Sport offers us a rich and intuitive window into the world of leadership and team dynamics – a leader’s success or failure is public and his/her style is on display for all to see.  What can executives and aspiring corporate leaders learn from sports?  In every race, game and match, athletes compete in mind, body and spirit to out wit, out pace and out hustle the opposition.  These efforts serve as testaments to what is humanly possible, offering insight into what it means to be a valiant teammate and memorable leader. 

With the Olympics upon us, nearly 10,000 athletes from 204 countries are set to compete in 300 events, and the opportunity to learn leadership lessons from the intensity of international competition shouldn’t be missed.  Who will make their way into the history books and how?  Keep your eye on the following storylines that have the potential to serve as memorable case studies for how to both lead teams and seize opportunity.

Google held a gathering in San Francisco called Google I/O 2012 last Wednesday, June 27-Friday June 29^th,  where developers stopped being “on the other side of the screen” and got the chance to get on stage. During three intense days with the conference transmitted live over the internet for all of the world to view, we were able to be witnesses to the latest in mobile and online technology, product launches (including the first Google tablet!), and much more directly from the mouth of their creators. If you missed it in the following blog we present the highlights of the event whose impact will continue to be felt all year.

The way you express yourself and the words you use make a huge difference when it comes to your level of likability. There’s nothing worse than a dead fish handshake in a first encounter, right? Bringing the everyday to the world of business, who doesn’t want to be likeable during a meeting or a public presentation? In the following, discover tips from the “father of evangelist marketing”, Guy Kawasaki, to start getting along better with those around.

-Make crow’s feet when you smile: When you make false face gestures you don’t fool anyone. So smile authentically! You’ll be able to better connect with those around you.

-Use the right words: “Words are the facial expression of your mind,” says Kawasaki. So use simple words, speak in an active rather than passive voice, keep it short, avoid being boring and use common unambiguous analogies.

Read on for more advice from Kawasaki.

Business competition has moved past efficiency and sheer volume as the key competitive advantage. Most companies now recognize the power of ideas, creativity and innovation. However, innovative ideas require the freedom to sit, think, ponder, discuss and challenge, which requires time not usually allotted in the daily office schedule. WOBI’s content team gathered last week to make time for just that: a brainstorming activity at Urban Station in our headquarter city of Buenos Aires. Read along for more information on our experience and overall opinion of off-site brainstorming activities to foster creativity, as well as do's and don't's for off-site meetings.