How a business handles customer service interactions increasingly defines its online reputation, yet, according to our recent survey that gives a list of the best and worst customer service brands, many are still getting it wrong. Brand reputation and online image can draw new customers or deter them, therefore we all need to be asking, “how do we get customer service right?”

As we head into the first quarter of this new year, it’s important to kick off with a strong foundation. For me, that means taking stock of my leadership influence—specifically, how am I developing myself to this high calling of leadership? While most people evaluate their leadership based on their management skills, leadership requires more than just being a proficient manager.

I read an article recently about how more than sixty percent of people that are promoted into a position of leadership—leading people, teams, groups—have never had any type of leadership training.

A glance at the day’s headlines reveals a universal truth: Leadership matters. Whether uplifting and ethical or toxic and abusive, leaders profoundly shape our lives. And this is especially true on the job. Research consistently shows that leadership influences employees’ attitudes, behaviors and emotions, driving key organizational outcomes such as creativity, employee engagement, well-being and financial performance.

A friend reached out to me last week with a problem. He took on a new job a few months ago, but he’s also building his own business on the side and will likely leave in time—something he was clear about with his employer from the beginning. Here’s where things get tricky: He wants to start posting more content about his business on LinkedIn, but he doesn’t want to upset his employer, who may see his posts.

Empathy has become a cornerstone of effective leadership. Leaders are expected to be emotionally intelligent, actively listen to their teams and create inclusive work environments. However, this increased emotional labor comes at a cost: empathy burnout. Unlike traditional burnout, which stems from excessive workload, empathy burnout is an emotional exhaustion that results from prolonged exposure to the struggles, emotions and challenges of others.

Not long ago, two colleagues and I found ourselves in an online meeting, cornered by three wildly overzealous sales professionals. They were selling a tool my company was evaluating, and their pitch behavior was so bizarrely unhinged, I half-expected Lorne Michaels to walk in and yell, "Cut! Great rehearsal, everyone!"
Imagine two colleagues and me, being bombarded with obvious, leading questions delivered with over-the-top enthusiasm from a group of aggressive salespeople.

Do you understand your customer?
If you’re running a sales organization worth its salt, we know you do. And are you well-informed on the challenges your buyers are facing? We bet you’re doing your best to keep up.
But is your sales organization equipped to keep up with these client changes—which we know are making the sales cycle longer, more complicated, and more transactional for most businesses?

How a business handles customer service interactions increasingly defines its online reputation, yet, according to our recent survey that gives a list of the best and worst customer service brands, many are still getting it wrong. Brand reputation and online image can draw new customers or deter them, therefore we all need to be asking, “how do we get customer service right?”

For many small business owners, the word “sales” can make you cringe. If that’s you, it’s time for a mindset shift. Too many business owners, especially women, view selling as something pushy, awkward, and even sleazy. But the truth is that sales is the lifeblood of your business. Without sales there is no revenue, and without revenue there is no business. Millionaire entrepreneurs embrace sales.

“I’ve hired a team of stars, but I really need them to work like a constellation,” a CEO once said to me. It’s a great line and captures a frustration I’ve heard so often over the last 20 years of coaching the world’s top teams. This particular CEO did what most leaders think impossible: he was chasing down a moonshot 10x growth goal while freeing up 30% of his time. The breakthrough came when he realized that despite hiring exceptional talent, his hub-and-spoke leadership style was creating a bottleneck.

How good are you at decisions? Here’s how to up your game. Making decisions is a key function of leadership. Leaders must make complex decisions that affect the lives of their teams, businesses, and communities. Expertise in the fine art of making decisions can empower you to make good ones while creating a culture that fosters collaboration and innovation.

John was a talented engineer, quietly excelling in his role at a large tech company. His managers appreciated his efforts, but few saw him as anything more than a skilled individual contributor. That all changed when the company implemented a comprehensive leadership potential assessment program. To everyone’s surprise, John’s results revealed exceptional leadership traits—learning agility, tolerance for ambiguity, capacity to problem-solve, and strategic thinking.

Since the introduction of modern education systems, leaders have approached development as a series of chapters, or even a collection of short stories, rather than a lifelong learning journey that starts in infancy and continues through adulthood. Think about it. We all progress through early education, primary schooling and beyond, leading to various opportunities such as higher education, workforce entry, or skill development.

What are the key challenges for B2B marketers in 2025, and how are others looking to overcome them?

That’s the focus of the latest survey report from Sopro, which incorporates responses from more than 400 senior B2B decision-makers, along with data from 97.9 million emails, to provide some key notes and pointers to assist in your outreach strategy.

Your sales are down. You need an influx of new customers. Often the first step is segmenting your prospects into groups, whether by industry, product type, service type, or some other categorization. Then the marketing blitz begins. Maybe you create a special offer on a product. Or a discount for new customers. Or just put up some billboards to build general brand awareness. But the needle doesn’t move that significantly.

A couple of months ago, I visited a well-known establishment in Miami for dinner. Even though it was a regular weeknight — not nearly as busy as a weekend rush — I noticed one of the staff members seemed completely overwhelmed. The table next to me was making endless demands, and the employee was visibly stressed, trying to accommodate them all. Watching this unfold, I couldn't help but think: "Is this really how businesses should operate?"

In the fast-paced world of business, staying ahead of the curve is not just advantageous—it's essential. The market is in a constant state of flux, influenced by technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and evolving competitive landscapes. For businesses, this means that a once-effective sales strategy can quickly become outdated, risking the loss of market share and relevance.

In a crisis, the knowledge and experience of the people in the room is always smarter than any one single person in it. This collective, networked intelligence—what we might call “the wisdom of the room”—is a critical resource for teams navigating high-stakes, complex, rapidly adapting problems. However, the wisdom of the room is not something that teams can automatically use, especially during chaotic situations. Teams are often more productive and creative when they add cognitive diversity and include different skill sets, backgrounds, and perspectives.

While most of us accept that artificial intelligence isn’t going to take over the world just yet, there’s a growing recognition that businesses and their employees are going to have to adapt their skills pretty swiftly. According to the 2024 Global CEO Survey from consulting firm PwC, seven out of 10 CEOs believe that AI will significantly change the way their company creates, delivers, and captures value over the next three years. On the plus side, 41% believe it will increase revenue.

As hard as it is for me to believe, it’s been more than three decades since Stephen Covey wrote his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The book was a smash bestseller and had a positive impact on readers for many years after it was published. While Covey honed his list of habits down to just seven, there are many other things that highly effective people do to become successful. Here are 21 that you can put to work in your own life right now.