The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted the correlation (which, of course, isn’t the same as causation) between excessive government regulation and low economic growth (comparing Europe with the US). Although I’m not a libertarian, I cringe at the growth of the administrative state and regulation. Of course we need some, but how much? That’s the […]
How was your day? If it was “average,” you probably put out some fires, fielded questions, responded to requests, and dealt with a few surprises. All necessary requirements of senior leadership. But did you also think about the future, develop plans, proactively eliminate some risks, and identify growth opportunities for the business, your people, and […]
“Many CEOs and leaders you meet from the outside seem to lead exciting lives,” Matt Murray, former editor of the Wall Street Journal, told me recently. “But in real life many of them are not very functional human beings.” —Peter Vanham, Fortune, CEO Daily The idiom “it’s lonely at the top” has been around a long […]
You know those people you always have a great conversation with whenever you talk? My friend Art Petty is one of those. Always upbeat, inquisitive, and creative. (He also publishes great content and creates cool leadership development programs. Look him up and sign up for his blog.) I told Art about an upcoming return fishing […]
Twice in my career I quit high-paying jobs (one a CEO slot and one running a 7,000-person division) because I had unethical or wrongheaded people to report to. Although this certainly cost me a great deal of money, I don’t regret either decision. As a CEO coach, I’ve run into many successful leaders who’ve either […]
I ran into one of these rare creatures recently. Rare because they usually don’t last. Kind of like a lazy wildebeest, the one the lion catches. I’m always puzzled (and disgusted!) at how they came to be and how they survive! When you find a lazy CEO, they usually own the company. Maybe Daddy did. […]
I recently read the book “Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West” by Calder Walton. A good read that covers a broad swath of history, especially if you’re interested in spycraft. The Bay of Pigs disaster was one of many events covered. You may recall that the Kennedy administration sent a handful of […]
I’m working with a few executives who’ve been tagged as possible CEOs. This is fun for them and me. All are highly motivated and self-aware. With these assignments, I typically conduct a 360-degree feedback session with the coachee’s boss, peers, and those who report to them so that we can develop a list of priorities […]
A client recently recommended the book “The Ride of a Lifetime” by Robert Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. It’s a fascinating story with some good lessons. One interesting subplot occurs during his tenure as COO, working for longtime CEO Michael Eisner. Eisner built a “strategic planning group” (called Strat Planning) that reported […]
I had an interesting conversation about expectations with a thoughtful CEO whom I work with. I’ve had similar conversations with many. Clients often ask, “Shouldn’t I be able to expect ____?” In other words, should a leader be able to expect certain behaviors from his team members without clearly stating the expectation? The short answer […]