Research studies consistently show that having goals makes a significant difference in creating success. The biographies of high achievers throughout history bear out this research. So if you want to achieve anything worthwhile you absolutely have to have a goal. [more]

Edition 08/12

Dear William, as another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please don't keep these to yourself, forward to your colleagues so they can subscribe and join our 50,000+ readership. If this email does not appear to be displaying properly please click here to view it in a web browser.

20 February 2012
On this day in 1472 Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland in lieu of a dowry for Margaret of Denmark.

Our goal is to revolutionise leadership for everyone, delivering the best choice of learning and development when customers want it, at a price that they can afford. As the UK’s foremost leadership consultancy, we have a strong longstanding reputation as a powerful catalyst for performance.

10/10 is our training and mentoring programme covering all 10 actions of effective leaders. Delivered over 10 days in 10 months, the programme covers all the leadership actions needed in today’s challenging business environment. [more]

Follow @askten on Twitter and receive interesting facts each day. We don't follow back, but we do donate £1 to charity for every follower we keep.

1. During 2000-2010, CEO pay at the largest 350 quoted companies increased by 108%, yet the value of those companies rose by just 8%. FTSE 100 bosses routinely earn several million a year in pay and bonuses, when a decade ago a million a year was a rarity. Yet during that decade the FTSE has gone nowhere – it is worth less today than it was in 1999. Income Data Services

2. The world’s most expensive region to live is Hong Kong, where it costs 12 times the annual salary of HK$249,000 to buy the average property. Bournemouth and Plymouth also feature in the top ten. [more]

3. Bristol, the home of askten.co.uk, is probably the most neighbourly city as it has been officially dubbed the 'street party capital of the UK' with more events than any other city council area - over 400 last year alone. BBC

4. English football clubs spent £60m in last month’s transfer window. This compares with last year’s £225m splurge, and could be due to a number of high profile expensive failures putting managers off marquee signings. BBC

5. The number of British drivers aged 80 or above now tops the 1 million mark, with more than 65,000 of those registered over 90. A further 122 drivers have already celebrated their 100th birthday, with the oldest driver on record aged 106. DVLA

6. Adele made $18m in the year from May 2010, making the British singing sensation ninth on Forbes’ list of the highest earning women in the music business. She scooped six trophies at this month's Grammy Awards. FT

7. The British Egg industry predicts that of the nine billion eggs laid in 2012, 49% will be free range and only 48% from caged hens. The other 3% will be barn eggs. Just 15 years ago, 86% of British eggs came from smaller battery cages. Caged hens must now have 45cm headroom and 750 sq cms of floor space – roughly the size of an A4 sheet of paper. Mail

8. Radio 4’s flagship current-affairs programme, hosted by John Humphrys, Sarah Montague et al, now has 7.1 million listeners, putting their show only just behind Chris Moyle’s Radio 1 Breakfast Show, which has 7.2 million. BBC

9. Despite Facebook requiring its members to be at least 13 years old, 44% of British children aged between eight and 12 routinely use the site. In the US, 37% of that age bracket regularly log on. Telegraph

10. For million printed novels were sold in Britain in January – a million fewer than in than in the same month in 2011. The total number of books sold fell by 12%. Telegraph

10 things from last week in the city:

Poll of the week:

1. Lloyds Banking Group is to strip five directors of more than £1m in bonuses as a penalty for a financial scandal that cost the taxpayer-backed bank £3.2bn last year. 2. Confidence in the ability of Greek politicians to keep their promises is so low that Eurozone finance ministers are likely to demand that a special protected account be set up to receive funds from the second bailout. 3. The Sun on Sunday is to be publish for the first time next weekend, News International announced. 4. The fashion chain, Matalan, became the latest employer to withdraw from a controversial government-backed work experience scheme. 5. Average house prices have risen in just two local authority areas since the UK's property boom peaked in 2007, research by the Halifax bank suggests. 6. Portsmouth Football Club were docked 10 points after entering administration for the second time in three seasons. 7. Iceland is safe to invest in again, according to Fitch, which upgraded its credit rating three years after its economy spectacularly collapsed. 8. As London Fashion Week got under way, Topshop boss Sir Philip Green pledged to continue helping more young people get ahead in the industry. 9. UK retail sales rose by a stronger-than-expected 0.9% in January, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. 10. The UK signed a deal with France to strengthen co-operation on civil nuclear energy at a Franco-British summit held in Paris.

Asked if discipline in schools is too strict, 83% said no, none said yes. 11% believe it is about right. 39% say schools should do more to get rid of bad teachers, but 35% believe that they do enough already. 48% say school exams are too easy and only 3% feel they’re too hard. YouGov

Leadership tip of the week:

Blog of the week:

Strategy questions you need to answer: The two essential strategic choices are where to play and how to win. Answering these questions requires analysis and logic, yes, but most importantly, creative integration. Many good strategists only focus on one of those questions, trying diligently to figure out how to globalise or deliver a new product. A master strategist addresses both questions simultaneously and ensures the answers fit together. Don't rely on a single logic or analysis, but creatively integrate your company's choice about what market to play in and how to win there. The integration is what sets superb strategies apart from those that go nowhere.

Motivationg for Success: Research studies consistently show that having goals makes a significant difference in creating success. The biographies of high achievers throughout history bear out this research. [more]

William Montgomery recommends:

Quote of the week:

Entrepreneurs become what they are for several reasons. Many, depending on the person, choose to do so to avoid workplace drama, discrimination, being taken advantage of, or just to be their own boss. No formal education is required to become an entrepreneur, as they rely on their own knowledge and talent to achieve success. You can read the profiles of several successful entrepreneurs here. More will be added each week and you will soon be able to vote on your favourite.

“A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” Victor Borge, quoted on huffingtonpost.com.

Learning and development with TEN:

Book of the week:

10/10 is our training and mentoring programme covering the 10 actions of effective leaders. Delivered over 10 days in 10 months, the programme covers all the leadership actions needed in today’s challenging business environment, including, but not limited to, learning, strategy, creativity, goals, time, emotions, motivation, change, communication and responsibility. Each day commences with a group discussion on the book and film of the month (which participants review prior to the session) followed by a three-hour module on one of the 10 actions and individual mentoring sessions. This programme is ideal for those about to take on a leadership role or those wishing to improve their current leadership capability. [more]

In On The Brink by Henry Paulson, you will learn: 1) What role then-Treasury Secretary Henry “Hank” Paulson played in the financial rescues of 2008 and 2) How his negotiations unfolded
behind the scenes.

10 actions for the coming week:

App of the week:

10 ways to become more customer focussed: In the free-enterprise system, the customer is king. Those who please the customer best win.  The same is true with internal customers. Those who please them most will win. Winners are always customer orientated... [more]

10 actions for achieving excellence: Excellence in today’s highly competitive workplace demands more than a thorough knowledge of your specialist field. People skills, such as the ability to inspire others... [more]

Cor.kz has a comprehensive database of 875,000 wines, and more than two million reviews. You type in the name of a wine – or scan the barcode – and the app gives you reviews from experts and enthusiasts.

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William Montgomery, leadership consultant and CEO of TEN, compiles this free weekly newsletter. If you found this newsletter useful, please feel free to forward it to anyone you think may benefit from it. If this was forwarded to you, don't miss another edition by SUBSCRIBING on our home page. To be removed from our database and future editions, click UNSUBSCRIBE alternatively edit your PREFERENCES.

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