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With the departure of Martin Sorrell from WPP following internal investigations into claims of personal misconduct, there remains the question of whether this heralds a new era of change for advertising companies. Among other commentators, LID author Michael Farmer (Madison Avenue Manslaughter) has said that “The tipping point has been reached, WPP is not growing.”

You can read Michael Farmer’s full comment here.

Prior to founding Farmer & Company in 1992, Michael Farmer was a strategy consultant with The Boston Consulting Group and a Director of Bain & Company.  He previously headed Bain’s Munich, Paris and London offices during Bain’s decade of European expansion in the 1980s. Madison Avenue Manslaughter is an inside look into a world of fee-cutting clients and profit-hungry owners.

In his book, Madison Avenue Manslaughter, Michael documents the dizzying heights of the original Mad Men days and the long, steady slide to today. He outlines the step-by-step process that led agencies into their current strategic trap, caught between fee-cutting clients and profit-hungry owners. He offers key insights into how senior agency executives can restore their agencies to health and deliver improved results to their clients, liberating them from the gloom of Madison Avenue’s Manslaughter.

To find out more about the world of advertising from a world-class expert, purchase your copy of Madison Avenue Manslaughter today.

We’re thrilled to announce that the next title in our acclaimed Concise Advice Series is officially out now!

Simon Tyler returns for his third installment in the Concise Advice Series with The Impact Book: 50 ways to enhance your presence and impact at work.

To celebrate the launch of The Impact Book we’re giving you a sneak peek to the introduction of Simon’s new book, so you too can start making a greater impact at work!

To purchase your copy of Simon’s book, click here

INTRODUCTION

Every one of us has impact. You have impact. All the time.

Success, personally and professionally, is in direct correlation with the impact you intend.

Your impact equates to…

Purposeful intent x clarity and consistency

… in everything that you are and everything that you do.

For the purposes of this book, the term ‘impact’ is used to describe the effect you have on events and on those around you. Having impact expresses the collective impression left by your visual appearance; your presence; the way you connect with others; what you say; how you behave and the lasting effect you have on people after you leave the room.

The Impact Book will help you notice how some people can have such a deep impact on others and to harness this for yourself.

IMPACT WITHOUT MINDFULNESS IS FLAWED

Without mindfulness, without purpose and authentic intention, irrespective of your dramatic style upgrades, your impact is left impotent and empty. True leaders and innovators – Gandhi, Martin Luther-King, Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs – are considered ‘great’ based upon their passion, and their belief in their purpose:

People wanted to follow and believe in their ideas.

Without a sense of what motivates and inspires you, a new suit of different haircut will do little to improve your leadership potential.

THE IMPACT OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS

First impressions are formed quickly, often unconsciously, and they matter. Researchers from New York University found people make 11 major decisions about one another in the first seven seconds of meeting. These judgements are based on a mixture of conscious and unconscious reactions to appearance, gestures, stance, tone of voice, conversational openers, and they establish the foundations for our ongoing relationships.

Through heightening your awareness, evaluating, then adapting the impact you have on others, you can ensure the best possible impact more often and in all your modes of communication. It matters because you cannot possibly predict how interactions can blossom; from a chance meeting comes a key client; from a brief conversa­tion comes a job offer. Impact isn’t only about the ‘big’ moments in your professional life, it is about being present in every moment; this shift in thinking signals your intention that every encounter has the potential to bring something to you, financially, professionally, or personally.

The Impact Book, Simon Tyler, pp.1-3

Let’s face it – work is stressful. It can push us to the limits and yet also sometimes be the best thing about our day. It’s a huge defining point of who we are and how we structure our lives.

So when work hits the point of ‘crisis’, as The Crisis Book authors Rick Hughes, Andrew Kinder & Cary Cooper write, it is imperative that you have a set of exercises or actions to help you deal with ‘crisis mode’.

With so many projects, people, meetings, emails, and tasks pulling us in so many different directions, it’s no wonder that some of us reach burnout.

To help with this, here are a few tips from The Crisis Book:

From Part One, Work Stressors

Workload

Schedule

Prioritize the difficult tasks first; these can be better managed when you have your peak energy.

Perfectionist.

No one is expected to be perfect. Appreciate when it’s better to complete all tasks well, against completing only some tasks brilliantly, and vice versa.

Communicate.

Explain to your boss the pressures you face. Sometimes talking about it to colleagues can help identify solutions.

From Part Two, Work-Life Skills

Resilience

Purpose

Having a firm sense of personal beliefs, value and intent gives you the power to progress through tough times with conviction and resolve.

People

Forge positive relationships with family and friends. Reach out to bolster your wider community through networking meetings, social media and family events. Having a rich pool of contacts and connections offers leverage and sources of help in a range of situations.

Acceptance

Appreciate that bad things do happen and plans can change. Seek out a new reality and focus on the new opportunities and options that invite a better way forward.

From Part Five, Personal Life Management

Stress

Demands

Do you have an excessive workload or too much to deal with? Home, relationship and family demands apply here too. Match what is required of you to what you can cope with, delegate or share the load, change work patterns to suit you and maintain a realistic pace.

Control

Do you have sufficient control or power over what you do? Are others diverting your time? Find ways to assert your rights and needs.

Support

Is there enough support around you to achieve what’s required of you? Identify the resources you need to achieve your task. Seek out the motivation, inspiration and encouragement you need. Be open to asking for (and offering) help and identify and communicate your needs.

For further tips, buy your very own copy of The Crisis Book here.

We are pleased to share the news that over the next few months LID author Jérôme Chouchan will be featured in India CSR, with 5 exclusive articles based upon spirituality and the path of business.

Jérôme Chouchan is the author of ‘Target: Business wisdom from the ancient Japanese martial art of Kyudo’, which is out in the UK on 19 April.

‘Target presents a unique approach to business and life, taking inspiration from the Japanese martial art of archery – Kyudo. Kyudo has a particular teaching: ‘Right shooting always results in a hit’, meaning you shouldn’t worry about simply hitting the target; instead you should calmly focus your energy and willpower on proper mindset and form. In doing so, this ‘right-minded shooting’ will naturally result in a hit.

Jérôme Chouchan is the MD of Godiva Chocolates for India, Japan, South Korea, South East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. He has practiced the art of Kyudo in Japan for more than 25 years and holds a Kyudo Renshi (instructor license) and a 5th dan degree. He is also a Board Director of the Jyudo International Federation, the body governing the development of Kyudo globally.

India CSR is the largest Corporate Social Responsibility news platform and portal in India, and will be featuring Jérôme’s articles from now until September 2018.

Target is out on 19 April, order your copy here.

Authors of Machiavellian Intelligence Jonathan Gifford and Dr Mark Powell share their surprising “habits of highly (un)successful executives” in this extract of their book.

Habit No. 6: Sticking things out


This final chapter addresses a dangerous but common ‘good’ habit of highly unsuccessful executives: ‘sticking things out’. Conscientious executives tend to feel that once they have committed themselves to a project, they should see that project through to completion. They feel that they should stay in their current role until they have achieved some objective that they have been set – or an objective that they have set for themselves and feel morally obliged to achieve – before they think about looking for their next opportunity. Read More