Being a leader is perhaps the hardest challenge any of us will ever face. No matter how long we work at it, practicing the right behaviors is a never-ending task. Knowing – and avoiding – the wrong ones is too. Thus, we offer the following six common leadership pitfalls:

1. Not Giving Self-Confidence its Due.

Self-confidence is the lifeblood of success. When people have it, they’re bold. They try new things, offer ideas, exude positive energy, and cooperate with their colleagues instead of surreptitiously attempting to bring them down. When they lack self-confidence, it’s just the opposite. People cower. They plod. And they spread negativity with every word and gesture.

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Novartis International AG / Novartis holds annual healthcare entrepreneur competition to generate insight into healthcare and innovation of tomorrow . Processed and transmitted by Thomson Reuters ONE. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

- The International Biotechnology Leadership Camp (BioCamp) fosters idea exchange with leading scientists as well as entrepreneurship for young talents

- 60 selected students from leading international universities attend to explore science and innovation at Novartis headquarters in Basel, Switzerland

- Novartis CEO presents innovative health care solutions and business approaches to address the evolving need to improve patient outcomes

In early human tests, SetPoint Medical has found that an electronic implant helped reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in six of eight patients. The company, which is based in Valencia, California, is one of many groups exploring the potential of electronic implants to treat diseases by delivering pulses to nerves that regulate organ or body functions.

Earlier this month, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, medical-device manufacturer Boston Scientific, and others invested $27 million in SetPoint. Although nerve-stimulating devices have been available for many years, GSK and academic researchers argue that the field of bioelectronic therapies is just beginning to ramp up and that in the future many conditions could be treated with electrical impulses.

Finally, we have a list of startups, that were selected to represent Lithuania and to go to pitch to investors in Tel Aviv, London, Berlin and Stockholm. Here is the list of the lucky fifteen:

Designer Jeffrey Kalmikoff joined Betable because it scared him. “I knew there was a lot about it I didn’t understand, that I’d have to learn,” he said. “But all my other offers were for straightforward consumer web. I chose Betable because I had no business taking on a job that big, but I wanted to try it.”

Four years ago, as the world reeled from its most severe economic crisis in almost a century, the U.S. federal government poured roughly $800 billion into the economy, including $15 billion for scientific research and tens of billions more for green energy and environmental protection. The money must be spent by this month or returned to the government. Here are some highlights of what it bought us.

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Over the last few decades, American innovation and technological advancement have been largely attributed to private sector developments. From Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook to Elon Musk’s recent unveiling of the Hyperloop high-speed train, the American public has come to perceive that anything truly innovative and revolutionary must be catalyzed from the private sector. Largely untold in the story of these advancements is the important role public-private partnerships play in promoting innovation and technological deployment, while mitigating new risks.

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There's no one way to make a lobster roll.

I learned this on a visit to Portland, Maine, where lobster rolls are not only everywhere but come in all forms. The basics are usually the same — a split-top hot dog bun stuffed with cold lobster meat — but the roll is subject to countless variations depending on where you eat.

Some questions to consider: Is the bun toasted? Should the meat be drizzled with butter or lightly dressed with mayo? Is it acceptable to mix in celery, onion, and other herbs? How much meat should there be?

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Mehdi Mojtabavi just wants to cuddle. But his arm would start to fall asleep, and he'd have to roll over. So Mojtabavi came up with the Cuddle Mattress, which allows you to slip your arm down into the mattress and around your partner. (Watch the demo video.)

Essentially the Cuddle Mattress divides the upper and lower portions of the bed into a series of slats. Side sleepers can wedge their arm — or stomach sleepers can wedge their feet — in between these slats. Each slat has a firm and a soft side, which you can flip depending on your sleeping preference. The slats come in three different materials: latex, polyurethane or polyurethane memory foam. The mattress also comes with its own stretchable, fitted sheets.

Being an entrepreneur is exciting and the possibilities are endless. One aspect of running a business that I get asked about a lot is burnout and how to avoid it. My reply is fast and simple: "I don't believe in burnout."

I know if you are experiencing the exhaustion that's often associated with burnout, this seems impossible. But take a step back and try to remember when you were on fire as an entrepreneur. You were goal driven, possibilities were enormous and you were on a mission. It is when the mission is missing that a person starts to feel tapped-out. When your goals aren't big enough and you are no longer sold on your own vision, the symptoms of losing interest -- what many call "burnout" -- are experienced. Anytime you stop reaching for massive success and start settling, you will have problems.

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Sharing crowdfunding benefits, requirements, procedures and strategies is the goal of the 2nd Annual Global Crowdfunding Convention and Bootcamp, to be held Oct. 14-16 at the M Resort Spa and Casino in Henderson, Nev.

It began last year, becoming the largest crowdfunding event in the world. Crowdfunding investors and seekers, experts and enthusiasts, and inquisitive participants from all over the world attend the convention to network as well as provide, exchange and receive current industry information and tips from the people who have designed and shaped the business model and who have grown with and from the industry.

I have poor posture — a habit that began long before I sat behind a computer for eight hours each day. I usually blame it on my tallness, but research suggests poor posture and the back pain it causes is much more widespread.

Back pain is a leading reason for doctor's visits, just behind the common cold. Studies find that standing tall contributes to confidence and attractiveness, as social psychologist Amy Cuddy reveals in her TED Talk.

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We all know lack of sleep is harmful to our health -- sleep affects mood, increases risk of psychiatric disorders and depression, cardiovascular disease and lowers immune system health. Yet the stress of running a company and long working hours means entrepreneurs often find themselves functioning on little sleep.

Evanston, Ill.-based sleep expert Dr. Lisa Shives says getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night is a critical component of entrepreneurs' business success. "Sleep affects our executive function; the area of the brain responsible for decision making, creative thinking, memory and reaction time," says Shives.

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In early September, Toronto innovation firm Kinetic Cafe partnered with the Freshii health food chain to launch Fresh Startups, a six-month accelerator for startups in health, food, and fitness.

Starting in October, startups will work out of office space in Toronto and get hands-on coaching in business modeling, customer acquisition, design and development, and marketing and sales. They also get $25,000 in funding (for 5-12 percent equity) as part of the program.

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Long before Edward Snowden made his revelations about the National Security Agency, even before the popular rise of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill discovered the pain of not securing sensitive data.

Back in 2009, the technical staff of Chapel Hill's medical school discovered spyware on a server housing the medical records of some 180,000 women, participants in a study analyzing mammography results.

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How many hours do you think the average American professional works each week? If you think 40, 50 or even 60, think again. For many, 72 hours is the new norm.

In a recent survey of 483 executives, managers, and professionals (EMPs), we found that 60% of those who carry smartphones for work are connected to their jobs 13.5 or more hours a day on weekdays and about five hours on weekends, for a total of about 72 hours. Assuming these people sleep about seven and a half hours a night, that leaves only three hours a day Monday-Friday for them to do everything else (e.g. chores, exercise, grocery shop, family time, shower, relax). It also means they spend 62% of their waking hours every week connected to work (82% on weekdays). That seems like a lot.

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State economic rankings, though popular with think tanks, policymakers, media and even some academics, cannot be taken at face value, according to this article published online today by the Journal of Applied Research in Economic Development.

The article, titled "How Can I Create My Favorite State Ranking?" and written by Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation researchers, points out that such rankings typically are subjective and provide little meaningful information, despite their pervasiveness.

The Quebec City region and Quebec International have been honoured once again in the “Canada’s Best to Invest” rankings compiled by US-based Site Selection magazine, which recognize Canada’s top economic development leaders each year. The Quebec City region placed second in the “Top Canadian Metros” category, while Quebec International was named one of the “Top Canadian Economic Development Groups”.

Vitor Pamplona isn’t a doctor. He’s not even an optician. He can’t write you a prescription for glasses, or sell you a pair. Still, he’s pretty sure he’s going to disrupt the $75 billion global eye-care market.

At EyeNetra, the startup he cofounded, goofy curiosities like plastic eyeballs line the shelves, and a 3-D printing machine whirs in the background. It’s printing out prototypes of a device that will attach to your smartphone and, in a minute or two, tell you what kind of eyeglasses you need.

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Did you read about Twitter’s initial public offering filing?

If you did, it was probably scant on details. The only public information from the company was a single message on its own Twitter feed: “We’ve confidentially submitted an S-1 to the S.E.C. for a planned I.P.O. This Tweet does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale.”

That’s it.

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