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Leadership

Till You Get It Right: Lessons from Groundhog Day

The Bill Murray classic Groundhog Day (1993) may have more meaning in 2021 than in years past – in part because we’re all a little trapped, and in part because time has less meaning when your routine is unchanged for months at a stretch. Dig a little deeper, though. Look beyond “I Got You, Babe”…

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Effective communication Language and ideas Leadership

Lessons from 25 great year-end messages

We’ve discussed at length the challenges of holiday messaging as well as the importance of language when building a brand and a company culture. Today, we take a closer look at end-of-year employee communications. Entrepreneur Keith Miller shared a “top 25” list of year-end messages on the Future of Working website that look straightforward –…

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Corporate storytelling Language and ideas Leadership

Speechwriting lessons from FDR

On this day in 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in the first direct attack on the United States by an Axis power. The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his “date which will live in infamy” speech. Roosevelt had been delivering fireside chats via radio since 1933. His voice was well known to…

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Corporate storytelling Leadership

Who’s your chief executive storyteller?

Your chief executive storyteller should be the person who knows your brand best. He or she is someone who can inspire loyalty among consumers and employees, and can paint vivid portraits of what you do: what, where, why, and for whom. Your chief executive storyteller should be your CEO or founder. Not all company leaders…

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Content creation Effective communication Leadership

Jargon: The weapon that kills big ideas

The effort to communicate effectively is a double-edged sword. We want our peers and clients to share our enthusiasm for our ideas. But we often struggle to find the best way to convey them. Big words and complex concepts might make it seem as though we’re confident, capable, and important. But if people don’t understand…