Business

It doesn't matter how successful you are, how much market share you have, if you're in your comfort zone you will leave yourself exposed. Courage also links to decisiveness, which is one of the key attributes of great leaders. Cowardice pushes the day of reckoning out, decisiveness brings it closer.

In crises, people need to hear one or two simple messages to act on – not a confusing list. Through your communication, you also need to project certainty – and the fact that you have a plan (even if it's not fully formulated). Your team need to believe that they, and you, are going to get the job done.

It's like a tripod. Without one of the three, the whole marketing strategy collapses.

75% of people won't purchase from a brand they don't inherently trust.

You can't just market your way out of a bad product.

Marketing is not going to solve a bad product, but it will be an easier and smoother with a good product, with repeat purchases and word of mouth as being the two things that are critical.

The greatest innovators spend a disproportionate amount of their time figuring out how to engage with the decision makers who need to green-light their work early so they can build confidence. Innovation can feel scary to a business- old and stable is less worrisome.

Management theorist & former Dean of Rotman School of Business

If I see a lot of cases where models own their managers, not the opposite. If the model isn't creating value, but you continue using it, then it owns you. This is frighteningly common.

Management theorist & former Dean of Rotman School of Business

Your customers matter, they have the last word, they hold money in their pocket and will either fork it over… or not… A national stores manager should not be trying to control what stores do and instead say, their job should be to help each store do better.

Management theorist & former Dean of Rotman School of Business

The biggest mistake is thinking that some people at the top make strategy, while everybody else executes it. It feels intractable at this point, it's so ingrained in our way of thinking. People at the top don't make all the decisions; it's not the case that people at the top make a strategy decision and then everyone just engages in that exact model.

Management theorist & former Dean of Rotman School of Business

Think about anything you've ever achieved in your life that you're proud of... starting a business... being a good parent... learning to play the guitar.... It will have taken a huge amount of sustained focus and attention.

Journalist and author known for books on addiction and depression

You don't have to choose a business that's going to drown you, be a treadmill, or suck you underneath. You can start slow, make a bit of money and then double down. You don't have to risk it all at the beginning.

Reality TV Star & Founder of Skinnygirl Cocktails Brand

Just get in the goddam car and get driving. Things will go wrong… plans may go half-cocked… you're not an idiot, you're not going to burn money… just be smart and get driving.

Reality TV Star & Founder of Skinnygirl Cocktails Brand

To the striver, that addiction is success. It activates the same neurobiology and dopamine pathways as alcohol or drugs. When the business collapses, their life ends not just in terms of work, but their whole sense of self is removed. All addicts are the same.

Social Scientist & Author on Happiness, Meaning, and Conservative Values

Many studies have shown and said that consumers would rather choose a sustainable product or service from a transformed business over others.

To bring your stakeholders and to do that, you must show that this transformation you are proposing makes good business sense.