Communication

Everyone gets ICP wrong. What people think ICP stands for is 'Ideal Customer Profile.' But here's the problem: Most companies define it like this: → 200+ employees → Technology industry → Series B or later → VP of Sales is the buyer That's not an ICP. That's demographics and firmographics. I want you to think about ICP differently. ICP = Ideal Customer PROBLEMS. Your real ICP isn't a company size or an industry. It's the customers who have the specific problems you solve. I was recently speaking at a conference with 150 CEOs in the room. I asked them: "What problems do you solve?" Four or five of them answered. Every. Single. One. talked about benefits. Not problems. "We help companies scale faster." "We improve operational efficiency." "We drive revenue growth." Those aren't problems. Those are outcomes. Problems sound like: "Our reps are wasting 3 hours a day on manual data entry." "We're losing deals because our follow-up takes 5 days." "Our managers have no visibility into pipeline until it's too late." THAT'S the level of specificity you need. Here's the truth: There are plenty of 200-person tech companies that don't have the problems you solve. And there are 50-person companies outside your "ICP" that are DESPERATE for what you do. Firmographics are just prerequisites. They increase the likelihood of the problem existing. But the problem is the actual qualifier. When you take a problem-based approach: → Your prospecting gets sharper → Your messaging gets clearer → Your discovery gets deeper → Your win rates go up Stop defining ICP by company size. Start defining it by customer problems. This will change how you target, who you target, how you message and most importantly how quickly you can close.

One skill separates great communicators from average ones: Perspective-taking. The ability to see things from someone else’s point of view. But most people do it wrong. Here’s how to do it right, especially when you’re leading or being led: When you’re the boss, persuading down: You’re trying to convince Maria on your team to do something different. She’s pushing back. Your instinct might be to assert your authority. But that’s a mistake. Here’s why… Research shows: The more powerful you feel, the worse your perspective-taking becomes. More power = less understanding. So if you want to persuade Maria, don’t lean into your title. Do the opposite: dial your power down, just briefly. Try this: Before the next conversation, remind yourself: Maria has power too. I need her buy-in. Maybe she sees something I don’t. Lower your feelings of power to raise your perspective. From that place, ask: → What does she see that I’m missing? → What might be in her way? → What’s a win-win outcome? That shift changes the entire dynamic. Instead of steamrolling, you’re collaborating. And that’s how you earn trust and results. Now flip it. You’re the employee persuading your boss. It’s a high-stakes moment. You’re nervous. So do you appeal to emotion? No. Drop the feelings. Focus on interests. Here’s the key question: “What’s in it for them?” Not how you feel. Not your big dream. → Will it save time? → Improve performance? → Help them hit their goals? Make it about their world, not yours. Why? Because every boss has a mental shortcut: → Does this employee make my life easier or harder? Be the person who brings clarity, ideas, and upside. Not complaints, drama, or friction. In summary: → Persuading down? Dial down your power to see clearer. → Persuading up? Focus on their interests, not your emotions. Perspective-taking is a superpower, if you learn how to use it. Now practice, practice, practice.

🗞️ A must-have for anyone teaching Russian disinformation tactics. A comprehensive yet highly pedagogical and illustrated catalogue of tactics with concrete examples. 👏🏼Well done @center for countering disinformation with the support of The European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine (#EUAM Ukraine) 🇪🇺 1️⃣ The first part is dedicated to the Mechanisms of destructive information influence: • Bots 🤖 • Fake accounts 🤳🏻 • Anonymous authority 👁️ • Appeal to authority 🔨 • Deepfakes 👾 • Potemkin villages 🤡 • Duplicating websites or accounts 👨🏻💻 • Framing 🖼️ • Information overload 🌧️ • Agenda-setting 📆 • Demonisation • Polarisation 🤯 • Confirmation bias 🧠 • Primacy effect 🪢 • Deceptive sources 🎭 • Information alibi 🥸 2️⃣ The second part offers an overview of the Tactics of destructive information influence. Particularly useful to identifies the perverse rhetorical tricks at play and counter them with the right arguments: • Clickbaiting • Rating • Information sandwich • Lost in translation • Presence effects • Contextomy • Gish gallop • Whataboutism • Conspiracy theories • Talking away • Mundanisation • Doublespeak • Sleeper effect • “Check it if you can” • False analogy • Trolling • False dilemma • Using jokes or memes • Stereotyping 3️⃣ The last part describes the various soft power tools weaponized to leverage influence : Soft power tools: Russia’s influence through… • films 🎦 • e-sports 🎮 • literature 📕 • music 🎶 • sports ⚽️ • churches ⛪️ • cultural centre networks 🤝🏻 • educational programmes and grants 🎓 • historical revisionism 🖊️ • loyal political structures🏰 👐🏻Many thanks to the authors for a reference document which deserves to be widely shared As someone who srudied humanities, I always longed for the ancient “class of rhetorics” which was, until the late 19th century, the penultimate year of secondary education in France before philosophy: students learned the full art of persuasion—finding ideas, structuring them, refining style, memorizing, and delivering speeches—through constant practice and study of classical models. The purpose was to train them in the art of eloquence—to speak and write clearly, elegantly, and persuasively. And to prepare future orators -lawyers, priests, politicians- as well as any educated citizen. Were this classical knowledge more widely shared today, we might be better equipped to resist the tactics outlined in part 2️⃣ as we would more spontaneously recognize the persuasion strategies used against us -even if they come in alluring video forms these days! - and be able to counter them with the tools of logic and structured argument.

🗣️“You must be more assertive.” Last year, those five words burned into Amy’s memory. She’d walked out of her 2023 review at XYZ Global determined to “step up.” Speak more in meetings. Push harder on decisions. Stop softening her tone so she wouldn’t intimidate anyone. She did exactly that. Fast forward 12 months. Same conference room. Same 2 VPs across the table. 🔇“You’ve become too intense, need to work on softening your approach.” 😑 Amy stared at them, speechless. Wasn’t that what you asked for last year? Which version of me do you actually want? She thought about the past year: 🤔 The time she challenged a flawed budget forecast in front of the CFO, saving the company $3 million, but earning whispers that she was “abrasive.” 🤔 The time she stepped in to rescue a failing project, praised for her “grit” publicly, yet privately told she “dominated the room.” 🤔 The time she finally got invited to an executive offsite, only to overhear a VP say, “She’s great, but can be… a lot.” This is the tightrope trap senior women walk daily: • Be assertive, but not too assertive. • Be collaborative, but don’t fade into the background. • Be visible, but not “hungry.”    The same behavior praised in men (decisive, strong leader) gets women penalized as abrasive or too much. Until you set the narrative yourself, you’re trapped performing for a moving target. If you’re exhausted from balancing on a wire men don’t even see, here’s how to step off it and still rise. 1. Audit the pattern, not just the feedback • Track every piece of feedback, especially contradiction. Patterns reveal bias. If the goal keeps moving, it's not you! • Phrase to use in review: “Last year I was encouraged to increase my presence; this year I’m told to soften it. Can we clarify what success really looks like?”    2. Control the frame before the room does • Pre‑set the narrative in 1:1s and emails leading up to reviews. I.e., “This year I focused on driving results while bringing the team with me, you’ll see that reflected in project X and Y.” • This primes leadership to view your assertiveness as an intentional strategy, not a personality flaw.    3. Build echo chambers, not just results • Secure 2–3 allies who reinforce your strengths in rooms you’re not in. • Promotions happen in the absence, you need people echoing your narrative, not someone else’s. • Phrase to brief an ally: “If my leadership style comes up in review, can you speak to how I challenge decisions but still align the team?”    Women aren’t just asked to deliver results. They’re asked to perform, decode, and reframe, all while walking a wire men don’t even see. If you’re exhausted from balancing between “too soft” and “too aggressive,” stop walking the wire and start controlling the narrative. Join the waitlist of our next cohort of ⭐ From Hidden Talent to Visible Leaders ⭐ https://lnkd.in/gx7CpGGR 👊 Because leadership shouldn’t feel like an impossible balancing act.

I've coached 400+ CEOs. The best ones don't communicate better. They communicate differently. While average leaders wing it, great ones use proven methods that turn conversations into opportunities. After 20+ years studying top performers, I've identified 7 communication systems that separate good from great. (Save this. You'll need it for your next big meeting.) 1. The 3 Levels of Listening Stop listening to reply. Start listening to understand. Level 1: You're thinking about your response Level 2: You're focused on their words Level 3: You're reading the room—energy, tone, silence One CEO used this to uncover why his top performer was really leaving. Saved a $10M account. 2. What? So What? Now What? Transform rambling updates into decisive action. What = The facts (30 seconds max) So What = Why it matters to the business Now What = The specific decision needed Cut meeting time by 40%. 3. PREP Method Never fumble another investor question. Point: Your answer in one sentence Reason: Why you believe it Example: Proof from your business Point: Reinforce your answer Practice this for 5 minutes daily. Sound prepared always. 4. RACI Matrix Kill confusion before it starts. Responsible: Who does the work Accountable: Who owns success/failure (only ONE person) Consulted: Who gives input Informed: Who needs updates Projects with clear RACI are 3x more likely to succeed. 5. Story of Self/Us/Now Move hearts, not just minds. Story of Self: Why YOU care (personal conviction) Story of Us: Our shared challenge Story of Now: The urgent choice we face This framework has helped politicians win. It'll help you raise capital or inspire your team to meet a big goal. 6. The Pyramid Principle Get board approval in half the time. Start with your recommendation Give 3 supporting arguments (max) Order by impact (strongest first) Data goes last, not first McKinsey consultants swear by this. So should you. 7. COIN Feedback Model Make tough conversations productive. Context: When and where it happened Observation: What you saw (facts only) Impact: The business consequence Next: Agreed action steps No more avoided conversations. No more resentment. Your next funding round, key hire, or major deal doesn't depend on working harder. It depends on communicating better. Because in the end, leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions, listening deeper, and communicating with precision. Your team is waiting for you to lead like this. P.S. Want a PDF of my Leadership Communication Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dbaSN9fJ ♻️ Repost to help a founder level up their communication. Follow Eric Partaker for more leadership tools.

The ABCs of Greenwashing 🌍 Greenwashing weakens trust and slows down meaningful progress. When companies present overstated or unverified claims, it creates confusion across markets, misleads stakeholders, and reduces pressure for real change. The cost is not only reputational, it also undermines the credibility of sustainability efforts more broadly. As sustainability becomes a business priority, the risk of misleading communication continues to increase. The pressure to report progress has led to claims that are not always backed by substance. Recognizing the signals of greenwashing is essential to ensure integrity in reporting, communication, and strategy. The ABCs of Greenwashing is a practical reference that outlines common red flags, from vague wording and selective data to unverifiable targets and weak transparency. These signs often appear in sustainability reports, websites, product labels, and corporate campaigns. There is a growing demand for better sustainability communication. However, clarity must come with accuracy. Narratives that focus on ambition without showing results raise concerns. Authentic communication requires alignment between commitments, measurable progress, and public disclosures. Expectations are shifting. Stakeholders, regulators, and investors expect more than general statements. Claims must be supported by credible data, meaningful metrics, and consistent reporting. The absence of independent verification or full scope analysis is no longer seen as acceptable. Regulatory frameworks are evolving to address this. New directives and standards are increasing pressure on companies to validate their statements with clear evidence. This shift will affect how sustainability is communicated, measured, and governed across sectors. Avoiding greenwashing requires clear internal structures, cross functional accountability, and regular review of communication practices. Sustainability performance must be integrated into operations, not added as a marketing layer. This is not a communication issue alone. It is a strategic and operational matter. Claims must reflect business decisions, investment priorities, and outcomes that can be tracked over time. The ABCs of Greenwashing is a reminder of the need for precision, transparency, and consistency. Improving the quality of sustainability communication is essential for building trust, reducing risk, and advancing long term business goals. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #greenwashing 

🌍 Ten Years After Paris: is the Climate Crisis a Disinformation Crisis? In 2015, the world made a historic promise: to keep global warming well below 2°C, and ideally below 1.5°C. We committed to major emission cuts by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. The Paris Agreement marked a new era of global climate cooperation. But ten years on, we're still struggling with cooperation while the World Meteorological Organization tells us that the Earth’s average temperature exceeded 1.5°C over a 12-month period (Feb 2023–Jan 2024) for the first time. Why? 🔍 A groundbreaking new study, led by 14 researchers for the International Panel on the Information Environment, reviewed 300 studies from 2015–2025. The findings are alarming: powerful interests – fossil fuel companies, populist parties, even some governments – are systematically spreading misleading narratives to delay climate action. 🧠 Misinformation isn't just about denying climate change. It’s now about strategic skepticism – minimizing the threat, casting doubt on science-based solutions, and greenwashing unsustainable practices. 📺 This disinformation flows through social media, news outlets, corporate reports, and even policy briefings. It targets all of us – but especially policymakers, where it can shape laws and delay critical decisions. 💡 So what can we do? 1️⃣ Legislate for transparency and integrity in climate communication. 2️⃣ Hold greenwashers accountable through legal action. 3️⃣ Build global coalitions of civil society, science, and public institutions. 4️⃣ Invest in climate and media literacy for both citizens and leaders. 5️⃣ Amplify voices from underrepresented regions – like Africa – where more research is urgently needed. We must protect not only the planet’s climate, but the integrity of climate information. 🔗 Read more on how disinformation is undermining climate progress – and what we can do about it: https://lnkd.in/eDN9hKAJ 🕰️ The window is small. But with truth, science, and collective action, we can still turn the tide.

I just watched a brilliant young mind quit after his first performance review.  The system didn't fail, it worked exactly as designed. And that's the problem. A close friend's son called me yesterday asking for advice. This kid has always been exceptional - top of his class, and one of the most hardworking young minds I know. He joined a company last year, excited to prove himself. His first performance review just happened. They put him on a PIP for "team collaboration issues." Here's what actually happened that past year: + On-time, flawless project delivery. + Zero complaints from stakeholders. + Often stayed late to get things right. But he wasn’t loud. He didn’t hang around in Slack threads and coffee chats or networked just for the sake of being visible. He focused on the work. And that somehow became a problem. When he called me, his voice was shaking. "I keep questioning myself. Maybe I really am terrible at my job." Just imagine an A-player, now doubting his entire future because our review systems punish introverts, misfit metrics, and non-traditional brilliance. I told him what I'm telling you: You're not the problem, kid. The system is. Four decades in this industry, and this still breaks my heart every time.  We're crushing exceptional talent with processes designed for a different era. We measure yesterday's activities instead of tomorrow's potential. The best leaders understand that real performance happens in real-time, not annual reviews. They coach continuously, celebrate wins immediately, and address challenges before they destroy confidence. ✅ Netflix eliminated performance reviews entirely.  ✅ Adobe replaced them with ongoing conversations.  ✅ Google shifted to quarterly goals with continuous feedback. These aren't experiments, they're competitive advantages. While traditional companies waste months on review documents nobody reads, smart organisations invest that time in actual development conversations that drive results. We need to replace annual reviews with monthly check-ins that matter. And most importantly, replace the assumption that people need to be "reviewed" like products with the understanding they need to be supported, challenged, and trusted to grow. That young man will find a company that values his work ethic over his small talk skills. His former employer will keep wondering why they can't retain talent while using the same broken processes. The difference will transform one organisation and devastate the other. So, stop managing performance like it's a quarterly report. Start enabling it like it's a human being's career and dreams. #performancereviews #thoughtleadership

HR doesn’t need more dashboards. It needs better listening. Most people teams measure what’s easy…like engagement scores or turnover. But the best teams? They build feedback loops that help them predict problems, not just react to them. This post gives you 11 of the most useful, often-overlooked loops you can implement across the employee lifecycle: 🟢 Week 2 new hire check-ins (capture early impressions) 🟠 Post-interview surveys (from both sides) 🔵 Onboarding reviews (day 90 is your goldmine) 🟡 Skip-level 1:1s (cross-level truth-telling) 🟣 Quarterly team health check-ins (lightweight, manager-led) …and 7 more. 📌 Save this if: • You’re building a modern HR function • You want fewer “We should’ve seen this coming” moments • You believe listening is strategy Which feedback loop is missing in your company?