Syed Balkhi

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Apply these steps to disaster-proof your business in a volatile market. If the shifting economy has taught business leaders (and consumers alike) anything over these past several years, it's to plan wisely and invest in the future. Keeping your eyes on marketplace trends, signaling what's to come in the future, is also a good place to start when it comes to budget planning and saving. If you're not a numbers person, then bring in a financial coach who can give you the best advice before you make any concrete decisions. In the meantime, eight Fast Company Executive Board members each offer one step you can take to secure a disaster plan for the next financial crisis.

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Business leaders share insights on compensation equity. Paying every employee a fair wage based on their experience and talent—not their gender or cultural background—should be a given. For many companies, treating workers equally for the time they put in at the company each day is simply a best practice. But for some organizations, wage inequality is still prevalent and is an issue that needs to be addressed.  To keep the conversation at the forefront of what's happening in the workplace, we asked 12 Fast Company Executive Board members to each provide one step that companies can take to bridge the gender and ethnic wage gap happening around the globe.

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Don't underestimate how the power of observation can help you grow your relationships as a leader.

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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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Hope for the best. Plan for disruption. Life is full of uncertainties, and that includes an unpredictable business environment. What can leaders do to secure their company's future and team stability during tough economic times? One solution is to prepare and plan ahead—based on the market trends—so your company and stakeholders will be ready and skilled to face the challenges that may come your way. Here, Fast Company Executive Board members share their go-to methods that leaders can implement to effectively manage the risk and uncertainty in their day-to-day business operations. 

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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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Giving every staff member a seat at the table can increase business morale and business growth. It takes a village to build the type of team morale and trust it takes to lead a company to innovative success and long-term profitability. So if you are trying to strengthen staff relations and foster a better work environment that enables every employee to have a voice, don't go it alone, be willing to have an open mind and lean on them for support.  By encouraging regular brainstorming sessions with your team to guide your decision-making process, you'll be a better informed, confident leader, knowing that your staff is working together (and truly has your back) to elevate the company further in the years to come. Below, Fast Company Executive Board members share other reasons why employee feedback and collaboration are fundamental in helping leaders make better all-around business decisions.

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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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Business leaders share best practices to help your company build trust and longevity—no matter which industry your business serves. In a tough economy, when you are struggling to find ways to keep a new business from going under before it has a chance to take off and thrive, it is so important to think outside the box and come up with other sources of funding.  If approached in the correct manner, crowdfunding may be a viable option to consider and has the potential to benefit your company and its long-term mission if you can get the right supporters to back your organization and its mission. For startup business owners looking to leverage their ability to attract and obtain alternative solutions versus traditional capital investors and partnerships, members of Fast Company Executive Board, who are savvy in this area of negotiating financial opportunities, are here to offer tips.

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Having enough energy and focus to get through your workday starts with a good night's sleep and healthy habits. Do you ever feel like you're just going through the motions at work, struggling to stay focused and productive? It's not uncommon to experience this, and the root of the problem could be as simple as not getting enough quality sleep. A good night's sleep is crucial to performing at your best during the day, but unfortunately, many of us don't prioritize sleep enough. Below, a panel of 15 Fast Company Executive Board members shares some of the best sleep strategies you can implement to increase your energy levels and sharpen your focus on the tasks at hand, helping you to be more productive and successful in your work.

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Every mistake made as a manager is a learning opportunity and can sometimes even make you more successful. As a leader, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that mistakes are always negative and should be avoided at all costs. However, some mistakes can actually be beneficial and help you become more productive and successful in reaching your goals. These "good mistakes" can teach you valuable lessons, challenge your assumptions, and even lead you to new opportunities. To that end, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members described mistakes that have helped them become more effective leaders. By embracing and learning from these types of mistakes, you can take your leadership skills to the next level and achieve greater success.

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Layoffs aren't the only way to cut overhead costs in a challenging economy. In times of economic difficulty, companies often face tough decisions when it comes to retaining employees. Layoffs can seem like the only viable solution to cut costs and survive financially. However, these decisions can have lasting impacts on the morale and productivity of the remaining team members. Fortunately, there are alternative strategies that companies can employ to avoid layoffs and increase job security for their employees. To that end, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members offer their top-recommended strategies for keeping your staff intact and discuss their potential benefits for both companies and employees.

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In today's hyper-connected world, it's easy for criticisms and negative comments to spread like wildfire, potentially damaging your reputation and credibility. Being a company leader who is also a public speaker or author of books and articles comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is dealing with public scrutiny, especially when someone doesn't agree with your professional viewpoint or is upset about what you said. To help leaders face this situation head-on, a group of Fast Company Executive Board members explores some strategies for handling public scrutiny and saving face when dealing with criticism or backlash. Whether you're a seasoned public speaker or a new author, these tips can help you navigate the rough waters of public scrutiny and emerge stronger and more successful.

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A successful webinar will engage, educate and possibly persuade its target audience and keep the host top of their mind for their future needs. Webinars have become an increasingly popular tool for businesses to engage with potential clients and customers. However, simply hosting a webinar is not enough to ensure success. To make a lasting impression and achieve desired outcomes, businesses must use best practices to create engaging and informative content that resonates with their audience. Whether it be educational or persuasive, effective webinars require careful planning, preparation, and execution. To that end, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members weigh in on some of their best practices for hosting webinars that are useful, relevant, and valuable for potential clients and customers.

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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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Forging successful connections at trade shows requires a solid strategy for attracting and retaining the attention of prospects. Trade shows are an excellent opportunity for businesses to showcase their products and services and connect with potential clients. However, with so many companies competing for attention, it can be challenging to stand out from the crowd. To be successful at a trade show, businesses must find ways to attract and retain the interest of potential clients on the spot in real-time. This requires a combination of creativity, preparation, and a willingness to take risks. To that end, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members recommend some top strategies businesses can use to stand out from competitors during an annual trade show and leave a lasting impression on potential clients.

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Even the most successful companies can make missteps, and when those mistakes involve leadership, the consequences can be severe. A company's reputation is a crucial asset that can take years to build but can be destroyed in an instant. Negative publicity and online backlash can quickly spread after leadership mistakes, causing irreparable damage to a company's reputation. However, there are steps that a company can take to clean up its negative business reputation online and regain the trust of its clients. To help, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members recommended some effective strategies that can help turn things around and get your business back in the good graces of potential and current clients, even after past leadership missteps.

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Sometimes, the biggest business challenges can yield the most valuable lessons for future success. Running a successful business is not just about profits and revenue. It also involves learning from mistakes and setbacks that might seem devastating at the time. The good news is that some of the most challenging lessons a business can face can ultimately be the ones that bring about the most significant improvements. These lessons can come from a variety of sources, such as unexpected failures, market shifts, or even internal conflicts. Below, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members get candid about some of the most difficult lessons they've learned as leaders and how those lessons have ultimately resulted in positive business outcomes.

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Make sure your organization is ready when Uncle Sam comes knocking.  When your company has an appointment with the IRS, it can be very intimidating and something you should never take lightly. Therefore, it's a smart idea to connect with a tax attorney to obtain the proper guidance on how best to prepare.  In the meantime, six Fast Company Executive Board members share their best practices for how to handle an IRS audit or investigation. 

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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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12 ways managers and staff can command professional higher standards for themselves without obsessing or feeling anxious. What does your version of "finished" look like? Does a designated task have to be "perfect" or can it simply be "good enough"—for the moment?" If you're a manager or direct report who struggles with the idea of "perfectionism" in the workplace, then you may be missing out on the bigger picture.  While the fine details of a crucial assignment or potential contract should never be compromised or taken lightly, finding the right balance to get the primary work done, effectively, and in a timely given manner is just as essential. Focusing on what you can control—in lieu of what you can't, is also a key component of personal growth and continued learning to build further on the next iteration of a project. Here are 12 tips from  Fast Company Executive Board members to help change your mindset and improve your workflow habits so you can move forward.

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Inspiring employees to address current business challenges—transparently and collaboratively—enables the opportunity to find innovative solutions for business growth.  Tapping into the ideas of the people you work with each day is an effective way to foster the spirit of intrapreneurship on the job. It can move the company closer to its mission to spark innovation that has a positive influence, in-house and externally, in the marketplace.  An employee's concept may seem risky or unconventional, at first, but as a leader, being willing to facilitate a safe space for staff critical thinking and creative experimentation will help the business and its team stay fresh, collectively, moving forward with better outcomes for the organization and attainable solutions for its current and potential clients and customers.  Below, 14 experts from Fast Company Executive Board are sharing their best practices to inspire innovation and intellectual freedom that will excite your team.

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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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Apply these tips to engage employees throughout the entire process. When a business is being acquired by another company, it's difficult for employees to deal with the sudden change. That's why it's so important for a great leader to remain transparent and prepare its stakeholders every step of the way, in addition to negotiating the staff's needs as the sale progresses. In today's climate filled with marketplace uncertainty, dedicated employees are expecting to hear from their leaders, before external communications about company challenges are made to public at-large. Below, nine Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their methods to approach open communication and create opportunities for a smoother transition under new management.

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Implement these 12 tips to keep your business aspirations on track without losing sight of big picture priorities. It's okay if being a serial entrepreneur is what gets your juices flowing, but it's essential to consider the right approach to maintaining numerous enterprises at one time, so you don't spread yourself too thin in the long run. Taking too many leaps at once may prevent you from focusing on how to elevate each operation to its fullest potential the first time. Here are 12 factors Fast Company Executive Board members advise other leaders to consider if they are trying to keep up with numerous business operations.

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Here's how employers can find a charitable organization to sponsor this holiday season and beyond. During the holidays, in particular, many company leaders often consider how their establishment can lean in to assist with funding or volunteer its time to support a charitable cause, in the spirit of giving.   But what is the best way to choose the right partnership with a reputable foundation that makes the most sense and enables your organization to do the most good? Below, 11 members from Fast Company Executive Board are sharing their tips to help you get started, whether you plan on giving back for a season or throughout the entire year. 

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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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Be ready to end the deal with grace.  If your business partnership has gone south, don't dwell on the unfortunate circumstances that you find yourself in. Instead, embrace the issues quickly so that you can move forward before things get worse.  Scheduling a mutual arbitration process is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your assets, but be willing and prepared if you need to cut some of your losses in order to gain peace of mind,  cooperation, and the ability to break free from a contract—sooner rather than later. Below are 9 tips, courtesy of Fast Company Executive Board members to get you started down the right path to ending the arrangement on a positive note.

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Creating higher workflow standards, and accountability across the board, empowers everyone to strive for success. When you are overseeing a company that depends 100% on remote workers and contractors, it's important to develop a transparent operating system that requires each stakeholder to remain accountable for their workflow.  In addition, building stronger team relations that are not solely focused on work-related issues is essential to enhancing a business environment that fosters support with higher-performance levels, comradery, and genuine trust.  Here are 15 ways that Fast Company Executive Board members have improved their management methods to keep their organization and processes running smoothly between leaders and their direct reports.

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While email marketing can provide a great ROI, it has to be done the right way to make an impact. By 2025, the number of daily global emails sent is expected to surpass 376 billion. That's why a good email marketing campaign has to stand out from the noise and truly entice its recipient to open and click through. At the same time, it can't be too pushy or sales-oriented -- you don't want to scare off your customers. Mistakes are common in email marketing, especially for companies new to this marketing channel. Below, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members give examples of some of the biggest email marketing mistakes they've seen and how you can avoid them.

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Even if you're self-funded, there are affordable ways to recognize and reward your team for a job well done. For a bootstrapped startup, giving monetary rewards to show appreciation to stand-out employees might not be possible in the very beginning. But there are other kinds of rewards and ways of recognizing hard work that experts have found make a larger impact than money. From shout-outs in all-hands meetings to creating dedicated "kudos" Slack channels, startup founders have created innovative and effective ways to show their appreciation for their employees' hard work without going over budget. Below, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members provides their best cost-effective ideas for recognizing employees for their excellent work.

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Success gaps are opportunities for any business to take its growth to the next level.

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Here's how a CGI-AI-powered assistant can free up staff time and enable a smoother client journey. Chatbot systems have come a long way, thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning improvements. With a user-friendly automated service installed on its website, any business can address its customers' immediate concerns or frequently asked questions with little to no wait. This helps teams increase customer satisfaction at a higher rate.  Below are 10 Fast Company Executive Board members to share how installing a chatbot software application to their company's website has improved their business-client relationships in real-time.

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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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If you're strapped for cash, you can still find practical ways to launch and grow your new establishment successfully. Building a start-up business on a small budget is never easy. But being new to the industry it's important to build the best track record and gain as much positive attention as possible to elevate and expand your company in no time. Below, 15 gurus from Fast Company Executive Board share their time and knowledge about low-cost ways to create a buzz factor of excitement about your product or service.

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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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Utilize these smart budgeting guidelines to keep your company thriving, instead of afloat. When you gain an understanding of the cost to keep your company up and running on a deeper level, you'll be able to plan ahead for unexpected events that come your way and keep a better eye on the cash flowing in and out of your business. If you create a clear financial target year after year—every quarter—and remain transparent, providing financial updates to your team and clients, you're bound to be on a path to success in no time. Below, leaders from Fast Company Executive Board offer their best practices to manage your company's money properly and make sure that your financial partnership is solid and has your best interests at heart.

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How to keep your company's original mission relative to the future growth market.  To avoid remaining stagnant in today's evolving marketplace, an entrepreneur must keep one eye on the pulse of the latest trends and the other on the reasons for going into business in the first place. To stay balanced, the leader should make pursuing innovation a natural part of the company's course in order to survive. Below, 15 members from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on the path to blending legacy with future possibilities to help their companies thrive.

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Here are 15 tips to boost your confidence level and communication skills. Whether you are just starting out as the founder of a new small business, or a C-level executive leading staff members in a corporate setting, commanding the crowd's attention during a monthly staff meeting or a yearly business conference engagement, can be intimidating for some. To overcome the fear of presenting ideas among your peers in a public workspace, continue to participate and practice at low-stakes events with every opportunity that comes your way. By doing so, you'll become a skilled, sought-after, and successful thought leader in no time.  Below, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members share their best techniques to help leaders reduce the signs of nervousness and deliver effectively during virtual (or on-site) discussions.

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Every single person on your team—in the early days—needs to have an entrepreneurial spirit. If you want to launch a growing business and be successful, it's important to create a strong mission statement and surround yourself with folks who are willing to put in the work because they're passionate about what they do. Business leaders should also look for people who can carry out core values and continue to foster a positive company culture that lives up to the brand that the founder envisions.  It may be difficult to obtain the best talent in the market, so start with the peers in your network who respect what you're already doing and are happy to support what you stand for. Below, 11 expert panelists from Fast Company Executive Board suggest other leading traits business owners and managers should think about when they are trying to match a job candidate within their company. 

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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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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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Here's how to build your public speaking skills and command a crowd's attention. If you're an introverted employee who is uncomfortable about speaking in large group settings—internally or externally—you probably prefer to keep your head down and let your work speak for itself. This method has helped you to succeed in your industry and now you're at the top of your game.  However, when you step into a leadership role, sometimes duty calls. You may need to present a complex business concept or product launch during a company town hall. You may need to answer to executive leadership members regarding your team’s performance levels during a great (or not so great) quarter. You may even be called upon—at some point during your time with the company—to communicate on its behalf about a hot topic of issue, among your fellow peers in a public space.  If you're lacking in confidence on how best to prepare, there are plenty of outlets to practice and improve your presentation skills in time for the next big meeting. Below are 13 ideas from Fast Company Executive Board members that may also decrease some anxiety before presenting.

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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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13 tips to improve your social engagement skills and build better alliances. How do you define the art of networking? Is it a stepping stone to close your next business deal, or are you intentional about nurturing new relations that will build a pathway and benefit all? A panel of experts from Fast Company Executive Board agree that being an active listener—focused less on brand promotion and more focused on following through on promises made—is key to leaving a great impression on potential clients and colleagues in the long term.  Below, the 13 council members share how by changing bad habits formed in social settings, they've also created more meaningful connections.

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Avoiding a few mistakes can go a long way to improve the effectiveness of your marketing.

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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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Here are 12 tactics to help you remain level-headed in the heat of the moment. If you're worried about losing a client over an agreement gone wrong or miscommunication, before you go into a meeting reacting impulsively out of fear or frustration, remember to stop, rethink your approach to addressing the misunderstanding, and check your emotions at the door.  At the end of the day, it will strengthen your ability to handle conflict, you'll salvage a key client relationship that may have been in jeopardy, and be appreciated for your professionalism, empathy and willingness to represent your stakeholders in a positive light. A panel of experts from Fast Company Executive Board shares their advice on how to turn a bad situation into a good one and move forward in business.

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No matter how limited your business budget is, every company should find room for these essential line items. A business’s cash flow, especially during the pandemic, can get thin at times. In these cash-strapped periods, it’s vital for executives to make shrewd money decisions based on company values and goals. While saving money should be a priority in these situations, there are some parts of the business that shouldn’t be undercut. Below, members of Fast Company Executive Board each shared one thing executives should never skimp on, even on a tight budget.

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If you're outsourcing your content creation efforts, it's important to ensure your brand "voice" is consistent. Successful businesses have clear, powerful messaging that lets customers know their values and what they stand for as a brand. The messaging these companies use doesn’t differ on each social media platform, either: It stays consistent, whether you read about the brand on Instagram, LinkedIn or other sites. Sometimes, when companies outsource their consumer-facing content, the messaging and voice don’t appear consistent. To ensure this doesn’t happen to your business, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members shared their tips for maintaining a consistent tone of voice, regardless of the channel. 

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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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To truly innovate and tap into your company's full creative potential, you need a diverse workforce with equal access to opportunities. Innovation in business is powered by unique perspectives and new ideas. At the forefront of innovation is diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Having diverse perspectives from teammates who come from different backgrounds ensures that your team approaches a problem from multiple angles and this can lead to faster resolutions. Diverse teams also adapt to changes more easily, reach more potential customers and offer the opportunity for ground-breaking change. As leaders in their industries, the members of Fast Company Executive Board understand the importance of innovating and the role diversity, equity and inclusion play in achieving it. Below, 15 of them shared the most impactful ways that DEI fuels innovation. 

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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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Give the right leaders a creative space to help move your organization forward in the new year. As business heads contemplate on industry trends and begin to look at what's in store in their industry for 2022, now is the time to get executive leadership members on the calendar for some exciting brainstorming sessions that will keep the company ahead and move it in the right direction.  Some simple and out-of-the-box thinking may spark more productive conversations, support smarter strategic planning, and get fellow colleagues excited about the collaborative process in the year to come. That's why 15 expert panelists from Fast Company Executive Board are sharing creative ideas to make a memorable impression at your forthcoming meetings that will provide the most value for all.

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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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As companies seek to win the war for tech talent, here are the positions business leaders want to fill in the new year. Tech talent is in high demand these days. Across various industries, you’ll find companies are competing with one another for the top tech talent to help them grow their business. Looking ahead to 2022, many companies have already begun planning and are hoping to recruit more employees in the new year. Below, 12 Fast Company Executive Board members share the No. 1 technical hire their company is looking to make in 2022.

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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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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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A large potential client with instant brand-name recognition could boost your company's profile, but make sure the contract is worth your while before rushing to sign. For B2B companies, nothing is more thrilling than finding out that you’ve captured the attention of a key player in your target audience. If you discover that a major prospect is interested in your services, it can be tempting to get swept up in the excitement of bringing them on board.  While it’s always exciting to see your marketing efforts pay off, there are some things you need to consider before rushing to sign that big-name client. Below, 10 Fast Company Executive Board members shared the most important questions B2B leaders should ask themselves before taking the plunge.

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Here are 16 tips to consider before your staff members dive into training for the latest software tools. Technology exists to make our professional lives a little easier. However, when department managers and their teams get too comfortable with the old way of doing business in a familiar pattern or process, it’s never easy to convince them to adapt to the latest infrastructure all at once. If your company is currently pursuing a new digital platform or service, an expert panel of Fast Company Executive Board members share 16 ideas to support each employee’s tech level and learning style.

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Remote and hybrid workplace environments are here to stay. Prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, most executive leaders were accustomed to managing their employees in-office on a daily basis. Now, in the new and ever-changing virtual work world, some leaders are struggling to maintain culture and team growth like they once did.  In a candidate-driven market and with the “Great Resignation” still looming, many company heads understand that offering more job flexibility, real work-life balance, and substantial growth opportunities are key to staying ahead of the competition and attracting the best talent.  To help supervisors and staff gain confidence as they continue to navigate a growing remote or hybrid business environment, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members share strategies remote managers can use to help their virtual talent develop a thriving career and stay connected with one another.

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Metacognition, or thinking about thinking, can be a powerful tool to help anyone make changes in their life.

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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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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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If you’ll soon be getting back in the skies or on the road for business travel, take note of these smart tips. Business travel is beginning to pick back up thanks to the rise in vaccination rates. This means that many business travelers, many of whom used to travel frequently, have to once again figure out the best “travel hacks” to ensure safe and efficient trips.  Frequent travelers know that constantly being on the road or in the air can feel exhausting and overwhelming if you aren’t adequately prepared. That’s why a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members shared some of their best strategies to make traveling easier. Follow their must-know travel hacks if you’re constantly on the go for work, especially during the busy holiday season.

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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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Don't let a limited budget stop you from promoting your new business. When budgets are tight, one of the first things many entrepreneurs strike from their list of financial priorities is marketing. However, marketing doesn't have to take a backseat when resources are limited. In fact, there are plenty of ways to continue promoting your company while keeping costs low. DIY public relations can be an inexpensive way to gain attention for your business—if you follow the right strategies and best practices. Below, 14 members of Fast Company Executive Board share some creative, inexpensive ways a new business can drum up good publicity or press mentions.

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When it comes to getting the word out about your business, your own online reputation can be a boon—if you manage it carefully. With more communication channels than ever available for free, right at our fingertips, there are plenty of options for a CEO to broadcast their business. However, as quick and simple as it can be to talk up your business online through your business and personal social media accounts, it's just as easy to make the wrong move—one that can hurt your company's reputation. Indeed, a CEO's reputation can affect how people view their business. In today's marketplace, consumers tend to make personal connections with the businesses they patronize, and they may well choose to buy from (or pass by) a company depending on what they think of its CEO. Company leaders need to devote time and resources to building up a positive public image online. To help, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board have shared their top personal branding tips for CEOs. Follow their advice to cultivate an online reputation that's a positive for both you and your business.

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Many people are intimidated by public speaking, but by following a few simple tips, you can calm your nerves and engage your audience. Presentations, whether virtual or in-person, are a part of the day-to-day work of many professionals. This is especially true for entrepreneurs and company leaders, who frequently have to present to employees, clients, board members, the media, and other stakeholders. However, if you're new to public speaking, you may not be sure how to prepare your remarks, structure your presentation, or—most importantly—settle your nerves. Getting tips from a seasoned speaker can help you get ready to effectively engage and educate your audience. No strangers to giving presentations themselves, the members of Fast Company Executive Board have learned ways to prepare and give presentations that make a lasting impression. Below, 15 of them share their best tips to help novice speakers successfully find their voices and hone their skills as presenters.

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Establishing a culture of self-accountability is a powerful thing to do.

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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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Even if you're self-funded, you can still find meaningful and cost-effective ways to recognize and reward your team's hard work. Every leader wants to recognize their team members for their excellent work. But for a startup—especially one that’s bootstrapped—financial rewards may not be possible (for now). Still, when your startup team is putting in long hours and hard work to help you get your dream off the ground, you want to ensure they know that you see their efforts and just how much you appreciate them. Fortunately, showing your team your thanks doesn’t have to be expensive—you just have to be creative and thoughtful. Below, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members offer their advice for entrepreneurs who want to recognize outstanding work from their team even when the budget’s tight.

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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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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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Most organizations have specific rules and protocols workers are expected to follow, as well as carefully developed missions and visions that are intended to guide the entire team's actions. However, employees won't just blindly follow these rules if the leaders who established them aren't modeling that behavior themselves. And it's not just about hard-and-fast policies and procedures either—teams are influenced by everything from a leader's speech patterns to their attitudes. Consciously or unconsciously, employees often pick up habits, mannerisms, and mindsets from their managers and other higher-ups—an instinct that often trumps paying close attention to "the rules." That's why leaders must stop and think about the messages they may be unconsciously sending to their teams. It can be difficult to know how you may be setting a bad example if you aren't aware of some of the more common missteps leaders make. To help, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members shared 15 ways leaders might be unknowingly setting a bad example for their teams and how they can turn things around.

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Even in the growing gig economy, your business can still find ways to attract and retain top talent. Flexibility, independence, and work-life balance have become top priorities for many professionals in recent years. That's why, as the gig economy grows, many are turning to freelancing or short-term work rather than pursuing a role with one company.  The trend toward "gig work" can be challenging for businesses that need full-time help and want to build a dedicated team of talented professionals. However, you can still attract top candidates to your company—you just need to embrace flexibility on your side. Below, seven members of Fast Company Executive Board shared their top-recommended ways to find and hire new team members in the gig economy.

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Stress is a natural part of life, but it doesn't have to derail your focus and productivity. Leaders generally deal with some level of stress on a daily basis—but they can't let it sidetrack them or shut them down. With multiple responsibilities on their plate, leaders need to have go-to strategies and coping mechanisms to ease both everyday and situational stress and get back to the work at hand.  With plenty of experience coping with the myriad responsibilities of leadership, the members of Fast Company Executive Board have their own methods for handling high-pressure moments, big responsibilities, and heavy workloads. Below, 15 of them share their favorite ways to find calm and move forward. Follow their recommendations the next time you find yourself carrying the burden of stress.

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Writing informative content can set you and your organization up as experts in your industry—but only if it provides real value to your audience. Gone are the days when producing business content simply meant writing copy for ads. With today’s broad variety of 24/7 media outlets, organizations have the opportunity to create messaging that will not only give them top-of-mind awareness but also showcase their expertise, boost their brands, and help them build real, meaningful relationships with their target audiences. By producing content that shares their knowledge with the public, a leader and the organization they represent can show that they’re genuinely interested in serving the public’s needs, not just in making a sale.  It can seem like an intimidating task to develop smart, meaningful content, but it doesn’t have to be. You and your team have plenty of valuable information to share; you just have to learn the best ways to uncover it and get it out there. To help, the members of Fast Company Executive Board have shared ways leaders and their teams can brainstorm and create content that not only demonstrates their expertise but also provides real value for their audiences.

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The ability to be creative is something that grows the more you work at it.

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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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You’ve caught the attention of a new prospect—now you need to convince them you can really deliver what you’re promising. Across industries, marketing teams of both B2B and B2C companies employ a variety of strategies to catch the attention of new prospects. It can be a difficult hill to climb—particularly in today’s global, digital marketplace—but even when you succeed, your work may be only half done. The new prospect knows what you claim to offer, but they may not be sure—yet—that you can back it up. To complete the sale, companies need to close the “credibility gap” that may be keeping prospects from making a final decision in their favor. To help, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board have shared ways companies can convince potential clients and customers that they are capable of and committed to following through on their marketing promises. Follow their advice to establish your expertise and land the deal.

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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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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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There are smart ways to balance business growth with social responsibility (and even tie them together). Every entrepreneur wants to grow their business. However, as experienced leaders know, achieving and then coping with rapid growth comes with challenges. While the first topic that comes to mind may be managing complex finances or building a team to handle the heavier load, another factor to consider is how to address your company’s commitment to social responsibility. For example, the path to growth could potentially involve an expanded carbon footprint. Or hiring quickly to fill needs may make it more difficult to ensure your efforts are guided by diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Fortunately, entrepreneurs don’t have to choose between significant success and social responsibility. As the leaders of Fast Company Executive Board know, there are smart ways to ensure that your fast growth also comes with a positive social impact. To balance your desires to build your business and contribute to positive change, check out the eight strategies they share below.

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Customer retention may be cheaper than new lead generation, but you need the right strategies to successfully earn repeat business. One of the first lessons business owners learn is that it’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than to engage a new one. However, that doesn’t mean it’s easy—and failing to retain current clientele can lead to detrimental consequences for an organization. Fortunately, there are several simple strategies that businesses can use to help retain and engage their existing customers. Not sure where to begin? Start with these 13 tried-and-true tricks shared by the members of Fast Company Executive Board.

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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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Artificial intelligence has the potential to streamline everything from data science to content creation. Artificial intelligence has broken the boundaries of the tech world to become a focus for businesses of every stripe. Articles on the business benefits of AI feature regularly in publications devoted to any and every industry. Small-business owners reading all the ink on AI may think, “That’s great for the big guys, but there’s no way I can afford to set up or use AI.” But they’re very likely wrong about that. In today’s market, you don’t need an in-house IT team or deep tech skills to realize the productivity boosts and cost savings of AI. Existing tools and low-code platforms make tapping into the power of AI an achievable goal for businesses of any size and expertise. And you might be surprised at AI’s flexibility—there’s much more AI can do for your business beyond powering a website chatbot. So what are the ways small businesses of today are leveraging the power of AI? Below, seven members of Fast Company Executive Board share the ways they—and you—can see big benefits from this ever-expanding tech tool.

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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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By focusing on your customers' real needs, you’ll build outstanding products and deliver services that give you an edge.

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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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Hiring a truly diverse workforce begins with looking in all the right places for talent. There’s more to a smart recruitment strategy than ticking a list of skills boxes. In many businesses, needed skills can be learned on the job. However, lived experience is a unique factor each candidate brings to the table. When recruiting new talent, it’s not just important to know how to find candidates with the desired education and qualifications—you’ll also want to ensure those candidates are coming from diverse backgrounds and bringing unique perspectives to the table. True diversity in a company or organization can’t happen if job postings don’t reach a large, diverse audience. Developing strategies to reach a broader pool of candidates is essential. To help, 10 experts from Fast Company Executive Board share strategies you can employ to ensure your job postings reach a diverse group of candidates.

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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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The future of automation is already here, and it's having an impact far beyond the tech industry. With continuous advances in artificial intelligence and associated technologies, the automation revolution is well underway, and there are no signs it will slow down any time soon. The potential applications of AI extend far beyond chatbots and targeted ads (although these can be incredibly significant productivity and revenue boosters). Companies across industries are pioneering new ways to automate a variety of tasks, freeing up team members for more creative and "human-facing" work. So what's the next best step for business leaders who have been hearing about and are now ready to start exploring automation and AI? Below, 10 members of Fast Company Executive Board share how non-tech companies can prepare to meet and embrace a future workplace that's "superpowered" by automation.

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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.