In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 2, 2012

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. I’ve read scads of books, blogs and journals on leadership. Apparently, neither can others.

Leadership 233

Leadership Case Study Sports Advertising 233

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 8, 2012

The most valuable business on the planet has set a wonderful example for getting things done. 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.

Company 212

Company Bureaucracy Airlines Banking 212

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 10, 2018

Good examples of startup focus before success include Google with their search engine, Facebook with friends networking, and Apple with personal computers. Since we all have limited resources, and can’t add more hours to the day, the result is usually more things done poorly, rather than a few key things done better than anyone else.

Maturity 159

Maturity Tips Entrepreneur Bottom-up 159

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 27, 2014

For example, “what are you prepared to sacrifice” to help clear the way to a more focused environment. Your response will likely articulate what you would do better in an unencumbered world. This is important, but there is more to it. You must first address the things YOU must do to reduce the complexity cancer. Develop an action plan.

Constraint 200

Constraint Human Resources Marketing Strategy Short-term 200

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 8, 2017

There are so many examples of former CEOs finding exhilarating second lives in their golden years. He became an excellent stone sculptor and a much happier man than he ever was in the executive suite. You could see it in his eyes whenever he spoke of his work and his eagerness to improve.

CEO 145

CEO Golden Parachute Entrepreneur Politics 145

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 28, 2012

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. To most of us, mentors are people of experience and knowledge who help the less experienced advance their careers and/or their education.

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Mentor Advertorial Kotter Hamel 228

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 11, 2011

Familiar examples are spending more on advertising, introducing new products or line extensions, expanding distribution. A better-known and much larger example is the Apple turnaround. Pull that off and you have fulfilled the Golden Rule of the turnaround. These risk-averse measures seldom work in turnaround situations. And guess what?

CEO 201

CEO Advertising Franchising Brand 201

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 20, 2014

For example, “what are you prepared to sacrifice” to help clear the way to a more focused environment. Your response will likely articulate what you would do better in an unencumbered world. This is important, but there is more to it. You must first address the things YOU must do to reduce the complexity cancer. Develop an action plan.

Constraint 185

Constraint Human Resources Crisis Management Short-term 185

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 21, 2016

For example, a great poker player does not play the game the same way as would an astute chess player. Make no mistake; intense competitive rivalries remain a fact of life in most industries. How leaders address the challenge to create opportunities can be as different as night and day.

Company 145

Company Brand Competitive Advantage Retail 145

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 20, 2014

The California-based In-N-Out Burger Chain is a wonderful example of keeping things simple and doing less, better. This is a corollary to leadership and strategy but it is also a core value that must permeate the entire organization. Everyone on the same page fighting complexity creates sustainable winners.

Real Estate 215

Real Estate Human Resources Bureaucracy Constraint 215

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Home ownership is an example of a privilege. Any student of history will tell you that every great nation crumbles when it succumbs to complacency – when its leaders and its citizens forget that “privilege” does not mean “right.” As with most things in life, the harder you work for a privilege, the more you appreciate it.

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Fashion Travel Politics Examples 175

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 17, 2012

I can’t think of a better example than California-based In-N-Out Burger. The innovations are incremental, and often easily copied. No big deal. Hustle is a strategy that delivers superior results to thousands of retailers, restaurants, and service companies.

Strategy 229

Strategy Competitive Advantage Innovation Operations 229

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

These skilled politicians set the example for others, especially their subordinates. Twenty years ago I witnessed scads of managers at Kraft Foods prioritizing career management over business management. It was an epidemic within Kraft. Those who did it well rose to senior positions. You can imagine the culture that behavior created.

Career 199

Career Management Mentor Brand 199

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 14, 2015

In Do Less Better , I discuss several disciplines and examples of successful focus and sacrifice as it applies to leadership, strategy, marketing, branding and culture. That’s not to say sacrifice can’t help mega-corporations mired by complexity restore lost nimbleness and resilience. .

Power 100

Power Brand Marketing Strategy 100

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 16, 2015

Despite the necessity for precision in purpose and direction, I see more and more examples of senior business executives operating non-strategically. Focused companies thrive by “doing less, better.”. Tight Strategies Don’t Limit Opportunity. They Create It. We used to refer to this modus operandi as “doing business by the seat of the pants.”

Strategy 100

Strategy Brand Brand Management Marketing 100

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 20, 2017

More importantly, I’m just another example of an everyday guy getting out of life what he’s putting into it. Transformation is never easy. Reinvention never happens without passion, determination and hard work. At 71, I am a rookie historical novelist. About John R.

CEO 100

CEO Hotels Blog Consultative 100

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

So yes, the crux of the matter is the persistent pressure on management to drive corporate growth, but the Porsche example illustrates two additional factors at play. I’m also betting that the Cayenne is the tip of the iceberg at Porsche. Near-sightedness and corporate greed.

Brand 100

Brand Competitive Advantage Fashion Price 100

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

For example, if it was innovation and creativity that brought revival, chances are high that innovation and creativity will remain a cornerstone of their corporate culture. Leaders who suffer the tough days of turnarounds and manage to resurrect a business are the ones who think about momentum in strategic terms.

CEO 242

CEO Company Rogers Human Resources 242

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 13, 2011

It is a great example of creative ingenuity. The last “P” is Promotion. Herein is the power of the mind to create the persuasive call to action. As for the pic accompanying this post, I discovered it on-line. If you’ll pardon the pun, I suspect we are going to see an extension of this kind of creativity amongst the homeless.

Merchandising 162

Merchandising Entrepreneur Audience Creativity 162

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

Home ownership is an example of a privilege. Any student of history will tell you that every great nation eventually crumbles when it succumbs to complacency – when its leaders and its citizens forget that “privilege” does not mean “right”. Like a troubled company swimming in red ink, America has its work cut out for it.

Fashion 122

Fashion Travel Politics Examples 122

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 10, 2012

Take a pretzel, for example. Schectman’s new boutique in Manhattan’s Chelsea district is linked to storytelling. “70% 70% of an experience should be what consumers know and 30% should be surprise and delight. Everyone knows what it is, and there’s not much product differentiation. 84 Elvis Chau – Creative Director, JWT Shanghai.

Creativity 238

Creativity Advertising Belief Systems Storytelling 238

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 26, 2016

One of my former employers is the quintessential example of an administrative company that has grown almost exclusively from acquisitions and mergers. That brings me to this question: How do companies with administrative cultures survive in today’s world of business? Here’s a snapshot of their path to growth: 1985 – Kraft buys General Foods.

Brand 100

Brand Learning-by-Doing Brand Management Proposal 100

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

I know of no better example where experience, intuition, and instinct created power. At Apple, Steve Jobs never wanted research from focus groups or quantitative usage and attitude studies. He knew what to do, and he did it with conviction. This blog first published on CultureUniversity.com).

Power 100

Power Competitive Advantage Information Airlines 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 19, 2012

Apple’s Steve Jobs and Google’s Larry Page are excellent examples. 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.

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CEO Competitive Advantage Teamwork Marketing 204

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 29, 2011

Monsanto is a good example. I’ve seen plenty of examples where giants are successful in spite of themselves. Articulating how a company will become the biggest and the best is the strategy. And that strategy can be good or bad. Clout is a very effective growth strategy for many organizations. Did you like this?

Strategy 131

Strategy CEO Company Competitive Advantage 131

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 13, 2011

It is a great example of creative ingenuity. The last “P” is Promotion. Herein is the power of the mind to create the persuasive call to action. As for the pic accompanying this post, I discovered it on-line. If you’ll pardon the pun, I suspect we are going to see an extension of this kind of creativity amongst the homeless.

Brand 245

Brand Merchandising Entrepreneur Audience 245

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

Home ownership is an example of a privilege. Any student of history will tell you that every great nation eventually crumbles when it succumbs to complacency – when its leaders and its citizens forget that “privilege” does not mean “right”. Like a troubled company swimming in red ink, America has its work cut out for it.

CEO 205

CEO Brand Fashion Human Resources 205

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

Monsanto , for example, enjoys the competitive advantage that emanates from a culture of clout. More than ever before, cultural strength is separating winners from losers. That said, a culture that works for one company might be the kiss of death in another.

Competitive Advantage 100

Competitive Advantage How To Human Resources Strategy 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 7, 2011

The union between Nabob Coffee and Rick Hansen was a wonderful example of business and charity working together for mutual benefit. The result: for the Man in Motion World Tour, $122,247 from Nabob Coffee; for Nabob Coffee, a staggering three-share point growth in national market share.

CEO 100

CEO Brand Human Resources Marketing Strategy 100

In the CEO Afterlife

OCTOBER 30, 2011

” For example. They hate to put themselves in a position where they’ll miss an opportunity that the competitor will seize. I say, “If the opportunity isn’t strategic, let the competitor have it!” Q: Why don’t the specialty coffee makers promote instant coffee?

Strategy 234

Strategy CEO Marketing Strategy Human Resources 234

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 1, 2011

I’d love to hear your point of view; why not include an example. Tell me if Parson’s sentiments are prelevant in today’s Corporate America. Which companies, organizations or industries are known to accept, even reward this type of behavoir? Somehow you made it in the big wide world. And you’re absolutely home and dry.

CEO 152

CEO Human Resources Brand Middle Management 152

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 7, 2011

There are so many wonderful examples of former CEOs finding exhilarating second lives in their golden years. He became an excellent sculptor and a much happier man than he ever was in the executive suite. You could see it in his eyes whenever he spoke of his work and his desire to improve. His face glowed.

CEO 100

CEO Golden Parachute Welch Human Resources 100

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 17, 2011

For example, you may say, “We strive to become more focused on fewer, bigger ideas so that we are quick and nimble, proactive rather than reactive. Culture and Credo can be stated below the vision or after the quantitative section. Simplify and Go’ is the modus operandi.”.

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Strategic Planning CEO Planning Real Estate 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 24, 2012

All I’m going to do is use this politically-motivated example to articulate five signs of a spineless leader. For sure, the details of this tragic case would make for juicy story-telling. But I’ll not go there because the story is a little too close to home. If you see any of these within the leadership of your organization, beware.

Committee 244

Committee Politics Learning-by-Doing Motivation 244

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 21, 2012

A restaurateur, for example, will focus inwards and concentrate on the details – issues such as thrilling the customer, procuring high quality goods at the lowest cost, creating fresh menu ideas, continually training staff, and upgrading the décor. These companies are obsessed with operational details.

Tactics 220

Tactics Strategic Planning Agility Strategy 220

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 13, 2016

As an example, a coffee brand with a ‘best beans’ positioning could be guided along an assortment of avenues in the hyper-social world. Ignoring brand positioning in social media is not only misguided, it is laziness disguised by the myth that single-mindedness stifles social media opportunity.

Marketing 100

Marketing Brand Franchising Media 100

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 22, 2015

There are plenty of examples where radical change has either destroyed a company or brought it to its knees. This explains why it is so easy for people to become caught up and desensitized by the “change is good” paradigm. Well, change is not always good. Change can be bad.

Brand 100

Brand Core Competence Retail Advertising 100