Research on successful “underdog” influencers shows that virtually all of them recruited a team of people — with specific qualities — to help them move their cause or idea forward.

The majority of insurance agency owners say they will not be giving bonuses or gifts to their employees to celebrate the holidays or the end of the year, according to the latest IFAwebnews.com poll.

At the risk of placing substance over style, all leaders must understand this simple truth: style does matter. It is not about matching your belt to your shoes or accessorizing appropriately for the occasion, but rather understanding the way you go about leading.

If you’ve ever been in a management position, there’s a good chance you had several pet peeves regarding your staff members and their behavior. What you may not realize is that your employees probably have a few complaints themselves.

Managing people and projects from across the hall is tough enough. Managing people and projects from different cities, states, time zones, or countries is infinitely more difficult. You might as well be on different planets.

When you talk to people, are you focused on the transaction or your interaction? A transactional encounter is one where you’re going through the motions to get the task or the discourse done. Maybe you are texting, talking on the phone to someone else or just dazed and confused, but the bottom line is that you’re not engaged with the other person or the process. Interaction occurs when two people are engaged in a dialogue or actively participating in the process.

When upsets happen, whether personal or professional, it can be hard to find your way forward. Uncertainty, self-doubt, and fear can cloud your perception and cause you to second guess your decisions, making things unnecessarily difficult and complicated. Fortunately, you have an ally on your side: resilience.

Whether you are in Houston, Texas or Trenton, N.J., the business world has changed. While the economy may trend up and down, change is a factor that stays consistent. Even if your business is currently suffering, when it returns to the good times, the industry will not be like it was during the last period of prosperity. No one likes change, but everyone must deal with it.

Market chaos and churn necessitates that business owners must refresh their growth strategy.

Mention email marketing to fellow insurance professionals and you may find that many are still hesitant to move away from their tried-and-true snail mail methods. Others, however, are rapidly discovering that email marketing is just about one of the most effective means of generating business.