Recently I was part of a webinar with my friend Richard Zackon regarding the current state of the Radio job market and some ways for folks to consider how to unlock their potential at a very difficult time in the industry. Richard is an Executive Coach, Analytics Expert and an all around great guy who generally cares about making a difference and I share his passion for trying to make a difference. Richard is also quite inspiring in how he works at tapping the passionate potential in everyone at a time when we all need it. Some top line thoughts emerged from the webinar and I thought it was worth passing them along for those that couldn’t attend.
1)Be aware of your mood and make sure you stay busy. It’s easy to get into a funk this time of the year and it’s vital that you stay engaged and motivated as the search for the next job is underway.
2)Make sure you tap your network of friends and associates and reach out for guidance and support. People want to help and maybe one day you can return the favor and brighten their day.Also be cognizant to build upon your network as well. Your network is an important foundation for your future.
3)Stay curious and willing to learn new talents. As job searchers consider their next job path they need to be mindful of potential pivot opportunities and learning new talents will benefit those in the days ahead. Podcasting will be the focus of the next webinar with Richard and I along with Seth Resler from Jacobs Media this Friday at 1pm ET. Sign up here: http://www.123formbuilder.com/.form-5284063/webinar-registration-form
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It’s Friday and hopefully you have had a productive week.
Want to end it on a good note?
Highlight good work from your peers.
It’s simple and easy and it feels good.
Go out of your way to make it public.
Encourage the spirit of team and collaboration.
Make note of someone who went above and beyond.
​We are all in it together and we need our eyes wide open to the good that happens in front of our nose.

On my office desk for many years sits a wooden block with a metal label that says DWYSWD.
Time after time someone asks what the heck does that stand for?
i tell the story of a past morning host that was trying to get in my good graces and gave me the desk block as a gift.
DWYSYWD=DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO.
This is the most powerful mantra in today’s world more than ever!
Follow up has become a frequent lost art.
Close the loop and realize your word is all you have.
Empty promises are hollow and a guarantee for failure.
Make your words matter.
​There is a lot at stake.

Stagnation should be the enemy of every organization.
Lack of activity, growth or development as the definition applies should make you scared to death if that’s where your team is headed.
How could one cease activity and expect to keep up with the marketplace?
Growth of audience can be a conundrum that brands face but when customer growth creeps into the equation and is stalled it can be deadly to the mission of development.
It actually becomes more expensive to reacquire lost customers than it is to acquire the new customer.
Pushing growth in an organization requires everyone on your team to be aligned on the purpose and mission of where you are headed. It requires an intricate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each member of leadership so the team can compliment each other.
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We are living in interesting times to say the least and everywhere you turn we hear about the disruptive forces around us. How organizations can rise to the challenge and in fact create new opportunities is on the minds of many in executive boardrooms across the country, especially in the Audio business. That’s why Charlene Li’s new book “The Disruption Mindset. Why some organizations transform while others fail is particularly pertinent in today’s business world.

Charlene has long been an inspiring force from her work as a founder and senior fellow at Altimeter and her five previous books on leadership. Her expertise on disruptive growth strategies makes her a perfect voice for our time. The book provides real world examples of the simple secret of successful disruptive strategies on how companies should craft their vision of how to best serve a new customer. One example is T Mobile and their disruption of the mobile phone industry. After T Mobile’s failed merger with AT&T yielded them a three billion dollar breakup fee they were faced with the monumental challenge of driving growth. They were in serious need of dramatic measures and they saw an opportunity to shift from a defensive to an offensive strategy.

As a point of differentiation they chose the path of creating transparency and trust with their customer base by ripping up the traditional two year contract model, separating handset costs from monthly service charges. T-Mobiles “un-carrier” rebranding with its “no service contract” offer was a brilliant way to tap the hearts and minds of their customers and create true disruptive growth. They answered the key question in the process of “who is your future customer?” How in audio can we best ask the question of who are future customer is?

In the book Charlene brings laser focus to the idea that disruptive growth comes from having the sensors ready to serve the needs of future customers not just today’s customers. When an organization has a strategy to drive disruptive growth the entire team is aligned on addressing the needs of future customers. When we are obsessed with our customers the organization is built for the future.
Charlene gives insight into how an organization should prepare for what she calls “the big gulp moment “ by developing a three step strategy blueprint that will lead to disruptive transformation:

Build the case with rigorous research
Secure buy in with transparency
Burn the boats so there’s no turning back

Among the real world examples she sights are Adobe’s move to a subscription model for its suite of services as a transformative move to address a declining business model. The book reminds us that if you desire to make a solid case for a disruptive strategy you need to invest the resources and time needed, secure the right data about your future customers and maybe most importantly find champions within your own organization.

Finding champions for disruptive transformation initiatives is also according to the book about identifying the most effective type of followers within an organization. The effective followers are “people who think for themselves and carry out their duties and assignments with energy and assertiveness” as risk takers and self starters within an organization. Nurturing and developing these team members is a critical priority for transforming an organization. Charlene places particular emphasis in the book to the importance of developing disruptive leadership within organizations.
In order to put clarity and focus on what it takes for leaders to be disruptive she conducted a global survey of more than a thousand leaders. Her analysis reveals that not all disruptive leaders are alike and that the nuances are key to understanding how to develop them. She breaks down what she calls the Four Archetypes of Disruptive Leadership:

Charlene has long been an inspiring force from her work as a founder and senior fellow at Altimeter and her five previous books on leadership. Her expertise on disruptive growth strategies makes her a perfect voice for our time. The book provides real world examples of the simple secret of successful disruptive strategies on how companies should craft their vision of how to best serve a new customer. One example is T Mobile and their disruption of the mobile phone industry. After T Mobile’s failed merger with AT&T yielded them a three billion dollar breakup fee they were faced with the monumental challenge of driving growth. They were in serious need of dramatic measures and they saw an opportunity to shift from a defensive to an offensive strategy.

​As a point of differentiation they chose the path of creating transparency and trust with their customer base by ripping up the traditional two year contract model, separating handset costs from monthly service charges. T-Mobiles “un-carrier” rebranding with its “no service contract” offer was a brilliant way to tap the hearts and minds of their customers and create true disruptive growth. They answered the key question in the process of “who is your future customer?” How in audio can we best ask the question of who are future customer is?

In the book Charlene brings laser focus to the idea that disruptive growth comes from having the sensors ready to serve the needs of future customers not just today’s customers. When an organization has a strategy to drive disruptive growth the entire team is aligned on addressing the needs of future customers. When we are obsessed with our customers the organization is built for the future. Charlene gives insight into how an organization should prepare for what she calls “the big gulp moment “ by developing a three step strategy blueprint that will lead to disruptive transformation:
Build the case with rigorous research
Secure buy in with transparency
Burn the boats so there’s no turning back

Among the real world examples she sights are Adobe’s move to a subscription model for its suite of services as a transformative move to address a declining business model. The book reminds us that if you desire to make a solid case for a disruptive strategy you need to invest the resources and time needed, secure the right data about your future customers and maybe most importantly find champions within your own organization.

Finding champions for disruptive transformation initiatives is also according to the book about identifying the most effective type of followers within an organization. The effective followers are “people who think for themselves and carry out their duties and assignments with energy and assertiveness” as risk takers and self starters within an organization. Nurturing and developing these team members is a critical priority for transforming an organization. Charlene places particular emphasis in the book to the importance of developing disruptive leadership within organizations.
In order to put clarity and focus on what it takes for leaders to be disruptive she conducted a global survey of more than a thousand leaders. Her analysis reveals that not all disruptive leaders are alike and that the nuances are key to understanding how to develop them. She breaks down what she calls the Four Archetypes of Disruptive Leadership:

The Steadfast Manager: They are the leaders the organization turns to when execution must happen on time and on budget.
The Realist Optimist: They are the leaders that are open to change coupled with leadership behaviors that inspire and empower others to make change happen.
The Worried Skeptic: They are the leaders who look at the world from a glass-half empty perspective and worry about the things that can go wrong. Their voice is crucial and these leaders should appeal to the strong leadership behaviors of the Realist Optimists to make sure their concerns are heard.
The Agent Provocateur: These are leaders who seek out the unknown because change creates opportunities for growth.​

Charlene creates an incredibly actionable way to use an understanding of these Archetypes of Leadership and manage internal organizational dynamics to maximize digital transformative growth. By understanding leaderships “openness to change mindsets” and the nuances of leadership behaviors she guides us with a blueprint for shared vision and purpose. Her clear and definitive blueprint on how to manage change and foster the most successful culture makes The Disruption Mindset a critical addition to every strategic meeting and boardroom.

As she quotes Walt Disney:
“The Way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”
Listen to my new podcast “Buzz Cuts” with the very first episode featuring Charlene Li. All podcasts and Buzz Cuts episodes are found under the 'Podcast' section of Buzzknightmedia.com. 

When I reflect on what we saw on the floor of CES I’m reminded of the critical importance of the guts it takes for an inventor to push their product out to marketplace. Every brand and every inventor has to face the facts when it comes to going to market. Every inventor faces the lonely road that requires them to boldly express in no uncertain terms how and why they believe in their product.

Innovation requires guts and resilience now more than ever. It requires a calm and definitive view of the challenges and the opportunities involved in the innovation mission and a steadfast belief in the mission. Innovators understand the future customers they are going after and they take the proper time and energy to manage the flow and process of their team.
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The innovators eliminate the fear and paranoia of failure and replace it with a zest and energy for the new horizon. They know when to move on or adjust if the marketplace reaction yields zero movement.