In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

My business career is characterized with a bunch of David versus Goliath encounters. As a 23 year-old Macleans Toothpaste Brand Manager in 1970, my colleagues and I competed against powerhouses P&G, Colgate and Unilever. When I joined Jacobs Suchard (then Nabob Foods) in 1977, I found myself up against the muscle of Kraft and Nestle. Wherever I went, the major competitor was 20 times larger.

Creativity 240

Creativity Brand Management Marketing Resistance 240

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 10, 2012

Why is creativity so important in business? Because it is the idea, and not the money that drives entrepreneurship. This month’s Fast Company names the 100 Most Creative People in Business, with an emphasis on global leaders in technology, design, media, music, movies, marketing, television and sports. To be honest, I’d never heard of the vast majority on these people.

Creativity 238

Creativity Advertising Belief Systems Storytelling 238

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

Most of you have heard the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” or something to that effect. Basically, the idiom advises us not to discard something valuable in our eagerness to get rid of some useless thing associated with it. If you are not careful, this can happen to businesses going through a rough patch. In terms of rectification, you have to look at the issue in the context of whether the problem is a short-term blip or the beginning of a long-term shift to your business

Short-term 232

Short-term Long-term Advertising Hammer 232

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 2, 2012

I’ve read scads of books, blogs and journals on leadership. Everything I read has been said before – maybe in a different way and usually with different supportive examples; yet, I can’t seem to stay away from the subject. Apparently, neither can others. Leadership books, blogs, and tweets continue to command an impressive share of human interest as expressed by various readership analytics.

Leadership 233

Leadership Case Study Sports Advertising 233

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 17, 2012

I’ve read a lot of books on strategy. The best ones influenced my mode of operation as an executive of Jacobs Suchard , the maker of coffee and chocolate brands, Jacobs , Nabob , Toblerone , Suchard and Côte d’Or. I was devoted to master strategies and “big play” innovations that ideally positioned a company to dominate their chosen market(s) and enjoy sustainable competitive advantage.

Strategy 229

Strategy Competitive Advantage Innovation Operations 229

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 2, 2012

The notion of business as a combination of sport and war was attributed to Emile Herzog (1885-1967), a French author who used the pen name, Andre Maurois. I’m going to admit at the outset that I was a strong proponent of Herzog’s concept for most of my career. However, now that I look back from the CEO afterlife, I realize that this view need not be pervasive.

Sports 228

Sports Tactics Competitive Advantage Short-term 228

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 28, 2012

To most of us, mentors are people of experience and knowledge who help the less experienced advance their careers and/or their education. There are plenty of well-known examples throughout the course of history; Aristotle mentored Alexander the Great, Laurence Olivier mentored Anthony Hopkins and Freddy Laker mentored Richard Branson. In the early days of my 40 year business career, I was lucky to work under two gentlemen who instilled several critical success factors that guided me from Brand M

Mentor 228

Mentor Advertorial Kotter Hamel 228

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 13, 2012

When I retired, I thought I was through with business. And I was, until the social network came along and enticed me to blog. Like most bloggers, I write about what I know; that’s strategy, leadership and branding. My motive is nothing more than to share my experience with today’s business community in the hope they might put an old warrior’s advice to good use.

Bureaucracy 227

Bureaucracy Entrepreneur Creativity Energy 227

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 11, 2012

Ever since I started blogging about leadership and strategy, I’ve been harping about the notion of “doing less, better” as a business modus operandi. Wall Street is against the idea. They think companies have to “do more and more” to get bigger and bigger. Recently, they’ve been pushing Starbucks to expand beyond coffee into a variety of foods. It will be interesting to see whether Howard Schultz will give in to them.

Reference 226

Reference Execution Survey Company 226

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 1, 2012

A picture is worth a thousand words; clichéd but true. This illustration may also become clichéd, but whenever I see it, I grin and nod. Although the Promised Land lies within that magic circle, most of us can’t break out of our comfort zone. Recently, the Apple Corporation has shown the world a glorious example of how big business creates magic. No doubt, many CEOs will try to replicate the principles that catapulted Apple to the most valuable company on the face of the earth.

Mission Statement 222

Mission Statement Innovation Committee CEO 222

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 4, 2012

I’ve met both over my long career as an executive, a consultant, and a board member. Strategists and Strategic Planners may read the same periodicals and have similar destinations in mind, but there is a difference between the two. Strategic Planners, at the outset, are disadvantaged by the definition of their role. They are staffers, not line managers.

Strategic Planning 221

Strategic Planning Document Competitive Advantage Consultative 221

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 19, 2012

In my mind, the best CEOs are usually the ones who are in a race to the future – they’re obsessed with defining the future because they can’t stomach the thought of reacting to a future created by their competitors. During his era, Steve Jobs was miles ahead of every other forward thinking CEO in that race. Somehow he was able to see the unseen, and marshal Apple’s resources to deliver the innovative products that fulfilled his view of what lied ahead.

CEO 213

CEO Bureaucracy Human Resources Maturity 213

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 30, 2012

In my blog of two weeks ago, entitled The Leadership Love-In [link] I reiterated the never ending need for better leadership. I also extended kudos to a handful of passionate leadership bloggers who I consider to be experts in their field (links listed below). These pundits command impressive social media audiences, and while it is gratifying that people are interested in their perspectives and insight, the ongoing leadership mania underscores the significant gap between principle and practice.

McCarthy 212

McCarthy Leadership Crisis Management Sports 212

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 8, 2012

I’ve always held the opinion that big organizations move at a snail’s pace. Every day, we see or read about bureaucracy – government is the biggest offender. But anyone who has worked with large NGOs (non-government, not for profit organizations), or giant corporations has tasted it. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule. The most valuable business on the planet has set a wonderful example for getting things done.

Company 212

Company Bureaucracy Airlines Banking 212

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 25, 2012

Today I received an e-mail of The Daffodil Principle. I’d read it a number of years ago but had forgotton the important message. Spend a couple of minutes reading Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards’ beautiful story. If it inspires you, pass it on and benefit another. The Daffodil Principle. Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. &#

Letter 210

Letter Learning-by-Doing Follow-up Goal 210

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 23, 2012

I ’m an extremely competitive person. As a kid in sports, I played my heart out, hated my opponents and cried when I lost. Admonished by my mother and father for unsportsmanlike behavior, I eventually matured and forged a stiff upper lip in defeat. But behind the façade, the agony gnawed my gut – it still does. I have no regrets; In fact, I consider the repugnance of losing a special gift.

Power 208

Power Sports Competitive Advantage Advertising 208

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 7, 2012

A long time ago, I’d bought some jam and fruit syrup from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. The quality of the product was outstanding. The branding wasn’t nearly as good. So I approached the maker and negotiated a deal whereby they would produce for me under a brand that I would create for a niche market – the tourist and gourmet trade. To make a long story short, I created a little business under The Black Bear Fruit Company brand name.

Niche Marketing 206

Niche Marketing Brand Retail Company 206

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 5, 2012

Without leadership, a business enterprise will eventually fail. Survival is possible without a strategy but seldom over the long haul. Great strategy with lousy execution isn’t worth the piece of paper it is written on. The consequence of these proclamations is obvious. Get it right, bring it all together and you have commercial magic. The glue that binds leadership, strategy, and execution is people – quality individuals at the board level, in the C-suite, in the office, on the factory floor, a

Human Capital 203

Human Capital Competitive Advantage Tactics CEO 203

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 19, 2012

Last week I identified the successful 21 st century CEO as someone who is constantly thinking about the future. History has shown us that the best performers were those who made the right strategic moves to create a future in which their company would enjoy significant competitive advantage. Their strong sense of vision and belief in proactivity helped them get to the future first.

CEO 204

CEO Competitive Advantage Teamwork Loyalty 204

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 6, 2012

So much has been written about business innovation this past year. Those walking the talk are on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. These are the businesses whose products and services are having an impact across their industries and our culture. Ninety percent of these organizations have yet to experience a mid-life crisis; they are still under the age of 40.

Chief Operating Officer 202

Chief Operating Officer Chief Technology Officer CEO Innovation 202

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Inherent in the definition of career is the opportunity to progress. “Getting ahead” was my father’s way of saying it. Notwithstanding politics, nowhere is the notion of upward mobility more prevalent than in the world of business. More than ever, people are seeking mentors, “branding” themselves and carefully managing their careers in order to dash up that quintessential corporate ladder.

Career 199

Career Management Mentor Brand 199

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 12, 2012

I have to be honest. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy Kevin Murray’s new book on how top CEOs communicate to inspire, influence and achieve results. Although Mr. Murray’s arresting title raised my curiosity, I became skeptical when I read the list of leaders he interviewed for insight. The 60 interviewees, all from the UK, were comprised of eight Sirs, four Lords, four Dames, one Lady, and a Baroness, but not one person was under the age of 40, and the majority were over 60.

Fashion 197

Fashion Crisis Audience Entrepreneur 197

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 22, 2012

I didn’t realize it at the outset, but blogging has provided a wonderful opportunity for me to ponder and reflect on the most valued (but often neglected) principles of business. When I was on the ‘hot seat’ and in the line of fire as a CEO, I constantly dealt with pressing day-to-day issues such as bringing in the quarter, forecasting erratic commodity markets, reacting to predatory pricing, and stressing over sales shortfalls and excess inventory.

Strategy 196

Strategy Short-term Constraint Strategic Planning 196

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Last year, I came out of retirement to take a temporary assignment in southern California. This meant moving to Ventura from British Columbia for the better part of a year. I happened to be there for the third Thursday of November. Thanksgiving in America is a much bigger deal than it is above the 49 th parallel. The days surrounding the holiday are the most travelled of the year.

Fashion 175

Fashion Travel Politics Examples 175

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Last year, EU regulators fined P&G and Unilever to the tune of $456 million for price fixing laundry detergents in eight European countries. Henkel, their competitor blew the whistle on the cartel. This begs several questions. Firstly, how is it that two of the world’s most respected corporations are involved in an act that is unequivocally illegal?

Price 162

Price Discount Brand Incentives 162

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Last year, EU regulators fined P&G and Unilever to the tune of $456 million for price fixing laundry detergents in eight European countries. Henkel, their competitor blew the whistle on the cartel. This begs several questions. Firstly, how is it that two of the world’s most respected corporations are involved in an act that is unequivocally illegal?

Price 148

Price Discount Brand Incentives 148

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 17, 2012

A year ago, Fortune Magazine published my reflections on my rise to the corner office, my life as a CEO and how I coped with the years that followed my exit from the corporate throne. In the sub-head to In the CEO Afterlife , the publisher described my tale this way: Former CEO John Bell gives his take on life after ditching the corner office for good and the search for fulfillment beyond business success.

CEO 148

CEO Magazine Marketing Strategy 148

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 28, 2012

During my tenure as a CEO, my Board of Directors never challenged me with questions pertaining to the corporate culture. I wasn’t surprised in the least. Jacobs Suchard directors expected me to run the company as an entrepreneurial enterprise, and as long the numbers were coming in, they assumed I was doing just that. Like most Boards, they were more interested in hearing about profit, financial ratios, efficiencies, headcounts, labor climate and strategic initiatives.

Competitive Advantage 131

Competitive Advantage Long-term CEO Ethics 131

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 11, 2012

Ever since I started blogging about leadership and strategy, I’ve been harping about the notion of “doing less, better” as a business modus operandi. Wall Street is against the idea. They think companies have to “do more and more” to get bigger and bigger. Recently, they’ve been pushing Starbucks to expand beyond coffee into a variety of foods. It will be interesting to see whether Howard Schultz will give in to them.

Reference 126

Reference Execution Survey Company 126

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 4, 2012

Last week, Mathew Creamer of Advertising Age said Linds Redding’s ‘Short Lesson in Perspective’ was the best piece of advertising writing you’ll ever read. As an ex-ad man and a lifelong aficionado of great creative, whether it is art or copy, I could not resist the urge to check it out. I’m glad I did. Turns out that Linds Redding, an illustrator and designer, spent most of his career crafting advertising in the UK and New Zealand, before opening an animation studio.

Advertising 265

Advertising Creativity Industry Bottom-up 265

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 24, 2012

Do you have to meet a spineless leader to know one? Not necessarily. Recently, I unveiled a spineless leader upon learning how he handled a single set of circumstances – the orchestrating of an unfair and unjust hiring practice that covertly circumvented the promotion of the best candidate. This is all I needed to visualize the yellow stripe illuminating from the back of his neck to the base of his spine.

Committee 244

Committee Politics Learning-by-Doing Motivation 244

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 21, 2012

Have you ever thought about business in the context of a game? Would that game be chess or poker? Had this question been asked during my years in the corner office, I would have curtly responded, “We are strategists. Strategists play chess, not poker – next question.” Twenty-five years later, I’m not nearly as dogmatic or single-minded on the topic.

Tactics 220

Tactics Strategic Planning Agility Strategy 220

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 26, 2012

(First published in Forbes.com, April 20, 2012) Two years have now passed since the explosion at BP ’s deep-water rig in the Gulf of Mexico. In the aftershock, the world watched BP and its chief executive, Tony Hayward, make blunder after blunder while their crude continued to gush, literally and figuratively. BP’s talk about caring for the environment was for naught, as its actions failed to match its message.

Press Release 131

Press Release Reputation Tourism Advertising 131

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

This infographic from the Wall Street Journal captured the typical work week of a Chief Executive Officer in November of 2009. Fast forward to 2012 and “answering e-mails” would surely bite into the time-starved CEO’s work week. Nonetheless, I suspect meetings at 18 hours a week isn’t a declining trend. Meetings can be a necessary evil for every leader; meetings can also be the catalyst to advance the strategic agenda.

CEO 207

CEO Chief Executive Officer Business Model Competitive Advantage 207

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 8, 2012

Now that we are in the New Year, you can expect to see 2011 rankings by major periodicals on a variety of measures from most valuable global brands to the most innovative companies. My ranking of the “Best Brand Names” has no time constraint. If fact, every quantitative measurement has been removed. I have purposely ignored a brand’s reputation, its place within the market, even its package design.

Brand 252

Brand Advertising Constraint Creativity 252

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 30, 2012

If you think I’m going to list of a bunch of product bargains or discount sales, think again. This blog is about the side of business that drives superior performance at no extra cost. For a moment, I’d like you to forget about throwing heaps of cash at such initiatives as computer systems, advertising, equipment, recruiting – even training. And for a moment, stop worrying about low-cost foreign competition and the sluggish North American economy.

Bureaucracy 245

Bureaucracy Constraint Creativity Discount 245

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 4, 2012

Corporate leaders that are identified with brands are usually the ones who share the brand’s nomenclature, such as Martha Stewart, Donald Trump, and Michael Dell. Seems logical, no? But, there is also a small club of founders, CEOs and/or Board Chairs who are equally synonymous with some well-known trademarks that do not bear their names. These leaders earned their branding reputations by establishing themselves as the driving force behind creating, building and guiding the success of their comp

Brand 252

Brand Reputation Sports CEO 252