According to Seth Godin ideas come from 20 places


Ideas don't come from watching television
Ideas sometimes come from listening to a lecture
Ideas often come while reading a book
Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them
Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks or boredom
Ideas occur when dissimilar universes collide
Ideas often strive to meet expectations. If people expect them to appear, they do
Ideas fear experts, but they adore beginner's mind. A little awareness is a good thing
Ideas come in spurts, until you get frightened. Willie Nelson wrote three of his biggest hits in one week
Ideas come from trouble
Ideas come from our ego, and they do their best when they're generous and selfless
Ideas come from nature
Sometimes ideas come from fear (usually in movies) but often they come from confidence
Useful ideas come from being awake, alert enough to actually notice
Though sometimes ideas sneak in when we're asleep and too numb to be afraid
Ideas come out of the corner of the eye, or in the shower, when we're not trying
Mediocre ideas enjoy copying what happens to be working right this minute
Bigger ideas leapfrog the mediocre ones
Ideas don't need a passport, and often cross borders (of all kinds) with impunity

I get a lot of information from a number of sources that includes books, newspapers, candidates, clients and of course the internet. A lot has been said about the work ethic of the younger generation and I see it and hear it when I talk with younger candidates. It seems that it is all about them. I truly understand the need for work life balance but I also understand that companies deserve an honest days work for an honest days wage. Recently I was talking with a candidate and learned that he worked full time to put himself through college. As we were discussing a new position that I was working on he mentioned that as an employee in his former company he never went home until the job was done. I was impressed with his attitude and relayed this to my client who said you do not find that kind of information on a resume. Employers hire people they do not hire resumes.

There is an old saying the leaders are born and not made. Having spent several years in the Army as an officer I can say that leaders are made and you have to lead from everywhere.

When faced with a complex, fast moving crisis, leaders most constantly adapt their mental models and create a “unity of effort situation. If you are not visible to your people in a crisis, difficult, or dangerous situation; you are not a credible leader.
With the 24 hour news cycle, there will never again be a major disaster that won’t involve public participation.My favorite definition of leadership: “The ability to reconcile opportunity with competency.”

Leaders can be made but you must take the first steps to learn and implement what you have learned.

With the advent of social media like linkedin and facebook it is easier for companies to look at a
candidate's profile on the open market. I have heard numerous stories about candidates who have pictures on facebook and/or postings that might be considered off color. This information is available to everyone. You never know who might be looking at your postings. Not too long ago I saw a number of postings by an individual that I had recently placed and as a friend I alerted him to be more careful about his postings.

Another overlooked faux pas that people miss is their e-mail address. Keep it simple and clean and there can be no mistaking you for a malcontent.