The Purpose of Corporate Purpose
When billionaire Laurence Fink sends a note to all of the CEOs in his money-management portfolio—a portfolio that has been estimated at 6.5 Trillion in assets—people take notice. The note stated, “Society is demanding that companies, both public and private, serve a social purpose.” When you’re the CEO of BlackRock, you’re not sending out a […]
How To Unlock Corporate Courage
True story. Once upon a time, in an elevator ride somewhere inside the corporate offices of Caesars Entertainment, the doors opened up on a certain floor unveiling a sign that read, “Risk Management Department.” I turned to my client who had become a friend and instantly spouted, do you have a “Courage Management” department? While […]
HBO Continues To Face Its Industry Fears
When you are a known entity in an established category, focused purely on protecting what you already have, you land yourself in a position where you could suffer from an industry blind spot. You may think you are untouchable, but you aren’t. None of us are. Many hotels are a good example. Hotel brands spend […]
Cannibalize Your Existing Business Stat
Let’s play a game. Imagine you are the chair of the board of family-owned Black & Decker. Just about every American in the country knows your company by name. You have a well-earned reputation for quality and durability with a brand-strength rating ranked near the top with Coca-Cola, Walt Disney, and NBC. You sell superior […]
Creativity in Business
What business am I in?—I’m in the creative-business business. Sadly, many business leaders don’t grasp how transformational creativity can be to their bottom line, while most creatives don’t have an understanding about how their special sauce can drastically impact business results. When it comes to creativity itself, I am on the record as suggesting, “courageous […]
Fear of Innovation in Business
In a 2015 U.S. Innovation study by the management consulting company Accenture, American executives and managers were asked about their companies’ attitudes toward innovation. Sixty percent agreed or strongly agreed that their organization struggled to learn from past mistakes. More than 70 percent agreed or strongly agreed that opportunities to harness underdeveloped areas died because […]
The PRICE of Courage
Courage. Why do we need it so desperately in our work place? Because there’s fear we must address across our businesses. You can break these fears into the following 4S’s”: You’re Stuck. You’ve tried to breakthrough and nothing is sticking or working. You’re Scared. You’re afraid you’ll get “found out” or fired. Note: Imposter Syndrome […]
Proactive Courage in Business
With proper training, almost anyone willing can recognize, harness, and actualize courage in their everyday lives—and, subsequently, in their businesses. Greek philosopher Aristotle considered courage to be the very first virtue because it makes all other virtues possible. To be courageous, there must first be a commitment to willingness. Or, to say it more bluntly, […]