Gail Gottehrer

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Feedback can be hard to listen to, but it’s almost always valuable. Whether it's from fans, critics or team members, criticism is unavoidable as a business leader. Especially in the culture space where so many businesses are built around trending interests and tastes, receiving feedback on your business or yourself as a leader is understandably inevitable. However, learning to handle criticism with grace is a learned skill that's not always easy to do when you’re passionate about your project. Here, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council reflect on their experiences with criticism and offer up 12 tips you can use to better handle criticism as a leader while staying grounded in your vision.

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Mentorship can improve you as a leader as well — not just your mentee. Especially in creative-led industries such as music, art and even just general business, having a mentor can ensure someone starts on the path to success. A mentor can guide someone through the decision-making process, encourage a clever idea (or discourage a bad one) and help introduce them to other people and opportunities that could help define their career. However, mentorship is also leadership and, like any skill, can take time and intention to master. It may not come naturally to everyone, and those interested in taking on a mentorship role will need to first look at themselves if they want to later help others. Below, eight business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council share their insights on mentorship in the culture space and offer up their best advice for becoming a better mentor for any current or future mentees you may take on.

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Take your team to the next level with these expert-approved motivation strategies. Great managers know that bringing out the best in their teams requires more than just setting expectations. Your employees have to feel motivated, supported and empowered to excel — and that all starts with the work environment. Whether through fostering open communication or aligning employee strengths with responsibilities, the right strategies can unlock your team’s full potential. Read on for advice from Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders about effective management approaches that drive performance and boost morale.

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If you want to retain more customers, take the time to listen to their opinions. When you’re trying to build a brand, it’s all about getting your messaging right. What type of reputation do you want to build for your business? What do customers need to know about your brand and the services or product you provide? How do you stand up to your competition? These are all important questions business leaders can ask themselves to help ensure the messages they are communicating to current and potential customers align with their mission and goals.  And while it’s vital to spend time generating ideas for and actually crafting these messages, it’s equally important to measure the impact of these messages. What do customers think of the messages you’re putting out? What actions (if any) do they feel persuaded to take? Without answers to these questions, business leaders likely won’t be as effective in their communications, meaning they could be missing the mark without even realizing it. In the culture space, connecting with your audience in the right way is key. Here, seven leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council discuss some of the ways in which businesses can measure the impact of their messaging, and how doing so not only helps them improve customer retention but sales as well.

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Choosing the wrong one could be detrimental to your company’s credibility. One of the best ways to get your business in front of more potential customers is to work with or be featured by a media outlet. Whether it's on an influencer’s social media page, a podcast or on a more traditional media platform, leveraging the opportunity to amplify your message and promote your product or service is essential for businesses looking to scale and succeed in their industry.  However, not every media outlet is created equal, and the platform that might work for one industry or business may not be the best choice for another. So what does a business leader need to consider before selecting a media outlet to work with? Here, eight members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their insights and the top questions they ask themselves when determining who to work with and the impact it will have on their brand’s image.

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You’ll need more than a clever idea to draw in repeat customers. First impressions matter — especially when you’re trying to sell something. How someone views your business, interprets your message or desires your product all play a big role in how likely they are to become a customer. Often, the first time a potential customer may come in contact with your brand is when viewing an ad. This means that, no matter the format of the ad or the platform it is presented on, your ad must be attention-grabbing and informative if you want it to be effective. But what exactly makes an ad effective? And what elements should be included when trying to design the perfect advertisement for your business? The business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council suggest starting with the following six ingredients. From a strong call to action to a good reason to stop “scrolling,” these key elements will help any business draw in more customers.