The Paradox of Driving Innovation
If a company wants to grow organically by driving new revenue streams, innovation will be key. Innovation, however, can be disruptive and difficult for a company and its employees to make the adjustment. Consider Apple Computer, a company whose business model was built around selling computers. If you can imagine, one day Steve Jobs decided […]
How To Annihilate the Competition
If you lead a team or an organization, simply executing strategies to survive is not enough. You should be looking for ways to annihilate your competition – market dominance. While it may sound counter-intuitive, the best way to do this is to annihilate yourself first. To do this, have your direct reports work in teams […]
Missed Opportunities for US Carmakers in China
As 2011 moves forward, it is turning out to be an extraordinary year for German auto manufacturers. Mercedes, BMW and Audi are experiencing record profits in the US. In China, Mercedes is about to sell more cars there than they do in Germany or the US. Are Ford, GM and other US car brands fully […]
The Leader’s Vision: A Big-Picture Take on American Politics Going Forward
It is amazing how so many people expect Presidents of countries to solve the nation’s problems like a magician. For example, my girlfriend is from a country called Suriname in South America. The President, Desi Bouterse, was elected in August of 2010. The people of Suriname are complaining about high fuel prices and a bad […]
How Will You Stay Relevant in a Global Work Force?
Globalization is changing corporate strategy. For example, 20 years ago no one would have considered merging the NYSE with a German exchange. However, as exchanges of various countries consolidate, it may be imperative for the NYSE to be ahead of the curve. If the NYSE stands still, it may lose its relevance in the future […]
How to Survive Abrupt Leadership Change
(via Abidjan.net) What the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn shows us is that no leader or CEO at an organization should be taken for granted. From the CEO of Hewlett Packard to the President of the […]
Is the US Ready to Have a Billionaire CEO as President?
In 1992, Ross Perot ran for President of the US. He earned 19% of the votes after dropping out and coming back. If he had won, would the US have experienced the economic crises of the past 20 years? Or would he have used his business savvy to avert some of the financial challenges? Many […]
Birth of the ‘Yes-Man Culture’
The Chairman’s response to a CNN Money Article “Saying No to the Boss“ This article addressed a critical issue for leaders/managers in companies, especially for the CEO. The dilemma for many CEOs is they initially moved up the ladder because of their ability to solve problems and provide great solutions. This implies he or she […]
Why German Luxury Carmakers Should Be Afraid of Chrysler
By Ted Santos In Chrysler’s Super Bowl XLV commercial, a brutally honest narrator muses, “What does Detroit know about luxury?” A better question would be “What do US automakers know about luxury?” Chrysler’s new “Imported from Detroit” slogan implies that they have America’s answer to luxury European automakers. However, their newly minted line, including the […]
Beyond the Numbers: How Important is Salary?
From the desk of the Chairman: “If you pay in peanuts, you get monkeys.” Anonymous In a high performing culture, which comes first – money or performance? Doling out a salary of peanuts to your employees may very well turn them into monkeys. At the same time, you don’t want to overpay them either. Before […]