Steve McCroskey, a somewhat legendary air traffic control director at LAX in the 1970s, is never referenced in conversations about leadership and crisis management by MBA academics and executive coaches. There are very good reasons why this is so. First, in times of crisis, McCroskey allowed his personal demons to get the better of … Continue reading “Looks Like I Picked the Wrong Week to Quit Drinking”
Leadership
No Piling On
For today's post I put together a video to share one simple piece of invaluable advice for having better meetings. I hope you enjoy it. Stay safe and healthy everyone!
A Leader’s Three Most Powerful Words
I don't know. I don't mean I don't know what a leader's three post powerful words are. I mean the words are "I don't know." But wait, that seems crazy. Aren't leaders supposed to have the answers? I don't know means weakness, indecision, lack of preparation...right? Not necessarily. Now of course if a leader answers every … Continue reading A Leader’s Three Most Powerful Words
Thought For the Week
"Trying and struggling look like incompetence right up until the moment you achieve success." Shane Parrish
Covid-19 and Our Best Selves
Thanks to Covid-19 there's been more talk about working from home the past week then anytime I can remember. This is not a piece about how to work better from home, it's about how we can be better at home when we're working. The closing of workplaces presents a unique opportunity for all of us … Continue reading Covid-19 and Our Best Selves
How Do You Measure Success?
How do you measure success in a job? Anyone updating a resume or preparing for a job interview gives this question a lot of thought. Good resumes provide specific examples of accomplishments and achievements, not just descriptions of the jobs one has held. Often that takes a lot of words and multiple pages. But is … Continue reading How Do You Measure Success?
Customers Come Second
You could spend the rest of your life reading and not get through half of the books ever written on the topic about how marketers, and companies more broadly, win by putting customers first. How many times when a company relaunches a brand have you heard corporate leaders say "we started with the customer?" Near … Continue reading Customers Come Second
Don’t climb the career ladder
I'm not a fan of ladders. While I wouldn't describe myself as afraid of heights, they aren't my thing either. And as I get older I grow increasingly afraid of falling. What I've learned to be more debilitating than a fear of heights, however, is the mindset that one should view their career path like … Continue reading Don’t climb the career ladder
Social Media Experience NOT Required
I bet you haven't seen the headline of this blog in any marketing job postings recently. Experience managing the creation and distribution of content through social media seems to be table stakes for marketers these days. And why not? Social media is used by hundreds of millions of people every day and, when executed properly, … Continue reading Social Media Experience NOT Required
We’re all surfers
During the course of your career, there will be times when your job or project makes you feel like you caught the perfect wave. When that happens, revel in the ride. Professionally there's nothing better. But just like every wave eventually breaks at the shoreline, no job or project lasts forever. Inevitably you will need … Continue reading We’re all surfers
Thought for the Week
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries and you rejoice." Unknown
Artists & Plumbers
How do you describe yourself? Are you an artist or a plumber? Before answering, let me clarify. In this context, particularly for marketers, artistry refers to the creative idea generation process. Marketing is about big ideas. You need ideas to generate attention and interest for whatever it is you're selling. Landing on a big idea … Continue reading Artists & Plumbers
Fred Bucher 