Boss Thoughts
To communicate strategically, you must bring your whole person to the table. Here are just a few of the things Bruce has written that inspire us.
Talk about a dream, try to make it real.
No matter what you are doing, it always starts with a vision. Or, even better, a dream. But that’s just the start. You also need a plan … to try to make it real. And don’t forget the first part of the line … talk about it. Tell people. Inspire them. Enlist them.
We made a promise, we swore we’d always remember… No retreat, baby, no surrender.
When you are part of a team, ANY team, you must always remember your vow to defend. And this cause double for a creative team. You are all in it together. Don’t get caught in the trap of “the design was great but there were too many words” or “My copy was great, but the interface was all wrong.” It all works together. You are all a team—developing a singular experience. Have each others’ backs. Keep your promise. Vow to defend each other, and the work.
Between our dreams and actions, lies this world.
Having the dream is important. But only if you put actions against it. That’s where real life … and real possibility … exists
We learned more from a three-minute record than we ever learned in school.
Schooling is very important. But so is everything else you learn in the world. Particularly the things you learn from seeing and hearing others ply your craft. There is so much to be learned from those who went before. Be sure to drink it all in.
So you been broken and you been hurt? Show me somebody who ain’t.
Any journey worth taking will lead you to challenges and, at times, disappointments. That’s just part of the human condition. It’s something that we all share and something that binds us all together. Good communicators—good people—get that.
You’ve got to learn to live with what you can’t rise above.
As mighty as you may be, you can’t vanquish every foe, or right every wrong. Not every instance and circumstance merits going to the mat. Get comfortable with the things you’re willing to live with, and save your resources for those you can’t.
God have mercy on the man who doubts what he’s sure of.
As mighty as you may be, you can’t vanquish every foe, or right every wrong. Not every instance and circumstance merits going to the mat. Get comfortable with the things you’re willing to live with, and save your resources for those you can’t.
So let's make our steps clear that the other may see. I'll wait for you and if I should fall behind, wait for me.
This one says it all. You have the dream. You’ve enlisted your partners. But things … life … will get in the way. It always does. In your haste to get things done, don’t leave behind the people who really matter.
by John Taylor, Principal, The Strategic Messaging Group