Can “average” CEOs become indispensable? In Charles Krauthammer’s book “Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes and Politics,” he argues that when the folks at Time magazine chose Albert Einstein as Person of the Century in 1999, they erred. He argues that it should’ve been Winston Churchill. While singing Einstein’s praises, Krauthammer points out […]
Sayings for a successful life in business Some time ago, I wrote a piece on cowboy wisdom for the business world. I recently stumbled on some additional Will Rogers quotes that are wonderful observations about a successful life in business. See if you agree with me. “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run […]
I recently had a heartwarming conversation with a woman who runs a commercial construction company. I had some background in this area from years ago, and I asked if it was still a sexist environment and whether that was a problem. She said something like, “I don’t think about it. I just move forward.” To […]
Own it and know it By Todd Ordal As a leader, how do you know what’s going on in your organization? I believe this has always been an important question in organizational effectiveness, but is a particularly interesting question in our current environment. Harry Truman was president of the United States of America for several weeks […]
It takes some slow, deliberate thought By Todd Ordal I know a guy who comes across as one of the most articulate, brightest folks I’ve met. He seems to always know what to say and states it with aplomb. His ability to think on his feet is amazing – until you ask him about it. You […]
Bigger isn’t always better By Todd Ordal Which of the below sound like good business advice? You should: • Maximize profits. • Minimize expenses. • Minimize conflict. • Maximize customer service. • Maximize market share. In some cases and to some degree, these statements are true. However, they can also be extremely problematic. Maximize profits over […]
Sometimes, you just need to show up By Todd Ordal Perhaps you saw Peter Sellers’ last movie, Being There (out in 1979, just this side of the Jurassic period). In it, a simple-minded gardener named Chance ends up being seen as a guru of sorts. By merely “being there,” he influences the rich and powerful with his simple […]
But why would you want to? By Todd Ordal How to Work with Anyone: That was the title of a blog post I saw recently. I didn’t read it. What a dumb objective! Why would you want to work with “anyone” when you have choices? This isn’t North Korea! Let’s get a few exceptions out of […]
August, 2013 I’m a sucker for spy/crime/detective novels. The coolest thing is finding an author you love who has written a series of these. Many years ago, it was Robert Ludlum. In the past year, my favorite series have been by Michael Connelly (the Harry Bosch series) and Dennis Lehane (the Kenzie and Gennaro series). […]
Know the difference between bad luck and poor performance By Todd Ordal “If y’all just go out there and execute, everything will be fine!” my CEO said to me many years ago, after I pointed out that our business model was losing relevance. The fact that he was a big-hat, no-cattle kind of leader was apparent […]