What happens when a journalist, who supposedly makes his living speaking the truth to the public, opens his mouth, and an offensive opinion drops out? Don Lemon can tell you that the initial blowback can be considerable. When he implied that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was “past her prime,” the outcry was immediate, and…
Category: Crisis Management
5 Ways to Keep Moving Forward & Lead (from home)
Now more than ever, it is critical to maintain, if not build, your personal brand. When people ask me what a personal brand is, my response is your personal brand is your reputation, it is how others perceive you, it is how people talk about you when you are not in the room. The way…
5 Ground Rules Before Starting a Difficult Conversation
People disagree. It happens all the time, and it’s hard to know how to deal with disagreements. When it comes to family, politics and religion, the “Thanksgiving Rule” is to just not bring the topics up. But in an increasingly polarized world, we don’t always have the luxury of avoidance. In our personal lives, we…
5 Lessons We Can Learn from the NFL Owners & Nike
In August 2016, Colin Kaepernick, star quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, silently sat during the playing of the National Anthem in protest of issues of “systematic oppression”, “equality and social injustice”, “racism and injustice in our criminal system”, “oppression of people of color in the United States”, and to not “show pride in a…
WHY DIVERSITY, EMPATHY, AND DOING THE RIGHT THING MATTER
This last few weeks have been shocking when it comes to PR disasters from brands like Pepsi, United, and even the White House. What in the world is going on and how do we make sense of it? Here are a few thoughts for leaders and companies to ponder so they can be ready when…
HOW CHURCHILL USED BRANDING TO LEAD THROUGH CRISIS
Recently, Capital One hosted an evening with Dr. Stephen Mansfield, author and speaker. Dr. Mansfield discussed the topic of how leaders can lead through crisis to an audience of entrepreneurs, businesses, and community leaders. Churchill was used an example of a leader who learned and leveraged key communication principles of branding to lead through crisis. I…