When you spend decades working with top executives, you really can’t help but observe what works and doesn’t work over the long haul. One thing I’ve noticed, it’s not intrinsic characteristics or personal habits that determine whether you’re successful or not. It’s your behavior. What do I mean by “behavior?”[…] Read On
About a dozen years ago I started a management consulting firm and said sayonara to the corporate grind … and my Gillette razor. What can I say; I’ve always hated shaving, so I traded in the clean-cut exec look for the real me: grubby. Not everyone appreciated the new look.[…] Read On
Ever wonder if you’re a born business leader. Ever think that success just might be in the cards for you? Me neither. But just for kicks, take this quick quiz and find out if maybe there’s a little Steve Jobs or Bill Gates in you. Hey, you never know. Scoring is just[…] Read On
There’s an epic battle being waged on LinkedIn, of all places, between Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer and JetBlue chairman Joel Peterson, who also happens to teach at the same business school, interestingly enough. I’d be happy to referee a cage match if they like. Just throwing it out there. In[…] Read On
It’s a good thing everyone’s so narcissistic and self-obsessed these day; it’s so much easier for me to blend in and appear normal. If you’re wondering what brought that up, I was checking out some of the negative reviews of my book. One reviewer called it, “A paean to himself.”[…] Read On
I just stabbed myself in the chest trying to cut through the military strength plastic that GlaxoSmithKline encases its over-the-counter version of Flonase in. Chainsaws and 9mm semi-automatic handguns I have no trouble with. Consumer packaging is another story (Don’t worry, I’m OK. “Just a flesh wound,” as Monty Python would[…] Read On
My concern with the hype surrounding entrepreneurship and leadership, not to mention the extreme dilution of those auspicious terms, is a topic I’ve touched on many times but never really articulated the way I’m seeing it this morning. Let’s see if I can do it justice. Here’s the thing. I have[…] Read On