Leadership Beyond Borders

We live in an undeniable digital world where most of the global population are active web users, and the pandemic has been a contributing factor to the increasing inactivity. The internet is being used for communication, staying social, working from home, learning, entertainment, and shopping.

When you consider these trends and consider that in the US and the EU, it is estimated that 15% of internet users have some disability that hinders their full use of a website, it is time to ask ourselves how we can make the web more accessible? When we see a handicapped parking place, a ramp or brail in an elevator, we do not think about it, but, when it comes to accessibility on the web, we forget about it.

In this encore episode, because of high demand, we speak with the CEO of a platform that powers 1000’s marketing agencies. One of their missions is to help every business understand how vital web accessibility is.

Three years ago, the European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in an effort to protect its citizen’s privacy. Deemed as the toughest privacy and security law in the world, it imposes obligations onto organizations anywhere, not just in the EU, so long as they target or collect data related to people in the European Union.

So how are SMBs coping with the challenge that Data Protection and Data Management poses?

Data Management is key whatever the size of the company and increasing rules on data protection and data management can sometimes be very difficult to follow and cope with. The trends towards first-party data and the rise in privacy management from big players also put pressure on companies to tackle data protection the right way.

Siinda partnered with Usercentrics, a leader in the area of Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) headquartered in Munich, Germany to run a survey of 600 SMBs in Germany, France and the UK on their data protection and data management awareness and practices.

In this episode our guest reveals the results of said research and share GDPR best practices, opportunities and challenges.

Do you know what your boss or your company wants from you in your job? A hot question, right? Many of us will answer-well I think so- I think I know what they want. When we apply for a position, we get interviewed, and we get a job description. However, we often do not know what contribution the position makes to the company's overall performance. Part of the responsibility lies with the organization or the hiring manager, who should explain this to every applicant. Still, a lot of the obligation to understand what is expected from a position lies within ourselves. For example, suppose we want to impact a job or organization. In that case, we have to realize what contribution is valued the most by our leaders, and what role the position plays in the companies overall performance. In this episode, we talk about how to impact our careers by really contributing to our jobs. We also talk about how leaders can help others make an impact.

Why do some speeches keep your attention and pique your interest, and others have you multitasking or turning the volume up on your i-tunes? I believe it is all about summing up all the information you want to communicate and conveying it clearly. A manner that keeps the listener attention and getting them engaged. But this is not easy. Regardless of whether it is writing a speech or communicating a written form, it takes practice and understanding. In this episode, we speak with an expert in communicating, an expert that helps people untangle their thoughts and put them in clear, direct words. Our expert is a strategic messaging consultant that helps people get their message across. She will give us some tips on doing this and what communication pitfalls to look out for. We will also explore the world of gender-neutral words in speechwriting and written communication.

Body language and non-verbal gestures are the first things we notice when we meet someone in person, but what about in the virtual world? Is it the same? According to the European Commission, in 2019, only 5.4% of employees in the EU worked from home. However, in March 2020, this number had drastically increased, with most non-essential workers forced to work from home as the EU was in lockdown. This meant a new world of virtual meetings and conducting business remotely. However, aside from the technology issues, many people did not know how to conduct themselves in the virtual business world. And today, we are returning to in-person meetings after 18 months of being behind the camera, so how are we adapting? As we transition to this blended business world, we need to be aware of out body language and we give off? In this episode, we speak with one of Europe's premier body language experts about how you can leave a lasting impression in virtual meetings and in the new normal.

Three years ago, the European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in an effort to protect its citizen's privacy. Deemed as the toughest privacy and security law in the world, it imposes obligations onto organizations anywhere, not just in the EU, so long as they target or collect data related to people in the European Union. So how are SMBs coping with the challenge that Data Protection and Data Management poses? Data Management is key whatever the size of the company and increasing rules on data protection and data management can sometimes be very difficult to follow and cope with. The trends towards first-party data and the rise in privacy management from big players also put pressure on companies to tackle data protection the right way. Siinda partnered with Usercentrics, a leader in the area of Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) headquartered in Munich, Germany to run a survey of 600 SMBs in Germany, France and the UK on their data protection and data management awareness and practices. Today, our guest reveals the results of said research and share GDPR best practices, opportunities and challenges. Please welcome Jurgen Weichert.

Following our 3 part series on the book Battle Tested! Gettysburg Leadership Lessons for 21st Century Leaders which aired in April and May 2021, we dig deeper into what we can learn about leadership from the military. Military leadership involves making critical decisions, often in high-pressure situations with significant risks. Influential military leaders ask the right questions and think strategically about making well-informed conclusions upon which they can act; they also know how to motivate teams. In this episode, we discuss what we can learn from effective military leadership.

Rob Lachenauer, the CEO at Banyan Global Family Business Advisors in Boston, was quoted in Forbes as saying: "In a non-family business, you can quit your job, and it's usually a career-enhancing move. In a family business, you sure can't quit your family," But family businesses are the backbone of most economies. In the US, the immigration waves during the first part of the 19th century brought new Americans seeking greater economic opportunity, and many began family businesses. In Europe, the family business has been the backbone of trade dating back to the middle ages. So what makes a family business so solid and sustainable? How and why are they different from public companies and enterprises, and what can we learn from them. In this episode, we speak with one of the owners of a 9 figure family business in its 4th generation to understand how and why family businesses flourish.

We all have a roadmap that guides us through our work life and our personal lives, and as David Nour says, it's not about balance it's about blending But our maps are not linear, as life is not linear and there are many forces that influence us. Last week ( July 13 episode Leadership Beyond Borders ), with spoke with leadership advisor and author David Nour about his new book Curve Benders. We talked a lot about personal and professional growth, transitions rather than transactions, work-life bending and relationship blending. In this episode, Part ll, we will dig a little deeper and talk about the 15 forces that impact our life's journey and the seven steps in Curve Benders.

We all have a roadmap that guides us through our work life and our personal lives, and as David Nour says, it's not about balance it's about blending But our maps are not linear, as life is not linear and there are many forces that influence us. Strategic relationships can also dramatically alter our non-linear growth trajectory against the forces that will shape the future of how we will work, live, play, and serve others. These are the words of our guest in Part I of this two-part series. We explore these concepts and the book Curve Benders, fresh off the press in 2021. A great book for navigating both your life and your company.