accountability is achieved through a step-by-step process that makes things go right.

Business leaders who employ the new principles of leadership accountability stand to multiply their chances of success and market leadership, reporting high performing characteristics such as:

· Cross-functional teams are the norm and are aligned, flexible, and adaptive to change.

· Delivering on or beyond expectations is the norm rather than the exception.

· Individuals and teams have a sense of ownership, and are focused, disciplined and collaborative, while holding each other accountable for outcomes.

· The din of organisational silence is replaced with communications which are engaging, high trust, and free flowing.

· Instead of entitlement, fear, blame and change resistance - organisational policies are driven by accountability, trust, and continuous improvement.

· Striving for excellence in customer service is embedded as a core business value.

· Company-wide culture embraces learning. It’s fun, friendly, and meaningful, and delivers great results.

The case for improved accountability in leadership has become critical for any leader with pragmatic desires for better business success.

In the #1 Amazon best seller, Accountability Leadership, you will find how great leaders are discovering a previously untapped goldmine of opportunity for personal, team and business transformation using the new science of accountability to build a high performance culture of accountability and responsibility.

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Genre - Business, Leadership, Workplace Behaviour, Human Resources, Executive Coaching

Rating – PG

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Connect with Di Worrall on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.diworrall.com.au/

Author Interview – Todd Cheney

What are some of the best tools available today for writers, especially those just starting out?

Microsoft Word and the Internet is all you really need. The rest will come as you progress in your skills.

Do you have any advice for writers?

Yes, I would say that if you are doing this for fun or to make a few bucks, then go for it.

Do you have any specific last thoughts that you want to say to your readers?

Enjoy! Don’t listen to the critics if you think they are wrong. Too many times we let others shape our opinions. It’s O.K. to have your own opinions sometimes.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Purely video games, movies and .

What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

Now, I can call myself a writer.

When you wish to end your career, stop writing, and look back on your life, what thoughts would you like to have?

Nostalgia and a sense of accomplishment.

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Genre - Fantasy

Rating – PG13

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Connect with Todd Cheney on Twitter

Website http://www.toddcheney.com

August Wainwright – The Reason Behind the Writing: Why I Do It

The Reason Behind the Writing – Why I Do It

by August Wainwright

Writing is a profession. Being an author in today’s environment of publishing means being an entrepreneur. I get it; and anybody who wants to succeed should embrace that idea too.

I’m as guilty as everyone else when it comes to obsessing over the numbers. It is an absolute must that at least three articles per week will be consumed that discuss the business of selling books on Amazon; the more specifics on numbers sold and dollars brought in, the better. Give me screenshots and graphs and, while you’re at it, throw in a venn diagram (love those things). I want bone-deep specifics about what you’re doing over there on your side of the fence. It’s the game we play.

But this new environment demands something of us, something that us author-entrepreneurs might possibly be overlooking.

As the number of ereaders skyrockets and we pump out books for the growing consumer base, what is it that we’re actually delivering to readers? A highly planned-out marketing juggernaut or a creation of passion?

We, the proverbial we, have an opportunity here. Brilliant, philosophical people have been told NO by the publishing industry for so many years now, simply because their manuscript doesn’t fit into a sell-able box. Or better yet, maybe the publishers have wanted something different and earth shattering all along, but we’re just now moving into a time where the environment is ripe for such works. *I seriously doubt that’s the case, but who knows.

Self-published and indie authors have at their fingertips the conditions that allow for any and all opinions, no matter how unbelievable or ridiculous.

Take an essay that was recently published by Stephen King. It’s called simplyGuns and discusses the role of gun control and gun ownership in our country. As of this writing, it has over 1400 reviews. King published the essay as an Amazon Single and said his goal was:

to provoke constructive debate -

I would have to assume that even a world famous, can’t-miss-author like King wouldn’t have been able to publish an essay like this just a few years ago.

And regardless of your feelings on the issue of gun control, regardless of whether you’re a Prius-driving, Berkeley-educated, California liberal or a down south country boy who thinks the best way to stop school shootings is to give underpaid and overweight teachers a .40, it matters not my friends. The single most important part is that this essay exists and is being consumed by lots of readers.

I don’t presume that any novice self-published author can write an essay or short story about a socio-political topic, publish it on Amazon and garner thousands of readers. Maybe some can – I don’t really know. After all, Stephen King is still Stephen King. But it’s the opportunity that amazes me. Nobody can tell you no anymore.

Write something that matters, format it well,create or purchase a great book cover, and do your best to spread the word. Start a conversation, or at least add to one that is already out there. What do you have to lose?

My Story:

For the last two years, I’ve been building and writing a series that will eventually be released as a trilogy. For now, it’s still in the first draft phase. I don’t even have a title yet. I’m not happy with the overall message so I’ll keep my head down and write on. But these books are a labor of love, a pursuit of truth, a struggle to understand the problems of our society, and a passionate plea to every single reader to do more, to represent more, to stand for more.

The scope is too big – quite frankly, I’m not sure I’m up for the challenge. But I’m sure as shit going to try. Every knot has someone to undo it (an awesome Arab proverb). And in the current iteration of our society, there’s knots everywhere you look.

For me, the success of these books won’t be measured on the same scale as my other works. Commercial success and profitability aren’t inherently what I’m after. It’s about saying what I believe needs to be said. And although my efforts are far from in the same league (not sure if we’re even playing the same game) as books like Fahrenheit 451, Atlas Shrugged, A Brave New World, or 1984, I have the unfathomable opportunity to write whatever the hell I want.

I’ll let the readers decide. I have to believe the general public is much more intellectual than most of today’s authors give them credit for. I believe they want to be stimulated in ways that affect them. I believe they want more than just entertainment.

The Point:

Even in this golden era of publishing for authors, I still see daily articles about the things that are “tearing us down”. If it’s not that the market is being flooded with crap, it’s that Amazon and Createspace aren’t crediting all of your sales. Come on. I like a good conspiracy as much as the next guy but give me a break.

The growth of ereader devices is drastically outpacing the growth of books in the market. Not to mention the international markets that are exploding all over the world. And you know what, if you’re worried that your 8 sales of paperbacks should actually be 9, well, then maybe you should refocus a little. Just saying.

As environments heat up and die out and new ones sprout up, you’ll undoubtedly hear that you’re too late; that the door has already closed. Readers won’t be happy until books are a nickel and can be re-sold for a penny. Amazon is going to hold your work hostage. Piracy is robbing you of all your profits.

I beg you to ignore that bullshit. Focus on your product. Research. Write. Re-Write. Forget about “author platforms” or “creating your brand”. Write because you love it. Write because your readers interact with you and tell you they can’t wait for more and you feel like what you’re doing actually matters to them. Serve them, not the machine.

Things will change. Companies will go out of business, new ones will take their place, and the marketplace will evolve. Stay up-to-date, adapt, and change with it.

Go read Kristen Lamb’s stuff, specifically the parts where she says to “Know your stuff cold, be confident, think a few steps ahead, and believe you’re special.” Prepare for what she calls The Resistance:

The Resistance is made up of two types of people. Those too chicken $#!& to follow their own dreams, or those so full of themselves they can’t bear to share the spotlight. Both types of people build themselves up by putting others down.

Again – ignore all of it. Learn to filter the lessons from the overwhelming sea of crap that will most definitely be thrown in your direction. Take the small steps and move towards your goal. If your goal is to make people laugh, then go entertain. If you want to affect change on the highest level, well, good luck to you – I’ll be the one next to you at the coffee shop, chasing down my own version of change.

Never forget why you write and who you write for. If you keep that at the forefront, the readers, and the income, will come.

A wildly intriguing, intimately suspenseful story about the human capacity for good and evil – and what pushes us to inevitably, and often tragically, turn to our darker emotions for comfort.

Jacob Watts broke his neck in Afghanistan. Now he’s in D.C. with no job, a therapist, an uncontrollable tick in his arm, and PTSD. And he can’t pay his rent.

His new, and monetarily necessary roommate, Remy Moreau, isn’t helping either. Cold and detached, she might be a savant – but she’s also socially inept, has absolutely no boundaries, and is possibly dealing drugs out of their apartment. When the two come in contact with a stiff and blood-covered body in Capitol Row, the ambiguous Remy Moreau will lead him on an obsessive-compulsive hunt in pursuit of a tormented killer.

Can Remy, with Watts in tow, catch a murderer before he strikes again? And what are Remy’s real intentions with Watts? Is she even capable of anything resembling real human emotion?

A Study in Sin is a fast-paced modern update of a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery.

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Genre – Mystery / Thriller / Suspense

Rating – PG13

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Connect with August Wainwright on Google Plus & Twitter

Website http://augustwainwright.com/

#AmWatching - The Paperboy (starring Zac Efron & Nicole Kidman)

The Paperboy

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5.7/10

Also available in HD

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A reporter returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate.

• Starring: Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey
• Directed by: Lee Daniels
• Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
• Release year: 2013
• Studio: Millennium Entertainment

 

Storyline:

Eldest son Ward Jansen is a star reporter for a Miami newspaper and has returned home with close friend Yardley to investigate a racial murder case. Younger brother Jack Jansen has returned home after a failed stint at university as a star swimmer. To help give his life some direction, Ward gives Jack a job on their investigation as their driver. But into the mix comes the fiancée of the imprisoned convict who stirs up confusing feelings of love and lust for the young Jack. Meanwhile, Ward and Yardley's investigation stirs up deep-rooted issues of race and acceptance which could cause serious consequences for everyone involved. Written by napierslogs

Marilyn Holdsworth – Why Book Covers Are Important

Why book covers are so important.
Book covers are very important because they are the first thing your potential reader sees. A good cover must have an enticing appeal to draw the reader to it. An attractive cover design immediately rouses the reader’s curiosity in the book’s content. And there is a much greater chance they will want to buy it. The old addage “you can’t tell a book by its cover” may be true but the book cover is still most important in generating sales. Eye catching color and an alluring design that harmonizes with the book’s title will be much more likely to capture the reader’s interest. Also, the use of an endorsement of the book by a well known person or periodical can add to the impact of the cover. A few praising words or lines for the book can draw the possible reader to it. A book with a pleasing color design and intriguing title is much more likely to sell than one without. People do tend to buy what they see. A book’s cover is the first thing they see and will remember. First impressions are lasting.

Elloree Prince is an attractive, creative young woman who marries a wealthy businessman, Tom Randall. After courting his bride with unrelenting determination, Tom moves her into old-moneyed Oak View, where generations of Randalls have lived for years. Outwardly, Elloree appears to settle into raising their two sons within Oak View’s stifling social structure, but inwardly, she yearns for her artistic work. An unexpected phone call from Mark Williams, her former employer, offers her the career opportunity of a lifetime, and she must make a choice. She is torn between her devotion to her sons and her love for her work. Her decision to return to Wishes, Inc. brings dramatic life changes to her and the people she loves.

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Genre - Women’s fiction

Rating – PG-13

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Connect with Marilyn Holdsworth on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://MarilynHoldsworth.wordpress.com/

5 Essentials of Memoir Writing – Bobbie Cole

5 Essentials of Memoir Writing

One of the hardest things when you’re writing about yourself is to know what to include and what to leave out, so my first secret has to be:

1.     Don’t tell your whole life story.

There has to be a point. Your memoir has to add up to something. If you want to write about your interesting life, I would suggest that you plan a series of interesting stories, each with its own point.

Whether a single theme or a series, you will need to formulate a premise for each story. A premise is one or two sentences that sum up your whole plot.

Here are the elements: main character / their problem / resolution

Every story needs conflict, or it’s nothing but an anecdote. .

The premise for the movie ‘The Godfather’ was: Son is reluctant to go into family business but eventually agrees to do so.

2.     Create an ideal reader profile

Do this before you begin writing. Optimally, make that person understand nothing about your subject.

Note down details about your ideal reader’s age, sex, tastes, marital status, means and hobbies. You can even give them a name.

Then write your story for that one person.

3.     Assume Nothing

You have a whole vocabulary and history, things that are obvious to you but potentially foggy to your readers.

For example, my own memoir begins with me travelling in Israel with a friend from half way across the world. People naturally want to know how the two of us became friends.

A sentence or two covered it.

Questions like that left unanswered would leave your readers wondering, i.e. distracted.

4.     Write scenes

It is very tempting, when memoir writing, to set down what happened first and what happened next.

When you show, rather than tell, you’re writing in scenes. A scene is action set in a place and time.

Here’s a short example of part of a scene from She Does Not Fear the Snow:

A couple of weeks before I was due to leave, the phone rang early one morning.

‘Terry’s disappeared!’ Butch announced.

‘Disappeared?’

His voice sounded strained. It was still night where he was. ‘She hadn’t been to the house in more than a week, so Don used his key and went inside.’

She had been living in their home, Don just across the yard in his parents’ former home.

I saw scenarios of big rows ending in violence, Don furious with the court’s decision to let Terry live in the log cabin he built, while he was demoted to the little, old house. 

I saw my friend’s poor, broken body languishing in some forgotten gully, for the wolves and coyotes to feast on.

‘Everything was packed up, like she was moving out,’ he went on.

Ah, that put a different complexion on things. I couldn’t see him waiting to vent his passion while she packed everything away first.

This is how it might have looked, written as an account:

One morning, a couple of weeks before I was due to leave, Butch phoned early to tell me that Terry had disappeared. I worried that Don, who had been forced to move out of the log cabin he had built them, might have become violent with her.

However, Butch told me she’d packed everything, which reassured me.

Which do you prefer?

5.     Bring your story to life with telling details

Telling details allow your reader to ‘see’ what you’re saying and feeling. There are a few examples from the passage above:

• His voice sounded strained. Adds an atmosphere of anxiety.
• So Don used his key and went inside. We picture Don opening the door.
• I saw my friend’s poor, broken body languishing in some forgotten gully, for the wolves and coyotes to feast on. We picture my wild imaginings of violence on my friend.
• ‘Everything was packed up, like she was moving out,’ he went on. We picture what Don saw when he went inside.

Question: Do you have tips of your own you’d like to add?

(Note to blogger – I will participate in comments, if advised of their existence: bobbie@testimonytrain.com.)

Biog:

Bobbie Ann Cole is author of her faith memoir, She Does Not Fear the Snow. A trail of miracles led her from a Jerusalem church, where she wasn’t supposed to be, to meet and marry her Boaz in Atlantic Canada. Free sample chapter and promo video: www.shedoesnotfearthesnow.com. Bobbie, AKA The Testimony Lady, will help you write your testimony, too.  Download her free workbook, Start Writing Your Christian Testimony: http://testimonytrain.com.

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Genre - Faith Memoir

Rating – PG

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Connect with Bobbie Ann Cole on Facebook

Website www.shedoesnotfearthesnow.com

The Magistrate (The Prisonworld Trilogy) by Keira Michelle Telford

« P »

Five years ago …

An explosion shakes the ground and sends a plume of thick black smoke up into the air, a raging ball of fire beneath it. Debris is thrown up and comes crashing back down to earth: bits of stone and brick, chunks of twisted metal, and scraps of human flesh.

The entire western elevation of Hamilton House—an imposing Victorian building located on the Victoria Embankment in the EC4 zone of London, right at the edge of the Square Mile—is destroyed, leaving a gaping, fiery hole from which the screams of the injured echo into the deserted Inner Temple Gardens beside it.

After the blast, and the brief moment of hollow silence following it, the normally tranquil area around Victoria Embankment is flooded with noise.

Sirens.

Fire.

Police.

Medics.

In the coming hours, the news will report that the Home Secretary is dead, along with several senior Section Five officers. Many more people—other Section Five officers included—were injured, and the first to be dragged from the wreckage by a couple of passing pedestrians is a forty-odd-year-old man. His shoulder-length light brown hair, which is normally pulled back into a neat ponytail, is bedraggled and scruffy. Dressed like a proper gentleman—in other words, a toff—he’s wearing an expensive suit, complete with waistcoat and silk puff tie.

His tweed flat cap falls off, getting trampled on as the two conscientious humanitarians pull him across Inner Temple Gardens and lie him down on the soft green grass away from the fire and the smoke, helping him to breathe.

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Genre - Lesbian Romance/ Dystopian/ Neo-Victorian

Rating – R (18+)

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Keira Michelle Telford on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.ellacross.com/