The Engaging Brand

Show #217 - Why good leaders make bad decisions

Show 217 of The Engaging Brand leadership and marketing podcast is ready just for you. To subscribe or listen on your PC now - both for free, you don't need to download anything - all explained at the end of the post and don't forget to try GoToMeeting for your 30 day free trial!

Today is a wonderful interview with Sydney Finkelstein who has just written a fantastic business book called Think Again. This is a follow up to Why Smart Executives Fail. Sydney is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business and Director of Tuck Executive Program. If you want to boost your career this is a great podcast interview as we talk about

• The key to effective decision making
• How do we check our sub conscious thinking patterns?
• Is a good decision impossible!
• How to choose the right people to help you make the right decision.
• How to free up your sub conscious minds
• Can you be in a job too long?
• How to make the right decision rather than an emotional decision when downsizing or making redundancies
• The difference between reducing costs and retaining value
• The emotional effect of decision making
• How do you recognise the difference between good and bad self interest?
• How do I build safeguards to ensure that my own self interest doesn't become a negative aspect of my career?
• How do you differentiate between intuition and a preformed judgment?

If you have feedback for me on the show or topics that you would like me to cover then e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com or join me on twitter !

How you can listen to the Engaging Brand

1) You can listen on your PC now without downloading any software just click here to hear the latest podcast and it will take you to the latest podcast. Then press the play button!

2) You can subscribe to the show via iTunes or

3) If you use a different podcatcher then you can subscribe using the following  http://www.podcasternews.com/feeds/enbr.xml

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6 Ways to Use Social Media for Brands without Blogging

I work with clients who want to use social media but don't want to blog...thats fine because blogs are just one tool in a whole arsenal of social media tools.
In recessionary times trust becomes a vital differentiator for brands  (just ask a bank at the moment!) and with non blogging tools you can help build a position of 'trusted experts' as part of your marketing plans. Brands that give, that share, that connect, that take their share of responsibility of helping consumers through the recession will be rewarded through loyalty.....maybe JFK may say

"Ask not what social media can do for you, but what social media (and your brand) can do for your consumers"

I suppose it is like when you receive a charity envelope and you look round your house and realise there are so many things that could be of use to others...if you only give generously....

1. Use slideshare to share information about your industry, about your locality, about learnings within your company.
2. Simarly use twitter as an industry news channel or share tips on how to ....find work, keep motivated, save money etc See yourself as a 'hub of help'
3. Use You Tube for How to guides for consumers
4. Use podcasts as a learning and development tool for people searching for work in your industry.
5. Creating an aggregate RSS feeds of relevant blogs in their niche for consumers to subscribe to
6. Using on line meeting tools like GoToMeeting to have customer feedback sessions or innovation/idea sessions on what is important to them at the moment and how the brand can help their lives.....

At this time, it is about keeping true to your brand but widening your vision of what your brand stands for....

If you could live your life over....?

I remember reading a survey a while back which asked people over 65 "If you could live your life over, what would you do differently ? The top 3 answers were:

1. I would like to stop and ask the big questions
2. I would like to be more courageous and take more risks in work and love
3. I would like to live life with purpose - to make a difference

Poignantly, I asked my dad that question about a fortnight before he died. With a cheeky smiled he looked me in the eye and said

"Absolutely, nothing. I spent everyday, living my dream....if you don't live your dream then you end up living your nightmare or not living at all. I have always felt the person who invented the word regrets must have been sad! Imagine inventing the word regrets as your legacy! You cannot change the past, only the future and each second is another part of the future...don't waste even a second "

I will never forget that for as long as I live, I mean how good must that feel - even when faced with you last few hours you have no regrets. You have lived life to the full and that you believe in everything that you have achieved and the relationships around you, you have lived your dream.

When you look at the way you live your life do you concentrate on how much you have or the things that you would like?

Life is amazingly short in the grand scheme of things so at work, in love and with friends make sure that you think about the wonderful things you have in your life especially during these hard recessionary times it is easy to lose sight of them.

My motto in life is "live life forward and understand it backward"...and help others do the same.

5 Reasons Why I love recessions!

OK like every other business recessionary pressures are tough on The Engaging Brand, but do you know there are things that I love about recessions, here are my top 5 reasons to love the recession

1. When you are positive about how to turn a recession from bad news to a market opportunity - you stand out from the crowd.
2. People have less money in business and that means they have to get creative, I love being creative!
3. Social media is a great tool for low budgets and high passion...that will be me then!
4. People rely on people they can trust, trust becomes a strong asset....when times are good often my trust gets abused :( ....But in recessionary times my trusting nature is an asset...
5. This is when true leaders come to the for, leaders who can inspire others to see the future, leaders that can find that light at the end of the tunnel and guide the people towards the air....

I may be in a minority of one however I enjoy recessions because it is then when you see the great brands, the great leaders....the ones that deliver on promises, values and helping their customers through the toughest times, building loyalty along the way. Most people can "succeed" when there is a boom, where is the challenge in that!!!

But then again my milk bottle was always overflowing rather than half full, or half empty....

Show 216 - Face the Fear and Do It Anyway Pt2

Show 216 of The Engaging Brand leadership and marketing podcast is ready just for you. To subscribe or listen on your PC now - both for free, you don't need to download anything - all explained at the end of the post and don't forget to try GoToMeeting for your 30 day free trial!

Today is the second part of the interview with the truly inspirational eco-adventurer and writer Roz Savage who has - wait for it! - rowed the Atlantic Ocean and who is now rowing the Pacific Ocean. You can follow her journey over at Roz Rows the Pacific. if you haven't heard the first part of the interview then podcast 215 is here. Today we dig deeper into the emotinal aspects and Roz talks to us about

• How isolation affects the human mind
• How you react to isolation as a human being
• The importance of how you feel about yourself
• Recognising the importance of the negative talk in your brain
• How you need to be your own best friend
• Which are harder - physical barriers or emotional barriers?
• How to prepare for the emotional side of life
• What would Roz's motivational tip be?

Remember if you want to back Roz's environmental journey then visit the Roz Savage website.

If you have feedback for me on the show or topics that you would like me to cover then e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com or hop over to Facebook group for The Engaging Brand. or the new room set up on Friendfeed

How you can listen to the Engaging Brand

1) You can listen on your PC now without downloading any software just click here to hear the latest podcast and it will take you to the latest podcast. Then press the play button!

2) You can subscribe to the show via iTunes or

3) If you use a different podcatcher then you can subscribe using the following  http://www.podcasternews.com/feeds/enbr.xml

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If you face redundancy...the question you should ask is

I have a couple of close friends who have been highly successful and through no fault of their own are facing the New Year without a job. It is heartbreaking. They have both asked me what they should do, they are both struggling to know how to find a role that will inspire them. In this situation I always think of a quote from Aristotle

"Where your talent and the needs of the world cross, there lies your calling"

When you lose your job it is hard - I have been there, trust me I know! However, it can also be a real chance to think about what you are really passionate about, what makes you feel so inspired that it almost hurts ? If you can find that role - then like me you have just started fulfilling your dream and from darkness comes the brightest light that energizes you beyond belief.

When people ask me the best thing that has ever happened to me - it was losing it all because then I gained the world, I regained my dreams.....I hope that is true for my friends as well. I don't mean to downplay losing a job, I only want to show there is hope for every personal brand....

When words become the air we breathe

Today we hear words like resilience, hope, change all words that I love however I think it is important as leaders that we understand that these are just words. It is only when we add the key ingredients of action and momentum that they become reality.

Why the world is in love with Obama is not because of the words but because of the belief that action will now happen.

Why the world will love you, why the world will love your products and services is not because of the words that you say but the action that you take.

So I am reminded of what Dad taught me, he used to say

"Thoughts, expectations, ideas are incredibly important to the world. When they are combined with strategy, actions and delivery they become alive, they become the precious commodities of success. To be successful you need to understand the difference between the two skills Anna and find a team that combine both qualities. Remember air is only precious because we have lungs that convert the oxygen to fuel for our minds and bodies."

In reality as leaders we are converters - converters of raw talent, of capital to profit, of ideas to action, of recessions to success, of dreams to reality

Show #215 - Face the fear and do it anyway Pt1

Show 215 of The Engaging Brand leadership and marketing podcast is ready just for you. To subscribe or listen on your PC now - both for free, you don't need to download anything - all explained at the end of the post and don't forget to try GoToMeeting for your 30 day free trial!

Today I talk with the truly inspirational eco-adventurer and writer Roz Savage who has - wait for it! - rowed the Atlantic Ocean and who is now rowing the Pacific Ocean. You can follow her journey over at Roz Rows the Pacific. Roz talks us about

• How we can change our own lives by doing something extraordinary rather than succoming to a mid life crisis!
• The role of fear in our lives and how we can use fear positively
• Finding the balance between feeling comfortable and being bored
• How you keep stretching yourself - how to keep achieving extraordinary results
• How Roz is using storytelling to bring attention to environment issues
• The role of persistance in achieving your goals

Watch out for the second part of the interview next time and if you don't want to miss it then why not subscribe - explained below.

If you have feedback for me on the show or topics that you would like me to cover then e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com or hop over to Facebook group for The Engaging Brand. or the new room set up on Friendfeed

How you can listen to the Engaging Brand

1) You can listen on your PC now without downloading any software just click here to hear the latest podcast and it will take you to the latest podcast. Then press the play button!

2) You can subscribe to the show via iTunes or

3) If you use a different podcatcher then you can subscribe using the following  http://www.podcasternews.com/feeds/enbr.xml

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Imagining the possible - The Hoover Leadership Principle

I went to see my mum this weekend as she has not been very well. When I got there as normal she had jobs lined up for me including mending the vacuum cleaner which looks like it was built in 1706!

I turned and said "Mum you know me with technical things I am no engineer!"

I looked at it for a while and hadn't a clue what to do. Mum said "OK so what would Dad have said ?" I turned, smiled and said "Imagine you are the best vacuum cleaner engineer in the world"

I suddenly lay down on the floor like a motor mechanic, and confidently started to explore the insides of the cleaner. Within 5 minutes it was in bits, problem found and solution made.

Why? Because my mindset changed from one of 'I can't' to 'I can'.

In recessionary times this mindset for leaders are vital so this week imagine you are the best leader in terms of economic troubles and act as they would do.....

'I can' comes from allowing your imagination to see the possible rather than the impossible.

A thought on leadership

They say practice makes perfect and we can see in all areas of life that is true, however a question that I think we all need to ask is this....

...At what point do we all become so proficient that we become blind to new ideas, new ways of doing things?

I remember when I was learning golf Dad used to get me to play off the competition tees, the mens tees, restrict the number of clubs in my bag or just make me play with irons some times. He used to say

 "This is your home course, don't ever let it feel that comfortable that you stop trying 100%. You need to create a different challenge each time you pratice"

I think that helped me become a scratch golfer....that fact that even on normal days without competition I was facing new challenges.