iTunes University and the power of Open Learning

The word "Open" these days spans a multitude of aspects. Openness is invading software, governments are opening their data and universities are exchanging knowledge with a broad non-paying crowd.

I'm a great fan of iTunes U and I stumbled in this press release describing the exceptional growth of the eco-system. It's unbelievable the amount of topics that you can research about.
This is a short list of interesting speeches that I've recently listened:

• Harvard's Justice with Michael Sandel
• Princeton's Commencement Speech with Jeff Bezos (it's the 7th file on the list)
• Oxford's Building a Business

Of course we can not forget TED which is another authority in the field of inspiring and provoking talks. Do you have a favorite talk to share? I'm waiting for your comments.

Related articles

• Princeton University - 2010 Baccalaureate remarks
• Michael Sandel On "The Lost Art Of Democratic Debate"
• How TED Connects the Idea-Hungry Elite

Fast Company is searching for 2010's Most Influential Person Online

Fast Company started a project to measure how much we influence the online communities. Here is the description coming from their website.

We started with a simple question: Who are the most influential people online right now?
That's what The Influence Project is designed to answer. By participating, you will have your picture appear in the November issue of Fast Company magazine as part of an amazing photo spread. The more influence you demonstrate, the bigger your picture will be.
You may discover that you're more influential than you think.
Influence is not only about having the most friends or followers. Real influence is about being able to affect the behavior of those you interact with, to get others in your social network to act on a suggestion or recommendation. When you post a link or recommend a site, how many people actually bother to check it out? And what's the likelihood of those people then forwarding it on? How far does your influence spread?
This is the type of influence we're looking for. We want to find the most influential person online. Who knows? It might even be you.

How influential are you? Participate to the project by clicking here.

Appraising Your Investment In Enterprise Web Analytics

In the information age, everyone collaborates on this worldwide knowledge exchange channel that's called Internet. Computing devices are proliferating and all interactions are finding a common home: the net. It binds us in a way that was inconceivable only a few years ago. I can stay up to date on what my US or Japan colleagues are doing. I can read articles and thoughts written in unknown cities all around the globe.

We are all on the web. Whether you have a small niche blog or you are a famous writer in your field of expertise, you should care about analyzing your readers. This becomes more important if you are a company willing to publicize products on the web.

I just found this interesting Google sponsored Forrester research that may be captivating for all of us.

Happy reading.
Luca

Arun Sarin, former Vodafone's CEO, Sharing Leadership Tips

I've just spent an hour of my spare time watching an exceptional UC Berkeley Lecture by Arun Sarin, former Vodafone's CEO. He shared his thoughts on leadership, focusing on four major topics that a leader should always keep in mind. I'll try to summarize some points that I intend to keep in mind.

Strategy
Always look at the big picture, keep an eye on what will be your company in 5,10, 15 years. Try to understand the world and anticipate trends. Comunicate clearly through mission and vision and make sure that every step is in the right direction.

Operations
While a good leader should be strategic, never underestimate the daily operations. Make sure that your customers have a good experience with the company. Be sure that they have the needed attention if an issue arises.

People

Be an overall nice person to work with. Choose the right people in the right place and if something is not working face the issue immediately.

Cross-Culture

We cannot imagine any big corporation working only in a single country. Innovation happens everywhere and we should be acquainted with doing business all around the world. It doesn't means that you should be an expert on country history, but it means that you should respect people and care about them. 

In conclusion I appreciated a thought that he expressed: do your job wholeheartedly, whatever you are doing. If you are carrying bags for someone else, carry these bags well. This is probably the most important tip that he shared, I'll keep it in a drawer of my mind.

I admit that my summary is very short, I may have lost some important points, but you can listen to the podcast by yourself. This is not related to technology, open source or MySQL, but it helps to understand the dynamics of big companies and how the world is changing.

Happy learning,

Luca

Finding the Job you've always dreamed of

OK, I know that this is not really Web2.0, Business, Marketing or Communication related, but I found a very inspiring story about an executive finding a job of his own dreaming.
I'm a lucky guy who has an interesting and fulfilling job, but paving the road for the career of your dreams is something that everyone should get used to, especially in this turbulent times.

His approach was a good one for tough times, so I wanted to pass it along to you. The part of the story that I like is the attitude of the hunter while trying to find a job:

"I visualized what I wanted this position to be like and wrote a list of bullet items about the job and my ideal company."

I completely agree. Each of us, especially in this flat and continuously evolving world, can work to shape a position where he fits perfectly. If you mix your technical skills, leadership attitude, management style, personality and many other qualities, the end result will be a great job.

I'm not saying that you need to leave your current employer or to be fired, I'm just reminding myself that we have a part in our future. Maybe not in every facet, but in some aspects we can. I'd like to conclude with this quote:

"All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." - Thomas E. Lawrence

It's not easy to dream when you have a family to sustain and you are unemployed, but it's not the time to give up!

Sincerely,

Luca