Leadership in the Most Unsuspected Places

With author Lee Goldberg at book signing.

Some people don’t understand the value of reading fiction. They say that we should only read non-fiction. They think that undisputed facts from history and science are the only things we should spend our leisure time absorbing. But if you adhere to that line of reasoning, you are missing out. The truth is, we all need time to get to know our creative sides, where we can just relax and allow ideas to develop.

As a long-time fan of the Monk television show and fictional series by Lee Goldberg, I just finished the thirteenth book in the series, Mr. Monk on Patrol. Don’t worry, I will not share too much of the plot and will definitely not spoil the ending. But, as a marketing and management professional, I was pleasantly surprised by the underlying leadership theme throughout the story.

Fans of the series will be thrilled to see Randy Disher, formerly an important member of the San Francisco Police Department, return as an important character in the story. But the big surprise for me was the type of leader that Disher had become. He moved from San Francisco to a small town in New Jersey and became both the new police chief and also the acting mayor. For most people (real and fictional), this quick ascension of power could be overwhelming.

But, for Randy Disher, he took the responsibilities in stride. He knew what he was capable of achieving, and he was also aware of his limitations. So, as any good leader would do – or should do – he called in reinforcements, in this case, Adrian Monk and his overly competent assistant, Natalie Teeger, and assigned them specific duties.

Consider how these actions appeared to residents of the small town, other members of the police force, and the people to whom Randy reported. But Randy was more concerned about the reasons why he needed assistance and the strengths that Monk and Natalie would be able to provide – than he was about appearances. He needed to look past appearances and focus on desired results.

In the real world of business, how often do leaders ignore their pride – even if they appear to be less than perfect – in order to solve problems, improve products or services, or just do the right thing? Maybe, we really can learn a lot by reading fiction.

How Social Media Impacts Real Life

For several years, social media has been the marketing buzz term of choice. Everyone ranging from CEOs to marketing experts to members of the mainstream media has an opinion about social media and its impact on products, services, and brands. While there is no denying that social media has also made an impact on job-searching and professional networking, let’s not lose sight of the core component of social media: the little word “social.” In the words of Vala Afshar, “Don’t do social. Be social.”

Starting with the early versions of Facebook and Twitter, the social connection was front and center. Ask yourself how you feel when you receive a Facebook invitation from an old pal from high school, or a name from the past surfaces and it’s someone you knew back in elementary school. Yes, the ability to connect online is an amazing feat – but the truth is, we all enjoy re-connecting with old friends, family that may live far away, and also making new friends. And social media is the modern way to do this.

My digital footprint resembles most of yours: I have a presence on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, Quora, Focus, SlideShare, and a Blog. As a brand marketing professional, I use social media to share marketing insights, contribute to conversations, learn about future trends, and network.

But, I have also experienced some exciting opportunities as a result of my social media participation that goes above and beyond my professional connections. I was invited to be a guest on two radio shows. One aired earlier this week, and I discussed the privacy implications of social media. The second will be broadcast at the end of January 2012, and I will discuss the alignment of marketing and leadership. I was also asked to write a foreword for a book about career development – and the book will be published in February 2012. I was invited to write guest posts for 12 different blogs on topics ranging from marketing and branding to management and leadership – and am now a regular contributor to two of the blogs. I met the co-founder of a unique website that customizes the Twitter experience for better SEO performance and based on my enthusiasm for the site, worked in a consulting capacity to promote the site to colleagues who use Twitter.

Last but not least, I have met hundreds and hundreds of incredibly talented people from around the world – from Africa to Australia to Asia to Europe to South America to Canada and all across the USA – who I would never have had the chance to meet without social media. I have collaborated with many and, without a doubt, learned something from all.

What about you? What have you gained from your participation in social media? Is there one site that outshines all the rest? Please chime in and share.

Top 10 Marketing Highlights of 2011

 

As 2011 draws to a close, it’s time for my top 10 marketing highlights list. What campaigns were great, and which were duds? What do YOU remember from the 2011 marketing reel? With a quick thanks to David Letterman, here’s my list:

Number 10:

After 25 years, Oprah Winfrey gave up her microphone as a talk show host and started her own television channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

Number 9:

A new voice for the Aflac Duck was discovered, just a normal guy – after the celebrity who had previously been the voice of the famous duck made an inappropriate comment on Twitter and was fired.

Number 8:

Chrysler unveiled a memorable tagline, “Imported from Detroit,” during the 2011 Super Bowl TV broadcast.

Number 7:

Google launched its version of a social networking site, Google+, to compete with Facebook.

Number 6:

As a result of the Royal Wedding in London, interest surged in all products “endorsed” by the British monarchy.

Number 5:

Starbucks launched its new logo without the words “Starbucks” and “coffee” at the beginning of 2011, but nearly a year later, the change still baffles the marketing world with its lack of direction.

Number 4:

Security breaches became much too common. Some of the companies who informed their customers about security breaches included Epsilon, Sony PlayStation, Lastpass.com, Northrop Grumman, and Dean Witter.

Number 3:

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, retired as CEO and passed away shortly thereafter. His legacy to the technology and marketing industries will be felt for many years to come.

Number 2:

When the Flip video camera appeared in 2007, it immediately gained a loyal following. It was a consumer-friendly mini camcorder that was easy to use and made everyone an instant videographer. But its adopted parent, Cisco, killed off the Flip due to the advances in smartphone video capabilities.

And, Number 1 on the 2011 Marketing Highlights List:

Coca-Cola changed the color of its classic red cans to white for the 2011 holiday season to focus attention on the plight of polar bears. But due to the huge uproar from customers, the company changed the cans back to red within a month.

Here’s to 2012 and another year of marketing highlights. Happy New Year!