Creativity and Analytics Designed to Deliver Results
o good design
IN THIS ISSUE
CASTING YOUR WEB Creating an Online Presence that Captures
FEATURE ARTICLE "Branding" by Michael Moorer
7 TIPS YOU NEED
To Boost Your Website SEO
ARE YOU READY FOR THE SHIFT
By Dr. Kreslyn Kelley-Ellis
SEPTEMBER 2020
A Publication of Face To Face Marketing, LLC
Marketing & Design
Contributors
Publisher
Vicki Morris
Dr. Kreslyn Kelley-Ellis Sharon Heinz | Accountant Certified Human Capital & Leadership Coach goal is to provide
“My
Editor
Dr. Kreslyn grew up in Huntsville,
exceptional customer service to AL,
Andrea Brandon
receiving
a
B.B.A
from
my clients whileUniversity. maintaining Faulkner Christian She went
the
on
high
to
receive
level
of
her
Master’s
community
Degree in Special Education from
involvement that I love.”
Contributors
Alabama
A&M
Doctorate
Vicki Morris
University
in
and
a
Education
Administration & Supervision from Sharon@profitwiseaccounting.biz Tennessee State University.
Andrea C. Brandon Kevin Pendergrass
Kevin Pendergrass
Pendergrass Promos Kevin
Pendergrass
various
Dr. Steven Carter
sales
forms
since
of
the
age
has
been
marketing of
17.
in and
Kevin,
along with his wife Bethany, owns Pendergrass
Dr. Kreslyn Kelly-Ellis
Promos,
a
local
promotional and marketing product company,
offering
over
1
million
items to choose from.
Michael Moorer Michael Moorer Photographer
Graphics Face To Face Marketing, LLC
Capturing stunning images that help
professionals
and
their
brand stand out on social media is my passion. producing
Contact Us
I am dedicated to
content
that
allows
their message to be heard.
Marketing & Design is a publication of Face To Face Marketing, LLC. We are located at 515 Sparkman Drive, HSV, AL 35816 We publish this magazine every month. We are always accepting ads for the next month's magazine, and content submissions.
Dr. Steven Carter Univ of Maryland Global Campus Harvard Senior Executive Fellow. Doctorate in Business. Expertise in strategy, innovation, business, and IT. Adjunct Professor of Business at UMGC.
Email us for more information at Hello@FaceToFace-Marketing.com
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DESIGN IS THE SILENT AMBASSADOR OF YOUR BRAND. Paul Rand
F R O M
T H E
E D I T O R
As our area is continuing to deal with Covid-19 precautions, many small business owners are deciding
to
revamp
their
digital
footprint.
Websites are a huge part of every business's digital communication strategy. This is a huge undertaking for a business. Sometimes, it’s the first impression people have about you, your business and the quality of the product or service you offer. It’s very important to get this aspect of your branding message right. There are many tools on the market to assist you in developing and designing a great site for your business. Whether you build your site yourself, or hire a professional team to design your custom site, this is something every business owner should
Vicki Morris
a a Note Note
take seriously. Everything that you do that communicates your brand message needs to have continuity with all other elements you use to communicate to your audience. When you are deciding to develop your website there are several things you need to
"I can make a powerful impact right here where I’m planted."
consider. One of the first things you need to decide about that website, is what is the assignment of the site? You should have a welldefined call to action and it should be easily
tot important points you want your visitors to
visible within seconds of finding your site online.
know about your company. Make sure you
Another element to consider when designing
have taken the time to carefully plan out each
your website is the overall feel, theme, and mood of the site. This is easily determined by the color scheme that you choose to use. The last thing that I'll share with you in this note about websites is that your website should be very easy navigate. Only put the things on the main menu bar for the side that are the mos
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4
section, each page and the information on each page of your website. This is one of the first impressions people will have before they decide to do business with your company. This month we are focussing on websites. Websites are a fundamental tool for every small business. Think of the website as an employee
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of your company. You want that employee to promote your services, engage potential customers, and provide relevant information that makes your audience smarter. Websites, just like advertising, need to be changed periodically and updated. As new developments and services come about for your small business, your website should be one of the places that highlights these changes.One of the services that we want to make available to our audience is a new webinar series on branding marketing and communication. Our first event will be a MasterClass later in September on clarifying your brand message. We will cover a section on continuity of message that includes website design. This is for dedicated entrepreneurs and small-business owners who want to make effective strides in communicating their message but have a few questions about how to start, what to do, and how to effectively communicate the message to their desired target audience. Stay tuned to social media and email messages for registration, pricing and RISE discounts!!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2020 PAGE4 A Note from the Editor PAGE 8 Casting Your Web By Andrea C. Brandon
PAGE 12 7 Tips to Boost Your Website SEO By Face To Face Marketing
PAGE 20 Face to Face with The Community Vicki Morris Celebrates the 19th Amendment Murial Dedication
PAGE 22
FEATURE ARTICLE
BRANDING: THE BUILT IN MONSTER By Michael Moorer
PAGE 31 Personal Branding: How to Stand Out in a Highly Competitive Environment By Dr. Steven D. Carter
PAGE 36 Are You Ready for The Shift? Dr. Kresllyn Kelley-Ellis
Marketing & Design 6
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FACE
TO
FACE
MARKETING
TEAM
PRESENTS
CASTING Your Web CREATING AN ONLINE PRESENCE THAT CAPTURES BY
ANDREA
C.
BRANDON
I have always loathed spiders. All of them. From the tiny ones that are responsible for the cobwebs that plague homes daily, to the ones that live in distant lands and have such complicated names that aren’t worth mentioning to the everyday arachnophobe like myself. Let's talk Webs! With the advent of do-it-yourself website builders, just about anyone can build a website. While creating your own site might help you save on the
Arachnophobia is known to be one of the top 10 worst phobias in the world; to be accurate, it is the third worst phobia that people around the world suffer from. Over 30.5% of the entire population of the United States suffers from this intense fear.
big bucks, it's easy to get entangled in a bad design that works against your main goal - collect leads and convert them! Let's see what spiders can teach us about casting a great web presence.
Psychologist believe that one main reason people fear spiders is because of an instilled fear from others (parents, friends, other influences) or, secondarily, a negative experience with them personally. For me, it was
both.
I
grew
up
watching
movies
like
Arachnophobia and Tarantula on replay and had a first hand seat watching my sister’s horrible experience after being bitten by a brown recluse; all this despite the fact that they have a very specific and pragmatic purpose on earth.
DESIGN REVIEW
FACE TO FACE MARKETING
A. BRANDON
This fear has never subsided, and truth be told, if ever encountered, they send me racing to the cupboard to find ALL of the bug sprays and eucalyptus I can find. I’m sure some of you can attest to this on some level. Raise your hand if you are in that infamous number! As a child my mother would always remind me to never allow my fears to overtake me and to always
FUN FACT The only reason you are reading this text is because you are either wondering why there is a spider in an article about websites or the colors drew your attention. Am I right? Did it grab your attention even though it was very simple? Aha! Aha!
seek to create a positive spin on everything. insert "big-eyed emoji." This was easier said than done when it comes to nature's greatest pest regulator. And there it is. That’s right, despite the bad wrap these little critters get, spiders capture and rid our lives of those other nasty bugs that we abhor just as much. So there. There’s the silver-lining which didn’t come to light for me until well into adulthood.
Why in the world are we talking about spiders; isn't this article about web design? Well, yes,, but although you might be cringing while reading this article on your computer screen, there are quite a few nuggets we can take from spiders when it comes to creating an online presence that captures your audience (see what I did there?) not just in the art form of your site, but in its full design. Let's take a look at three simple ways spiders can help kickstart the bulding of a more gripping site.
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Otl Aicher
Build the Anchor. Spiders are incredibly strategic in how they build their web. When a spider begins a web, it releases a silk thread. It anchors the thread to some object — a branch, a corner of a room, a door frame — wherever it builds its web. When you build your website there should be four anchors that you build from. Notice that none have anything to do with visual appeal. A Strong Message. This is your brand's "memorable" message to your audience conveying the value and promise of your brand. Strong Representation of your Brand: Do the content and design support the brand message and image? It should. Collaboration and Engagement: How does your website allow you to engage with your customer? How does your site convert visitors? Ease of Use and Navigation: Your site should be built for the customer. Don't over complicate it. Don't over design it. Become Relatable through a Well-Woven story. Contrary to popular belief the key to selling is to stop trying to sell. It may sound counter-intuitive, but businesses that do well master the art of storytelling, not selling products. According to research by Headstream, if people love a brand story, 55% are more likely to buy the product in future, 44% will share the story, and 15% will buy the product immediately. While your website should clearly define the product or service you provide, it should be inundated with your style and personality and your brand story.
The key to selling your product is to stop selling your product. Sell the story.
Refresh your Web Daily. On average, it takes 30 to 60 minutes for a spider to weave a web. Even though spider webs are extremely strong, they don’t always last very long. They are constantly getting damaged by Mother Nature. Some spiders build new webs every day. Other spiders repair their damaged webs. Most spiders aren’t big on wasting their silk material. They often eat the damaged webs so they can recycle it into new webs later on.
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Products are made in the factory; but brands are created in the mind Walter Landor
According to Microsoft, the human attention span is 8 seconds. So, in theory, this is how long you have to attract, capture and hold a customer's attention not just once, but continuously, which can be difficult when competing with the rest of the world vying for the same attention. Therefore, your site content (the design and communication style) must be eye catching, unique and consistent. Like spiders and their webs, strong brands understand the need to build good content daily content that grabs the attention of the reader immediately. Good content building includes reviewing past content (site headlines, graphics and blogs) to refresh or recycle it if it is working for you. Attention to creating unique and original content is crucial to engaging your audience to ultimately convert them to paying customers.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR 8 SECONDS?
Building a website is more than simply pictures and links on a web page. It is the first and lasting impression that your business makes to the 4.54 billion people worldwide who scour the internet looking for businesses just like yours. Remember, this is just the foundation. Start there and build. If you need help with your website and content marketing, contact Face to Face Marketing to get started today.
Is traffic a little slow in your domain? Here are a few tips to drive in more prospects.
7 Tips
TO BOOST YOUR WEBSITE SEO
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7 TIPS SEO OPTIMIZATION SEO IS NOT ONLY ABOUT SEARCH ENGINES BUT GOOD SEO PRACTICES IMPROVE THE USER EXPERIENCE AND USABILITY OF A WEB SITE. USERS TRUST SEARCH ENGINES AND HAVING A PRESENCE IN THE TOP POSITIONS FOR THE KEYWORDS THE USER IS SEARCHING, INCREASES THE WEB SITE'S TRUST.
CREATE A KEYWORD LIST
KNOW YOUR CURRENT RANKING AND KEYWORDS
1
To get to where you want to be, it is important to know where you’re currently ranked and how people are currently finding you in Google's search results. By understanding this information, you'll be able to see where you need to improve and provide yourself with a solid base from which to work.
2
If you target the right keywords for each page of your website based on what you're trying to sell, the message you're trying to communicate and where you expect to meet the customer on their buying journey, you'll see a vast improvement in your organic search rankings.
3
CREATE A BUYER PERSONA
By using a buyer persona and creating your content with a human being in mind, rather than a search engine, you'll stand a far greater chance of your content being consumed and shared, creating backlinks which will increase your search rankings.
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7 TIPS
4
TO BOOST YOUR WEBSITE SEO
OPTIMIZE PAGE TITLES
The title of your page serves as a concise description of your page’s content and no two title tags should ever be the same (Google doesn't like duplication). Optimized title tags aimed to boost your page's organic search ranking should be kept under 70 characters with the most relevant or primary keywords near the start. You should also try to include brand keywords (the keyword used to search for your company name or a variation on this) if you’re trying to boost your brand authority.
5
HAVE A CORNERSTONE OR “CATCH-ALL” PAGE
A website should have one cornerstone or “Catch-all” page consisting of relevant content from all your website’s other pages. The chances are high that your website has multiple pages loosely based around the same subject or keyword, by having this page you'll create a rich, informative and authoritative master resource for search engine bots to gather from.
6
URL NAMES MATTER
Be short and concise when naming website pages. Although Google and Bing can process longer URLs without any real issues, studies show that shorter URLs tend to perform better in natural search. Generally, a URL containing less than 100 characters is good, and one consisting of 50 - 60 characters is even better.
7
IMAGE OPTIMIZATION
Images on your site not only make it more user friendly but also can help boost search engine optimization. Using Alt Text to describe the image can add significant boosts to your SEO. When describing images, use keywords in image filenames (separated with dashes). Avoid using filenames like image1.jpg or person1.jpg. Instead, use meaningful names with dashes. For example woman-workingout.jpg
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FACE TO FACE WITH THE COMMUNITY
19TH AMENDMENT
CENTENNIAL MURAL DEDICATION IN HONOR OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE
Face to Face Marketing loves the North Alabama community! This past month, our Founder, Vicki Morris participated in the 19th Amendment Centennial Mural Dedication in honor of the 100 Anniversary of The Women's Suffrage in downtown Huntsville. Here are just a few shots of the boss lady representing not only Face to Face Marketing, but women leading the way in business!
The Boss Vicki Morris Marketing & Design Magazine
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19TH AMENDMENT MURAL DEDICATION
#MaskUp #SafetyFirst
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However, we know just as with all great fairy tales, social media itself comes with a built-in monster.
PHOTOGRAPHY BRANDING: THE BUILT IN MONSTER B y
M I K E
M O O R E R
A personal brand can be defined in many ways. Some would say that your brand is who you are and what you stand for. It is what you believe and how you walk out your beliefs in your everyday life and career.
Personal branding is a marketing strategy where you market yourself as the product. Your skills, your values and your personality are all part of one’s personal brand. It is often hard for people to relate to a huge company. They need to see the face behind the brand. “The future of branding is personal.” – Dr. Talaya Waller Ellen DeGeneres, who has been branded as the Queen of Nice, is in the news for allegedly being the opposite of her personal brand. One of the major components of her personal brand has been kindness. Actors and former staffers in Hollywood are coming forward and saying that Ellen is a cold person who created a toxic work environment on her production set. Only time will uncover her true identity. However, we can use this story to learn a critical lesson. We must always build our personal brand on the truth of who we are. Let’s turn our focus towards personal branding photography (PBP). It is the art of capturing your personal brand in a visual form. It includes many different elements.
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PBP is best described as a series of images that captures your: Brand Message Personality Story Mission Values The genius of PBP is that it allows your brand to be visible to your followers after you have left the room. Your brand is visible in the form of highquality images that showcase your personality. Your images can be displayed on your websites, your social media channels, your printed marketing materials and much more. PBP is much more than just capturing amazing images and posting them all over social media. There is a strategy that goes into it. This is where I see some photographers missing it. It’s possible to create
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professional quality images that are great to look at but still do not tell your story. PBP goes beyond the headshot. A headshot by itself does not tell your full story. Although PBP incorporates headshot images, it allows you to push the boundaries of creativity to create story-based images. It's all about creating captivating images that tell your personal brand story and connect with your audience. Social media has opened a new world of opportunities.In many ways, the possibilities that social media provides business owners can be seen as a fairytale. However, we know just as with all great fairytales, social media itself comes with a built-in monster.
It has been well said that, “Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.�- Jeff Bezos
Any business owner on social media has realized the insatiable monster like nature
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of it. The more images you post on a consistent basis, the more visible you become. However, when your consistency drops, your visibility vanishes. When the monster is not satisfied, it casts you from the fairytale. It does this by taking from you what you need most to reach new customers, your visibility.
The more images you post on a consistent basis the more visible you become. Social media is constantly demanding more images from us. PBP is a tool that creates content that allows you to feed the social media monster on a consistent basis. PBP works with your personal brand to capture you in an authentic way that builds connection, trust and authority with your audience. It is important that your images speak to your audiences’ pain points. One of the key benefits of social media is that it gives business owners a visual 24/7 online presence. People in your target audience are looking for someone to address their pain points. Your online presence can address their problems at any time, day or night. I remember years ago I was suffering after going rock climbing. I woke up in the middle of the night and the pain in my back was excruciating. The first thing I did was to begin looking on the Internet for answers. I began to read articles of people who had experienced the same injury. This one article led me to the social media account of this health coach. Even in terrible pain, I could recognize excellent personal branding photography. This person had clearly hired a photographer to capture his brand story. The quality of his images set his channel apart from other people in his industry. Each image had a caption underneath that provided value. The images were of him doing stretches that alleviated the pain from specific injuries.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
"A brand is a voice and a product is a souvenir.” – Lisa Gansky
M. MOORER
He had other images of himself drinking smoothies and hanging out with friends. He also included, what I call, transformation images. The transformation image was of him rock climbing after recovery. This kind of image shows the possibility of transformation to those who follow his program.
start my healing process. This is a perfect example of how PBP can elevate your brand and increase your authority in the minds of your target audience.
This image tells a story of how his program allowed him to recover and get back to an adventurous life. I begin to follow this guy and I direct messaged him regarding my situation. He responded with encouragement and information to
He hired a photographer to create PBP images for his business These images created a visual 24/7 presence for people in need He created engaging images with value-based captions His images in stretch positions went beyond the headshot He incorporated relatable images of him hanging out with friends He included transformation images to cause people to take action. As he engaged with me it further built his credibility
Let’s look at what this health coach did and see if we can incorporate some of his ideas:
Ultimately your branding images are going to work in combination with your personal brand and the value you can provide. The PBP images are going to capture people’s attention and tell your story. I encourage you to continue the journey of developing your personal brand. Make sure you are intentional about visually capturing your journey, using the powerful tool of personal branding photography. As you do this on a consistent basis, you just might find the secret of slaying the social media monster.
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BUSINESS
PERSONAL BRANDING:
HOW TO STAND OUT IN A HIGHLY COMPETITVE ENVIRONMENT
By Dr. Steven D. Carter Photos by John Adams
ItAs an entrepreneur or employed professional, there probably isn’t anything more important to your growth strategy than building a personal brand that is first in mind when people want the attributes, services, or products you provide. In the workplace, having the right professional brand shines a spotlight on your potential for promotions or increased responsibilities. For entrepreneurs, it’s the secret sauce for attracting and retaining the client base who support your long-term goals. For the beginning entrepreneur and entry
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level professional, establishing an enduring brand is an early rung on the ladder to your success. Your personal brand is the cornerstone of your company like nothing else. Your brand is the face of your business and the symbol of its values. Whether you know it or not (or like it or not), ou have a brand that others identify you with — so you had better make the most of it. How closely do you associate the brand of Apple with Steve Jobs? Does it make you think about what kind of man he was and how he shaped the products and company? The
Is your personal or entrepreneurial brand telling the world what you want people to know?
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PERSONAL BRANDING
DR. STEVEN D. CARTER
What Personal Branding Is All About Personal branding is essential for any influencer, thought leader, or a person who wants to share their story with the world. It is the ongoing process of developing and maintaining the memorable impression and reputation of an individual, group, business, or organization.These are the four “Must Have” components for your brand: same thing goes for Sir Richard Branson and Virgin.
1. Be focused. First and foremost, decide what your key message is and stick to it. Don’t try to
The name Oprah Winfrey is a brand of its own with many different entrepreneurial businesses. Each began as an unknown person with brand and vision that, with time, the world came to view as aynonymous with the individual. Done properly, your brand transforms you from attracting modestly desired or less desired clients to attracting high paying clients.
“Personal branding is about managing
be everything to everyone. 2. Be genuine and authentic. You need to manage your brand daily. You can only do this if your brand is who you really are. 3. Tell a story. A brand is much more than a logo. You must have a story surrounding your brand that your audience wants to engage with. 4. Consistency is essential. Your personality, written word, and visual images all need to carry
your name — even if you don’t own a
the same message. It can be a totally fun brand
business — in a world of
or a conservative brand but it must be consistent.
misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google
This is where a logo or tagline at the end of every message can be very powerful.
records.” - ~ Tim Ferriss
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“Identifying what makes you different and unique from other subject matter experts in your field of expertise becomes the cornerstone of your personal brand. Communicating that differentiation consistently, across all of your communication platforms: email, social, web and print collateral is the key to launching, building, and maintaining a memorable personal brand.” - Ramon Peralta, Founder and Chief Brand Officer, Peralta Design
Tips for Building Your Personal Brand Among the most desired benefits that a personal brand brings are generating revenue, hiring successful employees, and creating customer loyalty. All are true motivators for starting to build your brand today. Number one is having a unique and special brand that makes you stand out from the competition. Coca-Cola has maintained the same values of joy, experience, community, and happiness for more than 100 years. It’s about a type of lifestyle that people want to be associated with. Here are the key questions to answer when building your brand: What’s your niche or core specialty? And what makes you an authority? How will people feel about your brand (emotions)? What are your core beliefs and values?
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What makes you different? Who are your ideal customers? What should people know about your company culture? What problem(s) do you solve? What makes you influential within your specialty or niche? How will your services or products transform people’s lives? How do you wrap it all into your message? Once your message is established, you need good brand-building habits. Brands are about repeated exposure to a core message that resonates with people. This can be as simple as regularly posting videos, social media messages, and blogs online. You always want to provide value to customers and this can be enhanced in the early months by giving away eBooks, articles, or white papers to tell your story. The best source for new content ideas is asking people what problems you can help them solve. Personal branding can be about self-promotion or
about
giving
back
to
the
interested
community.
Tips for Sustaining Your Personal Brand Always keep in mind that that business isn’t based solely on the products and services you deliver. Just as important are your character, integrity, and the personal relationships you build with others. People don’t buy products and services; they buy YOU! Consistency is crucial to maintaining your brand. Customers your success.
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Personal branding can be about selfpromotion or about giving back to the interested community. 4. Keep the message out there. If you find yourself strapped for time consider getting help from an experienced content marketer.
buy products to make them feel good about their purchase. Personal branding is never separate from your core business — it’s the continuous path for growing your success. Today, almost all businesses understand the importance of building a brand online and maintaining a presence on social media. But as your brand matures, consider other channels for communicating your brand. Social media has not replaced human interactions. The higher the cost of your services or products, the more human touch points that are required. Are you ready to take your business and brand to the next level? Here’s how: 1. Keep the focus. Nurture it and take care of it. 2. Repeat your story and add new success stories — with a focus on clients. 3. Creating and repeating positive impacts is the best way to make our brand grow.
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5. Review your target audience. Know when your clientele changes or when the needs of your existing clientele change. Products and services can change and mature to meet these changing needs but still carry the same core message. 6. Be a thought leader. Don’t fear competitors stealing your fresh ideas. You want to be the person people come to when they need new ideas about your specialty.
Your personal brand is a lifelong project that constantly evolves and grows. There are no hard-set rules for creating a personal brand other than there must be a core message.
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Creative & Flexible Designs That Work! How do your customers perceive your digital presence? How are you engaging them on the website? What happens if they google your business? A successfull business needs a great website. Period.
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PREPARED FOR
A Cross-Cultural Leadership Perspective www.drkreslyn.com
By Dr. Kreslyn Kelley-Ellis, Certified Human Capital and Leadership Coach Over the past century, the United States has become more multicultural in its values, norms, beliefs, and attitudes shared by natives and immigrants; yet, researchers predict an even greater shift in the demography by the year 2050, as they project of an increase in the minority populations to about 48 percent. However, given the current news headlines of protests for human rights, based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, and worldviews, let us pose the following questions, “Are we ready for the shift in the American demography? And what are our leaders doing to prepare for this cross-cultural phenomenon?” In pondering such questions, it may be helpful to review the thoughts of old philosophers and the qualities associated with cross-cultural leadership. Aristotle once shared the importance of leaders having friends, not just someone to compliment them with accolades shared by admirers and followers, but someone who would also speak truth
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to them concerning their shortcomings and wrongdoings. Confucius stressed the need for leaders to cultivate themselves while looking out for the ones they lead. Most are familiar with the golden rule which emphasizes, “to do unto others as you would have them to do unto you”; however, Confucius punctuates the silver rule for leaders and relationships which is, “do not do unto others what you would not have them to do unto you.” Such ancient lessons resonate with Chinese philosophies that center on teaching about ethical leadership. To enhance ethical and effective leadership, not just in China, but across the globe, researchers suggest people should gain a better understanding of cross-cultural similarities and differences and leaders must become more focused
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Cross-Cultural Leadership comes as a recommendation for business and economic survival in the 21st century.
on Cross-Cultural Leadership. In fact, because globalization and multiculturalism have largely affected the planet, causing massive shrinkage between everyone’s ability to connect with others almost anywhere in the world, Cross-Cultural Leadership comes as a recommendation for business and economic survival in the 21st century. Since organizations make up cross-cultural employees and provide goods and services to a cross-cultural customer base, Cross-Cultural Leadership would likely serve as an effective business strategy. Cross-Cultural Leadership is the act of leading in a culturally diverse environment where the stakeholders vary by their differences in values, beliefs, laws, traditions, experiences, and national and societal understanding, while seeking to comprehend and consider those differences to maximize efficiency and performance. There are many studies that describe what cross-cultural leadership looks like. Some findings show that these cultural intelligent leaders are also emotionally intelligent and possess transformational leadership qualities like excellent communication skills and the ability to spark creativity and innovation in the workplace and instill self-confidence and self-awareness in followers to improve performance.
Considering there are leadership behaviors typically endorsed across cultures, one thoroughly comprehensive study within this arena is the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project where the cultural dimensions and leadership attributes of over 17,000 managers in 62 societal cultures were recognized. In their study, researchers identified four types of leadership behaviors they found to be important across cultures. These include:
Charismatic behavior, inspiring others and developing confidence in one’s teams while establishing lofty goals and expectations; Directive behavior, clarifying performance expectations and assigning tasks to subordinates; Participative behavior, reflecting more openness to input from followers in the decision-making process; Supportive leadership behaviors, showing concern for the subordinates along with warm, respectful, and trusting activity. Simply put, a few minor adjustments in leadership behavior could be essential in preparing for this rapid shift in the American demography where, over the next 30 years, the population will look poles apart from today’s composition. That said, the time is now to the determine as leaders, we will develop forwardthinking leadership behaviors in our organizations. Since thinking differently and globally can seem a daunting task, I want to leave you with a couple quotes, in the spirit of multiple cultures, that may inspire forward motion. “Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small” (Sun Tzu). “For, tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today” (African Proverb).
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