Media, Trends, and Fire.

When to put the gas onto the fire, and when to know to let the fire burn out.   

Certain topics can join people together, while other topics can divide us quickly and create a firestorm of curiosity and bewilderment in business and in life.  Working with my team member Lynn Aronberg (currently recognized by some national media sources in what is being referred to as the “caused by Trump” divorce) has been a fast-paced lesson in how a topic can quickly trend with firestorm coverage from the media. That can be both disruptive and interesting to the public, with a national media spotlight all the way up to the White House.

A quick trend that will spike and disappear? Maybe or maybe not. Why is this relevant? Words can leave impressions, and compelling stories quickly become both disruptive and viral. In business, this can also be the case – so knowing the true facts can save employees and companies a lot of lost momentum.

When turning a story into a business trend, it’s important to know when to run with what’s trending based on evidence, and when to get on the next track and catch the next train and story if the interest or need goes away. That’s what makes this thing called learning so interesting and imperative in today’s fast-paced world. Power often comes from leverage (even with a trending news story) but only if the leverage turns into a buyer’s need.

If so, then the train engine leading the way has to have enough cars attached behind it to carry the newly formed business initiative. Why did I combine media and  business? Because there’s no real difference between the two – they coexist in today’s information world. Social media and news sources create a significant amount of trends, but they can also create over-polarization in order to get too many people “going to one side of the boat”, taking the topic out of context and ultimately sinking the vessel.

Compelling? Yes, but when important issues in either business or in life turn into vagueness, people’s careers and companies can become either lifted up or dismantled from words and trends if you don’t take action to learn the true facts and understand the needs of others. This really boils down to reinventing yourself to become adaptable to anything that might become intentionally or unintentionally disruptive – whether economically, personally, or politically. This is what you call preparation, resiliency, and tenacity.

Learn to communicate about relevant topics in a way that makes them seem personally relevant for you as well – i.e. “what’s in it for you.” While being interviewed on a national media outlet, I was asked my opinion about a CEO of one of the largest major banks in the U.S. recently proclaiming that being an American has become an embarrassment within the sphere of international politics. Interesting? Only if you want it to be. Believable? Only if you think so. There is no such thing as one label applying to everything and everyone. Everyone has their own independent opinion. Whether in business or in your personal life, you’re either a leader in building value by correcting the misperceptions caused by a trend – or you simply choose to “go with the trend” and lead with them instead. Leadership and media go hand in hand, because how you direct your words (whether spoken or written) will bring value, distaste, or fear from those that read or listen.

Finally – Incredible power lies in each of us to brand and build our own identity, regardless of the internal or external “background noise.” We all have an opinion, and that’s what makes us all uniquely different from each other. Your legacy starts and ends with your actions and inactions, whether positive or negative. Leaders that “hold the stick” and possess the ability to communicate louder and with greater clarity than others have the greatest impact to build others up with both positive reinforcement and negative output. That’s why the only thing we really have control over are our words, which are the most powerful tool of all in creating value by correcting misperceptions, encouraging wisdom instead of judgment, and building bridges of communication and understanding between people.

Tim S. Marshall, Author of “The Power of Breaking Fear”

Some reviews of “The Power of Breaking Fear”:

– Kenneth Blanchard, #1 Best-Selling Author of The One Minute Manager, 13-million copies sold.
“The Power of Breaking Fear” is one of the most fascinating books I have seen. A fresh new look to end the fears that hold us back from true success.”
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-Paul Noble, 5-Time Emmy Award Winner
“The Power of Breaking Fear” is a must-read for anyone who is frustrated in life, and wants to achieve true long-lasting success and happiness.”
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– U.S Review
“The Power of Breaking Fear”
“Tim S. Marshall has gone out of his way to arm his readers with a seemingly endless number of vitality strategies that are easy to incorporate into one’s daily life. The Power of Breaking Fear belongs on every bookshelf.”
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– Independent Press Award (IPA)
“The Power of Breaking Fear” winner for Best Audio and book Content!

Click here to get the book!