As I sat in the dental office awaiting my appointment, I pulled out a business magazine from the rack—Fortune, I believe. It was over a year old, but something on the cover caused me to peruse it. Inside was a feature article about a woman who was going to “crush” the cryptocurrency space (I suspect […]
My son recently left a job (perhaps torture chamber is a more apt description) and was fretting because he didn’t know what he wanted to do. We had a long chat, and he devised a plan, even though he still didn’t have clarity. Doing nothing isn’t an option. Several weeks later, a client referred a […]
After a recent family picnic, I walked back to my truck and found that someone had keyed the driver’s side. Four panels. Because it was low and looked like the “pictures” my 3-year-old granddaughter draws, I assume it was a child. Several months ago, someone scratched the other side. The body shop, understaffed like everyone […]
My friend and I raced to Alcova, Wyo., one night to fish the Grey Reef section of the North Platte River. After spending the day on the Cache la Poudre River outside of Fort Collins, Colo. we were heading to “the Reef,” which has thousands of large trout per mile. We figured we would have […]
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “The Little Prince”[1] “It sure would help if we knew where we were going!” the chief marketing officer said to me. I […]
I’ve worked for and with PE firms, and I’ve coached CEOs and other executives in firms owned by PE. I highly respect some of those firms and disdain others. It’s about how they go about their business. (Most of my comments apply to any tightly controlled ownership group, e.g., family businesses.) The line isn’t bright, […]
CEOs should think strategically, make tough decisions, communicate effectively, build strong teams, and produce positive financial results. The list of “being and doing” is much longer, of course, but suffice to say that it’s a big job! Rarely discussed is the role of CEO as facilitator. There are different types of leaders in the CEO […]
One of the most prevalent traits that I have observed in successful leaders is their ability to communicate. Specifically, their ability to tell stories and to simplify complex messages. It’s a skill work developing! Metaphors, analogies, and proverbs are useful communication tools as they are often a good short-cut to understanding. I’ve used many of […]
Many years ago, I went to dinner in New York City with five colleagues. We found a small Italian restaurant on a quiet street. After we sat down, they poured us water but offered no menus. A few minutes later, the owner came out and said, “What would you like for dinner?” (He served mostly […]
What do Tesla, Peloton, WeWork and Uber have in common? At least four things: high customer demand, significant revenue, billions in market cap (OK, Tesla is a trillion …), and tremendous cumulative losses as I write this. I hope all above-mentioned companies turn the corner and generate lots of profit in the long run because […]