The Dragon rules this year. Will your company rule as well?

In the Chinese astrological cycle, 2012 marks the most-awaited year: the Year of the Dragon. For those in business, it’s a year to seize opportunities for new conquests, greater profitability, and company growth.

As a major decision maker, you want to go into the year aiming for nothing less than upward-pointing sales charts and rapid market expansion. But before you put your plans into motion, you might want to take into consideration something that is just as important as your lofty goals: your management style and the tools that you need to succeed.

Because you have worked your way to your present position, you have earned the title of Dragon. It is a position to be revered, one that people aspire to. But there is one question you must come face-to-face with: what type of Dragon are you?

Different dragons take different approaches to management. Here are the five types of dragons, and their respective leadership styles:

The Wood Dragon. Creative and inquisitive, he employs sound logic to come up with solutions and to make decisions. He takes a subdued approach to leadership but speaks out fearlessly when challenged.

The Fire Dragon. Results driven and uncompromising, he lives up to his name with his burning desire to succeed at all costs. Unfortunately, this is also evident in his volcanic temper, which sows fear in the hearts of his subordinates.

The Earth Dragon. The most quiet and introspective of the dragons, he takes a reasonable, non-dictatorial approach to leadership. He respects the opinions of others, and though he is slow to anger, he still demands respect.

The Metal Dragon. Marked by a style of leadership that is combative, unbending, and demanding, he refuses to accept any excuse for failure. The path to his success is littered with relationships that have been soured by his demanding nature.

The Water Dragon. As tranquil as a quietly flowing stream, he is respected by subordinates and peers alike for his exceptional skills at the negotiating table. He takes an optimistic view of the future, and has the rare ability to apply just the right amount of pressure to get a task accomplished.

Which of these are you? The answer is critical to your company’s success. If your management style has kept you so busy with the fine details of your company’s organization, then chances are you do not have time to look into the wealth of opportunities that could propel your company to the next level. And you would not want these opportunities to slip by in this Year of the Dragon.

The good news is, Globe Business offers a range of solutions that can simplify your business, streamline your operations, cut costs, and save you essential time. You can now focus on bigger things like seizing business growth opportunities.

TxtConnect is an application that allows you to send out SMS messages from your computer to as many people as you want. Announce promos and special offers to your loyal customers. Disseminate important information to any or all of your staff. Send out collection notices to your retailers. You can do any of these in one click, at a much lower cost than regular text messaging.

WebEye offers you a total view of your company’s operations, through strategically placed cameras around the workplace that feed real time images to your computer or even to your cellphone. Install as many cameras as needed. You can monitor your office even when you’re away from the office.

These are just two of the Globe Business products designed to free you from many of your day-to-day worries at the office, so you’ll have time to seize every opportunity for your company’s growth.

Remember, every leader is a dragon and every dragon will be tested this year. Do you have what it takes to handle the possible fortunes and misfortunes your business might face? Find out how Globe Business solutions can help you make every year a Year of the Dragon, visit www. globe.com.ph/business.