Category Archives: Leadership

Leadership

9 Revelations About Toxic Leaders

9 Revelations About Toxic Leaders

Image credit: Shutterstock

As a staunch supporter of corporate America, it gives me no pleasure to admit that some of the biggest jerks I’ve known in my life have been senior executives.

Wait, it gets worse.

I was one of them.

Yes, I’m afraid it’s true. Most of the guys I thought were jerks would probably say the same thing about me. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know who the real jerks were. Probably all of us.

If that’s not confusing enough, you should also know that some of the best people I’ve known were senior executives. Puzzle me that.

Under the best conditions, relationships are subjective and situational. When you add all the pressures of the corporate world with so much on the line, workplace dynamics between highly motivated and opinionated individuals with diverse personalities can get pretty darn complicated … and overheated.

Related: 10 Surprising Things Successful People Like

While a relatively high percentage of accomplished business leaders can be brash and ruthless, contrary to what you might think, it’s not all motivated by selfish greed and political posturing. A lot of it is normal conflict and competition, not to mention your average everyday dysfunctional behavior.

During my years as a high-tech senior executive, I learned some interesting things about top executives, including myself. And they just might come in handy, especially if you someday find yourself on the upper rungs of the corporate ladder. And don’t be too surprised if, someday, some of these revelations end up applying to you.

Absolute power does corrupt absolutely.

Yes, the old adage is true. If you give people absolute authority and don’t hold them accountable with airtight oversight, you can expect ugly things to happen. That’s not always the case, but the risk is way too high to risk it, if that makes sense.

Top execs can be loony, too.

I once read that about 20 percent of the population has been diagnosed with some form of psychological disorder. Personally, I think the percentage is much higher at the executive level. After all, it’s so much easier to be delusional when you’re actually on a pedestal. Forget executive coaches; CEOs would be better off with shrinks.

Big egos grow like bubbles until something pops them.

I’m sure this is something a good shrink could explain, but for some reason, executive egos naturally tend to expand to fill as much room as you give them. That is, until some event where their bubble gets popped in a very public and humiliating way, i.e., they get fired.

There is such a thing as evil genius.

When I was a youngster, I used to wonder why there were no James Bond-like evil villains in the world. Turns out there are … in the boardroom. They’re not just petty, vindictive, bullying, and manipulative. There is evil genius in some of their machinations. I know. I’ve seen it.

Nobody really walks on water.

While it’s true that going head-to-head with a powerful exec is usually a loser – especially if it’s your boss – there’s an old Japanese saying, “If you stand by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy float by.” Most dysfunctional executives eventually self-destruct. You can wait them out.

Related: 2 Lessons You Can Learn From Entrepreneurial Failure

Big executives lie big.

Former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson, Microsemi chief executive James Peterson, and former Broadcom SVP Vahid Manian all got caught for lying on their resumes. And I’ve actually seen top executives of public companies lie through their teeth like boastful little kids in board meetings. No kidding.

Success is its own worst enemy.

If they’re not grounded, success goes to people’s heads. The more successful CEOs are, the more they’re compensated, and the less oversight they’re subjected to, the more risks they will take. Eventually, their egos will write checks that reality can’t cash. I’m not making that up; there have been studies.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the boardroom.

I’ve worked with some of the most narcissistic, sadistic, toxic, ruthless, maniacal, small-minded, passive aggressive, backstabbing, sugarcoating, brown-nosing slime-balls you will ever have the pleasure of being targeted for extinction by. But then, that just comes with the territory.

Everyone is an a–hole some of the time.

Why can’t we all just get along? Because this enormous Petrie dish called life on Earth doesn’t work that way. When you think about how different we are, how screwed up our brains can get, and how out of hand the business world is sometimes, it’s hard to believe that anything gets done at all. But it does. God bless us, everyone.

Related: This Is Where Big Ideas Come From

Startups

Establishing credibility when you’re a young entrepreneur

Eliot Buchanan, Plastiq
Tags: Eliot Buchanan
Plastiq's Eliot Buchanan and Daniel Choi cofounded the company when they were 22.

Above: Plastiq’s Eliot Buchanan and Daniel Choi cofounded the company when they were 22.

Image Credit: ©2015 Jon Chomitz Photography

Getting a business off the ground is hard and often feels like one obstacle after another. You need a compelling idea. You need funding. You need customers. You need to learn how to market – the list of things you need is endless, but perhaps the most critical thing you will need is people to take you seriously. It can be hard to get that no matter your age, but as a young entrepreneur you will often be faced with more challenges establishing credibility with potential investors, your team and peers, potential partners and even your customers.

Don’t get me wrong. Everyone loves a young-entrepreneur success story, and it’s worth a brief mention that the founders of Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Walmart were all between the ages of 20 and 26 when they founded those iconic companies. But sometimes it takes a bit more effort for young entrepreneurs to get people to listen. Here are a few things I’ve learned on my own journey as a young entrepreneur about establishing credibility:

Credibility by Association

Building the right network of people is what I personally believe to be the most important ingredient in business, and the people you surround yourself with out of the gate will also drive others’ opinions of you.

I realize this sounds great on paper, but it’s also a chicken and egg scenario – how do you start piecing together a network until you have the credibility? In my view it boils down to three simple things – own what you don’t know, talk to everyone you meet like they have something to teach you, and do what you say you are going to do.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

One of the quickest things you can do as a young founder is work to become a subject matter expert because, unlike building your resume, it’s something within your control. So many aspects of starting a business require patience and timing, but your ability to learn absolutely everything you can about your industry can be accelerated quickly by sheer work ethic and hours put in (something the majority of young entrepreneurs are already good at). Proving that you know what you are talking about establishes a huge amount of respect because people will be confident you have done your homework.

However, it’s also critical to own what you DON’T know. One of the easiest ways to lose credibility is to come across like you believe you know it all. Seasoned professionals will see right through you, but if you approach people with humility and are open to what they can teach you, you will begin to foster a great network of allies and mentors.

Everyone Has Something to Teach

It’s estimated that 11,000 new business books are published each year (not counting self-published works), and while the jury is out on how effective they are, the overall message is clear – people want to share what they have learned. I’m not saying run out and buy all of these, or even to buy any of them, but if you approach every new person you meet with an open-mind and a genuine interest in what they do, the path they took to get there, and even go so far as to ask them pointed questions like, “what is the best business lesson you have learned so far?” I guarantee you will walk away with something valuable. It might be a specific takeaway you can apply to your entrepreneurial journey right away, it might be something that helps you down the road, or it might just be the start of a solid relationship to add to your network of credibility, but it’s all valuable.

Do What You Say You Will

It’s actually that black and white – if you say you are going to do something, do it. A lot of young entrepreneurs (myself included) are very ambitious in their thinking. This is frequently touted as one of the most positive traits of the young entrepreneur, and I made the mistake several times early on thinking that ambition alone would help me be taken seriously. That’s just not the case. People are obviously much more impressed when you have real progress to show and it’s clear that your ambition translates to reality. I’ve made this a golden rule in business and everyday life.

Embrace Your Age

As young entrepreneurs we sometimes face so much skepticism that it can be discouraging, but I’d encourage you to flip that thinking – be empowered by your age. Use the time to soak up knowledge both from your own research and by learning from everyone around you. If you ask smart questions, establish your network, and deliver on your promises, you will be taken seriously by your industry and your peers, no matter the age gap.

Eliot Buchanan is cofounder and CEO of Plastiq, which he launched when he was 22.

Startups

Why It Pays to Identify and Approach Mentors in the Professional ‘Cafeteria’

 

KELLI RICHARDS
CONTRIBUTOR
CEO at All Access Group

At times, the workplace “cafeteria” resembles a middle-school lunchroom, with heightened stakes and competitors striving for power in lieu of popularity. Who sits where, and why?

Related: How to Get the Most Out of Having a Mentor

It’s all rather intimidating. But engaging with the top of the food chain, or “managing up,” in your own company or industry is easier when someone trustworthy and approachable forges a trail first. For some professionals, this means engaging a mentor.

Before pursuing that relationship, however, confirm that your potential mentor is the master of his or her trade, with a great reputation, a proven record of success and a powerful, credible brand. The strongest mentors are fearless communicators with access to the power base of an organization. They’re visible to everyone, including the CEO. With connections to major influencers, a mentor can open doors to relationships and experiences that likely wouldn’t be possible otherwise — or would take years to develop.

Steve Jobs, a perfect example of this type of leader, was one of a handful of influential mentors for me. Although we didn’t seek each other out and came together by chance, Jobs, as a well-known innovator, greatly assisted me throughout my career.

Making the first move

An experienced mentor can help navigate political land mines by serving as a role model and sounding board to support a mentee’s success. Here are three tips for finding the right one:

  • Take advantage of an open door — or “open seat” — policy. When I worked at Apple, former CEO John Sculley made himself available at an open table in our cafeteria. Most people gave him a wide berth out of fear, but I wasn’t afraid to sit down and chat with him often. When Apple offered to cover the tuition for a two-and-a-half year MBA program, I was one of about 100 people chosen because my manager pulled out all the stops on my behalf. Sculley had the final say on who was chosen, which is one reason I sat down at his table — to thank him — and I still reach out to him today.
  • Be direct. Mentors sometimes choose protégés, but usually a person must be bold enough to approach an admired senior colleague and say, “I need a mentor, and I’d like it to be you.” High-level professionals don’t have time for beating around the bush. Be direct.
  • Seek out different — and seemingly contradictory — qualities in mentors. I’ve been fortunate to build mentoring bonds with not only Steve Jobs, but also consultant and speaker Alan Weiss and writer Alan Cohen. I consider Weiss and Cohen my bookend mentors; together, they deeply inform the way I work and live, and how I serve my clients.

Related: 5 Secrets to Finding and Working With a Mentor

Vetting a potential mentor involves listening to your gut reaction. After each interaction, note any emerging patterns and how the exchange felt. If your experience gives you a positive impression that this partnership could be mutually beneficial, chances are it will be a good fit.

Both Alans provide distinct kinds of support and help me tap into contrasting parts of my personality. While Cohen has taught me how to get in touch with my softer side and shown me how to help others see the best in themselves by identifying their strengths, Weiss has taught me how to reinforce my brand. With his guidance, I’ve sought to be a thought leader in my field, by creating a body of intellectual property with a unique voice.

These dynamic and complementary philosophies have helped me build a solid foundation for my work and define my career trajectory. Developing a positive mentor relationship that pushes you to grow outside your comfort zone can propel you forward, too, ensuring that you thrive — not merely survive — in the workplace cafeteria.

The weeding-out process in the workplace can unfold like an episode of Survivor. Hang out with the wrong crowd or miss critical unspoken cues and you risk getting voted off the company island. But the right mentor can offer a “path to immunity” and a faster track to success, to achieve the dreams that might otherwise dissipate amid self-doubt and cafeteria politics.

Related: What No One Tells You About Seeking A Mentor for Your Startup 

Leadership

Never Stop Growing. Here Are 3 Ways to Maximize Your Potential.

Never Stop Growing. Here Are 3 Ways to Maximize Your Potential.

MATT MAYBERRY
CONTRIBUTOR
Speaker and Maximum Performance Strategist. CEO of Matt Mayberry Enterprises

A major factor that inhibits so many people from achieving the success that they desire in life and business is thinking that there is no more room for growth or improvement. This thinking alone can do more damage than economic downtimes and many other circumstances that none of us want to come face to face with.

Here are three ways to help you maximize your potential:

1. Do an audit from the neck up. Change your thinking.

I put this as number one because if your thinking doesn’t change, then nothing else will ever change. If you’re not happy with where you’re at in life right now, the first place that needs a checkup is the quality of your thoughts.

Related: The 7 Gifts of Adopting a Personal-Development Mindset

The men and women that never tap into their full potential during their time here on earth usually possess a major thinking deficiency. Not only do they lack the quality of thoughts that it takes to become all that they can be in life, but they also completely neglect the importance of mindset development and how vital it is to treat the mind like a gold mine.

Each of us has genius within, but whether that genius is cultivated comes down to what takes place on a daily basis from the neck up. The first step towards building a bigger future and maximizing your potential is to never limit what’s possible. People’s thinking and mindset get in the way of greatness more than anything else. If you want to change your life, first change your thinking.

2. Be a fanatic about becoming a lifelong learner.

Don’t be like most people. Most people stop learning the second they are finished with a formal education. Most people don’t have a personal-growth plan to how and when they are going to grow each month. Most people get stuck in their old ways and will continue to get the same results over and over again until their time is over.

If you’re serious about maximizing your potential and becoming all that you can be, devote yourself to becoming a lifelong learner.

Read great books in your field, listen to audiobooks while in the car, enroll in online classes and constantly search for ways to expand who you are as a person. Becoming a lifelong learner is one of the best decisions that you can ever make. Thinking you know it all or that there isn’t any room for growth is a major barrier that will forever trap you in the current space that you are operating out of.

Related: Keep the Rookie’s Zeal No Matter How Far You Go

Those who truly believe they have reached their capacity in life and as a person never take the time to invest back in themselves and become lifelong learners. Don’t let that be you.

3. Build a winning team around you.

Great organizations and the leaders within those organizations understand that people matter. A great CEO knows that his or her organization can only become great if the employees of that organization are striving, growing and looking for ways to become great as well.

The same thing applies to your life as well. We as people can only become as great as the people around us. A surefire way to maximize your potential is to associate and be around winners — the men and women who are doing it at a level that you aspire to operate out of.

I encourage you to create a list of the men and women who are on your personal team. Next to each name, write down whether that person is really helping you to grow and get to where you ultimately want to go.

A lot of us, including myself, get so caught up in our hectic schedules without ever analyzing our inner circles. If you’re anything like me, I’m sure you’ll be able to find one or a few people who no longer serve your greater good. Building a winning team around you is an absolute must if you are going to maximize your potential and become an uncommon achiever.

When we stop looking and searching for ways to grow, that’s when our potential and achievement levels become stagnant.

Related: Do You Have Toxic People in Your Life That Are Limiting Your Potential?

Leadership

Want to Motivate Your Successors? Play ‘Follow the Leader,’ Not ‘Simon Says.’

MATTHEW ARRINGTON
CONTRIBUTOR
Executive Director and Co-Founder Forte Strong,

October 02, 2015

Childhood games are so ingrained in our memories as fun experiences that we forget why we played them in the first place. For example, “Simon Says” seeks to teach children self-control, teach the importance of following directions and establish respect for an authority figure.

Related: The 10 Biggest Motivation Killers and How to Fix Them (Infographic)

Unfortunately, “Simon Says” falls woefully short in advancing children’s development, because it fails to harness their inner motivation. The essence of this game is to mindlessly follow Simon’s orders — no questions asked — because Simon said so. But “Simon Says” is a game better suited for molding unmotivated (but obedient) drones, not the leaders of tomorrow.

It’s certainly not the way you want to train your successors — at work or at home.

As a leader, if you find that your task-delegation style is limited to “the boss says,” you owe it to those following in your footsteps to work on boosting your motivational strategies. Ideally, your role as leader is to not only ensure that your followers are performing well, but to understand why they need to perform well and to have the desire to up their game.

The takeaway: You shouldn’t be playing an endless workflow game of “Simon Says”; you should be motivating your successors with “Follow the Leader.”

Lead by example to set the tone.

The best way to utilize your leadership skills, to motivate your employees, your children or anyone else who looks up to you is to set the right tone in everything you do. You have to understand that their roles depend on their assumption that you know what you’re doing. You have to exude confidence and moxie in everything you do.

A great example of a leader who was a master of motivation was the famous Marine Lt. Gen. Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller. Puller is famously quoted as saying, “They’re on our left, they’re on our right, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us . . . they can’t get away this time.” His poise and brash confidence gave his troops peace and purpose in even the most psychologically demanding environments.

Though it’s unlikely you’ll ever have to lead your successors into battle, here are two more more tips for motivating your “troops.”

Related: 5 Ways to Remain Motivated and Focused on Kicking Ass

Show vulnerability.

In his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni explained that the first dysfunction that prevents effective team building is the breakdown of trust. Trust must exist to strengthen any relationship; and to build trust, we must be vulnerable.

Being vulnerable is a way of exposing our proverbial underbellies, which encourages others to connect with us on a deeper level. It ensures that they understand how mistakes help us correct our direction and lead us to learn, grow and retain information.

Although most leaders want to be perfect in the eyes of those they lead, they’re not. Pretending to be a shining paragon of perfection would be a lie. You have to embrace your flaws.

Take the time to give attention.

Time is much more valuable than money. Money can be earned and duplicated, but time cannot. The more time you spend with your successors, the more they will remember your example.

In The 4-Hour Workweek, author Tim Ferriss discussed the concept that attention is what really gives time its value. You always have to be present when you’re taking the time to motivate and mentor. Putting down your smartphone isn’t enough — you have to ensure that your mind is focused on your companion, not the myriad things on your plate.

My own job revolves around motivating others and helping them discover their own purpose as they grow and put certain skills into practice. You’ll find — with your employees, your children or someone you mentor — that after every “aha!” moment they experience, life truly shows its meaning. It’s an unbelievably rewarding experience that leaves a lasting impact, which a life of “Simon Says” could never replicate.

Related: Lacking Motivation? Follow These Steps to Get Back on Track. 

Marketing

Is native advertising the answer to publishers’ ad-blocking problems?

Liz Farquhar, Winmo
skip ad 4
Image Credit: Shutterstock

This sponsored post is produced by Winmo. 

The topic of “ad-blocking” has escalated to a Donald Trump level of exposure in the media trades — especially after Google Chrome disabled the Flash Player plugin and Apple released iOS 9 with ad-blocking capabilities.

Of course, publishers and advertisers are now convinced that the “war on advertisements” is the beginning of the end, not just for advertising, but maybe even the entire Internet of Things. Scary thought, right?

Well, before you hunker down in your survivalist bunker and wait for Armageddon (or even if you are already reading this from your wifi-enabled shelter), there may be a mutually beneficial way to work with this ad-blocking dilemma — and it’s called native advertising.

The current state of ad-blocking for publishers and advertisers

In the past 12 months, global usage of ad-blocking technology has increased 41 percent, costing publishers an estimated $22 billion this year alone.

More than 198 million people are using some kind of ad-blocking software. Not surprising, 41 percent are Millennials 18-29 years old.

As consumers gain more power through technology, disruptive advertising becomes less popular and less effective — especially with Millennials. Even before users had the ability to block digital ads, they stopped paying attention to them all together. Basically, if an advertisement doesn’t contribute value or add to their Internet experience, consumers want nothing to do with it.

Case in point: even when display ads aren’t blocked, the average click-through-rate (CTR) for display ads across all formats and placements is .06 percent. Better yet, 50 percent of clicks on mobile ads are reportedly accidental. So…there’s that for ya.

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At this point, even trying to make the case for display ads as a “brand awareness” tool is a tall order. According to one recent study, only 2.8 percent of users reported seeing ads that were relevant to their interests. So, the audience targeting is even lacking effectiveness.

Just based on that data alone, it doesn’t really seem like that type of ad-supported business model was going to hold up much longer any way.

What is the native advertising opportunity?

By all accounts, modern publishers like Buzzfeed and Vox are not in the same sinking boat as established media players that rely heavily on revenue generated from display inventory.

Why is that? Well, because they have been capitalizing on the native advertising opportunity from the very beginning. Instead of relying on revenue from display ad inventory, savvy publishers are investing in native advertising strategies —

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which, as it turns out, is a win-win-win situation for everyone involved.

When done well, native ads engage target audiences with relevant, useful content. And since the entire goal of digital advertising is to attract, engage, and convert audiences, this strategy pays off for advertisers and publishers in the long run.

Of course, Buzzfeed is one publisher that has gotten tremendous results from native advertising. To capitalize on its 200 million visitors each month and 18.5 billion social media impressions, national advertisers pay upwards of $100,000per ad campaign.

And brands are jumping at the chance to invest in native ads with Buzzfeed because the the ROI is there. For instance, Purina experienced significant lift in visibility and won back favor with a lot of consumers when its sponsored video “Dear Kitten” generated more than 23.6 million views. Additionally, as one of Buzzfeed’s top viewed videos — both in terms of paid promotion and organic reach — that native ad will continue to serve as a very profitable piece of evergreen content that the brand can leverage for marketing campaigns in the long term.

Even though this is just an example of one publisher’s success with a brand campaign, that investment in native advertising has paid off in droves, which begs the question: Why not give it a try in your own business model?

How publishers can begin to combat ad-blockers

There’s no denying that ad-blocking software does present a lot of frightening scenarios for publishers and advertisers.

Luckily, there are also still many creative and innovative ways to work around ad-blockers and continue to drive actionable results for advertisers.

A good place to start would be to ask why ad-blockers are popping up like gangbusters and look for ways to win back favor with users before losing money from advertisers.

Liz Farquhar is Content Strategist at Winmo.

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Leadership

5 More Motivational Videos to Help You Succeed Today

5 More Motivational Videos to Help You Succeed Today
Image credit: Thomas Hawk | Flickr

Motivational videos can be a great, free tool to get you pumped up and ready for action. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is the guidance and motivation provided by mentors, leaders and others who have gone before you. Thanks to the Internet you don’t need to pay to listen and be taught by the greatest masters of motivation.

Here are five more motivational videos that will help you succeed today and the rest of your life.

1. Prove Them Wrong

This is a great compilation video featuring excerpts from top motivational speakers and businesspeople such as Tony Robins, Les Brown and Jim Rohn. If you’ve ever been told you can’t, or that you’re crazy — then this is the video for you.

Related: 5 Ways to Remain Motivated and Focused on Kicking Ass

Listen along to stories of others who have struggled and overcome all odds to succeed. All the great leaders of our time have been told by someone, at some point in their journeys, that they weren’t cut out for their dreams, but they did it anyway. Don’t let others dissuade you — prove them wrong!

 

2. Deserve More

This video starts out with speaker Rafael Eliassen asking you what the difference is between someone who wins in life and someone who loses. The video explores the idea that life responds to what we think we deserve, not necessarily what we want.

The whole premise to this motivational video is to want more for yourself and to want it so badly you know you deserve it, to fight for what you have and to work for what you deserve until you achieve it. It’s about perseverance and passion to get the life of your dreams.

3. You Can Live Your Dream

Watch and listen to this six-minute compilation put together by Video Inspiration and get pumped. Les Brown, Eric Thomas and actor Will Smith explain the qualities it takes and the motivation you need to live your dreams. It is possible and you can do it. You just have to be willing to fight for it and never give up. Watching this video can help reinvigorate you to keep going for that big dream!

Related: The Importance of ‘Showing Up’ Every Single Day

4. The Big Life Lessons

This video isn’t a compilation but rather an excerpt from a speech Steve Jobs gave about the biggest life lessons. Jobs talks about the news he got from his doctors when he was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Faced with death, he shares the ways that death makes life so much more important, urgent and incredible.

It’s an inspiring talk from a man who made an enduring legacy and will remind you to live now because death is the one thing we all share and experience at some point.

5. Where Do Good Ideas Come From?

This is a great, fast-paced video from bestselling author Steven Johnson trying to get at the root of the question of where good ideas actually come from. Johnson points out that we all want good ideas and have the desire to be more creative, so why don’t we have more good ideas and why are some individuals so good at prolifically cranking out great ideas?

Watch the video for some great motivation and insightful looks into idea generation. As Johnson points out in his conclusion, “With today’s tools and environment, radical innovation is extraordinarily accessible to those who know how to cultivate it.”

Related: How to Get Luckier in Business and Life

Startups

5 Ways Startups Build Priceless Cultures Without Spending a Cent

5 Ways Startups Build Priceless Cultures Without Spending a Cent

HEATHER R. HUHMAN
CONTRIBUTOR
Career and Workplace Expert; Founder and President, Come Recommended
Image credit: Andrew Rich Photography

In the job search market, employees have the upper hand — and they know it. In a 2015 survey of U.S. job seekers conducted by Jobvite, 45 percent of respondents were satisfied with their current jobs but were open to a new one.

Employees are on the lookout for better opportunities, and much of how they decide is based on company culture. Employees don’t want to leave workplaces with awesome cultures and will stay in a job that satisfies them professionally and personally.

Startups have some of the best and most innovative ideas when it comes to company culture. Here are some of the most interesting culture hacks to adopt from creative startups:

1. Celebrate creatively.

A major part of employee satisfaction is recognizing and celebrating employee achievements. Yet, a 2014 survey of employees from more than 500 U.S. organizations conducted by TinyPulse found that 79 percent of employees don’t feel valued at work.

Startups without a lot of extra cash have to find creative non-financial ways to appreciate and motivate their employees.

Experticity, the startup that created GoToMeeting and was sold to Citrix in 2003, built employee recognition into their culture with a large iron bell. The bell was installed in their kitchen, and anyone could ring it at anytime. The bell was meant to be rung for victories, large and small. An employee who rang it without a good reason had to buy breakfast for the whole team the next morning.

After ringing the bell for a valid reason, the employee would send an email to everyone in the company to explain why they rang it and announce the accomplishment. Although some feared the employees would see the bell as a cheesy gimmick, the bell brought genuine excitement to the office. The employees would rush back to their desks to read about and celebrate the achievement.

Creating a culture that celebrates wins, big and small, boosts morale and keep employees motivated and engaged without spending money.

Related: 10 Examples of Companies With Fantastic Cultures

2. Exciting rewards.

At the end of a long project, employees aren’t left with much. They move on to the next one with little fanfare. But at Palantir, a software company that specializes in data analytics, the end of each project is celebrated with a unique memento: a t-shirt.

Every month, the company releases a new version of their software. To commemorate the release, they produce a t-shirt with a unique design featuring the name of the new software. Employees treat these shirts as collectibles. They show how long an employee has been with the company, and allow everyone to remember and look proudly at their past work.

Employees know that, at the end of the month, their hard work will be rewarded. Small tokens of appreciation can be a big deal. Get employees excited about their own work and the overall accomplishments of the organization.

3. Build supportive teams.

An employee’s first day is overwhelming. There’s the stress of learning new information, and the awkwardness of meeting and getting to know a new set of coworkers.

Commerce Sciences, an A/B testing platform, eases the nerves of new employees with a welcoming tradition. The last employee who joined the team is responsible for creating a starter kit for the next new employee. There are no rules, and they use their creativity to fill the kit with jokes, books, coffee, nerf guns, and anything else.

The starter kits gets employees involved in the welcoming process and helps new employees feel connected and supported by the team from day one.

Great employees don’t magically translate to great teams. Create a culture where employees collaborate and support each other. Make employees feel welcome from their first day to better integrate them to the team and keep the team strong.

Related: 4 Ways to Establish a Strong Culture Without Sacrificing Startup Success

4. Integrate culture and mission.

Company culture is a direct reflection of the brand, and workplace values should relate to the company mission. For Maptia, a storytelling platform for travelers, creating a culture that reflected their mission meant moving their headquarters to another continent.

When the startup couldn’t afford to set up shop in the team’s hometown of London, they moved to a small beach town in Morocco. The move allowed them to better live the company’s mission to explore the world and share their stories.

The location was the perfect place to blend the startup culture with their everyday lives. During stressful times, they could easily relax by surfing, doing yoga on their rooftop, or cliff jumping. These fun activities became a routine part of their days, allowing them to live their mission and work hard at the same time.

There’s a lot of work that needs to be done at startups, so focus on a work-life blend, not balance. Achieving this blend requires startups to focus on what’s most important to their brand and their culture. Tools like The Good Jobs can help companies discover which cultural values are most important so they can focus their values.

Make those values central to the company culture — the company should live and breathe them.

5. Focus on communication.

Employees value transparent workplaces. In fact, a survey of 1,000 U.S. employees published in March by 15Five found that 81 percent of respondents would rather join a company that values open communication than trendy perks like gym memberships and free food.

Enplug, a digital display software startup, offers their employees open communication reddit-style. Every few weeks, the company holds an ask me anything session with company leadership. Employees submit their questions before the meeting and each one is answered and discussed in detail in a presentation.

Encourage employees to ask questions and share their thoughts, and make them feel comfortable doing so. Welcome new ideas and value their feedback to build a culture of communication.

Related: 3 Truths You Must Embrace to Lead Your Team to the Summit

Startups

Lessons From a 91-Year-Old Entrepreneur That Are Still Relevant Today

CLAY CLARK
CONTRIBUTOR
Founder of Thrive15.com

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with 91-year-old entrepreneur Jack Nadel to ask him how he has been able to achieve sustainable success in a wide range of industries over a 70 year span of time.

Nadel started his first business venture immediately after World War II and went on to found, acquire and operate more than a dozen companies worldwide that have produced hundreds of new products, thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in profits. Over the course of years, Nadel has also built up the Jack Nadel International multi-million dollar empire, a promotional merchandise distribution.

Because of his success, my seven-hour and three-day mentorship session with Nadel provided me with countless actionable and invaluable business tips, strategies and advice. Here are three particularly valuable lessons Nadel shared with me:

Related: 7 Management Lessons From a 7-Time CEO

Find a need and fill it.

Nadel stressed to me that finding a need and filling it is his best and most important advice. He explained to me that this advice applies to both product and service-based businesses, startups or giant corporations. “Success is in finding a real market need and filling it,” he said. Nadel pointed out that his adherence to this lesson has allowed him to enjoy success in multiple industries over the past 70 years while many other businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs around him were struggling or going out of business.

Don’t let your ego get in the way.

Nadel emphasized that in order to achieve massive success as an entrepreneur you must be receptive to coaching, know your numbers and do your research. He warned, “There’s nothing quite as exciting as a new idea, especially when you’re convinced the idea is worth a million bucks, or more, but watch out. Great ideas are rarely born fully formed, and a new idea is like a 2-year-old: loud, self-centered and completely without perspective.” Having consulted with thousands of entrepreneurs all around the world, this lesson really resonated with me, because I see egos getting in the way of most entrepreneurs every day.

Remember: the business idea or concept you are considering right now is not the first or last incredible business opportunity that you are going to come across. The billionaire success story Richard Branson was correct when he once said, “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.”

Related: Unlikely Lessons From Building a Multi-Million Dollar Social Business

Most successful entrepreneurs aren’t geniuses.

As a business consultant and the founder of Thrive15.com, I constantly run into people at conferences and in workshops who don’t feel like they are worthy of success, or have the mental capacity and the connections needed to achieve success because they are not geniuses. However, this is not the case. “Every generation will produce technology pioneers like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Elon Musk, who invent revolutionary new products and services,” says Nadel. “They seem to have a genetic pre-disposition toward genius, but for the majority of us, the non-geniuses, the best solution is still to be entrepreneurial, even if only to earn enough income to cover the difference between expenses and earnings.”

He went on to say, “I speak from seven decades of experience, which have provided me with knowledge that is invaluable in an ever-changing market. I’ve lived, learned and profited knowing that every down stroke has an upstroke, and there is money to be made in either situation.”

Whether you are a current entrepreneur or an aspiring one and regardless of what industry you are in, I encourage you to apply these three lessons to your own life and business.

Related: How Reflection Sets You Up for Success

Startups

How Startups Can Take Advantage of Netflix’s Early-Release Strategy

ELLIOT TOMAENO
CONTRIBUTOR
Founder of Astrsk

August 18, 2015

Netflix in June made a calculated decision to release the entire third season ofOrange Is the New Black early. Not only did this thrill the OITNB fan base and generate a ton of press coverage on the new season, but it also sent a powerful message: Netflix aims to please.

Entrepreneurs can enjoy these same advantages by making strategic decisions to announce or release products before the originally promised dates. Vital “go live” dates, including new website releases, product updates and even a company’s initial release are all prime opportunities for startups to excite customers, grab press attention and earn valuable feedback.

The trick is to release early, but wisely.

Related: Eliminate These 5 Words From Your PR Messaging

Netflix faces disadvantages in trying to reach large markets of potential viewers. So similar to a startup, it’s always searching for new ways to find the target audience.

By releasing the newest season early, Netflix advertised the show while reminding people that the company has a history of doing things differently, proving to customers that it doesn’t blindly follow tradition. Netflix gives fans the power to watch when and how they wish, which builds goodwill and makes customers feel special.

In the same vein, startups can grant certain customers early access to products. The opportunity to see what a company is working on behind the scenes builds excitement and is often perceived as a reward.

In the public-relations game, the brand that comes out first often makes the biggest splash, but how can a startup carry that momentum forward? To make the most of an early release, follow these four tips:

1. Target the right customers.

Always keep the type of customer you want to attract in mind. Customers may view early-release products as half-baked, so it’s a good idea to target a specific audience with the highest potential for conversion. If conversion doesn’t occur, a strategy shift has to follow quickly.

A clear focus is critical. Who do you want to give this to, and what kind of feedback do you want from them?

2. Request feedback.

Let people in early to play around through a direct invitation. Reach out to certain individuals, and tell them, “You’ve been invited to join our VIP beta-testing group prior to the official launch.”

Related: 5 Tools Every PR Pro Should Be Using to Measure Storytelling Efforts

Also consider creating a waitlist or another way for people to sign up. Engaging early adopters offers significant benefits because these test customers using the product in the real world can provide priceless feedback. Even when a firm is more interested in testing server load time than receiving feedback, asking for it every step of the way makes participants feel valued.

3. Don’t fight expert opinion.

If people feel like they’re part of the platform, they’ll be more forgiving of its flaws and will put more effort into improving it. Don’t fight their opinions. Practice strategic vulnerability. Even if the experts are wrong, simply thank them. This will build trust with early customers and can enhance potential press.

4. Connect with the media.

Attracting press isn’t always the goal of an early release, but it’s a good way to get the media interested in the platform sooner. Don’t try to emulate successful early releases launched by other companies such as Mint or Mailbox – a newsworthy early release must be unique.

Of course, an early release isn’t appropriate in some situations. Physical products that require testing should be released to the press first to ensure adequate coverage. If the product is new and innovative, it’s counterproductive to alert competitors. And finally, an early release is too risky for any project with uncertain development timelines.

For the right product or announcement, however, a strategic early release can work wonders.

If the success of the OITNB release has proven anything, it’s that startups don’t have to cling to traditional release structures. In fact, breaking those norms can result in more press, buzz, feedback and, most important, happy customers.

Related: 4 PR Strategies You Should Be Using Right Now