Finding the right leadership talent isn't just about filling a title; it's about matching skills and responsibilities to an enterprise's needs. The importance of strategic hiring decisions cannot be minimized. However, putting the right person in the correct position is critical, and sometimes, that may mean something other than a permanent, direct hire.
Wed, Feb 21, 2024 — In my experience, growth successes and challenges almost always have some foundation in voice-of-customer (VoC). That’s a sweeping statement, but as a CEO if you lack up-to-date insight into what your customers want and need, how they anticipate that changing, and how they think of your brand, your offerings, and your competition, you may be running your company with your hearing impaired. As someone who uses hearing aids, I know I need to wear them and look directly at a speaker, or I miss information and must make guesses to fill in the blanks. That invariably slows me down and leads to misunderstandings and errors.
Tue, Jan 16, 2024 — Final in a 3-part series Oh, that resolution to exercise more and eat a healthier diet. It sounds so right—but incredibly daunting. Can I keep it up? When it comes to our own fitness, plenty of folks help us with tools, plans, and the mindset to climb that mountain. But we need to select the right ones, at the right price—or an intended investment in our future could instead be a wasted expense we can’t afford. And it couldn’t hurt to have an accountability partner who keeps us honest.
Thu, Jan 11, 2024 — Second in a 3-part series Reflecting on Business Self-Improvement It’s a common question people are asking themselves in January: What’s the self-work I need to do this year to make myself healthier, happier, more financially secure.... But as a CEO obliged to your board, employees, and stakeholders, are you asking the same questions of your business?
Mon, Jan 8, 2024 — First in a 3-part series Reflecting on the Past and Setting the Stage for the Future It’s January. You’ve probably thought about New Year’s resolutions, even if only to decide firmly against them. January also is when my husband and I mark our birthdays. So, while we aren’t the formal resolution types, we are especially prone to take this time to think about the year behind, the year ahead, and where we want to be in the future.
Fri, Jun 23, 2023 — On June 22, 2023, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about “the H-bomb,” which I learned refers to mentioning that you are a student at or an alumnus of Harvard University. Harvard College’s dean, in a Crimson (the campus newspaper) article where he was asked to give a word of advice to seniors, decided that the best use of this opportunity was to say “Don’t gratuitously drop the H-bomb.”
Wed, Oct 19, 2022 — Who is the most important brand ambassador at your company? Is it you, the CEO, whose job it is to motivate, inspire, and exude confidence in your company, its products, and its services? How about your business development team, whose sole purpose is to funnel new client lifeblood into your veins and arteries? Or is it the marketers, who toil to define and develop your brand and make it ready for prime time?
Wed, Sep 14, 2022 — For more than 100 years, scientists and philosophers have been asserting that if a tree falls in a forest, and no one is there to hear it, then it does not make a sound. The lesson for marketers is resounding: If your brand is not resonating in its preferred landscape, it is likely that your most desired buyers will never be there to hear what you have to say.