by Wendy Hanson
Those in HR leadership can learn a thing or two from musician Taylor Swift, especially when looking at how she built and evolved her brand, image and reputation.
“What do I/we want to be known for?” permeates every action and corporate decision Swift makes, and it’s something every business leader should consider. This approach enabled her to push boundaries and explore new musical styles while seamlessly transitioning from teen country singer to global pop sensation and businesswoman who earned nearly $2 billion in 2023.
3 ways HR leadership can take the Taylor Swift approach
1. Make key stakeholders feel heard
By careful design, think how Swift’s strong, relatable messaging makes her target audience of young girls feel more “heard from,” more hopeful, stronger and more confident. These attributes further strengthen her brand—and are very much not to be underestimated or taken lightly nowadays amid what seems like a constant barrage of negative headlines and bad actors.
Swift demonstrates executive presence while projecting as an extremely positive, high performer who is always present and builds her network. She appears to listen carefully to what other people say, surrounds herself with high-quality advisors with whom she collaborates, and then executes what she wants to do—or, more precisely, what she needs to do. Do you have allies and advisors you can lean into in your role?
As an HR leader, your “audience” isn’t exactly a stadium full of screaming fans or the hundreds of people involved in making a pop star’s music and marketing machine work. But your employees deserve to feel just as “heard” as the Swifties do.
As an HR leader, you want your team and employees to feel more hopeful, stronger and confident. What can you do from your vantage point to do this in your company? Continue reading