“Speak softly and carry a big stick” – Part 3 Leadership

Posted on October 29, 2019 by nigeldavis

Theodore Roosevelt’s words, “Speak softly and carry a big stick and you’ll go far” was a reflection of his military capabilities which were designed to convey the principle that it was far better to use intelligent forward thinking in order to avoid a costly crisis. It’s clear that such a phrase has a threatening connotation but it’s especially clear that it’s far better to have a solid understanding of the situation. Not everyone can be or wants to be a ‘leader’. Many are happy to follow, whilst some believe they are better leaders than those that do, and some are placed in leadership positions when they’re not qualified to be there. There’s different types of ‘leaders’ too, some are autocratic … Read More >

Senior Marketers make great Non-Executive Directors – Pt2 Strategy

Posted on August 2, 2019 by nigeldavis

Following on from last month’s blog where I spoke about the Governance skills already embodied within senior marketers, I wanted to follow this on with another of the four skills a Non-Executive Director should understand and be able to encouragingly influence amongst the executive team, this month is ‘Strategy’ (and its progression). The term was used by the military for controlling and directing operations and movements in a war or battle in order to accomplish a long-term overall aim. As such, business also has numerous ‘battles’ to overcome at both the micro and macro levels before accomplishing its next objective. Unfortunately though there are many pitfalls that can arise en-route, namely from: staff appreciation, acceptance and adoption of new strategies, … Read More >

Senior Marketers make great Non-Executive Directors – Pt1 Governance

Posted on July 18, 2019 by nigeldavis

Progressive thinking marketers have always been an asset to their employers because they’re able to get the best for both the consumer and the firm that employs them. But they’re also more likely to be able to appreciate and drive value into the most challenging areas facing the business. Where others see risk, the ‘dialled-in’ marketer sees opportunity; where others may become distracted and disengaged, the marketer again sees opportunity, and when others see burden and bureaucratic red-tape, the consummate marketing professional sees opportunity. So why does this contribute to becoming a great non-executive director? Let’s just consider GDPR, where I personally had several senior executives, business owners and even one company chairman each claim this was just another unnecessary … Read More >