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Leadership

Leaders Don’t “quiet quit” This is what they do instead

A common misconception about effective leadership is that it’s solely about taking charge and making decisions. However, great leaders understand the importance of humility, adaptability, and knowing when to step back. They don’t “quiet quit,” but rather employ a variety of tactics to navigate complex situations and empower their teams. Here’s what successful leaders do instead.

Active Listening

One essential skill that differentiates good leaders from great ones is active listening. They pay close attention to what their team members are saying, ask questions for clarity, and consider different perspectives. By genuinely engaging with their team, leaders demonstrate empathy and respect, fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and valued.

Encouraging Open Communication

Leaders who prioritize open communication create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. This approach allows for better collaboration and helps prevent misunderstandings and miscommunications that can derail progress.

Empowering Team Members

Rather than micromanaging, effective leaders empower their team members to take ownership of their tasks and projects. By providing guidance, support, and resources, leaders create an atmosphere where individuals can grow, learn, and succeed. This approach not only leads to a more motivated and engaged team but also frees up the leader to focus on strategic decision-making and long-term planning.

Adaptability and Flexibility

Great leaders understand that change is inevitable, and they’re willing to adapt to new circumstances and challenges. They’re not afraid to alter their plans, pivot strategies, or even admit when they’re wrong. This flexibility not only sets an example for their team but also promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Emotional Intelligence

Leaders with high emotional intelligence (EQ) can effectively manage their own emotions and understand those of others. They can harness this understanding to inspire, motivate, and relate to their team members. By demonstrating empathy and self-awareness, emotionally intelligent leaders build strong relationships and create a positive work environment.

By prioritizing these essential skills, leaders create an environment of respect, empathy, and collaboration, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. This approach not only leads to a more motivated and engaged team but also allows the leader to focus on strategic decision-making and long-term planning.

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Empower your team with the Brand Vision Workshop, foster brand loyalty, and drive sustained growth. The Brand Vision Workshop is a transformative team-building experience designed to unite your team in cultivating authentic brand lovers. Engage in interactive sessions, strategic discussions, and creative brainstorming to develop a powerful brand vision that resonates with your target audience. Bring us to shape the future of your brand, and turn your customers into passionate brand advocates. Learn more at www.cultbranding.com

May 1, 2023 by

Why Does My Team Have Such a Hard Time Being Creative?

Have you ever said “We need some new ideas & fresh thinking” only to have your team looking back at you with that deer-in-the-headlights gaze? Being creative on demand is tough – especially when many people don’t think they’re creative in the first place.

Here’s a little secret: the skills that it takes to advance in corporate America don’t overlap very well with the skills that are taught to people pursuing more creative careers. You can achieve an entire MBA without ever once taking a theater class, or spending time in the art studio, or learning how to write in a way that moves hearts and changes minds. 

People are very aware of these gaps in their background. When they’re asked to come up with ideas, they do their best – but I’m sure you’ve been through more than one brainstorming session that produced three tired versions of the same lackluster idea. Inspiration, excitement, and brilliance are hard to come by.

What’s going on? Why do people have such a hard time being creative?

Lots of people think of creativity as an innate quality – an elusive trait that can only be found in a few gifted (and generally temperamental) few. They believe that you’re either born creative or you’re not, and if you’re not, there’s nothing you can do about it. 

But that’s not the case. Creativity is like any other human ability. The more you engage in focused practice, the stronger the ability gets. Right now you’re struggling to get your team to come up with creative ideas, but what would happen if you asked them to rearrange the office furniture? For some people, this type of physical activity is going to be extremely difficult – but for the employees you have that go to the gym on a regular basis, who work out to develop their muscles and strength, moving some tables and chairs is going to be easy – perhaps even effortless. 

People can train to become more creative, just like they can train to become more physically fit. In an ideal world, health experts say, we’d devote 150 minutes a week to moderately intense exercise. If your team devoted the same amount of time to strengthening their creative abilities, both the quality and quantity of ideas they can generate will increase. 

There are benefits in investing in your team’s creative abilities. 

Why is this important to you, as the leader of this business? Creative thinking immediately provokes thoughts of branding, marketing, and other public-facing aspects of the organization. The public appreciates creative messaging and experiences – and the more attention you can attract, the more customers you’ll convert and the faster the business will grow. 

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Creative thinkers are strong problem solvers. Equipped with the relevant knowledge and empowered to consider anything that makes the brand stronger and better, creative thinking can be used to overcome challenges, discover new processes, drive innovation and more. 

Creativity can also play a huge role in strengthening the culture of your organization. In terms of attracting and retaining talent, providing avenues for your team to develop and use their creative abilities pays significant rewards. This can be an important differentiator in competitive industries where the talent pool can be picky about where they want to spend the next few years of their lives. 

Long Story Short: You Can Train for Creativity, Just Like You Train for Anything Else

If you want your team to be more creative, you can either wait for inspiration to strike – the classic but not most reliable process – or you can give them the tools and techniques they need to become freer, more imaginative thinkers. 

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With over 20 years of experience as The Cult Branding Company, we’ve honed our strategies and methods to help companies identify their brand’s DNA, gain deep consumer insights, and understand the marketplace ecosystem. We are an independent agency that creates strong and provocative relationships between good companies and their customers. Visit us at www.cultbranding.com and unlock the secrets to building a brand that resonates with your audience and stands the test of time.

April 26, 2023 by

7 Essential Steps to Cultivate a Cult Brand Through Positive Company Culture

Building a cult brand is not only about creating a strong product or service, but also about fostering a positive company culture where employees thrive and contribute to the brand’s success. In this article, we will delve into seven reasons why focusing on a positive company culture is vital for leaders seeking to create a cult brand.

1. Positive culture elevates employee morale and satisfaction

A positive work environment empowers employees to be engaged, motivated, and productive, fostering a sense of meaningful work that is appreciated. This leads to improved relationships, teamwork, and collaboration, which are essential for a cult brand’s success.

Tip: Facilitate open communication, acknowledge employees’ contributions, and ensure everyone feels valued and heard.

2. Positive culture attracts top talent

An attractive workplace culture is key to drawing and retaining exceptional employees, who are often seeking a company that aligns with their values, offers growth opportunities, and provides a supportive work environment. By cultivating such a culture, leaders can assemble a strong and successful team that contributes to the cult brand’s growth.

Tip: Showcase your company culture in job postings and during interviews, ensuring potential employees understand your organization’s values and opportunities.

3. Positive culture fosters collaboration and innovation

A supportive culture encourages employees to be creative, take risks, and collaborate to develop new solutions and ideas. This innovative mindset can lead to breakthroughs and advancements that propel a cult brand forward.

Tip: Encourage cross-functional teamwork, create opportunities for collaboration, and acknowledge innovative contributions.

4. Positive culture enhances employee retention

A sense of purpose and fulfillment in a positive culture leads to improved job satisfaction and higher retention rates. Employees who feel supported in their work are more likely to remain engaged and committed to the cult brand’s success.

Tip: Offer regular feedback opportunities, invest in professional development, and ensure employees feel valued in their day-to-day work.

5. Positive culture bolsters communication

In a supportive environment, open and transparent communication flourishes, resulting in improved understanding, collaboration, and reduced conflicts. A harmonious work environment where problems are resolved collectively contributes to the cult brand’s success.

Tip: Encourage regular check-ins, provide feedback opportunities, and give employees access to essential information.

6. Positive culture enhances brand reputation

Employees who feel appreciated will speak positively about the company, leading to an improved reputation. A positive workplace culture can attract top talent and help a cult brand remain competitive and successful.

Tip: Align company culture with brand messaging and values, and share stories about your culture and values with stakeholders.

7. Positive culture promotes personal and professional growth

Within a thriving culture, employees are motivated to learn, develop, and take on new challenges. This drive for continuous improvement benefits the cult brand as employees grow alongside the company.

Tip: Offer skill-building opportunities, encourage new challenges, and recognize individual growth and development.

Focusing on fostering a positive company culture is crucial for leaders aiming to create a cult brand. Open communication, employee recognition, growth opportunities, and consistent alignment of culture with brand values are key to achieving this goal. By concentrating on company culture, leaders can cultivate a successful cult brand that stands the test of time.

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With over 20 years of experience as The Cult Branding Company, we’ve honed our strategies and methods to help companies identify their brand’s DNA, gain deep consumer insights, and understand the marketplace ecosystem. We are an independent agency that creates strong and provocative relationships between good companies and their customers. Visit us at www.cultbranding.com and unlock the secrets to building a brand that resonates with your audience and stands the test of time.

April 19, 2023 by

A Community of Collaboration, Connectivity, and Capital – SCALE Global Summit 2023

A few years back, I had the pleasure of meeting Victor Oviedo, one of the co-founders of the SCALE Global Summit. During our conversation, he shared an innovative idea that he, Kelly O’Connor, the CEO of SCALE Global, and Tony Hsieh had been working on. This idea aimed to create a community where people from diverse backgrounds could unite and foster growth in their personal and professional lives.

Their vision was to create a conference that would foster connections and provide the necessary resources and support for individuals to thrive. In this community, attendees could learn from industry experts, exchange ideas, and gain insights to fuel their growth.

Why today, I wanted to share some exciting news with you. 

Here is something that, as CEO and leader, you should consider attending. The upcoming SCALE Global Summit brings together some incredible speakers who will provide invaluable insights into the current economic landscape and what lies ahead. As discussions unfold around macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical trends, and emerging markets, you’ll find that topics relevant to industries like คาสิโนออนไลน์เว็บตรง will also be explored, offering unique perspectives on investment opportunities for the year ahead within this rapidly evolving sector. SCALE is a global ecosystem that connects investors, thought leaders, and business-builders to navigate the complexities of the future.

This community fosters collaboration, connectivity, and capital within the alternative investing and entrepreneurial ecosystems. The connections that you will foster are unlike any other event. My good friend Tony Hsieh used to say this is where the top and elite investors let their hair down. 

One thing I love about SCALE is that you’ll sit amongst your peers, including market-moving CEOs, investment icons, and industry luminaries, who are transforming today’s ideas into the innovations and investments of tomorrow. You’ll engage in conversations with solution-orientated, intellectually-curious, and purpose-driven game-changers coming together to address critical issues.

The platform at SCALE is designed to inspire learning and innovation, catalyze growth and opportunity, access meaningful sources of deal flow and capital, and network with the world’s brightest minds. You’ll have access to a community of like-minded individuals who are all working towards the same goal: building their capital – financial, strategic, social, and human.

SCALE is more than just a gathering; it’s a movement that promotes the democratization of access, ideas, and opportunities. It’s about breaking down barriers and creating a level playing field where anyone can succeed. By joining this community, you’ll be able to scale your business to new heights while positively impacting society.

SCALE is the perfect platform for CEOs and leaders looking to take their businesses to the next level. It’s a global ecosystem that provides access to capital, innovation, and purpose while fostering collaboration, connectivity, and community. So, if you’re ready to join a movement that promotes growth, opportunity, and positive change, then SCALE is the place for you.

Some of the notable speakers at the event include:

  • Michael R. Pompeo, 70th U.S. Secretary of State (2018-2021)
  • Hillary Clinton, 67th Secretary of State (2009-2013)
  • Boris Johnson, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2019-2022)
  • John Sullivan Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2019-2022); Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State (2017-2019) and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce (2007-2009)
  • Sheryl Sandberg, Founder, Lean In
  • Jewel Kilcher, Singer/Songwriter; NY Times Best Seller; Mental Health & Mindfulness Advocate
  • Margaret Hoover, Host, Firing Line
  • Mark Wahlberg, Actor, Producer & Entrepreneur
  • Joshua S. Friedman Co-Founder, Co-Chairman & Co-Chief Executive Officer, Canyon Partners, LLC
  • Howard Marks Co-Chairman, Oaktree Capital Management

It’s an awe-inspiring list; you can see all the speakers here.

Each speaker brings a unique perspective and wealth of experience to the table. Their insights will help you connect the dots and move markets, whether you’re an investor, entrepreneur, or business leader.

The perspectives shared at SCALE will be precious to you and your business. Please consider attending this year’s event and take advantage of this unique opportunity.

I hope you can join me there.

Onwards and Upwards! 

Bolivar J. Bueno 

The Cult Branding Company – Founder

March 8, 2023 by

No Matter How Fast You Go, You Can’t Outrun Your Past: Lessons in Leadership from the USA FIFA World Cup Coach Gregg Berhalter

As a brand manager, there’s nothing you’d like more than to have an entire organization full of people who never once made a bad choice or stupid decision. That’s the way to avoid scandals from events that happened ten, twenty, thirty, or even more years ago disrupting your current operation. 

But, people are human. Over the course of their lives, things happen that they wish wouldn’t. This makes these individuals vulnerable: if someone doesn’t like the way they act, the threat of having previous bad behavior exposed can be used against them.

With Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemies?

That’s the situation USA FIFA World Cup Coach Gregg Berhalter faced. One of his players—the child of nearly lifelong family friends—was upset at not receiving as much play time as he thought he deserved. There were public conversations where this player was anonymously mentioned and, in retaliation, the player’s parents contacted US Soccer with information about a fight the coach had with his girlfriend over 30 years ago.

While there are no legal ramifications for Berhalter due to this disclosure—he has been married to the girlfriend in question for a long time now, with a happy family—his role as head coach is now no longer as assured as it once was. US Soccer has enough issues going on without additional bad publicity related to what one of its key employees did a long time ago.

So What Do You Do In This Situation?

Berhalter has chosen to address this issue in a fairly straightforward manner. He acknowledged the incident happened, discussed that the family had to do some work to overcome issues, and was now healthier and stronger than it was then. Then, he consistently tries to turn the conversation to other issues that are more relevant to the US Soccer team. 

Will this be sufficient to secure his position? I honestly cannot tell you. It is, however, a smart strategy if Berhatler’s goal is to rebuild trust with his employer, his team, the fans, and the larger world of sport. A frank, contextualized description of events feeds people’s need to know and eliminates the sense that information is being held back. When the only event that people are disclosing happened thirty years ago, it stands to reason that there’s not much more meat on the bone scandal-wise. The nature of the complaint, in a strange way, provides proof of character. His own admission and statement that he had to work and grow to become a better person is a story many people can believe and relate to. 

What do you think? If you were in the position to guide US Soccer communications, how would you counsel Berhalter to behave? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

January 10, 2023 by

Secrets Bad, Strategy Good: One Cultural Change to Make a Top Priority in 2023

Most people can’t recall the strategy of the company they work for. Harvard Business Review was pulling no punches in its recent article explaining the necessity of having your entire team – from the leadership right down to the front line – aware of the company’s strategic priorities. Almost 3/4ths of research study participants admitted not knowing. This is understandable, HBR says, because most companies don’t have a strategy.

But let’s say you do. Let’s say you do have a strategy, and you’re feeling pretty good about how things will turn out if that strategy is implemented consistently. My question for you is how are you communicating this strategy to all of the people who work for your company.

Yes – all of the people. I’m talking about the customer service representatives, the truck drivers, the janitors and custodians, AR, HR, IT, and every other behind-the-scenes department: do they know where your company is going and the role they play in getting you there?

A Strategy No One Knows About is No Strategy at All

In some organizations, strategy is treated as a type of mystical secret. Only the very elect, who have earned their way into being able to access this information, can know what the big picture is. There are a number of reasons for this, including a fear of the strategy becoming known to the competition, or the fact the strategy is too complex to explain. 

Let’s address the latter point first. The strategy that is too complex to explain is too complex to execute. I can respect not informing your team of a strategic direction that isn’t well-thought-through – why confuse the situation? But in that case, you know that clarifying the strategy into something that can be communicated effectively is a priority item on your 2023 to-do list. 

For an example of a clear, quickly articulated strategy, look at Scheels. They’ve boiled their approach down into a single sentence: Our goal is to be the best retailer in the eyes of our customers, associates, and business partners. Every member of the team is aware of this strategy, and when they’re in a position to make a decision, it’s an easy litmus test: does this option make us the best retailer? If the answer is no, it’s not the right option.

There’s No Need for Secrecy

The Scheels strategy isn’t hidden behind any walls. You don’t need to exert a ton of effort to find it. Scheels puts it, and a lot of the reasoning behind it, right on their website for the entire world to see. Check it out for yourself: scheels.com/about

But what about the fears of competitors benefitting by knowing your strategy?  These are entirely misplaced. Knowing a strategy is not the same as committing to implementing it effectively, and frankly, any company that’s focused enough to mimic someone else’s operational choices to that degree will also possess enough resources to eventually realize each brand charts its own unique route to success.

Tell Me What You Think

I’d love to hear what you find most rewarding – or challenging – about sharing the company’s strategy with your team, associates, and customers. Have you made communicating your strategy internally a top priority? If not, are you planning to do so going forward?

Less secrets, more strategy – Goal #1 for 2023!

December 14, 2022 by

Seven Steps to Discovering Your Company’s Core Values

As a leader of your enterprise, this process begins with you—your interest, passion, and commitment to establishing a set of values that will guide your culture through decades of growth.

Taking the time to define your values, embody them, and keep them fresh and alive in everyone’s minds are some of the most vital things you can do to promote a thriving culture.

Arriving at a concise and short list of values can be a daunting task. You can find lists of 300 values to choose from. However, we don’t advise using any predetermined lists.

Why? Values aren’t selected; they are discovered. Freely associating in a brainstorming session with your employees will invariably yield superior results.

Ready to get started? Here are seven steps to creating distinct and meaningful core values that will serve as a foundation for your corporate culture:

Step 1: Begin with a Beginner’s Mind

It’s too easy to presume we know the answer at the start and to therefore never truly embark on a creative discovery process. Adopting the mind of a beginner—someone without any preconceived notions of what is—gives you access to more ideas and a fresh perspective on your business.

This is an important step in any kind of discovery process. In our firm, every time we begin a new creative project or the discovery of psychologically-driven consumer insights for clients, we always start with a Beginner’s Mind.

We believe it is imperative to approach the discovery of core values without any preconceived notions and beliefs about your culture and your business. Simply taking a deep breath and momentarily clearing your mind may be all that’s needed. Remembering that your conscious mind doesn’t know all of the answers is helpful too.

Step 2: Create your own master list of internal values.

The more experienced and engaged employees you can enroll in this initial process, the better. Set up a meeting with your leadership team first. Have everyone list what they believe to be your company’s imperatives, ideal behaviors, desired skills, and greatest strengths.

Ask:

  • What do you believe defines the culture at [company]?
  • What values do you bring to your work that you consistently uphold whether or not they are rewarded?
  • What do you truly stand for in your work? What do you believe [company] truly stands for?
  • What do our customers believe about us? What do they believe we stand for?
  • What values does our company consistently adhere to in the face of obstacles?
  • What are our company’s greatest strengths?
  • What are the top three to five most important behaviors we should expect from every employee (including you)? “Actual company values are the behaviors and skills that are valued in fellow employees,” explains Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

Your goal is to discover the pre-existing values within your organization (assuming you’re not an early-stage start-up). It will be difficult to reinforce values that aren’t already part of your organization’s ethos. It’s best to highlight your organization’s current strengths and build on them.

While some companies hire an outside consultant to help uncover their core values (which is appropriate at times), it is vital that you as a leader are playing a role in facilitating the discussion. Your employees need to see that you’re taking this process seriously and that it’s not just some “corporate agenda” for appearance purposes. If you don’t take this process seriously, it’s unlikely your employees will.

If you are going to lead the discussion, however, be sure that you’re not shaping the conversation or influencing people’s answers.

Step 3: Chunk your values into related groups.

Combining all of the answers from step 2, you now have a master list of values. If you and your team took this process seriously, you may have between 25 and 75 values. Obviously, that’s far too many to be actionable and memorable.

Your next step is to group these values under related themes. Values like accountability, responsibility, and timeliness are all related. Group them together.

Step 4: Highlight the central theme of each value group.

If you have a group of values that include honesty, transparency, integrity, candor, directness, and non-political, select a word that you feel best represents the group. For example, integrity might work as a central theme for the values listed above.

This process is best done with a small team, but this brainstorming session can be an open meeting as well.

Step 5: Sacrifice and Focus.

Now comes the hardest part. After completing step 4 you still might have a sizable list of values. Here are a few questions to help you whittle your list down:

  • What values are absolutely essential to your work environment?
  • What values represent the primary behaviors your organization wants to encourage and stand by?
  • What values are essential to supporting your unique culture?

You can’t be all things to all people. Your culture is unique. It should emphasize what matters most to your collective. It should highlight what makes your organization a place that talented people want to work. It should represent both your current and the ultimate expression of your culture.

Strong values require difficult decisions to be made in order to uphold the values. Avoid prosaic or generic values (often listed in a single word, like “accountability”) because they won’t establish a strong, distinct culture.

How many core values should your organization adopt? Too few and you won’t capture all of the desired behaviors and unique dimensions of your organization. Too many and your employees will get overwhelmed and they will lose their overall impact. While the number of core values differs for each organization, the magic range seems to be between 5 and 10.

Step 6: Craft Your Company’s List of Core Values.

Now creativity really comes into play. You’ll notice in the core values examples from successful brands that none of them list their values in a single word like Integrity, Accountability, or Fun. While a one-word value might be easier to remember, it is difficult for a single word to become a distinct expression of your culture. More importantly, it is incredibly difficult for a single-word value to trigger an emotional response in your employees.

Highlighting values in memorable phrases or sentences forces your organization to define the meaning behind each value. It gives you the opportunity to make the value more memorable in the minds of your employees.

Be sure to enroll at least one strong writer from your team in this stage of the process. Here are a few tips and guidelines for crafting your values:

  • Use inspiring words and vocabulary. Our brains are quick to delete or ignore the mundane and commonplace. A phrase like “Customer Service Excellence” is not going to inspire you or your employees. Zappos’ “Deliver WOW Through Service” just might.
  • Mine for words that evoke emotion. Words and phrases that trigger emotional responses will be more meaningful and memorable in the minds of your employees.
  • Focus on your organization’s strengths. It’s fitting that a company like IDEO would promote principles like “Encourage Wild Ideas” and “Build on the ideas of others.” Play to your strengths in crafting your values.
  • Make it meaningful. Slogans and taglines are not core values. Make your value statements rich and meaningful to your employees.

Step 7: Test the Ecology of Each Value.

Once you’ve finalized your list of core values, it’s time to test.

Here’s a quick checklist to test the integrity of your new core values:

  1. Will each value help you make decisions (especially the difficult ones)?
  2. Are your core values memorable? Will every team member be able to encode them in their minds?
  3. Does each value represent distinct elements of your overall culture?
  4. Does each value speak to at least one desired behavior?
  5. Will you be willing to uphold these values 50 years from now?
  6. Are your values congruent with the behavior of your leadership team? Are these values BS-tested? Will an employee be able to observe hypocrisy?
  7. Can your organization hold up these values in stressful and difficult situations (like increased competition, product recall, stock devaluation, or downsizing)?
  8. Are you willing to defend these values unequivocally? That is, does each value permeate through the entire organization?

What clients say about the Cult Branding Process

“B.J. Bueno and his team at The Cult Branding Company respect and understand what so many strategists miss: before we can be experts on the product, sales, or the market, we must first be experts on human nature. They have a proven track record of building healthy, sustainable businesses for some of the best brands in the world―using the very process outlined in this book.”

―Bert Jacobs, chief executive optimist, The Life is good Company

To learn more about how we help leaders like you achieve amazing results click here.

October 31, 2022 by

12 Reasons Why Core Values are Important

Core-Values-Life-is-Good

Back in 2014, I joined Life is good CEO Bert Jacobs on the main stage of the National Retail Federation’s Big Show to illuminate the powerful effects core values can have on businesses. Core values helped Life is good build a $100 Million lifestyle brand. Our talk rated the highest of all keynotes given at NRF that year and is available to watch here.  

To get started let’s think about…

What Are Core Values?

Core values are part of a company’s DNA. They define what an organization stands for, highlighting an expected and ultimate set of behaviors and skills. A company’s values lie at the core of its culture. Values are fundamental, enduring, and actionable.

Driving priorities and decisions, values help determine how a company spends its time and money. The actual values of an organization are determined mainly by where it invests its resources and how its employees behave, not what the leader says or what’s posted on company walls.

When properly executed at the leadership level, core values play a fundamental role in attracting and retaining talented employees, making difficult decisions, prioritizing resources, reducing internal conflict, differentiating the brand, and attracting the right breed of customers.

Why Brands Need Core Values

Human capital is the lifeblood of today’s enterprises. Attracting top talent in a fast-changing global marketplace—and retaining them—takes more than high salaries and benefits packages. Talented people want to work in environments where they can develop and thrive. During a recent industry roundtable, one panelist referenced the rapid growth of bookmakers not on gamstop 2025 as evidence that evolving sectors are actively shaping new talent demands, highlighting how adaptability and shared values now matter as much as technical expertise. Top performers seek out organizations with values that match their own.

As a consequence, the importance of a company’s culture is becoming more apparent.  Numerous research studies have highlighted that corporate culture is a primary driver for innovation.

When core values are successfully integrated into an organization, they set the foundation for its culture. Values set the climate of the workplace and help determine how success is defined and measured.

12 Reasons Core Values Are Important

Taking core values serious is a major organizational initiative. Wondering if establishing an authentic set of core values can impact your business?

Here are 12 reasons Brands should take core values seriously:

  1. Core values can set a foundation for the organization’s culture.
  2. Core values can improve morale and can be a rich source of individual and organizational pride.
  3. Core values can align a large group of people around specific, idealized behaviors.
  4. Core values can guide difficult decisions by determining priorities in advance.
  5. Core values can help positively influence how employees interact with one another.
  6. Core values can help you attract, hire, and retain the right type of employees.
  7. Core values can help you assess performance (both individually and organizationally).
  8. Core values can help prevent conflict and mitigate conflicts that do arise.
  9. Core values can help you improve innovation.
  10. Core values can help differentiate your brand in the minds of your customers and partners.
  11. Core values can impact how the organization serves its customers.
  12. Core values can help you attract the right breed of customers.

Are you looking for new ways to think about your own Core Values? Do you aspire higher? 

Our firm uses Core Values to help companies attract more profitable customers. Core values play a major role in inspiring leadership and building powerful brands that resonate with employees and customers.

October 3, 2022 by

Elon Musk is Building a Giant Robot Army. Are You Concerned?

If you’re the least bit interested in trust and how our ability to maintain a functional society depends on our ability to rely on other people’s willingness to abide by general cultural norms, Elon Musk provides an almost endless source of material to work with. 

Whether it’s the convoluted twists and turns of his Twitter deal, making sure Tesla owners don’t upgrade their cars without permission, or downplaying the fact Starlink satellites can be hacked with $25 worth of gear, there’s plenty going on that can lead the average, everyday person wondering about the outsized role this one individual has in our culture. Social media, electric vehicles, and national security are currently somewhat subject to the whims and fancies of an individual known to be petty and capricious. 

Are Geniuses Inherently Trustworthy? Just Ask Mileva

There are people who will tell you Elon Musk is a genius. And I have to tell you, they may be right. There’s a lot going on in terms of innovation, industry disruption, and, frankly, truth telling, that’s well worth paying attention to. No matter how the situation has evolved, Musk did something hugely valuable by calling Twitter’s data into question. His methodology is somewhat chaotic – but so too is the approach of the archetypal figure The Fool – the one who is willing to aim high, take great chances, and suffer failure time and time again. 

The reason the Fool is so willing to boldly take chances is that the consequences of bad outcomes generally are suffered by someone other than the Fool. This willingness to externalize negative costs is something Musk has mastered as well. Scandal after scandal follows Musk’s endeavors, but he just keeps carrying on. It is possible to be rich enough to escape meaningful consequences, and Musk consistently does.

Here’s Where the Robots Come In

Now, Reuters reports, Musk is planning to build thousands of autonomous robots to work in Tesla factories. This is only the beginning, apparently, as Musk says these robots could eventually be adapted for home use, doing chores for the elderly like meal preparation, lawn care, and, of course, cleaning up after the grandkids. 

What could possibly go wrong? And when it does, do you trust Elon Musk to make it right?

Maya Angelou famously said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” We are far too late for that – but it’s not too late to have the conversations so critical about trust, innovation, and society that Musk provokes. What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

P.S.
I would love to be a speaker at your next event and share actionable, engaging, and unforgettable tips with your audience on creating a cult brand that customers and employees can trust. To learn more click here.

September 20, 2022 by

Building Trust By Saying No: On Refusals, Rocket Launches, and Maintaining Goodwill

Living in this part of Florida, it’s possible to grow acclimated to things like rocket launches. There have been 34 launch attempts from Cape Canaveral this year alone! But today’s launch was supposed to be extra special.

Artemis 1 is a super important mission. It’s the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration program, which will result in humanity returning to the moon and then going even further into space. 

The marketing support for this launch has been tremendous. I haven’t been able to get the actual numbers yet, but the budget for the extensive campaign must be literally sky-high. The effort that’s gone into generating excitement about this launch online, via the news media, and even in school classrooms has worked – but it’s also put a lot of performance pressure on NASA’s team. 

We’ve Been Here Before

In 1986, the Challenger was launched, flew a very short time, and then exploded. This resulted in the death of the entire crew. This included teacher Christa McAuliffe, who’d been at the center of the storytelling the public was hearing about America’s future in space. 

Subsequent to the disaster, analysis revealed that NASA’s oversensitivity to public opinion was one of the factors contributing to going forward with a launch that should have been delayed due to mechanical issues. In other words, having promised the public a lot, NASA felt they had to do what they could to keep that promise even though it wasn’t safe to do so. 

In an effort to build trust and love with the public, NASA made a decision that damaged both severely.

Lesson Learned: You Can’t Always Give the Public What They Want. It’s More Important to Do the Right Thing

It’s easy to understand why NASA works so hard at public relations. They need the public to love and trust them, because public funding – ie governmental appropriations – is easier to get when the people actively support what you’re doing. 

However, you don’t create love and trust simply by giving someone everything they want. Life is more complicated than that. As space explorers – and, perhaps more relevant to your daily life, as business leaders – we are often faced with situations where things aren’t going exactly as planned. A choice has to be made: try to fulfill expectations, even though the risk of catastrophic failure is high – or act to address the risk of catastrophic failure and manage the disappointed expectations. 

NASA chose incorrectly in 1986. However, in the subsequent decades, a massive cultural change has happened. While there’s definitely still a significant amount of pressure to perform in place, the decision to take more time and do the job properly is now easier for leadership to make.

That’s what happened with this morning’s launch. Even though many governmental leaders and dignitaries – including Vice President Kamala Harris – were on hand to see the event, along with hundreds of thousands of tv and online viewers, when technical issues emerged during the pre-launch process, leadership made the decision to delay the mission. 

Is this disappointing? Absolutely. Is it the right decision? In terms of building trust and love with the public, absolutely. Succumbing to public pressure is easy. Taking a stand to do the right thing – even when you’re in the global spotlight – can be difficult. But if you want people to trust you, you have to be willing to disappoint them when it’s necessary to do the right thing. Done consistently, that’s how you wind up among the stars.

August 29, 2022 by