In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 8, 2012

I’ve always held the opinion that big organizations move at a snail’s pace. But anyone who has worked with large NGOs (non-government, not for profit organizations), or giant corporations has tasted it. Every day, we see or read about bureaucracy – government is the biggest offender. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule.

Company 212

Company Bureaucracy Airlines Banking 212

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 20, 2014

Organizations that insist on simplicity are generally the most successful. This is a corollary to leadership and strategy but it is also a core value that must permeate the entire organization. Zappos and Patagonia believe that culture is the brand. When you get there, you’ve nailed it. Simplicity.

Real Estate 215

Real Estate Human Resources Bureaucracy Constraint 215

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 7, 2012

Well, I already had a bar code; now I was told that I had to join this organization and pay annually or my products would no longer be handled by chain retailers. Imagine an organization like Costco pulling an act like that on its members. I soon learned that I had no option. In Canada, GS1 is a monopoly. per year.

Niche Marketing 206

Niche Marketing Brand Retail Company 206

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

Organic growth is near non-existent, and with the exception of the Kraft-Heinz merger, so is 5-year growth when acquisitions are included in the income statements. Big Food Forgot How Create Organic Growth. Leaders Failed to Nurture Their Brands. Why the stagnation?

Brand 100

Brand Competitive Advantage Fashion Price 100

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 20, 2016

An organization taken in several non-strategic directions. Your organization will become dysfunctional, bloated, and ill-defined by employees and customers. . Hence, their quest to seek every opportunity to boost sales and profit. The fallout? Business Models Change and So do Core Competencies. Great strategies tell you what not to do.

Strategy 165

Strategy Core Competence Constraint Short-term 165

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 30, 2012

In my CEO afterlife, I’ve pondered the inherent notion that business leadership is different than that of less competitive organizations such as academic institutes, charities, governments, or social associations.

McCarthy 212

McCarthy Leadership Crisis Management Sports 212

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 1, 2012

Take a look at your organization. The organization reeks of pride. Oh yes, they talk about innovation in their annual reports and their mission statements. But this isn’t the Apple, Google or Amazon type of innovation. How many of these traits are evident? The leaders have track records of innovation success.

Mission Statement 222

Mission Statement Innovation Committee CEO 222

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 20, 2013

The “steel” in strategy is its capacity to set the stage for an organization to achieve ironclad competitive advantage. Booz & Company’s survey of 3,500 global leaders, including 550 CEOs and 325 other C-suite executives report a serious lack of cohesion within their organizations. Such aspirations are goals or objectives.

Tactics 217

Tactics Retail Price Brand 217

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 4, 2018

Those who can hardly afford a bus pass or the next meal for their families likely won’t be concerned with hybrid vehicles or buying organic food because it isn’t within their purchasing power to do so. A key dimension of minimalism, while not actively discussed in the documentary, is purchasing power, and ultimately accessibility.

Ryan 168

Ryan Film Stress Retail 168

In the CEO Afterlife

OCTOBER 18, 2015

Far too often, organizations discount the leadership value of skilled employees who either don’t want to advance in the management pecking order, or wouldn’t thrive in that particular environment. Walter measured career development according to one’s place on the organization chart.

Report 100

Report Career Discount Mentor 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 20, 2012

Other than ensuring an ethical environment in the organizations they govern, I suspect today’s Boards still don’t give culture the attention it deserves. 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

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Yes, we were a marketing-driven company and yes, my mind was consumed with marketing and strategy; but, it wasn’t marketing wizardry alone that made the organization sing. By the time an executive rises to the top, he/she will have spent several years within the organization. After all, I had come up through the marketing ranks.

CEO 162

CEO CFO Human Resources Real Estate 162

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Twenty years have passed since I sat in the corner office of a multinational consumer goods organization. Oh yes, the times have changed, but the inner drive that helped me motivate others, and propel organizations to excel, quickly bubbled to the surface. Seven years ago I removed my consulting shingle from the home office wall.

Human Resources 148

Human Resources CEO Mentor Resistance 148

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 1, 2011

Which companies, organizations or industries are known to accept, even reward this type of behavoir? The organizational sociopath often does well in organizations because they are usually expert at flattering their bosses and terrible at developing the people who work for them. Somehow you made it in the big wide world. About John.

CEO 152

CEO Human Resources Brand Middle Management 152

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Complexity suppresses and stagnates; left unchecked, it can bring an organization to its knees. In business, the demands of customers and shareholders have never been greater. Leaders and managers, in their struggle to adapt, are caught in the growing web of complexity. I’m the first to admit that this is easier said than done.

Agility 100

Agility Download Efficiency CEO 100

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

Like many activities within any organization, “the squeaky wheels get the grease.” This is difficult for us to do because of the cultural disconnect to what these organizations stand for. Acting on behalf of shareholders, boards of directors are paying attention to an escalating list of risks and rewards from a firm’s undertakings.

Long-term 100

Long-term Download CEO Objective 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 1, 2016

Nabob (later renamed Jacobs Suchard) went on to thrive as a profitable coffee ‘specialist’ for many years until it was acquired by Kraft, and I went on to council some of the world’s most respected organizations, a blue chip list that included Campbell’s Soup, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Pfizer, and Starbucks. Complexity Cripples.

Brand 100

Brand Competitive Advantage Marketing Strategy CEO 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 15, 2012

More recently, Google saw an idyllic future in organizing the world’s information and making it readily assessable to the masses. Those who get to the future first, are the ones who win. Apple has been adept at the vision game for a quarter of a century.

CEO 242

CEO Chief Executive Officer Critical Success Factor Discount 242

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 5, 2013

If the hordes of telecommuters were adding massive value to the organization, Ms. During her 13-year tenure, Google invested in making their bricks and mortar facilities conducive to onsite collaboration. The strategy worked like a charm. So why wouldn’t she want to instill this model at Yahoo?

Competitive Advantage 241

Competitive Advantage Reputation Strategy CEO 241

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 10, 2018

No organization, large or small, can manage more than five goals and priorities without becoming unfocused and ineffective. Study their moves and engage your team for an analysis of updates. Avoid egotistical price wars and emotional outbursts, but make competitors think you are prepared to win at all costs.

Maturity 159

Maturity Tips Entrepreneur Bottom-up 159

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

Achieving the right culture is possible, but it seldom happens unless the organization is blessed with a strong and tenacious CEO who passionately practices the tenets of entrepreneurial leadership. Change won’t happen overnight because you are likely facing a shift in corporate culture.

Creativity 240

Creativity Brand Management Marketing Resistance 240

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 14, 2012

The organization is structured in a way that almost every proposal requires concurrence from a peer. They are, and department by department, the company is stocked with dedicated people that are better than their competitor counterparts. P&G is a challenging work environment.

Proposal 260

Proposal Advertising Brand Marketing 260

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 21, 2016

Fast companies deliver superior results to thousands of customers, retailers, restaurants, and service organizations. The most successful leaders, leverage ‘fast company’ cultures to achieve competitive advantage. Fast Companies Get Results. California-based In-N-Out Burger chain epitomizes this quick and nimble culture.

Company 145

Company Brand Competitive Advantage Retail 145

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

When an organization enjoys “big company” power, a qualitative culture isn’t urgent. Be a specialist or organize the company to act like one. In America, several specialist retailers who limit their product scope continue to thrive in an environment dominated by 5,000 Wal-Mart stores. . 2. They are bureaucratic. Be nimble.

Competitive Advantage 100

Competitive Advantage How To Human Resources Strategy 100

In the CEO Afterlife

OCTOBER 30, 2011

You’d think executives from the same organization would offer the same responses. Most of my work has been with non-profits, where the problem may be even worse because such organizations want to please everyone. I posed three simple strategic questions that on the surface appear easy to answer. What business are you in?

Strategy 234

Strategy CEO Marketing Strategy Human Resources 234

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 28, 2013

Here was an organization whose brand and company name stood for healthy breakfasts. I have been a big fan of Kellogg’s since my days at the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency in the early 1970’s. The marketers of the day and those of the next twenty-five years worked hard to fortify that stellar reputation.

Brand 227

Brand Advertising Marketing Long-term 227

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 26, 2015

For years management has failed to generate organic growth. Kraft is a rather interesting case in shareholder value. So they’ve chosen the easier growth route of acquisitions, mergers, divestments, and more mergers. And through it all, shareholders have been rewarded with lucrative stock gains.

Core Competence 100

Core Competence Brand Reference Objective 100

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Everyone should take their career seriously, but they shouldn’t be doing it on a daily or hourly basis at the expense of the greater good of the organization. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that this rampant practice has not been stamped out. If you do, you need to reassess your values and ethics.

Career 199

Career Management Mentor Brand 199

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 16, 2015

Without it, the complexity virus infects every nook and cranny of the organization. Truth is, they have never realized nor enjoyed the sales and profit rewards that come from walking away from non-strategic ventures in the name of maintaining the integrity of focus. Strategy is critical to clarity. The Best Strategies Require Sacrifice.

Strategy 100

Strategy Brand Brand Management Marketing 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 28, 2012

Other than ensuring an ethical environment in the organizations they govern, I suspect today’s Boards still don’t give culture the attention it deserves. 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

FEBRUARY 19, 2012

Can a good “start-up” CEO guide a mature organization? Fundamentally, the leadership style or the skillset required of a CEO in one environment may be the kiss of death in another. Is a “turnaround” artist right for a profitable, steady bureaucracy? Are shareholders looking for a builder or a banker? One has to wonder.

CEO 213

CEO Human Resources Bureaucracy Maturity 213

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

In a crisis, whether short or long-term, the most senior people in the organization need to step up and offer innovative solutions to the issues hammering the bottom-line. Do you have the right people in place to minimize its impact or to lead you out of the short-term crisis? Seldom are people to blame. At best, they are managers.

Short-term 232

Short-term Long-term Advertising Hammer 232

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 26, 2011

Though manifestos are best known for political movements, the ideals and intent of such potent texts can also move people to excel on behalf of the organizations that employ them. Today, MLK’s I Have a Dream is arguably the most inspiring manifesto of the 20 th Century. Apple is a very good example.

Power 209

Power Mission Statement Sports Innovation 209

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 23, 2012

The companies that employed me were generally the underdogs in battles against bigger, better-financed organizations. For most of my career, I operated within intensely competitive arenas where fractions of market share points were worth millions of dollars. Against mounting odds, we did more than survive. We thrived.

Power 208

Power Sports Competitive Advantage Advertising 208

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 5, 2015

Complexity stifles organizations and confuses consumers. . At a time when they should ‘do less, better,’ they are frantically adding more products, line extending brands, and adding endless features to products and services. The result is complexity.

Brand 100

Brand Airlines Bottom-up Marketing 100

In the CEO Afterlife

OCTOBER 7, 2013

These organizations are the ones enjoying unique human capital advantages that emanate from diversity at the top. The problem is outdated, entrenched male-oriented cultures that refuse to recognize or promote the value of diversity in corporate leadership. Flourishing 21 st century corporations embrace the notion that Culture Is the Strategy.

Diversity 200

Diversity Mentor Human Resources Human Capital 200

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 10, 2012

The tendency in any organization is to look for the 5 steps to do anything and make a system. Thirty seconds passed before the teacher added, “But you may be the most creative we’ve ever had.” . #22 22 Matthew Schmidt – Professor Political Science School of Military Studies. That’s not how to look at a competitive world.

Creativity 238

Creativity Advertising Belief Systems Storytelling 238