How will you add your spark?
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks rejected the bus driver’s order to give up her seat in favor of a white passenger. Rosa refused. She was arrested for civil disobedience in violating Alabama segregation law. This refusal was a spark that added to the growing fire burning …
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Why you should rock the boat
The absence of psychological safety can show up in different ways. Acting “professionally” can be a social filter that doesn’t match reality. And if you’re in a toxic work culture, it can be a damaging filter. It can mean not calling out the elephant in the room. It can mean …
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Let’s not kill ESG with politics
Making a topic political in the United States doesn’t result in constructive dialogue. Political polarization usually guarantees that intelligent debate dies. We start arguing over identity, instead of discussing the topic. (Find out why in this great article, written by my husband, Ozan Varol.) Unfortunately, ESG (environmental, social, governance) got …
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Life’s tango. Want to dance?
I love to rewatch old movies. Movies become a beautiful mix of the familiar and surprise once they’ve hit that magical place where it’s been long enough that I don’t remember much of the storyline. Recently, I rewatched Father of the Bride, a Steve Martin film with the perfect balance …
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The best way to crush psychological safety
“We’re cutting 60% of the workforce in one month.” That message was delivered to a friend during a company town hall meeting. Each person sitting there suddenly knew it was more likely that they wouldn’t have a job in the near future. Fast forward 1 month. “Arrive at 8:00 am …
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Public Benefit Corps, B Corps and ESG…oh my!
Let’s take a moment to talk about two symbiotic relationships to an Environmental, Social and Governance (or ESG) strategy: B Corporations (B Corps) and public benefit corporations (or PBC’s). Neither is needed for a strong ESG strategy that sets your company apart as an industry leader. But they can be …
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The search for meaning and purpose is fundamentally human
To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace. To win in the workplace, you need to understand what employees today value. The Global Pandemic sparked the Great Resignation. What each of us expects from our careers has changed. In order to attract, retain, and engage the …
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Backlash against greenwashing
Greenwashing is misleading information by an organization to present an environmentally responsible image to the public. In other words, lying about sustainability practices or impact. In years past, the consequence of corporate greenwashing was consumer backlash resulting in negative publicity. This bad publicity might embarrass leaders and pressure them to …
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How to execute a business turnaround
I joined adidas in May 2013. In retrospect, it was the worst time to join the company. Growth for the brand had plateaued. We were balancing on a cliff, and about to take a nose dive. The corporate atmosphere went from comfortable complacency to active discomfort. As sales plummeted so …
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Business failure or leadership failure?
If a company cannot provide its employees a living wage, then it’s a clear market indicator that company should not be in business. I do mean living wage. Not minimum wage or the lowest wage someone will accept, but a living wage which is defined as the minimum income necessary …
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