A Wall Street Journal article on September 20, 2010, stated that Hyundai is coming out with a new luxury car. A Hyundai luxury car? Isn’t that a bit like gourmet Velveeta? It begs the question, “How far can you stretch a brand?” A typical strategic position would be to own a spot on the map, […]
Years ago when my four children were small, my wife and I took them on a road trip to see their grandparents. I had told the three oldest kids that we were getting up in the morning to drive to the Midwest. Our youngest son Danny, who was 3 at the time, was already in […]
My brother is in management at a large financial firm but is as good at construction as any contractor. Whether it’s a deck, a finished basement or a sauna, he builds it perfectly. Likewise, my friend, John — an engineer — is a great woodworker. He builds grandfather clocks that Angela Merkel would be pleased […]
If you take long enough bike rides, you’ll encounter multiple flat tires on a single ride. It’s happened to me several times. Flat tires aren’t hard to fix, but you need to be prepared. The benefits of carrying a spare tube, a couple of patches and a pump far outweigh the consequences of being stranded […]
The business wisdom of Will Rogers A friend sent me an e-mail the other day with some quotes from Will Rogers. My father-in-law used to say things like, “Let’s mount up!” when we were supposed to get in the car to go to dinner, so it struck a chord with me. After rereading it today […]
Is your technology worth the trouble? I was excited to receive an e-mail recently from an organization I belong to because it offered a “book” on business strategy that I hadn’t read — and it was FREE! Woo hoo! (OK, so you have to be a business nerd to get excited about this one.) I […]
I was recently in a hotel conference center and watched several firefighters rush to the aid of a woman who had blacked out. Firefighters deserve everyone’s adoration. Firefighting in business, however, can become an addiction that deserves little respect, as it is self-absorbed behavior that rewards a lack of planning. Remember the movie Backdraft where […]
Some time ago I was on the board of an organization that had a very affable, bright leader who was loved by his team. However, during a particularly challenging period, he was seen by the board as non-strategic and in over his head. As one board member remarked, “He doesn’t lead; he presides”. Since that […]
I love getting older! Okay, not all elements. My knees hurt from the five surgeries I have had and I sometimes forget my wife’s name—but age brings experience and perhaps a reduced level of concern about what others think. I don’t blush as often as I used to when I say, “I don’t know.” I […]
Where do you look for new ideas? Sometimes the misty edge of your industry is a good place to start. Some of the most successful companies that I have worked with have intentionally blurred the lines between work and personal life. Several clients have created a work environment that views people as “people” rather than […]