e wake-up call shatters the darkness of your hotel room. Stumbling around the phone several times, your hand finally grabs the handset. An automated voice wishes you a good morning. For some reason, you respond. The robot says nothing in return. The glamour they don’t talk about in business school.
“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” Golda Meir, former Prime Minister Of Israel
Surrounding you are some of the most capable minds in sustainable packaging. It’s a small group, just ten, but you trust their counsel. You recently landed a large international client that wants to decrease their carbon footprint. A lot is riding on this account, but for you, it’s business as usual.
“Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work.” Seth Godin, Entrepreneur and Author of (18) best selling books.
Senior executives in the packaging industry have to spin a lot of plates. Legendary leadership? If only you could find the time! We jest, of course. In truth, you’re probably a voracious lifetime learner. But time poverty is real. It’s a thing. And it’s a thing that can get in the way of your growth.
Not to worry, Chase has you covered. You’re 15 clicks away from taking your leadership to the next level!
Inspired Leadership In Packaging
Our first stop, two blogs that will challenge you to rethink your view of leadership. Our second stop, three posts from a blog that explores how to train and inspire the next generation effectively. Let our journey begin!
What’s Missing In Leadership Development?
McKinsey & Company / Click #1
“But as the pace of change for strategies and business models increases, so does the cost of lagging leadership development. If CEOs and their top teams are serious about long-term performance, they need to commit themselves to the success of corporate leadership-development efforts now.”
Simon Sinek / Click #2
“It is the responsibility of anyone who belongs to the group. Though those with formal rank may have authority to work at greater scale, each of us has a responsibility to keep the Circle of Safety strong. We must all start today to do little things for the good of others … one day at a time.”
In the case of McKinsey, metrics, targeted behaviors, drive their approach to leadership development. Simon Sinek embraces a more Zen “everyone is a leader” approach. Perhaps both points of view offer value? Onward we go!
Information on the Go: Google Glass Can be the Next Big Thing in Education
Technavio / Click #3
“Google Glass offers a world of possibilities when applied in a dynamic platform such as education. This technology simplifies the idea of constant connectivity and the near constant inflow of information can help students learn better and teachers/ tutors teach better.”
Bend the Learning Curve with Corporate Game Based Training
Technavio / Click #4
“As both the affective and cognitive domains of the learners are utilized in this learning process, the trainer can stay assured that what he intends to teach is being effortlessly understood. By cultivating values and internalizing them, what an organization gets is a highly skilled and well-informed workforce.”
Top 3 Trends in Corporate Leadership Training Market
Technavio / Click #5
“The market for corporate leadership training has changed dynamically in recent years, pertaining to the technology used for content creation, delivery procedures, and collaboration amongst trainers and learners. The technical innovations coupled with the digitalization of learning materials has established anew benchmark with regards to leadership development programs.”
Penny for your thoughts! What were your big takeaways from your first (5) clicks? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Thought Leadership In Packaging
If you’ve been reading our blog lately, you’ll notice we’ve doubled down on our quest to become thought leaders in the packaging industry. We’re not alone. Many others are doing the same and for a good reason.
Thought leadership is a lot like making a movie. Have you ever seen a movie filled with unrealistic dialog? The key to exceptional thought leadership is also the key to great filmmaking. Show don’t tell.
The key word is “show,” as in, be visual, demonstrate your value as a brand versus selling your value. Your next (5) clicks are industry blogs, each with a distinct personality that showcases their thought leadership.
Click #6
When you land on the site, take a close look at their right-hand category navigation. In terms of thought leadership, it’s a sight to behold! Big, bold black letters with lots of white space. Also, note the post counts because how could you not notice the post counts?! This blog screams thought leadership with its robust design and engaging content.
Click #7
Large images. Bold titles against a very minimalist blog scroll. All of their titles spark curiosity. Courses. Certifications. Training. Everything about this site says, “hey, we know stuff.” While their blogs are brief, the content is the hero, a hallmark quality of thought leadership.
Design Packaging
Click #8
As soon as you arrive on this blog, take notice of how the blog looks and feels. Design Packaging’s couture design makes a powerful first impression. In terms of their thought leadership, check out their categories navigation. Almost 20,000views in just one category? That says it all. Show don’t tell.
Click #9
The second you land on this blog, it slaps you across the face and makes one point crystal clear – all the cool stuff is at Dieline. Click on one of their blog posts. I dare you. It’s like Andy Warhol started a packaging blog! They end with a witty but real bio on the blogger. Folks, this is what a home run looks like so take a close look.
Click #10
With all the animation, blinking, a cornucopia of colors, this blog screams CUTTING EDGE – BEYOND RELEVANT – how may we help you? Your brain melts a little. What’s happening? Nervous, you click a link, not exactly sure what might happen. Then, boom, you disappear into the content. Show don’t tell.
Ok, so your brain is still reeling from the inspired leadership section and now this? It’s like packaging Disneyland! We get this is a lot of information, but here’s the deal. It only takes a few ideas to scale your leadership to a whole new level. Quarter for your thoughts? What were your big takeaways from the (5) thought leadership clicks? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Innovative Leadership In Packaging
In case you hadn’t noticed, disruption is a central theme to this blog post. Vanilla is ok, nothing wrong with vanilla. It’s dependable. It’s easy to find. It plays nice with other flavors. And thus all the problems with vanilla.
If you’re not pushing the envelope, the envelope won’t open. If the envelope of all that you and your packaging brand are capable of never opens, what are you leaving on the table? Sometimes, you got to push the envelope.
Focusing on innovative leadership in packaging, your final (5) clicks.
Why Innovative Leaders Aren’t The Same As Great Leaders
FastCompany
Click #11
“Just because you’re full of new ideas doesn’t mean you’re prepared to lead others. An innovative leader’s role is to build a community.Innovation is elusive and full of contradictions. It’s about breaking from convention and going in a new unprecedented direction, but also requires incredible teamwork.”
5 TED Talks for Creating a Culture of Innovation
INNOCENTIVE®
Click #12
“If you’re looking to create a culture of innovation in your organization it can help to look outwards for ideas. Take a step back and avoid a creative block – learn from the mistakes and successes of others and challenge your assumptions. Here, we shortlist five of the best TED talks for creating a culture of innovation.”
Four Packaging Innovations Driven by Consumer Trends
JABIL
Click #13
“Irrelevance is the most dangerous future a business can face. Often the result of unmet consumer demands and ignored trends, it is the death knell of a company. Just ask many of the “leading” companies that have ceased to exist in the last decade. Industry and consumer trends are useless if those findings are not integrated into the business strategy.”
We kicked innovative leadership off with three deep dive clicks, two of them containing strong videos. It’s like a crash on innovation! But what about the packaging angle? Your last (2) clicks!
Drupa
Click #14
Although we featured a blog post specific to packaging, we recommend wandering around their blog a bit. Clicking on the category tag, “innovation” is a great place to start. It’s a good looking blog that offers brief, on point posts about a variety of topics, to include innovation in packaging.
The Pack Hub Innovation Blog Archive
The Pack Hub
Click #15
The posts on this blog are rock solid, strong visuals, and brief. What impressed us most about this blog is how much they pack into, pardon the pun, each post. There is a ton of quality information in each bite sized serving. Same with their Disruptive category. We suggest surfing their site for the topics that matter the most to you and your packaging brand.
Silver dollar for your thoughts? What were your big takeaways from the (5) innovative leadership clicks? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Do you know the wake-up call story that kicked off this blog post? The phone ringing in a pitch dark hotel room, followed by the mad scramble to find the phone. What if we were able to find you the senior executive that snags the phone on the first try, every single time? For the record, it’s one of the things we do best.
Chase & Associates – We Have Your Back