What Yahoo's Recent Scandal Says About Leadership

By now, everyone has heard about the scandal at the very tip of Yahoo’s leadership iceberg. Hired as CEO of Yahoo in January 2012, Scott Thompson took over the reins of a once-great tech company that of late has struggled to define its core business and mission. However, recently, there was something rotten in Denmark, to quote Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Thompson’s bio included a computer science degree, but the truth was, he only had an accounting degree. This was not a simple typographical error. It was a major error, and at no time, did Thompson correct the error. And since he was a CEO, not a janitor or hair stylist, and worked for a large company, Yahoo, not a fast food restaurant or gas station, this news quickly became front page news.

Further reports surfaced whereby Thompson was quoted as saying that he never gave a resume to Yahoo, but instead, he blamed a recruiter for providing his background to the search committee – a blatant attempt to distance himself from the scandal. But, enough was enough. Stop the lies!

This scandal has serious ramifications. Why should a leader be given a free pass to make incorrect statements on his resume or curriculum vitae? Why should a leader act in a certain manner while simultaneously expecting different behaviors from his or her employees? And lastly, what does this behavior, in this case, lying about a college degree, say about Thompson’s ability to lead and set an example?

Doug Dickerson, a leadership expert, author, and national radio host, chimed in, “A key ingredient in leadership is authenticity. In order for a culture of honesty to exist in any corporation, the example must be set by those at the top. While many safeguards are in place to prevent these types of incidents, this is an unfortunate reminder of what can happen when leaders bend the truth. The fact that Scott Thompson could rise to the highest position in the corporate world without correcting a significant inaccuracy in his background became the reason for his downfall. The lesson learned here is not so cliché after all – honesty is the best policy.”

What do you think?

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Image Credit: Thanks to Ted Goff for use of his comic with this post. Check out his work at http://www.tedgoff.com.

Do you stand up for what you want?

While Selena Rezvani’s new book was written for women, men can also learn a great deal about asking for and standing up for what they want. In Pushback, readers learn to focus on their negotiation skills. According to Rezvani, “The art of asking for something we want is about having a voice. When we advocate on our own behalf, we know that we’re deserving of good things, that we’re smart enough to handle whatever unfolds at the negotiating table, and that we only get what we ask for.”

Consider this situation: you have performed well beyond your supervisor’s stated expectations at work and deserve to be in charge of the next major project in your department. You may also deserve a new title or a promotion, or even a raise. You have an annual review coming up soon and know that your supervisor will commend your work because everyone in the company knows you have surpassed your goals. But you are hesitant about speaking up. Sound familiar?

According to Rezvani, here are some questions to ask yourself:

[1] Will I have regrets if I do or don’t act in some way on this? If I suspect I will have regrets, what are they?

[2] What should I do? Listen to the first answer that comes into your mind.

[3] Imagine that you are 10 years older, how would the “older me” counsel the “younger me” on this issue?

[4] What is the cost of not acting on this issue? What are the potential gains of moving forward?

[5] What would I tell my best friend to do in this situation?

[6] How does my counterpart like to be communicated with?

[7] How can we make this work for both us?

[8] What action can I take to make saying yes easier for my counterpart?

[9] Can you (your supervisor) explain how you arrived at that decision?

[10] Can you (your supervisor) walk me through how decisions like these are determined?

Carol Ann Petren, Executive VP and General Counsel of MacAndrews and Forbes Holdings, Inc., explained about risk-taking, “I developed early in life a comfort level with going out on a limb knowing it could break. Risk taking has served me well throughout my career, and quite frankly, opened many doors that I would not otherwise have walked through.”

The truth is, we may not always be liked. We may not always feel comfortable. But think about the co-worker or family member you admire for their gutsiness or persistence. What makes them different from others? Think about a time when they showed their true grit – what did that look like, and what happened afterward?

Rezvani’s advice is to face your strengths and weaknesses, seek out new experiences, lead an initiative, build up and test your tolerance for risk. Look for opportunities to refine your skills, broaden you as a person, and build your confidence. “Pushback skills can remain uncomfortable and unpleasant, like going to the dentist [or they can become comfortable.] You decide which.”

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Brands - Part 2: Which brands have fallen flat?

Brands represent products, services, business founders and presidents, and so much more. But what happens when they stop representing their founder, competitive advantage, or whatever makes their product or service stand out in the crowd? What happens when brands lose their magic?

Earlier this week, I shared my favorite brands as well as some of my fellow brand strategist Maren Finzer – connect with Maren on Twitter. Now, here are some brands that have lost value for me:

Blackberry: Despite recent news that Research in Motion (RIM) will discontinue its products for the consumer market and focus entirely on the enterprise market, this brand ignored its once-loyal customer base. Also, last year’s power outages with little-to-no attention to customer communications dramatically lost customers. Add these mistakes to the overwhelmingly more robust Apple and Android operating systems and the plethora of amazing competitive products, and Blackberry will soon be known as the technology equivalent of Ford’s Edsel.

The Gap: This brand is a perfect example of trying to live up to successes of other brands. The logo was redesigned to resemble Facebook’s logo, but the new logo failed miserably. Based on the immediate uproar in social media circles and the mass media, the company abandoned the new logo and returned to the original logo just two weeks later. And where is The Gap today?

Nike: This brand is a perfect example as to why a brand should not have celebrity endorsements. You can never predict a celebrity’s behavior or the affect it will have on your brand – just think about a particular golfer as an example.

And here are some brands that have fallen flat for Maren:

Ohana Casual Wear in Kona: We were drawn into the store by an eye-catching window display, but when we entered the store, the sales person was more engaged in her phone conversation than us. I tried to ask her about the swimsuit in the window, but she looked us right in the eyes as she continued to speak on the phone. No smile, no wave, no greeting, no acknowledgement – no brand engagement at all.

Kodak: Back in the 1980’s, Kodak was one of the world’s strongest brands. Do you remember the images and emotions from “The Kodak Moment” campaign and the “capturing the moments of our lives” campaign? I was once an adoring customer. But Kodak refused to see the writing on the wall and rejected the digital revolution. Kodak was too stubborn to change its business model, and the company fell from grace – an example that even big brands can, and do, fall.

I would like to thank my marketing colleague Maren Finzer for sharing her insights. Maren’s comments about her favorite brands as well as her not-so-favorite brands were eye-opening. Thanks again, Maren, for appearing on my blog!

So what about you? What are your favorite and not-so-favorite brands, and why?

Brands - Part 1: What are your favorite brands?

As a marketing and branding professional, I view the world through “marketing colored glasses.” When I am in a store or restaurant, I watch employees and servers to see if their actions positively reflect on their brands and wonder how differently they might interact with their CEO if he or she were standing alongside me. Just like you, I have favorite brands, and while talking with a marketing colleague recently, we decided to share the reasons about our favorite brands in a collaborate post.

But first, what is a brand? While a brand strategy is the ultimate business strategy, it is often the least understood. Wikipedia defines a brand as a “name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. A brand is thus a product or service whose dimensions differentiate it in some ways from other products or services designed to satisfy the same need…A brand is the personality that identifies a product, service or company (name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination) and how it relates to key constituencies: customers, staff, partners, investors, etc.”

From Walter Landor, a pioneer of brand design and corporate identity: “Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind.”

From Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney: “A brand is a living entity – and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.”

From John Stuart, former CEO of Quaker Oats: “If this business were split up, I would give you the land and bricks and mortar, and I would take the brands and trademarks, and I would fare better than you.”

Here are my favorite brands:

Tide: First sold in 1946, this laundry detergent’s distinctive orange and yellow bulls-eye has become a common staple of many American homes. Known above all else as a dependable product that removes dirt, the Tide brand is on six powders and liquid detergents in the US alone. In addition, the Tide Loads of Hope program provides relief in times of natural disaster or crisis by means of a mobile laundromat. One truck and a fleet of vans house over 32 energy-efficient washers and dryers that are capable of cleaning over 300 loads of laundry every day – and the Tide team washes, dries, and folds clothes for families for free.

DSW: As one of the largest retail shoe stores and online shoe stores, DSW stands apart from the competition. If you order items from the website, this is how they arrive: on the outside of the box, there is the message. “Highly Addictive Contents Inside,” and then on the inside, there is a note: “There’s so much fun stuff happening at DSW, thanks for being a part of it. –Mike, CEO and Shoe Lover.” Talk about customer service! There are also regular emails, a rewards program that allows members to accumulate points for cash coupons, and when you call the customer service number, the welcome message is “You are being transferred to the next fellow shoe lover.” DSW definitely understands its target audience of shoe lovers and creates a community of shoe lovers.

Starbucks: Founded in 1971 in Seattle, Washington, this coffee company has over 19,000 locations in 58 countries. The growth of the company created a revolution in an industry that had grown stale. People discovered that they liked ordering coffee in coffee houses or cafes and meeting people for coffee. The brand represents more than just coffee and also symbolizes the good work of the Starbucks Foundation, which nurtures young leaders, supports tea and coffee communities around the world, and focuses on green buildings for cafes. On a personal note, I always look forward to Gingerbread Lattes during the holiday season.

Apple: Beginning with the Mac computer and revolutionary Super Bowl TV advertising in 1984, this brand’s “Think Different” advertising campaign has become a company attitude that is second to none. Thanks to founder and visionary Steve Jobs, the company created trend-setting products that revolutionized industries from music with the iPod to smartphones with the iPhone to tablets with the iPad. All companies aspire to be the Apple of their industries.

Google: This brand has become a household word: the term “to Google something” means to look it up online, and everyone understands this. Despite numerous competitors in the online search space, Google has survived as the leader and has taken the place of online encyclopedias, dictionary, maps, and more. It is a quick answer provider.

The Shack: Also known as Radio Shack, this predecessor to big electronics mega-superstores, the new and improved Radio Shack rebranded as a one-stop technology store. While many marketers and the mass media questioned the new name, it was a departure from the company’s early days when the emphasis was strictly on radio equipment. Today, The Shack is a viable place to go for all types of electronics – especially while many big stores have gone out of business or shut down locations, such as, Circuit City, Best Buy, Office Max, etc.

Now, allow me to introduce Maren Finzer. Maren is a brand strategist in Seattle, Washington. She helps healthy, active, small-to-midsized businesses ignite their brands so that their customers choose them over everyone else. You can sign up for Maren’s free 10-part e-course to learn how to become the only choice on her website and also connect with her on Twitter.

Here are Maren’s favorites:

After recently spending an incredible week exploring and discovering Hawaii on the Big Island, here are some favorite brands from my visit. In addition, I have also detailed a few of my mainland top picks.

Sea Quest in Hawaii: This snorkeling adventure company was founded by a husband and wife couple of snorkeling enthusiasts. They’ve built a team that shares their brand values of snorkeling adventure, fun engaging personalities, and a depth of knowledge of the history and stories of the area. While the varieties of fish, coral, and turtles were expected, what was unexpected was the captain’s flexibility to take guests right into the action. We explored sea caves and lava tubes, were transfixed watching the manta rays, and were captivated to swim with dolphins. Everyone caught the snorkeling bug and did not want to leave.

Big Island Air in Hawaii: Pilot Tom Beard founded his airline business with a unique competitive advantage in mind. He wanted guests to experience the breathtaking beauty of the Big Island from a unique perspective – one that can only be seen from the air. To make his trips unforgettable, he had his planes built so that every seat was next to a window with raised wing craft and lots of leg room. We were captivated by the spectacular vistas of the ever-changing island: black sand beaches, towering sea cliffs, waterfalls in ancient rain forests and valleys, and most awe-inspiring, an active volcano with red hot swirling lava. Tom built a great brand and achieved its purpose: “Can only be enjoyed from above.”

Beach Tree Restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort in Hawaii: While the Four Seasons is an international brand known for its dedication to highly personalized service, this restaurant’s staff embodied the brand. It felt like a little piece of heaven: sitting on the beach, watching the sunset, listening to live Hawaiian music, dining on exquisite foods – all while being totally pampered. The staff captured the hearts of their customers – it was an unforgettable experience.

Tom’s Shoes: The descriptions of easy-going, comfortable, and inexpensive are not what differentiate Tom’s Shoes from other shoe companies. It’s the unique and compelling story behind the “one-to-one” movement that the company started. With each pair of shoes you purchase, the company gives a pair to a child in need. This puts a whole new meaning to caring.

Tennis Pro Mark Schneider: This coach is one of my favorite personal brands. You’ll find him on the courts of the luxurious Boulders Resort in Carefree, Arizona. What makes Mark stand out is Mark. Any tennis pro can teach tennis skills, but Mark teaches confidence. He’s a tennis coach and a confidence coach – and uses his engaging personality to draw the student in so he or she wants to perform better. His motto drives his passion: “Confidence leads to fun, fun leads to passion, and passion leads to fulfillment and success.”

With all these positive comments, we would be remiss not to include a few brands that are on the decline. Tune in on May 10 for Part 2 to see what brands have fallen flat for us. In the interim, what are your favorite brands and why?