In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 20, 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 250

Competitive Advantage Long-term CEO Ethics 250

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 15, 2012

He or she is the leader who is constantly thinking about tomorrow – not the next week, the next month, the next quarter or even the next year. The future these leaders envision is the one they choose to create; their tomorrow will be a business ‘lotus land’ that is poles apart from an unwelcomed future determined by their competition, a future that inevitably forces defensive reactivity.

CEO 242

CEO Chief Executive Officer Critical Success Factor Discount 242

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 26, 2012

My original premise for this blog was to share a variety of leadership and branding principles with the current generation of business leaders. With forty years in the saddle, hundreds of dusty trails and a few fistfights along the way, I have an oasis of management insight in which to draw. More than 60 blogs later, I remain of the view that the vast majority of the strategic tenets that guided me as a CMO and CEO remain valid today.

Reis 240

Reis Brand Apparel Energy 240

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 CEO Survey 226

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 Marketing 204

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 CEO Survey 126