In the CEO Afterlife

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The Best Things in Business are Free

In the CEO Afterlife

I’m getting at the elements of business that drive superior performance at no extra cost. Stop worrying about low-cost foreign competition and the state of the economy or your industry. The best bargains in business are there to help you deal with any setback, and their associated costs can be unleashed from your existing overheads.

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The Most Overused Word in Business

In the CEO Afterlife

Strategy is also a “steal” because good strategies cost no more to develop than bad ones. On the other hand, a “low cost” retailer doesn’t have to lose money on Coca-Cola. That strategy can be good or bad. The “steel” in strategy is its capacity to set the stage for an organization to achieve ironclad competitive advantage.

Tactics 217
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10 Ways to Slay Goliath

In the CEO Afterlife

And yet, our little band of rebels was able to outmaneuver that might with two potent weapons that cost absolutely nothing. When you know you will never be the low-cost producer nor will you ever have the resources to outspend the big cat, you find other ways to skin it – okay, that’s a bit of an overstatement. That is clout.

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In Praise of the Fast Company

In the CEO Afterlife

They have to do more (and do it better) because the secret to success in this business is a wide array of products and packages in countless shapes, sizes, and flavors at costs substantially below branded competitors. Companies who thrive on a fast culture are obsessed with reducing costs and improving operations.

Company 145
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How to Thrive Against Giants

In the CEO Afterlife

When you know that your company will never be the low-cost producer nor will it ever have enough cash to outspend the big cat, there’s no choice but to find other ways to skin that cat. A good CEO costs no more than a bad one – sometimes far less when you consider costly mistakes and lucrative severance packages.

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20 Reasons Why Companies Should Do Less Better

In the CEO Afterlife

Complexity alienates customers, contaminates cultures, heightens stress, and increases the cost of doing business. Good leaders, good strategies, and good corporate values need not cost a penny more than bad leaders, bad strategies and bad cultures. Bring these words together and we facilitate a culture of clarity and focus.

Company 177
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Turnarounds and the Big Play | In the CEO Afterlife

In the CEO Afterlife

So now you’ve cut costs and freed up some cash. New vacuum-packing technology drove sales and coffee-roasting advancements cut costs by 15%. Half of that cost savings went to the consumer – the other half went to our bottom line. The means to that end is quickly slashing sku’s and product lines to reduce inventories.

CEO 201