The Leaderboard

How to be a more virtuous leader
Good leaders need to be virtuous -- and that means embracing prudence, temperance and courage, writes Deborah Mills-Scofield. In decision-making, strive to be disciplined, balanced and reflective rather than simply jumping at every opportunity that comes along, Mills-Scofield writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (2/7)
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Sales Strategies

How to beat the competition and make the number
Making the number can seem impossible at times, but it is doable. The key is to identify areas where your competitors are lacking, writes Greg Alexander. "Once identified, we can attack with precision," he writes. Sales Benchmark Index/Sales & Marketing Effectiveness Blog (2/6)
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The sales process is changing -- are you?
The marketing department's role in the sales process is growing as customers clamor for valuable content they can use to educate themselves, writes David Brock. Customers "want meaningful information and content, without the annoying sales pitches and 'buy my product' that accompany it," he writes. Sales departments need to re-evaluate their strategies and collaborate with marketing teams to succeed in this climate, he writes. Partners in Excellence Blog (2/7)
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Daily Data Points

U.S. worker productivity declined in Q4
U.S. worker productivity fell in the fourth quarter, extending a two-year trend that may point to more hiring in the future. Economists expect little pickup in productivity this year. CBS MoneyWatch/The Associated Press (2/7)
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On the Road

U.S. airlines cancel thousands of flights because of storm
U.S. airlines have canceled about 3,800 flights for today and Saturday as the Northeast braces for a winter storm. "We've added extra flights out of the areas most directly impacted by the storm and will look to fly additional flights into these cities as weather conditions improve," said Kent Powell, an American Airlines spokesman. Bloomberg Businessweek (2/8)
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App Update

How Big Data can improve your sales force
Data can help salespeople become more effective, but only if analytics are used to pick out the most useful bits, writes Shashi Upadhyay, CEO of Lattice Engines. By using Big Data, representatives can get better at selling and identify potential customers. "By recognizing common features shared across your existing customer base ... Big Data can identify new targets that match your best customers' profiles," Upadhyay writes. BusinessNewsDaily.com (2/6)
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Making Small Talk

The wide world of exotic fashion subcultures
Young men in northeastern Mexico try to impress the ladies by dressing up as cowboys, but using extra-long boots, sometimes with glitter and flashing lights. These "Botas Picudas" are among several unusual fashion subcultures around the world cited in this article, which also includes Japanese truckers with elaborate vehicle decorations and Congolese men's fashions. BuzzFeed (2/4)
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SmartQuote

Temperance is a wonderful complement to courage." -- Deborah Mills-Scofield, strategy and innovation consultant, writing at the SmartBlog on Leadership Share: