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Curious about the art of brand mechanics and how effective listening can transform your career? Join us as we sit down with Tom Howell, a marketing communications expert with over four decades of experience. Tom, a principal at Hundred Trees LLC, shares his remarkable journey from broadcast news to leading iconic campaigns such as Louisville Water Company's Pure Tap and Kentucky's Unbridled Spirit. Discover how his unique title, “brand mechanic,” came to be, and why listening is his superpower. Tom's heartfelt stories about being a grandfather add a personal touch to our conversation on leadership and branding.
We then venture into the world of Hospice and palliative care, inspired by the poignant tagline, “because the end of life is part of living.” Reflecting on insights from focus groups and leadership principles from “The Anatomy of Leadership,” we discuss the necessity of aligning organizational offerings with community needs through effective two-way communication. Learn about the importance of reliability, qualitative research, and the power of metaphors in shaping internal and external messaging strategies. This chapter underscores the importance of making and keeping promises, especially in sensitive fields like end-of-life care, where social media can amplify both successes and failures.
Finally, we explore the profound impact of leadership on branding and customer care. Tom and I delve into real-life examples, such as the “Unbridled Spirit” campaign, and how it repositioned Kentucky as a desirable destination, enhancing both employee morale and customer perception. Through stories of leadership during crises and the concept of the GIMBA walk, we emphasize the importance of leaders staying connected with their teams and customers. This episode offers valuable insights into how a cohesive and inclusive brand message can create lasting community impact and drive organizational success. Tune in to discover how transformative leadership and effective branding go hand-in-hand.
Guest: Tom Howell, Principal at Hundred Trees LLC
Host:Â Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TCN/TCG
https://www.teleioscn.org/anatomy-of-leadership/message-into-the-community-with-tom-howell
I am currently the President/CEO of Teleios Collaborative Network which is like a co-op of nonprofit hospice and palliative care organizations. I am also CEO of Teleios Consulting Group. The goal of the collaboration is to harness the best of each hospice and enable the network to better care in each community for the patients and families being served as well as introduce innovations across the membership network and work with payers for new innovative solutions for those dealing with serious or advanced illness.
I am also host two podcasts, Anatomy Of Leadership and TCNtalks. Anatomy of Leadership was inspired by my book "The Anatomy of Leadership" which I wrote for Leaders, visionaries, and change-makers. The podcast delves deep into the essence of purpose-driven and high-performance leadership.
The show guides you through a journey of discovery—revealing how effective leadership can significantly alter the trajectory of our teams, organizations, our lives, and the world at large.
We examine topics like:
- Self-Mastery
- Caring for Others
- Influence
- Intention
- Cause and Purpose
Bio
Over the years, I have become nationally known as a leader in our country’s hospice and palliative care industry, where I spent a large portion of my career as President/CEO of Four Seasons in western North Carolina, a 2009 American Hospital Association Circle of Life Award Winner. In 2005, the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care honored me with the Peter Keese Leadership Award.
In 2006, I left Four Seasons for two years to build an alliance between the prestigious national healthcare consulting firm, the Studer Group, and Covenant Hospice in Pensacola. The vision was to transform, develop, and grow leaders throughout the hospice and palliative care world. With this venture from its infancy to an established coaching firm partnering with post-acute healthcare organizations from New York to California. I returned to Four Seasons in 2008 to apply everything learned in the trenches on leadership to an organization I knew and loved.
My hospice career began in 1997 at Covenant Hospice in Pensacola, Florida. Earlier in my career, where I worked with KPMG Peat Marwick, a “Big Four” CPA consulting firm, and with Cooper Industries, a Fortune 100 Company, in its Executive Development Program.
I have a Masters in Leadership from the Thayer Institute for Performance Virtuosity.
I am blessed to have a wonderful wife, Deshia and a proud parent of 5 children (3 boys and 2 girls). Love spending time outdoors with my family, reading, and learning in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
