Harvard Business Review

JULY 24, 2017

Major organizational changes, covering everything from recruiting and branding to regulatory approvals and marketing, happened in rapid succession, with a hard deadline of 12 months to get it all done for the IPO — and 18 months from the IPO until our full separation from GE. Very quickly, common concerns bubbled up.

Management 10

Management IPO Diversity Long-term 10

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 4, 2013

As a consultant, I've been trained to sniff out underlings who can only say no (and aren't authorized to say yes), and strategically work to evade them. And I recall well, at the start of my career, how flattered I felt to be asked for a meeting or some advice — thrilled to be looked at as enough of an expert to be of help.

Venture Capitalist 8

Venture Capitalist IPO Career Follow-up 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 13, 2015

With limited exit opportunities via initial public offers ( IPOs ) and acquisitions, smart young people understand that stock options rarely bring a big payday. He invested in training his staff, but that backfired as those individuals then became more marketable and moved on. I observed their interests.

Venture Capitalist 8

Venture Capitalist IPO Entrepreneur Banking 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

The company started as a single store, but about a decade later it was a national chain on the heels of filing an IPO. It’s a sign that our projects aren’t valued and our careers are stalling out. We haven’t developed skills in resourcefulness. His answer blew me away. “Say no!”

Creativity 8

Creativity Budgeting IPO Merchandising 8