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To change your strategy – your what – you need to change your how – your culture.  And you need to change your culture first – because your culture is what will ensure your organization is able to execute on your strategy. In my new Brand+Culture Series post on LinkedIn, I show how to use […]

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It’s been said that the true test of leadership is how well you function in a crisis.  This seems particularly apt today, given all the layoffs that many leaders have had to undertake recently.  We’ve seen some of the worst examples of leadership recently.  But there is a better way. Leaders who respect, care for, […]

leadership love

Love may seem out of place in a business context, but it’s actually a key leadership quality today. Employees want to feel their leaders know them, trust them, and care about them as whole persons. And, when they do, they’re more likely to be engaged and motivated to do great work. In my latest Smartbrief […]

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Now is the time to prepare your business for the recession.  In addition to the typical strategies of cost-cutting and cash flow management, add culture-building.  A healthy, effective, and resilient company culture can help you not just survive, but actually thrive during an economic downturn. In my new Smartbrief on Leadership video, I explain how […]

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I’m not a designer so I don’t have any expertise on this, but from the perspective of brand leadership. infusing your office design with your brand seems an effective way to turn your office into a magnet, inspiration, and guide for employees.  Plus, when I reached out to my go-to expert on all things office […]

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The age-old question – which is more important, customers OR employees – is a misguided, and potentially dangerous one.  As a business leader, you shouldn’t prioritize one group over another. Instead, you should link employees and customers. One way to connect employees and customers is to use cultural tenets that are relevant and important to […]

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“Start with why.”  It’s great advice, but you need to do more than start with why.  You need to put your why into action.  And that’s where lots of business leaders get tripped up. My latest LinkedIn Brand+Cuture Series post, Start With Why But Don’t Stop There, explores how to close the gap between vision […]

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A regular day of rest – a sabbath – is an important leadership practice because it enables you to fill up your tank so you can serve others.  And taking a sabbath helps put your brain in task-negative mode which leads to greater productivity and creativity. In my new Smartbrief on Leadership video, I provide […]

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently referred to Meta employees in a new way:  Metamates.  Is this a good idea?  Should you use a coined name to refer to your employees? The poll I fielded on LinkedIn yielded a definitive answer: It depends.  28% supported the practice of made-up names for employees; 32% voted against it; […]

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How aligned and integrated are your external brand identity and internal organizational culture? Does your organization have the right core values that it needs to cultivate your desired culture and achieve your brand vision? How big is the gap between your existing brand identity and the one you aspire to? In what specific ways are […]