Liz O'Donnell

expert panel

With every step your business takes, it's essential to keep your customers, team, and industry associates informed, engaged, and connected to foster brand alliance and future growth. To keep a community thriving in any industry, company leaders need to create multiple opportunities for their stakeholders to engage. Whether it's through a customer online forum that supports the end users of the brand's products and services, or through virtual and in-person networking events that allow colleagues in the community to socialize and sound off on the latest hot business topics, people usually gravitate toward the spaces they feel most welcomed and connected. Below, 15 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each weigh in on how business leaders can work to create a more vibrant community centered around their company's mission and vision for future long-term success.

expert panel

It can be difficult to stand out from your competition when trying to hire top talent; with a strong company culture, it's easier. When it comes to standing out in a competitive job market, your company's culture can be a crucial influence in attracting and retaining top talent. A workplace that is vibrant, inclusive, and supportive not only sets an organization apart from its competitors but lends itself to employee satisfaction and productivity. Here, Fast Company Executive Board members discuss how companies can use their culture as a key differentiator from their competition. With these strategies in mind, you can cultivate a work environment that attracts the top candidates in your industry.

article

Creating community for workers with aging parents can go a long way in helping those employees stay engaged at work. Here's what leaders need to know.

expert panel

Business leaders discuss which type of business atmosphere fuels their drive and creativity.  Since the COVID-19 pandemic began—and now in the new normal as it continues to be a part of our everyday lives—there has been plenty of debate between company leaders and their employees concerning return-to-work policies vs. hybrid or remote work.  However, it's not just about where you work best, sometimes it's also about how and when you are able to thrive the most and in certain situations. That doesn't necessarily correlate with the physical space. It can also have to do with the people you engage with on a daily basis, the trust (or distrust) you have in leadership, psychological safety, and the opportunities (or lack of) to take on new assignments with the encouragement and ability to advance your professional career. Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members weigh in on what types of work environments help them produce the best work and why they think that is. 

expert panel

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. 

expert panel

It takes a village to grow your company and thrive. When you are just starting out during the first few years of a new business operation, it may be instinctive to keep your head down and focus on how to thrive in your day-to-day workflow procedures and how to deliver customer satisfaction first and foremost. However, it's also just as important to engage in strategic partnerships and collaborations that can impact your company's growth potential. The end game is learning to work smarter, not harder. Leading experts from Fast Company Executive Board experienced positive results when they took advantage of untapped opportunities that moved their businesses forward. Below, they share 13 reasons why business leaders should keep an open mind to exploring new partnerships that may be a good fit right now.