Leadership and branding: The importance of personalization
Read more“The great question of leadership, about taking real steps on the pilgrim’s path, is the great question of any individual life: how to make everything more personal.” –David Whyte, Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity David Whyte’s observation about leadership echoes one of my most frequent pieces of advice to clients about improving their communication: Make
Leadership and branding (continued): stories of engagement
Read moreSuccessful brands are like successful leaders in the way they are able to inspire. Brands, like leaders, tell stories that other others want to be a part of. They engage their communities on issues that their people, the members of the community, care deeply about. One brand that succeeds in engaging its user community with a larger, more meaningful story
Leadership and branding: stories of engagement
Read moreBoth brands and leaders use stories of identity to inspire followers. But, stories of identity are not enough. They must tell stories that engage their communities. Leadership is about telling a story that people want to be a part of. Effective leaders engage with their stories. They give us not only a sense of belonging, but also a sense of
Leadership and branding (continued): learning to simplify our messages
Read moreFamously, Albert Einstein’s first rule of work was: “Out of clutter, find simplicity.” The concept is similar to one of the rules we write about in the “Seven Rules of Storytelling» and one that I have often used in my coaching. We all need to learn to simplify our discourse. In fact, after fifteen years of working with individuals on their self-expression, I have come to believe that
Reflections on leadership and branding
Read moreThe other day, I was thinking about some of the “common wisdom” about leaders and brands. In particular, I am continually struck by the image so many people have that the best leaders are charismatic and that the best brands today are those that create the most “buzz”. Here are some thoughts about the subject, adapted from the soon-to-be published book. The heart of leadership
News
Read moreMy news this week is that I will soon finish work on the manuscript for the book about email, social media and storytelling. It has been an interesting project and a wonderful learning experience for me. But, as is often the case with a lengthy endeavor, it now feels like it has gone on long enough. I will be glad