Soft power: Why the best story wins

Whereas traditional power tended to focus on coercion (‘sticks’) and payment (‘carrots’), it is time to think more creatively about getting others to want what you want.  This is achieved by focusing our efforts around creating a new narrative, rather than on ‘who wins’. Nye describes this as ‘soft power’ (Nye, 2010). As the Professor of […]

What does it mean to lead courageously?

In 2007, Robert Eckert, the CEO of Mattel Toys, chose not to recall millions of toys he learned had contained excessive lead. Instead of taking responsibility for the products and their failure to comply with safety standards, he blamed the Chinese manufacturers. While some might argue Eckert was brave to resist a global product recall with huge […]

How media can restrict or expand your opportunities

Donald DePalma describes the Internet as similar to “discovering the Eighth Continent,” because it – “…confounds legislators and cultural purists worldwide who do not know what to make of the Web-based globalization phenomenon that threatens to make their geographic, political, economic, and cultural boundaries almost meaningless” (DePalma, 2004, pp. vii). Of course, there are many benefits of […]