Nathalie Walton

expert panel

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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Before you invest a lot of resources in a rebranding initiative, make sure it's worth it for your business to do so. Rebranding your business is a big decision that involves many different moving parts. A rebrand can mean anything from redesigning your webpage or launching a new product, to repositioning yourself in the market. Because of the time, money and energy involved in a rebrand, it's important first to consider whether rebranding is a necessary step for your business. What are you trying to change? Who are you changing for? To help you answer these questions, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members shared some important factors to consider before a rebrand.

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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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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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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.