Business Archives

Simon Sinek on Leadership: Get People to Trust You

An entrepreneur modeling great leadership in front of his employees

Simon Sinek’s leadership views center around establishing trust. Sinek believes good leadership creates trust within the business, and how to establish the trust necessary to be a great leader. Trust is a gut feeling—it exists in the limbic brain and can’t be rationalized. That’s why we trust certain companies even when things go wrong, and mistrust other companies even though they do everything right. Here’s more on Sinek’s advice on leadership from his book Start With Why.

Defining Target Market: Know Your Customer & Differentiators

A dart board representing defining your target market

How can defining your target market help you reach your ideal customer? A target market is a specific, defined segment of people whom a company targets with its marketing efforts. In other words, defining your target market means identifying your ideal customer—the people who have an affinity for the products or services you offer. Here is how defining your target market can help you propel your sales.

Hedgehog Concept: Complete Guide—What It Is, How to Use It

A hedgehog representing the hedgehog concept

What is Jim Collins’s “hedgehog concept”? A hedgehog concept is a simple concept in response to the complex facts of reality. The principle was introduced by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great, in which he argues that truly great companies are oriented around a hedgehog concept. If you think thinking like a hedgehog can help your company in the long run, we have a breakdown of Collins’s advice on using the principle to your advantage. We’ll cover the Good to Great hedgehog concept, examples, and the questions to ask yourself and your team to find your own hedgehog

Culture of Discipline: Good to Great Businesses + Examples

How can you foster a culture of discipline in your own workplace? A culture of discipline is a workplace culture in which everyone gauges their actions against the company’s common goal. The concept is detailed in the book Good to Great, in which he argues that truly great companies have a culture of discipline. We’ll cover Jim Collins’s culture of discipline, why it leads to success, and how to develop one.

Manipulative Advertising: 6 Dirty Tricks and Examples

All businesses need to motivate customers to do something, whether that’s buying a product or a service. Does manipulative advertising work? What are the most common strategies of manipulative advertising? If you’re a buyer, how do you spot them? If you’re a seller, should you use them? We’ll cover the six most common manipulative advertising tactics. We’ll look at their pros and cons and discuss whether they actually work, or if there’s a more effective way to advertise.

Use of Technology in Business—Why New Isn’t Always Better

Should the role of technology in business be large or minimal? Good-to-great companies engage with groundbreaking technologies in a very specific way: Rather than bet the house on the technology itself, they think deeply about how the use of technology in business can serve the company’s Hedgehog Concept. We’ll cover the surprising statistics that say that the best businesses don’t list technology as a key factor in their success. Learn the best role of technology in business, from Jim Collins’s Good to Great.

Golden Circle Marketing—The Key to Apple’s Success

A dart board representing Golden Circle marketing

Golden Circle marketing is a marketing strategy promoted by Simon Sinek in his book Start with Why. Golden Circle marketing depends on your WHY, your central belief. It’s the concept that motivates you to get out of bed in the morning. In terms of an organization, Golden Circle marketing is the reason you’re in business. We’ll cover examples of Golden Circle marketing and look at how to use Golden Circle Marketing to maintain a successful business.

Celery Test: The Simple Tool for Making Better Decisions

An image of celery representing the "celery test" from Start With Why.

What is the Celery Test? How can it help you make better decisions, in life and in business? The Celery Test is a tool to help you make better decisions by understanding the purpose behind the decision. The Celery Test was made popular by Simon Sinek in his book Start with Why. We’ll cover the Celery Test analogy and how to use it to make good decisions. Then we’ll look at an example of how the Celery Test is used in making business decisions.

The Pitfalls of Positional Bargaining & What to Do Instead

A woman speaking to a group at an art gallery illustrates positional bargaining

When we approach a conflict, most of us instinctively default to positional bargaining, a “dig in your heels” tactic where each side fights for a rigid demand. While common in everything from used car sales to international diplomacy, this tug-of-war approach often leads to stalled agreements and damaged relationships. According to negotiation theorists Roger Fisher and William Ury, the key to a successful outcome isn’t playing “hard” or “soft,” but shifting toward a strategy that prioritizes mutual gain and objective fairness. This article explores why positional bargaining fails to meet the three criteria of a wise negotiation: efficiency, efficacy, and

What Is a BATNA? Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement

Two men shaking hands (only their arms are visible) illustrate a best alternative to negotiated agreement (BATNA)

When entering a high-stakes negotiation, many people default to positional bargaining, where each side stakes out a rigid stance and haggles toward a middle ground. This approach often leads to inefficient compromises or stalled talks, leaving you vulnerable if the other party has more resources or influence. To break this cycle and secure a truly advantageous deal, you must look beyond your starting price and identify your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). Strategic preparation involves more than just setting a “bottom line” that could limit your creativity. By establishing a clear fallback option, you gain the leverage necessary