Friends often ask me why I do what I do. By any measure I had one hell-of-a career. I went out on top. Why bother blogging and consulting? Why not just retire to some pristine island in the pacific, lounge on the beach, write my memoirs and work on the[…] Read On
Monthly Archives: May 2018
Presidents, CEOs and Other Delusional Fanatics
I am what a good shrink might call a master at compartmentalization. In case you’ve never heard the term, it’s an unconscious mechanism that enables people like me to make believe that things we don’t want to exist really don’t exist, all so we can focus on our own narrow[…] Read On
Why I’m Ditching Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo’s been my bank ever since I stepped foot in California nearly 30 years ago. That’s about to end. But not for the reasons you might think. I’ve used Wells Fargo for a mortgage, an equity line of credit, personal banking and business banking for decades. While none of[…] Read On
When Delegating Is Bad and Micromanaging Is Good
There are situations when delegating is bad and micromanaging, or being hands on, is good. The key is to know how to identify those situations. When advising CEOs who tend to be overly controlling, I often invoke the words of venture capitalist Fred Wilson: A CEO does only three things.[…] Read On
The Gender Pay Gap Is a Myth
Every year around this time we’re treated to the same eyeball catching headlines about the stubborn persistence of the gender pay gap. The Obama White House had an entire website decrying how “women are still paid less than men,” 77 cents on every dollar, according to the Census Bureau. Indeed,[…] Read On
Entrepreneurship Is Like Running a Marathon … With No Finish Line
Entrepreneurship is not the glamorous career path it’s been made out to be. It’s not about big ideas and lofty ideals. It’s not about hopes and dreams. It’s not about guts and glory. It’s not even about invention and innovation. And it’s certainly not about a search for fame and[…] Read On
Tesla’s Board Should Seriously Consider Life After Elon Musk
Nobody likes an angry showman. When investors need a distraction from disastrous earnings, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is usually a master at coming up with some shiny new object for them to focus on. That did not happen on Wednesday’s earnings call. Musk told investors — the folks who actually[…] Read On