Gail Gottehrer

expert panel

Presenting your business to an audience can feel intimidating, but the right mindset and preparation can make all the difference. Whether you're delivering a keynote speech, joining a panel or meeting potential clients face-to-face, confidence when speaking isn't necessarily something you're born with — it's something you build. And when you understand your audience, believe in your message and allow your passion to guide you, your delivery becomes more natural and impactful. To help you improve, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their top tips for becoming a more engaging and self-assured speaker in any setting. From leaning into your passion to mastering your elevator pitch, these insights can help you connect authentically and speak with greater impact.

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Want your brand to stand for something real and be taken seriously? Start here. A strong cause can give your brand meaning beyond products or services — but aligning with that cause in a way that feels credible, not performative, takes more than good intentions. Consumers are increasingly discerning, and cause-based branding that lacks follow-through can do more harm than good. So how do you build something that resonates with your audience, earns their trust and stands up to scrutiny? To answer this question, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their top strategies for building a brand around a cause and how these decisions can shape your reputation and long-term success.

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The right words can be a powerful motivator for employees. At a time when so many are unhappy in their careers or roles, fostering a culture of empowerment is crucial to employee success, satisfaction and retention. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through feedback, which not only helps individuals grow professionally but also strengthens team dynamics.  However, feedback can be difficult to get right, especially when you’re attempting to critique or offer up suggestions for improvement. Done the wrong way, feedback can end up discouraging an employee from taking chances or sharing ideas for future projects.  According to the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council, encouraging employees begins with these eight tips. Consider the following advice to hear how encouraging, constructive feedback can play an important role in empowering your employees — and how you can learn to give it.

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Artificial intelligence can change the way people lead teams and organizations, but it's important to maintain a uniquely human approach to leadership. The impact of AI in business extends beyond automation and efficiency — it’s also influencing leadership and mentorship. As AI tools become more integrated into decision-making, workflow management and strategic planning, leaders must consider how to balance technology with human connection. Below, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their perspectives on technology's evolving role in leadership, as well as key considerations leaders should be mindful of in the age of AI. Their insights highlight the opportunities AI presents, the risks of overreliance on it and the human qualities that will always be essential for guiding teams.

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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.