This video is a brief biography on the founder and CEO of facebook Mark Zuckerberg. In this video you will see the secret's to mark zuckerberg's success .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZuo3KcJflE
Sunday, 6 October 2013
entrepreneur behavior~
ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIOR:
A preference for changing the status quo over maintaining it based on relatively greater satisfaction generated by novel information over redundant information. Entrepreneurial behavior underlies the inclination to undertake invention and innovation, including the creation of something new as well as the distribution and adoption of the new throughout society. It is the behavior most likely exhibited by entrepreneurship. An alternative is managerial behavior, which is a preference for maintaining the status quo over changing it.Entrepreneurial behavioral is one of two behavioral alternatives underlying the desire to undertake innovations and to change the status quo. The other is managerial behavior. Entrepreneurial behavior embraces innovation, is motivated to seek changes in the status quo, draws satisfaction from institutional changes. In contrast, managerial behavior is a preference for maintaining the status quo.
The underlying source of entrepreneurial behavior is a relative preference for novel information over redundant information. Both types of information are important to the fight or flight response to a threat. Novel information reveals potential threats that results in automatic physiological responses, which is more satisfying to some than it is to others.
Entrepreneurial behavior is a preference for innovation and a change in existing institutions and the status quo. It can be as simple as the willingness to buy a new electronic gadget or as involved as rebelling against the existing political regime and starting a new nation. It often surfaces in the form of an entrepreneur undertaking the risk of organizing production and launching a new business venture.
Entrepreneurial Skills
The Skills You Need to Build a Great Business
What skills do you need as an entrepreneur?
© iStockphoto/leventince
What makes someone a successful entrepreneur?
It certainly helps to have strong technology skills or expertise in a key area, but these are not defining characteristics of entrepreneurship.
Instead, the key qualities are traits such as creativity, the ability to keep going in the face of hardship, and the social skills needed to build great teams.
If you want to start a business, it's essential to learn the specific skills that underpin these qualities. It's also important to develop entrepreneurial skills if you're in a job role where you're expected to develop a business, or "take things forward" more generally.
In this article, we'll look at the skills you need to be a successful entrepreneur, and we'll explore resources that you can use to develop the traits needed for success.
Defining Entrepreneurship
Some experts think of entrepreneurs as people who are willing to take risks that other people are not. Others define them as people who start and build successful businesses.
Thinking about the first of these definitions, entrepreneurship doesn't necessarily involve starting your own business. Many people who don't work for themselves are recognized as entrepreneurs within their organizations.
Regardless of how you define an "entrepreneur," one thing is certain: becoming a successful entrepreneur isn't easy.
So, how does one person successfully take advantage of an opportunity, while another, equally knowledgeable person does not? Do entrepreneurs have a different genetic makeup? Or do they operate from a different vantage point, that somehow directs their decisions for them?
Though many researchers have studied the subject, there are no definitive answers. What we do know is that successful entrepreneurs seem to have certain traits in common.
We've gathered these traits into four categories:
- Personal characteristics.
- Interpersonal skills.
- Critical and creative thinking skills.
- Practical skills.
We'll now examine each category in more detail, and look at some of the questions you will need to ask yourself if you want to become a successful entrepreneur.
Personal Characteristics
First, examine your personal characteristics, values, and beliefs. Do you have the mindset that's typical of successful entrepreneurs?
- Optimism: Are you an optimistic thinker? Optimism is truly an asset, and it will help get you through the tough times that many entrepreneurs experience as they find a business model that works for them.
- Vision: Can you easily see where things can be improved? Can you quickly grasp the "big picture," and explain this to others? And can you create a compelling vision of the future, and then inspire other people to engage with that vision?
- Initiative: Do you have initiative , and instinctively start problem-solving or business improvement projects?
- Desire for Control: Do you enjoy being in charge and making decisions? Are you motivated to lead others?
- Drive and Persistence: Are you self-motivated and energetic? And are you prepared to work hard, for a very long time, to realize your goals?
- Risk Tolerance: Are you able to take risks, and make decisions when facts are uncertain?
- Resilience: Are you resilient , so that you can pick yourself up when things don't go as planned? And do you learn and grow from your mistakes and failures? (If you avoid taking action because you're afraid of failing, our article on Overcoming Fear of Failure can help you face your fears and move forward.)
Interpersonal Skills
As a successful entrepreneur, you'll have to work closely with people – this is where it is critical to be able to build great relationships with your team, customers, suppliers, shareholders, investors, and more.
Some people are more gifted in this area than others, but, fortunately, you can learn and improve these skills. The types of interpersonal skills you'll need include:
- Leadership and Motivation: Can you lead and motivate others to follow you and deliver your vision? And are you able to delegate work to others? As a successful entrepreneur, you'll have to depend on others to get beyond a very early stage in your business – there's just too much to do all on your own!
- Communication Skills: Are you competent with all types of communication ? You need to be able to communicate well to sell your vision of the future to investors, potential clients, team members, and more.
- Listening: Do you hear what others are telling you? Your ability to listen can make or break you as an entrepreneur. Make sure that you're skilled at active listening and empathetic listening .
- Personal Relations: Are you emotionally intelligent ? The higher your EI, the easier it will be for you to work with others. The good news is that you can improve your emotional intelligence!
- Negotiation: Are you a good negotiator ? Not only do you need to negotiate keen prices, you also need to be able to resolve differences between people in a positive, mutually beneficial way.
- Ethics: Do you deal with people based on respect, integrity , fairness, and truthfulness? Can you lead ethically ? You'll find it hard to build a happy, committed team if you deal with people – staff, customers or suppliers – in a shabby way.
Tip:
You can improve your people skills further by taking our How Good Are Your People Skills? self-test.
You can improve your people skills further by taking our How Good Are Your People Skills? self-test.
Critical and Creative Thinking Skills
As an entrepreneur, you also need to come up with fresh ideas, and make good decisions about opportunities and potential projects.
Many people think that you're either born creative or you're not. However, creativity is a skill that you can develop if you invest the time and effort.
- Creative Thinking: Are you able to see situations from a variety of perspectives and come up with original ideas? (There are many creativity tools that will help you do this.)
- Problem Solving: How good are you at coming up with sound solutions to the problems you're facing? Tools such as Cause & Effect Analysis , the 5 Whys Technique, and CATWOE are just some of the problem-solving tools that you'll need to be familiar with.
- Recognizing Opportunities: Do you recognize opportunities when they present themselves? Can you spot a trend ? And are you able to create a plan to take advantage of the opportunities you identify?
Practical Skills
You also need the practical skills and knowledge needed to produce goods or services effectively, and run a company.
- Goal Setting: Do you regularly set goals , create a plan to achieve them, and then carry out that plan?
- Planning and Organizing: Do you have the talents, skills, and abilities necessary to achieve your goals? Can you coordinate people to achieve these efficiently and effectively? (Here, effective project management skills are important, as are basic organization skills .) And do you know how to develop a coherent, well thought-through business plan , including developing and learning from appropriate financial forecasts ?
- Decision Making: How good are you at making decisions? Do you make them based on relevant information and by weighing the potential consequences? And are you confident in the decisions that you make?
- Core decision-making tools include Decision Tree Analysis , Grid
Analysis , and Six Thinking Hats . - You need knowledge in several areas when starting or running a business. For instance:
- Business knowledge: Do you have a good general knowledge of the main functional areas of a business (sales, marketing, finance, and operations), and are you able to operate or manage others in these areas with a reasonable degree of competence?
- Entrepreneurial knowledge: Do you understand how entrepreneurs raise capital? And do you understand the sheer amount of experimentation and hard work that may be needed to find a business model that works for you?
- Opportunity-specific knowledge: Do you understand the market you're attempting to enter, and do you know what you need to do to bring your product or service to market?
- Venture-specific knowledge: Do you know what you need to do to make this type of business successful? And do you understand the specifics of the business that you want to start? (This is where it's often useful to work for a short time in a similar business.)
You can also learn from others who have worked on projects similar to the ones that you're contemplating, or find a mentor – someone else who's been there before and is willing to coach you.
Tip 1:As an entrepreneur, you also need to be able to navigate the rules and regulations that apply in the country you're working in. These websites will give you a good start with this:
- Australia – Business.gov.au
- Canada – Canada Business Network
- India – Business.gov.in
- United Kingdom – Business Link
- United States – U.S. Small Business Administration
Tip 2:
If you choose to learn more about a particular venture by working for another organization, be aware of non-compete clauses in your employment contract. In some jurisdictions, these clauses can be very restrictive. You don't want to risk your future projects by violating the rights of another entrepreneur or organization.
If you choose to learn more about a particular venture by working for another organization, be aware of non-compete clauses in your employment contract. In some jurisdictions, these clauses can be very restrictive. You don't want to risk your future projects by violating the rights of another entrepreneur or organization.
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Robert Kuok
Background
Robert Kuok Hock Nien more commonly known as Robert Kuok is the richest http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs174.snc1/6534_105330563643_80156838643_2324981_6377316_n.jpgentrepreneur in Malaysia and also South East Asia [1]. He is currently rank 33 in the Forbes Richest Man Alive List [2]. Robert Kuok is the youngest son. He is born on 6 October 1923, in Johor Bahru [1]. After graduated from the Raffles Institution, he started working in the grains department of Japanese Industrial conglomerate Mitsubishi from 1942 to 1945.
Career
After the death of his father, Robert Kuok founded Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd together with his two brothers in 1949 [3].This business plainly deals with agricultural commodities. He managed to buy cheap sugar from India in the year 1961 right before the sugar price shot up. His business expanded heavily until he managed to control 80% of the Malaysian sugar market. Due to this, he earned his nickname “Sugar King of Asia” [4].
Robert Kuok expanded his varied his business field by involving himself in hospitality field. In 1971, he built his first ever Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, then he open his second Hotel in Hong Kong called the Kowloon Shangri-La [3]. He also owns a big stakes of the Hong Kong real estate group Kerry Properties. Other than that he also owns the freight interests include Malasian Bulk Carriers Berhad and Transmile Group.
Robert Kuok's compnies have investment in many counties. He even has ten bottling company for Coca Cola and the ownership of the Beijing World Trade Centre.
On October 31 2009, Robert Kuok has decided to sells his sugar units along with the land used to cultivate sugar cane to Felda for RM1.29 billion. This transaction had directly boosted his company's income as his sugar unit and sugar cane plantation were the second largest segment upon its grain and feed [3].
Robert Kuok has eight children from his two marriages. He has retired officially from the Kerry Group on April 1st 1993. He is currently resides in Hong Kong [3].
Hallmark
Robert Kuok have 7 hallmark that made what he is today.
1. Strong noble family background.
Robert Kuok was brought up by his mother. Since young, his mother had taught him according to Ru-Jiao which is also known as the teaching of Confucius. His mother is very particular with the values of honesty. That is why he managed to gain respect and trust from others. With this, his business expands smoother and faster than others.
2. Strong family tie.
The Kuok Brothers Limited was established by Robert Kuok together with his brother and cousins. All of them are very unite in this establishment of the company. They obey to Robert Kuok's mother's order. With a strong bond among them, it is very difficult for others to attack them. This is why the Kuok Brothers Limited can last for such a long period and still standing strong.
3. Positive thinking, hardworking and sensitive.
Robert Kuok once said that “As a young man, I thought there was no substitute for hard work and thinking up good, honest business plans and, without respite, pushing them along. There will always be business on earth. Be humble; be straight; don't be crooked; don't take advantage of people. To be a successful businessman, I think you really need to brush all your senses every morning, just as you brush your teeth. I coined the phrase “honing your senses” in business: your vision, hearing, sense of smell, touch and taste. All these senses come in very useful [4].”
4. Wise in hiring worker and always remember to acknowledge them.
Robert Kuok has never forgets the contributions of all of his colleagues and employee. He even thanked his very first batch of workers personally in hisKuok Group's 60th Anniversary speech. Robert Kuok is very particular in hiring workers. According to him, honesty, hardworking and intelligence are the main criteria that he looks for. “When I look candidates in the eye, they must appear very honest to me. I do not look for MBAs or exceptional students. You may hire a brilliant man, summa cum laude, first-class honours, but if his mind is not a fair one or if he has a warped attitude in life, does brilliance really matter? [5]”said Robert Kuok.
5. Always be humble no matter how successful you are.
Robert Kuok has been very humble all this while as he always remembers that once a person is arrogant, the person guard will be lowered. As a result, the person is defeated easily by his rivals.
6. Be very alert with every steps taken
According to Robert Kuok, sometime capitalism will leads to destruction if we do not inspect it well. He said that “Capitalism needs to be inspected under a magnifying glass once a day, a super-magnifying glass once a week, and put through the cleaning machine once a month.[5]” He also said that we cannot let greed controls us. Once this happens, the result may be fatal.
7. Remember to do good to others (be generous to the society)
Robert Kuok had set up a foundation called the Kuok Foundation to help out students that are facing financial problem in order to pursue their studies. He even gives out scholarships to students who are studying in either private or public universities. “The Kuok family firmly believed in its social responsibility to share its wealth and good fortune with the less fortunate. [6]”
Achievements
Robert Kuok has managed to win several awards for his success in his lifetime. He was honored on the Forbes ‘s World's Billionaire list, ranking at a respectable number 33. The most noble achievement by Robert Kuok arguably the Kuok Foundation that was established by the Kuok family. The philanthropist's vision is to alleviate poverty and reduce the economic disparities between the rich and poor communities in Malaysia. The foundation offers scholarship for student from not well to do family, to provide them with education that they needed to bring them out of poverty.
Read more: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/robert-kuok-hock-nien.php#ixzz2gfh2vTuX
5 Entrepreneurial lessons from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Zuckerberg isn’t the kind of CEO you hear about every day. He’s been known to stand his ground from the early days of Facebook, running the company almost like a one-man show. And his non-conventional approach to getting things done notwithstanding, he’s ultimately the unflinching CEO of a $100B Internet empire. Other than his sense of dress, and being described by critics as socially awkward, his remarkable achievement of scaling Facebook to the heights it is at now is the hallmark of a true CEO. A CEO that was able to gracefully transition from startup CEO to corporate CEO.
The road for Zuckerberg has been long, and certainly not without challenges, dare I say, fun. In just under 10 years, his entrepreneurial experience can only be rivaled only by a few. As such, every aspiring entrepreneur can learn a thing or two from his unique experiences. So here are 5 entrepreneurial (and management) lessons from the Facebook CEO.
Start your business with a higher purpose
Zuckerberg says that he never intended to start Facebook as a company. According to him, he just wanted it personally to satisfy a global need to connect. His social mission has always been “to make the world more open and connected”. In one of his letters to the shareholders, Zuckerberg wrote:
“Facebook was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish a social mission – to make the world more open and connected.”
I think Zuckerberg is being sincere here about his true intentions. He didn’t just build a website to make money. Of course, he would never have dreamed that Facebook would become what it is today. But we can safely attribute part of the success of Facebook to its CEO’s true mission. The mission to connect people with other people, businesses, and brands; forging closer relationships – that’s what has kept the social network ticking till now. Because, as Zuckerberg observes, “Building a mission and building a business go hand in hand.”
Hire the best talent to complement your skills
In 2008, Zuckerberg brought on board Sheryl Sandberg from Google as the new COO. By doing so, he was acknowledging the truth about what he wasn’t best known for: people skills. That appointment marks just one of many that Mark made, for the better of the company. And though his vision has largely steered the company over the years, it probably wouldn’t be any close to where it is now without the right team.
He says he spends roughly a quarter of his time trying to find the right people to build his team. He’s always on the hunt for new talent that he can put into “impactful roles”.
Hiring Sandberg allowed Zuckerberg to spend more time on his true strengths – improving the Facebook platform – while she ran the whole business show, from communications, PR, expansion, and relationships with the top advertisers. It’s little wonder why many have attributed the success of the company in large part to Sandberg’s ‘leadership’ as the number two.
And Zuckerberg has long maintained the need to build a g product, rather than place all the focus on making profits. His recruitment approach has therefore centered on hiring a team that is aligned to the company’s term vision. That, according to him, is more important than the money, and the reason he’s had to release some people.
Think long term
Just 3 years after Facebook’s launch, Yahoo made a billion dollar offer to buy it out. Zuckerberg rejected the offer, saying “I’m here to build something for the long term,” adding “Anything else is a distraction. Well, if he had given in to that once-in-a-lifetime offer at that time, the boy would be deeply regretting today. But maybe Facebook wouldn’t even have taken the right direction without his stewardship. Who knows?
Facebook’s long-term vision was no doubt driven by Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘higher purpose’. There’s a story also about how in his senior year in high school, he and his friend D’Angelo rejected Microsoft and AOL’s millions and job offers. Both companies were head-hunting the pair after the success of their popular free Winamp plugin, known as Synapse. The boys chose college instead.
Facebook’s long-term vision was no doubt driven by Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘higher purpose’. There’s a story also about how in his senior year in high school, he and his friend D’Angelo rejected Microsoft and AOL’s millions and job offers. Both companies were head-hunting the pair after the success of their popular free Winamp plugin, known as Synapse. The boys chose college instead.
Move fast and break things
Facebook has long sworn by this motto, thanks to Zuckerberg and the letter he wrote to potential shareholders. He’s never been afraid of moving fast enough to shake things up, with the risk of making mistakes always there.
Facebook Beacon was one such mistake. Oh, well maybe you’ve never heard of it, because according to Zuckerberg, people will forget your mistakes in the long run and only remember the value you’ve provided them.
When Facebook first introduced News Feed, there was a major uproar among the social network’s users, so much so that a protest group on the site hit a 700,000-strong membership only a few days later. Users were infuriated, and it looked like the end of Facebook had come. But they added privacy settings and tried to make users see how it worked. In the end, the users got used to it, and even loved it.
The Edgerank algorithm was later introduced, changing the face of the News Feed that users had gotten used to. Again, the users hated it at first. Facebook gave them the option to switch between the old and the new News Feed and they stopped complaining.
There’s also the Timeline feature and a number of other changes that didn’t go down so well with other users at first. But like Jeff Bezos, Zuckerberg has never been afraid to take risks. He believes in moving too fast and messing up some of the time, and sometimes moving too slowly to balance that.
Companies need to be constantly growing
We’ve seen how Zuckerberg has always tried keeping things fresh at Facebook. He wants change, and he wants growth, too. In the early days, he set up a growth team whose mandate was to get more people to sign up on Facebook. Facebook observed that users needed at least 10 friends on the site to keep coming back, so it streamlined the signup process and set up a suggestion feature to help people discover other people they might know.
Part of this growth was the ability of Facebook to listen intently to its users despite growing ever so big. Zuckerberg’s focus has always been on two things: having a clear direction for the company (constantly improving) and a great team driving in this direction. With this focus in place, growth is inevitable.
And while he acknowledges that it may not be the same for every company, he says “…once you get a core product that you’re happy with, I think it’s worth going through and having the discipline to do this exercise.”
Tom writes for Valuator.com.au. They can help you determine the value of your website and see if now is the right time to sell.
Read more at http://under30ceo.com/5-entrepreneurial-lessons-from-facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg/#ym8aMFIphKFODKsz.99
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