The Relevance of Creativity for Leaders

The Relevance of Creativity for Leaders

Creativity and innovation are the two important qualities which are required for a successful leader. This type of leadership has a level of importance which plays in organizations and thrives in the new normal environment. I have gone through a recent study by IBM and it says that these qualities outweigh integrity and global thinking. Creativity has always been the heart of the business, but till now, it hasn’t been at the top of the list. It is highly essential for a new business to get started and helps to keep up the good work in companies after they have reached their goals on a global scale.

Creativity has not been the focus for most managers as it is considered unmanageable and concentrating on it produced less immediate payoff than improving execution. However, it has been a focus for academic fields, ranging from anthropology to neuroscience and has produced many management scholars as well. Most companies shift to a more innovation-driven economy and it has been abrupt.

The priority of leadership is to engage the right person at the right time who sees creativity as important. The leader must help the employees to contribute imaginative ideas to the organization. Scott Cook, the cofounder of Intuit, says that “Traditional management prioritizes projects and assigns people to them. But increasingly, managers are not the source of the idea.” About 60 percent of CEOs polled state that creativity is the most important leadership quality. The other 52 percent are for integrity and 35 percent are for global thinking. Steven Tomasco, a manager at IBM Global Business Services says that it is very interesting that after recuperating from the worst economic conditions they have ever seen, the company didn’t fall back on existing job practices, management discipline or operations.

Source: Fast Company

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The New Samsung OLED TV

The New Samsung OLED TV

Samsung has finally unveiled its latest and most awaited TV product: the world’s largest OLED TV. The 55-inch OLED will be made from a single pane of glass and uses the Super OLED technology from Samsung for ultimate picture quality. This technology removes the need for a color filter, because the OLED pixel unit is composed of RGB sub-pixels. It also differentiates various degrees of blacks and shadows, which allow viewers to enjoy unparalleled detail even with the darkest of scenes.

I as a user of this TV product feel that it has a true to life picture quality in both 2D as well as 3D, and an improved color accuracy as compared to the normal LED TVs. Super OLED offers response time over 1000 times quicker as that of normal LEDs. The motion blue is eliminated even in fastest moving scenes. It also shows the best in its flawless design. The TV experience is enhanced using Samsung’s new Smart Interaction technology. I have checked out the voice control, motion control and face recognition features and got amazed as all these features are included in the remote itself, which is fantastic.

Other interesting features are a web browser and an in-built HD camera, which can be used for web chats like Skype. Since it is equipped with a new dual core processor, multiple applications can be run simultaneously without any interruption and you can experience faster web browsing. The AllShare play feature in Samsung gives the best way for users to access, share and manage content through cloud storage which is one of the latest technology features in the world of IT. The content is supported on smartphones, camera, computers, tablets or TV and isn’t tied to their location. The most important feature is that it doesn’t require a backlight and it weighs less than a standard LED TV.

Source: Samsung

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The Mozart Effect

The Mozart Effect

Nowadays, scientists are researching the work of the brain in detail. This is achieved by them through technological procedures like magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. This research is highly increasing our understanding of various disabilities and mental disorders. In my opinion, scientific and business communities have generated interest in the area of the role of music in the process of learning and forming thoughts. The Mozart Effect really helps people to boost their IQs and of their kids along with working professionals, who gain motivation for achieving easy profits. The Mozart Effect helps in unlocking the creative spirit, tapping the power of music to heal the body and to strengthen the mind.

Apart from listening to Mozart on CD’s, I have tried listening to tapes, well orchestrated media blitz and read books which gave immense pleasure to the mind and helped me enhancing verbal, spatial and emotional intelligence. It also helps in improving memory and concentration, strengthening intuitive thinking skills and enhancing right-brain creative processes. The experiment to determine the Mozart effect on the human brain was performed by neurobiologist Gordon Shaw with the help of graduate student Xiaodan Leng in 1988. The stimulations found that the way nerve cells were connected to each other predisposed groups of cells to get certain specific firing rhythms and patters. These patters help in forming the basic exchange of mental activity.

The output of stimulations is converted into sounds instead of conventional printouts. Scientists are slowly finding ways to develop theories as to why music should have an effect on intelligence. Mozart’s music helps you to be both aesthetically and physically accessible to the public. Increase in cognitive skills is developed after listening to Mozart’s music. Information that Mozart’s music will increase intelligence isn’t conclusive. Serious research is required for this area of science before making conclusions.

Source: Popsci

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Female Leaders Achieve Higher Levels of Corporate Social Responsibility

Female Leaders Achieve Higher Levels of Corporate Social Responsibility

A new study was conducted by researchers at Catalyst and the Harvard Business School, which was based on woman’s role in business and society. According to the Gender and Corporate Social Responsibility study, companies with more women at the top positions are better employers and show more corporate social responsibility (CSR). Researchers from Harvard Business School have examined how organizational and corporate leadership structure influence CSR by studying the most visible form in the US.

I have gone across the recent study by the Harvard Business School which states that compared to the companies without female executive leaders, the companies with leadership teams with mixed genders have contributed more to charitable funds. The presence of women leaders helps in controlling key factors which may influence donation levels like size, industry and the company’s overall performance related to finance. Women leaders are not only committed to their work, but also help in strengtening social responsibility. They also oversee distribution of resources during donation decisions and contribute to diverse perspectives on fairness. This in total broadens a company’s commitment to CSR and increases its levels of charitable giving.

Anabel Perez, Senior Vice President at Catalyst for Development says “Companies are realizing that advancing more women to senior leadership roles has many benefits, including increased financial performance and sustainability”. I have seen the articles based on the research of Catalyst and HBS. They found that companies with women in the top levels showed higher levels of CSR, compared to companies with less or no women in senior roles. Records indicate that in 2007, the average donations of companies with three or more women directors were 28 times higher than that of companies who didn’t have women directors.  Companies with 25 percent or more corporate officers who were women made annual contributions and these were 13 times higher than that of companies with no women officers.

Source: The Catalyst

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The End of Finger-Picking for Diabetics

The End of Finger-Picking for Diabetics

The blood glucose meter is a device which anyone suffering from diabetes wouldn’t avoid. I do check my glucose levels many times a day to keep an eye on my diabetes. But nowadays, most of glucose meters do not show accurate results. This issue has to be taken seriously by the manufacturers to meet higher standards. Do you think finger pricking will be a thing of the past in diabetes monitoring? Well, it is going to be a reality. We need not worry about our fingers getting hurt anymore when performing glucose tests.

We will be able to see the Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) entering the market. It will be cost effective for checking blood sugar levels. This new technology uses an ultra thin Optical Fiber Sensor using photometric sensor technology. This is placed under the skin of the upper arm for a time period of two weeks and it helps in lowering the costs of glucose monitoring by at least 50 percent compared to the traditional ones. These devices are expected to be on the market by 2014. The experts of EyeSense AG have performed tests for 14 days and achieved excellent results.

The accuracy was perfect and it closely matched the traditional devices results. Since it uses light beams to measure blood sugar, you won’t experience any sort of pain or discomfort. The results which you get depend on your body. The blood from the fingertip gives the most accurate blood sugar levels at that point in time. The wearable device versions are yet to hit the markets, like the wristband types which are convenient to use wherever we like. A stable level of blood sugar is essential for many patients and it is currently being tested in intensive care units.

Source: Gizmag

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Milestone in Stem Cell Transplants

Milestone in Stem Cell Transplants

To confirm the potential of embryonic stem cells, surgeons have implanted retinal cells into the eyes of patients so they can attain better eye sight. If you are a patient, you will have to undergo tests before the surgery to check if you are suffering from dry advanced macular degeneration, or Stargardt’s, which is form of disease typical in teenagers. Geron, a biotechnological company, began to study the use of stem cells to repair spinal cord injuries. Nearly 10 million Americans suffer from diseases related to macular degeneration. However, embryonic stem-cell research became a money loser. An official from the Foundation Fighting Blindness states, “We are excited about this treatment, because we think this has the potential to slow the disease progression”.

When I visited the laboratory of Advanced Cell, a member of research staff showed the company’s top product using an adjusted microscope. It was some epithelial cells with a cube-shaped retinal pigment, the growth takes place in a Petri dish. These pigments have brownish coloring or are translucent. The pigments help in absorbing stray light by the eye and act as a kind of glare shield. The retinal cells are types which are killed during macular degeneration. This leads to photoreceptors dying and gradually central vision is lost. According to Advance Cell, the injection of new lab grown cells into the eye will cure your condition.

Since embryonic stem cells grow into any other type of human tissue, they can be touted as a potential cure for all types of diseases, like Alopecia to Alzheimer’s disease. The early studies of embroyonic stem-cell therapies of Geron and Advance Cell help us to understand about the involvement of cells in the nervous system. Standard treatments for Stargardt’s disease or age-related macular degeneration are not available and they result on the deterioration of the layer of retinal pigment epithelial cells, which are located behind the retina, which supports, protects and provides nutrition for the photoreceptors in the eye.

Source: Gizmag

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USB Massage while Working

USB Massage while Working

The brand “OSIM” is famous for its advanced massage chairs. The OSIM uPixie makes it easier to experience relaxation and comfort while working for hours at your laptop or computer. This massaging device provides pads to place at strategic points of the body to experience the best results. Since it is USB powered, you need not worry about traditional adaptors or plugs to connect it. Simply connect it to your USB device of the computer and enjoy the best massage experience you never had before. I work for hours at the office and experience lots of stress and back pain.

I always wanted a solution to get rid of all these issues and I came across OSIM uPixie. I have been using it for quite a long time and I am experiencing soothing kneads of muscles while working for longer hours every day. This device is a thumb-sized USB massager and costs 170 dollars and it highly relies on Electronic Muscle Stimulation, which is capable of delivering a set of massage programs which are specialized and coming from your computer. The best part is that you can synchronize the massage according to the music player playing from your computer and can take away your stress as well.

The USB drive may make it difficult to concentrate on one’s work when getting massaged. It surely beats turning and twisting to stretch every few minutes. The uPixie program of OSIM can be changed for the user to experience specific massage types according to their convenience and time. There are quartets of programs on the uPixie and you can even write and develop your routines on it. Customization is possible in all sorts of ways. Since EMS or the Electric Muscle Stimulation feature is used in OSIM devices, it helps in long-term changes in the muscles and different types of EMS are activated for different muscle groups.

Source: Gizmag

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Are Egomaniacs the Best Leaders?

Are Egomaniacs the Best Leaders?

As you know, egomania is the obsessive preoccupation with the self. It applies to people who follow their own uncontrolled impulses and feel that appreciation from others is lacking. This condition is said to be physiologically abnormal. In medical terms, narcissistic personality disorder has a close resemblance to egomania. I do not believe a person who is an egomaniac will be able to look after himself in life. He does not see things as they are; he cannot take up a sensible attitude towards things and does not understand the world. The term egomania is also commonly used by people to describe a person who is intolerably self-centered.

In my opinion, being egoistic isn’t so bad unless it is healthy for everyone. Being truthful to yourself, striving to achieve everything by yourself, synchronization between yourself and your superego and the balance between aggressiveness and libidinal drives can be a healthy way to be egoistic. It helps in forming constant, self-interested, realistic points of view and achieving mature goals and also forms deep relations. A healthy egoistic person will have a feeling of greatness which is the antithesis of inadequacy and insecurity. According to Sigmund Freud, who was known for psychoanalysis, healthy narcissism is an original state from which the individual develops the love object.

A recent collaborative study by four processors of the IMD Business School and the Erlangen-Nuremberg University has found that chief executives who are egomaniacs can perform better than normal top bosses. The IMD Professor Albrecht Ender says “We have uncovered the bright side of narcissism. It can serve as a catalyst for risk-taking and innovation”. In my opinion, CEOs who think themselves very important have an ability to act on their confidence levels when others are timid. But these people may be annoying and even selfish in a very direct way. But at the end of the day, they will be the best at the job, as unconventional and bold actions are required for the organization’s growth.

Source: Forbes

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