Entries from August 2007 ↓

My curiosity today had its fill. Whilst doing some research on the internet, I discovered the rebirth of Le Cernéen. Yes! Indeed the news paper which was created in 1832 and disappeared a decade or so is back. I could feel again the same spirit that used to glow the flame of the soul of this paper which has taken the modern digital medium for publishing. Le Cernéen in its last days as a daily newspaper was edited by Jean Pierre Lenoir who was in a way the mouthpiece of the Franco community or at least he then defended the opinions of the community. He is a very interesting outgoing person, very independently minded, creative and quick-witted and more importantly writes very well in French. I had the opportunity to have spent some of my teenage years rubbing shoulders with him. Together with Denis Piat, another critical author of Le Cernéen, we were juniors working for the same boss. Jean Pierre took from his father who was a very cultured man who used to run and owned “La Libraire le Trefle” in my younger days.

I am all for the multiplicity of opinions, of ideas and of perspectives. It is important to confront the reading of my reality to the realities of others, to enhance my vision of things. After all, is not my reality only an illusion of true reality corrupted with my blindness and my imperfect knowledge or understanding?

Living in Mauritius, in such a diverse society, we are blessed to be able to see, if we so wish, in multicolour shades through the eyes & understandings of multi-social norms. It would be wasteful not to draw benefits from “la societé Arc en Ciel”.

The story which retained my interest today was:

THE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO UNDESERVED WEALTH:

HOW TO BECOME A MILLIONAIRE IN PARADISE ISLAND.

Psst! Wanna make a fast buck whilst doing next to nothing? Read these instructions carefully and if you follow them to the letter, you too can become a millionaire many times over and simultaneously add a thin veneer of intelligence to what is essentially a dull and insipid personality. The instructions are very easy to follow, so easy in fact that government advisers who, as we all know are not blessed with the greatest intelligence or wit, have no problems at all to implement them fully whenever the need for personal advancement that is not based on merit or qualifications becomes necessary.
First of all, physical looks do not seem to matter at all as it is generally assumed that even the ugliest person will somehow compensate for his shortcomings in the appearance department by projecting the aura of authority and commanding physical presence that he believes automatically follows any job provided by his political master. Some people will venture the rather cruel opinion that personal advancement based entirely on political patronage is inversely proportional to physical looks and intelligence, and the uglier and dimmer you are, the higher the chances of finding yourself parachuted into a position that provides no great benefits to the country but which is guaranteed to enrich you immensely. I do not subscribe to this uncharitable view as I am sure there must be some rare exceptions (oh, all right then, some very, very rare exceptions)that somehow struggle to be the exception to the rule…
So, armed with a face that only a mother could love and an intelligence level that consistently fails to register anything of note on numerous I.Q. tests, the next step on the road to riches and faux grandeur is to embark on a symbiotic relationship with a politician who seems destined for high office after a general election. Here again you must choose a politician who matches you in the looks and intelligence department, i.e. as ugly and as stupid as you are. One note of caution though : never, ever allow your monstrously huge ego to overshadow that of your political partner in crime. This is an absolute no no, as apparently no Mauritian politician will ever tolerate the possibility that there may be numerous people out there who are far more intelligent than the specimens we regularly send out to servi nou pei. The cardinal principle that you must never deviate from is simply this: the politician is never wrong and any pronouncement by your master, irrespective of the new depths of inanity that are reached with every successive statement, must always be met with an innocent look of astonishment at the sheer genius of the man; if, for example, he tells you that he has a son who is a medecin and a daughter who is a medicine, you must suspend disbelief and marvel at the surprisingly procreative abilities of such a stupid man.
Now that the basic qualifications of intelligence and good looks (or lack of) have been met, you must learn to match bullshit with bullshit. That is not as difficult as it seems. You must always assume that the politician will voice rubbish of the bovine variety every time he opens his mouth, and therefore all you have to do is have a small number of made to measure replies to anything that he says; as long as you remember to say ‘Yes, minister, that is such an intelligent move on your part’ to any crackpot ideas that emanate from a febrile head soaked in last night’s booze at the almost daily manz boir event that is a must for anyone proclaiming to serve the nation, you will be ok, and that may even add another 10% to the mandatory 25% annual salary gratuity that is given to any lick spittle irrespective of actual performance.
The only other qualification that is most prized apart from arse licking is the ability to stab friend and foe in the back; this usually manifests itself in telling blatant lies to your ministerial godfather about the political affiliations of friends, rivals, and enemies. The minister is, of course, too stupid to differentiate between a bare faced lie told solely to deal with deep, personal, psychological problems and genuine information that will help the minister to do his job with a modicum of efficiency. The robin has a natural ability to flaunt its red breast of jealousy and innate inferiority complex and will do anything to worm its way into any position that it believes will serve its purposes exclusively, and will therefore forego any of the notions of loyalty, friendship, and faithfulness that binds most ordinary mortals into a common bond of shared purpose and sincerity.
Of course, you must make the potential minister believe that you ‘carry’ a large number of votes, and this is best achieved by appealing to the nasty, casteeist,communalist instincts that unfortunately still afflicts so many of our citizens in this apparently civilised democracy. If, for example, you happen to be a Rajput, you convince the minister that you can guarantee him the votes of all the Rajputs at election time; it does not matter that everyone apart from the putative minister know that this Rajput represents only himself and nobody else. If you happen to be a Moslem, then claim complete allegiance to the Holy Quran and vociferously condemn any proposed legislation on anything to do with the private sex lives of our citizens whilst spending every Friday and Saturday evening getting blind drunk in the distinctly ungodly atmosphere of our nightclubs. The crucial tactic to maintain here is to feed the ministerial delusion that his political future lies in your hands which contains the votes of all those who happen to share the identity conferred on them entirely by the accident of birth.
Finally, when the votes are counted, make sure you are there when your man is hoisted on the shoulders of his supporters to welcome his victory; it will help if you have one or two nephews shouting your name within his earshot so that he is now convinced that his good fortune is entirely due to your hard work and your influence within his constituency. When he hugs you in public to show his gratitude for your so called hard work, whisper gently the magic names of any of the numerous parastatal organisations that litter Paradise Island and look forward to an astronomical salary and expenses package that has no bearing whatsoever to your qualifications, experience, or aptitude for the job; and you will also get a 25% gratuity of annual salary irrespective of your performance, and which is paid whether you work well or to the abysmally low standards that have characterised your work record so far. This should guarantee you a salary of around Rs1 million for the month of December alone and a total annual salary package of between Rs 3 and Rs 4 millions a year. Not bad for someone who could barely write his name before polling day…
But if you want to be really clever, you should capitalise on an atmosphere of friction between yourself and the Board of directors; if you are really lucky, you will be invited to resign and you will be able to go home with a cheque for around Rs2 millions which astonishingly contains a gratuity payment for a future performance that cannot be evaluated as you no longer work for that organisation! If your name is Dan Maraye, you must look at yourself in the mirror every day and thank your lucky stars that you live in Paradise Island where your political masters are experts at creating paradise for the chosen few.
Of course, if you had a conscience, or if you really loved your country, you would not follow the route planned above and will instead do whatever you can to create the wealth that this country desperately needs. But how many of us are willing to take that road?

Lc 12,49-53.
Je suis venu apporter un feu sur la terre, et comme je voudrais qu’il soit déjà allumé ! Je dois recevoir un baptême, et comme il m’en coûte d’attendre qu’il soit accompli !
Pensez-vous que je sois venu mettre la paix dans le monde ? Non, je vous le dis, mais plutôt la division. Car désormais cinq personnes de la même famille seront divisées : trois contre deux et deux contre trois ;
ils se diviseront : le père contre le fils et le fils contre le père, la
mère contre la fille et la fille contre la mère, la belle-mère contre la
belle-fille et la belle-fille contre la belle-mère. »

Les commentaires de Denys le Chartreux (1402-1471), moine
sur la première partie de l’Evangile me conviennent.
Allumer dans les coeurs des hommes le feu de l’amour de Dieu
« Je suis venu apporter un feu sur la terre » : je suis descendu du
haut du ciel et, par le mystère de mon incarnation, je me suis manifesté aux hommes pour allumer dans les coeurs humains le feu de l’amour divin. « Et comme je voudrais qu’il soit déjà allumé » — c’est-à-dire qu’il prenne et devienne une flamme activée par l’Esprit Saint et qu’il fasse jaillir des actes de bonté !
Le Christ annonce ensuite qu’il subira la mort sur la croix avant que
le feu de cet amour n’enflamme l’humanité. C’est, en effet, la très sainte Passion du Christ qui a valu à l’humanité un don aussi grand, et c’est avant tout le souvenir de sa Passion qui allume une flamme dans les coeurs fidèles. « Je dois recevoir un baptême », autrement dit : Il m’incombe et il m’est réservé par une disposition de Dieu de recevoir un baptême de sang, de me baigner et de me plonger comme dans l’eau, dans mon sang répandu sur la croix pour racheter le monde entier. « Et quelle n’est pas mon angoisse jusqu’à ce qu’il soit accompli», en d’autres termes jusqu’à ce que ma Passion soit achevée, et que je puisse dire : « Tout est accompli ! » (Jn 19,30)

Par contre, je trouvai difficile de comprendre la deuxième partie du texte. Comment le Seigneur soit venu pour la division ? Qui plus est, la division dans la cellule familiale. Je demande à comprendre, car le Dieu d’amour me parle de division. Depuis ma messe de samedi soir à laquelle j’ai assisté et où j’ai entendu la proclamation de ce texte, je suis resté perplexe. A mon action de grâce après ma communion à l’eucharistie, j’ai demandé le Seigneur de m’éclairer. Mon état de perplexité m’a amené à ouvrir ma bible pour chercher une explication. L’intitulé du texte se lit ainsi : Jésus cause de division. Et le texte me renvoie à Matthieu 10,34 : Non la Paix mais le combat.

« Celui qui aime son père ou sa mère plus que moi n’est pas digne de moi : celui qui aime son fils ou sa fille plus que moi n’est pas digne de moi. »

Ainsi la division dont Le Seigneur me parlait était bien ce combat que je dois mener. De Le reconnaître avant tout mon être. De l’aimer plus que tout. L’amour divin qu’IL met à ma disposition ne se compare pas en magnitude avec mes tracasseries & préoccupations humaines. L’amour filial des hommes, aussi puissant, fort et producteur de bienfaits qu’il puisse être, n’est pas comparable à l’amour de Dieu.

Le Seigneur, par son amour, saura m’armer pour ce combat si je m’abandonne à Lui.

How do you make it possible for ordinary people to accomplish the extra-ordinary? How do you get people to follow you to places they’ve never been before? How do you get other people with free will and choice to move forward together on a common purpose? Just how do you get others to want to do things that matter and make a difference?

In helping the Toastmasters club to start in Mauritius, in a sense I have with my Toastmasters friends attempted to answer the above questions or least created a practising ground to hone our skills in a friendly atmosphere. I rejoice to learn that the Port Louis Toastmasters club is growing from strength to strength. I am invigorated. I like to make more contributions to see the sprouting of the latent leadership talents of my fellow Toastmasters. I have in mind those who are working on the leadership track.

JAMES KOUZES & BARRY POSNER have studied the performance of great leaders and have been able to single out the five practices that enable them to get extraordinary things done. I would recommend you to read their books on leadership to sharpen your personal skills.

I like to call this KOUZES & POSNER’s piece of work: the five practices of Leadership.

1. Challenge the process.

Leaders venture out. Those who lead others to greatness seek and accept challenge. Although some people attribute their success to “being in the right place at the right time”or even to “luck,” none merely sit idly by waiting for fate to smile on them. Every single personal best leadership case involves some challenge—perhaps an innovative new product, a cutting-edge service, groundbreaking legislation, an invigorating campaign, a revolutionary turnaround, or the start-up of a new business.

No Leaders are pioneers—people who step out into the unknown. They take risks, innovate, and experiment to find new and better ways of doing things. But leaders need not always be the creators or originators of new products, services, or processes. Product and service innovations tend to come from customers, clients, vendors, people in the labs, and people on the front lines.

The leader´s primary contribution is in recognizing good ideas, supporting those ideas, and challenging the system to get new products, processes, services, and systems adopted. They know that innovation and change involve risk and potential failure. The key that unlocks the door to opportunity is learning in the face of obstacles. As weather shapes mountains, problems shape leaders. Leaders are learners. They learn from their mistakes as well as their successes.one achieves a personal best by keeping things the same.

2. Inspiring a shared vision.

When people describe their personal-best leadership experiences, they tell of times when they imagine exciting futures. They have visions and dreams of what could be. They have absolute belief in these visions, and they are confident in their abilities to make extraordinary things happen. Every organization begins with a dream. The vision is the force that invents the future.

Leaders inspire a shared vision. They gaze across the horizon of time, imagining the attractive opportunities that are in store. Leaders desire to make something happen, to change the way things are, to create something new.

In some ways, leaders live their lives backwards. They see pictures in their mind of the results even before they start their projects. Their clear image of the future pulls them forward. Yet, visions seen only by leaders are insufficient to create an organized movement or a significant change. A person with no constituents is not a leader, and people will not follow until they accept a vision as their own. Leaders cannot command commitment; they can only inspire it.

To enlist people in a vision, leaders must know their constituents and speak their language. People must believe that leaders understand their needs and have their interests at heart. Only by knowing their dreams, hopes, aspirations, visions, and values can the leaders enlist support. Leadership is a dialogue, not a monologue. Breathing life into the hopes and dreams of others enables them to see exciting possibilities. Leaders forge a unity of purpose by showing constituents how the dream is for the common good.

Leaders communicate their passion through vivid language and an expressive style. The leader´s own belief in and enthusiasm for the vision are the sparks that ignite the flame of inspiration.

3. Enabling others to act.

Grand dreams do not become significant realities through the actions of a single leader. Leadership is a team effort. We developed a simple one-word test to detect whether people are becoming leaders—the frequency of their use of the word we. Exemplary leaders enlist the support of all who must make the project work. In today´s virtual organization, cooperation is not just within a small group of loyalists. It includes peers, managers, customers, clients, suppliers, citizens—all those who have a stake in the vision. Leaders involve those who must live with the results, and enable others to do good work. People do not do their best when they feel weak, incompetent, and alienated. Those who must produce the results must feel a sense of ownership.

The work of leaders is making people feel strong, capable, informed, and connected. Leaders enable others to act, not by hoarding power, but by giving it away. When people have more discretion, authority, and information, they are more likely to use their energies to produce extraordinary results.

Leaders know that teamwork, trust, and empowerment are essential. Leaders turn their followers into leaders themselves. This requires leadership to be a relationship, founded on trust and confidence. Without trust and confidence, people do not take risks. Without risks, there is no change. Without change, organizations and movements die.

4.Modeling the way.

Titles are granted, but leadership is earned. Your behavior earns you respect. Leaders don´t ask others to do things they are unwilling to do first. Leaders go first. They set an example and build commitment through simple, daily acts that create progress and build momentum.

Leaders must first be clear about their guiding principles. Leaders are supposed to stand up for their beliefs, so they had better have beliefs. Eloquent speeches about common values are not enough. Leaders´ deeds are far more important than their words and must be consistent with them. New tomorrows are not realized without hard work and persistence. Personal-best projects require relentless effort, steadfastness, competence, and attention to detail.

Leaders need operational plans. They must steer projects along the course, measure performance, give feedback, meet budgets and schedules, and take corrective action. Concentrating on producing small wins, leaders build confidence that even the biggest challenges can be met. They strengthen commitment to the long-term future.

5. Encouraging the heart.

The climb to the top is arduous and long. People become exhausted, frustrated, and disenchanted. They are tempted to give up. Leaders encourage their constituents to carry on. If people sense a charlatan making noisy pretenses, they will turn away. But genuine acts of caring uplift the spirits and draw people forward.

It is part of the leader´s job to show people that they can win. Encouragement can come from dramatic gestures or simple actions, individual recognition or group celebration. Encouragement is serious business. It is how leaders link rewards with performance. When striving to raise quality, recover from disaster, start a new service, or make a change, leaders make sure people benefit when behavior is aligned with cherished values. Caring is at the heart of leadership.

Leaders also give themselves encouragement. They love what they are doing. Love—of their products, their services, their constituents, their clients and customers, and their work—may just be the best-kept leadership secret of all.

The self-confidence required to lead comes from learning about ourselves—our skills, prejudices, talents, and shortcomings. Self-confidence develops as we build on strengths and overcome weaknesses. The best leaders take advantage of the broadest possible range of opportunities. They try, fail, and learn from their mistakes.

Everyone has a boss. And anyone who has aspired to move up the corporate ladder knows that their relationship with those they report to is crucial. When I read Rosanne Badowski’s book I realised that I had been doing mostly what she prescribed. It is precisely these actions that helped me to move up the Rogers corporate ladder .I was Managing Up in my early days as the Air cargo supervisor of Rogers Aviation way back in 1973.Later, as Commercial Manager of Rogers Aviation in the 1984 I had sharpened my Managing Up skills. This is yet another case of practising leadership without being on top of the heap.

In Managing Up Rosanne Badowski offers a straightforward, entertaining, no-holds-barred account of what it takes to make your relationship with your boss work to your advantage, no matter where you stand in the corporate hierarchy. Managing Up is an invaluable guide for managing your career and juggling responsibilities with finesse and confidence. It should become a management bible for anyone hoping to get ahead in their profession.”Rosanne Badowski’s extraordinary fifteen years in the trenches with Jack Welch have given her unparalleled expertise in the art of leadership. She wrote:

When I’m cranked up, two hours of phone work, slogging through files, and reviewing briefing material will come down to a 30-second “gun and go” item that hits Jack’s desk. I deliver the essential elements of what he needs to make a decision so that he can make it and move on. I anticipate and answer questions. Am I a mind reader? No. But I pay attention to what’s happening, and I understand why. I’m a student of cause and effect, allowing me to assess what executive input will be required, so that I encapsulate it.

Simply passing along a customer complaint or issue doesn’t create time. It is, in fact, a time sponge. Without support, the executive must stop what he or she is doing to find out what’s going on, who is handling the project, and what is being done about it. Often, it means juggling priorities and diverting attention from more urgent matters. With proper support, the complaint hits the desk with notes or a memo covering those points so that the boss can be assured that the customer is satisfied, and can ensure the situation doesn’t happen again. What might have gobbled up hours can be done in minutes.

By functioning in this way, you allow your manager to skip over time-consuming preliminaries to focus his or her resources on the final outcome. I scrub every item Jack Welch gets to make sure it’s free of nonessentials or of aspects that can be handled by somebody else. Time is too precious to waste by touching a piece of paper, a project, or a problem more than is necessary. Sometimes high-touch is essential. But disciplined one-touch or low-touch provides an extra cushion that can be used to grow a business, or to fight fires.

As an executive assistant, I perform countless management roles—project manager, coordinator, communicator, and troubleshooter. Yes, we’re all managers, but we’re also all secretaries. I don’t care if you come to work in a limo or ride the bus. At times, we all have to roll up our sleeves and do the mundane tasks to make grand strategies work. Companies can’t survive without highly trained, motivated, empowered, front-line support people who sweat the small stuff. These people are on the cutting edge of every vital function, integrating and coordinating against tight deadlines and across time zones and boundaries. Without dedicated help, all the strategic thinking, careful planning, innovation, and high technology will fall short. Someone has to be there, simply to get the job done.

Jack had a habit of sending handwritten notes to GE people. He wanted to remain accessible, break down barriers that isolate most CEOs, and offer a bit of help—an idea, a nudge, a pat on the back—to men and women who were working hard to close deals, satisfy customers, or manufacture high-quality products. Even the notes that started with “What the hell’s this all about?” were designed to help break impasses and to bring a resolution.

No matter what your job, if you’re not helping, you’re hindering. The essence of managing is making things happen. So, determine whether your actions support a long-term goal. Ask yourself: Did the work I performed today help to achieve a goal? Invest time and effort in the things that matter most.

It also helps if the organization has clear goals worth investing in.

Tomorrow the 16^th August, the world’s western music cannot be silent to the 30^th year of the King Elvis Presley’s departure. He is still in the minds and hearts of a whole generation of song lovers. For having enjoyed the music of the King, for having played his tunes in the 60’s, when I used to be part of a music band, for having watched over and over many of his films, for having been active in pacifying the opposing “Elvis” & “Cliff” fan clubs’ battle, I can only be moved by my memories of one of the most famous singers of my youth days. Yes, after Elvis, I cannot ‘be lonesome tonight’ and I shall not be ‘crying in the chapel’. I took the time to read on the life of this great singer last night after being reminded by the media of him. “It’s now or never”: I have to write about him on my blog.

Why was Elvis Presley so popular? What novelty had he produced in his day?

Some will argue that he brought black music to the whites.  He was a white man singing black blues. He brought ‘Rock n Roll’ to a new popularity. He bridged the racial boundaries. Note that in his youth days, the southern states of America were still very much racially segregated.

 

 He dared! He created a new style of music.

 

Regarding Presley’s hybrid style of music, others have observed: “Racists attacked rock and roll because of the mingling of black and white people it implied and achieved and because of what they saw as black music’s power to corrupt through vulgar and animalistic rhythms… The popularity of Elvis Presley was similarly founded on his transgressive position with respect to racial and sexual boundaries… White cover versions of hits by black musicians … often outsold the originals; it seems that many Americans wanted black music without the black people in it.” To some, Presley had undoubtedly “stolen” or at least “derived his style from the Negro rhythm-and-blues performers of the late 1940s.” But some black entertainers, like Jackie Wilson claimed: “A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact; almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis.”

 

 With his hips movements on stage, he initiated a new style of sexual liberation.

Presley was considered by some to be a threat to the moral wellbeing of young women, because “Elvis Presley didn’t just represent a new type of music; he represented sexual liberation.”In 1956, a critic for the New York Daily News wrote that popular music “has reached its lowest depths in the ‘grunt and groin’ antics of one Elvis Presley” and the Jesuits denounced him in its weekly magazine, America. Even Frank Sinatra opined: “His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people.”

In August, 1956, a Florida judge called Presley a “savage” and threatened to arrest him if he shook his body while performing in Jacksonville. The judge declared that Presley’s music was undermining the youth of America. Throughout the performance (which was filmed by police), he kept still as ordered, except for wiggling a finger in mockery at the ruling. (Presley himself recalls this incident during the ’68 Comeback Special).

He challenged the norms of the day.

The singer himself seemed bemused by all the criticism. On another of the many occasions he was challenged to justify the furore surrounding him, he said: “I don’t see how they think [my act] can contribute to juvenile delinquency. if there’s anything I’ve tried to do, I’ve tried to live a straight, clean life and not set any kind of a bad example. You cannot please everyone.”

In 1957, Presley had to defend himself from claims of being overtly racist: he was alleged to have said: “The only thing Negro people can do for me is to buy my records and shine my shoes”. The singer always denied saying such a racist remark. Jet magazine, run by and for African-Americans, subsequently investigated the story and found no basis to the claim. However, the Jet journalist did find plenty of testimony that Presley saw people as people “regardless of race, color or creed.”

I was very pleased to read his legacy published on WIKIPEDIA.

 He inspired a whole generation of new singers.

However, back in the late sixties, composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein had remarked: “Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything, music, language, clothes, it’s a whole new social revolution… the 60’s comes from it.”

It has also been claimed that his early music and live performances helped to lay a commercial foundation which allowed other, established performers of the 1950s to be recognised. African-Americanacts, like Fats Domino, Chuck Berryand Little Richard, came to national prominence after Presley’s acceptance among the mass audience of White American teenagers. Little Richard commented: “He was an integrator, Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn’t let black music through. He opened the door for black music.” It has been claimed that the black-and-white character of Presley’s sound, as well as his persona, helped to relax the rigid color line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement.

Presley’s recorded voice is seen by many as his enduring legacy (His death triggered a huge boost in his record sales, as well as other merchandise – some of it of dubious quality and taste). In The Great American Popular Singers (1974), Henry Pleasants wrote: “Elvis Presley has been described variously as a baritone and a tenor. An extraordinary compass… and a very wide range of vocal color have something to do with this divergence of opinion. The voice covers two octaves and a third… Moreover, he has not been confined to one type of vocal production. In ballads and country songs he belts out full-voiced high G’s and A’s that an opera baritone might envy. He is a naturally assimilative stylist with a multiplicity of voices – in fact; Elvis’ is an extraordinary voice, or many voices.”

Gospel tenor Shawn Nielsen, who backed Presley, said: “He could sing anything. I’ve never seen such versatility… He had such great soul. He had the ability to make everyone in the audience think that he was singing directly to them. He just had a way with communication that was totally unique.” Bob Dylan remarked: “When I first heard Elvis’ voice I just knew that I wasn’t going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss… Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail.”

Many other celebrated performers of pop and rock music have acknowledged how much the young Presley had inspired them. The Beatles were all big Presley fans. John Lennon said: “Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn’t been an Elvis, there wouldn’t have been a Beatles.” Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan said: “For a young singer he was an absolute inspiration. I soaked up what he did like blotting paper… you learn by copying the maestro.” Rod Stewart declared: “Elvis was the king. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jaggerand all the others only followed in his footsteps.” Cher recalled: “The first concert I attended was an Elvis concert when I was eleven. Even at that age he made me realize the tremendous effect a performer could have on an audience.”

By 1958, singers obviously adopting Presley’s style, like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde and Cliff Richard (the so-called “British Elvis”), were rising to prominence in the UK. Elsewhere in Europe, Johnny Hallyday became the French equivalent and the Italians Adriano Celentano and Bobby Solo were also heavily influenced by Presley.

The singer continues to be imitated – and parodied – outside the main music industry. Presley songs remain very popular on the karaoke circuit and many from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds work as Elvis impersonators (“the raw 1950s Elvis and the kitschy 1970s Elvis are the favorites.)

Presley’s informal jamming in front of a small audience in the ’68 Comeback Special is regarded as a forerunner of the so-called ‘Unplugged’ concept, later popularized by MTV

In 2002, The New York Times observed: “For those too young to have experienced Elvis Presley in his prime, today’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of his death must seem peculiar. All the talentless impersonators and appalling black velvet paintings on display can make him seem little more than a perverse and distant memory. But before Elvis was camp, he was its opposite: a genuine cultural force… Elvis’s breakthroughs are underappreciated because in this rock-and-roll age, his hard-rocking music and sultry style have triumphed so completely.”

(Source: Wikipedia, elvis.org, elvis.com)

We all know that on average we shall live much longer than our parents. The question is how will we coop with old age and possibly restricted physical movements? Would there be need to be taken to a nursing home or not?

The Europeans are launching a pilot project under the name of MonAMI to study this issue. With technology they intend to make older people more autonomous within their own home. I found that the technologies deployed were clever and ingenious.

Objective

The overall objective of MonAMI is to mainstream accessibility in consumer goods and services, including public services, through applied research and development, using advanced technologies to ensure equal access, independent living and participation for all in the Information Society.

Aim

The MonAMI project will demonstrate that accessible, useful services for elderly persons and persons with disabilities living at home can be delivered in mainstream systems and platforms. This will be done in close cooperation with users and by involving key mainstream actors throughout the whole process.

Background

Previous European projects have shown that technological augmentation of the living space can help elderly people and people with disabilities to carry out daily living tasks increase their quality of life, thus reducing the need for institutional and other care. Unfortunately, the results of these projects have often stayed in the laboratory or only been implemented on a small, local scale.  MonAMI will build on these experiences and aim for large-scale mainstream deployment.

Could we have some of the technologies imported to Mauritius? Entrepreneurs there could be an opportunity to exploit?

For over ten years, I had been subscribing to a monthly magazine on Leadership called Executive Excellence. Recently, I recently got a very interesting document from the editors of the magazine in which they summed up the 7 Dimensions of leadership. I would encourage the readers to use these 7 dimensions as a tool to improve performance. At least the document may be a guide for you: to question your leadership skills in different pertinent areas you need to address. I would advise you to subscribe to Executive Excellence.

Just like medical doctors are required to read their medical journals to be kept updated with the development and progress in their fields, I had taken the habit of subscribing to Leadership and other magazines to keep me abreast of my fields of competence.

Years after, I have collected these magazines. As I was a savvy computer fanatic, I have digitally stored a great number of them. My desk top Google search allows me to search & sort them so easily that I am amazed.

I have loads of articles to cover in more details the subjects covered in the 7 dimensions and will be quite willing to share them with you. I am of opinion that by sharing with others, I need to select and read the documents. I am thus doing service to myself whilst possibly igniting the flame in others to grow.

Seven Dimensions of Leadership

Each dimension is represented by a key word, key question, and topics. In

each dimension, you are invited to set a goal and take action. Within the

context of your vision and mission, set at least one goal in each of these seven

dimensions and then focus on the one thing that seems to take priority.

1. Leadership. Where are we going? Key words in the leadership dimension include:

vision, mission, mission statement, leading organizations, strategic planning, future orientation, global reach, trends, power, authority, authenticity, ownership, style, decisions, and challenges.

2. Management. How can we best structure and manage the organization to get there?

Key words in the management dimension include: management systems, information systems, integration, planning, partnering, international alliances, labor-management relations, structure, organization, systems thinking, downsizing, politics, alignment,environment, and finances.

3. People. Who do we need and how do we best motivate them? Key words in the people dimension include: communication, motivation, inspiration, empowerment,teams, relationships, trust, commitment, loyalty, coaching, teamwork, conflict resolution, win-win agreements, feedback, diversity, employee relations, collaboration,work contract, negotiating, problem solving, hiring, firing, influence, persuasion,involvement, accountability, stakeholder relations, women issues, speaking,presenting, cooperation, delegation, incentives, meetings, dialogue, followers,participation, interaction, staffing, and alliance.

4. Competence. What core skills and capabilities do we need to develop in people?

Key words in the competence dimension include: human development, knowledge,workers, continuing education, training, goal setting, life balance, career development,assessment, personal development, executive development, coaching, mentoring,recognition, reward, emotional intelligence, priorities, intellectual capital, time management, education, skill development, mental acuity, stress management, wisdom, self-esteem, listening, health and wellness, action orientation, confidence,happiness, image, identity, writing, self-development, talent, progress, stewardship,initiative, intuition, choice, energy, discipline, and critical thinking.

5. Performance. What product/service standards and growth/results measures matter most? Key words in the performance dimension include: customer satisfaction,quality improvement, service quality, economic value-added, production, process improvement, market position, technology, profit, contribution, peak performance,prevention, excellence, sales, marketing, results, economic growth, speed, leverage,implementation, brands, focus, and drive.

6. Change. What innovations or changes do we need to make to be competitive?

Key words in the change dimension include: innovation, culture, learning, creativity,growth issues, proactivity, reengineering, renewal, response, synergy, restructure,transition, attitude, optimism, risk, option thinking, entrepreneuring, flexibility,expectation, direction predicting, adaptability, turnaround, cycles, redesign, planning,forecasting, and anticipation.

7. Ethics. What do we believe and how do we need to behave and conduct business?

Key words in the ethics dimension include: character building, principles, morality,meaning, caring, purpose, respect, example, standards, faith, spirit, dilemma,inspiration, beliefs, social responsibility, sustainability, and fairness.

Extracted from Executive Excellence

 

La lecture de ce dimanche, m’a quelque peu ébloui. Trois paraboles à digérer : c’est trop pour moi. Il me faudra quelques jours pour assimiler tous les enseignements si riches, et encore des années pour les mettre en pratique ! J’ai donc decidé d’extraire un morceau du texte et de prendre le temps d’y reflechir. Un peu comme un suc qu’une abeille prend le soin d’extraire pour le savourer et l’utiliser à bon escient pour enrichir sa ruche. Ainsi j’ai choisi :’ Faites-vous une bourse qui ne s’use pas, un trésor inépuisable dans les cieux, là où le voleur n’approche pas, où la mite ne ronge pas. Car là où est votre trésor, là aussi sera votre coeur.’

Oui, je passe mon temps à amasser ou à gérer des richesses terrestres en prévision de jours qui me restent  sur terre, en prévision des besoins de mes enfants et de mes petits enfants. Est-ce que je me soucie de mon avenir ? Combien de trésors inépuisables dans les cieux aurai-je epargnés ? Si le texte dit bien que mon cœur est là où est mon trésor, où voudrais-je que mon cœur soit ?

La question qui m’interpelle est : comment se construire des trésors aux cieux ? L’Evangile nous enseigne que ceux qui seront récompensés au royaume seront ceux qui se seraient montrés charitables envers leurs prochains, envers les démunis et les pauvres, avec un amour inconditionnel.

Il ne me reste plus quà faire une évaluation  de ma bourse, mon trésor au ciel, tout en sachant que la valeur n’est pas déterminée par moi, mais par mon Maître supreme le Seigneur Dieu et de croire en Sa clemence.

I came back last night from Blue Bay to greet a friend who has been in the island for the last week. Yesterday was the only day of sun she enjoyed. For the whole week it rained and the guests spent most of the day in the hall and lobby of the hotel, as the beach was too windy and cold. I thought that the weather has not been kind to our tourists, at least those who chose Blue Bay area.

I personally witness the strong and cold south-easterly gusts sitting at the bar of the hotel. I was lucky to have my wind breaker jacket and a thick sweater. My return trip on La Vigie motorway was not a comfortable drive with the fog and drizzle.

I felt much better for Mauritius and our tourist industry when I read Reuters today. The cold weather is nothing to the keen kite surfers. Wind is what they have come for and this last week has been bliss to them. “A man’s food is another man’s poison” goes the saying…  

LE MORNE, Mauritius (Reuters) – Her blond hair dripping with salt water, top Austrian kitesurfer Gabi Steidl cuts through the translucent, emerald green waves of the Indian Ocean.

Kitesurfing — a hi-tech hybrid of surfing and kite-flying — is fast winning converts: riders harnessed to kites who stand on boards and skim, surf or even leap, often hanging in the air for several seconds.

With its world-class winds, plenty of breakers and calmer lagoons for beginners, Mauritius is determined to cash in.

“It’s just the most beautiful island and the conditions are perfect,” said 31-year-old Steidl, who gave up a career in publishing to follow her passion full-time.

“It’s like a huge wave playground.”

Back on the beach, a dozen kite surfers check lines and launch their kites as the midday sun hits its peak.

 

I became very interested in Leadership after having read Stephen Covey and share his thoughts through the numerous seminars that I facilitated through the years.

Great & famous men of the like of: Winston Churchill defying the Nazi threat as much of Europe had collapsed. Mahatma Gandhi leading a 200-mile march to the sea to protest the Salt Act. Martin Luther King Jr. standing before the Lincoln Memorial challenging the nation with his dream of reconciliation.

Each of these people was a great leader. Each made an impact that has touched millions of people. Yet these pictures can also be misleading. The reality is that 99 percent of all leadership occurs not from the top but from the middle of an organization. Usually, an organization has only one person who is the leader. So, what do you do if you are not that one person?

Can I be a leader even if I am not on the top of the heap? I read some time ago the 7 myths proposed by John C Maxwell, a well-known expert and a prolific author on Leadership.

1. The Position Myth

The number one misconception people have about leaders is the belief that leadership comes simply from having a position or title. But nothing could be further from the truth. You don’t need to possess a position at the top of your group, department, division or organization in order to lead. If you think you do, then you have bought into the position myth.

The true measure of leadership is influence — nothing more, nothing less. Leadership is dynamic, and the right to lead must be earned individually with each person you
meet. Where you are on the “staircase of leadership” depends on your history with that person.

Position has little to do with genuine leadership. Influencing others is a matter of disposition, not position. Leadership is a choice you make, not a place you sit.
Anyone can choose to become a leader wherever he or she is. You can make a difference no matter where you are.

2. The Destination Myth

Those who believe the destination myth might say, “When I get to the top, then I’ll learn to lead.”

But, if you want to succeed, you need to learn as much as you can about leadership before you have a leadership position. Good leadership is learned in the trenches. If you don’t try out your leadership skills and decision-making process when the stakes are small and the risks are low, you’re likely to get into trouble at higher levels when the cost of mistakes is high, the impact is far-reaching, and the exposure is greater. Mistakes made on a small scale can be easily overcome.

Mistakes made when you’re at the top cost the organization greatly and they damage a leader’s credibility. Start now to adopt the thinking, learn the skills, and develop the habits of the person you wish to be. Handle today so that it prepares you for tomorrow.

3. The Influence Myth

Those who believe the influence myth might say, “If I were on top, then people would follow me.” People who have no leadership experience have a tendency to overestimate the importance of a leadership title. You may be able to grant someone a position, but you cannot grant him or her real leadership. Influence must be earned. A position gives you a chance. It gives you the opportunity to try out your leadership. It asks people to give you the benefit of the doubt for a while. But given some time, you will earn your level of influence — for better or worse.
Good leaders will gain in influence behind their stated position. Remember, a position doesn’t make a leader, but a leader can make a position.

4. The Inexperience Myth

Although the desire to improve an organization and the belief that you’re capable of doing it are often the marks of a leader, without experience being the top person in an organization, you would likely overestimate the amount of control you have at the top. The higher you go and the larger the organization, the more you realize that many factors control the organization. More than ever, when you are at the top, you need every bit of influence you can muster. Your position does not give you total control — or protect you.

5. The Freedom Myth

Those who believe the freedom myth might say, “When I get to the top, I’ll no longer be limited.”
But when you move up in an organization, the weight of your responsibility increases. In many organizations, as you move up the ladder, you may even find that the amount of responsibility you take on increases faster than the amount of authority you receive. When you go higher, more is expected of you, the pressure is greater, and the impact of your decisions weighs more heavily. Leaders have more obligations and, because of that, they become more limited in terms of their freedom. It is a limitation they choose willingly, but they are limited just the same.

6. The Potential Myth

Someone who believes the potential myth would say, “I can’t reach my potential if I’m not the top leader.” People should strive for the top of their game, not the top of the organization. Each of us should work to reach our potential, not necessarily the corner office. Sometimes you can make the greatest impact from somewhere other than first place.

7. The All-or-Nothing Myth

Someone who believes the all-or-nothing myth might say, “If I can’t get to the top, then I won’t try to lead.” Some people in the middle become frustrated by their position in an organization because they define success as being “on top.” As a result, they believe that if they are not on top, they are not successful. If that frustration lasts long enough, they can become disillusioned, bitter and cynical. If it gets to that point, instead of being a help to themselves and their organization, they become a hindrance. Improve your leadership and you can impact your organization. You can change people’s lives. You can be someone who adds value. You can learn to influence people at every level of the organization — even if you never get to the top. By helping others, you can help yourself.