The next step to becoming a great boss is learning how to become a great leader. Though some may argue that a leader is born, not made, others argue that leaderships skills can be learnt. It is important to figure out where your strengths lie, and how to overcome your weaknesses as a leader. Being a good leader doesn’t mean commanding respect. It means understanding yourself well enough to know how you want to lead, and what you can do well.

One of the biggest problems with leadership is that you never seem to know when to be firm and tough, and when to be empathetic. Here is a simple rule to remember: be firm and enforce discipline, but practice empathy in tough situations. For example, if your employee doesn’t complete a job on time with no valid reason, enforce discipline, but be sure to be consistent. Anyone who doesn’t complete a task with no valid reason should be treated the same way. However, if your employee could not complete a task because they were ill, be empathetic. As long as you are consistent in your treatment of employees, they will respect you. Some people think that empathy is a sign of weakness, but a good leader understands that his or her employees are human beings, and thus, sometimes need a little leeway when bad things happen.

One of the most important parts of being a great boss is giving your employees enough responsibility and space to grow. Nothing motivates an employee better than being thanked for a job they have done, or receiving constructive criticism. When they are encouraged to learn and grow by their boss, they will become better at their jobs. Though it may be difficult in some respects to get them to do courses, to attend conferences or even to do online upskilling assessments, this is vital if you want a team that is accomplished and can work smarter, not harder.

The first check to run is a reference check. This is also probably the easiest as you need only phone the employee’s current or previous employer. They will be able to point out the employee’s strengths and weaknesses and with this, you can assess whether there are any problems upfront.

In some positions, it may be necessary to run a background check. Especially when a job is in security, or in finance, it is vital to ensure that your potential employee does not have a criminal record, is free of massive debt, or even that they are not a registered sex offender, especially if they will be working in a school environment. Part of a background check involves checking for criminal records, and while in some cases it may be alright to employ someone with a criminal past, in others, it is impossible. Imagine hiring a convicted drug trafficker to be a pharmacist, or a sexual offender to work in a play school.

Next on the list is the need for a health check. In some cases, a specific test should be run to determine whether someone is fit to do the job. A builder for example, must be healthy, while a truck driver should have good eye sight. In some cases, people with disability can be hired to do a job, but in others it is impossible. For example, you wouldn’t be able to hire someone blind to drive a bus, nor would you be able to hire a wheelchair-bound person to be a bicycle messenger. Of course, in all of these cases, logic applies.

In some cases, it is vital to check on an employee’s qualifications. Just recently, the CEO of Yahoo was asked to step down because he had fabricated qualifications on his resume. Ask employees for copies of their qualifications if needed. If they claim to have a degree or diploma, simply ask for a copy. In some cases, this will be less important than in others, however, knowing whether their qualifications are real or fabricated says a lot about them.

Too much is overdone!

Everyone has made this mistake at least once in their lifetime – using too many accessories in your design! If you use too many things in your design instead of looking classy, it can look messy and cluttered. The rule of thumb here is to keep items to a complete minimum so as to allow the character you want to emanate without cluttering up the space.

The death of style

Everyone loves browsing furniture stores and dreaming about buying the displays right off the floor. Each display has been painstakingly set up and would look good in any home. The problem comes in where if your home tends to look too exquisite, it won’t really look homey. Instead of copying the store’s design step by step, put your own style in it so that it can reflect your personality.

Prints and prints and prints

If you use too many prints it will definitely come across as too busy and will detract from the mood that you are trying to achieve. A room which would normally by very warm and inviting can leave people feeling displaced due to simply too many prints.

Matching to death

If you though matching is always the safe choice, then you are in for a surprise. If you would like to completely ruin a good decorating idea very fast then all you have to do is make everything in the room match completely. It may look splendid on paper but in a room it can be beyond boring and even a tiny bit creepy. Have a base for colour, then add shade and lines and punch it up with accent pieces and colours.

Forget about lighting

This can lead to a lot of mistakes. Where lighting is concerned, it tends to be over the top many times. It can also be too little or maybe at the wrong spot. It is crucially important that you really pay attention to the lighting and find something that will provide illumination but also add depth to the room.

Random furniture placements

Another buzz kill is setting up the furniture randomly. Ensure firstly that the furniture fits in the room. If it is too large then the room will come across as cluttered. It is also important to pay attention to the lay out. Furniture should complement each of the other pieces and should not be grouped into threes.

Now that you have been warned about some of the top decorating mistakes to avoid, you can go about decorating your home with confidence. I’ve used Ferreira’s Designer Concepts in the past, never let me down.

Many brides are confused about which hairdo would best suit them and their wedding theme. This article will list and detail some of the hottest and most classic of all the bridal hairstyle trends for 2012. You can use this list to help you make the best choice for your big day.

A Brief Guide To The Hottest Bridal Hairdo Trends 2012

1. The Classic Up-do
As the name suggests, the classic up-do has been popular with brides for years and this trend is more than evident in 2012. This hairstyle is elegant and timeless. There is some room for creativity and you should speak to your hair stylist about which classic up-dos are best for your hair. These styles are usually sleek and situated high up on the head. For example, the classic ballet bun is sleek and simple and perfect for the classic bride.

2. The Casual Up-do
The casual up-do is a more relaxed version of the classic up-do. One of the emerging trends for 2012 is that brides are a lot more casual and relaxed. Wedding décor, themes and ceremonies are all leaning in this direction. The casual up-do is generally situated lower down on the head, i.e. at the nape of the neck. This hairdo is the perfect alternative for the casual bride who still wants some of that classic timeless beauty on her wedding day.

3. Medium Hair Length Trends
Medium length hair presents a huge variety of options to brides. You can choose to have a sleek hairdo, a curly hairdo or a wavy hairstyle for example. Up-dos are not the best option for all 2012 brides. Many prefer to keep their hair down or simply tie half it back. Tying some of your hair back when it is down is the favoured option because it frames your face beautifully.

4. Longer Hair Length Trends
Longer length hair is probably the most difficult of all hair lengths. This is because you really do have the widest variety of choices when it comes to wedding hairstyles. If you have short or medium length hair but take a liking to one of the longer hair length hairdos then you should consider having hair extensions done.

5. Accessorizing Your Hairdo
Your wedding hairstyle is affected by more than simply deciding how to style your hair. You can accessorize your hair with all sorts of beautiful clips and other elements. Popular choices for 2012 include feathers, vintage brooches made into hair accessories and beads.

6. Wavy Or Curly Hair Trends
Wavy and curly hairstyles are one of the biggest trends for 2012 brides. Big statement curls and romantic waves look good in up-dos as well as leaving it down. Consider factors such as the wedding venue, the weather, your hair texture, whether you naturally have curly or wavy hair and your wedding theme when deciding which of these wavy or curly styles are best suited to you.

7. Fairy tale Wedding Hairdos
Most brides dream about feeling like a princess on their big day. The fairy tale wedding is something that little girls imagine having one day. If you wish to realize this dream then your hairstyle choice should reflect the fairy tale nature of your dream wedding. Fairy tale hair—dos would be classic, elegant and sophisticated. The general style would be sleek and classy.