Skip to main content

A Tale Of Leadership, Marketing And Blogging From Debbie Laskey

 

For the past 15 years, I have relied on Debbie Laskey’s Blog for expert leadership guidance and always interesting insights into marketing best practices and recaps of marketing trends. 

Fortunately, through the years, Debbie has also shared her expertise through a variety of postings on my blog and I’m honored again today to feature Debbie via the following Q&A’s: 

Question: During 2024, you published two interesting leadership series on your blog: the Spring Leadership Series (March-June 2024) and the Olympics Leadership Series (July-August 2024). What are some of your leadership takeaways that you learned from the participants in those two series? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: I've been honored to attract thought leaders to my blog in Q&A formats over the years and especially during 2024 in two leadership series. Fifteen experts participated in my #SpringLeadershipSeries, and 17 experts participated in my #OlympicsLeadershipSeries. 

Three key questions from the #SpringLeadershipSeries were: What is a TV show that showcases leadership? What film showcases leadership? What work of fiction showcases leadership? 

Three key questions from the #OlympicsLeadershipSeries were: Which Olympic moment or event showed a lack of or clear evidence of leadership? Which Olympic sport demonstrated effective leadership? And what was a business lesson from the Olympics? 

My take-aways from both series were that I learned unconventional or nontraditional ways to think about leadership, whether through a TV series (for example, thanks to a specific character like Captain Olivia Benson in Law & Order: SVU) or a film (for example, 12 Angry Men), or thanks to specific Olympic sports (for example, rowing or gymnastics). 

Question: What do you believe business leaders should know about the future of marketing? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: It seems everywhere you look in business publications, the theme is the same about marketing: CMO's (Chief Marketing Officers) are the members of the C-Suite that are replaced the most often; many CEO's view marketing as a conflict with the sales department due to not fully understanding its purpose; and lastly, many marketing teams are forced to work in silos. 

Therefore, since these issues have remained the same over the last decade, I would tell business leaders that it's imperative for them to learn about the importance of all aspects of marketing: communications, brand positioning, marketing messaging, advertising, public relations, digital marketing, social media, and brand storytelling. If business leaders invest in sales strategies, information technology, human resources, and other specialty areas of their businesses, why not marketing? 

According to Gartner:

"By 2025, a perceived decay in the quality of social media sites will push 50 percent of consumers to significantly limit their use of major platforms. 

By 2026, 80 percent of creative talent will use GenAI daily, allowing for more strategic work, resulting in increased spending on creative. 

By 2026, 60 percent of CMO's will adopt measures such as content authenticity technology, enhanced monitoring, and brand-endorsed user-generated content to protect their brands from widespread deception unleashed by GenAI. 

By 2027, 20 percent of brands will lean into positioning and differentiation predicated on the absence of AI in their business and products. 

By 2028, brands will see their organic site traffic decrease by 50 percent or more as consumers embrace GenAI-powered search." 

Question: What have you learned during your 15-year blogging journey? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: As I wrote in my first blog post in November 2009, "Should You Blog? Blogs have been around since the early 1990’s, but should you have one? If you answer YES, then find your voice. If you are an individual, write as you speak and share your expertise. If a company, determine your company’s voice and make sure that the senior management team approves. Second, develop a timeline for updating your Blog. Daily may be too much work – weekly or monthly may be better options. Third, create a strategy for content." 

My blog has been a wonderful outlet for sharing my commentary about marketing and leadership - and it's also been a way for me to showcase inspiring people (via Q&A formats) that I've met through my social media activity and nonprofit activities (including my work through MicroMentor where I met you, Eric!). With every post, I learn something new. It's been an amazing 15 years so far, and nearly 700 posts! 

Without a doubt, the most important thing I've learned during my blogging journey is to be dedicated to writing on a regular basis. Whether it's marketing news, sharing a Q&A, reviewing a book, or another topic, I dedicate time to writing on a daily or weekly basis. 

Question: What are your favorite annual posts on your blog? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: Each year while watching the Super Bowl, I watch the ads. I sometimes annoy family and friends because I take notes during the ads and ask my fellow game watchers to quiet down during the ads - not easily accomplished during the year's most important football game. And then, the next day, I post my recap of the best (and sometimes worst) ads. To date, I've written 12 of these posts. (Visit my blog on February 10, 2025, to read my review of the ads shown during Super Bowl LIX: www.DebbieLaskeysBlog.com) 

As a marketing pro, my favorite series has been my annual "Top 10 Marketing Highlights" posts. They started with a nod to David Letterman for the format and appear on the first day of each year. To date, I've written 14 of these posts. (Visit my blog on January 1, 2025, to read my Top 10 Marketing Highlights of 2024: www.DebbieLaskeysBlog.com) 

Question: What question do you wish more people would ask about you? And what is the answer to that question? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: During my nearly 30 years of work and volunteer experience, I’ve had a variety of bosses. Many have resented or been envious of my education (my MBA Degree), my experience (highlighted by my work in the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France), my gender, and my collaborative work style. 

So, I guess the question I would appreciate being asked is, who was my best boss and why? My answer is always my Dad. While he passed away nine years ago, his spirit is with me everyday - especially when the Los Angeles Dodgers win! He was a Certified Public Accountant and had his own firm. In addition to his passion for accounting, he also epitomized excellent client service, and his clients loved him. I worked for him in different phases of my life, as a child, during my college years, and on and off in between jobs as an adult. He taught me about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the importance of providing quality customer/client service, and the importance of professional integrity. He set a high bar, and I’ve always tried my best to spread his example wherever I’ve worked. 

I shared some tips from my father in a previous Q&A on your blog back in 2012.

___ 

Debbie Laskey has 25 years of marketing experience and an MBA Degree. She developed her marketing expertise while working in the high-tech industry, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, the nonprofit arena, and financial services and insurance sectors. Her expertise includes brand marketing, social media, employee engagement, leadership development, and customer experience marketing. She is a regular contributor to several national blogs that provide insights about marketing and leadership, and she's been recognized as one of the "Top 50 Branding Experts" to follow on Twitter/X at @DebbieLaskeyMBA. Visit her website at www.BrandingAndMore.net and her blog at www.DebbieLaskeysBlog.com.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Effective Listening: Do's And Don'ts

Here are some great tips from Michelle Tillis Lederman's book, The 11 Laws of Likability .  They are all about: what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener : Do : Maintain eye contact Limit your talking Focus on the speaker Ask questions Manage your emotions Listen with your eyes and ears Listen for ideas and opportunities Remain open to the conversation Confirm understanding, paraphrase Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile) Ignore distractions Don't : Interrupt Show signs of impatience Judge or argue mentally Multitask during a conversation Project your ideas Think about what to say next Have expectations or preconceived ideas Become defensive or assume you are being attacked Use condescending, aggressive, or closed body language Listen with biases or closed to new ideas Jump to conclusions or finish someone's sentences
Post a Comment
Read more

How To Lead A Family Business

Julie Charlestein  is the author of the book,  How To Lead Your Family Business: Excelling Through Unexpected Crises, Choices, and Challenges . Charlestein is also the fourth-generation leader of an incredibly successful family-owned enterprise, and she’s seen it all firsthand, including family drama in the workplace and the office politics that come with any corporation. Her book features her  unique set of strategies for navigating the distinctive challenges and choices facing family businesses. In her highly personal storytelling style, Charlestein shares her experience as an emerging leader and ultimately CEO, who has worked to earn her colleagues’ respect. She details her leadership adventure, offering actionable strategies for those leading and working within their own family businesses. The book is ideal for anyone leading a family business or starting a family business.  It’s also good for anyone taking over an existing (or new) business. More about Charleste...
Post a Comment
Read more

How To Build Lasting Customer Relationships Using The Triple Fit Strategy

“It’s time for companies to rethink their growth logic and strategy,” according to Christoph Senn and Mehak Gandhi , authors of the new book, Triple Fit Strategy: How To Build Lasting Customer Relationships And Boost Growth .   The authors affirm that there would be much more value if companies no longer operated in a transactional buyer-seller relationship, but instead as a singular team. A team where buyer and seller can collaborate on decisions around planning, execution, and resources like they were one company.   “Today’s business customers don’t just buy products and services; they buy expectations,” explain Senn and Gandhi. “What the customers want is the commitment of and access to the supplier’s total operation. They want problem-solving and creative thinking to keep their business ahead of competition. They want partners.”   In the book, Senn and Gandhi forge an entirely new path for business that embraces a 360-degree customer-centric approach, and they ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Resolve To Find A Mentor In 2025

Having a mentor is one of the best things you can do to advance your career as a leader. So, decide soon to secure a mentor who will work with you during 2025. Make that one of your New Year’s resolutions. A mentor can benefit leaders new to their leadership role and they can benefit experienced and seasoned leaders, as well. A strong mentoring relationship allows the mentor and the mentee to develop new skills and talents, to build confidence, and to build self-awareness. Proper mentoring takes a commitment from both parties and it takes time to develop and to reap the rewards of the relationship. Plan to work with your mentor for no less than three months, and ideally for six months or longer. When seeking out a mentor, think about these questions : 1.  Will the relationship have good personal chemistry? 2.  Can this person guide me, particularly in the areas where I am weakest? 3.  Will this person take a genuine interest in me? 4.  Does this person have the trait...
Post a Comment
Read more

How Achieving Balance Makes You A More Successful Leader

In his highly authentic, sincere and personal book,  Balancing Act , author  Dr. Andrew Temte, CFA , shares candid insights and timely lessons about the balance needed to succeed as a leader. “I wrote this book in the hope that others will learn from my triumphs and failures. Those who can recover more rapidly from periods of imbalance will have an advantage over those cannot,” says Temte. He firmly believes that  leaders who strive toward balance can more readily identify and curtail organizational entropy, facilitate a culture of trust, and foster diverse organizations and cultures that inspire everyone to bring their “whole sell” to work . “Success without balance is often more disastrous than failure with balance,” explains Temte. “When the unbalanced achieve victory, it often serves to further destructive habits. When the balanced suffer defeat, resilience and perseverance grow.” Tempte further explains that  leaders today often struggle for balance between : St...
Post a Comment
Read more

Top Five Factors That Drive Employee Loyalty

A 2010 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management shows that job security is what matters most to employees. And, having that job security helps to keep employees loyal.  Okay, that's really not too surprising during these times of high unemployment. Next on the list is benefits . The unstable economy, coupled with rising health care costs, make employer offered benefits more important than ever. Third on the top five list is an employee's opportunity to use his/her skills . When employees feel good about their jobs and their abilities, and clearly know they are contributing to their organization they remain engaged and loyal.  In fourth place is an organization's financial stability . Compensation came in fifth on the top five list. Employee pay often is not the most important driver for employee retention.  Despite study after study that shows pay is not the top reason employees stay with a company, research results like these often surpris...
1 comment
Read more

Ask Your Customers To Help You Write Your Strategic Plan

Mike Brown, the founder of the Kansas City company called, The Brainzooming Group, encourages business leaders to solicit feedback from their customers when creating a strategic plan. Brown recently wrote in Smart Companies Thinking Bigger magazine, that you should “ask a group of current, former and potential customers the following questions:" If you’re a current or former customer, why did you start using us? What have we done in the past to make your biggest challenges more difficult? If you still use us, why do you continue to do so? If you don’t use us currently, what are some of the reasons why you don’t? “These questions are designed to allow your customers to share their perspectives and opinions openly, not rate performance on a numerical scale,” explained Brown. He explained that the answers to the questions will provide you valuable insight into : Your current strengths and weaknesses Opportunities to more successfully help your customers Potential challen...
1 comment
Read more

Do You Really Need To Read Leadership Books?

The answer is yes.  And, fortunately, there are lots out there to select from.  However, if you don't have time to read books about how to be an effective and good leader, you can select a few words from the list below and then practice what those words mean, as you lead your team every day. Leaders on the LinkedIn Executive Suite group came up with these nearly 50 words in answer to a discussion topic I posted in the group forum:  " A Good Leader Is [insert one word]."  A big thank you to that group for this valuable list. Accountable Adaptable Approachable Authentic Aware Bold Brave Candid Caring Clear Challenging Charismatic Compassionate Courageous Credible Decisive Dedicated Ethical Empowering Engaged Fearless Forward-Thinking Gracious Honest Humble Inclusive Influential Inspiring Intuitive Loyal Mindful Moral Motivating Objective Open Passionate Pro-active Receptive Responsible Respectful Skilled S...
3 comments
Read more

3 Coaching And Mentoring Tips

Here are three great tips from the book, The Everything Coaching and Mentoring Book : Coaches do not motivate their employees; they inspire them to motivate themselves.  This is best accomplished by allowing employees to see clearly where they stand in the organization versus where they want to be in their careers.  That is, what are their self-interests versus what the company can offer them. A mentor always exercises the power of suggestion. That is, wise mentors offer up plenty of suggestions to their mentees. They pose alternatives.  But they refrain, as much as possible, from telling their mentees what to do. Mentoring is all about sharing experiences.  It is about mentors imparting the multiple lessons that they've learned to their mentees and helping them better navigate through their own careers.  By absorbing these lessons--of mentors' mistakes and successes--mentees are better prepared to move forward with knowledge and confidence.
Post a Comment
Read more

How To Improve Your Internal Communication Skills

Here is this week's book recommendation.  It's a quick read, yet power-packed with useful tips for communicating effectively -- tips you can start to use tomorrow.  And, the eBook is free! As author David Grossman says, "good internal communication gets the message out, but great internal communication helps employees connect the dots between overarching business strategy and their role. When it’s good, it informs; when it’s great, it engages employees and moves them to action. Quite simply, it helps people and organizations be even better." I really found this book useful.
Post a Comment
Read more