billleider.com

Have you noticed that the floodgates have opened and articles about Values are pouring down on us like rain from a Texas thunderstorm. Why now? Perhaps it’s the culmination of anger and frustration impacting all of society over our pathetic lapses. It stretches from Congress and the Administration, to Wall Street and the banking industry, and to corporate America’s seemingly endless stream of misdeeds and scandals. It’s all too much. We’re sick of it.

There is a longing in America, born of our hunger for integrity – in our lives and in our institutions. We’re crying for decency. We want to wake up in the morning, eager to go to meaningful jobs in companies led by honorable  [Read more...]

What is your Brand? What do you deliver and how do you deliver it?

What experiences and results are your customers looking for?

The answers to those two questions provide insight into how and how badly J.C. Penney confronted its challenges: declining Brand strength, falling market share and lackluster earnings.

The bottom line is this: J.C. Penney decided to attempt to institute a massive change in their customer culture BEFORE they understood their existing customers needs, wants and appetite for change. They never put a “You Are Here” dot on the map of current reality. And if you don’t know where you are, how can you intelligently decide where to go, much less how to get there?

At Apple, Ron Johnson’s success in creating a brand new kind [Read more...]

Andrew Mason, the CEO of Groupon recently got fired. Here is a copy of his parting letter to the Groupon employees, courtesy of a posting on February 28, 2013 by John C. Abell, consulting editor at Linked in.

People of Groupon,

After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding – I was fired today. If you’re wondering why… you haven’t been paying attention. From controversial metrics in our S1 to our material weakness to two quarters of missing our own expectations and a stock price that’s hovering around one quarter of our listing price, the events of the last year and a half speak for themselves. As CEO, I am accountable.

You are doing amazing things at Groupon, and you deserve the outside world to give you a second chance. I’m getting in the way of that. A fresh CEO earns you that chance. [Read more...]

Kirkus Reviews has just published their independent review of Brand Delusions. For those of you who may not know, Kirkus is a well established, credible, independent book review organization with a solid reputation in the publishing and media worlds. Here it is.

TITLE INFORMATION
BRAND DELUSIONS
Exploding the myths and helping you improve your Brand – professionally and personally
Leider, Bill
William Leider & Associates (258 pp.)
ISBN: 9780985256609; September 21, 2012

BOOK REVIEW

An intriguing alternative to traditional business books, with a compelling, relevant message.

A being from the future saves a company from infighting and inertia in this engaging business parable.

Leider’s debut follows a path set by Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese? (1998) with a fictional tale of a kitchenware company confronting its internal politics, misconceptions and understanding of its role in the marketplace. Brandon Strong suddenly appears in the CEO’s office and announces that he’s a visitor from 2030. He leads the company’s senior executives on a journey of corporate self-discovery, challenging their business practices and teaching them to think of the company’s brand whenever they interact with current and potential customers. Strong offers plenty of advice, repeatedly stressing the importance of an all-encompassing definition of “Brand” (always spelled with a capital B in this book) and the need for company departments to work together. Many characters’ names (including Brandon Strong’s) involve wordplay related to their roles in the company, such as head of production Manny Factura, designer Desi Concepcion and finance whiz Ben Counter. Head of marketing Mark Selisman is the closest thing to a
villain in this book, though after a night of soul-searching, even he has a chance at redemption. Leider clearly means for his characters to be types, not fully rounded individuals, but he provides them with enough personal issues and quirks to keep the story engaging throughout.

Overall, the book offers an upbeat, can-do message that readers assessing their own brands will likely embrace.

Kirkus