Tag: intimidation

Cult tactics, justice, court cases, Josh Duggar, Elizabeth Holmes, Ghislaine Maxwell

How Cult Tactics Affected the Duggar, Holmes, and Maxwell Court Cases

Published on by Grace LaConteLeave a comment

Manipulation, grooming, and cult-like behavior don’t just stay in the shadows. These tactics are used by religious leaders, business owners, and influencers all the time.

We can see the effects of cult tactics in recent federal court trials of Josh Duggar, Elizabeth Holmes, and Ghislaine Maxwell.

  • All defendants took advantage of innocent victims (allegedly).
  • All three were heavily influenced by a powerful, manipulative cult-like leader.
  • And all helped to develop an organizational culture that excused horrendous behavior, allowing them to callously inflict damage on their victims for years.
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Gray background with photo of empty wallet and title "12 False Promises MLM Companies Often Make"

12 False Promises MLM Companies Often Make

Published on by Grace LaConte28 Comments

Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) companies use a variety of tricks designed to lure unsuspecting people into “get rich quick” schemes. Want to know which ones are the most common?

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"What's Wrong with Your Business" podcast with Grace LaConte Episode 6, Interpreting Numbers and Experiences

Interpreting Numbers and Experiences [Podcast]

Published on by Grace LaConteLeave a comment

What’s the difference between quantitative data (numbers) and qualitative data (experiences & emotions)?

Keep reading to find out why these are both essential parts of overcoming barriers as an owner, and examples of where to look for vulnerabilities in your business.

Continue reading “Interpreting Numbers and Experiences [Podcast]” →

communication, sexist, gender-specific, communication problems, communication risk, strategic risk

How to Avoid Communication that is Sexist and Gender-Specific

Published on by Grace LaConteLeave a comment

We are all familiar with terms that de-value us. Women are especially targeted in business language that is intimidating, bullying, and offensive.

In this post, I’ll share some phrases that are commonly used in business communication but which have the potential to be harmful to your brand.

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Disclaimer, Analysis of a Disclaimer, Disclaimer Analysis, Direct Sales, MLM, Multi-Level Marketing, Network Marketing, analysis, strategic risk

Analysis of the Disclaimer from a Direct Sales Company

Published on by Grace LaConteLeave a comment

Direct Sales companies, also known as Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) and Network Marketing, are growing exponentially. (Check out a list with hundreds of MLMs around the world.)

But despite their popularity and far-reaching impact, the MLM business model is often predatory, unethical, and at times illegal.

In this post, I want to evaluate the Disclaimer of one MLM company to shed some light on how this model works, how these organizations view risk, and why you should proceed with caution.

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unconscious aggression, aggression, aggressive, behavior, leadership, leader, anger, angry, management, risk management

Why Unconscious Aggression is So Hard to See as a Leader

Published on by Grace LaConte1 Comment

Can we be aggressive toward someone and not even know it?

I think we can.

Aggression is behavior that is hostile, forceful, or destructive. It comes from the Latin ad- (“to”) and the word gradi (“to step toward something or approach; to attack”).

It is an outward expression of inward anger that can cause incredible harm to others, even if we don’t realize it at first. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what aggression looks like, especially if you’re very comfortable with a highly competitive atmosphere.

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employee, employee for a day, foundational staff, management, start, strategic planning, strategic risk

“Employee For a Day”: How to Start

Published on by Grace LaConte5 Comments

Are your staff afraid to share what is going wrong in your company? Do problems keep happening, and you don’t know why?

A great solution is to step into the roles of your staff and see the situation first-hand.

One fantastic technique is what I call “Employee For a Day.” It is a simple, hands-on activity where an executive leader leaves their role, and she or he sits in the seat of employees to see the organization from their point of view.

In my previous post, I describe what happened when I entered the day-to-day world of my staff. It humbled me, challenged me, and ultimately led to several changes in the organization.

There were a few drawbacks as well. Here are all the dirty details of how to get started.

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