Welcome to The New Leader, a space where leadership and marketing meet real talk. Here, I go beyond the buzzwords to explore what it truly means to lead with purpose, foster connection, and create change.

From practical strategies to candid reflections on life, career, and fulfillment, this blog is for those who want to lead authentically and make a difference.

Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Leadership Essentials: Authenticity

My experience with cancer reshaped how I lead. It taught me that empathy, integrity, and resilience aren’t soft skills—they’re essentials. This is why I believe in bringing our whole selves to work, even when it’s hard.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Foundations founders forget

Founders don’t sideline marketing on purpose. But when speed and pressure take over, they build a service function instead of a system. Here’s what gets missed—and what to build instead.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Leadership Essentials: Severance

Severance isn’t just a financial decision—it’s a moral imperative. In times of change, how a company handles layoffs speaks volumes about its values and respect for employees.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

How to kill a brand in X steps

Most say Twitter/X’s death is in its final throes. I break down the five BRAND missteps that pushed the platform from trusted to at-risk, including lessons on how leaders can preserve brand trust and authenticity. Or not. It’s a whole new world.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Our choices matter

As a marketer and a mother, I’m deeply disturbed—but not surprised—by the revelations in the TikTok lawsuit. It’s time for us to rethink where we invest our time and money, demanding that growth in our industry is driven by empathy and values, not at the cost of our children's well-being.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Election jitters and the job market

In the midst of this election season, the job market feels stuck in neutral. As political noise drowns out everything else, companies and individuals are hesitating to make big moves. Here’s a look at why this uncertainty is paralyzing the market and how we can stay focused on building a stable, prosperous future.

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