By Craig Dempster-07 January 2021 11:00am Exposing a little weakness. Being vulnerable. Not acting like you know all of the answers. These certainly don’t seem like typical leadership traits. Merkle’s global chief executive officer Craig Dempster explains why being human was essential in 2020 and beyond. In the industry, we often talk about how a brand’s reaction to “times like these” can make or break the business. And as a leader of a company, that notion hits close to home. Ultimately, it’s my decisions and actions that steer the brand’s course. So, while my burden doesn’t weigh as much as, say, developing a Covid-19 vaccine, there’s a certain gravity to the responsibility of running a profitable business and championing the careers of thousands of employees. I am by no means perfect, and I don’t have all the answers. But as a passionate believer that a company is only as strong as its culture, I have approached this past year intent on preserving a culture of compassion, with the belief that business is personal. These are a few practices I always try to live by as a leader, but even more so during times of adversity.