Terry Starbucker

DECEMBER 9, 2012

It was 1987 - I had just arrived in Los Angeles to start my new job as the VP of Operations for a cable TV company. This job was a big leap for me, given that my previous position was an auditing manager at an accounting firm. I’ll never forget that first day, walking into my new office and being suddenly thrust into the role of “leader” I’m sure many people noted the slight trembling in my voice that day as I jumped into the pool headfirst, shuffling budgets and rear

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Mentor Download Budgeting Learning-by-Doing 369

Terry Starbucker

DECEMBER 16, 2012

We all have them – those annoyances that really gnaw at us, (affectionately) known as pet peeves. Most are petty and not worth much time or deep discussion. (Here’s a good example – I once had a boss that would fly into a rage if we used smooth paper clips instead of ridged ones. Never quite understood the problem, but after a couple of chew outs you can bet I stuck with the ridged ones.).

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Succession CEO Course Examples 341

Terry Starbucker

DECEMBER 23, 2012

It’s that time for reflection – on the year that is about to pass, and what’s to come in the year ahead. I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership lately, because I’m in the middle of writing a book about leadership that I hope to publish in 2013 (stay tuned on this!). What I’m realizing through this deep dive in my cranium is that leadership should never be a “static” thing.

Open-book 316

Open-book Leadership Learning-by-Doing CEO 316

Terry Starbucker

DECEMBER 30, 2012

You’ve had a difficult year. The team didn’t live up to its expectations, and your operating division is going to miss its budget target. Your bosses are ratcheting up the pressure and the heat is on for better performance. As the new year approaches, you make a resolution. “I’m going to tighten up the screws and get tougher on my team next year” It seems like a logical request – you figure, you didn’t push hard enough.

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Terry Starbucker

DECEMBER 2, 2012

One of the greatest challenges of leadership is managing time, a limited resource that has to be used with the utmost care and consideration. As the saying goes, there are “ only so many hours in a day “, and the leader must be able to stay focused on those tasks and activities that truly matter. That task is complicated by the daily presence of many distractions that the leader must avoid, lest putting themselves (and their company) in jeopardy.

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