Fear Factor

Fear FACTORMaster’s Thesis, Lucia Tarbajovska

Berlin School of Creative LeadershipMaster’s thesis

Theme: Fear FactorAuthor: Lucia Tarbajovska, Class 2008 - 2009

implications of fear factor

implications of fear factor

implications of fear factor

implications of fear factor

organization

implications of fear factor

organization

implications of fear factor

organization

implications of fear factor

industry

organization

implications of fear factor

hypothesis

Fear to differentiate is the primary driver of mediocrity for brands in the market.

As if brands lost their guts and courage to stand out and stand for something crisp.

Howtocreateafearlessorganization?

“2,500 brands we studied over three years time, where almost 70% were stagnant or declining in differentiation”

“ Positioning guru Jack Trout and Kevin Clancyʼs research found that brand differentiation declined in 40 of 46 categories as studied by Copernicus/Market Facts.”

“Only 7% of prime time commercials were found to have differentiating messages.”

lack of differentiation

lack of courageBrands have increasing difficulty in differentiating themselves.

The only way they can create a realizable competitive advantage is by having a distinctive point of view.

However stepping outside of the norms is highly risky.

There is safety in being in the pack.

Courage means confronting the anxiety that goes with difficult choices and then committing to the ideas that ensue.

fearless leaders

brand prostitution

Sticker by Peter Saville, This is not a brothel, www.cpluv.com

familiarity and fear

Aesop's Fables (1884), 21. The Fox and the Lion.

fearless cultures

source: http://www.andrews.edu/~tidwell/bsad560/HofstedeUncertainityAvoidance.html

source: http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/images/073/ua.gif

fearless org cultures

Four freedoms of DDB - Freedom from fear, Freedom to fail, Freedom from chaos, Freedom to be.

gap between strategic & creative

Source: Marty Neumeier, Brand Gap

smell of fear

A recent study confirms presence of fear alarm center and alarm pheromones in the olfactory system. Grueneberg ganglion at the tip of a nose contains olfactory neurons with some specialized chemosensory functions.

Source: Julien Brechbühl, Magali Klaey and Marie Broillet from University of Lausanne, Science in August 2008

research

a word on research

• methodology - quantitative, qualitative

• sample size - cca 50 respondents

• interviews

• self-study

• errors - ambiguity of fear

impact of fear

on creativity

I. fear influencing creativity

II. positive vs. negative influence of fear on creativity

III. positive influence of fear on creativity

IV. negative influence of fear on creativity

v. sources of fear in creativity

impact of fear

on leader

leading yourself, employees and partners

leader

employees, teams

leading suppliers & partners

67,3%

34,5%67,3%

40,0%

36,4%

yesno

leading employees & teams

impact of fear

on organization

I. influence of fear on organization

II. influence of fear on vision & innovation

iii. pretesting of products

alwayssometimesnever

V. Criteria of pretesting

products

vi. positive business case only

impact of fear

on industry

influence of fear on industry

Howtocreateafearlessorganization?

Qualities of Fearless leaders

Qualities of Fearless leaders

trend setters

independent

fearless

visionary

originalmaking tough calls

loving novelty

enterpreneurs

passionateprovocateursdistinctive

out of the box

create religion

create religion

lovecrisis

problem creators

practise opposition

blue ocean

mavericksadventurous

truthful

focused

zig zag

lone dissenters

love ideas

competitive

customer centric Gods

challengers

listeners

corageous

10 freedoms from fear

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low.

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

3. Find your own tribe/s.

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

3. Find your own tribe/s. 4. Stop the brand prostitution.

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

3. Find your own tribe/s. 4. Stop the brand prostitution.

5. Use your nose to smell the fear.

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

3. Find your own tribe/s. 4. Stop the brand prostitution.

5. Use your nose to smell the fear. 6. Do you really need to test?

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

3. Find your own tribe/s. 4. Stop the brand prostitution.

5. Use your nose to smell the fear. 6. Do you really need to test?

7. Middle is trouble.

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

3. Find your own tribe/s. 4. Stop the brand prostitution.

5. Use your nose to smell the fear. 6. Do you really need to test?

7. Middle is trouble. 8. Linear thinking is predictable.

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

3. Find your own tribe/s. 4. Stop the brand prostitution.

5. Use your nose to smell the fear. 6. Do you really need to test?

7. Middle is trouble. 8. Linear thinking is predictable.

9. Familiar is dangerous.

10 freedoms from fear

1. Keep it low. 2. Create culture free from fear.

3. Find your own tribe/s. 4. Stop the brand prostitution.

5. Use your nose to smell the fear. 6. Do you really need to test?

7. Middle is trouble. 8. Linear thinking is predictable.

9. Familiar is dangerous. 10. Have no set rules.

FearFactor

Fear Factor

FEARFACTOR

FEAR FACTOR