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The car radio antenna has undergone many changes over the years. For a time, they appeared to be an afterthought in the construction of most automobiles. Antennas were not integrated into the design of the car as they are today, and they provided poor reception to boot. Much has changed in terms of effectiveness and design since the standard vehicle antenna’s invention. As the radio has become an essential part of the driving experience, the antenna has advanced to allow for greater durability and sound quality.

In the 1960’s, many cars simply had an antenna attached to the front fender. As the years passed, some manufacturers placed them on the windshield. If the windshield had to be replaced, however, owners often lost the only antenna available for their car. Today, replacement antennas are mass-produced and easily attainable-whether your car implements an automatic or manually retractable model.

Antennas are not the most durable parts of a vehicle, and are prone to requiring replacement or repair. There are many ways in which a car’s radio antenna may be damaged. Unfortunately, one of the most common causes for antenna damage is vandalism-the antenna is simply snapped from the car’s body. Another common cause may be if the driver forgets to retract their car’s antenna when entering a car wash. On some vehicles, the antenna may be retracted at the push of a button. On less expensive models, however, this task must be performed manually. Either way, it is easy to forget to do so when entering a car wash; once you enter, the antenna can easily be damaged or broken off.

Replacing a broken antenna is a relatively easy process, depending on the year, make, and model of your vehicle. An antenna that is retracted by motor will be a bit more difficult to replace than one that is manually retractable.

To replace a broken motorized antenna, simply remove the outer top nut of the antenna mast. This will allow you to remove the old mast. Next, you must remove the inner top nut and turn the radio on. You may discard the inner nut and the nylon wire that is attached. To install the new antenna, simply push the new nylon wire down through the assembly hole until it stops. Turn your car’s radio off. You will then hear the motor and should see the cable recoil as the motor pulls the cable inward, as if to retract the antenna itself. Once the motor has stopped, you may attach the metal mast into the motor assembly. Then, reinstall the gland nut atop the antenna.

Whether you own a Kia or a Bentley, having a functioning antenna is essential if you want to tune in to local radio stations. Replacement Bentley parts, of course, can be quite expensive. When you replace a Bentley’s broken antenna you may choose between manufacturer parts or aftermarket replacements. You can save a good deal of money, regardless of your car’s manufacturer, by opting for aftermarket parts. This is true when you are replacing something like a broken radio antenna, and it applies for larger replacement parts as well.

If you find yourself needing to replace your car’s antenna, you will probably want to do so quickly-for many people, being able to listen to music and news is a big part of the overall driving experience. Be sure to check your owner’s manual before starting the repair process, and check for any specific instructions on how to replace your car’s antenna before getting started.

Getting people to visit the first time is less than half the battle. You’ll need them to remain on the site long enough to take an action that benefits your business for the site to be effective. A site that gets people to stay there once they’ve arrived is called “sticky.”

There are myriad ways a website can fail at stickiness. If the site fails to establish trust, people will probably leave. If the site seems shoddy, messy or unorganized, people will also leave. If the site asks too much of the user, like asking them to fill out a long form without offering any free teaser content before they can view valuable content, people are going to leave. If a site is confusing, people will leave. If a site has many broken links or “Page Not Found” errors, people are going to leave. This list goes on and on.

On the other hand, if a website offers quality content that is original, you greatly increase your chances that a visitor will stay. If your copywriting is compelling, succinct and easy to consume, people will want to continue reading. You want people to stay so you can capitalize on their presence. For example, if your call to action is to get visitors to sign up for your newsletter, they’ll need to be there long enough to accomplish the following:

1. Learn that there is a newsletter to sign up for in the first place
2. Begin to trust you as an authority in your industry
3. Get their interest piqued enough to want to learn more from you
4. Be compelled enough to actually sign up for your newsletter
5. Learn to trust you enough to feel comfortable with giving you their e-mail address

This works for selling online as well. As a matter of fact, it is even more important to establish interest, trust and authority to make a sale online because you are lacking the power of one-on- one in-person communication.

Another factor that makes a site sticky is its ease of use. People like to get maximum benefit for minimum effort. Have you ever considered the design of Google’s website? It is one of the simplest and cleanest home pages in existence. We can all learn from this. You and your Web vendor ought to be chanting this mantra through the entire planning and building phase of a new website: Clean Simple Easy, Clean Simple Easy, Clean Simple Easy. Say it over and over again.

People hate complicated websites that make them think too much. They hate feeling confused. They hate feeling stupid. They hate wasting their time. Many competing websites are a literal click away. And people have itchy back button fingers.

So to make your website as sticky as possible, create original and compelling content on a regular basis, establish trust and above all else, be sure to design it in a way that appears clean, and is simple and easy to use and to find information.

If you are among those who lost their job in Wall Street’s latest great upheaval, take heart. Your life as you’ve always wanted it is awaiting you.

Don’t get me wrong. Losing a job is never a pleasant thing. When you lose your job because the company you’ve worked for so hard collapses, it may seem as if your world is crashing all around you. It’s worse when it happens because of management’s greed, dishonesty, and incompetence.

But here’s a small bit of a silver lining: Even though your job is over, your life isn’t.

And here’s an even bigger truth: You are now completely free to do whatever you want with your life.

I know that this very moment, this newly-gained freedom may be hard to appreciate. Right now, you are probably bemoaning the security of your corporate job, the salary, the stability and prestige that went with it, the health insurance, the retirement plan. Believe me, I understand, and I sympathize.

But, as you’ve just learned, \”corporate security\” has long become an oxymoron. And unless you truly, whole-heartedly loved your job, this development is actually a great thing. Seriously:

How much longer were you going to remain chained to your office chair, secretly feeling thinking how your life was passing you by?

How much longer were going to sit in meetings that bored you to death, cheering the management that, you knew, was lying to you, and counting the days and hours till the next weekend and the next vacation?

How much longer were you going to keep checking in your real self at the office door and living somebody else’s life?

The fact is, the most common regret people express at the end of their lives is having failed to take enough risks. When asked what they wish they’d done differently, people uniformly say they wish they’d had more courage to go after their dreams.

Are you going to be one of those people? Will you be among those wishing they could take back those years they’d spent holding on to their job for the sake of \”security\”?

Or would you rather be someone who’ll say, at the end of your life that you’d truly lived; that you’d followed your heart and did what you loved; that you’d done something that had made a difference in the world?

The end of a job can be seen as a tragedy, and it can also be seen as an opportunity. Right now, this very moment, you can choose to see it as a gift and the greatest chance life has ever handed you.

Rather than giving in to your fear and despair, you can choose to look ahead to becoming the kind of person you’ve always wanted to be.

Rather than rushing to apply with the investment bank around the corner just because you think that’s the only place that will have you, think about what you could do with your life that would have real meaning for you and leave an imprint.

Rather than falling into the doom and gloom, remember that your life is much bigger than any single job you’ve ever held and that now is as good a time as any to create a life that will be a true expression of who you are.

And if you don’t know what this new life could be and how to go about creating it, take heart. Help is all around you. But you have to start by promising yourself that you won’t waste any more of your life in jobs that hold little meaning for you.

Decide that your life has too much potential and is too valuable to be traded for a corporate salary. Promise yourself that from now on you are going to take charge of your life and will live it in a way that is most congruent with who you are and your life’s vision.

Right now, this very minute your life is awaiting you. Will you take your first step toward it?

Being a President, CEO or the owner of a company can get lonely at times. This is true even if you are an excellent leader and have developed a top notch executive staff. Often times you face decisions, challenges or even just thoughts that you can’t even divulge to your most trusted employee. Some CEOs use executive coaches to help them during these times. Often it is just affirmation and validation of one’s own thinking but it is important to have that outlet.

Other leaders, owners and Presidents use a Board of Directors for guidance and consultation. A Board of Directors, elected by ownership, can provide the kind of support necessary to take the company to the next level. No man is an island and it can become very lonely at the top. Growing an organization is hard work. The president of the corporation not only has to surround himself with an excellent team but he must be able to rely on another power to challenge him and his team. The Board of Directors, in exercising its business judgment, acts as an advisor and counselor to the President and his executive team. The Board can help define and enforce standards of accountability. A Board can challenge and help the management team execute their responsibilities to the fullest extent in the best interest of the shareholders.

A Sounding Board

A Board can have differing types of responsibilities based on its written charter and by laws. However, the typical responsibilities that a Board for a privately held corporation must live up to are generally aligned with ownership/shareholder objectives. Overseeing the way the company conducts its business to insure that it is managed effectively is one primary responsibility. Selecting, compensating and evaluating the CEO is another key responsibility. Someone has to have the power to take the CEO to the woodshed when it becomes necessary. No one person has all the answers and the board can provide the kind of advice and insight that may circumvent mistakes or validate the direction the CEO is taking the company in.

Structure

Boards can be structured under a wide range of responsibilities and personalities. They can be very formal with strict procedural requirements or they can be very informal, made up of predominantly family members without the necessity of following “Roberts Rules of Order” in conducting its business. It’s the opinion of this author that every Board including the “Family Advisory” Board needs to have several outside directors elected. These outside board members are not the company accountant, the company attorney or best buddies with the owners. They are proven successful business people that can serve the Board in an uncompromising objective manner. The Board can support management in the development of organizational planning, succession and resource management. The most effective Board will be a group of professionals with a wide variety of skills. Ideally, these board members will have backgrounds that differ from the management team but compliment their skill sets. Click here to learn how CEO Strategist can help…. http://www.ceostrategist.com/consulting-services/board-representation.html

The Board Personality

Just like management, a Board of Directors success and how supportive it is to management is directly related to their personality traits and their character. Selecting directors for board membership is critical and the process should not be taken lightly. These directors must perform the role of governance, although their primary role is one of a supporter, a coach and even mentors. They must also assume the role of questioners and monitors of company performance. As supporters they must provide guidance and advice while living up to their governance responsibility which insures the long term health of the organization. This role includes succession planning and holding the CEO and the management team accountable for the success of the organization. That is why the director’s character is so important. A character that embraces the following:

Honesty

Integrity

Enthusiasm

Open mindedness

Competence

Trustworthiness

Analytical thinking

Being a team player

A sense of humor

Strategic Planning

Every company needs to think about its future. Developing a long term strategic plan is a key best practice every company should embrace. A Board of Directors has the responsibility of reviewing, approving and monitoring the success of the company’s strategic plan. The CEO is responsible for the company vision.

The executive team should create the roadmap, the strategic plan and the Board will review and approve it. Monitoring the company’s financial performance, reporting policies and accounting practices are part of this process. Compliance and risk management also become a part of the Board’s responsibilities.

So What Does the Management Team Do?

It sounds like the management team will spend most of it’s time trying to keep the Board happy. Not true. The role of the CEO and the management team is quite clear. They run the company. The company’s day-to-day business will always remain the responsibility of its employees under the direction of senior management and the CEO. The CEO is held accountable, as he should be, by the Board of Directors. Once the management team creates the strategic plan and it is approved by the Board, they are fully empowered to execute the plan.

Role of the Director

Directors are expected to demonstrate the kind of character that is beyond reproach. They must always act in the best interests of the business and fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities. They must always act honestly, ethically and with integrity. They must always maintain a courteous and respectful attitude. They will act in good faith exercising sound judgment, competence and due diligence. They must maintain the confidentiality of the organization and avoid any conflict of interests. Being a director should never be taken lightly. It requires time, attention and dedication. They are expected to attend all the scheduled meetings and serve on necessary committees that are in the best interest of the organization.

A Board of Directors should not perform an adversarial role but a supportive role to the CEO and the management team of the organization. The right board members can be significant part of the success of the organization. The power the board has is dependent upon its charter and it’s by laws. Remember, the board is elected by the shareholders. In a privately held corporation, this means that ownership determines the make up and type of board they want to govern the organization. Successful owners, true leaders understand the value a board of directors can provide. E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com for more information on establishing a board of directors for your organization. www.ceostrategist.com

My friend, Dan owns a small software company that sells subscription services to realtors. For a very reasonable monthly fee Dan will create a website that allows the realtor to upload guided tours of their listed properties. Prospective buyers can browse the listed properties and contact the realtor for more information on properties they’re interested in.

It’s a pretty cool service and once realtors start using it, they are very enthusiastic about the results.

The problem was that although Dan was getting a lot of visitors to his website, very few visitors were taking the next step: a guided tour of how the service worked.

War, famine, poverty, random acts of violence, and corporate greed are just a few of the most critical problems facing communities, companies, the country and the world today. And exactly who predominates in all leadership arenas? Of course, men. Women don’t make better leaders than men, they make different leaders. They’re not afraid to bring in people with more expertise when there’s something they don’t know. They work to build collaborations, rather than operate from a top down principle. And their well-honed emotional intelligence enables them to effectively influence others using the least muscle necessary.

For centuries women have held a wide array of leadership role - but they haven’t always been given credit for their accomplishments, nor have they been so bold as to call themselves leaders. Yet through nature and nurture they have honed the quintessential skills needed to make a difference in the workplace, the community, and the world. If ever there was a time in history that cried out for women’s leadership, that time has arrived. Women must make sure their voices are heard, they have a place at the table, and, regardless of the resistance they get, they help change the course of history.

Whether you lead a work team, a volunteer organization, or even just a project, here are 7 tips to help you step confidently and courageously into your leadership zone.

1. Articulate your leadership vision. Write down what you want people to say about you when you leave a room. Fill in the blank, “She’s a leader who ___________.” Be as specific as possible. Include what you want to do, how you want to do it and what people will get out of doing it with you. Then act in ways to make it a reality.

2. Be strategic. If it’s a problem you’re solving or a change in direction you want to undertake, develop your overarching strategy for addressing the challenge before diving in. Avoid the tendency to approach everything with a high sense of urgency or to jump to action before thinking through a situation. Strategy takes time.

3. Resist perfectionism. We’ve all heard the saying, “a woman has to work twice as hard to be considered half as good.” Don’t let it guide your actions. Thinking that you have to be perfect causes your strategic thinking and willingness to take risks to be constricted. The balance of strategic thinking and tactical implementation is by nature imperfect - and always a risk.

4. Get to the point. Women have the tendency to use more words when fewer would do. More words used always soften a message. Fewer words strengthen a message. Keep in mind the maxim, “short sounds confident.” Begin your communications with the one statement you would want others to remember if you had only enough time to say that. Rather than continue speaking ask, “Do you have any questions?” or “Have I made myself clear?”

5. Volunteer to make formal and informal presentations. If you want to become really good at influencing others, seize every opportunity to go outside your comfort zone and speak before large and small groups. Also consider joining Toastmasters International.

6. Solicit 360 degree feedback. Asking three simple questions will yield a wealth of information - usually about behaviors related to emotional intelligence: What do I do well that I should continue doing? What can I do more of to be even more effective? What can I do less of to be even more effective? As with any kind of feedback or survey, be prepared to take action.

7. Balance your natural leadership skills with new behaviors. Women are good at bringing out the best in people through coaching. Combine these with more direct and assertive communication, deliberate decision-making, and an increased understanding of the political landscape of your company culture and you’ll be the leader you were destined to become.

I don’t have a lot of memories of my Dad since he left the family when I turned six and passed away when I was only nine years old but there is one memory that seems to be burnt into my brain. It was a day when just he and I were together. I was only five years old and he decided it was time to teach me how to swim. We didn’t have a swimming pool; in fact, we lived out in the woods in an abandoned trailer. There was a lake within three miles of the trailer. The nearest town, named after that lake, was called “Blue Lake”, Michigan. Somehow he had managed to find an old row boat that he kept hidden in the woods. My older brothers tell me he was an avid fisherman and that he used to take that old row boat out almost every day.

We got to the lake and as he started uncovering the boat from the brush it was hidden under, I started getting a little nervous. Up to that point I had been so excited about going out on the lake with my dad that I had nearly wet my pants; the anxiety of the reality of the situation hadn’t set in yet. When I finally realized that I was going to be in this huge—deep lake, that’s when I started to worry a little. But, not too much, after all, I was with my Dad and he was going to teach me how to swim.

SOooo… He rowed that old boat out to the middle of the lake, put down the oars, looked me right in the eye and said:

“Are you ready? —- You can do this!”

I heard the “You can do this” as I was flying thru the air over the side of the boat. He must have thrown me fifteen feet away from the boat. It was sink or swim time. Obviously, since I am still here, I learned to swim. Not without swallowing several mouthfuls of water and seeing angels dancing in the clouds; but I finally figured it out. That is one of the few memories I have of my Dad. I wish I had more and better ones.

Learning to be a Leader can be Like Learning to Swim

You are probably wondering why I started this article with a story about how I learned to swim. Well, if you are an owner that has a son or daughter working in your business, ask yourself this question.

“What are you doing to teach your son or daughter how to run your business? Do you have an actual plan or are you just going to throw them over the side of the boat.” If that’s your plan, remember, the lake you are throwing them into is filled with alligators.

If it is your true desire to keep the business in the family and pass it on to the next generation, you have an obligation to yourself, to the business, to your employees and yes to your son or daughter to make sure you are doing everything you can possibly do to help them prepare to take over the business. I can offer one simple piece of advice; when they are ready, back off and get out of the way. There are all kinds of published recommendations on this subject regarding family qualifications etc. E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com and receive a free guide titled “Leadership and Succession in the Family Business.

If Dad is a typical old school autocratic type of leader who believes that sweating blood, an exceptional work ethic without concern for balance and shows no interest in discussing the emotional feeling side of succession, the kids will have difficulty maintaining a clear sense of expectations for themselves. They will not eagerly address interpersonal family problems and may even shut down. When that happens, the necessary skill development to take over the business becomes exceptionally difficult. Generally that results in just throwing them over the side of the boat and hoping they learn to swim.

1st and 2nd Generation Comments

I have discussed this situation with numerous 1st and 2nd generation owners and they all describe similar circumstances when describing how the torch was passed on. Many second and third generation leaders had to learn the hard way. It was sink or swim. Not all families work well together. Often time’s sibling rivalry impairs development. Jealousy, personal agendas and the weakness of Mom or Dad allows things to deteriorate in the family relationships as a result of the pending succession. Some families just become totally dysfunctional as a result of succession. That’s not to say that there aren’t families that handle succession seamlessly and everything works out great. Many do, however, those that do have consciously planned well in advance for succession and have taken the proper steps years in advance.

Consider the Business Culture

Keep in mind that privately held family owned businesses often develop a culture that is just an extension of the family culture. Family roles are often emulated when multiple family members work in the business. This creates additional challenges. Every family has it own by-laws, sacred cows, cherished beliefs, myths, rules and roles. Sometimes there are so many sub culture family issues left unaddressed that a big blow up occurs that can affect the entire company. However, this underbrush of sub culture issues must be cleaned up for the company to continue to grow and prosper. This makes the blow up not only imminent but sometimes necessary.

Keeping the Torch Lit —- A Succession Guide

The answer to passing the torch is not that complicated even though execution is often difficult. Consider the following guide in setting up your succession plan and you may avoid many of the pitfalls and hopefully your son or daughter won’t be thrown over the side of the boat.

Business needs should come first

Focus on the long term health of the business

Get outside opinions on the leadership skills and the leadership development of your children. (You are too close to make unbiased judgments)

Develop a family legacy statement, a family doctrine and even a family code of conduct

Establish succession requirements and qualifications (education required, outside experience required, leadership and other skills training, in-house internship requirements)

Establish specific job descriptions for family members

Establish expectations up front

Create advancement criteria up front

Establish official family compensation programs paying family members based on the position

Establish accountability and structure up front

Establish a framework for dealing with family performance issues

Create a Board of directors that is not family dominated

Make no exceptions for family regarding performance

Remember, even if you do everything right, there may come a time that you realize that your son or daughter just isn’t capable of accepting the torch. If that reality hits you between the eyes and you can validate it factually with trusted board members, other trusted executives or even outside consultants, it’s not the end of the world. Please, don’t ignore it and just throw the kid over the side of the boat. I guarantee you he or she will drown. There are other options. Those options range from bringing in a CEO from the outside to selling the business. Of course there are a myriad of circumstances that need to be discussed and analyzed before you make that final decision. Don’t sacrifice your relationship with your child but don’t be held hostage to DNA either. It just isn’t worth it. E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com for sample family legacy, family doctrine and Code of Conduct.

Don’t Miss This Conference

CEO Strategist will hold a “Leadership Conference” on July 24th and 25th in The Villages, Florida. Bring the family and stay for the weekend and visit Disney World. It’s only $495 per person for Howl Subscribers. (Promo Code - HOWL) This is the one development event you will want to attend. Click Here for details…. http://www.ceostrategist.com/profit-event.html Check out CEO Strategists Learning to Lead So Others Will Follow Planning Workbook and CD set. http://www.ceostrategist.com/resources-store/real-world-leadership.html