Kelley Higney

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Here's how to have a greater community impact in diverse markets—nationally and globally. If you're ready to expand your business into a new or unfamiliar market, proactive research is essential to assess what is currently missing and how your brand can offer the best solutions. In addition, collaborating with local partners or hiring staff from the targeted region enables you to keep your ear to the ground from day one and learn to speak the language.  Leading experts from Fast Company Executive Board have been there, and realize, it's not about simply setting up shop in a new location, it's about build meaningful relationships that will be beneficial for community and company growth. Consider the following 15 tips to grow your business successfully in diverse markets. 

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Smaller brands have more leverage than they realize. It's time to tap into it. It may seem like an uphill battle when you are just starting out in business, underfunded and/or understaffed. But the good news is that, as a small business, your company doesn't have to feel pressured to keep up with the big guys in the market. Instead, reflect on the benefits of your company's flexibility to cultivate a more meaningful niche that will meet the needs of consumers who are being overlooked in the industry you intend to serve. Here, experts from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on the various ways that smaller businesses can still compete against big ones without having a mega-corporate budget.

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Transparency paired with a consistent message on your company vision and values goes a long way in building brand awareness and trust. When it comes to building community and laying the foundation for creating long-term customer and stakeholder relationships that you can count on, it's important to let people know where you stand on current issues to maintain genuine transparency and real authenticity. Below, 15 experts of Fast Company Executive Board each share one factor for leaders to consider if they want their brand to become known for its community activism—beyond the products and services it provides.

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Here are key strategies to grow in confidence and strengthen business relationships.  Contrary to popular belief, a successful, savvy business person is not necessarily always the biggest extrovert in the room. Improving your active listening skills and post-meeting communication strategies also play a part in capturing the attention of peers or direct reports regularly. This is key to building stronger team relationships.  By leaning into what makes them a little different from their outspoken counterparts, introverts are likely to have a positive impact in their place of business. If you're an introvert in the workplace and unsure about how to leverage your "superpower" as a reserved business professional who wants to get ahead, below, 18 experts from Fast Company Executive Board offer their tips on how to build your comfort level in engaging with others and being an effective communicator.

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Amid performance review season, I understand the importance of embracing a holistic strategy that not only values individual contributions but also prioritizes fairness, open communication, and continuous improvement.  To cultivate this for our organization, we refactored our system of growth from being a linear promotion process to one that allowed for more divergent growth paths. Having an "up or out" model didn't work for our company culture. Having a lattice-based (rather than a ladder-based) approach gave people more autonomy in the course of their careers. And we made our promotion logic more equitable by transparently naming the conditions for growth. To help other leaders, I asked members of the Company Culture Group of Fast Company Executive Board, a community I lead, how they improve equity and transparency in their review process. Here are important steps that they take and the impact they’ve seen from doing so.

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Implement these innovations to give yourself back the time you deserve. In business, the saying goes: "Why reinvent the wheel when you don't have to?" As the digital revolution continues to rise, there are so many new technologies available at our fingertips to make work and home life more efficient.  Here, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members discuss one innovation that has influenced and improved the way they balance professional and personal responsibilities each day.

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Apply these steps to get (and keep) your company off the ground. There is a traditional assumption that if a business is still around—and thriving—after its first five years in the marketplace, then chances are the leadership and team are bound to see their company survive to take further strides. Now, in the new norm, with a global economy that is constantly changing and a digital culture to keep up with, business owners must work double time if they want their products or services to remain relevant in the public eye and gain the attention of potential new clients and customers.  If your company is still fresh out of the gate and looking for smart strategies to keep growing, tapping into the experience of successful entrepreneurs is a big help. Below, 14 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each offer one tip to help startup owners find ways to mitigate risk as they work to grow their businesses.

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It's a tough economy. Implement these tips to help your company thrive. When you're trying to get a small-business operation off the ground, sometimes everyone on the team will need to work harder with less until you make a name for yourself and the cash is rolling in. Yet, there is something to be said for running a tight ship, being conservative about your business spending habits, and saving for a rainy day when business is booming. Below, 12 Fast Company Executive Board members each share one way that small-business leaders can effectively manage their cash flow and working capital to ensure they have the resources they need to grow or scale their companies as the economy dictates.

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Leading business professionals offer advice to the next generation. In a changing world market and tough economy, no one can predict what the future of work will look like in the short term or 10 years from now. One way or the other, what people are realizing in the new norm is that although technological innovations are being elevated every day, companies need to embrace them if they don't want to be left behind. However, these business leaders also agree that the human touch is still essential to ensure smart decisions are being executed for the growth and success of organizations. Below, 14 experts from Fast Company Executive Board discuss how specific industries are currently being impacted and what the next generation of leaders should do to prepare for the unknown.

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It's Women's Entrepreneurship Day! This year, WEDO celebrates 10 years of its mission to empower more women in leadership.  Across a broad range of industries, women in leadership pour mentorship and guidance into developing their direct mentees or encouraging their colleagues to make sound business decisions—positively impacting the recipients' lives and future careers for the better.  However, in the marketplace, it is not uncommon for women (no matter what level they have reached in their field of interest) to experience "imposter syndrome." If left unchecked, this mindset can hinder their potential growth and success in the short and long term. Instead, the key is for them to boldly redefine their narrative and career path before someone else does. Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) was founded by Wendy Diamond in 2013. To mark its 10-year milestone, 20 experts from Fast Company Executive Board share the best advice they've ever received from a successful woman in business.

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If you want to build better connections with your current and potential customers, here are some best practices to get started. In an uncertain business environment and tight economic conditions, customer testimonials should never be taken for granted or underutilized—especially the ones captured on video. Sharing this type of information with other current and prospective customers is one of the best ways to put any concerns to rest and build on their solid trust in what your brand has to offer in the competitive, crowded marketplace. Below, 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board discuss how business leaders can leverage customer testimonial videos to impact continued business growth.

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16 tips to showcase your business potential and achievements in minutes. Whether you are new to the business—trying to make a name for yourself—or a seasoned professional who wants to pivot your approach to share a new concept in the industry, networking opportunities may come and go, so they are essential and can be exciting at every point in your career. However, attending these types of events can also be intimidating or cause social anxiety if you are an introvert or extrovert who has not prepared properly to present yourself—and what you have to offer—to others.  The experts at Fast Company Executive Board realize how important it is to make the most of your time at these types of events. If you want to make a good impression this time around, here, they each share one way for business professionals to create the best networking elevator pitch to get your career or a new venture off the ground effectively.

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Review these aspects to demystify the Google algorithm—at least for now.   As the digital marketing industry continues to evolve, achieving a top SEO ranking in a Google search can be a moving target for business owners. When the algorithm finally begins to seem achievable, the guidelines change again—and again. A reliable SEO strategy goes hand-in-hand with a strong brand strategy. Therefore, it's essential to determine what brand points your target audience members resonate with the most to better inform your SEO strategy. Here, nine Fast Company Executive Board members each share one factor for leaders to consider when they are optimizing for search engines and why it's so important.

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Having a hard time finding potential new hires? Here are 18 methods for you to try at your next event. In a picky job market, the right career fair at the right time can be a win-win situation for the potential employer and the job seeker alike. It can cost a company a lot of money, however, if they are not focused on the right candidates who can fill their company's needs—right now.  But hiring managers should not solely rely on resume history—or if a candidate meets all 10 "job requirements"—as it's also crucial for the recruiter to find the right cultural fit and a team player who can help a department and company thrive in the long term. If you are scheduled to attend a career fair or networking event in the coming weeks or months, below, Fast Company Executive Board members each share one tip for leaders who want to attract the right new hires to work with.

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20 tips to overcome life's challenges and move ahead. No matter what type of career path you choose to follow in life, it's essential to develop tough skin and a positive, healthy mindset about your talents, goals, and purpose. Whether it's a new job opportunity, a promotion, or a business deal you're looking to close, it's normal to face plenty of rejections and hearing a lot of "nos" before you get to the yeses.  Talking through your frustrations with a trusted mentor or reading about inspirational success stories and how others have been able to overcome difficult setbacks in business and life, will remind you that failure can also be a pathway to success. Here, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members each offer one tip for aspiring career professionals who need a little motivation to keep going despite rejections.

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Don't rush your business decision-making process.  There are certain financial dealings that can make or break a company's ability to thrive—whether the marketplace is up, down, or all over the place. That's why it's so important to put a strategy in place (and stick with it) that aligns with the company's core values, purpose, and longevity. Without that, it's very easy to become distracted by unproven trends and potential investments that may or may not be the best fit for your organization right now. To help leaders become better decision-makers when it comes to business and finance, here, 20 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each share one financial trap that leadership should avoid.

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11 tips that will elevate your brand at the next event. How can company representatives leave a desirable impression when attending the annual conference circuit, whether on-site or virtually? Designing merchandise giveaways that speak directly to the brand's mission and core values is one way to attract the attention of conventiongoers, but it can't be run-of-the-mill items that will end up in the trash (or disregarded online) at the end of the day. That would be a poor return on investment.  Instead, lean toward sustainable products that have the biggest potential to come in handy for attendees—same time next year. Below, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members share best practices for how to use merchandise opportunities to build brand awareness and why it works for them.

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Business leaders share their thoughts on how to build your business the right way. Oftentimes, when business begins to pick up the pace and executives are able to maintain positive outcomes on their bottom line objectives, quarter over quarter, there's a sudden temptation to push the brand of products further to improve or expand upon its current offerings.   But depending on the economic climate in the overall industry, sometimes it's worth treading lightly and putting on the brakes to take your time and conduct further research before getting too far in over your head. Here, eight Fast Company Executive Board members offer one tip for brand leaders to carefully evaluate their existing products or services and identify opportunities for improvement or expansion.

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Here's what to do when the best-laid business plans of leadership and teams suddenly go awry.  For many business leaders and their teams, the month of August is an essential time for them to assess how the first half of the year went. Are the current strategies that they have in place really working? It's also a time to set (or reset) their goals and objectives for the upcoming year.  Keeping all that in mind, sometimes plans, unfortunately, fall by the wayside or may require some unexpected tweaking depending on external factors like market conditions, customer needs, or technological innovation. That's why it's important to remain flexible and have an open mind about how to pivot correctly when necessary, considering the current situation of your department or organization. Here, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members offer their solutions to help other business leaders and teams stay focused even when their initial plans begin to get sidetracked or fail altogether.

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If you want to promote authenticity, living your brand's truth starts from within. Becoming a standout business in the industry doesn't just happen overnight. It may take years to build the trust and loyalty that you've sought from potential clients and customers. But before you try to convince people on the outside why they should buy into your brand of products or services, it's also smart to get your internal team on board with the company's core values and mission you want them to embrace. Once you create a solid connection with the stakeholders on your team, they'll be empowered to promote your company as brand ambassadors.  Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members share their secrets to exhibiting brand authenticity and remaining true to your core values across the company—providing customers with a great first impression of what the organization truly stands for day to day.

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Changing your mindset will enable you to achieve more success. In the workplace (and in life), it's perfectly human to sometimes obsess over the three Cs—competing, comparing, and complaining—when it comes to dealing with others and reviewing how our own accomplishments or failures stack up. It becomes a much bigger problem when an individual chooses to stay stuck in that mindset because it can hinder them from moving forward in their career and personal life. Below, 19 members from Fast Company Executive Board share what lessons they've learned from their ability to overcome patterns of previous self-doubt, and how they were able to forge ahead to a better path of success. 

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Here's how to transition away from your current "transactional" sales approach that's getting you nowhere.  If you are feeling the pressure to help your company meet its bottom-line metrics quarter over quarter, working in a sales-driven environment is not the only way to encourage your sales team to achieve its goals. Instead, you may want to try a different approach that will also enable you to build a stronger rapport with current and potential customers. Here, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members share the best way to pivot your sales strategies and transition your team away from a "transaction now" mentality when dealing with potential clients. They also discuss how to maintain a good balance and still make the deal.

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Consider these cost-reduction tips to future-proof your business. As a business leader in charge of ensuring your company's ability to thrive—no matter what type of economy financial experts are predicting—it would serve your team best to plan ahead and put systems in place to maintain a successful business during the good times and bad.  To help you improve profitability in today's tight economy or get your organization ready for the next wave of marketplace uncertainty, here are 13 members from Fast Company Executive Board to share cost-reduction strategies that are working for them and their teams.

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Business thought leaders weigh in on their top online marketing methods. Storytelling in the business world is essential if you want your organization to stand out in the crowd. How can business leaders become more strategic as they plan their content calendars to attract potential clients and partners through the digital marketing space? Using social media to improve a company's brand appeal is often directly linked to building genuine relationships. It's also about presentations and being more intentional about how you connect with others. By doing so, an organization is more likely to create trust and loyalty over time.  Below, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members discuss additional ways to increase brand recognition and financial growth through business engagement on social networks.

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Here are 11 areas to consider if you want to keep your business up to code. It's essential to remain compliant with marketplace regulations if you plan to stay in business. By doing so, your clients and partners will appreciate your credibility as a trustworthy brand. It also puts you in a better position when times are tough and when they are forced to make hard and fast investment decisions in a budget crunch.   Whether you are trying to comprehend individual state tax laws or trying to navigate how to handle data privacy restrictions that may impact your company and its stakeholders, it's necessary to cover all of your bases so you don't wind up in any legal trouble. Below, leading experts from Fast Company Executive Board discuss the market regulations that have been especially challenging for their organizations and how they were able to overcome the obstacles. In hindsight, abiding by these business requirements has helped some companies thrive even more. 

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Does your company practice what it preaches, consistently? When you are trying to build or maintain a successful business, it's important to make sure that the company's core values are consistently being reflected in everything that it does.  As a leader, it's impossible to be everywhere at once. Refusing to delegate specific tasks to free up your time to focus on other priorities will lead to burnout. Ensuring your company's reputation is living up to its standards starts with hiring the right team of representatives. Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members share other methods that work for them.

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Do you say yes to everything? Industry experts explain the benefits of clearing your plate at work. If you're just starting out in management, it's not unusual to constantly feel obligated to say yes. When duty calls and other colleagues are requesting your time and commitment to engage in an upcoming project or take over a daily task, it's a natural instinct for most people to lean in.  On the other hand, if you've been at your post for some time and have plenty of skin in the game, you've probably figured out by now that you can't take on everything without burning out. Learning to share growth opportunities with your staff members on a regular basis will also elevate your leadership skills and team relations in the workplace.  Leading experts from Fast Company Executive Board are no longer hesitant to turn down a project that may sound good on paper but has the potential to keep them sidetracked and further away from their objectives. Here, they share the benefits of learning to say "no" under pressure and how essential it is to improve your work-life balance and reach your goals.  

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Implement these tips to attract new clients and customers to your business.  In a competitive, fast-paced, uncertain economy with evolving digital marketing strategies, sometimes it takes time to accurately gauge the pulse of your industry network and social subscribers. If your content isn't refreshing and well-researched, then you could potentially lose readers or viewers who are looking for content leaders who can solve their problems and answer their most challenging questions on a regular basis in a more efficient manner.  To help other business leaders and teams promote brand awareness through content successfully, Fast Company Executive Board members sound off on 19 highly recommended best practices.

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Business leaders offer guidance on elevating your career in a struggling economy. With so many things happening in today's world, it may sometimes seem like it's impossible to ever get ahead. In a competitive, uncertain marketplace, how can employees begin to elevate their career status so they can move ahead and support themselves and their families in an impactful way? Below, 20 experts from Fast Company Executive Board share their top tips to help industry colleagues make better decisions concerning their personal strengths and the goals that will lead to more progress.

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Business leaders weigh in on their favorite technology solutions. When you’ve got numerous work deadlines to meet over a short period of time, it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks unintentionally, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed and losing the energy required to keep track of everything and maintain an efficient daily workflow. That’s where the latest boom of innovative technology solutions begins to kick in. But with so many gadgets and software solutions on the market to choose from, the biggest question is: Where to start? Below, experts from Fast Company Executive Board are here to shed some light on their favorite digital applications (to date) and why they are essential to the successful operation of any business—no matter what size or type of company you are responsible for running. 

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If you're thinking about creating a content resource to serve clients and customers better, consider the following points before you move forward. Whether you are building a new brand or trying to elevate the image of a mainstay product or service that has been around for years, publishing a regular newsletter can be a great way to keep clients and customers informed and excited about what your business is working on next. However, running a high-quality newsletter alongside the daily operations of a well-oiled corporation or small business is not as easy as it sounds. Before you decide to take on any additional responsibilities or add more to your team’s plate, 20 members from Fast Company Executive Board are here to offer their take on what it means to make this type of commitment to potential audience members and the staff they’ll be expecting to lean on.

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Business leaders discuss their best practices. In today's marketplace, there's no way around it, no matter what the industry—content rules. But when it comes to attracting new clients and retaining longtime customers, how do you grab their attention without losing their interest every time? Doing so can be hit or miss. It's one thing to simply create general content and it's another to genuinely engage your audience and give them something to look forward to watching and reading on a regular basis. Whether it's a brand newsletter, a company social channel, or a new business podcast, members from Fast Company Executive Board have plenty of experience. They are here to explain 20 methods to encourage your target base to read, watch, hit the subscribe button, and share.

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Business leaders weigh in on 15 steps to take before introducing your brand to new and growing markets. As the new economy and digital marketplace continue to evolve, some business leaders may feel like they are under pressure to upgrade their brand's image in an effort to remain relevant to the next generation of potential clients and customers. However, oftentimes, you may need to simply assess which areas of your business need some minor adjustments rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. So before you consider the redesign process, members from Fast Company Executive Board are here to discuss some steps that they recommend when contemplating a rebranding idea for your company's logo and image. 

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With the right content strategy, you can keep customers coming back to your brand time and time again. Customer loyalty is crucial for the success of any company, and one effective way to build it is through creating engaging content that resonates with customers. Content can be delivered through a variety of channels, including social media platforms, email marketing campaigns, podcasts, and more. However, with so many options available, it can be challenging for companies to determine which channels and types of content will be most effective in building customer loyalty. To help, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members offers their best tips for creating engaging, exciting content that keeps customers interested in your brand.

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If you don't want your team's eyes to glaze over every time they see an email from you in their inbox, then apply these internal communication strategies from leading experts. Internal communications are essential for keeping employees informed and engaged, but getting employees to read and keep up with the messages can be a challenge. That's why, as a leader, it's important to craft communications that are clear, concise, and relevant to the audience. By doing so, you can ensure that employees feel valued and informed, which can boost morale and productivity. To help you achieve this, try these expert tips for writing internal communications that employees will actually read and keep up with, as recommended by the members of Fast Company Executive Board.

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Strike up a conversation that builds consumer trust about what your company stands for before you start pitching your product or service. Pop-up shops and kiosks can be an effective way for existing companies to engage with potential customers in new ways and generate additional buzz around their products and services. However, before they set up a new retail location, companies must consider several important factors. Setting your temporary retail shop up for success involves factors like choosing the right location, researching your target market, and setting clear objectives and metrics to track progress. Below, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members explore these items more in-depth and provided guidance on how companies can launch a successful pop-up shop or kiosk.

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Consider what's at stake if you want the best bang for your buck. When you are searching for a manufacturing distributor to do business with, it's never a good idea to take everything they say at face value. You have to do your research first. In addition to creating a short list of your best options, it's key to follow up with reference checks and pay a visit to the facility location. This will shed light on core value alignment and quality standards in real-time—and not just on paper—because at the end of the day, it's all about the client and customer satisfaction rates. To help company leaders find the right partner to elevate their brand further and make a good impression on every user's experience, experts from Fast Company Executive Board address 10 top qualifications to consider for the best return on their investment.

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Implement these latest innovations to help your company thrive. Whether it's utilizing a bold color statement in a rebranding campaign or coming up with an innovative human-centered design that serves current and prospective clients much better, there's a lot for companies to be excited about and engaged in the upcoming years. As the competition continues to escalate, company business leaders and their creative teams need to stay ahead of the forecast so they can be one step ahead in the global market. We asked 13 leading experts from Fast Company Executive Board to share their thoughts on some of the biggest design trends on the rise and why they're so essential.

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Is your company meeting its bottom line—or consumed by brand network hype?  It's an impressive business talking point to have a million plus people on social media platforms following your brand, but how can company sales and marketing teams turn those likes and comments into actual loyal customers? If you want to keep potential clients and customers regularly engaged and pique their interest in how your company can make a serious impact and meet their needs, you have to provide them with an incentive to learn more about what you have to offer. Below, eight experts from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on how to win them over and convince them to make a long-term commitment (and spread the word) that will help your organization reach its quarterly goals on a regular basis.

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Business experts discuss their media communication strategies. If you're a rising brand in search of building relations with a high-profile figure on social media platforms, it may not be as difficult as you think to attract some initial attention if you approach these potential partners in the right manner. Instead of hoping that they'll possibly respond to your casual direct message, research who their official contact person is and write up a serious proposal.  But just like matrimony, it's all about the relationship and connectivity. It's an important business commitment to consider and neither party should ever take it lightly. Therefore, be honest about your intentions and see if it's a good match first before you (and the company) get involved. If you do your homework, be generous with your time, and make it less about, only you, in the end, it may end up being a tremendous win for all. Below, 12 Fast Company Executive Board members weigh in on the best approach to appeal to a social media influencer and get them on board as ambassadors to help promote what your business is offering. 

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Don't fall prey to social media scammers who are targeting your company's IP identity. It's an exciting time to be working in a growing digital information age with innovators who are putting the smartest tech tools in the right hand of business leadership. Additionally, the potential to be at risk for the latest cyberattacks or other fraudulent social media activities can also be unsettling.  To avoid being another hacking victim, business teams have to stay educated on preventive measures and continue to monitor misuse. Below, 10 experts from Fast Company Executive Board share some of the best tips to help founders and CEOs protect their company's intellectual property from being impersonated under the radar and free from compromising situations.

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Business leaders school job candidates on how to show off their soft skills. When the market is down and you're out of a job, it's all about the presentation and how to sell your soft skills, so you can land your next opportunity. Review each job description carefully and then write a list of how your practical, hands-on experience matches up.  On the day of the interview, lean in to understand the company's needs. Then, let your personality shine through, so you can demonstrate your qualifications to take on the role.  Below, eight Fast Company Executive Board members teach interviewees how to convey their soft skills on their resumes and during the interview.

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The market is down, it can be extremely difficult for small business owners to elevate sales opportunities with potential clients and customers or form new business partnerships and close deals at a steady pace. They're competing with some of the biggest players in the industry—let alone other startups—and that's no easy feat. That's why it is so imperative for business owners and their sales and marketing teams to really get to know their current and prospective target audience members so they can meet their needs effectively, and build long-term trust on a solid foundation. By doing so, you'll increase your chances of being the go-to company they can lean on when they are looking for the right establishment and brand to help lead their own business initiatives. Here are nine unconventional ways that leading business executives from Fast Company Executive Board have applied at their own companies to generate more leads.

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Here's what to do if your business has just been hacked.  With cyber at an all-time high in today's marketplace, it's practically impossible to avoid putting your business at risk if you don't have the proper tools and a response plan already in place. But it's important not to blame yourself or your team if your company has fallen victim because you didn't see it coming. Instead, stop and think more strategically before you make any rash decisions about how to overcome the temporary crisis. Below are 10 experts from Fast Company Executive Board who can help you and your team implement the best strategies to come out on top and maintain credibility in the industry you represent.

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Apply these travel strategies to get the most out of your business experience on each trip. If you're a business owner who is always on the road, securing the next deal and connecting with potential new customers, it can be draining on your body and mind if you're not planning more efficiently and taking care of yourself on the go. That's why Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their top 14 travel hacks to help other leaders find a better approach to building success in their businesses domestically and abroad.

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Implement these tips to stay ahead of the product-service demand cycle and retain happy customers. In a pandemic-shifted world, supply chain shortages are still a pain point for many company leaders who are trying to keep up with the current market conditions and satisfy their customers consistently. Holiday season orders can make it even more difficult for customers who are relying on some of their favorite brands to fill their orders before the shopping rush. Below, six Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their best practices to prepare and find solutions to stay on track, make on-time deliveries, and live up to the brand's reputation and promises.

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Is your team truly benefiting from the current paid-time-off policies in place? In a hybrid work world where place and time flexibilities are a growing priority among current and potential employees, some employers are weighing in on the topic of PTO benefits. While it's important for companies to create work-life balance options and address the needs of their people, department leaders must also have candid conversations with their teams on performance expectations and the amount of time spent away from the office to prevent any business disruption.  Trying to decide on whether to create individual policies or vacation, sick time, and other forms of leave versus offering an all-inclusive unlimited PTO package? Here are 13 details to keep in mind, courtesy of Fast Company Executive Board members.

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Sales and marketing teams are following this rising trend to elevate consumer interest in the products and services they have to offer.  With the holiday season quickly approaching, digital resources continue to make it convenient for companies to reach current and potential customers about their latest offerings, even when people are busy on the go. But whether they're in the market to catch a deal on an affordable streaming service package to view their favorite TV series, trying to replace an essential household appliance that suddenly stopped working, or sprucing up their apparel options for an upcoming event, it's not always easy to captivate and keep their attention. To effectively meet shoppers in real-time, eight Fast Company Executive Board members are experiencing the benefits of direct marketing through interactive shoppable videos on social media. Here, they explain the impact of this type of engagement and how it is helping them to educate consumers about their brand and build on the company's reputation. 

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Business experts share their methods to grow your clientele through a more creative, strategic smartphone engagement. As the human attention span continues to decline, business owners need to rethink their creative advertising tactics to attract and retain potential customers who are always on the go.  Leaders should also keep in mind that today's consumers are using their mobile devices differently than they do desktops. Therefore, it's important to A/B test how your ad will look on a smartphone to confirm that the user journey is seamless and easy to follow. Below are eight Fast Company Executive Board members to help advertising department teams create promotional pieces that will pique the interest of their target audience.

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Implement these methods to distribute newsworthy information, solidify manager-team engagement, and build a culture of trust. When you're responsible for leading a company, whether small or large, it's necessary to find a cohesive way to deliver the internal high points and low points through effective communications, and timing is everything to maintain employee loyalty.  In addition, leaders should learn to utilize multiple platforms for their staff members to engage in, based on their comfort level, once they receive the information. This approach enables managers to separate news that is "nice to know" from the "absolutely must know" right now. Below, 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board share their best practices to prevent executives from missing the moment.

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Try these tips to nurture current B2B or B2C relationships and attract new ones. For more than a decade, social media has quickly emerged as one of the most dynamic ways for companies to connect with their clients and address their concerns in real time.  Not only are marketing teams utilizing their ability to showcase the brand's latest products and services, other business leaders are leaning in to make themselves visible as a trusted thought leadership source in uncertain times. Below, 11 experts from Fast Company Executive Board discuss their strategies to help managers elevate their communication tactics by expanding their audience on some of their highest-performing social media channels.

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Build a better business blueprint for higher-performance ratings and greater reach. If you're finding it difficult to keep your company growing at a steady rate, then it's time to rethink your current strategy to optimize business influence in the marketplace. Humanizing your brand, through content that relates to where your target clients and consumers are, is a great way to build and secure better relations for the long term.  However, you'll also want to take a closer look at the data to analyze which tools need to be put into place to help the company produce the best outcomes. Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members share their advice to help leaders achieve their goals faster.

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Implementing these top strategies may help your business stand out during one of the most competitive selling cycles of the year.  The holiday season is the perfect time to nurture your established brand relationships with loyal customers and clients and possibly develop some new ones. Whether your company is targeting B2C or B2B, it's also a chance to come up with other creative concepts to grab people's attention, make them smile, and show them that you truly care.  If you focus on the humanization of your company, highlighting the effectiveness of your employees, you'll connect effectively with the community at large. Here are 14 ways that Fast Company Executive Board members are successfully keeping their organizations in the public eye not only in November and December but throughout the entire year.

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Holding fast and spreading the word about what your company truly believes in may galvanize new partnerships and potential customers.  To establish a winning brand that has true purpose, make your company's mission personal not only to yourself but your entire team. So stand firm on the core values of your business and surround yourself with the right stakeholders who are willing to champion your brand and help execute its goals. If you're authentically passionate about providing products and services that can solve your clients' problems, your credibility as a reliable establishment in the field will continue to grow.  Below are 15 Fast Company Executive Board members to share their ideas and increase your influence in the marketplace. 

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Utilize these strategies to win over the job candidate you have your hopes on. In the fall of 2022, it's still a candidate's market. Leading employers must bring their A-game to the table if they want to compete successfully for the best talent around. But it's more than just offering to pay a higher salary or simply throwing in a few superficial perks.  And while it's true that a start-up brand may have a tougher time attracting new hires, with limited resources, compared to larger establishments in the industry, that doesn't always result in a missed opportunity to secure the right person to fill the department's needs. Now more than ever, creating a healthy, flexible, and inclusive work atmosphere is one place they can begin to build the process of developing a unique and compelling appeal in the workplace.  Here are 12 ideas, courtesy of Fast Company Executive Board experts, to keep your company on a potential employee's shortlist.

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Apply these practical solutions to finding loyal patrons who are willing to support your company—financially—for the long term. How can business marketers easily convert emoji-likes into "real" buyers of their products and services? In the business world, the bottom line is that having a million followers on your social media pages doesn't necessarily add up to an immediate bump in quarterly sales.  You have to work for it, hard, if you want your establishment to become a true financial success, beyond comments or social gratification. To win consumer confidence and build their trust and loyalty, try putting yourself out there by sharing your brand's authentic voice. Then create educational content about your company's "why" for potential and existing customers. Avoiding the mistake of being too salesy is another fine way to strengthen B-2-C relationships over time. Below, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members provide other leaders with their tried and true methods for engaging with "friends" across digital platforms, encouraging them to go one step further through the sales funnel—putting their money where they spend most of their (social) time.

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Keeping a close eye on your cash flow is essential to running a successful company. When you are founding your first business, there are so many lessons to absorb—particularly when it comes to hiring the right staff members to ease the workload, so you can focus on your strengths. In addition to attracting a talented and trustworthy team, who can help move the company forward, staying on top of the organization's finances is a priority if you want to maintain and grow a thriving business.  To offer a few more suggestions to keep the business afloat, a panel of 14 Fast Company Executive Board members are here to shed some light on the top financial advice they've received throughout their journey. The following best practices have positively impacted their entrepreneurial careers. 

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Your ability to weather a huge storm, in the marketplace, may also increase the growth potential of your business success down the line. Whether you're a CEO corporate executive addressing a corporate PR nightmare or a small business owner strapped for cash, trying to figure out how you're going to make payroll next month, a business crisis is bound to happen at some point so you have to be ready to face the challenge.  In the long run, taking accountability and keeping a cool head is one of the best ways leaders can avoid knee-jerk reactions and learn to troubleshoot the storm more effectively. Below, 16 expert panelists from Fast Company Executive Board will explain what overcoming industry obstacles have taught them in general and how doing so can help other company leaders improve their business patterns overall.

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Here's how 10 leaders (and teams) are meeting their mark. There's nothing wrong with raising the stakes and reaching for stars with high expectations for the business. But how can managers develop efficient and repeatable daily workflow systems to overcome obstacles and get their teams closer to achieving the company's short- and long-term goals?  Never underestimate your ability to accomplish an impossible mission—through teamwork, no matter how ambitious it seems. Here are 10 tips to motivate leaders and staff on their journey to business success, courtesy of Fast Company Executive Board experts.

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Don't turn your back on the naysayers—there's always room for growth. No one ever looks forward to hearing negative feedback from their colleagues or clients, but when it's delivered in a constructive manner to teams who are willing to listen, it can make all the difference in the world.  Whether an organization needs to work on closing the communication gaps or elevating its product and service delivery process, implementing a new way of doing things in a timely fashion, will also boost a team's morale to develop their skills and help the business improve further. In this latest panel, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members describe how some criticism, taken, can actually be more beneficial for the company.

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Brands that want to capitalize on the popularity of podcasts need a solid strategy for reaching and growing an audience. Whether they're business-focused, educational or just for entertainment, podcasts have become one of the most popular content mediums in recent years. Businesses can leverage the podcast format to connect with their customers in new and exciting ways -- but it has to be done well. There are already many popular podcasts out there, so your brand must be able to differentiate itself from the rest. Below, 14 Fast Company Executive Board leaders shared their best tips for launching a successful podcast to increase your brand exposure.

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Committing to a good cause doesn't need to break the bank. Although start-up business owners are oftentimes running their operations on a tight ship with a limited budget, that doesn't necessarily prevent them from giving back to the local or global community on a regular basis.  With their heart in the right place, leaders who are passionate about a worthy cause should research specific organizations that align with their company's core values and overall mission. Then, commit to involving their entire team in a company partnership–with at least one of those charities–that will truly make a better difference. Below, Fast Company Executive Board members provide 11 ideas to help early employers get creative about how to incorporate philanthropy with purpose in a cost-effective way.

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Salary alone isn't enough to attract and retain top talent amid the Great Recession. You need great benefits, too. Over the course of the last few years, employees' values and priorities for their work lives have shifted. Many are searching for employers that will provide them with not only a competitive salary but comprehensive benefits that offer them balance, stability and overall well-being. As the labor pool continues to tighten, it's essential to make your business stand out to top-notch talent by providing competitive benefits, especially if your business is just starting out. To that end, 13 members of Fast Company Executive Board each described how new businesses can provide a solid benefits package for employees without breaking the bank.

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Investors aren't the only path to getting the startup capital you need as a brand-new business. Funding is crucial for any new business. Without sufficient capital at the outset, your business may not have the means to market to a wider audience, produce enough product or expand its workforce. While there are many traditional ways to seek funding like taking a loan from a bank or finding an investor, there are unconventional ways you may not have thought of that could help get your business off the ground. Below, six Fast Company Executive Board members offered some funding options you may not have considered as a new business.

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If you're worried about consumer loyalty in the current climate, apply these business tips to help your company regain its confidence and continue to grow. To remain competitive and fresh in the eyes of loyal customers, lean in a little further to focus on the clients' potential needs. You'll be one step ahead of their own anticipation. As you continue to also address their immediate issues, remember to demonstrate your company's willingness (through your actions and gestures of appreciation) to be completely present and accessible throughout every stage of their journey.  By practicing these simple methods, you'll secure their interest, enthusiasm, and excitement about your company's capabilities to sustain them over time in today's marketplace.  Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their creative ideas to build multiple revenue streams and upgrade your offerings.

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When a personality trait is jeopardizing the establishment: 11 leaders weigh in on how to strike a balance that keeps your colleagues and company on track. If you do a quick Google search, one of the top 10 job interview questions is: "What are your biggest strengths?" It's an age-old question recruiters have been asking to help them determine whether to seal the deal with a potential candidate.  Making the offer to onboard a highly-qualified employee who is unafraid to take on new challenges, willing to pitch in when needed, give their all to the workplace, and demonstrates natural leadership skills, sounds like a no-brainer. But what happens when a strength suddenly turns into weakness—a major liability on the job? If colleagues are spreading themselves thinly and the company is complacent about setting up a sustainable system to enable daily workflow operations and processes to run smoothly, this is not atypical, especially when a company is thriving too quickly. Below, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their best recommendations to ensure that the following strengths don't overwhelm your business.

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Seven executives discuss the benefits of converting your advertising strategy to this one. Monitoring the web-browsing and buying behaviors of prospective clients may seem like an unconventional sales tactic but it's a strategy that many leaders are leaning on. Doing so may better inform the latest advertising campaign aimed to resonate most effectively with customers, addressing their needs to enhance their journey and retain their business.  Below, seven members of Fast Company Executive Board explain how behavioral targeting can improve the performance of your company's marketing and promotional methods in the long run.

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Strive to offer your customers (and employees) the best, even with a lean workforce.  When department leaders focus on building better relationships and providing the best resources to support their front-line employee service workers, they may help reduce stress levels, boost morale, and improve a higher-performance level on the job.  Whether your company is thriving through a peak season or facing uncertain challenges, Fast Company Executive Board members have 15 tips to encourage team members to provide quality customer service, even if you're short on staff.

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Considering these factors may keep your company relevant in the industry.  Mobile optimization has not only changed how consumers move through their personal lives, but it has also elevated the way C-Suite executives maintain their daily business workflow. If leaders intend to continue a steady sales funnel that is flowing with new prospects, then it's also key to engage in digital platforms that enable them to meet customers exactly where they are at—and on the go. Below, Fast Company Executive Board members discuss eight areas in the digital landscape that can increase a company's exposure and growth potential in today's marketplace.

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Consumer psychology 101: Apply these engagement strategies to your sales funnel process. Keeping your fingers on the pulse of what's going on inside the mind of today's consumers, in real-time, doesn't have to be a hit-or-miss situation. If you utilize the proper tools and techniques available, you'll be able to quickly identify ways to elevate the customer's journey and exceed their satisfaction.  Once you've discovered what is working, or how to make the necessary tweaks in their experience with your products or services, you'll also be on track to gaining their long-term loyalty, trust, and support when it comes to advocating for your brand. Below are 15 methods that Fast Company Executive Board members are implementing in their business practices to engage with prospects and gather key information, which leads to sales.

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Don't play guessing games when it comes to building consumer trust and brand loyalty. Developing a brand's long-term success in any marketplace largely depends on a team's ability to strengthen healthy customer relationships and meet their ongoing needs. But if retention is thriving, then it is obvious the team must be doing something right.  On the contrary, how can a leader accurately gauge whether their team is truly hitting the mark, or if there is still room for improvement, so the company receives positive reviews while making a profit?  Here are 10 points that Fast Company Executive Board members have found useful when it comes to measuring their customers' satisfaction levels throughout the product or service journey. Try implementing these tips to provide invaluable insight into your business efforts moving forward.

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Follow these side-hustle business success strategies prior to stepping out on your own. Turning a part-time passion into a full-time paying career is no easy feat, especially if you are responsible for keeping the lights on through a regular 9-to-5. But maintaining your balance does not have to result in around-the-clock burnout. Make the start-up life a little easier on your grind by scaling back in certain areas of the gig business that can be outsourced or even automated. This will free up your limited time, energy, and other possible resources to focus on reaching your future entrepreneurial goals and aspirations. Based on their personal experiences and objectives, experts from Fast Company Executive Board are here to discuss some practical guidelines for turning your side hustle into a thriving and independent hit.

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Transitioning from a micromanager to a true leader can be difficult, but it's essential if you want to build trust with your team. When you're used to being in control of your business, it can be hard to delegate tasks that you've done well on your own. But with growth comes the necessity to hire new employees to take on projects you're no longer as available to handle. Micromanaging slows down workflow and creates a strained dynamic between employees and leaders. More importantly, it hinders the ability of a manager to build trust with their employees. To help you break this bad habit, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members shares some best practices for becoming less of a micromanager and trusting your team's instincts. 

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When you're a small business owner tasked with juggling multiple areas of the company, it can seem intimidating at times because you want your business to be a success in the industry. You can reach short- and long-term goals by focusing on your own personal strengths. It's best to strategically delegate tasks to key team members because this will allow them to develop and grow professionally. To avoid burnout across the organization, it's also essential to keep your staff's bandwidth in mind from the very beginning. Don't be afraid to outsource other duties as needed. By doing so, your entire staff can focus on what truly matters in efforts to move the business forward one step at a time. New to entrepreneurship and feeling overwhelmed about the business challenges that lie ahead in an uncertain market? Here are 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board to share their best-kept practices for overcoming the obstacles of running a start-up.

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Prioritze solutions to improve your customers' journey.  During and beyond the global health crisis, plenty of corporate leaders and small business owners alike, have readjusted their thought processes on how they do business.  Some began to streamline certain aspects of their product and service offerings to improve bottom line outcomes so the establishment could not only survive in an uncertain and evolving economy but thrive and continue to shine above their competitors. Here, 10 business leaders from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on what their top strategies have been for streamlining their company's focus and how doing so is impacting their clients' positive engagement with the business. 

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Implement the following strategies to form better alliances for your products and services. When you're running a business, the only way your company will be able to elevate itself in the marketplace for the better is by being extremely open to constructive criticism and new ideas. Encourage a company culture that is transparent with leaders that practice active listening skills if you plan to connect on a more meaningful level with stakeholders who will advocate behind what your business stands for as you lean in to help meet their ongoing needs as well.  For further ideas on how to get honest feedback from current and potential clients, Fast Company Executive Board members share some proven methods that continue to serve their company well.

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Taking your brand overseas breaks barriers in more ways than one. It's been a tough economic time across most industries these past years during COVID, but if you have the wherewithal to take your company global, then you'll be doing yourself a big favor. Given the opportunities that exist to reach untapped clientele, talent, and future business partners, the move will spark innovative mindsets as you create a winning business environment through your organization's platform that works well for all parties involved. Here, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members discuss the decision to invest in other markets outside of the United States and how the move has enhanced their company's growth potential.

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Taking a creative approach to maintaining personable business relationships is just as important. If you want to instill an inviting corporate culture for everyone at your company, then it's necessary to not only model the ideal behavior but to get employees involved so they have a higher stake in the changes they want to see taking place. Enabling your staff members to help make real business decisions that impact the company's bottom line and the way people view themselves as individual and collaborative contributors will elevate morale and set a positive example for future employees to come. Below, experts from Fast Company Executive Board share 16 practical ideas that continue to foster inclusiveness and team building at work. 

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Here's how implementing good advice can improve your bottom line in the business world. The success of a well-run business is not determined by its financial performance levels alone, and that is why leaders need to take a holistic approach and consider how each area of the establishment and decisions made about specific contributions to the company can build it up or weigh it down.  As you work towards achieving your financial goals, it's also important to find the right balance and prioritize how to maintain a steady cash flow and make wise choices about how and where to invest your time and money to elevate the organization.  Below are 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board to share some of the best practices they've received about how to manage their company finances.

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Sustainable outcomes begin with your customer. If you're a start-up business owner you'll want to implement the best growth hacking strategies to attract and retain the most customers. Although daily marketing outreach methods seem intimidating at first, that's exactly what it will take to get the company off the ground, especially if you plan to remain in business. For this practical reason, nine members of Fast Company Executive Board offered to share their low-cost tips to mastering "the art of the follow-up."

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Here's how to finesse supply chain demands in a low market. If you're going to beat supply chain demand when the economy is tough, it's important to remain proactive in business so you can continue to gauge the clients' interest during the unforeseeable future. As you build your cash flow and supply chain network, to steadily upgrade your products and services during the good times, you'll be able to strengthen the confidence and commitment of your most loyal customers even when times are bad.  Below are 10 steps Fast Company Executive Board members have taken to deal with the current inflation and supply chain crisis.

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Cultivate a culture of unity, understanding, and company success. Some of the best company initiatives or creative campaigns may have started out in a room full of disagreement. So, if you find yourself in a similar situation with colleagues about how to move forward on a collaborative project, it's best to put it on pause, humanize each contributor's voice, and remind yourselves why you began working together in the first place. Finding your way back to the true value incentives is a best practice to align with the company's mission and goals. Here are 15 ways, from Fast Company Executive Board members, to help team members put the good of their company (or project) first.

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Here's what ignoring industry feedback can teach you. While it's practical for business leaders to lean on each other for inspiration and advice in the marketplace, sometimes the feedback is based on opinions, less driven by the facts. That's a red flag to go with your instincts and continue to do your own research.  If you want to thrive in your industry, it's important to gather a diverse set of information and reach out to your network, but remember that it's you who has the final say when it comes to making the right decisions that will serve your company well. Below are 11 positive lessons that Fast Company Executive Board members have learned by ignoring negative feedback they've received during their time in the business world.

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Set your terms and conditions early to achieve a positive partnership and maximize outcomes. As you continue to network and market the business, you may be open to innovative ventures and exciting opportunities that come your way to boost the company's platform and share its products or services even further. At first glance it may seem like a good idea to join forces with a new alliance in business, but how much do you really know about your potential partner's financial track record, its commitment to customer satisfaction, and whether it shares your same core values and views on what it takes to maintain success in the marketplace?  That's why 13 Fast Company Executive Board members want to point out additional key factors that leaders must consider in the decision-making process prior to signing the next deal.

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15 ideas to build your confidence before the next presentation. Public speaking isn't an easy thing for every leader, but you have to conquer the fear factor if you're planning to represent a business. But if you focus on your passion for going into business, share authentically, and continue to practice being in front of a room full of people every chance you get, you'll be a pro at it in time. Every C-Level executive and department head has been there before, including the expert panelists from Fast Company Executive Board. Below they offer some practical advice on how to move past the hurdle.

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Do some spring cleaning by finding new ways to stay relevant and up-to-speed in your industry.  With spring around the corner, it's a great time to get your (business) home in order. Maybe the focus is on a complete overhaul of products or services that are still underperforming, or maybe your team wishes to develop a brand new way of reaching current and potential clients more effectively through the digital marketing funnel and sales process. While some organizations are setting up new automated systems or boundaries to help hit their quarterly marks throughout the entire year, others are also playing catchup on a backlog of projects impacted by false starts and stops in the workplace based on the global pandemic. No matter the case, 11 experts from Fast Company Executive Board share the one business cleaning goal they have in mind to produce a smoother workflow operation for their teams in 2022, and why.

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Feeling "stuck" can have a negative impact on multiple areas of your business. Thankfully, there are ways to reignite your creative spark. No matter how successful their company is, it's common for business owners and their teams to feel stuck in a rut. Whether employees aren't as productive or creativity is no longer flowing, these circumstances can cause a drop in sales and have a negative impact on company culture overall.If this feels like the situation you're in, there are some ways to get "unstuck" and jumpstart your business's success. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board shared some tips for sparking unique creativity for your brand in 2022.

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Here's why cultivating a brand is more than just advertising. With the internet in our hands, there's so much at stake when it comes to attracting and retaining clientele. Today's consumers are bold and savvy about researching the specific products they intend to purchase and they don't have a problem calling a brand name out over social media regarding its lack of transparency about its merchandise, services, or a timely topic that could affect the bottom line.  At the end of the day, If a company falls short on delivering a marketing promise, seems out of touch with its target audience, or strays away from its original core values, chances are it runs the risk of losing respect and loyalty of its major stakeholders.  Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board offer tips on how to walk your talk—internally and externally—and why it's so important.

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9 factors to weigh before investing time and money in viral trends.  If you're thinking about adopting the latest technology at your company or shifting your approach to the business workflow based on reports of an uptick in usage, you should start by looking closely at consumer behaviors and pain points as it relates to your own specific brand and determine the change would fit into your current portfolio of products and services. To help, the members  of Fast Company Executive Board share a few key points for leaders to put on their checklist prior to moving full speed ahead with a plan of action.

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If you're going through a rough patch generating new ideas for your next big launch, consider these tried and true methods. It's no secret that coming up with an innovative solution to surpass the success of your last product or service rollout is never an easy feat, especially when there is always a chance of it flopping in the marketplace if current and prospective customers don't catch on quick enough.  In order to boost creativity in your leadership team and with employees across the entire company, CEOs and managers need to think outside the box to encourage their employees to share their ideas freely in an open work environment free of judgment where they feel safe and supported. And once you lift any mental constraints from their brainstorming process, an endless pipeline of propositions is likely to flow. Nine experts from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on their approach to gathering employee-proposed projects with the most potential.

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Today's leaders must set the tone for a company's branding and culture, and champion values that are important to their employees. For modern employees, a competitive salary and benefits package is no longer enough. Today's workers are looking for authentic branding and a supportive, collaborative company culture. Businesses leaders are therefore tasked with the important responsibility of managing their brand’s image and internal culture effectively. To help you do this, seven members of Fast Company Executive Board shared their best tactics for effectively managing a brand and company culture. Follow their advice and recommendations to improve your company experience for all employees.

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Bringing in high-quality business leads doesn't have to cost a ton of money. A business can’t be successful without interested customers, but attracting those customers and their interest can be one of the most challenging parts of launching or maintaining a business. It can also be quite costly to generate leads, and many smaller or newer businesses may have a tighter budget to work with. Even with a reduced budget, there are still many unconventional but effective ways to create interest in your services or products. From collaborating with other business leaders to leveraging data insights, these nine Fast Company Executive Board members shared their expert tips for low-cost lead generation. 

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When it comes to successful ad campaigns, simplicity is often the most effective approach. We all know a successful advertisement when we see it. Whether we remember the ad campaign because it made us laugh, cry, smile or become angry, it made us remember, and that’s what matters most. Some of the best ad campaigns are simple and don’t work too hard to make their audience feel what they want them to feel. Below, five Fast Company Executive Board members offered their most effective tips and advice, from choosing the right sharing platforms to getting the ad timing just right. 

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Knowing when to stop a project that isn't going anywhere is an important skill every leader should develop. Brainstorming sessions often beget a wealth of ideas for a team to pursue. In the moments, most or all ideas seem like winners -- but once work starts, it can become clear that certain ventures may not be the best use of time and resources. Sometimes, it can be difficult for a leader to determine when it's time to let go of an initiative, especially if it's one they are personally passionate about. To help you make this difficult decision, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members each offered one clear sign or red flag that a leader and team should walk away from a project, regardless of how much has been invested in it.

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A poorly-crafted social media post can quickly spiral out of control, so it's important for leaders to have a strategy for moving forward. Before posting something under the company's name, it's important to ensure that the tone and message of the post are in line with what you want to communicate. Enlisting the help of a PR professional or reading posts out loud to a group are great ways to make sure that the message you're trying to communicate is the right one. But even then, it's possible that a leader's message can be taken the wrong way or accidentally miss the mark. When this happens, leaders must take immediate action both internally and externally. Below, nine Fast Company Executive Board members shared the first action leaders should take under these circumstances and how to avoid similar situations in the future.

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If you want to grow a successful business and be sure that your clients are satisfied, it's important to track their digital footprint and exposure to your brand—every step of the way. By doing so, you'll be able to quickly address any questions, concerns, or deal-breakers that may come up immediately. This will help in reassuring them that they've made the right decision engaging with your company's products and services.  Below, 14 panel experts of Fast Company Executive Board share practical ways to evaluate your customers' journey (without their direct feedback) and turn things around so you don't lose them.

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If a team member exhibits low performance but high potential, it may be time to pivot them toward a different position. Sometimes when a team member isn't performing well, it’s not because of their work ethic or skills. Rather, the team member may simply be in the wrong position. A good leader understands that a hard-working employee is valuable and worth keeping, and if that's the case, it’s important to find the right fit for them. To help you do this, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members share some key things a leader can do to find the right fit for such an employee.

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Sometimes, it's not worth it to continue pouring resources into a product or service that's not gaining market traction. While it can be disheartening for a business owner to accept, not every new product or service you develop is going to be a hit. Although you may be personally and financially invested, some offerings are going to be more well-received than others. However, it’s not always easy to know when it’s time to walk away. As successful business leaders, many members of Fast Company Executive Board have experienced this dilemma firsthand. Below, they share 11 clear signs that may indicate your new product or service isn’t worth pursuing further.

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Being a leader can be mentally and emotionally taxing, so it's important to prioritize wellness and self-care as a manager. The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of thinking about mental health and wellness in the workplace. Business leaders have begun advocating for the wellbeing of their employees in growing numbers, transforming mental health support from a perk to a workplace imperative.  Even as leaders across industries strive to improve support for their teams, many face their own mental health challenges. To help fellow leaders cope, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members offered their best advice for managing the unique pressures of leadership and prioritizing mental health and wellness as a manager.

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While most business owners turn to areas like marketing and IT to cut their budget, there are plenty of other places to find and eliminate "wasteful" spending. A lean thinking framework can help leaders trim excess costs in their business or organization. But to maximize the impact of your efforts, it's important to look everywhere for signs of wasteful spending.  The members of Fast Company Executive Board know how easy it is for leaders to overlook key business areas and functions when applying lean thinking. Below, 15 of them share the most common places business owners forget to look when reducing costs, and how exploring those areas can help your company cut expenses and streamline the budget.

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In the mobile-first world, marketers need to consider how their message will be received on smartphones and tablets. For many consumers, smartphones and tablets have become the go-to platforms for online browsing and shopping. The smartphone revolution of the last decade has also prompted marketers around the globe to begin rethinking their digital strategies.  To succeed in the modern market, companies need to think about mobile-first campaigns that reach consumers where they are. To help you do this, 12 Fast Company Executive Board members shared their predictions for the biggest mobile marketing trends to look out for in the first half of 2022, and how to take advantage of these up-and-coming strategies.

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There’s more to supporting the missions of nonprofits than just writing checks. 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. While donating money is always appreciated, leaders may want to do more than just write out a check. Below, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members shares some creative, truly helpful ways to contribute to the missions of local nonprofits.

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Clear expectations are essential for managers to get the results they want while empowering employees to do their best work. As a business leader, you're not only responsible for completing your own work but also for ensuring that your employees are clear on what they need to do and have the resources and leeway to accomplish the goals you’ve set. Your team members want and need to know what you're expecting of them, but if you don't establish and present this information clearly and carefully, it can lead to confusion and anxiety. It's critical to check in with your employees and ensure that they understand what needs to be done to meet (and hopefully exceed) your expectations. Below, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share 15 smart strategies for setting expectations with your employees the right way.

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The best content in the world won't have a positive impact on your audience—or your bottom line—if nobody sees it. Creating content can be difficult on its own, but sometimes an even bigger challenge is ensuring that it reaches the target audience. Careful content crafting must always be married to a well-planned marketing strategy; otherwise, those you hope to help or to draw to your business will likely never hear your message. The members of Fast Company Executive Board know that a successful content strategy takes more than just a clever way with words. Below, 14 of them share practical steps marketing teams can take to drive more traffic to a company’s published content.

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The leaders of even the leanest startup teams can usually find ways to cut down their work hours and find a better balance for long-term success. Entrepreneurs and their small crews understand and accept the hard work that comes with their decision to start or join a new business. Yet, a constant, long-hours hustle may not be sustainable over time. If a startup's team members regularly burn the candle at both ends, they're likely to burn out—and that spells bad news for the future of the business. While it may be a cliché, "Work smarter, not harder" may well apply here. If an entrepreneur can find ways to use time more productively, they can shorten the number of hours both they and their team members are devoting to work—which helps everyone involved sustain both their health and the health of the business for the long term. To help, the members of Fast Company Executive Board shared 16 steps entrepreneurs and their teams can take to reduce their 60-plus-hour workweeks down to 40 or less.

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The holiday season may bring an influx of sales to your e-commerce business, but the right strategies can keep your customers coming back even in the off-season. With the increasing popularity of online shopping, e-commerce businesses look forward to some of their biggest sales of the year during the holiday season. The holiday sales rush is an important source of revenue for e-commerce businesses—especially with well-publicized opportunities like Cyber Monday—but it’s usually not enough to support them for the entire year.  Because every day can’t be Cyber Monday, online business owners need strategies to keep sales coming in between major shopping holidays. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board share advice e-commerce businesses can use to attract customers and bring in revenue during the “off-season.”

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Your business isn’t wholly powerless to stop the impact of “The Big Quit.” “The Great Resignation,” also known as “The Big Quit,” is making headlines as millions of Americans quit their current jobs to find “something better.” While it’s true that workers are rethinking their priorities and desires in the workplace, it doesn’t necessarily mean your company is doomed to lose its top talent: There’s still hope for leaders who value their employees and are willing to do what it takes to retain their workforce. If you want to keep your team intact through this period of mass workforce turnover, it’s important to be proactive and take steps toward employee retention. Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board each share one thing a business owner can do to make staying on the most attractive option for their workers.

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No entrepreneur starts their business journey knowing everything, so it helps to have some hints from those who have walked the path before them. Every entrepreneurial journey comes with a learning curve—one that is likely to include both missteps and victories. Experience may be the best teacher, but it doesn't necessarily have to be one's own personal experience. By getting advice from others who have taken the journey before them, entrepreneurs can gain insights that smooth some of the bumps in the road ahead.  Following the right advice can save you from making some of the big mistakes that have cost other entrepreneurs wasted money, time, and energy—and help you make smarter decisions that will shorten your path to success. Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board share the financial advice they wish they’d received prior to starting their businesses.

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The growing popularity of livestreamed video content can give businesses a great new way to connect with customers. Many social media platforms today have a livestreaming function, including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Patreon, and others. When used correctly, livestreams can be a fantastic way to connect and build relationships with customers. They’re a tool to help answer questions, advertise new products, and engage with customers on a personal level. One of the best uses of livestreaming is using it to build a community around your brand. Below, 14 members of Fast Company Executive Board share some of the most effective ways to use livestreaming—including their own positive experiences.

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Smart professionals know there's always an opportunity to learn more and hone new skills in the business world. Learning a new business skill is always a good idea, whether you’re the company owner or a frontline team member. And in today’s digital age, there’s no shortage of material out there for professionals to peruse, from seminars to online courses to advice from experts.  In fact, these days it’s easier to drift into information overload than to be stymied by a lack of resources. If you’re looking to engage in some professional learning or skills building and are overwhelmed by choice or simply short on time, check out the following smart tips for acquiring a new business skill from the members of Fast Company Executive Board.

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A conversation with an underperforming employee is a delicate situation that must be handled with care. As a leader, it's important to be able to have tough but necessary conversations with employees. When an employee isn't performing to their full potential, leaders must guide them the best they can and work with them to find the root of the problem. It's certainly a challenge to have these conversations, which can be uncomfortable and awkward for both parties. And if they're not executed properly, your conversation could hurt your relationship with the employee, causing further damage to their morale and performance. To help you have constructive conversations with employees who need some coaching, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board have shared one thing a leader should never say or do when meeting with an underperforming employee.

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If you want to ensure you and your team have a healthy work-life balance, try these strategies for shortening the amount of time you’re devoting to your desk. While work-life balance has always been important, it hasn’t always gotten much serious attention; but since the COVID-19 pandemic, the human need to step away and recharge has increasingly become a topic of discussion. Many professionals at all levels have reported working even longer hours since moving to remote work arrangements—when the office and home become a single location, stepping away can become even harder.  Whether you and your team are working exclusively from home or showing up to an office building one or more days a week, developing a healthy work-life balance is essential for everyone’s mental and physical health. To help all professionals add a bit more personal time back into their week, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board have shared ways to structure and make the most of your “work” hours so you can have more time for your personal life.

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To accomplish a challenging goal, you've got to have the right game plan for your team. It's one thing to have an ambitious goal; it's another to have an effective game plan to ensure that goal is reached. Big goals are achieved through smart—sometimes small—habits. If a leader is to guide their team to the top of the mountain, they have to blaze a clear trail and give their people the tools they need to climb. It doesn't have to be a one-size-fits-all solution; leaders can leverage the right combination of strategies to fit their organization's unique purpose, procedures, and people. To get your ideas flowing, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members has shared their best strategies for turning lofty goals into realities. Follow their advice to build efficient workflows that foster repeatable, scalable success.

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Don't let multiple projects or big goals overwhelm you; instead, learn to prioritize and keep moving forward. When you’re growing your business, you likely have a lot of goals you want to achieve and projects on your plate. A significant challenge for any leader is prioritizing the work in process to ensure their team (and they themselves) aren’t overwhelmed. Further, if an individual or a single team is pulling in too many directions at once, they’re likely to go nowhere fast. You don’t have to give up on the goals you’ve set out to achieve—you just have to set up orderly methods and, usually, a way to “divide and conquer.” With the right strategies, you can identify and take the fastest, most promising path to success. To help 11 members of Fast Company Executive Board shared their own prioritization methods and how each lends itself to steady, consistent progress.

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Building a successful brand is all about creating and engaging a community around your business. Loyal customers benefit a business’s bottom line, but avid fans can actively increase it. Not only are they loyal customers, but they will often share their passion with others and attract new customers to your business. The secret to creating genuine fans is not just providing an outstanding product or service (although that’s an essential first step). It’s building a community that draws them together based on the interests, values and vision they share with both you and each other. Fortunately, now that the public can easily learn more about you and your company online, building a community of fans is easier than ever before—if you take the right steps. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board share their best tips for building an engaging community for your customers.

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You can't improve what you don't measure, so make sure you're keeping an eye on your customer experience metrics. A business can't survive without happy, paying customers. That's why measuring customer experience is vitally important for any business that wants to grow—and it doesn't have to be a difficult metric to pin down. There are proven methods for determining how your customers feel about your service, and leveraging one or a combination of them can help you pinpoint both what you're doing right and areas that need improvement. Below, eight members of Fast Company Executive Board share some specific ways businesses can measure their customer experience. Follow their advice to gauge how satisfied your customers are with your product or service, and then use those insights to improve.

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Every professional story includes some mistakes and missteps—including the stories of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Mistakes are an unavoidable reality of everyday life, including in the business world. The key to success is not perfection but bouncing back from mistakes and learning from them for the future. Some of today’s most successful entrepreneurs faced significant stumbles and setbacks before striking gold. The members of Fast Company Executive Board have also overcome their share of obstacles during their professional journeys. Below, 13 of them reveal their biggest missteps on the road to success. The lessons they learned from them are among the many reasons they’ve gotten where they are today.

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Feeling like you don’t belong in the position you’ve achieved in your professional life can have a negative impact on your mental and emotional well-being, but there are ways to boost your confidence in your intrinsic abilities and qualifications. In recent years, the term “impostor syndrome” has become an increasingly common topic of discussion. People with impostor syndrome may believe that they are not truly qualified for the role they hold or may attribute the success they’ve achieved to mere luck. This can lead to unfounded feelings of being “unworthy” or fears of being “found out.” And no one is immune; imposter syndrome is an issue that affects everyone from entrepreneurs and CEOs to entry-level professionals. Left unchecked, this all-too-common phenomenon can be detrimental to both work performance and mental health. Fortunately, it’s possible to combat these negative perceptions and feel more confident in your achievements, worth, and potential. Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board share their best advice to help those struggling with impostor syndrome.

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Today’s consumers want to engage with the human beings behind a brand, not faceless corporations. “People buy from people.” It’s an adage that has never been more true than it is in today’s digital age. The online economy places near unlimited options at consumers’ fingertips. Even so, people crave real connections and a personal touch in their customer experience. Businesses must develop ways to reach people on a human level to convert online connections into sales. Both B2C and B2B companies will see better results if they’re able to show the human beings who drive their brands. Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board discuss ways business leaders can humanize their brands, no matter what product or service they sell.

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A basic understanding of consumer psychology can help you drive trust, connections, and ultimately, sales. Every business leader has heard the mantra: “If you want to boost sales, you’ve got to get to know your target audience.” Many companies limit this strategy to learning basic demographic information like age, gender, geographic region, and household income. But a smart leader knows that building an understanding of their customer or client base should also involve understanding human psychology. If you and your team understand basic psychological principles, you can form genuine connections with consumers, thereby building loyalty and trust (and sales). To help you achieve this, below the members of Fast Company Executive Board share 14 things every smart business leader needs to understand about consumer psychology.

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To achieve lasting success, company owners and leaders must learn how to establish long-term relationships with customers. As a business owner, you want every interaction customers or clients have with your business to be a positive one. While most successful businesses develop policies and procedures to try to ensure stellar service, building outstanding customer relations doesn’t stop there. Leaders can’t simply assume that the services and support they’ve developed are exceeding customer expectations. To know for sure, you have to go straight to the horse’s mouth—you have to not only listen to what your customers say to and about you but also track to see if they continue to choose your business in the future. While you may not be able to ask each of your customers personally for their opinion of your company, there are metrics you can monitor to ensure you’re on the right track when it comes to offering outstanding customer service. Below, 12 leaders from Fast Company Executive Board share the metrics their organizations track to help them develop long-lasting relationships and a strong community of fans around their brand.

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It's never been more important for leaders to show their team members their appreciation than in the past several months—and there are many ways to do it. The past year has been a challenging one for everyone, both professionally and personally. From instituting remote work arrangements to temporary layoffs, businesses had to make adjustments—often without warning—to stay afloat. Those businesses that have weathered recent storms could not have done so without the loyalty and hard work of their team members. That’s why it’s more important than ever for leaders to show those team members their thanks and appreciation. Indeed, a little extra love can make a huge difference in employee morale and well-being at any time, but particularly when teams are working remotely and lack the usual in-person interactions. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board share how they’ve shown their staff their appreciation over the past year and why this approach has been effective in lifting their team's spirits.

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If you want to build a brand that lasts, start by creating a community of like-minded consumers and advocates of your product or service. With multiple social media outlets and a vast online marketplace, consumers have unprecedented access to information about companies, allowing them to make informed decisions about who to do business with. Consumers tend to put particular trust in—and therefore seek out—other consumers’ opinions. This transparency can also work in the favor of a business, which can use the same media to share information and build a community around their brand. While it starts with a good product or service, there’s more to building a community than that. If a company works to reach out to its target audience through content, shared values, and stories, happy clients and customers may turn into faithful fans who spread the word and help the brand grow. However, businesses may not always be sure of how to begin building this sense of loyalty and shared community with their current and potential audience. To help, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board share strategies any company can use to start building a community around its brand. Follow their recommendations to plant the seeds of avid brand advocacy among your customer base.

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Seeking capital to fund growth can come with strings attached, so it's important to ask yourself and your investors the right questions. An essential ingredient for a growing business is access to capital at the right time. To accomplish fast, scalable growth, many business owners turn to investors for funding. The decision to add one (or more) stakeholders—who may or may not seek to have input on your company’s operations in exchange—comes with many questions (or should). So what do entrepreneurs need to ask themselves before putting together a pitch, and what should they ask their potential investors? Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board share the important questions business leaders should ask when considering bringing in outside investors to ensure they’re making the right choice at the right time.

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You can get a handle on whether your marketing campaigns are succeeding or stumbling by combining hard data with human feedback.   In any marketing campaign, the post-launch analysis is just as important as the outreach itself. Companies must analyze their efforts to determine what’s winning, what could be improved upon, and whether ultimate goals are being met. Even strategies that have succeeded in the past need to be reviewed to ensure they’re still resonating with audiences or if it’s time to try out a new trend. Data is important, but gaining a true understanding of what’s working takes more than scanning through Google Analytics. To get a more accurate assessment of the ROI of your marketing efforts, start with these 11 key steps shared by the members of Fast Company Executive Board.

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Success in the modern business world depends on developing an authentic, genuine brand that makes customers feel understood and appreciated. Today there are so many established and new businesses—together offering a staggering array of products and services and easy to access online—that a company can no longer simply lean on their service offerings as their main point of attraction. Consumers want to support brands that they see as authentic and that share and practice their values. That’s why business leaders need to focus on creating a brand that encourages genuine connections and loyalty. Developing a brand is both a creative venture and a journey of discovery. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board share their top secrets to help you build an authentic brand that truly connects with your customers and audience.

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Anticipating challenges rather than just reacting to them puts you a step ahead in overcoming them. With every problem—whether it’s personal or professional—you’re given a choice to respond either proactively or reactively. A proactive approach allows you to get in front of the issue before it escalates, while a reactive approach is usually focused on cleaning up the aftermath. It's easier for business leaders and their teams to overcome challenges when there's a plan in place even before they appear. To help you develop a proactive mindset and business culture, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board share their experience and the strategies that work for them.

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Growth is a primary goal for almost every business, but if you don't have the right strategy for scaling up, it may hurt your business in the long run. Scaling up is an exciting period for business leaders. It's easy to get swept up in the possibilities presented by rapid growth opportunities, but it's essential to manage that growth with the right strategies. Otherwise, you may scale too quickly and struggle to keep up. The members of Fast Company Executive Board know firsthand what it takes to sustainably and properly grow a business. Below, 10 of them share some common mistakes entrepreneurs may make when trying to scale up and how to course-correct.