Don’t miss this leadership interview with Denise Lee Yohn, @deniseleeyohn. Denise Lee Yohn is the go-to expert on brand leadership for national media outlets, an in-demand speaker and consultant, and an influential writer. Denise is the author of the bestselling book What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest, the e-book Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail and Restaurant Brands Do, and the new book FUSION: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies.

News media including CNBC, FOX Business TV, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR call on Denise when they want an expert point-of-view on hot business issues. With her expertise and inspiring approach, Denise has become a seriously sought after keynote speaker. She has addressed business leaders around the world at corporate events such as Facebook, NFL, and Lexus, and conferences including the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), The Art of Marketing, and Sustainable Brands.

Denise enjoys challenging her readers to think differently about brand-building in her regular contributions to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and has been a writer for publications including Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Knowledge@Wharton, Seeking Alpha, QSR Magazine, and more.

Denise initially cultivated her brand-building approaches through several high-level positions in advertising and client-side marketing. She served as lead strategist at advertising agencies for Burger King and Land Rover and as the marketing leader and analyst for Jack in the Box restaurants and Spiegel catalogs. Denise went on to head Sony Electronic Inc.’s first ever brand office, where she was the vice president/general manager of brand and strategy and garnered major corporate awards. Her clients have included Target, Oakley, Dunkin’ Donuts, and other leading companies.

Outside of her professional roles, Denise counts hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, dancing with a professional ballet company, and flying a helicopter as some of her greatest life experiences.

Her interview with TheSchoolHouse302 cemented key qualities great brands possess that create a highly functioning corporate culture, check it out.

• Denise opens up the interview quickly on how a company’s brand must be the same on the inside as what it says it is to the outside. In other words, the corporate culture must reflect the values and purpose that it espouses to achieve for not only it’s customers but also its employees. Her frankness on how organizations misinterpret culture and how they need to take time to truly identify who they are is exactly what you need to hear.
• You have to listen to how she opens herself up to a multitude of people and resources by taking advantage of all opportunities to learn and grow. She reminds us that thought leaders aren’t myopic and remain open to learning from all situations and opportunities.
• Genuine in her own approach to purpose and core values, Denise tells us that each morning she takes time to reflect, meditate, and pray to center herself so that her day’s work is aligned to what she truly wants to accomplish.
• You can’t miss the one thing she wants to learn how to do and why. Her eloquent description of her experiences make this goal a no brainer.
• Leadership is challenging and Denise takes time to discuss health and all the added benefits it has. She is a self-proclaimed fitness enthusiast with a disciplined regimen you will not want to miss.
• We are always grateful when our guests open up regarding the personal beliefs that they once held, and Denise powerfully expresses how she used to think that people needed to think she was smart to like her and how she had to prove to everyone who she was. Incredibly introspective, she expressed how she is now committed to serving others and understanding them, less worried about herself. Leaders need to listen up.

Denise’s interview is filled with practical advice for leaders, and really connects with our purpose of developing leaders by getting to simple. Be sure to get your copy of Fusion: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies and let us know what you think.

Please follow, like, and comment. Use #onethingseries and #SH302 so that we can find you.

Joe & T.J.