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Tag: Thought Leaders

  • You Have to Tap Into Your Customers’ Subconscious to Keep Them Coming Back

    You Have to Tap Into Your Customers’ Subconscious to Keep Them Coming Back

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When your app or website was just a small seedling of an idea, you probably had big plans for how people would use it. As you built and tested it, you imagined your product becoming as integral to users’ days as brushing their teeth or checking their emails. That was the hope, at least. But making your product a recurring part of users’ lives is easier said than done.

    To understand why we must first look at the mechanics of human behavior. Per the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, about 40% of people’s daily actions aren’t tied to conscious decision-making. Instead, they’re automatically initiated by situational cues and other triggers. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Rather, it’s a way to compartmentalize the myriad decisions we have to make every minute, hour and day. By eating the same thing for breakfast every morning, for example, we free up our mental capacity for more important decisions.

    The question is: How can you make your product so inviting that users have no choice but to incorporate it into their subconscious routines? This is especially important today, as McKinsey & Company found that more consumers have switched brands in 2022 compared to 2021 and 2020. What’s more, 90% of them plan to continue doing so. Here are three tips for creating product usage habits in your users, so they are more inclined to stick with your brand:

    Related: 5 Ways to Set Good Habits That Actually Stick

    1. Dig into your product usage data

    No amount of self-study or controlled testing will teach you more about your user journey — the good, the bad and the ugly — than product usage data (i.e., the information users generate as they interact with your product). From geolocation to session length to tasks completed, these rich insights span numerous types of data and actions.

    For instance, when you open the Grubhub app, it’s not just logging your food order. It’s also looking at where you were when you opened the app, which features you explored versus which ones you bypassed, how long it took you to decide between chicken nuggets and a burger and how long it took for your order to be fulfilled and delivered.

    If that sounds like a lot of data, it’s because it is. But when segmented and analyzed, this treasure trove of information can help you tap into your product’s habit-forming potential. To that end, you should plot two key product usage data points: frequency (i.e., how often users repeat a specific behavior) and perceived utility (i.e., how useful and rewarding users perceive that behavior to be).

    Plotting these points is only step one, however. Next, you need to understand the bigger story behind the actions and what they tell you about the user journey. For example, imagine users are clicking a specific button at a higher frequency. Can you link those button clicks to higher retention among that group? That might tell you the button is a “sticky feature,” or a dependable engagement driver that encourages repeat uses. With that information, you can more easily identify and clear the friction points in your product to deliver greater value and encourage recurrent use.

    Related: Using Data Analytics Will Transform Your Business. Here’s How.

    2. Deploy user-centric reminders

    Unfortunately, developing products isn’t a “build it, and they will come” situation. If you want your product to become second nature to users, you need to develop a messaging strategy that taps into intrinsic motivators and helps users bust through inertia.

    Take 15Five, for example. The team management software platform allows employers to keep a pulse on their employees’ goals through weekly check-ins. Employees must log in to their accounts on a specific day to answer a series of questions and set goals for the upcoming week. But how does 15Five build and maintain engagement in its platform beyond the check-in? Well, mid-way through the week, it sends every employee an email reminding them of their goals.

    Because employees were the ones who set the goals, the reminder acts as an intrinsic motivator to provoke action toward goal completion or adjustment. The messaging that 15Five uses is effective because it’s inherently user-centric: Review your goals. Plus, even if employees don’t go into the app itself, the email nudges them to at least think about their goal progress.

    We know this kind of messaging works. Language-learning platform Duolingo, for example, prompts users via notifications to practice every day and continue their learning streaks. The company’s research shows that these reminders and streaks are highly motivating for users.

    Related: People Love Playing Games. Use These 4 Psychological Hacks to Keep Customers Coming Back for More.

    3. Use hooks to turn behaviors into habits

    Turning conscious behaviors into subconscious habits ultimately comes down to repeatedly linking your users’ problems to your solution. This methodology is what tech entrepreneur Nir Eyal calls the “hook model” in his book “Hooked.” The hook model is made up of a four-phase process with consecutive cycles:

    The first phase is the internal (e.g., users’ intentions or goals) or external (e.g., a “buy now” button) triggers that cue a particular behavior. The second is the completed in-app behavior or action in anticipation of a reward. The third phase is the variable reward, or the result of taking action that leaves users wanting more (e.g., connectedness or physical products). Fourth is the investment that sweetens the deal for future cycles through the hook model.

    When building hooks, you need to get to the heart of each phase in the cycle. For instance, when looking at internal triggers, ask yourself what users want and what pain points your product alleviates. In contrast, if you’re brainstorming external triggers, focus on what brings people to your specific product.

    When looking at actions, try not to overcomplicate things. Instead, look for the simplest action users might take if a reward is involved. Remember, if users don’t have sufficient motivation or ability to complete the action, they won’t. When it comes to the variable reward phase, ask yourself how you can fulfill the reward without veering into finite variability territory. The last thing you want is your experience to become so predictable or boring that users have no reason to return.

    Although variable rewards are about immediate gratification, investments are more focused on long-term rewards. Therefore, think about how much work users are willing to put into your product to enjoy those lasting rewards. Consider a product such as Pinterest, for example. A user might find satisfaction in an individual image on the platform, but that image alone isn’t what builds lasting engagement. Instead, the collection of images across all their Pinterest boards makes the platform more valuable and harder to leave. That’s the investment.

    Every business owner’s dream is to lead a company that’s indispensable to customers’ lives — but doing so requires more than just a good product. Habits are made, not born. So, follow these three tips and see how customers start to incorporate your offering into their routines.

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    Nick Chasinov

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  • How Serving in The Army Taught This Leader The Importance of Employee Wellbeing

    How Serving in The Army Taught This Leader The Importance of Employee Wellbeing

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Once upon a time, protecting the wellbeing of employees might have been viewed as a luxury for a few lucky workers or a fluffy topic for soft leaders with nothing better to worry about — but things are changing. The U.S. military has recognized the importance of mental health since 2009 when it launched its “resilience training” program. While the corporate sector has been slower to catch on, more than 90% of leaders believe promoting wellness boosts performance.

    As a past military leader myself, many of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about employee wellbeing come from my time in the army. Today, I’ll share them with you.

    Related: How Military Service Made These Veterans Better Entrepreneurs

    The military and mindfulness

    The big M has become more popularized over the last few years, yet not every organization thinks it’s useful or feels comfortable discussing it. Most people certainly wouldn’t associate with the military.

    But mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment. And where could that skill be more critical than in a survival environment where failing to be alert could put you and the rest of the team in danger?

    The army teaches soldiers how to stay in the moment and make better decisions under pressure by encouraging mindfulness practices like sitting with your thoughts for a few minutes each day. As well as boosting on-the-job performance, the military has found this training helps soldiers to deal with the after-effects of being in a traumatic situation.

    Standard employees might not be dealing with life-and-death situations, but they can adopt similar principles.

    Mindfulness in the workplace comes down to developing the ability to deal with the emotions, stresses and conflicts that crop up each day. You need to teach employees how to become more aware of the present moment and accept their feelings, thoughts and decision-making processes instead of being slaves to them. It’s the difference between feeling stressed and thinking “the world is burning, I’m overwhelmed and I want to go home” and “I’m feeling the sensation of stress right now, but that’s okay, it’s just a sensation. I’ll let myself breathe for a bit and let it go.”

    Thanks to the widespread awareness of mindfulness these days, it’s easier than ever to help your team learn to deal with what’s going on in their head. For instance, the Calm app is full of guided meditations, many of which are directly related to the workplace and last less than ten minutes (making them easy to slot into schedules).

    Why not offer a free subscription to everyone who works for you?

    Related: Military Service Is the Ultimate Training Ground for Entrepreneurship (Infographic)

    It’s all about the culture

    You’d struggle to find an organization with a more tight-knit culture than the army — those who have been in the military often describe it as a “brotherhood.” Everyone is united by their shared purpose to serve the country, authority is respected for the most part and everyone knows they have to work together to achieve their goals.

    68% of veterans say they’re proud of their service. How many people would say the same of a former employer?

    You can try to emulate this idea of a “brotherhood” by giving your employees a sense of purpose and connecting them to the company’s greater mission. Make your values a part of daily processes, and review them with your employees.

    The way you lead also makes a big difference. Instead of creating a dog-eat-dog or hustle-hard environment, lead with empathy, transparency and trustworthiness. Are you truly being honest with your team and doing your best to look out for them?

    To show that you have everyone’s best interests at heart, curate an agile working environment and give everyone opportunities to try new things, plus the flexibility to take things easy when they’re struggling. You may be able to use technology to help your team connect and get more out of their job — for instance, tools that facilitate remote working or offer education.

    Don’t forget the financial side

    It’s a well-known fact that the U.S. military looks after its soldiers. Not only do most soldiers receive a fairly substantial salary, but they also have a range of other perks. These include:

    • Free college at public colleges.
    • A savings deposit program with 10% interest (for those in a combat zone).
    • Affordable housing.
    • Affordable life insurance.
    • Allowances for food and housing (in some cases).

    Many private-sector companies could learn from this. In the working world, employers often favor solutions related to improving corporate culture and providing perks of the job, while employees would simply prefer to earn more. The truth is something in between — there’s more to a positive working experience than good pay, but without financial security, you’re probably not going to get people to stick around or produce their best work.

    Who is going to want to follow the guided meditations on Calm if they can’t even fill their car up with gas?

    Considering the current environment with rising inflation, high-interest rates and the increasing cost of living, this isn’t something you should be neglecting. Do some market research to gauge how much other companies are giving employees with similar roles — and look at your budget to see if there’s any wiggle room to offer more.

    Wellbeing is just the beginning

    With the global corporate wellness market set to reach $90 billion by 2026, overlooking this could mean you get left behind. When you work on your team’s wellbeing, you won’t just be making your employees happier — you’ll increase the chances of them sticking around, being more productive and being committed enough to the organization to lead innovation.

    Employee wellbeing isn’t as simple as implementing a single action, and a strategy that works for one company isn’t necessarily going to be right for every organization. But if you try various approaches and are prepared to tweak them until you figure out what works, you’ll be impressed with the results.

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    Tim Madden

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  • How to Create a Work Culture That Will Survive Anything

    How to Create a Work Culture That Will Survive Anything

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the age of the Great Resignation, executives are in a near-constant battle to attract and retain talent. Paramount to this issue is the importance of company culture. In fact, studies have found that a toxic corporate environment is over 10 times more impactful than compensation when it comes to an employee leaving their job.

    Forward-thinking companies must put the focus back on building and maintaining an engaging, rewarding company culture, to which employees feel empowered to contribute, strengthen, and support for the long haul — especially in times of challenge or change. Such is the definition of “regenerative” — to renew, restore and continuously come back stronger.

    But achieving this means maintaining a people-first mindset and nurturing your employees to be your number one advocates for each other and the company. Here are four fundamentals for building a regenerative workplace culture.

    Related: Your Employees Want Purpose — Not Ping Pong Tables. Here’s How to Thrive Through the Great Resignation.

    Align your employees with company values

    Successful organizations energize employees around core values, referring back to them in times of uncertainty and modeling them for clients, consumers, and the greater good. Establish your values early and explicitly, such that employees can understand them, act on them and identify them in others.

    A consistent and shared appreciation of company values allows your employees to engage with the organization on a deeper level, fostering a professional and personal investment that promotes greater ownership, agency and motivation toward company goals.

    One way to align your team around company values is to acknowledge and uplift them at every opportunity. It’s important to both recognize staff who exemplify company values and create incentives for those who uphold them. Another way is to ensure your company policies both reflect and reinforce your beliefs, thereby giving back to employees and demonstrating your sincerity.

    At NINE dot ARTS, we host regular arts-oriented social activities to lean into our “authentic” and “creative” values, as well as offer ongoing DEIB training and professional development opportunities so employees can embrace our “ethical” and “educational” values.

    When your company’s core tenets help to ground your team in the face of obstacles, guide shared decision-making and galvanize collective action, you will experience the kind of continued growth and affirmation necessary for a regenerative culture.

    Related: 5 Lessons for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs I Wish I Knew

    Focus on human connection

    Values alignment is critical for organizations because it also helps promote employee connection. Thus, it’s essential to create opportunities for your staff to recognize, celebrate and support one another around core beliefs and business goals. And given that approximately 50% of leaders are asking employees to return to an in-office environment, such connections may be easier than you think.

    In fact, despite the rise of office perks like ping pong tables or deluxe coffee drinks, new research by Enboarder found that 60% of respondents feel the most valuable element of working in an office is the opportunity for spontaneous interactions with coworkers. Other top activities from which employees derived the strongest feelings of connection were team meetings, one-on-ones and skill sharing with peers.

    Such findings mean good news for employers because these activities aren’t anything new. There’s no need for special events or unique “connection-building” programs. Instead, incentivizing staff to collaborate in person through simple meetings, coffee dates and even serendipitous interactions may be just the key to strengthening overall connections.

    And when the connection is strong, the research found, employee productivity, satisfaction and retention are strong , too — all contributing to a regenerative culture.

    Related: Here’s the Secret to Improving Employee Engagement That Every Company Can Afford

    Promote employee agency

    As a longtime entrepreneur and business leader, I truly believe that diverse, hard-working individuals who unite around shared values can produce new innovations and outstanding results.

    This begins in the hiring process. One of the greatest lessons learned in my career is to hire for your deficits. After all, even the best leaders have blind spots. Bringing together fresh perspectives, diverse life experiences and a range of expertise can make your organization stronger as a whole, helping to prevent siloed thinking, promote ingenuity and hold everyone accountable. And when diverse specialists share common values and feel connected to one another and your mission, the potential is endless.

    Further, knowing you have committed, specialized team members who balance each other out can allow you to delegate with trust and confidence, giving employees the agency they (and you) need to improve your organization.

    For instance, our employees create topical task forces around our core principles, presenting recommendations to leadership about policy changes in these areas — from sustainability measures to artist advocacy efforts. Meanwhile, with the support of leadership, employees are emboldened to take initiative on operational innovations, creating efficiencies and improvements that benefit our business success.

    Such employee agency is critical for seeing the kind of sustained problem-solving and improvements necessary for regenerative workplace culture.

    Related: Investing in Your Employees Is the Smartest Business Decision You Can Make

    Emphasize education

    Lastly, don’t forget to further your employees’ aspirations — both personal and professional. Oftentimes, employees who seek to enhance a certain skill set, passion or area of expertise will contribute their newfound strengths to your organization in meaningful ways.

    Start by including education in your staff training. For example, at NINE dot ARTS, all new team members complete three Courageous Allyship trainings and each year we have a company-wide session for all employees. This workshop gives our team a shared understanding and language around diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging — a core component of our ethos across every department.

    Additionally, provide continuing education stipends to fund workshops, lectures, conferences or other educational endeavors. And let your employees present their learnings from such opportunities to the company as a whole. Promoting your staff’s continuous advancement inspires each individual to have a growth-oriented mindset for themselves and the organization.

    Related: Is Your Employee Engagement Program Up to Snuff?

    Move beyond material perks

    In today’s hiring and retention landscape, we can’t underestimate the impact of workplace culture. Gone are the days when a mini fridge, coffee machine, branded merch or gym membership could entice talent to your organization. Instead, leaders need to focus on the foundational aspects of culture, like values alignment and human connection. Once these are solidified, empower employees to feel ownership, agency and a sense of purpose around their work — and provide educational opportunities to further that purpose. These are the building blocks of a regenerative culture — one that is adaptive, resilient and always improving on what’s been done before.

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    Martha Weidmann

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  • Ask Yourself These 5 Questions to Make Better Decisions

    Ask Yourself These 5 Questions to Make Better Decisions

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    According to the 2019 Nobel Prize winner in economics, Daniel Kahneman, all decisions are made with partial information due to the systemic cognitive biases people bring to the decision-making process. However, decisions don’t require perfection to be effective. For corporate leaders bearing the pressure to make tough calls, asking the right questions is a systematic approach to gathering information that avoids the pitfalls in pursuit of perfection.

    In a decade-long longitudinal study of over 2,700 leaders, Harvard Business Review (HBR) found that too many leaders were shrinking from making difficult decisions, and delays often did more damage than they sought to avoid. The bigger an organization gets, the less decisive it becomes.

    Even the most brilliant leaders can demand too much data before deciding. While it’s well-known that executives have to make crucial decisions with limited information, it’s less evident that those who require all the possible information slow their team’s ability to execute.

    The difference between the two groups shouldn’t be confused with comparing the merits of a fast decision and a more calculated one. There is a better formula to weigh the information that first helps discern which — a rapid or slow decision — is required: First, ask who, what, when, where, why and how.

    Related: These Decision-Making Tactics Can Help You Formalize Your Process and Make Better Choices

    Backing out of the rabbit hole

    Nine times out of 10, when people start working with me, they present roughly 20% of the relevant information needed to make a sound decision. I always request they go back and uncover the answers in at least 60% of the available data — that carves a clearer path to a quality decision.

    Typically, senior leaders don’t have the time to drill into the day-to-day details of presenting issues, so streamlining information helps avoid the analysis paralysis of multiple possibilities popularized by psychologist Barry Schwartz.

    Schwartz found that, with voluminous options, consumers find it challenging to choose because they are left wondering if one of the options not taken would have been better. Schwartz theorizes a presumed alternative leads people to question their decisions. If even good choices are subject to 20/20 hindsight, it becomes more important to put a pin in the cycle of seeking more data.

    Related: These Decision-Making Tactics Can Help You Formalize Your Process and Make Better Choices

    When to act fast and when to think slow

    In “Thinking, Fast and Slow,“ Kahneman divides our brains into two metaphorical systems: System 1 thinks fast and System 2 thinks slow. The first system operates automatically and intuitively. The second requires reasoning and focus. Intuition, he warns, is frequently wrong and needs to be backed by experience and analysis for it to lead to effective decision-making.

    Because people are inherently judgmental, I’ve witnessed leaders make decisions only to “back into the facts” to support why they made that decision. It’s a categorically wrong approach to critical thinking.

    The reasoned analysis of Stoicism offers another model. Sometimes mistaken for being coldly analytical, this ancient philosophy also engages curiosity. Many people want to solve a problem immediately rather than get curious about why it happened. But, they might be trying to solve the wrong problem or failing to consider the adjacent challenges that will come up after that problem.

    As leaders, we must look at organizational impact through a broad lens. If the blast radius of a poor decision is going to be big, slower decision-making is required. If the effect is likely minor, a faster decision is ideal.

    Related: How to Make Better Decisions

    Five Ws and an H: Asking the right questions

    When I have a decision to make, asking who, what, when, where, why and how offers the minimum information needed to make an informed decision while avoiding data overkill.

    • Who?
      • Identifies all the parties involved, impacted stakeholders and who will carry out any action. Asking this question reveals who needs support and who has further information or insight. This can also highlight the relevant managers for other delegations.
    • What?
      • This question offers a summation of the issues presented, not a long narrative. It describes the event or chain of events leading to the problem and shows what type of decision is necessary.
    • When?
      • This offers a timeline of events and a timeframe for a needed outcome, displaying whether a fast or slow decision is required.
    • Where?
      • Identifies the location of the issue or bottleneck within the organization and whether a decision crosses international borders or relates to just one set of laws. The “where” provides a snapshot of the blast radius of any decision.
    • Why?
      • This helps us understand the necessity of choice by briefly deconstructing the problem and the context of events. It also illustrates the chain of responsibility for the problem and the solution.
    • How?
      • Reveals what circumstances culminated in bringing the issue about and why it made its way to the executive level. This step may offer the cause and effect of the problem and the solution.

    These questions also help remove the anxiety of how a decision might impact individuals personally. In the HBR study, leaders often delayed decision-making for fear of upsetting others or losing status. Fear clouds judgment. Like an excellent Stoic, if we can stay within the intellectual sphere, we can make a logical decision.

    Related: 7 Tips for Making Quality Business Decisions

    A decision-making template

    I’ve encountered leaders who will ask for copious amounts of data before even risking a decision. It becomes an endless cycle. But determining the who, what, when, where, why and how is a very simple, practical and valuable tool that can save businesses time and resources. It avoids the cognitive laziness of fast thinking and the overwhelm brought to bear by an abundance of choices that characterize slow thinking. In the language of Stoicism, this framework helps leaders lean into the virtues of wisdom and temperance to make decisions that lead to more substantial, positive outcomes for both individuals and organizations.

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    Laura A. Cooper

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  • This Tech is Disrupting Real Estate. Don’t Miss Out

    This Tech is Disrupting Real Estate. Don’t Miss Out

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Real estate development and construction have changed since the 1960s: Contractors typically built the container and let the homeowner fill in the rest. However, smart home technology is disrupting the industry, presenting a major market opportunity for designers, builders, entrepreneurs and investors. Recent research from Mordor Intelligence predicts that the smart home market, valued at $79.13 billion in 2020, is expected to grow to $313.95 billion by 2027.

    As a result, I expect to see an increase in the term “smart home automation” — referring to Internet-connected devices that monitor and control essential household functions such as lights, cameras, locks and climate. As the industry transforms, it presents a prime opportunity for entrepreneurs, corporations and investors.

    Touchless interactions and whole-home automation that drive efficiency and save energy are among the concepts driving consumer interest. Automated heating and cooling will see high demand, with new government efficiency regulations requiring replacing or retrofitting existing systems. In January 2023, all residential central air-source heat pump systems sold in the U.S. must meet new minimum energy efficiency standards.

    This trend is about improving the home experience — from programming devices that always behave the same to automating devices that anticipate and understand the homeowner’s needs. As evidence, Grandview Research predicts that smart kitchens will see an impressive compound annual growth rate of 30.5% from 2021 to 2030. Grandview also predicts that security and surveillance technology installations will increase by 31%.

    Related: 3 Aspects of the Real Estate Industry That Can Benefit Immensely from the Metaverse

    Think keyless door locks that use a PIN or connected doorbells that always know when a guest (or delivery) has arrived. For multi-family developments, AI-powered, public space video cameras that track what’s happening around the community and automated exterior lighting will be in demand.

    I see a significant market opportunity because the smart home market has matured over the past five years, poised to move from “do it yourself” to “do it for me.” Buyers will likely look increasingly for pre-built homes with curated technology. According to a Coldwell Banker Real Estate survey, 71% of buyers want a tech-enabled “move-in ready” house, while 61% of millennials favor smart-tech homes; so do 59% of parents with children living in the house.

    Making this a reality is new artificial intelligence (AI) technology that learns its residents’ patterns and preferences, then intuitively sets ambiance routines to match. Energy-saving thermal windows add to a home’s efficiency. Every smart device in each home is choreographed to work in concert with each other, connecting to a centralized home management app that is very manageable and simple to use. Such systems are updated regularly via the cloud, and all hardware is housed indiscriminately in a central hub in the home. Technology fully integrates into the structure and blends into the minimalist interior design.

    Second-generation, AI-powered smart home technology self-learns, adapting to the routines and preferences; with most software solutions offered via the cloud, it continues to improve over time. In the ideal smart home setup, all devices are synchronized and orchestrated, made accessible through a smartphone or a computer. Call it a smart home with a genius IQ.

    Related: 5 Ways AI Technology is Making Our Buildings Smarter

    Urban density

    Growing urban density and awareness of environmental sustainability require designers and builders to think about domestic space in a new way. The new urban home is comfortable and welcoming while using space with greater efficiency, flexibility, and responsiveness compared to houses of the past. Not to be underestimated is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which underscored long-held beliefs that the home can and should contribute to the health and wellness of its inhabitants.

    This kind of home — purpose-built to become the foundation of holistic well-being for its residents — must include a versatile modern design, multi-functional use of space and curated, pre-configured technology built-in before the resident occupies the space.

    A great example of this trend is in Portland, Oregon. The Portland market is attractive for builders and investors: The city is a rapidly growing urban center that needs high-density housing solutions that move beyond the traditional detached single-family home. Urban residents are progressive, seek balanced lifestyles and welcome innovation that challenges the status quo.

    Real estate trends in urban areas

    Real estate trends are pointing toward modern designed, open floor plans that offer adaptability. Large windows and courtyard views help residents connect with nature inside the home. A skylight in the stairwell adds natural light. Built-in storage under the staircase for storing shoes and other things keeps clutter minimum; an outside storage area next to the second-floor patio keeps large or seasonal items out of the living space. A community bike storage room within the building is convenient and frees up additional space within the home. There is the efficient placement of lights and sensors. An unassuming, out-of-sight cabinet holds all the technology hardware.

    Residents in growing urban centers like Portland typically value a close connection to nature and regularly participate in outdoor activities. Developments such as this one take advantage of materials with an organic feel that creates a sense of connection to nature. Carefully selected oak flooring, Corian kitchen countertops, and cedar fencing bolster the environment. Landscaping with bamboo and trees creates shade and further mitigates sound to maintain quiet inside the homes.

    Real estate will see more focus on balancing resident privacy with creating connectedness between members of the community. Smart technology, combined with well-designed common spaces, makes this happen. Modern developments often have courtyards with a balance of quiet space and gathering space for community members.

    As the real estate industry evolves, holistic and adaptive urban living will drive the industry. Savvy builders will combine modern design, architecture, and technology into homes that provide are combined into one product — the home — that has been built to provide beauty, comfort and wellness. Startup founders, corporate executives and investors should keep an eye on these trends and be ready to capitalize on opportunities they will create.

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    Anis Uzzaman

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  • How to Find Inspiration Everywhere

    How to Find Inspiration Everywhere

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Just like lightning strikes at random, so does the opportunity for inspiration that can spur your business or further your leadership skills. Whether you are actively seeking it or taking a break to reset your mind, there are always opportunities to revisit what you have experienced and glean insightful takeaways. For example, one of the best pieces of inspiration came from a simple conversation with my 9-year-old daughter. More on that later…

    If you are actively seeking opportunities for inspiration, here are some particular ones that have inspired me as a co-founder and CEO.

    Related: 22 Successful Entrepreneurs Share What Inspires Them to Keep Going

    Books

    As an avid reader, I have found a lot of inspiration from books. When you’re in a leadership role, absorbing ideas from others not only opens your perspective and inspires you to change the way you work but can also reinforce your intuition and validate your initial thoughts. Some of the standout books that I have read include:

    • The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz — a must-read for emerging and veteran entrepreneurs, this book candidly discusses the pros and cons of running your own business and key lessons every CEO should learn.  
    • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson — this book helps you identify what matters to you. As your company grows, what is the most important to your business, and where can you make an impact? If you stay true to those two values, it helps you filter out the rest of the noise and remain focused on succeeding and bringing your business to fruition.
    • The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle — another book on culture, as it is vital to a company’s overall success — especially in the current market that we are in today. This engaging book inspires us to transform how teams operate so they can perform together more efficiently.

    Related: 3 Books That Will Make You 6 Figures  

    Movies

    Sometimes you’ll find that inspiration comes when you take the time to unwind. Recently, I sat down to watch some TV with my family, and two documentaries we watched have stayed with me:

    • All or Nothing: Arsenal (available on Amazon TV): Aside from being entertaining as it is all about my favorite sport, soccer, watching Mikel Arteta’s leadership in bringing his team to the front of the Premier League was inspiring. Mikel doesn’t compromise on his or the club’s values, and his passion for the sport inspires his squad to perform at the next level. As leaders, we should all proudly showcase our love for what we do to lead by example and inspire our teams.
    • Kiss the Ground (available on Netflix): This documentary, centered on finding a solution for our climate crisis, uses compelling data to illustrate how a simple solution — dating back hundreds of years — can help address our climate crisis and create healthier food for people. My takeaway from this as an entrepreneur was three-fold: first, there are always opportunities to evolve and rethink the status quo to devise a solution to a problem. Second, look back to history to see what was successful and why. Lastly, look at the larger picture to ask yourself: what impact are we making on humanity and this planet?

    Related: How to Get Over a Burnout and Find Inspiration Again

    Other

    My final note of a place I found unexpected inspiration came from my daughter, who was nine at the time. This image had come up during the workday, and I was looking at it at home and contemplating the correct answer. As it illustrates, are there four bars, or are there three?

    She took one look at it and said that both characters in this image were right without hesitating. The answer isn’t about who is right or wrong but their perspective and how they interpret it. That simple revelation from her has stuck with me throughout the years: my main takeaway was that communication is essential and, in life and business, many scenarios are not “right or wrong” — the important thing is that even if you disagree with them, listen to the other’s reasoning to come to an understanding of their point of view.

    At the end of the day, whether you actively seek it or take a break from the hustle of life and enjoy the moment, you can find inspiration everywhere. Take a moment to reflect upon the content you consume or the conversations you have had, and you will become a more well-rounded character.

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    Jurgi Camblong

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  • 3 Critical Lessons When Changing Your Business and Journey

    3 Critical Lessons When Changing Your Business and Journey

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Leadership isn’t easy, nor is entrepreneurship. Bringing a new idea or concept to market is a dream for many, but it can often feel daunting. When reflecting on my journey to CEO, I recently asked myself, what are the three important lessons I would tell my younger self?

    I came up with the following: Always listen to your customers, choose progress over perfection and get your employees involved. Keeping these lessons in mind will help your quest for entrepreneurial excellence and change in your business. Here’s why I think so.

    Related: Entrepreneurship is Risky. Follow This Less Risky Path For Entrepreneurial Success

    1. Listen to your customers

    When changing your business or product, customers will usually react in one of two ways. On the one hand, they may be receptive and open to change. Often, this occurs when the change doesn’t require a significant shift in customer behavior. Customers don’t want to be pushed too far outside their comfort zone (or their existing process), so if the change requires a substantial shift in attitude or perhaps a change in how they interact with your business, they might be more resistant.

    Knowing this, it is essential to listen to — and acknowledge — their concerns. As a leader, you probably won’t be able to solve all their problems, but by listening and acknowledging, you can move people down the path toward accepting changes. In addition, you’re supporting the notion that they are on the same team as you, which helps bolster change.

    Another effective way to reinforce a new belief is to focus on “peak moments” — i.e., specific parts of the consumer decision journey that have a disproportionate impact and that consumers tend to remember most.

    Peak moments often include first-time experiences with a product or service, touchpoints at critical milestones in the customer journey (such as the first renewal cycle), and other moments of intense consumer interaction (and reaction).

    Related: How to Quickly Adapt to Change and Future-Proof Your Business

    2. Progress over perfection

    In today’s competitive start-up landscape, it is tempting to strive for perfection when launching a new product, idea or solution — especially those of us with an engineering bent. No one wants to go to market with something that feels “less than.” However, grasping for the goal of perfection can be a barrier to real growth. Like the well-worn aphorism says, “don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.”

    Without making mistakes and allowing the chance to improve, we’d never know what success looks like — that’s the danger of letting perfection be the enemy of good. And honestly, it’s those ups and downs that make entrepreneurship life interesting.

    Related: Seek Progress, Not Perfection: Why Your Business Should Embrace the “Toothpick Rule”

    During my career, I have witnessed the transition in both thinking and execution from so-called waterfall to agile — essentially moving from sequential to iterative. It is a huge difference maker in quickly demonstrating (or not) progress. While it might sound scary to release something small and seemingly incomplete, realize that as consumers, we have grown accustomed to that approach of consuming new products and processes — think about the last mobile app you downloaded.

    Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and your teams to take high-risk and high-reward opportunities. Taking the time to experiment, learn from problems and discover new solutions is all part of the process. It not only allows you and your business to grow but encourages your team’s development as well.

    3. Get employees involved

    While the C-suite garners a lot of attention and credit when a company performs well, each employee is part of the beating heart of the organization and plays a vital role in enacting change. So, think holistically about change from the bottom to the top.

    To make this happen, as a leader, you should strive to cultivate an environment of trust, curiosity and learning. Leaders must build trust rather than undermine it to spark a sense of commitment and create a culture of motivation and professional development in their business. This helps encourage more discussions and synthesis about what is and isn’t working.

    Also, companies that make innovation, transparency and trust a core value of their culture often attract similar qualities in the employees they hire. There is no doubt that the next generation of talent is making waves in the workforce landscape. From the pandemic to the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting, there’s a shift in what employees look for in their employers.

    The needs of each employee and organization differ, but generally speaking, it’s not surprising that employees want to be valued and take responsibility for high-value initiatives. To be clear, success here starts with attracting talent that embodies your company’s values.

    Related: Entrepreneurs Are Struggling With Mental Illness. Here are 5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health As An Entrepreneur

    Moving forward

    All in all, change in your business, your products and the market can and should take time. Accomplishment doesn’t happen overnight. Be open and wise to this. Also, be prepared to learn as you go. There is a difference between reading about and experiencing these lessons firsthand.

    And perhaps most importantly, don’t underestimate what your team can accomplish when given a clear vision and the resources to execute — empowerment is the secret sauce of top-performing organizations.

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    Jim Contardi

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  • Free On-Demand Webinar: How to Lead Through Times of Economic Uncertainty

    Free On-Demand Webinar: How to Lead Through Times of Economic Uncertainty

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    Transparency and simplicity about the credit industry, especially in a world of financial uncertainty, is exactly what Kenneth Lin’s goal was when he launched Credit Karma in 2007. Best known for pioneering free credit scores, the platform offers everything related to a person’s financial goals, from identity monitoring, credit cards, and loans — all for free. Now an Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) company, Credit Karma serves over 120 million people across the U.S., U.K., and Canada – including almost half of all U.S. millennials. In the next Leadership Lessons episode, Lin talks with series host Jason Nazar about how he’s led the company from a team of three to 1,500 employees. Other topics include:

    Complete the registration form below to watch now!

    About The Speakers

    Prior to founding Credit Karma in 2007 as its CEO, Kenneth Lin founded Multilytics Marketing, a data-driven marketing agency that actively managed more than $40 million a year in online marketing dollars for clients such as Wells Fargo, Liberty Mutual and eBay. He has a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Boston University. He was selected to join the esteemed Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellows in 2018.

    Jason Nazar is co-founder/CEO of Comparably, a leading workplace culture employee review site. He was previously co-founder/CEO of Docstoc (acquired by Intuit). Jason was named one of Los Angeles Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs and appointed the inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence for the city of Los Angeles in 2016. The Los Angeles native received his BA from the University of California Santa Barbara and his JD and MBA from Pepperdine University.

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    Jason Nazar

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  • How To Lead With Validation and Become A Better Leader

    How To Lead With Validation and Become A Better Leader

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    On the final episode of her TV show, Oprah declared: “I’ve talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common. They all wanted validation.”

    All humans share this innate need and intense desire. When we look at Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, three out of five components are related to validation: safety, love and belonging and esteem.

    Related: 5 Rock-Solid Leadership Strategies That Drive Success

    But, what is validation really?

    Validation is allowing and acknowledging someone’s unique emotional experience, thoughts, values, dreams, beliefs, concerns and contributions.

    Allowing: This happens through practicing silence and providing space for full expression.

    Acknowledging: This means expressing that you recognize that what was shared is accurate, valid and important.

    Validation is the feedback that sends the clear message: “You are seen, safe and supported.”

    Related: Your Employees Are Probably Feeling Triggered at Work

    Why does validation matter?

    Validation helps build stronger relationships because it helps people feel valued. Validation is essential to create a deep connection with another human being and is a necessary skill for leaders.

    When we validate others, their needs of safety, love, belonging and esteem are met. These are the requirements for self-actualization. When someone feels invalidated, they cannot fulfill their potential — it may even stunt their growth.

    Validation is so much more than rewarding extraordinary work with money, perks or verbal praise. It requires genuine care and an appreciation of the whole person — not just their accomplishments and efforts.

    Even top performers stop growing when they don’t feel validated or feel invalidated. Invalidation is the unspoken barrier to vulnerability, authenticity and belonging.

    Related: The Pursuit of Happiness: Self-Actualization and Maslow’s Mistake

    Validation is the prerequisite for vulnerability

    In recent years, we’ve all heard about the power of vulnerability and the need for authenticity in every aspect of our lives. I believe everyone understands the value of being vulnerable. And most of us want to be vulnerable. For many of us, it’s a deep desire.

    However, many of us are constantly invalidated, making us cautious or even close to attempting to be vulnerable again. We guard ourselves against people who invalidate our experiences.

    For people to be vulnerable and authentic, they need a safe place. They need a safe person.

    Validation is the prerequisite for vulnerability. When someone validates our experience after we’ve shared something vulnerable, we are likely to be vulnerable again with them. However, we become hesitant or resistant to open up when we are invalidated.

    Related: The Benefits of Practicing Vulnerability in the Office

    What is invalidation?

    Many of us think of invalidation as saying something mean to another person when in reality, many of our invalidating responses actually come from a good place.

    Invalidation can happen by denying, dismissing, or diminishing someone’s experience.

    Denying is overt invalidation. When you tell someone that what they perceive as true didn’t happen or is not happening, it is evident that they will feel unseen, unsafe and unsupported. However, dismissing and diminishing is a more covert message often disguised as motivation. I call this “motivational shame.”

    Most leaders have been trained to motivate their teams. But motivation is not enough. Motivation can be detrimental when it invalidates someone, no matter how great your intentions might be. Invalidation happens when someone expresses concern, and you reply: “You’ll be fine” or “You’ve got this!”

    Invalidation looks like someone sharing an experience they consider painful and receiving the reply: “It’s not such a big deal” or “It could be worse.” Many people would go as far as to share those worst cases with them.

    Even sharing solutions like a mantra or positive affirmation can be an invalidating experience because when people share their feelings, they are not necessarily seeking solutions. They are just seeking confirmation that they are not wrong or fundamentally flawed for feeling them.

    Essentially, being invalidated is getting the message that we are not being rational in our feelings and that we shouldn’t feel that way. This leaves us feeling worse and leads us to shut down, affecting our state, health and performance.

    Validation helps create a safe culture where your psychological safety is a possible reality.

    Fostering an inclusive environment

    It’s a great step to encourage your employees to be transparent, but saying phrases like “be your true self” or “bring your whole self to work” is not enough. Authenticity still feels daring and must be validated for that person to remain authentic.

    Without validation, you cannot have a genuinely inclusive environment because inclusion is not a policy.

    We feel included when we can be authentic and don’t have to strive to fit in. When we are validated, we feel that we belong, just as we are.

    Related: 4 Ways to Cultivate Inclusion and Compassion In the Workplace

    How to validate those you lead

    Validating is a critical leadership skill, even in self-leadership. I’m sharing some examples of validation in the workplace to illustrate how simple it can be:

    Experience: “Wow, being a woman of color in this company sounds difficult.”

    Thoughts: “I really appreciate your willingness to share your ideas!”

    Values: “Wow… I can see why that’s important to you.”

    Dreams: “You sound so excited about this new goal, and with your work ethic, I’m sure you can do it!”

    Beliefs: “Can you tell me more about that?”

    Concerns: “I can understand why you feel that way. I’d be worried too!”

    Contribution: “You’ve put so much into this project. I’m so happy for you. What an amazing accomplishment!”

    Validating is an effective way to connect with those you lead because it communicates that you care about them. To make a difference in the people you lead, you must create an environment where they feel valued. I encourage you to think about how you might replace motivation with validation. As you do this, you can genuinely be the impactful leader you want to be.

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    Elayna Fernandez

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  • 3 Crucial Misconceptions About Manifestation

    3 Crucial Misconceptions About Manifestation

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I bet you’re sick of being told that: “you can manifest anything your heart desires…if you just buy this twelve-step program!” There are many people out there who prey upon our common misconceptions about manifesting and the law of attraction.

    It’s big business!

    Life Coaching has been the second-largest growth industry in the US for twelve consecutive years and is estimated to be worth around $2 billion!

    It is no wonder that people will do anything to “bottle” this information and sell it to a market. How do you know what you’re being sold is the truth, though? It’s very easy to palm off any shortfall as a result of something you did wrong.

    Here, then, are three common misconceptions about manifesting and the law of attraction. By bringing these to your awareness, you’ll have a better idea of whether or not a particular practice, program or modality is right for you.

    Related: How Meditation Can Transform Your Business

    1. Manifesting is a purely passive process

    Whenever I see someone tell a tale of how they wrote themselves a check and stuck it on the fridge, only for them to receive a million dollars sometime later (Jim Carrey, I’m looking at you), it gets my back up.

    Not that this isn’t possible, but it paints a picture of this being the only necessary action. Worse yet, some claim that meditation or prayer is all that is required. “Focus on what you want. Hold it in your mind’s eye, and it will appear for you!!”

    No! These are all beneficial practices — please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, but only so far as they better inform your actions.

    Without taking any action — nothing is going to show up for you. Per definition: when something manifests itself, it simply makes itself known to the physical world. This could be climate change, an electoral outcome or a million dollars landing in your account.

    The point is that these things already existed, and the moment they became a physical reality is what we call “manifesting.” Action is still very much required.

    Related: Stop Planning and Take Action

    2. The cookie-cutter approach

    This is a huge reason why so many of these programs “fail” to work for the vast majority of people who buy them. It’s not that they don’t work, but they only work for the creator of the program and anyone else who just so happens to be already aligned with it.

    Very few actually take the time to recognize that we are all individuals and tailor themselves accordingly.

    If you come across any such program that doesn’t start by trying to get you to analyze who you are and what you’re about: don’t bother. You’ll most likely hit a brick wall and give up under the misconception that it must be your fault for “not getting it.”

    Related: 11 Mindset Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

    3. Manifesting and the law of attraction are purely esoteric and mystical practices

    This is nonsense. There is a lot of scientific data, research and theory to back up our ability to manifest or attract consciously chosen outcomes in our life.

    Even anecdotally, if you cast your mind back to something you set your mind to, however mundane it may seem, you already know how it works. It could be as simple as thinking you want a cup of coffee. All the actions required to manifest that coffee in your hands are simple, but you still have to go through them.

    The same is true of becoming a millionaire. The steps might be more complicated (or not), but the process is the same.

    In the case of manifesting a million bucks: the problem most folks have is that they’ve never done it. You’ve made coffee before; that’s why when you get up from your desk and embark upon the ‘journey’ to barista town, none of it overwhelms you.

    You’ve made coffee before — more times than you can count. So manifesting yet another flat white causes no anxiety whatsoever.

    However, things get tricky when it comes to generating sums of money that are outside of the usual purview. You’ve never done it before, and you know that most haven’t either. You’re in uncharted territory, and your subconscious ‘lizard brain’ does not like it!

    It’s a subject for another day, but suffice it to say: your subconscious has one job to do, keeping you safe. Though prehistoric, it doesn’t understand logic or language and operates on the assumption that change equals danger. It is this that the unscrupulous prey upon.

    They know full well that you’ve never made a million dollars or found the love of your life. If you had, you wouldn’t need their course after all. They can exploit this to get themselves and their programs off the hook by essentially insinuating that you “just didn’t get it.”

    Don’t be fooled.

    Instead, recognize just how mundane the law of attraction is and how much of an everyday occurrence manifesting is. You can create a dream life as assuredly as making that cup of coffee.

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    Daniel Mangena

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  • A Guide to Getting the Best Advice and Mentor for Your Business

    A Guide to Getting the Best Advice and Mentor for Your Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Entrepreneurs are, by their very nature, independent, driven and decisive individuals. They have to be — whether an investment opportunity is secured or slips away, whether a new product soars or slumps, whether, when all is said and done, a business venture is a success, it’s all on them.

    This much I know from experience. Having co-founded four disruptive companies and supported more than 10 others that I have invested in, I’ve endured the early mornings and late nights, shouldered the stress of big decisions and taken risks when the rewards were right. But there’s something else that I’ve always done — something I urge all founders to do — and that takes advice. Lots of it.

    Why? Because, despite our love of autonomy, entrepreneurs can’t have all of the answers all of the time, especially when they’re starting out. But you know who does? Those who’ve been down the same path before.

    Throughout my career, I’ve profited by picking the brains of business leaders at the top of their game. Their insight has added depth and diversity to my decision-making, and by learning from their experiences, I’ve been able to better navigate the challenges they once also confronted.

    Taking advice is a skill in itself, however — one that I’ve honed over the years. Here are the principles I follow when asking for help from those I look up to.

    Related: You Need a Mentor. Here’s Where to Find One for Free

    The importance of trust

    First and foremost, you must ensure you’re seeking guidance from the right sources. Seasoned business owners are always the best place to start — they’ve done the hard yards and know precisely the obstacles that entrepreneurs encounter.

    Trust is another crucial factor. Before tapping someone’s wisdom, you need to be sure they have your best interests at heart. That doesn’t mean individuals who are simply going to agree with you — “yes men” and “yes women” cause more problems than they solve — but people you can rely on to act in good faith.

    Trust is also key for creating a safe space where concepts and concerns can be shared without fear of embarrassment. Some of the best and boldest ideas are lost because inexperienced entrepreneurs lack the confidence to share them with those they admire.

    To remedy this, I suggest partnering with a designated mentor — someone who understands your vision and goals and is a constant source of support along your business journey. They might not be a formal member of the company, but if an individual feels personally invested in your success, their advice will be all the more impactful.

    Related: 7 Reasons You Need a Mentor for Entrepreneurial Success

    Don’t assume you know best

    So, you’ve built a trusting relationship with a business veteran who shares your aims and ambition. That’s a good place to be. Next, you need to make sure you’re asking for help in a way that’s conducive to success.

    Before reaching out, ask yourself this: What do I hope to achieve by requesting advice? If the answer is finding a solution to a genuine dilemma, then go right ahead. If, on the other hand, you’re merely seeking validation for a decision you’ve already resolved to make, neither party has much to gain.

    Relatedly, it’s no secret that entrepreneurs often value their own opinions — it’s one of the reasons we create our own companies. This sort of headstrong approach is almost always an advantage in business; unless it erodes your ability to take honest advice and acknowledge when someone else knows best. If a mentor recommends a change of direction and deep down you know it’s the right thing to do, don’t let pride stand in the way of good sense.

    Related: Why Entrepreneurs Need Mentors and How to Find Them

    Don’t be hesitant to push back

    Of course, blindly following every bit of guidance you get isn’t a good idea, no matter how well-intentioned it may be. If you have a strong suspicion that a piece of advice is wrong, don’t feel hesitant about pushing back and offering a counter-argument. That safe space we talked about earlier, it works both ways — those dispensing wisdom must be prepared to justify their positions under scrutiny.

    If, after a lengthy back-and-forth, there’s still doubt in your mind about a particular recommendation, sit with it a while and let things percolate. It’s also worth seeking a second opinion, assuming it’s from an equally dependable source. Doing so can be daunting — you don’t want to appear disloyal — but any business leader worth their salt knows prudence comes first. Besides, all advice should be treated as provisional; something that is discussed, digested, acted on and then revisited further down the line.

    Related: Asking For Help Is Good For You and Your Business

    A founder’s greatest asset

    In every entrepreneur’s DNA, there is a strong thread of resilience — and at the end of the day, there’s no replacement for your own judgment.

    But no solo business person, however motivated, can solve every challenge they come up against. That’s why having access to trusted and qualified advice is one of the greatest assets a founder can have.

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    David Newns

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  • How to Activate and Align Your Values When Under Pressure

    How to Activate and Align Your Values When Under Pressure

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In times of high pressure, aspirational core values can seem entirely impractical. Who has time for being “bold,” “innovative” or “connected” when they’re slammed by a barrage of emails and threatened by volatility or disruption?

    In these situations, values are relegated to vinyl stickers on an office wall or words tucked away on the About Us page of a website. How many people can recall their company’s values, never mind using them as a blueprint for decision-making and the basis for team alignment and trust?

    Related: Want Success? Define Your Company Values

    How workplace values emerge

    Values are what is important. Whether you can articulate them clearly or not, you have values. Your company has values and they are set by the executive — not the marketing — team.

    Leadership values shape employee behavior. If leaders value financial performance over all else, employee well-being, environmental impact or social connectivity may be neglected. Values contagion is a real phenomenon, and no training initiative will shift your culture if leadership values are misaligned or inconsistent. Employees roll their eyes at what they perceive as phony company values when leaders don’t walk the talk.

    Values in distress

    Distress arises when there is a misalignment of values. For example, imagine that you’re working late nights and sacrificing family time. If a core value is family, you’ll start feeling resentful toward work. Or perhaps you’re spending too much time caring for your family when a core value is productivity. You might then resent your family. There is no right or wrong; your values profile is entirely unique.

    In life’s journey, purpose is your North Star and values are the flame lighting your way. The terrain may be challenging, but knowing what is important and acting in alignment reduces ambiguity and increases fulfillment. You’ll have a reason “why” and a torch to guide your “how.” If the flame of your values burns low, you — and your team — may feel lost. In an environment of uncertainty, we activate ancient survival mechanisms, including our negativity bias, to secure our safety.

    Are values purely cognitive?

    The missing link in values alignment is our physiological state. When distressed, under threat or unwell, our values shift from aspirational and collaborative to primal and protective.

    There’s an ancient part of the brain called the amygdala. It scans input arriving via our senses and triggers strong emotions to help protect us from perceived threats. This can save our life if a lion wanders into the office. It saved the lives of our ancestors who navigated challenging environments where direct threats to survival were the norm. Fast forward to modern life, where inboxes overflow, amplified by pressure to perform and conflicting demands. We are our worst enemies because to manage complexity, we need to be calm, present and energized — yet we’re sleeping less and worrying more than ever.

    The flame of our values is reduced to embers under chronic distress. Our window of tolerance shrinks. We become a less human version of ourselves. Driven by basic survival emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, craving or disgust, the potential for creativity and collaboration is impaired. Our values downgrade to surviving rather than thriving.

    Related: A Set of Core Values Is What Makes Company Culture a Real Thing

    Find your baseline of calm

    Values-based leadership requires deliberately shifting from fight, flight or freeze into a state of calm coherence: body, emotion and mind. How do you establish calm? Create space in your day. Schedule micro-breaks. Use breathing techniques, meditation, and time in nature to reboot your nervous system.

    Train yourself out of habituated busyness by silencing your phone when it is not in use. Your phone is a tool, don’t mistake it for a friend. It is an extractive technology, and it is mining your attention.

    Polyvagal theory suggests that our nervous system is capable of progressing from calm to playfulness, trust, and high performance. In high performance, you can purposefully ride the edge of fight-flight while in a deeply immersive flow state. Here lies the golden zone for values-based action — and a 500% productivity boost.

    When you trust your environment, yourself and your team, you unlock psychological safety and a shift towards a values-driven culture.

    Values as habits

    Your values should be actionable. Instead of words describing desired traits, they should be an identity you believe in. For example, if you value kindness, your identity is: I am a kind person. Now, what does a kind person do? Simply, they treat others with respect, care and compassion.

    So we proceed to build micro-habits around this identity. Start with what you can achieve in 60 seconds or less. Prepare your environment by leaving strategically positioned cues or reminders. As a kind person, I might choose gratitude as a micro-habit worth implementing. So I set a reminder at 4 p.m. every day to reach out to one person in appreciation, care or support. With repetition, this is embedded in my operating system as a habit. I consistently send positive ripples across my circle of influence. I’m becoming the person I aspire to be through targeted, decisive and practical action.

    We are the sum of our habits. Even a company value like innovation requires a web of supporting practices, ranging from vitality to goal-setting. Leaders valuing innovation need to allocate space for it to emerge. Habits such as relaxation, which shifts us out of fight-flight mode, contemplation and play will support innovation.

    Follow a phased approach, upscaling the habits that work. Build rhythm in your work and life.

    Related: The 8 Values Every Company Should Live By

    Conclusion

    Instead of espousing aspirational values, lead with values-based behavior. You’ll transform yourself, your team and your business one micro-habit at a time.

    Remember that the most significant risk to values is distress — so stay calm. Be the change you wish to see in your organization. Nurture your values flame so that you burn bright instead of burning out. Light the way, and your team and culture will follow.

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    Bradley Hook

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  • 7 Secrets of Truly Successful Personal Brands

    7 Secrets of Truly Successful Personal Brands

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The choice to launch your brand is noticeable. But creating a solid brand is essential. Authenticity, consistency, initiative, confidence, courage, and time are required to complete everything.

    Personal branding is not a thing to do because social media says so. Today it’s an essential element in your communication strategy, used by not only famous and influential people and big businesses but also every individual that wants to be seen, heard and ultimately valued.

    Globally, everyday people are already creating their own brands. The corporate branding machine enslavement is too much, so many professionals are leaving employment. It is crucial to build your brand authority because other than leading to commercial and reputational opportunities, it’s also positive for your self-expression.

    Better clientele, industry recognition and financial gains result from it. Due to declining trust in our institutions, customers trust individuals more than businesses; therefore, you should concentrate on establishing your personal (and business) brand as part of your elevation strategy.

    Check out these seven personal branding success secrets:

    1. Find and curate your “A-Team”

    A new brand’s path can be pretty tricky and resemble an endless race of overcoming technical, emotional and personal obstacles. A key component of overcoming these obstacles is finding and building a solid team that shares your vision and mission.

    Co-founders, workers, advisers, consultants, mentors, coaches and even dependable family members may be a part of your team — link your team selection to your values and ideals and favor compatibility above competence.

    Related: I’ve Interviewed and Hired Thousands of People. Here’s What to Keep in Mind Before Offering the Job.

    2. Tap into future trends and needs

    Adapting based on future trends and customer needs is pivotal because the world is evolving daily. For example, if Jeff Bezos tried setting up an online bookstore today, he would most possibly fail miserably. However, his foresight to know what customers need drove Amazon to a global ecommerce store today. Timing is everything!

    Likewise, knowing the market’s future can help your brand make the right moves and become successful. But it doesn’t imply it’s impossible to foresee how the corporate world will develop. What matters most is how analytically sound you are and how well-equipped you are to anticipate future events.

    Even though it won’t always be exact to a tee, this will give you a solid idea of where things are going. Making assumptions about future trends carries some calculated risk, but staying safe will never help you or your brand grow.

    Related: Looking for a New Business Idea? Here’s How to Identify What People Really Need

    3. Unlearn outdated trends to make way for the new

    For a brand to flourish, it is vital to unlearn in business. We can only build something fresh and distinctive if we let go of our outdated attitudes and practices—discovering a new project or closing a transaction with unexpected customers results from curiosity.

    Unlearning is a systematic strategy to advance and overcome barriers one at a time.

    Entrepreneurship success is composed of 20% learning and 80% unlearning. Remove the restrictive presumptions to make room for helpful information.

    4. Think fast for solutions and act fast

    One of the secrets to a great brand is having the capacity to think and respond quickly. Since environmental issues are worsening, the brand must move soon, seek eco-alternatives and sustainable solutions that reduce their adverse effects, and convey the concept of conscious living to the next generation as quickly as possible.

    Simply acting quickly and moving quickly to find answers can give you a competitive edge. If you are not in a technology-dominant business-like distribution, manufacturing, or something not typically controlled by technology firms, your rivals are probably advancing slowly. We must make many daily decisions, but some are more crucial than others.

    For example, eating is essential, but whether you choose a salad, chicken or a Big Mac is less important at the moment. You can think more rapidly if you can swiftly pick what to eat. Even if your choice weren’t the best, the effects would be minimal in the short term.

    5. Be adaptable and flexible

    Being an entrepreneur entails weighing possibilities and dangers equally. This will help you create a distinct brand and ensure its long-term survival and competitiveness. Many new brands tend to concentrate on a single item or service.

    Meanwhile, they frequently need to see the value of brand creation right away. Startup brands often think that the benefits of their products are evident and that the brand can speak for itself. You can only place that much faith in some potential consumers.

    You must include the development of your brand skills in your content strategy and make sure that the visuals reflect this.

    You must evaluate new items in light of your company values as you grow. Check to see if your objectives are compatible, and if not, make any necessary modifications.

    6. Become an autodidact

    After college, education for most people typically comes to an end. However, your reputation will continue to rise if you develop a passion for studying and being an autodidact.

    However, in this day and age of information overload and many online distractions, being an effective autodidact can be taxing. Therefore, staying focused on your mission is more crucial than ever.

    Some people contend that the age of the autodidact, or self-directed learning, is currently upon us. After all, the internet is brimming with tools for self-learning that you can utilize to build your brand. However, beware that some may lack substance and are merely shiny bells and whistles.

    Related: 6 Little-Known Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs

    7. Be street smart

    Being “street smart,” or able to foresee and handle unexpected everyday business issues, is generally seen as a crucial ability for brand owners and entrepreneurs.

    Most investors claim to be able to spot this capacity when they see it, but the experience is necessary to describe it. To be a street-smart person, you need to comprehend your brand’s surroundings or condition well.

    You are consciously aware of your surroundings. Moreover, you can see what’s happening around you even when you can’t see it. You can form opinions about the situation based on lived experience, the environment and the people in it, giving you the confidence to put your faith in these opinions.

    Related: Are You ‘Intelligent’ Enough to Be an Entrepreneur?

    Conclusion

    To succeed at personal branding, you must be a brand new, evolving you. In a world full of imitators, be genuine and authentic to yourself.

    Authentic personal branding is more than simply self-promotion and marketing commonly seen online. It focuses more on making a courageous difference in people’s lives and inspiring them to live better lives. It can also be about inspiring humanity to do good. After 33 years in this game, I believe and practice that “doing good” is all possible.

    You must invest time and effort to be the “go-to” authority in your chosen area. All things worth doing must be done well; therefore, it’s better to make the most of that time and effort!

    Applying the seven tips above will help you create an authentic personal brand that is true to you and enjoy the success that will inevitably follow.

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    Jon Michail

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  • Is Remote Work Responsible for Quiet Quitting?

    Is Remote Work Responsible for Quiet Quitting?

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    By now, just about everyone has heard of the term “quiet quitting.” It emerged in March 2022 and refers to doing the bare minimal tasks of your job description well enough that you don’t get fired. The concept quickly went viral on TikTok.

    Yet it only started to gain traction as an issue of concern among business leaders when government data on productivity released in August 2022 showed a sharp and unexpected drop in Q1 and Q2 of 2022. Soon after that worrisome data point in August, Gallup released a survey in early September indicating that as many as half of all Americans may be quiet quitters, further exacerbating business leadership concerns about this problem.

    Many traditionalist leaders rushed to attribute this drop in productivity and rise in quiet quitting to remote work. For example, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink attributed the drop in productivity to remote work. He called for requiring employees to come to the office to address this problem.

    Yet the claims of traditionalists don’t add up. If quiet quitting and the resultant drop in productivity stemmed from remote work, we should see a drop in productivity right from the start of the pandemic, when office workers switched to remote work. Then, when offices opened back up, especially after the Omicron wave at the end of 2021, we should see productivity going up as workers went back to the office from early 2022 onward.

    In reality, we see the opposite trend. U.S. productivity jumped in Q2 2020 as offices closed, and stayed at a heightened level through Q4 2021. Then, when companies started mandating a return to office in early 2022, productivity dropped sharply.

    Related: Employers Should Fear The Truth Behind Quiet Quitting. Here’s Why.

    So what explains the drop in productivity associated with quiet quitting?

    According to Ben Wigert, director of research and strategy for workplace management at Gallup, forcing employees to come to the office under the threat of discipline leads to disengagement, fear, and distrust. Gallup finds that “the optimal engagement boost occurs when employees spend 60% to 80% of their time — or three to four days in a five-day workweek—working off-site.” The Integrated Benefits Institute found in an October 2022 survey that employees who work remotely or in a hybrid environment reported being more satisfied (20.7%) and more highly engaged (50.8%).

    No wonder, then, that mandates forcing employees to come to the office results in quiet quitting. Disengaged workers aren’t productive. That’s especially the case if they’re looking for a new job. The career website Monster reported that two-thirds of survey respondents would quit rather than return to the office full-time. Not surprisingly, many of those who are forced to return to the office start polishing their resumes and meeting with recruiters.

    How to solve quiet quitting in the mandated return to office?

    When I show this data to my consulting clients, they often ask me what they can do to address this problem. First of all, I remind them of a joke from the famous comedian Henny Youngman: “The patient says, ‘Doctor, it hurts when I do this.’ The doctor says, ‘Then don’t do that!’” The best approach for the future of work is a flexible team-led approach, where team leads make the call on work arrangements that serve the needs of their team. Team leads know best what their teams need, including how to maximize productivity, engagement and collaboration.

    However, often it’s not so easy. They might be facing an intransigent Board of Directors, or the rest of the C-suite might be united in demanding employees return to the office for much or all of the workweek. What then?

    In that case, I help them figure out best practices for returning to the office that minimizes quiet quitting concerns. You might imagine that it’s as simple as paying people more. And indeed, a conversation about compensation should always accompany a return to office initiative. For instance, research by Owl Labs suggests that it costs an average of $863 a month for the average office worker to commute to work versus staying at home, which is about $432 a month for utilities, office supplies and so on.

    Related: You Should Let Your Team Decide Their Approach to Hybrid Work. A Behavioral Economist Explains Why and How You Should Do It.

    What I find works best is to pay for fees associated with specific office-related costs, rather than a general salary increase. Thus, pay the commuting costs of your staff: IRS per diem for miles traveled, public transport fees and so on. Pay for a nice catered lunch. Pay for their dry-cleaning costs.

    Such payments help address the initial discontent and reduce the attrition typically associated with the mandated office return. But they don’t address the quiet quitting resulting from people coming to the office and doing the same thing they would at home — except with a two-hour commute.

    An October 2022 survey by Slack found that many knowledge workers who are required to go back to the office are spending up to four hours on video calls. Slack’s head in the U.K., Stuart Templeton, said that employers risked turning their offices into “productivity killers,” since “making a two-hour commute to sit on video calls is a terrible use of the office.”

    That’s the kind of thing that leads directly to quiet quitting. We know that people are much more productive on individual tasks that require focus at home. The survey by Slack confirmed this impression: 55% of respondents preferred to do “deep work” at home, and only 16% cited the office as a better place for deep work.

    Instead, the office should be a place for socializing, collaboration and in-depth training, especially for newer employees. To address socializing needs, it’s valuable to organize fun team-building exercises and social events as staff come back to the office.

    To facilitate collaboration, it’s important to consider how in-office staff works together with those working from home. A number of my clients have staff who come in on different days of the week, requiring x. To facilitate such collaboration of in-office and remote staff, it helps to provide virtual office environments, which put both kinds of workers on an equal playing field. Likewise, it’s imperative to improve audio-visual technology (AV) to facilitate hybrid meetings to enable effective collaboration.

    There’s no replacement for face-to-face experiences for in-depth training around soft skills, such as effective in-person communication, conflict mediation and resolution, and ethical persuasion. My clients find that if they offer valuable training regularly once their employees return to the office, there’s a reduction in quiet quitting and a boost in employee engagement and productivity.

    Finally, we find it’s valuable to help staff address burnout as part of the return to the office, such as by providing mental health benefits. In a late 2022 Gallup survey, 71% of respondents said that compared to in-office work, hybrid work improves work-life balance and 58% reported less burnout.

    While a mandated return to office will inevitably lead to some quiet quitting and loss in productivity, smart leaders can ameliorate this problem using best practices. Focusing on helping employees socialize, collaborate, and get great professional development and mentoring, and thus showing them the value of the office, will reduce quiet quitting and boost performance.

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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  • How the Potential Rail Strike Points to an Era of Employee Power

    How the Potential Rail Strike Points to an Era of Employee Power

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Economically catastrophic railroad shutdowns that we narrowly avoided last September have returned with a vengeance. Unions and freight rail companies are once again at odds over poor working conditions. One of the workers’ key points is simply wanting to attend pre-scheduled medical appointments without incurring penalties for missing work.

    In a different industry, Apple employees are petitioning the company to rethink its return-to-office policies. The petition argues that requiring in-office attendance ignores Apple’s stated diversity goals and doesn’t take the circumstances of each individual into consideration. In other words, Apple employees believe the policies suit the needs of the company more than they do the needs of the workers.

    These important labor developments — together with the Gen Z phenomena of “quiet quitting” — make it clear we are in an era where employees now have extraordinary leverage when it comes to how businesses are run.

    In this environment, it is very difficult to run a successful business of any kind without prioritizing the employee experience (EX). This new paradigm is a significant shift from the business management of the recent past, which stressed that the customer experience (CX) was king.

    As companies look to the future, navigating the employee experience era may mean overhauling everything from basic benefits to the board of directors. But the businesses that thrive will honor the leverage employees have and focus first on their needs.

    Here’s how business leaders need to address these challenges.

    Related: What the Great Reimagination Means for the Future of Work

    Consider how your company is structured

    Every company should have someone with decision-making authority managing human resources and empowering EX as a priority. In an increasing number of organizations, this might even be someone on the board of directors.

    The number of new board members with HR backgrounds has risen from 6% to 11% over the past three years, according to the National Association of Corporate Directors. At the same time, a significant number of HR leaders (61%) now report directly to the CEO or president, with 23% reporting to the CFO or COO.

    These numbers point to the growing importance of securing HR expertise at a high level, a trend that should continue to explode in the coming years as we settle deeper into the EX era. Forward-looking companies must have experienced leaders to help build programs and address needs.

    The financial impact of these developments can hardly be overstated. A 2020 report from PwC pointed to talent as the largest investment for major companies, estimating that as much as 85% of expenses are dedicated to the company’s own people.

    The influence of employees on virtually every aspect of a company and its decision-making is growing. Raising the level of importance leaders grant HR and empowering them to implement EX programs will help companies sustain growth and remain competitive.

    Related: Unionizing Isn’t the Only Way to Restore Workers’ Bargaining Power

    Build the necessary feedback channels to understand and respond to what your employees need

    The examples of railroad workers and Apple employees pushing back against company policies are noteworthy, in part, because solving each problem is an EX need, but requires a vastly different approach. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for either challenge.

    It’s not a surprise that workers react when they feel like they are not being listened to, not paid enough or are harmed by bad policies. For years, people have left jobs, gone on strike or slacked off at work in response. The difference now is the power of their voices — amplified by social media, in many cases.

    As is the case with the railroad workers, it’s clear that benefits must evolve and change. Freight rail companies are operating with decades-old policies in many cases. Taking the time to gather employee feedback and addressing those needs almost certainly would have helped avoid the potential for shutdown altogether.

    Acting on employee feedback is best approached with a sense of humanity on both sides. All employees — whether white or blue-collar workers — need to be cared for, enabled and supported.

    Related: The Great Resignation is Not Over. Employers Should Make Employee Experience a Top Priority Right Now, And Here Are 5 Ways To Do It.

    Continue to lead with a vision

    At the same time, creating a company culture dedicated to EX does not mean simply bending over backward to give employees everything they want. Although some leaders may worry about rank-and-file workers seizing power within their companies, EX is not simply giving in to every whim.

    The relationship between leaders and employees works best as a two-way street, especially as employee voices are being amplified in the EX era. Employers certainly need to listen to employees, but employees also must understand and be driven by the company’s mission.

    Customers and CX — which drove the previous era of business operations — are still critically important. Fortunately, the evidence for synergy between these programs is clear: When companies listen to their employees and create best-for-all programs based on feedback, those employees take care of customers. EX and CX measurements both rise.

    Ultimately, the EX era comes down to empowering people. Part of our corporate mission is to set people free to do great work. By listening to our employees, trusting them and providing a good experience, people are motivated by our mission.

    Creating good company cultures is no longer about ping-pong tables and nap pods. People want real improvements to their quality of life and to feel like their work matters to the company’s success.

    These desires mean there are no shortcuts to success when building good employee experiences. Leaders have to enshrine the importance of HR and EX within the top levels of the organization, they have to listen carefully to employee needs, build programs and share a vision that inspires the best work.

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    Brad Rencher

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  • How to Become More Resilient

    How to Become More Resilient

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Throughout my career, I navigated undeveloped markets within environments where things hadn’t been figured out, and the world didn’t yet understand what we were creating. My one saving grace has always been resilience.


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    Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, bounce back, then proceed, no matter what. It can be defined as the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape. (A recent study of 1,000 parents conducted by the PBS program, Thomas & Friends, ranked it #12 within the top 20 traits they most want in their children.)

    Resilience is the power of never giving up no matter what life swings your way.

    I was inspired by the epic career of Sir Winston Churchill at a young age, which can be summed up in one of his more famous quotes: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

    Related: How Does a Leader’s Mindset Affect the Office Environment?

    Staying the course

    The path to prosperity is often misunderstood, as when the going gets tough, many are not equipped to stand up to the test of time and quit before they reach their goals.

    Thomas Edison claimed his many wins were “10% inspiration and 90% perspiration”. My addendum would be that 90% of people give up when they’re just 10% away from success.

    The closer we get to breaking through, the harder it becomes, yet testing our spirit is part of the achievement process. If things were easy, it wouldn’t be worth the effort and our sense of achievement would be considerably diminished.

    Humans are incredibly intelligent, adaptable and resilient beings. Achieving your wildest dreams is just a case of just being passionate and determined enough to achieve those goals.

    These techniques may sound rudimentary, but if you learn to train yourself to overcome any hurdle and never give up until you reach success.

    David beat Goliath, Beethoven outshone his teachers and Galileo outsmarted his peers when the odds were all against them. Only with resilience did they all succeed to leave their legacies.

    Rebuilding your brain

    I learned of stick–to–itive-ness as a toddler, being scalded by hot water in an unfortunate accident and suffering the pain and heartache of that mistake for many years after.

    Difficult experiences in business were to follow. You name it? I’ve experienced it. It’s still impossible to imagine a time in my career when things were “easy”. That’s just not how it works.

    The benefit of struggle is that you learn and adapt and become wiser. Many give up along the way, which leaves more opportunities for those of us who are determined to reach our target.

    If I hadn’t failed so many times, I wouldn’t have realized how resilient I needed to be. Meeting challenges is part of the path to success. It’s how you deal with hardships and what you do to overcome them.

    As Albert Einstein put it: “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

    If you’re doing something new? Expect to make mistakes. If you hit problems? Simply work out how to overcome them. Resilience is the ability to beat every challenge and push through with your agenda.

    Related: 4 Ways to Use the Past to Capture Success

    Recording the process

    Write lists! This is the way I ensure that things from my brain are put on paper and actioned as a task list. I don’t recommend writing these lists in your phone, there is something physical about writing the tasks out and extracting them from your brain.

    Update your lists constantly, crossing off tasks that you have achieved and adding new tasks to achieve. Be organized and be determined. Every day complete a number of tasks on your list and cross them off. Do this every single day.

    Be an independent thinker and have enough self-confidence to stand up against the barrage of challenges and let-downs on the path to success. You need to believe in yourself before anyone else will believe in you. Confidence begets confidence.

    I work harder than anyone I know; this has always been my mantra. As Elon Musk puts it “Work like hell. I mean, you just have to put in 80-to-100-hour weeks every week. This improves the odds of success.”

    There is no such thing as a free lunch or something that comes easily. You will find in life things that come easy, go easy, or have a very limited shelf or value. Working hard brings personal satisfaction that is critical to a healthy body and mind and of course, entrepreneurial success.

    That being said, everything is a balance and it’s important to rest, sleep, eat and exercise as well, but whatever you do in life…work to be more determined and be more resilient.

    David showed Goliath the difference between a person who is resilient and a person who is privileged, and there is simply no competition.

    Related: 4 Ways to Capitalize on Being Your Own Worst Critic

    Resilience takes focus, resilience takes devotion, resilience takes passion and determination, but be assured, if you arm yourself with the power of resilience, no-one will be able to stop you from achieving your goals.

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    Jonny Caplan

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  • Creating an Organized and Productive Home Office That’s Cozy Too

    Creating an Organized and Productive Home Office That’s Cozy Too

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The two biggest challenges of working from home are undoubtedly concentration and organization. It is far too easy to become distracted by family demands, the beckoning view out the window, or the nearby refrigerator. And there are days when laundry duty seems more appealing than completing a long-overdue project.


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    The secret comes down to structuring your work-at-home environment in a way that makes you more focused and most productive. Here are some tips to help you design your perfect setup.

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    Jacqueline Whitmore

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  • How to Get Comfortable With Change and Build It Into the Foundation of Your Business

    How to Get Comfortable With Change and Build It Into the Foundation of Your Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Life in business is a never-ending series of ebbs and flows. The moment we learn to surf one wave, conditions change and we must paddle furiously to catch the next.

    Change is a constant, not a single passing event. As leaders, we need to prepare accordingly. No matter how high the swells or how many times we get knocked off the board, we can’t afford to take our eyes off the wave we’re on or those looming on the horizon. Great change leaders know how to live in the present and the future, they know when it is and isn’t appropriate to implement change, and lastly, they know how to embed change resilience into their organizations.

    Related: How to Become the Change-Enforcing Leader Every Company Needs to Scale

    Stay laser-focused on the now, but live in the future

    To be effective, leaders must learn how to distribute their focus between the present and the future. They need to be able to pour everything they have into the work at hand without losing sight of future goals and potential roadblocks. Every new CEO I’ve coached describes this duality as one of the most unnatural yet vital muscles to develop.

    Success requires aiming for the best-case scenario but preparing for the worst. This ability is crucial during times of crisis, distress or macroeconomic headwinds. When you’re prepared for anything that might happen tomorrow, you can focus intently on the work that needs to happen today.

    How to know it is time to change

    It can be tricky to identify when you need to make a change or what that change should even be. Balancing the evolutionary mandate for change with the human need for stability is paradoxical. If you change too much and too fast, your customer may lose track of your core identity. If you change too cautiously and too slowly, your customer may deem you irrelevant. Sometimes leaders can become so accustomed to change that they reflexively make changes without adequately assessing the situation.

    A leader I recently worked with wanted to blow up a well-constructed organizational design only a year and a half after implementing it. Had the leader not paused to assess, she wouldn’t have realized that the root cause of her frustration was competitive behaviors between divisions rather than the structure itself. As such, the most important thing a leader can do is take a metaphorical breath and do a proper assessment.

    While there isn’t a playbook that outlines all the reasons to change, there are some common indicators that, if present, should put leaders on alert. Here are three important ones:

    1. Growth has stagnated

    This is an area in which leaders must be vigilant and proactive — if you allow your growth to slow without intervention, you risk falling behind, sometimes never being able to catch up. That said, a business’s growth could stagnate for various reasons, and leaders shouldn’t jump to conclusions and rush to overhaul their entire company due to one slow month. Know that your “spidey sense” or CEO intuition is not enough. Check in with employees, pulse customers and utilize data to diagnose your market. Whatever surfaces from your analysis, if it is significant and within your control to change, you need to pounce on it.

    2. You see negative attitudes and behaviors

    There is no such thing as perfect or bad behavior. Negative attitudes will always pop up, but when those behaviors and attitudes take on a more regular presence, it’s clear that something is wrong. It could be as simple as a toxic employee or group of employees undermining the business. What happens if attitudes and behaviors become pervasively negative? There’s rarely a quick fix, but the change mandate is quite urgent because you have a cultural issue. Just as culture takes time to build or unravel, your intervention must be realistically phased over time and highly intentional.

    3. When disruptive threats emerge

    Competition can be healthy, pushing all to grow and expand their offerings. However, if you have diagnosed a threat beyond mere competition, this is a time for intensive thinking and bold action. Consider Facebook’s adaptation to Meta. After facing brand-damaging internal leaks, intense scrutiny from the public and a huge blow to their advertising business due to changes in Apple’s privacy practices, they rebranded to the name Meta and pivoted their long-term strategy to the Metaverse.

    Related: 5 Key Ingredients to Become a Successful Change Leader (and Home Baker)

    Build change into the system

    People crave stability in the workplace, so how can leaders create a culture that prepares employees to adapt and change as needed?

    A willingness to adapt begins with a strong foundation. Communicate your company’s mission, priorities and vision for the future with all employees. When your company’s purpose is clear, employees feel at ease knowing the foundation from which all change stems and can trust it is not arbitrary. Furthermore, they can quickly identify when something is not aligned with priorities and needs to be adjusted.

    From this foundation, create space for reflection, dialogue and learning. Bring in new perspectives and encourage (and fund, if possible) employee learning. Meet frequently to discuss your priorities, goals and visions for the future, ensuring all are in alignment and adjusting as new information comes in. At my company, we assess our business quarterly through board meetings and team-wide retrospectives. My executive team also meets annually for a team offsite to determine our strategy and ensure we are all aligned on priorities for the coming year.

    Related: How to Be an Adaptable Leader and Use Change to Your Advantage

    Strengthen your muscle for change

    Don’t let a day go by without asking if there is anything you need to change. What is your core focus, and what should you prioritize? Are there any future roadblocks you’re not yet seeing? Learning to balance these conflicting needs all at once is challenging — straddling the present and future requires immense cognitive and emotional energy. Yet, when you’ve navigated those waves and smoothly glided to the shore, I don’t think you’ll regret those aching muscles. You might turn around, ready and eager to get right back out there.

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    Jonathan Kirschner

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  • 4 Ways Black Diversity Leaders Succeed, and How Executive Peers Can Make Sure They Do

    4 Ways Black Diversity Leaders Succeed, and How Executive Peers Can Make Sure They Do

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In a previous article, I explored several reasons Black diversity officers struggle and how their CEOs can help. That opens the door to more straight talk about how the leaders themselves can step into their success and how their executive colleagues can be part of that success story.

    I focus on diversity leaders who identify as Black for three reasons: a majority of diversity leaders in America are Black, their Blackness matters and the opportunities they have are familiar to every diversity leader. At this point in history, inclusive leaders are learning to focus on race and keep other aspects of identity in view simultaneously.

    Let’s look at four ways you, as a diversity leader — or as one of your executive peers — can thrive in this vital role.

    1. Ensure that the Diversity Leader’s role is scoped and resourced for achievement

    The ‘DEI Why’ has to be clear and achievable. Yes, it’s crucial to have an aspirational vision for the work, but the successful DEI leader equips other leaders to build their point of view around DEI and lead more inclusively. When you are a high-performing Chief Diversity Officer, you lead a center of excellence that improves company results with talent and customers by reducing bias and generating opportunity.

    So your success as a DEI leader is at serious risk if soaring expectations for what you will achieve languish from a laughably small budget and insufficient sponsorship.

    The CEO and CHRO come in here, ensuring that the agenda, objectives, resources and metrics owned by the diversity leader are reasonable, impactful and communicated. Like any investment, the right team and an actual budget will produce returns.

    Every executive peer to a diversity leader should be asking a behavioral question: How am I substantively supporting our CDO’s success?

    Related: These Are the Biggest Blind Spots in Diversity Initiatives, According to 8 Women Experts

    2. The organization is investing in the Diversity Leader’s development

    Diversity leaders get to improve like every employee. The right commitment to a Black CDO’s growth includes two investments:

    • Business Savvy — Integrate the CDO into the business’s goals, challenges and budgeting core, certainly in policy development, key customer relationships and strategy building with the Board. Center DEI in the company by centering the senior diversity leader in how decisions are made and resources are assigned.
    • Competency Building — Every executive has room to grow. CDOs need active, personal guidance for establishing their brand, optimizing their strengths and minimizing their shortcomings. Black diversity leaders, in particular, require empathetic and honest feedback because white colleagues, in particular, may have been afraid to provide them with the right mix of praise and coaching for improvement. If you’re a white executive like me, commit to care and honesty to grow a relationship of trust with your CDO.

    3. The Diversity Leader relies on influence partners

    The critical context for executive success is peer relationship quality, especially for Black DEI leaders. If trust is “the making and keeping of promises over time and across differences,” and accountability is “behaving in ways that grow trust,” then it is no surprise that diversity leaders of every identity thrive when surrounded by high-trust relationships with their peers in senior leadership.

    You know you’re an influence partner for your CDO when you’re asking yourself two questions: How can I follow their expertise and leadership to become a more effective and inclusive leader myself? In what other ways am I supporting her success?

    One of my favorite metrics, especially if you are a black CDO, is the number of executives influence partners you enjoy.

    Related: 7 Ways Leaders Can Level Up Their DEI Workplace Strategy

    4. The Diversity Leader is disciplined about self-care and leads with an authentic voice

    I’m speaking directly to Diversity Leaders here: You know it’s going well when you’re not struggling to care for yourself, and people are listening to you. You succeed when work is not overwhelming, your voice and agency are growing, and your self-doubt finds little traction. Personal renewal is a challenge for every senior leader — for every adult human, for that matter — and the amount of energy you are spending to remember to care for yourself and then doing so is an excellent indicator of your efficacy as a DEI leader.

    To those who serve as an influence partner to a Black CDO in particular, I offer this: attend to their wellness as friends and colleagues. Are they taking vacations? Are they working 60 or more hours every week? Do you regularly hear them laugh? Are their teams hitting deadlines and generating good ideas? The pandemic is teaching us to lead with genuine empathy, and diversity leaders in your organization deserve as much honest care as you can.

    Related: Self-Care for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

    The senior diversity leader in your firm, and their team, embody and lead the organization’s commitment to DEI as a strategy to dramatically grow the company’s performance and character. If you’re in such a role, dial into your success factors, and deprioritize everything else. To focus like this, secure the support from those above you and a growing circle of your influence partners. And if you are a peer to a Chief Diversity Officer, you can play a key role in her success.

    When diversity executives thrive, the DEI initiative produces results for the business. So we need our CDOs to succeed. Each one of us can help that happen.

    Related: 5 Examples of Unconscious Bias at Work and How to Solve Them

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    Chuck H. Shelton

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  • ‘Don’t Break the Chain’ — One Entrepreneur’s Method for Achieving Any Goal

    ‘Don’t Break the Chain’ — One Entrepreneur’s Method for Achieving Any Goal

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    Here’s a simple technique for making lasting change.

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    Aytekin Tank

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