23 Matching Ambition With Actions Do what you do best. Focus on your sphere of influence—the places where you can deliver measurable and concrete results. Be brave—show your work . Set realistic goals and issue frequent progress reports that take people on your journey. Get real. You don’t expect to lose 20 pounds after one day at the gym. Worry less about splashy results and more about building long-term success. You don’t have to solve or speak out on every issue. If brands spoke out on every flaming-hot topic that hit the newsfeed, their comms teams would be in crisis mode every day. You don’t have to scramble to issue a statement each time a shocking news story drops. If the topic is not one your organization has influence over, or central to your brand’s mission, it is OK to refrain from speaking or acting out. But you can speak out on issues you feel strongly about. At times you may want to speak out on an issue, even if you don’t have a purpose pillar around it. That’s fine if you have another purpose promise you are dedicating time and resources to. A vote of support is still valuable. Stay consistent, and know the table stakes. Don’t dial back your DEI or ESG programs because they aren’t central to your purpose pillar. These are now as essential as profit- and-loss statements.