Torod Neptune
@torodneptune.bsky.social
#UNC #professor #communications #media #policy #reputation #geopolitics #governmentaffairs #crisis #publicaffairs #globalcitizen #Syracuse & #UofSC alum
Effective leadership today isn’t about having the “right” answer. It’s about having a process that helps teams move forward when the path isn’t obvious.
There are four guidelines leaders can apply when the stakes are high and the variables are messy:
There are four guidelines leaders can apply when the stakes are high and the variables are messy:
November 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Effective leadership today isn’t about having the “right” answer. It’s about having a process that helps teams move forward when the path isn’t obvious.
There are four guidelines leaders can apply when the stakes are high and the variables are messy:
There are four guidelines leaders can apply when the stakes are high and the variables are messy:
My mother taught me two truths: success is never solo, and your voice should drive change.
Our industry needs courage, conscience & conviction—not just pragmatism.
Stand up. Speak truth. Lead with integrity.
Honored to be inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame.
Our industry needs courage, conscience & conviction—not just pragmatism.
Stand up. Speak truth. Lead with integrity.
Honored to be inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame.
November 21, 2025 at 5:24 PM
My mother taught me two truths: success is never solo, and your voice should drive change.
Our industry needs courage, conscience & conviction—not just pragmatism.
Stand up. Speak truth. Lead with integrity.
Honored to be inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame.
Our industry needs courage, conscience & conviction—not just pragmatism.
Stand up. Speak truth. Lead with integrity.
Honored to be inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame.
Many companies that once spoke boldly on sustainability, DEI, or social issues are finding that the landscape has shifted.
What used to feel like leadership can now feel like risk. Every statement gets scrutinized. Every initiative gets politicized.
What used to feel like leadership can now feel like risk. Every statement gets scrutinized. Every initiative gets politicized.
The Case for Quiet Corporate Activism
Leaders can sustain social and environmental commitments amid a hostile political climate by communicating thoughtfully.
sloanreview.mit.edu
November 21, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Many companies that once spoke boldly on sustainability, DEI, or social issues are finding that the landscape has shifted.
What used to feel like leadership can now feel like risk. Every statement gets scrutinized. Every initiative gets politicized.
What used to feel like leadership can now feel like risk. Every statement gets scrutinized. Every initiative gets politicized.
True courage isn’t only about bold action. It’s about balance.
It's important for leaders to remember that courage can show up not just in deficiency (hesitation, fear, avoidance), but also in excess (recklessness, overconfidence, or disregard for others’ input).
It's important for leaders to remember that courage can show up not just in deficiency (hesitation, fear, avoidance), but also in excess (recklessness, overconfidence, or disregard for others’ input).
Courage Isn’t Found — It’s Forged One Choice At A Time
Courage isn't found, but instead forged. It’s a muscle we build through action, repetition, and risk, guided by clarity on what courage is and how to develop it.
www.forbes.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:03 PM
True courage isn’t only about bold action. It’s about balance.
It's important for leaders to remember that courage can show up not just in deficiency (hesitation, fear, avoidance), but also in excess (recklessness, overconfidence, or disregard for others’ input).
It's important for leaders to remember that courage can show up not just in deficiency (hesitation, fear, avoidance), but also in excess (recklessness, overconfidence, or disregard for others’ input).
In every era of marketing, new tools and trends promise transformation. But what truly defines lasting success isn’t the technology we adopt, but it’s the trust we earn.
November 14, 2025 at 4:02 PM
In every era of marketing, new tools and trends promise transformation. But what truly defines lasting success isn’t the technology we adopt, but it’s the trust we earn.
It’s a delicate balance: using your voice without making noise.
Every organization, every leader, holds a kind of power within their domain. The question is not whether to use it, but how.
Every organization, every leader, holds a kind of power within their domain. The question is not whether to use it, but how.
November 13, 2025 at 2:03 PM
It’s a delicate balance: using your voice without making noise.
Every organization, every leader, holds a kind of power within their domain. The question is not whether to use it, but how.
Every organization, every leader, holds a kind of power within their domain. The question is not whether to use it, but how.
Diversity isn’t just a moral or social imperative; it’s a strategic advantage that strengthens governance and drives real business value.
Diversity fuels better judgment, encourages healthy debate, and ultimately enhances organizational resilience and performance.
Diversity fuels better judgment, encourages healthy debate, and ultimately enhances organizational resilience and performance.
November 6, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Diversity isn’t just a moral or social imperative; it’s a strategic advantage that strengthens governance and drives real business value.
Diversity fuels better judgment, encourages healthy debate, and ultimately enhances organizational resilience and performance.
Diversity fuels better judgment, encourages healthy debate, and ultimately enhances organizational resilience and performance.
Leadership potential isn’t something you declare; it’s something you show.
To Be Seen As A Leader, Model These 9 Leadership Behaviors
Leaders notice people who exemplify the qualities they value most. Whether you manage people or projects, your behavior can communicate that you’re ready to lead.
www.forbes.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Leadership potential isn’t something you declare; it’s something you show.
It’s a privilege to teach, but a joy to learn.
Grateful to guest speaker Rosemary Mercedes, SVP, Global Comms at BBC Studios, for bringing to life what it means for brands to lead with courage.
If you feel like an outsider — good. That’s the cost of staying true to who you are.
Grateful to guest speaker Rosemary Mercedes, SVP, Global Comms at BBC Studios, for bringing to life what it means for brands to lead with courage.
If you feel like an outsider — good. That’s the cost of staying true to who you are.
October 31, 2025 at 8:25 PM
It’s a privilege to teach, but a joy to learn.
Grateful to guest speaker Rosemary Mercedes, SVP, Global Comms at BBC Studios, for bringing to life what it means for brands to lead with courage.
If you feel like an outsider — good. That’s the cost of staying true to who you are.
Grateful to guest speaker Rosemary Mercedes, SVP, Global Comms at BBC Studios, for bringing to life what it means for brands to lead with courage.
If you feel like an outsider — good. That’s the cost of staying true to who you are.
Recent regulatory shifts have prompted many organizations to reassess their DEI approaches. I encourage my fellow leaders to see this reassessment as an opportunity to integrate DEI more seamlessly into business operations.
The Board's DEI Dilemma - Corporate Board Member
With informers and subpoenas, the Trump administration wants to root out preferences of any kind.
boardmember.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Recent regulatory shifts have prompted many organizations to reassess their DEI approaches. I encourage my fellow leaders to see this reassessment as an opportunity to integrate DEI more seamlessly into business operations.
Empathy doesn’t replace performance; it enables it.
Too often, leaders focus on what they think matters, rather than truly understanding what their customers, employees, regulators, or other stakeholders care about.
Too often, leaders focus on what they think matters, rather than truly understanding what their customers, employees, regulators, or other stakeholders care about.
October 28, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Empathy doesn’t replace performance; it enables it.
Too often, leaders focus on what they think matters, rather than truly understanding what their customers, employees, regulators, or other stakeholders care about.
Too often, leaders focus on what they think matters, rather than truly understanding what their customers, employees, regulators, or other stakeholders care about.
The ability to interrogate ideas from the perspective of someone else is a critical skill for a leader in any organization, not just for us as humans.
October 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The ability to interrogate ideas from the perspective of someone else is a critical skill for a leader in any organization, not just for us as humans.
Leadership in times of crisis isn’t about control; it’s about composure.
When leaders stay grounded, communicate transparently, and lead with empathy, they create steadier, more resilient teams, even in times of uncertainty.
When leaders stay grounded, communicate transparently, and lead with empathy, they create steadier, more resilient teams, even in times of uncertainty.
How to Lead Through Uncertainty and Crisis: Leadership Coach Shares 5 Strategies
Atlanta, Georgia / Syndication Cloud / October 7, 2025 / The Bradford Group Consulting LLC The business world feels like it’s spinning out of control. Trade wars have sent tariffs soaring from 2.5 percent to nearly 30 percent in a matter of months. Geopolitical tensions rival Cold War levels. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the workforce, […]
www.usatoday.com
October 20, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Leadership in times of crisis isn’t about control; it’s about composure.
When leaders stay grounded, communicate transparently, and lead with empathy, they create steadier, more resilient teams, even in times of uncertainty.
When leaders stay grounded, communicate transparently, and lead with empathy, they create steadier, more resilient teams, even in times of uncertainty.
Change is constant, and how leaders communicate that change can make or break its success.
One in four employees report that inadequate communication contributes to failed change efforts, and almost 20% of leaders acknowledge delays in sharing change as a key reason initiatives falter.
One in four employees report that inadequate communication contributes to failed change efforts, and almost 20% of leaders acknowledge delays in sharing change as a key reason initiatives falter.
Data: How employees prefer to receive leadership communications (and why they sometimes fail) - Ragan Communications
Communicators can guide leaders to the right channel and timing.
www.ragan.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Change is constant, and how leaders communicate that change can make or break its success.
One in four employees report that inadequate communication contributes to failed change efforts, and almost 20% of leaders acknowledge delays in sharing change as a key reason initiatives falter.
One in four employees report that inadequate communication contributes to failed change efforts, and almost 20% of leaders acknowledge delays in sharing change as a key reason initiatives falter.
We celebrate courage in politics and social movements, and history gives us countless examples of leaders choosing bravery over fear.
Yet we rarely talk about courage in business.
Courage at work looks different but holds the same value.
Yet we rarely talk about courage in business.
Courage at work looks different but holds the same value.
October 14, 2025 at 2:03 PM
We celebrate courage in politics and social movements, and history gives us countless examples of leaders choosing bravery over fear.
Yet we rarely talk about courage in business.
Courage at work looks different but holds the same value.
Yet we rarely talk about courage in business.
Courage at work looks different but holds the same value.
Treating DEI as optional or “expandable” undermines both people and performance. I think it is important for leaders to reframe DEI not as a side program, but as core to innovation, creativity, and long-term competitiveness.
Charting progress on inclusivity despite corporate America’s retreat from DEI policies
Speaking at the Fast Company Innovation Festival last week, leaders in inclusivity said many remain as committed to the cause as ever.
www.fastcompany.com
October 9, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Treating DEI as optional or “expandable” undermines both people and performance. I think it is important for leaders to reframe DEI not as a side program, but as core to innovation, creativity, and long-term competitiveness.
Visibility can make or break success.
I’ve seen firsthand how in times of uncertainty, people don’t just want polished presentations. They want presence. They want to feel that leaders are walking alongside them, not above them.
I’ve seen firsthand how in times of uncertainty, people don’t just want polished presentations. They want presence. They want to feel that leaders are walking alongside them, not above them.
October 6, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Visibility can make or break success.
I’ve seen firsthand how in times of uncertainty, people don’t just want polished presentations. They want presence. They want to feel that leaders are walking alongside them, not above them.
I’ve seen firsthand how in times of uncertainty, people don’t just want polished presentations. They want presence. They want to feel that leaders are walking alongside them, not above them.
The most influential leaders know that the impact of their words extends far beyond the immediate message, and they speak with purpose and consistency. Their words resonate within their organizations, communities, and industries, building trust and reinforcing purpose.
October 1, 2025 at 12:53 PM
The most influential leaders know that the impact of their words extends far beyond the immediate message, and they speak with purpose and consistency. Their words resonate within their organizations, communities, and industries, building trust and reinforcing purpose.
While often perceived as a soft skill, mastering cognitive empathy is among the most challenging skills for executives.
Why 'cognitive empathy' is a power move for future CEOs | Fortune
Leaders often find themselves in an information bubble that clouds decisions.
fortune.com
September 29, 2025 at 2:02 PM
While often perceived as a soft skill, mastering cognitive empathy is among the most challenging skills for executives.
55% of US corporate philanthropy leaders say that changes in government oversight are influencing their approach to social and political issues within their CSR strategies.
Increased scrutiny of DEI programmes is affecting corporate philanthropy - Sustainability Online
More than half (55%) of corporate philanthropy leaders in the US say that increased federal scrutiny of DEI programmes has affected their giving strategies.
sustainabilityonline.net
September 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
55% of US corporate philanthropy leaders say that changes in government oversight are influencing their approach to social and political issues within their CSR strategies.
In nearly every conversation about leadership today, two themes seem to continuously rise to the top: character and competence. The best leaders understand that both matter.
HR Grapevine USA
Partners CPO Patty Bedard and VP of L&D Adam Hickman, PhD, explore the two foundations of great leadership...
www.hrgrapevine.com
September 22, 2025 at 2:04 PM
In nearly every conversation about leadership today, two themes seem to continuously rise to the top: character and competence. The best leaders understand that both matter.
When we talk about leadership, it’s easy to focus on data, strategies, and goals. While these are essential, they only tell part of the story.
Communicating For Influence And Impact
Strategies that turn a competent communicator into a compelling communicator.
www.forbes.com
September 18, 2025 at 2:03 PM
When we talk about leadership, it’s easy to focus on data, strategies, and goals. While these are essential, they only tell part of the story.
As organizations shift and hybrid work changes the way influence is built, executive presence is becoming a core career differentiator at every level.
September 17, 2025 at 1:02 PM
As organizations shift and hybrid work changes the way influence is built, executive presence is becoming a core career differentiator at every level.
Today marks 24 years since September 11, 2001, a day etched into memory for all who lived through it.
We remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the first responders and ordinary citizens who showed extraordinary courage.
We remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the first responders and ordinary citizens who showed extraordinary courage.
September 11, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Today marks 24 years since September 11, 2001, a day etched into memory for all who lived through it.
We remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the first responders and ordinary citizens who showed extraordinary courage.
We remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the first responders and ordinary citizens who showed extraordinary courage.
When things feel stable, people tend to prefer steady, experienced leaders who keep the ship moving. But when the world feels unpredictable, we start looking for leaders who are willing to take risks, try new approaches, and break from the old way of doing things.
September 8, 2025 at 2:01 PM
When things feel stable, people tend to prefer steady, experienced leaders who keep the ship moving. But when the world feels unpredictable, we start looking for leaders who are willing to take risks, try new approaches, and break from the old way of doing things.