In this episode of our Strategy and Leadership Podcast, we talk with Archana Iyer. Archana is the Strategy Director at Weber Shandwick. She is a dreamer, a thinker, and a ‘culture vulture’. Originally from India, she worked for nine years in the advertising industry, and won various awards for her work in advertising strategy. She eventually moved to New York City, where she is currently leading strategy with Weber Shandwick and working with a variety of industries and organizations.
Since she has lived and worked in both the east and west, she has a well-rounded perspective of the world and offers different takes on what strategy and leadership means to global organizations working with different cultures.
In this episode, Archana discussed with us:
- How different cultures access media in different ways. Some use print and TV, others use mainly online, digital sources. Understanding how to strategically engage and appeal to these different demographics is important.
- That different social and political issues in a culture play a role in how trends develop, and influences how you relate to your team, as well the public you are engaging with.
- The difference between divergent planning and convergent planning, and why she prefers to be the latter for solving problems in a globalized world.
- How getting outside of your bubble is important for a more holistic view of the world and to help mitigate individual silos.
- Her three best practices for leading strategy: simplify the complex, get out, and to connect the dots.
- The importance of appreciating a diverse team for different cultural backgrounds, inputs and different skillsets that contribute to the success of an organization.
Listen to our full conversation with Archana below, and for more information visit her website: https://www.archana-iyer.com
