Because change is hard and makes most of us uncomfortable, even the best ideas will face skepticism and resistance. To build the future, we must first win over skeptics, forge strategic relationships, and create the time and space for ideas to take root and mature.
Founders of B2B companies often drive sales and relationships in the beginning, but this high-touch approach isn't scalable. As you grow your business and expand your team, you need a consistent brand message and repeatable sales process to succeed.
Every superhero has their origin story. Our passion is helping leaders uncover and refine their own. As we’ve coached founders in the art and science of the pitch, we’ve seen how powerful stories move audiences to action. Here are 3 steps to crafting a story that will transform your pitch:
The world is always changing, and right now, nearly every industry is talking about AI. However, these emerging technologies lack the irreplaceable element of human curiosity, which encourages us to experiment and allows us to innovate.
Whatever lies ahead, together, we can shift the balance toward equity and empowerment. Now and always, we’re grateful for our community, and we’re excited to share a look back on 2023. Here’s to everyone fighting for a better world in ways big, small, and hopeful.
Twenty years ago, I was commissioned as an officer in the Singapore Army. This was the beginning of my evolving career – from military, to design school, to starting a consulting business. Here are 3 leadership lessons that have stuck with me all these years.
To SeaAhead, the ocean is not a victim, but an endless source of opportunity and innovation. SeaAhead Board Member and Partner Donna Hazard had an opportunity to speak about the power of the Bluetech at TEDxBoston, and we were honored to play a role in developing her talk.
Over the years, we've helped hundreds of startup founders craft pitches that raise funds, attract partners, and win customers. Here are our three key ingredients for a powerful pitch – no matter your industry.
As our company grows, we continue to intentionally focus on what we do best: helping purpose-driven leaders increase their impact by sharpening team cultures, bringing innovations to market, and positioning them for the next phase of growth.
You can’t afford to not invest in your brand. And the good news is you can start right now, creating a brand that works for where you are and has room to adapt, positioning you for future growth and impact. With some time, effort, and collaboration, your brand can become the north star that guides you through anything.
Happy Holidays from the Giant Shoulders team! As we wind down the year, we’re looking forward to taking some time off to rest and enjoy the holidays with our friends and family. If you’re looking for something to stream this season, here are a few of our team’s favorite films…
Your company has a brand and a culture, whether you've intentionally built them or not. We believe a brand done right is a powerful tool to lead your team and develop your culture, and investing the time to carefully craft it is one of the best decisions you can make for your business.
A lot of utility companies are waking up to the realization that they need to consider their ‘why.’ The work I do is getting companies back to communicating their purpose – to power lives.
The Giant Shoulders community is built on a network of talent, and some of the biggest influences on our work are behind the scenes. Our Partner Highlight interview series is an opportunity to introduce some of the amazing people in our community, including leadership mentors like John Bates.
Welcome to the new Giant Shoulders website and brand! After spending the first half of this year reflecting on who we are and what we want to build, we are excited to start this new chapter.
Mid-cycle rebranding is some of the most important work your company can do. Every business shifts over time, whether that’s exploring a new audience, adapting to external forces, expanding your offerings, or narrowing your niche.
Our latest Partner Highlight is a conversation with Nick and Amanda Rock from Station Design. They are a cohesive team in work and in life, bringing extensive design experience and thoughtful strategy together for a thriving business.
This month marks a year since the COVID pandemic. While many companies have adopted new tools they are still doing business the same old way, leading to burnout and lower productivity. We spoke with leaders who shared their insights into building healthy and meaningful relationships during this time.
Collaboration will always be a vital part of the Giant Shoulders mindset. As leaders, we know we can not accomplish anything meaningful without our teams, and to build strong teams we need to acknowledge our blindspots and then invite people with different skill sets, insights, and perspectives to be part of the process.
Many leaders use systems to make their organizations more efficient. Great leaders use systems to harness the best of their team's skills, strengths, and experience to produce consistently excellent work and overcome unexpected challenges. As the pandemic rages on, here's how we design our systems.
Simply put, Leadership Brand is your vision, mission, and values operationalized – so that you can imprint them into your team and culture. We believe that words have power. When you begin to write them down and communicate them with your team, it transfers that power to them. Therefore, empowering them to make on-brand decisions autonomously.
I was saddened to learn of the passing of Tony Hsieh last month. I met him back in 2013, and I remember him as a reserved, thoughtful man, not what one would expect to be the CEO of Amazon’s billion-dollar acquisition. When I reflect on how he inspired me, I think of a man who believed success happens when a company’s culture puts people first, not profits.
Earlier this year, we partnered with ONL to develop a new website for the ONL Foundation. As part of their communication plan, we recommended building a targeted microsite to the ways to invest in nurses and train up nurse leaders.
When you’re thinking about what it takes to run a successful business, empathy is often perceived as weakness. But when you intentionally add empathy to your leadership toolkit, you’ll discover it’s a superpower that can change everything.
When most hear the word “branding,” people think of a catchy tagline, a trendy logo, or a unique voice for your Twitter account. While that is true, what true visionaries have in common is their ability to harness their leadership brand to create company cultures that draw people in.
I am honored to be part of an episode of my friend CK Lin's Noble Warrior podcast talking about the importance of reinvigorating your brand during a crisis.
When a crisis demands big decisions, strong, consistent values can help you rise to the occasion. In our latest blog post, learn about three thriving companies who are living their values, even if it means going above and beyond.
At Giant Shoulders, we work with leaders and visionaries to build movements around disruptive ideas. While this work is exciting, it can be fraught with challenges. The only way to overcome that and create lasting impact is through collaboration driven by our shared values.
