Thought Leadership: The Difference Between Business Maintenance And Success
As technology expands our access to information, many executives are seeking to become the voice of that information through thought leadership. Being a thought leader takes dedication, patience, experience, strategy and education, but it also takes enough passion for your industry role to drive both the desire and willpower to try. It may take a lot of work to get there, but becoming a thought leader is the key to shifting your business from maintenance mode to a thriving success.
To Become a Top Executive, Take Control of Your Personal Brand Today
Personal branding is the number one strategy you should employ in order to build trust in both you and your business.
In today’s search-engine era, numerous search platforms make it easier than ever to find out all you could ever need to know about products, businesses or even personal information about senior-level executives. At the same time, with so much information out there, it can be easy to go unnoticed — which is why companies dedicate entire teams to branding their image, mission, vision and values. This branding helps grow their business.
But when it comes to growing a career, personal branding is key.
If you aspire to greater things, it is more important to create a personal brand than anything else. Take your skill sets and make them shine in the places where everybody can see you. The stronger the branding, the better the chances of excelling and accelerating your career.
If your sights are set on becoming an executive or getting onto company boards, then personal branding is the best first choice you can make to get started. Here’s why.
Public profiles speak volumes
An overwhelming majority of employers say candidates’ social-media accounts affect their hiring decisions, meaning a poor public image can cost you a job. Before even scheduling an interview, the employers who work with my company to bring on board members do their own research on each executive outside of our platform. We analyzed years of this selection data from our clients and found that the common factor increasing an executive’s chance of landing an interview is personal branding.
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13 important ways businesses can support nonprofits
Business leaders—and their team members—like to give back to their communities, and nonprofit organizations are an integral part of every community across the country. Whether it’s a school, hospital, charity, or other organization, each nonprofit plays a large role in supporting others.
4. JOIN AS A BOARD MEMBER.
The best thing business leaders can do is join the nonprofit organization as a board member—and be an active member, not merely a check-writing member. Find out what the organization is lacking and use your assets and skills to help them prosper, which, in turn, helps the community prosper. – Martin Rowinski, Boardsi
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How Growing Up in a Communist Country Made Me the Leader I Am
Formative years in 1970s Poland impacted every aspect of my life, and taught me lifelong lessons that continue to enrich and empower.
I was born in Poland in 1971. Shortly after World War II, the USSR forced communism upon the nation, and it was basically under Soviet control. Essentially, anything extra that Poland produced was sent to Soviet Russia to line the pockets of or otherwise empower the elites. Meanwhile, the common people often hovered on the edge of starvation. This existence marked the first ten years of my life, and being raised under communism is something I’ll never forget. In part, the experience drove me to become an entrepreneur and a leader.
Lessons I learned from those formative days:
When life gets hard, work harder
By the time I was 10, I’d witnessed five years of my parents struggling under that oppressive system. Times were always tense, and for many, quite unhappy. We worried about having enough to eat, and there were no gifts at birthdays or on Christmas. When I was about 7, I had to go to the store in the early morning to stand in line, and there were frequently adults fighting around me. At times, it was terrifying.
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For career success, consider throwing yourself in the deep end
“Stay in your lane.” “That’s not in my wheelhouse.” “I don’t have that skill set.”
I personally am very much in favor of not sticking to your comfort zone and have found great success in stepping out to try new things.
SWITCHING LANES
At the start of my career, I may have told you that the best course of action is to ease yourself into a new role or skill set. Today, I know better. The biggest and most influential shifting point in my career came when I was thrown into the deep end. In retrospect, I may have thrown myself in the deep, but I am so glad that I did. It came down to forcing myself to extend my reach in the industry I was in and, eventually, into other industries. Rather than just focusing on my role, I started to immerse myself in other aspects of the business.
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16 common but bad habits every leader should avoid
To build and guide a company or organization takes a lot of good habits, and successful leaders soon learn and adopt practices that help them stay on top of to-do lists, keep their teams engaged, plot smart goals, and balance their personal and work lives. But being a successful leader isn’t just about having good habits—it’s about avoiding bad ones.
9. ALWAYS BLAMING SOMEONE ELSE
One bad habit that I have witnessed over time is a lack of accountability: The habit of blaming everyone else and never taking responsibility is toxic in any organization. A leader’s role should be to protect those they lead and help them grow. Own it and be accountable. If someone makes a mistake, have a private, encouraging conversation that they can learn and grow from. – Martin Rowinski, Boardsi
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Entrepreneurs share 9 companies with admirable DEI efforts
Consumers today are calling for increased transparency and honesty from companies about their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Such efforts work to bring people from a variety of different backgrounds and life experiences into the workforce and recognize the unique knowledge, perspective, and skills each person brings. They also work to ensure equal treatment and fair outcomes for all employees and customers in an environment in which they feel welcomed and respected.
4. SLACK
One company in the tech world that I love, enjoy, and admire is Slack. Diversity, engagement, and belonging are core to Slack’s values. Not only do they focus on hiring diverse talent, but once the employees are hired, they treat them with respect and support. Slack is focused on their employees’ future, providing continued education, introspection, opportunity, and growth. – Martin Rowinski, Boardsi
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Growing Pains: How to Turn Hard Times Into Periods of Immense Personal Growth
Difficult times are often par for the course in business, but your response and approach to these hard times will determine whether they result in hardships or growth.
Almost every entrepreneur will identify with the term “growing pains,” especially in reference to a business’s early months and years. There are periods of time when almost every day presents a struggle to work through or a knot to untangle — I’ve certainly been there myself! If you’re not experiencing any growing pains, you’re probably not growing.
But the good news is that last week’s setback does not define you. In a year’s time, you probably won’t remember whatever problem kept you awake last night. It can be difficult to step back when you’re knee-deep in the latest challenge, but my advice is always to “take the long view.” Today’s trials will eventually fade into memory, as long as you put in the work to conquer them and avoid getting pulled off your path to success. Instead of seeing problems as obstacles cluttering the road ahead, try to view them as steps to climb. Put one foot in front of the other and you will ascend higher toward your goals.
Look outside yourself for inspiration
Many entrepreneurs default to looking inwards for inspiration, ideas and answers to problems. Under the right circumstances, that practice can serve you well. However, don’t forget that opening up to your partners, advisors, line managers and other members of your extended team can make all the difference. Sometimes, turning outwards leads to solutions you never would have considered.
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15 ways a CEO can build a personal online reputation that boosts their business
With more communication channels than ever available for free, right at our fingertips, there are plenty of options for a CEO to broadcast their business. However, as quick and simple as it can be to talk up your business online through your business and personal social media accounts, it’s just as easy to make the wrong move—one that can hurt your company’s reputation. Indeed, a CEO’s reputation can affect how people view their business.
1. MAKE SURE YOUR VISION AND VALUES MATCH YOUR COMPANY’S.
I believe in transparency. So many times you see a leader talk the talk, but when you look at their social media and see what their life is like, it may not be in line with their company’s mission, vision, and values. This is why as a leader your personal mission, vision, and values need to be in sync with those of your business so that the way you live is also the way you work and talk to employees. – Martin Rowinski, Boardsi
What employers can gain from AI-monitored micro-expressions
You may think you’re sitting absolutely still, but your face is almost constantly engaged in micro-expression. When you answer a question, or even just listen to someone else talk, the curve of a lip, lift of the eyebrows, and even the amount you blink can all give off information about your personality. These micro-expressions are likely going a mile a minute during an interview, but each one happens within milliseconds. If you glance away, you might not catch them.
