The following is an excerpt from my book, “Never Kick a Cow Chip On A Hot Day” (2016) Morgan James Publishing. Most executives squander too much of their most valuable resource, their time.Here is how to get a good return on that asset. Getting a Return On Your Time The $59 time-management seminar I went […]
“In all the time I spent with him, I never once heard him refer to his ability to see the future. He couldn’t see it — that’s why he had to grope for it.” —Michael Lewis, “The New New Thing” (talking about entrepreneur Jim Clark) Jim Clark famously founded Netscape, Silicon Graphics, myCFO and Healtheon […]
The following is an excerpt from my book, “Never Kick a Cow Chip On A Hot Day” (2016) Morgan James Publishing. The final chapter is titled, “Balancing For Big Shots.” Here is part of my answer to the question, “How do I balance my life as an executive?” Selfishness Has A Bad Rep… Did you […]
Leaders with people in their business who are looking to increase their bottom line have a choice regarding how to do it. Let’s assume you produce $100 worth of goods or services with $20 of labor input yielding $80 of profit. You can try to cut 25 percent of your labor cost to produce that […]
Some leadership books are timeless My sous chef Alexa and I were cooking dinner the other night, and I asked her, “Alexa, play top songs from 1981.” (I didn’t say please. I know she’s artificial intelligence, but I still feel guilty.) 1981 is the year our first child was born. After listening to about 10 […]
“Every CEO has an open flank.” —Ram Charan No one is great at everything. CEOs who think they must know everything (or think they do know everything!) are on a fast track to disappointment and failure. Most CEOs know this and plug the hole by gaining knowledge or hiring to fill in for their weakness—if […]
I came down to breakfast the other morning and my wife had an exasperated look on her face. When I asked what was wrong, she said, “I just want to be as smart as a squirrel!” We have multiple bird feeders in our yard, and she has purchased many devices to foil the squirrels’ ability […]
Brevity has its limitations Simplifying messages is a talent that’s extremely valuable in an executive. Framing issues quickly and getting to the essence is a skill that comes more naturally to some than others. But it’s valuable and learnable, whether you’re an executive or on your first job. Brevity, however, has its limitations. “Go, team, […]
A common and vexing issue that I’ve seen boards and management teams struggle with is balancing the company’s short-term results achievement with its future environment. Too often this devolves into a polarized debate about the efficacy of looking out five, 10 or 15 years. The current P&L-focused group members thumb their nose at the long-term […]
There’s always something wrong. Perfection doesn’t exist in business. Perhaps it doesn’t exist anywhere, but there are some spots on the planet that might be close: Glacier National Park, the Tetons, chairlift KT-22 at Squaw Valley or a 20-inch cutthroat trout on the first cast. Business, however, is a system, and what’s most important is […]