Shortform Books

How to Master the Art of Building Trust as a Leader

Is building trust as a leader important? How do you demonstrate trustworthiness as a leader? Building trust in your team is important because it lets you rely on others and feel that they have your best interest in mind. The trust you build will help facilitate an innovative culture in your team. Demonstrate trustworthiness by keeping confidence, being nonjudgmental, and respecting boundaries. Read on to learn more about building trust as a leader.

How to Live Like the Superior Man: Tips From Deida

How does the Superior Man live his life? How can you like the Superior Man? In the book The Way of the Superior Man, Deida explains that the Superior Man lives his life with purpose, authenticity, and love. Deida’s goal is to help you to reclaim the passion in your relationship and enjoy the fullest degree of intimacy and fulfillment. Continue below for Deida’s advice on how to become the Superior Man.

Promoting Your Startup on a Tight Budget: 10 Principles

Have you just launched your first product? What is the most affordable way to publicize it? As a startup, it’s unlikely you’ll have much to spare on promotion. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to promote your business without spending any (or much) money. In this article, we’ll share 10 principles of startup promotion on a tight advertising budget.

The Sociosexual Habits of Humans and Apes

What can the sociosexual habits of apes teach us about the evolution of human sexuality? Were the authors of Sex at Dawn right to compare the habits of humans and apes? In the book Sex at Dawn, authors Ryan and Jethá say they can disprove the standard narrative of human sexuality by looking at the sociosexual habits of great apes, specifically chimpanzees and bonobos. However, other scientists have questioned Ryan and Jethá’s conclusions. Keep reading for Ryan and Jethá’s findings.

Robin Sharma: How to Find Purpose (Dharma) in Life

Do you want to know how to find your purpose in life? What advice does Robin Sharma give about purpose in his book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari? In his book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma gives advice on how to find your purpose (or your dharma) in life. We’ve taken his advice and expanded on it to give you a broader understanding of what dharma is and how to find it. Continue below for advice on how to find purpose in life.

Empowering Leaders Enable Others to Act

What do Posner and Kouzes mean by “enable others to act” in the context of leadership? What can you, as a leader, do to develop a sense of agency in your subordinates? “Enable others to act” is the fourth principle of Posner and Kouzes’ outstanding leadership. There are two overall guidelines to achieve this: 1) foster collaboration amongst your team members, and 2) build their sense of self-determination by strengthening their competence and confidence. We’ll discuss these two concepts below.

Business Model Canvas: The 9 Elements Explained

What are the nine elements of the Business Model Canvas? How are the elements related? There are nine elements in the Business Model Canvas: 1) customer groups, 2) customer touchpoints, 3) customer interactions, 4) value proposition, 5) key resources, 6) network, 7) key activities, 8) revenue streams, 9) expenses. These elements are interdependent components that impact the effectiveness of the other elements. So, changes to one element can reduce or amplify the effects of other elements. In this article, we’ll first briefly define what the Business Model Canvas is. Next, we’ll explore each of the nine overarching elements that you

5 Sales Management Tips: Help Your Reps Succeed

What distinguishes a good sales manager from a mediocre one? What are some sales management tips that can help you become the former? Sales managers have a lot on their plate. They inspire sales reps to do their best while sourcing top talent for the business. They set ambitious yet realistic sales goals and hold their team accountable for them. They ensure a healthy sales culture by ensuring fair compensation and celebrating top performers. These five sales management tips will help you set your team for success.

The Ultimate Strategy for B2B and B2C Sales

What is the key to securing B2B sales? How does the business-to-business sales approach differ from business-to-customer’s? B2B and B2C sales approaches are polar opposites. With business-to-business selling (B2B), it’s important to make sure you’re talking to the right person at the company. For business-to-customer sales, you need to cast a wide net in your marketing efforts to reach lots of people at once. Keep reading to learn about B2B and B2C sales strategies.

Rework: Book Overview (J. Fried & D. H. Heinemeier)

What is Jason Fried and David H. Hansson’s Rework about? What is the main premise of their business philosophy? Co-founders Jason Fried and David H. Hansson of 37signals, a company that creates online management tools, believe that anyone can start and operate a business with fewer resources than they think. In their book Rework, they present a less-is-more philosophy of entrepreneurship, deconstructing the conventional business wisdom and rewriting it according to today’s Internet-based paradigm. Below is a brief overview of the key points.