Exceptional leaders often excel as skilled storytellers, and for good reason. Once a company hits a certain level of organizational complexity, one of the most important tasks the CEO has is to craft intellectually coherent and captivating narratives about the firm, its purpose, and its performance. Failure in this task means undermining the very existence of the company; a sin…
By Tamer Boyacı and Francis de Véricourt, ESMT Berlin Let’s imagine that, for years now, Emily has led a successful German Mittelstand company, one of the so-called Hidden Champions that manufactures high-quality products for a niche customer base. A wave of AI disruption is sweeping across her industry, revolutionizing the…
There are so many books out there to read on leadership and, when studied and quoted to excess, may belittle the intent, isolate others and miss the point altogether. There is little more annoying than a small group, bumping elbows and knowingly and insularly braying loudly about the value of…
Work can be a source of growth and accomplishment — and it can also be a source of stress and trauma. You’re not responsible for processing trauma that happens at work. You’re a leader, not a therapist. But recognizing this reality about work will serve to enhance your understanding of…
There is arguably no more interest-inducing marketing topic right now than AI. From segmentation to consumer insight generation to new product development, the potential for AI to disrupt the nature of information and decision making is tremendous. To learn more about how AI is impacting marketing and advertising, I talked…
Words are only part of the story, in the job interview process - and understanding body language is the best way to create success in your career. Body language is the sum total off all the signs we give off when we communicate, including gestures, posture, eye contact and more.…
You may know Sheila Johnson as the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and America’s “first Black female billionaire.” What you may not know is that her road to success was not paved with platinum. In her new memoir, Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph, Johnson…
October recognizes Latina Equal Pay Day. That means Latinas have to work nine months longer to make the same pay as white men. In other words, Latinas earn about 52 cents to every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. The good news is, there is no shortage of Latinas working…
Brands and their leadership face yet another challenging year ahead and have much on their minds when it comes to key decisions that will need to be made going into Adweek’s 2024 hallmark event. While economic headwinds have abated, the environment remains wrought with disruptions that cross everything from societal…
Looking back on the past five years, most corporate leaders are giving themselves a well-deserved pat on the back. Many have skillfully ridden the pandemic-induced consumer spending surge and near zero interest rates to achieve growth milestones far more quickly than expected. Companies previously worth $500 million have joined the…
As I say in the tagline to my podcast, bad leaders react, good leaders plan, and great leaders think. Right now, there is a whole lot of reacting going on in the world, and precious little thinking. That is dangerous, because when we react, we are much more likely to…
In a declining economy, startups face an uphill battle when it comes to securing funding.…
With all of the recent news about artificial intelligence (AI), it got me thinking about…
A while back, I took a couple of my grandchildren on a tour of the…
Startups face numerous challenges on their journey to success, and failing to overcome any one…
Sign in to your account