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In my years as a Chief People Officerincluding leading HR through two corporate bankruptciesI learned the hard way that no perk or dashboard can save a sinking ship. No amount of free lunches or fancy engagement surveys can stop the exodus when employees are burned out. The only thing that kept the core team together was a shared meaning in what we were doing. Fast forward to today, and I keep hearing a popular catchphrase: AI wont replace you. A person who knows how to use AI will. Its catchy, but surface-level. The deeper truth is that AI wont replace your job. But AI will expose your purpose. As automation accelerates, leadership will be judged on defining purpose and protecting the meaning that people can get from their work. Once AI strips away the spreadsheets, reports, and routine tasks, were left with what only humans can offer: culture, trust, and mission. The best leaders in the AI era wont just make better decisionstheyll give people a reason to stay. From knowledge to emotional intelligence For centuries, leadership authority came from holding the most knowledge. If you had the answers, you had the power. But the internetand now AIchanged that. Today, information is abundant, instant, and almost free. Strategy templates, market research, and even forecasting analyses are one prompt away. Knowing more is no longer a competitive edge. As knowledge became a commodity, leaders leaned on emotional intelligence (EQ) as the new X-factor: empathy, listening, and self-awareness. Business schools started preaching soft skills, and for good reason. IQ was still necessary, but EQ built trust, loyalty, and culture. How AI is affecting EQ Now, were seeing AI augment and automate EQ. AI-powered coaching tools whisper in managers ears to help them sound more empathetic on customer calls. Algorithms monitor Slack or emails to flag burnout risks. HR software can suggest how to phrase feedback based on an employees personality profile. EQ is still critical, but its quickly becoming a baseline that technology can assist with or even imitate. When everyone has an AI sidekick, emotional intelligence alone wont make a leader unique. So, what remains as the true differentiator of great leaders? One word: meaning. Not information. Not tone. Purpose. The one thing a machine cannot provide is genuine mission and meaninga reason why were doing the work in the first place. As someone who now consults on company transformations, I see this every day: Artificial intelligence can handle the what and how of work, but only real leaders can handle the why. Why meaning matters more than ever The business case for meaning is compelling. When work feels meaningful, performance soars and research backs that up. According to McKinsey, employees in high-meaning environments can be up to five times more productive at peak performance. Purpose-driven companies also dramatically outperform on key metrics. Deloitte reports that such companies grow faster than their competitors and enjoy far higher employee retention. In short, meaning isnt a fluffy perk or a new HR programits performance fuel. No catered lunch or wellness app can substitute for an employees belief that their work matters. Its no wonder Gallup finds that only about one-third of employees are engaged at work, with many citing a low connection to their companys mission. People are starved for meaning, and theyll leave organizations that fail to provide it. How great leaders infuse meaning into work So, how do effective leaders cultivate meaning on the ground? It goes beyond slogans on the wall. In my experience and observation, the best leaders consistently do three things: 1. Connect every role to the mission Great leaders dont just talk about purpose abstractlythey translate it for every team and individual. They help the junior accountant see how her spreadsheets support a greater mission, and the customer service rep understands who truly benefits from his daily calls. Theres a famous story of a NASA janitor who, when asked what he was doing, replied: Im helping put a man on the moon. Thats the power of meaningful leadershipwhen everyone, even in humble roles, knows how their work contributes to a larger goal. 2. Protect the purpose in hard moments Its easy to tout your companys noble mission when business is booming. Its much harder when youre facing layoffs, budget cuts, or a pivot that tests your values. Yet these tough moments are exactly when true leaders double down on purpose. Ive had to announce painful layoffs, and I did it by reaffirming what the company ultimately stood for and how we would stay true to that mission in the long run. Great leaders refuse quick wins that violate core values, and they communicate even bad news through the lens of the organizations purpose. By protecting the integrity of the mission under pressure, you build credibility. Employees see that purpose isnt just PR its real, and it guides decisions. That consistency keeps your best people from walking out when times get tough. 3. Elevate meaning daily Purpose isnt a poster in the break room or a once-a-year kickoff speech, its a daily practice. Leaders who excel at this weave meaning into the fabric of routines. They use storytelling, recognition, and even ritual to keep the why front and center. They make belief visible because belief drives effort. When people regularly hear how their work makes a difference, it reinforces that sense of meaning. Focusing on meaning isnt just about making employees feel good or keeping them around. Its also about performance, resilience, and innovation. A highly skilled team that doesnt believe in the work will eventually burn out or quiet quit. On the other hand, even a lean team that truly believes will punch above its weight. The leaders who will thrive in the AI era The upshot is clear: The leaders who thrive from here on out wont be the ones with the highest IQ, or even EQ. Machines are rapidly catching up on knowledge and empathy. The winners will be the leaders who mean more to their teams, their organizations, and their customers. In my consulting work, I tell executives: AI can do a lot, but it cant give your people a purpose. As technology takes over tasks, the last best leadership edge is cultivating an environment where work matters. Meaning is no longer optionalits the difference between a team that merely endures and one that achieves extraordinary outcomes. Leaders who embrace this will not only retain their top talent; theyll unlock levels of performance that no AI can ever replicate. Theyll give their people a reason to come to work excited each dayand in the end, thats what truly separates the great companies from the rest.
Category:
E-Commerce
Last year, when Ram Trucks parent company Stellantis announced it would discontinue the automakers popular Hemi V-8 engine for its Ram 1500 full-size pickup truck beginning this summer, its fans were upsetto say the least. When Ram made the decision to discontinue production of the iconic Hemi V-8, the internet erupted, and lifelong loyalists voiced their outrage across social media, says Lindsay Fifelski, head of Ram brand advertising. We knew we couldnt market our way around this moment; we had to meet it head-on. In the interim 12 months since the announcement, then-CEO Carlos Tavares stepped down from Stellantis. Then last week, the company announced the corporate version of Never mind!and the Hemi was back before it even left. [Photo: Stellantis] To double down on their message, Ram Trucks created a new commercial starring its CEO Tim Kuniskisand in it he admits the company made a mistake. Sales were down by more than 18% year over year in 2024, but Kuniskis told CNBC that he expects Hemi to represent 25% to 40% of the Ram 1500 pickup trucks sales this year. Created with the ad agency Argonaut, the new spot was shot entirely with practical effects. It features Kuniskis himself behind the wheel of the truck, doing doughnuts, drifting, and taking a few hot laps on a NASCAR track. One of Kuniskiss first lines in the ad is: We own it. We got it wrong. And were fixing it. Its a simple, textbook brand apology, creatively combined with the kind of pep talk aimed to get brand fans hyped for whats next. The Ram apology ad is part of a growingand refreshingtrend of brands increasingly having the cajones to own their mistakes and be upfront about it. Last year, I outlined the five types of brand apologies. Both Bumble and Apple were examples of what I categorized as “The Genuine Apology.” This week, Ram Trucks joined the club. [Photo: Stellantis] Make it right While a clear, unequivocal apology often feels like the most logical response to a mistake or to genuine brand fan anger, its not what brands are intuitively built to do. Deflect, distract, and avoid are too often on the menu. Argonaut founder and chief creative officer Hunter Hindman knew the right answer here; he just had to convince his client. We all knew the best solution would be to put Tim in the hot seat, front and center, Hindman says. No corporate gloss. No hiding behind brand spin. Just a man, a machine, and a promise to make it right. And to Tims credit, he didnt blink. Kuniskis says it wasnt a tough decision to admit the mistake. The brand knew almost instantly after last years announcement that it had a problem. A 2022 study from Forrester found that 41% of consumers would return to a brand that concedes to making a mistake and apologizes for it. Our customers told us loud and clear howand I’ll say this lightly ‘displeased’ they were with our decision to get rid of the Hemi V-8, he says. You only had to go on to social media to see how they were feeling. Betrayed. We know that truck buyers are very loyal to their brand, and once you lose them, you have to fight tooth and nail to get them back. It was almost immediately clear that we had to right the wrong.”
Category:
E-Commerce
How do you take a mall food court brand and future-proof it for a world with fewer malls? For Auntie Anne’s, the answer is modernizing the stores they already have with a new concept designed for the way people snack now. Auntie Anne’s said Monday it would remodel 150 stores this year with a new store concept and a modernized visual identity designed to sell more of its pretzels, drinks, and snacks to millennial and Gen Z consumers at a time of changing habits. With consumers interested in mobile ordering, grab-and-go food, and novel experiences, the updated Auntie Anne’s store concept has a dedicated mobile order pickup area and an open view into the kitchen with a “Now Rolling” sign to draw attention to employees rolling pretzels by hand. [Photo: Auntie Anne’s] “Consumer expectations have shifted, especially around digital convenience, off-premise access, and visual appeal,” Mike Freeman, president of brands at Auntie Anne’s holding company GoTo Foods, tells Fast Company in an email. The redesigned stores were made to meet those expectations. “It reflects how guests want to engage today with speed, transparency, and a space that feels fresh and energetic,” Freeman says. A new blue and yellow “twist” mural pattern gives the store a more modern and colorful look, and an updated Auntie Anne’s logo is simpler and does without the old halo element of the outgoing logo. [Photo: Auntie Anne’s] Founded in the height of the shopping mall era in 1988, today Auntie Anne’s has more than 2,000 locations in shopping malls, outlets, airports, universities, Walmarts, travel plazas, military bases, and food trucks. Its owner, GoTo Foods, operates or franchises more than 6,900 restaurants and cafés for brands including Cinnabon, Jamba, and Schlotzsky’s. Malls and airports are “core to Auntie Anne’s heritage and continue to play a key role in the brand’s footprint,” Freeman says, but expansion is also key. The brand plans for growth that includes street side and co-branded locations, and it’s open to partnerships and cross-branded collabs with Oreo and Hidden Valley Ranch. The rebrand is about selling a nostalgic snack in a more contemporary way. Revitalizing a food court favorite that’s outlived many of the shopping malls it once occupied is no small feat, and updating the store’s look and feel could go a long way in keeping it relevant.
Category:
E-Commerce
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