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The big picture apocalyptic narrative packaged in the wrapper of human guilt is a negative framing that not only fails to resonate with most people but risks painting the problem as too large and intractable for individual action (such as buying a "green" brand) to have any meaningful impact.

Global warming, or climate change, is occurring and is primarily caused by human activity,” with 58 percent (compared to 48 percent in 2010) agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement.

ow products are made and about the content of the products they buy

only 44 percent trust companies’ green claims,

Natural thought leaders foster their curiosity, are brave enough to challenge established points of view, and [are] willing to explore approaches that may appear controversial, at least at first,”

Here’s No. 2: “Always give it away. Thought leadership is not a revenue stream. . . . I even cringe at using it for lead generation because that context broadcasts a future sales call. Create your thought leadership with an eye toward accrual of brand value, not revenue. The dividends may be intangible, but when thought leadership flips from push to pull (writers are seeking out your opinion, conferences are inviting you to present), then you will know that you have a thought leadership hit.”

t rests on the recognition that attention to corporate social and environmental responsibilities is generally in the long-term economic interests of the firm.

Managers have a responsibility to consider those affected by company actions; equally, however, those stakeholders are often able to exert pressure on a company if it does not—even to the extent of shutting down the business, as Coca-Cola found in Kerala.  This is particularly true for large companies subject to intense media scrutiny.

When companies implement “strategic CSR” they can find there are many benefits, including strengthened corporate and brand reputations and enhanced trust with key stakeholders (customers, employees, regulatory agencies, suppliers, and investors), improved risk management, increased revenues from innovation to identify new business opportunities, and reduced costs from efficiency improvements. 

VF Corporation — one of the world’s largest single purchasers of cotton, whose brands include Lee, Wrangler and The North Face — says much of the world’s cotton comes from areas that are expected to be impacted most by water scarcity and extreme weather  such as the Western US, China, Pakistan and India. The IPCC report makes firms’ risks associated with climate change even more clear, says Letitia Webster, VF’s director of global corporate sustainability.

“Whether in mountains or the ocean, our brands and our consumers are feeling the impacts of climate change,” which means less ski-related business for The North Face.  The company today signed Ceres’ Climate Declaration, calling on US policymakers to enact climate and clean energy policies that will benefit the economy.

Your choice: intentionally build and nurture your assets, or ignore them in the pursuit of the next thing...

Now that everyone has the ability to own a slice of the attention paid to media, now that everyone can build and nurture a network, assets are no longer off limits to people who work for a living.

Your brand.

New ideas come to me all the time. I always have a Google Doc up on the screen so that I can write whenever I’m inspired. I intend to get at least 500 words in a day to stay connected to the process.

I think Twitter is where it’s at! If you enjoy writing, use Twitter as a tool for expressing yourself in fun 140-character messages. Twitter is also a great way to engage with a larger audience and get feedback about your writing. If people are retweeting your posts, you can trust that the content is good. Follow other writers and people whose work you respect, interact with them, and get in the mix. You can learn a lot from Twitter if you want to! In addition, having a strong Twitter following will greatly benefit your book launch, since you have a built-in network of supporters who can help spread the word fast.

Gen X and Y readers want clear messages. They are used to reading cut-to-the-chase tweets and concise, 400-word blogs. The key is to get to the point, fast!