Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. One of the smartest leadership strategies I’ve ever seen involved coffee, toast, hash browns and grits.A client of mine was the only person of color on her company’s executive team. Like many executives, she understood that relationships shape careers. Yet the usual advice — golf outings, after-work drinks and exclusive networking events — didn’t fit her world. Rather than forcing herself into someone else’s playbook, she created her own.Once a month, she invited people from across the organization to breakfast. Administrative assistants sat beside project managers. Analysts shared a table with hourly…
Author: Staff Writer
Something rather extraordinary has happened in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has turned to China for help with Iran and the Houthis. Riyadh appealed to Beijing after the Houthis advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around Bab el-Mandeb, threatening the western route Saudi Arabia increasingly depends upon for oil exports. China then privately approached Tehran and asked Iran to use its influence to restrain the Houthis and prevent the conflict from spreading further across the region’s energy routes. Think about what has actually happened here. Saudi Arabia did not turn first to Washington to carry a message to Tehran.…
Key Takeaways Oatly gives its creative team an unusual amount of autonomy, allowing it to develop and execute its own briefs. The company intentionally avoids using a rigid brand book to maintain maximum creative freedom for its messaging. As a company gets bigger, creative risks often become harder. You’ll only remain sharp if you bake creativity into the structure of the company. When new creative employees join Oatly, the onboarding starts with a single instruction: “Unlearn everything you know about marketing.” According to Oatly creative director Michael Lee, that’s the only way to build a truly distinctive brand voice: You…
The Houthis have not technically seized the entire Red Sea, but that distinction is becoming almost meaningless for Saudi Arabia. Their forces have swept down Yemen’s western coastline, taking Mokha, Dhubab, the Hanish islands, and most importantly Mayyun, also known as Perim, sitting directly inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. They now control nearly the entire Yemeni coastline along the Red Sea and possess something far more valuable than territory. They have acquired leverage over one of the most important maritime chokepoints on Earth. This is becoming an economic nightmare for Saudi Arabia because geography cannot be negotiated away. The Saudis…
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Key Takeaways There isn’t just one correct way to build a successful startup, despite what conventional wisdom might tell you. Playing the long game, making teamwork part of my business strategy and saying “no thanks” to remote work helped make my startup, Jotform, a global success. Anyone thinking about launching a startup will quickly discover there are a lot of rules. Find a cofounder, raise venture capital and go to Silicon Valley — stat. If you want to succeed, you’d do well to follow the playbook, or else face total, humiliating failure. …
The situation in Yemen is deteriorating by the day. The United Nations now says more than 130,000 people have been driven from their homes this month as fighting intensifies following the Houthi advance along the Red Sea coast. Another 100,000 could be displaced over the next three months. More than 3,000 people have already escaped Yemen by boat toward Africa, primarily Djibouti, and the UN is preparing for that number to reach 10,000 as calmer seas make the crossing possible. Families are abandoning everything and crossing the Red Sea on whatever vessels they can find. Reuters documented families fleeing barefoot…
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Key Takeaways The biggest reason that virtual events fail is that companies try to simply produce them as a replica of an in-person event. By clarifying the outcome, observing your audience, narrowing the content, nominating the right presenters, engaging with the audience throughout, communicating the value and taking action after the event is over, you will have a successful virtual event. We have all been to traditional events — trade shows, in-person meetings, client gatherings. Sure, they play a significant role, but they are no longer the only way to build relationships…
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Key Takeaways Technical expertise doesn’t automatically translate into leadership effectiveness. The strengths that made someone a star individual contributor can undermine them as a leader. The challenge is helping them recognize that this chapter in their career depends on something new — bringing out the best in others. Tolerating poor interpersonal behavior from high performers — especially while claiming to value collaboration and respect — sends a clear message that results matter more than how they’re achieved. These leaders need to see the true cost of the leadership gap, a compelling reason…
Key Takeaways Dallas Dolen, a PwC leader who has been at the company for more than two decades, said that the most important behavior for a promotion is responsiveness. Employees who want to advance their careers should be willing to pick up the phone, answer an urgent message and pitch in when needed. Dolen is based in San Jose, California and oversees 7,500 employees at the Big Four accounting firm. Want to advance your career? Replying quickly when your manager messages you on Slack may do more for your promotion prospects than you realize. Dallas Dolen, a PwC leader who…
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Key Takeaways Most AI crawlers don’t execute JavaScript to generate prices, inventory, specifications and reviews. As a result, your page may rank well in Google, but it returns nothing to AI assistants when they try to read it. Third-party reviews are a key gatekeeper. Simply having a presence on a few relevant third-party review sites can dramatically increase the likelihood of being recommended. AI shopping features come and go, but the underlying requirements are always the same. Complete product information. Real-time accurate pricing. Current inventory. Pages readable by machines. A customer asks…