10 Tools Leaders Need In Their Toolbox For 2015

"The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools" -  Confucius
Picture courtesy of Gardening in a minute via Compfight
Last week was the hyped up CES show (Consumer Electronics Show) in LasVegas. This is the holy grail of all the new technologies that are coming out. Some of the highlighted tech toys will never go to market and are more than a little strange. For instance, there is a Bionical looking suit that you can wear that senses your personal space and has arms that will push people away if they get too close, among other things. Just what every introvert needs! When companies introduce new products, even gardeners get some new gadgets.

 Here's a sampling of a few new gadgets that you can get your hands on this year for your garden:

  • Edyn. This gadget was introduced at the CES. It's a smart stake that you put in your garden. It does everything and connects to your smart phone. It's uses wifi and sends you alerts about bad weather, when to harvest veggies, the health of your soil, when to water. AND it's solar powered. If you really need one here's the scoop!marketwired.com
  • Brinno Garden Watch Time Lapse Camera. If you tire of watching your plants grow, you can get a camera to do it for you. This little gadget will take time lapse photos of your garden so you can literally watch your garden grow. Huh.
  • Parrot Flower Power. This handy tool has a wireless sensor that monitors the temperature, light, fertilizer levels for your inside plants and sends the data to your smart phone. Who needs the neighbor to care for your plants when you are away with this gadget?
  • Flymo 1200R Lawn Mower. "The Jetsons" are here. How about a robot to mow your lawn? The bots these days have more precision and power than in the past. Lay in a hammock and drink a beer while the bot mows!
  • Garden Plan Pro App. This little app will even help brown thumbs. The app will not only help you lay out your garden, it will send you weather data. It will remind you when to plant and what. It will also tell you seed spacing etc. Anyone can grow a garden with this! Bob Villa Gardening Gadgets
Gardening used to be great exercise but all this new technology may change everything. We really can be "lawn chair gardeners"! The gadgets will keep coming to make our lives easier and help us to become more productive. Do we really need all these gadgets?

"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man" - Elbert Hubbard

Photo courtesy of Bibi Via Compfight
Just like gardeners, leaders really need to have the right tools for the coming year. Surprisingly, our best tools are low tech. Sure smart phones, tablets, blue tooth, and paper thin laptops are a necessity for most however, the best tools are what our kids may call "old".

 Here are the tools that YOU need in your toolbox for 2015:

  1. Books. Leaders who learn are leaders for life. Consume every book that you can for idea generation and to open yourself up to new ideas. I will even relent and let you read books electronically.
  2. Glue. Look for gaps and fill them. Diversity gaps. Gender gaps. Gen X and Gen Y gaps. Understand it, understand them, and use the tools at your disposal to fill the gaps so that teams are seamless and cohesive.
  3. Activity. Jump out of your comfort zone. Don't be insulated. 
  4. Costume. Be an "Undercover Boss". You don't know what you don't know. Get out there and find out.
  5. Notebook. Religiously use a notebook to jot down thought, ideas, and employee input. It's the perfect tool for when you are out of your zone.
  6. Pen. Recognize and encourage others with your pen.
  7. Twitter away. Don't fear social media. Use this powerful tool to connect, share, and be human. It won't hurt you.
  8. Lunch box. Get out there and eat with your teams. Feed them and get to know them. Ask for goodies that you can take back to look at for improvements, better processes, and growth.
  9. Fake moustache. Have fun. Get involved. Show your personality.
  10. Inventor Kit. Champion innovation to create. Create synergy, new ideas, award  teams that innovate.
You can't build without the right tools. You can't grow without putting them to use.  What are you going to put in your tool box this year?

Please connect with me to start growing!