Brendan P. Keegan

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To set first-time leaders up for success, organizations have to create processes that offer support and flexibility. Whether a first-time leader has been promoted or is newly hired into the organization, the systems a business has in place are critical for that leader to overcome the obstacles they will inevitably face. As experts, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum are familiar with business procedures that can help new leaders feel supported. Read on as 13 of them offer recommendations on what organizations should do to build systems that help first-time leaders succeed in their roles.

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Adopting practices like mindfulness can be a great way to reduce stress and take back control of one's life. Between managing employees, monitoring the market and setting and achieving business goals, leaders have a lot of pressure on their shoulders. All of these responsibilities and expectations undoubtedly contribute to making stress a routine and ever-present part of the job for many leaders. While leadership and stress can go hand-in-hand, pursuing practices like mindfulness could help leaders better manage their stress and take back control. To help leaders prevent stress from negatively impacting their productivity and morale, 14 Newsweek Expert Forum members offer advice for how leaders can adopt or practice mindfulness on a regular basis.

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Both types of employees can feel like the grass is greener on the other side and not truly understand what the experience of work is like for the other.

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When people talk about work-life balance, the assumption is that everybody has the same needs, resources or desires or that everyone starts from the same place.

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Rising to the occasion requires ditching the lies many have been told about what leadership means and takes. 

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Taken together, I believe the advantages of EVs explode out to buyers on just about everything.

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Selling a company can be a bit of a wild ride.

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Channel the fear into a focus on what you have to do. Follow through on the throw and come off the field knowing you gave it everything. You might be surprised at just how often the scoreboard glows in your favor.

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When employees emerged out of COVID-19 cocoons, very few, if any, knew how to navigate the return to the office.

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By working together against some of the most common barriers, we can accelerate the transformation in pursuit of convenience as well as environmental and economic gain.

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It's difficult to get to the top of your industry without preparation. It takes strategic thinking and planning. To get ahead of everyone in your industry, if they’re pushing 10% growth, you have to figure out exactly what you’re going to do to push 20%. 

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It’s all about tapping into additional capabilities and services which, ideally, closely relate to what you already do.

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Good leaders have always reflected ESG values and practices.

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Supply chain issues will continue to be a big hurdle, but progress is being made when it comes to EV infrastructure.

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A commitment to authenticity and open communication can help you build relationships that last long term. In business, establishing an authentic relationship with each and every person you meet is critical to building a professional network that helps you meet with the right people and source new opportunities. Building these kinds of connections with new people, such as clients or coworkers, doesn’t even require a lot of effort; in fact, being yourself and genuinely asking how you can help can go a long way in building a long-lasting relationship. To help professionals interested in cultivating business relationships, 13 Newsweek Expert Forum members share recommendations on how to best build rapport with a new client or colleague.

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Nothing tops the need to be a great communicator, especially through storytelling.

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Taking the time to carefully vet business partners decreases the chances of something going wrong down the line.  A partnership with another person or company can increase your chances of successfully bringing your ideas alive. After all, a partner will be able to offer additional information and resources, and the combined effort means more work will get accomplished.  However, one must carefully vet every collaboration before signing on the dotted line. Though a business partnership may look good on paper, asking key questions beforehand can help ensure your prospective partner actually ticks all of the right boxes. Below, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members each share one question to ask a potential business partner before officially joining forces.

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Keeping employees consistent connected to the mission and values of the organization means building a supportive work environment. The key to creating a supportive work environment lies in how well the leaders of the organization communicate with their employees. Clear and consistent communication is essential to ensuring employees feel a sense of belonging and are fully connected to the mission of the organization, but communication can no longer be one-sided and reserved for those at the top. Changing how they communicate to better accommodate employees and their needs will allow leaders to build and maintain long-term relationships with the people in their organizations. To help, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum share communications strategies leaders should consider adopting if they want to resonate more with employees and build influence.

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Intense communication inspires others to follow and act with you because it proves you’re trustworthy and shows people exactly how to take action.

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Investing more time into nonbusiness critical endeavors can positively impact an entrepreneur's skills and business. Pursuing professional development has always been a valuable practice for continuously growing and developing business skills. Despite the benefits, however, some entrepreneurs are still reluctant to take steps toward investing in their own development. For them, any time and effort not spent on business-critical tasks may be seen as unimportant when compared to work that directly impacts and drives business.  However, entrepreneurs need to rethink their current beliefs about professional development if they are truly interested in growing their businesses and enhancing their own skills for future success. To help, 15 members of Newsweek Expert Forum shared recommendations on how entrepreneurs can take action and start investing in their own professional development.

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What’s the one motivator that drives truly fearless leaders? 

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Actively meeting the needs of employees can inspire respect for leaders while also having a direct impact on the business's bottom line. Being a great leader requires more than delegating tasks to employees and meeting business goals. Each individual employee within an organization has different needs, and the role leadership plays in meeting those needs and empowering employees to contribute their expertise can have a direct impact on a business’s bottom line.  Though all leaders aspire to be someone worthy of guiding others, the challenge is ensuring each action taken signifies interest in and commitment to the well-being of employees. To help, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum offer recommendations for how those in power can earn the loyalty of those around them and become leaders people will want to follow.

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Relying more on the help of others can reduce the strain entrepreneurship places on leaders. Business leaders carry the weight of their organizations on their shoulders. In addition to ensuring ideas come to fruition and customers are satisfied, executives also have the added pressure of ensuring employee needs are being met. These priorities can place a considerable strain on a leader even in times when a business is fairing well. Rather than accepting that burnout may be an ever-present downside to entrepreneurship, leaders can begin shifting the operations of their businesses to move out of that mindset. Relying more on the people who help run the business can help, but executives have to be ready to make active changes in their lives. Below, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum offer expert advice on how executives can begin moving in the right direction again after feeling burned out.

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Leaders that are unable to keep up in a changing business world are at risk of falling behind. The business world moves fast, and companies that aren’t able to keep up run the risk of falling behind. Building a sustainably successful company requires that leaders understand just how much the business can and will change over time. While leaders are well aware that flexibility is a key part of doing business, it doesn't mean that they will be able to tap into that ability the moment they encounter a business challenge. To help, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members share strategies leaders can use to develop their ability to adapt quickly and ensure that flexibility is built into the foundation of their organizational culture.

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The most beautiful thing about having someone show faith in you is that it becomes a chain reaction.

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Test your product with real users to work out the bugs and prepare for your official launch. When you’re launching a new product, one of the best ways to make it more effective is by running user tests. Many companies rely on user testing to better understand what their customers need and how they can improve their products for their users. To help you improve your user testing techniques, nine members of Newsweek Expert Forum shared their approaches to implementing smarter user tests. Follow their advice to stay in sync with your users and their feedback and improve your product prior to launch day. 

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Transparency in your customer communications is a surefire way to encourage loyal, lasting relationships with them. Open, honest communication is the cornerstone of any good relationship, including that between a business and its customers. Without transparency from a brand, consumers can be left feeling vulnerable and uncertain about whether a company will fulfill their wants and needs. When internal concerns stretch an organization thin, a good customer service experience can be hard to replicate over and over again. However, there are techniques that can ease communication between companies and the customers who support them. Below, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members shared their top recommended ways to leverage transparency and increase customer loyalty. 

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The more others see you conquer, the more they’ll be inspired and trust you to handle bigger and bigger opportunities. 

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To survive in business long term, leaders must be able to respond and adapt to sudden changes. Nothing is ever certain in business. The products and services provided by companies solve real, current problems, but the mission that fuels a business is bound to change as time goes on. Leaders must be able to pivot and adapt their organizations in a changing environment. Despite the challenges presented by a fluctuating market or evolving times, it’s still possible to effectively make and achieve goals that help secure a business’s future. Below, members of Newsweek Expert Forum share their expert advice on the best strategy leaders can use to create a vision for the future of their organization among uncertainty.

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With technology continuing to change how people live and work, organizations need to prioritize opportunities that better meet evolving customer needs. The business landscape has changed drastically over the past year. While companies have come to expect that people’s needs will shift constantly based on changing life situations, the customers of 2021 are remarkably different from their predecessors. Increased online shopping options and new methods for connecting virtually are just a few examples of how technology has altered the ways in which customers live and work. Though many businesses have been able to adapt quickly to meet the needs of modern consumers, the convenience and access that technology brings will be vital from now on. Leaders will need to keep a close eye on customer behavior trends to ensure they are on top of the factors impacting the industry. Below, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum share the customer behavior trends that are likely to impact businesses from now on.

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As a leader, you’re going to have some uncertain times no matter how good you are at checking your metrics.

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Business challenges can be difficult to face, but they can also provide an incredible learning experience for company leaders. Every difficult situation and mistake offers an opportunity to learn something valuable for the future. This is especially true for business leaders, who deal with challenging situations on a near-daily basis. Amid these tough decisions, it can be hard to discern the “right” path. However, each step forward and challenge faced is another lesson learned. Below, 13 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share the significant business challenges they believe can become a great teaching experience for leaders. Here's why they think these situations are such excellent teachers. 

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