In the CEO Afterlife

OCTOBER 18, 2015

So I talked about craft and career, after which, I said, “We can’t promise you a promotion, Walter, but we’ll do all we can to make you the best purchasing agent in this industry.” He wanted to know how. “By By investing in you,” I said. In the years to follow, Walter enrolled in supply management courses at some of the best universities.

Report 100

Report Career Discount Mentor 100

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 13, 2012

Take the time to look at other industries. You’ll be surprised what you can learn and how that information can affect your own business or industry. That idea can also change you; believe me, there is nothing like a business breakthrough to set the right foundation for the rest of your career. A trade show is a great place to start.

Entrepreneur 227

Entrepreneur Bureaucracy Creativity Energy 227

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

The crossing of every “t” and the dotting of every “i” is critical in hundreds of industries. Leaders and managers who work in these industries need all of the information. Not everyone or every organization can, or should operate this way. None of us want to see pipelines, oil rigs, or airlines compromising safety for speed.

Power 100

Power Competitive Advantage Airlines Information 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 11, 2012

In fact, only 18% of executives of incoherent companies say their firms are performing above the industry average versus 59% of the coherent company executives. The survey indicates that the companies who focus and prioritize are the ones who outperform their respective competitors.

Reference 226

Reference Execution CEO Survey 226

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

The myths apply to business in general, as well as specific industries, start-ups and the new economy. When I searched online for content on business proverb lies and mistruths I was amazed by the digital library’s breadth and depth.

CEO 256

CEO Human Resources Library Brand 256

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 8, 2017

A fter several years of trying, I have found a publisher who wasn’t afraid to invest in a newbie, grey-haired novelist in an industry going through substantial change. I’ve also written a historical novel, The Circumstantial Enemy.

CEO 145

CEO Golden Parachute Entrepreneur Politics 145

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 6, 2012

These are the businesses whose products and services are having an impact across their industries and our culture. Those walking the talk are on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. 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

JANUARY 14, 2012

To many in the consumer packaged goods industry, this isn’t an epiphany. The mystical factor that distinguishes P&G from everyone else is people. From 1837 to the present, P&G people have been the company’s sustainable success factor. But what is it that makes the people at P&G stand out from the rest?

Proposal 260

Proposal Advertising Brand Marketing 260

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 20, 2014

Stop worrying about low-cost foreign competition and the state of the economy or your industry. Forget about throwing heaps of cash at such initiatives as computer systems, advertising, equipment, recruiting – even training. Here are the 4 best bargains in business: 1.

Real Estate 215

Real Estate Human Resources Bureaucracy Constraint 215

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 2, 2012

Old economy thinking works within known market space defined by industry boundaries and competitive rules. Proponents believe that dominant market share creates competitive advantage because ofmarketplace leverage and economies of scale. This is the mentality of the old economy.

Sports 228

Sports Tactics Competitive Advantage Short-term 228

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 17, 2012

The “get it done” strategy can be effective in a vast number of industries. In short, they get things done by concentrating on the operational details and operating within a quick and nimble modus operandi. Successful private label manufacturers have been operating this way for years.

Strategy 229

Strategy Competitive Advantage Innovation Operations 229

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 22, 2013

With the exception of tampered product recalls, oil spills, or factory explosions, these types of trials never face the captains of industry. Am I implying that leading a business enterprise is easy? Not in the least.

CEO 260

CEO Human Resources Conference Price 260

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 29, 2011

According to licensing agreements and industry sources, Monsanto’s stranglehold on the genetically-engineered seed market in the United States and the world squeezes customers, limits competitors and provides staggering profits. Articulating how a company will become the biggest and the best is the strategy. Monsanto is a good example.

Strategy 131

Strategy CEO Company Competitive Advantage 131

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 1, 2012

In highly concentrated industries, leaders will no longer have the luxury of acquisition to drive growth. But now, in Apple, Google and Amazon we have examples of innovation at such staggering levels that I suspect investors will demand more of big conventionalists.

Mission Statement 222

Mission Statement Innovation Committee CEO 222

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

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 or industry. This is a short-term aggravation, and though it may thrash earnings for the quarter or the year, it is not a restructuring of the marketplace.

Short-term 232

Short-term Long-term Advertising Hammer 232

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 26, 2011

It likely doesn’t have to, because unlike most industries, tech life and home life is intertwined – certainly the case at Apple. Great manifestos instantly strike the emotions when they are true. Link Business Life to Personal Life. The Apple Manifesto does not touch on this. Be Inclusive. The manifesto must touch (and move) everybody.

Power 209

Power Mission Statement Sports Innovation 209

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 11, 2012

In fact, only 18% of executives of incoherent companies say their firms are performing above the industry average versus 59% of the coherent company executives. The survey indicates that the companies who focus and prioritize are the ones who outperform their respective competitors.

Reference 126

Reference Execution CEO Survey 126

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

The ramifications are pervasive, and particularly pronounced in the food industry where giants such as Kraft, Kellogg’s, General Mills, and Campbell’s Soup seek growth another way, a seemingly easier way – by digging into deep pockets to buy it. These companies have been merger and acquisition advocates for decades.

Brand 100

Brand Competitive Advantage Fashion Price 100

In the CEO Afterlife

OCTOBER 7, 2013

But, declining bench strength guarantees that corporate boards will continue to struggle to find qualified leaders for the unique needs of their particular company or industry. Gender quotas currently in debate in Europe aren’t the panacea; the “best person” mentality must prevail.

Diversity 200

Diversity Mentor Human Resources Human Capital 200

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Despite the anomalies of a different industry (this one was fresh food), I was able to assess the situation in short order and define a course of action, always mindful of understanding the company/industry’s key success factors before leveraging them for marketplace differentiation. Cutting to the chase.

Human Resources 148

Human Resources CEO Mentor Resistance 148

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 31, 2011

It was awfully difficult not to make a donation to the industrious and entertaining panhandler at the Santa Barbara pier. Homeless, Not Helpless: Entrepreneurship in Unlikely Places [link]. There’s some outstanding creativity amongst America’s homeless.

Blog 222

Blog Mission Statement Strategic Planning Brand 222

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 26, 2012

In most industries, creating scale and leveraging that scale is the key factor for success. As for controlling quality with your own manufacturing facilities? I found no evidence of any manufacturing plants within the Monster world. Seemingly, they are content to have others co-pack their offerings.

Reis 240

Reis Brand Apparel Energy 240

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 19, 2012

Industry consolidation will turn on its end. Great CEOs will lead the fight and their companies will stand out as model corporate citizens. Who better to be the custodian of the all-important corporate brand than the CEO?

CEO 204

CEO Competitive Advantage Teamwork Marketing 204

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 4, 2011

This is not the case, especially within the “old economy” industries. With this kind of success so well-publicized, you’d think every major corporation would encourage their leaders to practice a similar philosophy. The constraint in most of these companies is the fear of failure.

CEO 235

CEO Bureaucracy Brand Constraint 235

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 1, 2011

Which companies, organizations or industries are known to accept, even reward this type of behavoir? The most blatant was the Boards of Scott Paper and Sunbeam hiring ‘Chainsaw Al Dunlap’ as their CEO despite his reputation as a corporate sociopath. I’d love to hear your point of view; why not include an example.

CEO 152

CEO Human Resources Brand Middle Management 152

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 20, 2011

Some rationalize job-hopping as “no loyalty today” or “that’s the way it is in this industry.” In my view, the answer lies in spending time to find the “right” company with the “right” culture. Too often, people jump ship for more money. If you like what you see, you’re on your way.

Advertising 155

Advertising Human Resources Brand Rogers 155

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 17, 2011

If your company is not public, look at the industry multiples and decide on a ratio in conjunction with your Board of Directors. Some firms track new product launches, some measure employee engagement. No matter the company type, the CEO is responsible for increasing shareholder value. Measure it.

Strategic Planning 100

Strategic Planning CEO Planning Real Estate 100

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 4, 2012

Many years ago, when I first started to work in the advertising industry, we used to have this thing called The Overnight Test. Time moved on, and during the nineties technology overran, and transformed the creative industry like it did most others. The wholesale industrialization and mechanization of the creative process.

Advertising 265

Advertising Creativity Industry Bottom-up 265

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 15, 2011

Notwithstanding the company’s recent ’airbrushing’ misstep in the UK, L’Oreal has negotiated through the test-of-time’s mine fields, successfully setting the brand marketing standard for the entire cosmetics industry. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Shiseido and Estee Lauder round out the world’s top five.In

Class 122

Class Marketing CEO Advertising 122

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 21, 2012

For thousands of industries, it is the tactics of poker and not the strategy of chess that drive success. Business is not a strategy. Business is a game, and there are many ways to play it. But no one wins the game of business without excellence in execution.

Tactics 220

Tactics Strategic Planning Agility Strategy 220

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 25, 2012

Secondly, the fresh fruit and vegetable industry operates by a unique cultural factor – Sell It or Smell It. Despite the challenges within the fresh produce industry, Casey is a brand differentiation believer. Trouble is. most of us would need a magnifying glass to discover the maker.

Brand 242

Brand Retail Bureaucracy Constraint 242

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 13, 2017

To assist in the selection process, I suggest seven basic search guidelines: Search for small players or divisions of large players in industries you like. Lean towards industries on strong growth curves. When it comes to job hunting, several avenues are open to grads with an entrepreneurial drive. Does it inspire?

Mass Marketing 100

Mass Marketing Bureaucracy Entrepreneur Class 100

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 23, 2012

He happens to be world renowned for introducing innovations in sustainability to the global greenhouse industry. I’ve known the proprietor of this tomato greenhouse operation for almost 20 years. Casey Houweling isn’t known for brilliant marketing.

Media 241

Media Brand Self-aware Case Study 241

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 10, 2011

Pick an industry on a growth curve. EA is going through tough times right now. So why don’t they reduce the number of operations? Wouldn’t fewer locations reduce costs be and easier to control? EA says that would stifle innovation. The leaders of these companies aren’t ‘managing the store’; they’re building new stores.

CEO 170

CEO Advice Company Competitive Advantage 170

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 21, 2011

The majority of Halliburton’s revenue is from the sale of products and services to the oil and gas industry. Unlike BP, who mismanaged an accident, Halliburton and Monsanto self-inflicted the ethical decline of their brand image over many years.

Brand 140

Brand CEO Long-term Crisis 140

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 8, 2016

Today, Nabob faces yet another challenge: finding its place in the quickly dilating coffee industry. I came from the packaged goods industry, and when [I arrived at Nabob] we were looking at it as just another packaged product, like a soap or a detergent. The [industry] average recall was about 20%.

Brand 100

Brand Brand Management Advertising Management 100

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 10, 2011

Aspiring writers are poor souls trying to break into an industry that doesn’t want them – that’s a preposterous statement to those unassociated with the business of publishing. One thing is certain — there won’t be a publishing industry a hundred years from now without new voices. Maybe I can help.

Brand 100

Brand CEO Open-book Magazine 100