While the first month of a new year can be a let-down from all the hectic activities of the holiday season, January also is a great time to reflect on new beginnings.

• Enjoy CEO President Sylvia Lafair's interview with Jeff Taylor in the premiere issue of Motto (formerly known as Worthwhile) magazine. Jeff Taylor was the founder, chairman, CEO, president and "Chief Monster" of monster.com and is presently chief of everything for Eons, his new venture that "revolutionizes how we see the baby boomers".
• See facts and research data for successful businesses, and what research findings have in common with CEO leadership programs, services, and principles.
• Read a review of Steven Spielberg's movie "Munich" and find out how understanding unconscious patterns of behavior can move us toward a better future for ourselves, our work, and our global village.
• Wrap up this PEPtalk with a few "Points to Ponder"
• And, when you have a few minutes, pick up one of CEO's recommended readings for fresh new ways to look at the world in 2007.

Worthwhile Magazine has a new name and new look but the same commitment to purpose, passion, and profit. A frequent contributor to the magazine, Sylvia Lafair interviews larger than life, Jeff Taylor, a major visionary and paradigm shifter who isn't about to stop. Lafair talks to Taylor about generating major business ideas and "living the biggest life possible." To find out how Taylor moves an interesting thought to an action plan and how he plans to help an entire generation (and those that come after) reframe their own ideas about aging, read more at www.ceoptions.com

    At CEO we know that companies who invest in leadership development are more successful, have employees who feel valued and respected and have a culture of innovation and creativity.

    This belief is validated by the research below of Ninth House and by the American Management Association.

    Jeff Snipes, CEO of Ninth House, conducted interviews with the 20 top-performing organizations in the Fortune 500. His objective was to uncover how their approach to leadership development sets them apart from their competitors. Snipes reported that "There is a clear link between organizations that follow leadership development best practices, and long-term financial return."

    Seven out of 10 executives say that their organizations experienced disruptive change during the last year. And more than 80 percent say that the pace of change is speeding up in organizations all over the world.

    While most companies say they have a strong customer focus, only half admit to doing a good job of creating emotional bonds with customers.

    The 21st Century is fast becoming the Age of Innovation. But creating a corporate culture that recognizes and rewards innovation is not always easy. The most significant barriers organizations face are insufficient resources, the lack of a formal strategy and undefined goals and priorities.

    Business ethics are crucial in today's scandal-ridden era. However, the reasons for conducting business in an ethical manner are only going to become more compelling--as well as more complex--during the next decade.

    Too often, companies fall victim to the organizational hurdles that keep leadership development programs from being truly top-notch. Lack of measurement tools and reward systems for leadership behaviors are commonly cited problems that corporations face.

    -A movie that reminds us to "Never let yesterday use up too much of today." This is a brilliant quote from Will Rogers and one of many compelling themes of the movie Munich, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Craig. It is a thrilling story about what happened after the 1972 murder of Israeli Olympic athletes by the terrorist group Black September. Following the bloody massacre, five Israeli men are quickly assembled; their identities erased by the intelligence agency MOSSAD, and sent to assassinate those responsible. Soon, paranoia sets in and no one is who they seem. People are dying on both sides and the never-ending cycle of retribution begetting violence and more retribution begins. During all of this, the characters question the very nature of their souls and empathy hardly seems a virtue to the true antagonists of this conflict. One can not help but notice the tragedy that this blood continues to flow today and in the name of our fathers, mothers, and the generations before them. Viewers will walk away from this film with the stunning realization that the unconscious patterns and behaviors of the past (whether in this story or in our own lives) stop the transformational insights essential for change. . THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY! It is up to us to become explorers of new creative options.

• Many factors influence our thinking and behavior, but the way we perceive the world around us is the most fundamental basis for our behavior.
• Life long perceptions are formed at our earliest years and are the hardest to change
• SO… when we think people at work are behaving like babies it is because they are!

    Total Leadership Connections^TM (TLC) is a four-session, multi-media leadership forum designed to provide rich experiences in extraordinary leadership practices. It is the only program in the country that helps leaders learn how insight into family, culture, and crisis influences attitudes and beliefs. The result can significantly improve leadership effectiveness. New insights about people and relationships along with practical tools for change management are guaranteed to help you navigate the "people maze" with powerful creative energy. For more information call (570)636-3858 or go to www.totalleadershipconnections.com

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