Debbie Laskey's Blog

Welcome to Debbie Laskey's commentary about BRANDING, MARKETING, LEADERSHIP, SOCIAL MEDIA, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, and CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES. Debbie has worked in high-tech, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, nonprofits, and insurance. Expertise includes strategic planning, brand development, marketing plans and audits, competitive positioning, websites, corporate communications, public relations, employee engagement, customer experiences, and social media marketing.

Monday, March 25, 2024

SPRING LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Joseph Lalonde

Last fall, I featured an inspiring series here on my blog called, "Fall Back to Reading Series." Nearly 30 leadership, marketing, and customer experience experts participated and shared their favorite books and their thoughts about the importance of reading.

Joseph Lalonde, one participant and leadership expert, wrote a book entitled, REEL LEADERSHIP, which focuses on nontraditional ways to think about leadership. After I read the book, the seeds for this "Spring Leadership Series" were planted. Today, Joseph kicks off the series, following a brief introduction, and I hope you enjoy thinking about leadership in nontraditional ways!

Joseph Lalonde is experienced in all aspects of IT, leadership, project/sales, and design with a history of working with small businesses and individuals. He is also an award-winning leadership blogger ranked in the top 40 leadership blogs in the world. His book Reel Leadership showcases the intersection of leadership and entertainment.

QUESTION: Which TV show or TV series showcases leadership in a memorable way? This could be due to a specific character and their actions, a series of events, the plot of one or several episodes, or a specific time reflected in history.
JOSEPH LALONDE: The first TV show/series that came to mind is THE SHIELD. It stars Michael Chiklis as Detective Vic Mackey. He leads an anti-gang task force for the fictional Farmington police department in California. Mackey starts off as someone who wants to do good, be a family man, and more. However, he takes small and big actions that detour him from the man he wants to be into a ruthless and brutal detective. The Shield shows us how someone who wants to be a great leader can slowly move themselves over the edge into corruption.

QUESTION: Which film showcases leadership in a memorable way?
JOSEPH LALONDE: I believe almost any movie can showcase leadership. Movies are stories, and stories are memorable. Let me share one example from the recent film WONKA, the prequel to Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. It tells the story of Willy Wonka before we meet him in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. In one scene, Wonka had promised to give Noodle, an indentured servant much like him, a lifetime supply of chocolate for her help. Noodle helped him, and he passed her a basket full of his delectable chocolates. When she asked him what he was doing, he said that he made a promise and meant to keep his promise. This exemplifies the fact that leaders have to be people who keep their word, despite the cost.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Introducing the #SpringLeadershipSeries on #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Last fall, I featured an inspiring series here on my blog called, "Fall Back to Reading Series." Nearly 30 leadership, marketing, and customer experience experts participated and shared their favorite books and their thoughts about the importance of reading.

Joseph Lalonde, one participant and leadership expert, wrote a book entitled, REEL LEADERSHIP, which focuses on nontraditional ways to think about leadership. After I read the book, the seeds for this "Spring Leadership Series" were planted. During the next three months, 15 marketing and leadership experts will answer the following five questions here on my blog.

This exciting #SpringLeadershipSeries begins next Monday, March 25, and continues every Monday during April and May - and then every Monday and Friday during June - ending with my highlights post on June 20.

So, to introduce the series and with much gratitude to Joseph, my answers follow below. I hope you enjoy thinking about leadership in nontraditional ways!

QUESTION: Which TV show or TV series showcases leadership in a memorable way? This could be due to a specific character and their actions, a series of events, the plot of one or several episodes, or a specific time reflected in history.
DEBBIE LASKEY: My choice is Law & Order: SVU because Mariska Hargitay's lead character Olivia Benson has been part of my TV-viewing life for the past 24 years. She has been a police officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain through her many years with the NYPD. She has climbed the corporate ladder and has broken some shards of the glass ceiling in a male-dominated industry (law enforcement) in the largest city in the country - and not only survived but became a captain of a challenging department (sex crimes). She has been kidnapped and gone undercover in prison. Bottom line: she is an inspiration.

In episode six during the first season, Benson corrected a lawyer when she said, "It's Detective, Not Miss." According to CBR, "Benson is right to call out the gender-discriminatory wording that the lawyer uses since male detectives aren't referred to as mister. Plus, becoming a detective is quite an accomplishment for any officer; hence, they always prefer to be addressed by their correct titles."

From a leadership perspective, Benson leads by capitalizing on the strengths of her team. She always asks for feedback, and she always reminds her team to think about their stakeholders, the victims. There is no doubt that she is a leader to admire, so who wouldn't want her as their boss?

However, I must also mention another wonderful TV show that elevated a talented female protagonist while simultaneously showcasing superlative writing and acting. The show was THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL, which ran from 2017 to 2023 on Amazon Prime Video. The timeframe for the show was the 1950's and 1960's, and as a result, viewers saw how a New York housewife made the jump into stand-up comedy - despite all the gender bias and other challenges she encountered. Actress Rachel Brosnahan was excellent in her portrayl of Midge Maisel, and actor Tony Shalhoub convinced viewers that he left MONK when he became Midge Maisel's father in the show.

According to Collider.com, "In an exciting turn of events for the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, declared that April 14, 2023, would mark The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Day due to the show's success story and its positive portrayal of the Big Apple. Throughout its run, the series employed over 37,000 actors and craftspeople including: 344 dancers, 580 musicians, 981 dayplayers, and 35,619 background actors. Mrs. Maisel has also used the city as its set, filming in over 366 locations throughout the five boroughs, primarily in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Over its seven-year run, it played a role in boosting the economy, supporting local businesses and showcasing how beautiful and cinematic the city truly is."

Mayor Adams explained, "I love The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel because it showcases the beautiful streets of New York City, features a strong female lead character, and is the perfect example of how our city’s film and TV industry creates jobs, and generates economic activity for local businesses."

QUESTION: Which film showcases leadership in a memorable way?
DEBBIE LASKEY: My choice is "12 Angry Men," a film from 1957 that I first saw during a film appreciation class in high school. Years later, I saw a play in Los Angeles starring Richard Thomas (of The Walton's fame) in the title role.

The film showcases how one voice can change an entire room of other voices and opinions, in this case, a room of 11 jurors versus one juror. Henry Fonda was the sole juror who wanted to consider all evidence before finding an 18-year-old guilty. In the jury room, the jurors voted again and again, as Fonda's character convinced the jurors one by one to consider more and more evidence.

This film was an excellent example of how leadership can be quiet, unassuming, and effective. Fonda's character was a leader even though he was not the jury foreman. But he definitely made a difference in the life of the 18-year-old on trial.

An interesting side note from Wikipedia: "Speaking at a screening of the film during the 2010 Fordham University Law School Film Festival, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor stated that seeing "12 Angry Men" while she was in college influenced her decision to pursue a career in law."

However, when I think of movies and leadership, I have to include 9 to 5, starring three superstars, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton. The film's theme song has become immediately recognizable, thanks to Parton's long nails. But the sad part is that most women have encountered a boss like Mr. Hart in the movie, a male chauvinist pig who thinks all women employees - no matter their education or role - should simply make coffee and wear short skirts. Despite the film's shenanigans, women got the last laugh at the end.

QUESTION: Which work of fiction showcases leadership in a memorable way?
DEBBIE LASKEY: My choice is John Grisham's 2023 novel, "The Exchange, After The Firm." The creator of his own genre of legal thrillers has returned to the novel that made his name famous (not withstanding the feature film starring Tom Cruise back in 1993) with a story set 15 years after "The Firm" ended. Members of the legal profession, watchers of legal dramas on television, and readers of Grisham's novels all understand (too well) the caste system that exists in the legal profession, or as Grisham calls it "Big Law." Power trickles down, so named partners in law firms are the top dogs with decision-making power. In large law firms, executive committees or management committees often have the final say on major decisions affecting their firms.

Without giving away all the twists and turns in this particular story, Mitch McDeere's firm's management committee has a life-altering decision to make. But spoiler alert, the desired decision is not made. Both Mitch and the senior partner presented all the reasons why the desired decision should be made, but some people stayed away from the office so that they would not be forced to vote. (Sound like a stalement in the U.S. Congress?) This type of stalemate was bad. Even worse, a lawyer's life was on the line.

While most leaders would never encounter this type of scenario, they do find themselves making hard decisions on a daily basis. I would hope that they realize that their decisions make an impact on their employees, who are real people, rather than just a number on paper.

QUESTION: Which product, or product line, stands out as a symbol of leadership?
DEBBIE LASKEY: Without a doubt, my choice is Mattel's iconic Barbie doll, introduced in 1959. According to Mattel, "Barbie recognizes all female role models. The 'Barbie Inspiring Women Series' pays tribute to the incredible heroines of their time; courageous women who took risks, changed rules, and paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever before."

While some may think Barbie is just a doll, I beg to differ. She has evolved both in style and shape over the years, so much so that people don't notice or talk about her hourglass figure anymore. Instead, there are Barbie dolls who represent a myriad of professions and situations. In fact, since 2019, the Barbie line has expanded to include Barbie dolls with a wheelchair, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids, vitiligo, and more. In 2023, Mattel launched a Barbie with Down syndrome and worked closely with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to ensure that the doll's aesthetics, clothing, accessories, and packaging were accurate.

Also, she was the star of last year's blockbuster film, and people flocked to movie theaters, many people more than once, all wearing the color pink.

There is a reason that the Barbie doll tagline is "A doll can help change the world. You can be anything."

QUESTION: Lastly, which brand is the best embodiment of an industry leader, and why?
DEBBIE LASKEY: My choice is Starbucks, because Howard Schultz saw a popular coffee drinking industry in Europe and brought it to America. The coffee cafe industry re-energized the coffee industry, new products were introduced (for example, Pumpkin Spice Latte celebrated its 20th birthday in 2023), and other coffee cafes sprung up to offer competition for Starbucks.

According to MBAKNOL.com, "Is it possible to convince ordinary Americans who routinely open 3-pound value cans of coffee, shovel the grounds into a paper filter, push a button, and go about their business to suddenly change their ways? Will this eventually evolve into a $1400 per year habit of a latte each day? The answer to these questions, according to Starbucks, is 'absolutely!'"

Did these questions open your eyes to think about leadership in nontraditional ways? That was the hope.

Image Credits: Debbie Laskey, iStockphoto, Amazon, and Classroom Clipart.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Marketing News of the Week: Oscars and More

Oscars, Oscars, and more Oscars. Sure, the little gold statue made news this week, but there was some other marketing news too.

OSCAR CEREMONIES
According to MarketingDive, "Disney Advertising sold out of advertising inventory for ABC’s Oscars telecast Sunday. The film awards show’s 96th ceremony attracted brands representing 17 categories, including apparel, automotive, consumer packaged goods, entertainment and healthcare. Airbnb, Dunkin’, Procter & Gamble, Pfizer, Southwest Airlines and Walmart were among some of the brands who advertised. Healthy demand is a sign that advertisers continue to value live programming, and the Oscars, specifically, for the event’s ability to reach young, affluent, and multicultural consumers, according to Disney."

The "Barbenheimer" cultural phenomenon, the term created for both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" that were released last summer was a boon to studios and theaters that are still trying to recover from the post-pandemic slump and convince consumers that making the trip to multiplexes is worth the extra costs over streaming at home.

And yet, back to the term BARBENHEIMER...when was the last time that a movie got a different name by competing against other movies? Not in recent memory. Score one for brand marketing. According to Reid Goldberg at Collider, "The Barbenheimer phenomenon has become a global sensation and proven that cross-promotion can benefit competing blockbusters." And also stimulate the economy.

Lastly, what do you think of the winners? Did you see all the films nomimated for best picture? Although I saw BARBIE, OPPENHEIMER, and WONKA, I have to admit that the films did not live up to all the hype.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
March 8th was an important day on the equality calendar: International Women's Day, a global holiday celebrated annually to commemorate the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of women. It also brings attention to the women’s rights movement, focusing attention on gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.

First celebrated in 1909 in New York City as "Women’s Day," the holiday was celebrated in 1911 by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. International Women’s Day was adopted as a global holiday by the United Nations in 1977.

Some brands stood out by their celebrations. Here are a couple:

(1) One example was Vermont Teddy Bear, who wrote in an email, "Today, and everyday, we celebrate all women including the hardworking team of fierce females behind our Teddy Bears and Stuffed Animals."

(2) Another example was the Los Angeles Dodgers, who shared on Twitter/X a quote from a co-owner and former tennis star Billie Jean King, "International Women's Day puts focus on women and the importance of women in all our lives. Let's focus on our contributions to society and do positive things for all women."

WOLVERINE and #WOMANMADE
Accoring to MarketingDive, "Boot maker Wolverine is kicking off Women's History Month with a purpose-driven campaign centered around gendered language that undermines inclusivity in the skilled trades, namely the absence of 'woman-made' in the dictionary alongside 'man-made.' The effort includes a Change.org petition that seeks to add 'women-made' to the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and Dictionary.com. Change.org petitions have remained a playful way for brands to draw attention to purpose-driven campaigns."

Lauren King, Director of Branding at Wolverine explained, "In addition to our goal of getting 'woman-made' added to the dictionary, we hope to inspire girls and women around the world to have the confidence to pursue any passion, especially within the skilled trades where women are drastically underrepresented."

Also, since statistics show that over half of American homes are sustained by women, yet they remain underrepresented in the skilled trades, Wolverine is partnering with Girls Garage, a design and construction school for girls and gender-expansive youths ages 9-18, and donating $25,000 to the organization. Founded in 2013, Girls Garage is the first-ever design and building workshop for female-identifying youth in the United States.

What other recent marketing buzz caught your attention? There's always something happening that impacts marketing, so tune in to #DebbieLaskeysBlog for the scoop!

Image Credit: Pantone.

Change.org Petition by Wolverine:
https://www.change.org/p/add-woman-made-to-the-dictionary

Wolverine's Woman Made page:
https://www.wolverine.com/US/en/woman-made/

Friday, March 8, 2024

Celebrate International Women’s Day with Susan Colantuono

Over the last 15 years, thanks to social media, I have had the privilege of meeting inspiring marketing, branding, customer experience, leadership, and social media experts. One of these experts is Susan Colantuono, a leadership expert based in Rhode Island, who has graciously appeared on my blog several times and shared inspiring commentary about leadership and gender equality. Due to Susan's areas of expertise, she is an excellent choice to appear on my blog today.

Today, March 8th, is an important day on the equality calendar: it is International Women’s Day, a global holiday celebrated annually to commemorate the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of women. It also brings attention to the women’s rights movement, focusing attention on gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.

First celebrated in 1909 in New York City as "Women’s Day," the holiday was celebrated in 1911 by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. International Women’s Day was adopted as a global holiday by the United Nations in 1977.

To recognize and celebrate today’s significance, I welcome Susan Colantuono back to my Blog. Highlights of our conversation about leadership and gender equality follow a brief introduction.

Susan Colantuono is the founder of Be Business Savvy. She is an internationally renowned author, speaker, and mentor/coach. She discovered, developed, and introduced to the world a definition of leadership and four keys that have transformed women’s leadership development and initiatives to close the leadership gender gap - including The Missing 33 percent of the career success equation for women. Her TED Talk entitled, "The Career Advice You Probably Didn't Get" has nearly 4.5 million views.

QUESTION: Dictionary.com selected "woman" as its word of the year for 2022, because searches for the word doubled during 2022 when compared to previous years. During the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, she was asked, "Can you provide a definition for the word 'woman'?" She responded that she could not. During 2022, Roe vs. Wade was overturned and women began mass protests in Iran. As this marketing news showed, words matter. What are your thoughts about this word selection, especially today on International Women's Day?

SUSAN COLANTUONO: First of all, celebrating International Women’s Day is exponentially harder for us in the U.S. than it was two years ago. Like everyone else, I see through my worldview, and right now, my particular worldview has me furious at the Republican war on women in the U.S. As far as the definition of the word "woman," the politicization of it infuriates me.

That's why, if pushed, I would say that a woman is anyone for whom giving birth is a possibility and the decision to give birth or not should be a private decision between her and her doctor. I realize that I’m leaving out those who identify and experience the world as women, but do not have a womb. And leaving out women who are infertile. This illustrates the difficulty of attempting to define the word.

QUESTION: What do you think Susan B. Anthony would think about the current state of American politics, especially since the The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear former President Trump's appeal of a judicial decision barring him from Colorado's Republican primary ballot in advance of the 2024 presidential election?

SUSAN COLANTUONO: As you would guess from above, I'd say she’d be appalled. Misogyny (including disastrous media coverage) and Russian interference lost the election for Hillary Clinton in 2016. As a result, women's rights, voting rights, and democracy are all under siege.

I follow the legal proceedings closely. It's not lost on me that the twice impeached, 91 times indicted former president is not arguing his innocence on the D.C. charges. His legal maneuvering is all about delaying the trial. The insurrectionist has no business being on the ballot in any state. Don't get me started on the ethics issues with SCOTUS.

QUESTION: I wrote a blog post introducing 15 people from history and the modern era who would be MY guests at an amazing dinner party. Who would you invite to YOUR dinner party? No limit to the number of seats at your table!

(Read the full post at this link: https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2022/06/my-amazing-dinner-party-of-15.html)

SUSAN COLANTUONO: I'm chuckling because my preference for introversion means I would never set a dinner table for 15 guests! So, for my more intimate dinners I would invite:

Dinner 1 = 5 former F500 women CEOs including: Anne Mulcahy (Xerox), Indra Nooyi (PepsiCo), Ursula Burns (Xerox), Andrea Jung (Avon), and Denise Morrison (Campbell Soup).

Dinner 2 = 5 global business thought leaders: Ram Charan, Renee Mauborgne, Henry Mintzberg, Rita McGrath, and Daniela Amodei.

Dinner 3 = 5 historical women: Boudicca, Joan of Arc, Barbara Jordan, Sojourner Truth, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

I get chills just thinking about sharing a table with these 15 amazing people.

QUESTION: When I was in graduate school in the mid-1990’s, one of my tenured professors said to the class, "Women don’t belong in grad school. They belong at home in the kitchen." How would you have responded?

SUSAN COLANTUONO: If I were as quick on my feet as U.S. Congresswoman Bella Abzug, I'd have replied, "Yes, women do belong in the House...and also in the Senate" - not to mention in grad school as faculty and heading up graduate programs.

But, alas, I'm not, so I probably would have just stammered something like, "That’s your biased and unfounded opinion, and I'm not the first to prove you wrong."

QUESTION: Marilyn Loden coined the term "glass ceiling" when speaking on a panel at the 1978 Women’s Exposition in New York City. According to the Washington Post, “When her turn came to speak, she thought about how she had been tasked at her company to explore why more women weren’t entering management positions. She had gathered enough data that she felt confident that the problem extended beyond what her colleagues were wearing or saying. Loden explained, ‘It seemed to me there was an invisible barrier to advancement that people didn’t recognize, a glass ceiling.’” While it’s been more than 40 years, the problem persists. Many well-known women have used the term including Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Aretha Franklin, and Oprah Winfrey. How do you think women can shatter the "glass ceiling?"

SUSAN COLANTUONO: Let me be provocative here. Women can't shatter the "glass ceiling." But we CAN be prepared to capitalize on opportunities to rise above it and then change the dynamics that create it. But until we're above it, we can't shatter it. Managers (mostly men) create the glass ceiling, and we do women a disservice by calling on us to shatter it.

The conversation on women's advancement needs to put greater pressure on managers to end the formal and informal policies, practices and procedures that create barriers to women's advancement. It needs to shift to put pressure on managers to change their mindsets about women and men, leadership, and careers that disadvantage women and advantage men.

We need to continue to prepare women to prepare for, ask for, and accept opportunities. We especially need to foster the acquisition of business, financial, and strategic acumen so more women are seen as "partners in the business" and viable candidates for advancement.

Friday, March 1, 2024

Are You the Type of Leader Who Speaks Last?

If you’re not familiar with the name Hortense le Gentil, get ready to be inspired by some valuable leadership take-aways. She stands out wherever she appears in the digital landscape, whether as a guest writer, her own website, or on Twitter/X (where we met) - and now, here on my blog. Recently, Hortense and I had a discussion about leadership, and highlights follow a brief introduction.

Hortense le Gentil is a world-renowned executive leadership coach, speaker, and author. Her coaching work focuses on CEOs and senior executives on their journey from hero leaders to human leaders. She is the author of the widely acclaimed book Aligned, and recently released her latest book entitled, The Unlocked Leader: Dare to Free Your Own Voice, Lead With Empathy, and Shine Your Light in the World. Le Gentil’s thought leadership is informed by 30 years in business, working across industries including media consulting and advertising, and as an entrepreneur. Her thought-leadership has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., Business Insider, and ThriveGlobal.com. Le Gentil grew up in France, where she was a competitive show jumper during her youth.

QUESTION: You included an inspirational quote in an article for Fast Company: "The most effective human leaders are those who have successfully re-positioned their role from quarterback to coach. Their job is no longer to handle the ball and score points; it is to inspire and support the players to give the best of themselves and make sure they play as a team so together they can score points. In other words, leading requires different attributes and behaviors than managing." Can you please elaborate as to how this plays out in office scenarios where office politics, silos, and big egos exist.

(Read full article here: “Why leaders should always speak last” at https://www.fastcompany.com/90965196/why-leaders-should-always-listen-first-and-speak-last)

HORTENSE LE GENTIL: It's a profound shift from being a "doer" to a "facilitator." In the throes of office politics and strong egos, it's the leader's duty to create an empowering atmosphere where each person feels safe to express themselves and knows that their contributions are valued and heard. This requires a leader to adopt new tools and skills. A clear vision is paramount — as the captain of the ship, you must communicate this vision to your team. You must become adept at listening and understanding – speak less, and when you do, speak last to ensure everyone's voice is heard. Leadership is about understanding what drives you and your team. Be like a real-life Ted Lasso! This is not just a change of actions but a transformation of mindset.