The military has long been admired for its leadership development successes. This Harvard Business Review article will show you how to make military strategy accessible and effective for your organization.

http://bit.ly/gX87g6

Our marching orders:

• Create a personal connection with every employee.  The more an employee feels connected and cared for by their leader, the more likely they are to carry out the leader’s intent.  Use every interaction to reinforce your message.
• Choose action over perfection.  Waiting too long to be certain you have the right plan can threaten your ability to beat the competition.  Sometimes, “the worst decision is no decision.”
• Be … read more
  

For the past few months, I’ve been closely following the development of BP’s catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and, as most of the world, am outraged by the devastation it has caused. But, there’s also a deeper issue that fuels our anger: we feel swindled that we bought into BP’s image of being ecologically and socially responsible.

In 2000, BP unveiled its new green and yellow Helios logo. On its website, the radiating, sun-inspired symbol is compared to “the living, organic form of a sunflower,” and … read more

If I asked you what the sound of Freedom was, what would you say?  Someone singing the National Anthem?  The ringing of the Liberty Bell?  How about the sound of a Harley Davidson Motorcycle?

Living in DC, I’ve gotten used to the sight and sound of “Rolling Thunder.”  For those of you who don’t know, Rolling Thunder is the name the organization that plans the annual Ride for Freedom to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall over Memorial Day weekend.  Since their original ride in 1988, the event has grown … read more

Last night I sat down to draft a “Brand Manifesto” for one of our clients.  (A Brand Manifesto brings a brand promise to life by emotionally connecting with the audience and inspiring them to rally behind the greater meaning of the brand’s core purpose.)  My team remarked how inspired the writing was, and asked me how I did it.  Well, I thought, I guess I was inspired by memorable rhetoric I have encountered in life…The Declaration of Independence, MLK’s “I have a dream” speech, and even Jerry Maguire’s … read more

John Updike once said, “Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity…any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better.”

As I was reviewing the Top 50 Most Creative People of the decade in Ad Age, this quote came to mind.  I have learned, as Mr. Updike did, that being creative doesn’t necessarily mean you are the most artistic, but that you did your piece of the job better and in a new way than ever before.    The people featured in … read more