What makes the Dallas Cowboys a great brand?

How to get started when a problem seems overwhelming | Oust the fiefs in your organization | CEOs and boards should make strategy an ongoing discussion Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version] February 2, 2017 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Google+] [SmartBrief on Leadership] [SmartBrief on Leadership] Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP] ⋅ [FORWARD] Leading Edge [How to get started when a problem seems overwhelming] Challenges in business can be intimidating, to the point that you might feel uncertain of what to do, writes Steve McKee. He offers four steps to take in these situations, including remaining calm and asking questions to better understand the complexities of the issue. [SmartBrief/Leadership] (2/1) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] [Oust the fiefs in your organization] Volkswagen's emissions-testing scandal and the former CEO's alleged lack of awareness show the extreme downside of workplace silos, writes Bob Herbold. Consider occasional reorganizations, both of structure and of people, to avoid complacency and secrecy. [Bob Herbold's Gutsy Leadership Blog] (1/27) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] [Open Enrollment 2017 results are in!] Key trends revealed—based on real employee benefit selections: - Which health plans are most popular - How age and salary impact health plan selection - Why employees need more financial protection [Get your free report today!] ADVERTISEMENT Strategic Management [CEOs and boards should make strategy an ongoing discussion] CEOs and boards should consider strategy a separate activity, dealt with outside regular agendas but also on an ongoing, high-touch basis, writes Ken Favaro. "Strategically important issues and opportunities can occur at any time, and they can't always wait for the next planning cycle or off-site to roll around," he writes. [Strategy+Business online (free registration)] (1/31) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] Smarter Communication [Try speaking simply next time] Using jargon and acronyms instead of direct language can frustrate people and make them feel disconnected from the conversation, writes Gabrielle Dolan. She notes a 2011 study that "concluded that there was a lower level of trust when vague words were being used, and a higher level when more concrete words were used." [SmartCompany.com.au (Australia)] (1/31) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] [Listening requires more than just your ears] When you listen, try to understand the point the person is trying to make rather than biding your time until you can speak, writes Valeria Maltoni. To improve your active listening, she suggests writing down notes while a person is speaking, which helps engage more of the senses and can lead to better retention. [Conversation Agent] (2/1) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] The Big Picture Each Thursday, what's next for work and the economy [The biggest businesses are in trouble] Multinational companies are performing worse and making up a smaller percentage of global profits, while political headwinds are also not in their favor, according to The Economist. Such firms will have to restructure, The Economist argues, whether that means shedding assets, embracing local economies or shifting from a physical to a branding presence. [The Economist (tiered subscription model)] (1/28) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] In Their Own Words [What makes the Dallas Cowboys a great brand?] [What makes the Dallas Cowboys a great brand?] Jones Anderson (Cooper Neill/Getty Images) Charlotte Jones Anderson, chief brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys, shares her journey in building the team's brand since her father bought it in 1989, and also argues that women in leadership don't need to think like men. "After all, our fan base is 40 percent female, and someone in that boardroom needs to be thinking like them," she says. [Reuters] (1/24), [Texas Monthly] (2/2017) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] Daily Diversion [When Americans discovered giant sequoias, they thought of profit] [Giant sequoias] (Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images) Giant sequoias, long known to indigenous populations, became the key element of traveling sideshows and loggers once the US became aware of them in the 1800s, writes Mariana Zapata. Giant sequoias were rarely profitable, however, as they were costly to transport to skeptical audiences and poor choices for lumber. [Atlas Obscura] (1/31) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] If each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants. David Ogilvy, advertising executive [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] [Sign Up] [SmartBrief offers 200+ newsletters] [Advertise] [Learn more about the SmartBrief audience] Subscriber Tools: [Manage Subscriptions] [Update Your Profile] [Unsubscribe] [Send Feedback] [Archive] [Search] Contact Us: Jobs Contact - [jobhelp@smartbrief.com] Advertising - [Laura Thompson] Editor - [James daSilva] Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2017 SmartBrief, Inc.® [Privacy policy] | [Legal Information] Â