Strategy

Trust is the fuel that helps leadership teams thrive. Reinforcing this point are the findings from Google’s seminal study on what makes a great team at Google: “Individuals on teams with high trust bring in more revenue, are less likely to leave Google, are more likely to harness the power of diverse ideas from their

Technological change is accelerating exponentially. Innovations in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, nanotechnology, and genetic engineering, just to name a few, are expanding the frontiers of what we previously thought was possible. Enabling the speed of innovation are advances in information technology, which are expanding the boundaries of

Imagine if hard drives still weighed 200 pounds and were the size of a refrigerator. Would Adam Osborne have been able to introduce the first laptop weighing 23 pounds in 1981? Without innovation, laptops would not have evolved into the lightweight portable devices they are today. Innovation is not just a buzzword—it’s the key to

Innovation can—and does—happen anywhere and at any time. During the height of the pandemic, many businesses would have come to a complete halt if not for their use of innovative solutions from the technology industry. While Covid-19 created a devastating disruption to the global economy, it also forced remarkable transformations across almost every industry. From

I’ve been fortunate to work with several companies during the pre-IPO phase. Some have been successful, and others less so. But companies that have successfully navigated this phase of growth have one thing in common: all had strong boards of directors with strategic mindsets, a commitment to preparation and a tactical focus on the endgame.

Credit: Courtesy of Texas Roadhouse Kent Taylor was turned down more than 80 times by would-be investors when he sought funding in the early ’90s for his new venture, Texas Roadhouse. But the Louisville native and former college track star refused to give up on his dream of an “affordable, Texas-style” restaurant, and finally raised

Just about any leader can make an organization look good for a moment—by launching a flashy new program or product, drawing crowds to a big event, or slashing the budget to boost the bottom line. But leaders who leave a legacy take a different approach. They lead with tomorrow as well as today in mind.

Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, Chief Executive surveyed more than 1,400 private U.S. organizations on their compensation strategies and the actions they were taking, if any, to navigate the crisis. Our research found that by late June, two companies out of five had cut or planned to cut their CEO’s base salary

It might seem illogical for a large, historically fossil-fueled power company to lead Appalachia out of coal. But it’s key to American Electric Power’s (AEP’s) strategy to power communities in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia with carbon neutral energy and also help them prosper. Like Don Katz, CEO of Audible, who is trying to turn

When John O’Shea closes his eyes to remember his time on the crew team at the University of Florida, the vision comes with practically no soundtrack. His focus is on the moment where everybody’s rowing together, and the timing is just perfect. “I still get little chills thinking about it,” recalled O’Shea. “You hear the

When Swen Nater, a Dutch immigrant who didn’t make the starting lineup of a basketball team until junior college, was recruited by UCLA to play basketball, the school’s legendary coach John Wooden promised the seven-foot-tall Nater two things. “First, he promised that if I came to UCLA, I would not play very much because the

Starting a new company is daunting and, to many, the most challenging part of entrepreneurship. Generating a fresh idea, persuading investors and forming a solid core team are all initial, necessary steps entrepreneurs must take to realize their dreams. However, in many ways, moving past the gritty startup phase to become a successful, growth-stage company is even more challenging than first getting it off the ground. Setting internal

One thing we’ve learned from Covid is that big companies are still run by flesh-and-blood human beings, not artificially intelligent data-crunchers. Despite frequent warnings about potential pandemics, most companies and CEOs did little to actually prepare for the calamity. Eight of the 10 largest publicly held U.S. companies didn’t even identify pandemics as a risk

Throughout a life spent moving from one organizational challenge to another, I’ve noticed that one thread has woven the whole experience together: The unbridled power of good communication and storytelling in successful people. But one question persists: If communication is so important, and we are more interconnected than ever before, then why are most managers and

The art of being a good manager and leader is stretching the people who work for you. Achieving great results comes down to having high expectations of yourself and the people who work for you.   Think back to the people in your life who helped you to do your best work — to be better

A former co-worker was kind enough to post something on my LinkedIn page about my leadership style, saying in part that when I served as CMO at a previous stop I assembled marketing strategies “as some set a feast—a place for everything and everyone in their best place.” I’m certainly appreciative of my colleague’s words,

There’s a reason two-thirds of Fortune 1000 companies use a Net Promoter Score to gauge their service quality: The correlation between a high NPS and customers’ devotion is undeniable—and brands are built on customer loyalty. Just ask Elon Musk. Thanks to its incredibly loyal following, Tesla is now the world’s most valuable carmaker. In addition to that

Bert Thornton has a saying for just about everything, and that includes leadership at Waffle House, where he went to work flipping eggs and retired as the president and COO. “We always liked to say, ‘Lead from the front,’” said the former Georgia Tech football lineman in a recent episode of Corporate Competitor Podcast. “I

Pandemic shutdowns made 2020 the year of the “minimony” or postponement of weddings altogether. But as the wedding industry gets back into full swing this year, David’s Bridal is benefiting from much more than the pent-up demand for full-blown ceremonies and receptions across the United States. The Conshohocken, Pennsylvania-based bridal retailer also is pressing its

Sustainability. It’s a word that makes plenty of headlines—but do we even know what it means? Not many do. That’s because ‘sustainability’ has been added to the ever-growing list of industry buzzwords, joining the ranks of other words-become-clichés like ‘cutting-edge’ and ‘culture.’ Like every buzzword, the reason for its prominence is that it’s become enticing

As Amazon’s Vice President of Consumables—a $56 billion portfolio including grocery, household products, and beauty—Carla Vernon is the highest-ranking woman of color at one of the world’s largest corporations. She has been honing her talents as a performer since she was a young girl, chosen to be the ballet partner of the famous Arthur Mitchell,

Shinola started from scratch as an idea to build a brand around artisanal production of classically designed keepsakes and accessories, on the trendy vibe of being manufactured in Detroit. Nowadays, under CEO Shannon Washburn, the company has flourished into a lifestyle brand with an ever-expanding product line as well as a spreading influence through new

Chief executives seem to have something added to their to-do lists every day. While it once may have been enough to lead the rest of the C-suite (who, in turn, managed everything else) and set a profitable strategy, modern CEOs must answer to a growing list of stakeholders each with their own expanding list of

I’m sure that, like me, you were devastated by the findings of the latest UN climate report. It has become painfully obvious that the state of our planet is in a dire predicament. The problem is likely worse than many of us would like to admit, especially in the business world. Since the UN issued

Monte Moran, Former CEO, Chipotle First the bad news: We’ve been doing leadership all wrong. Now the good: That can change—easily and fast. So says former Chipotle co-CEO Monty Moran, who catapulted the regional burrito chain to a Fortune 500 superstar with a market cap near $40 billion. Ditch the carrots-and-sticks approach to incentivizing talent,

Did you know that company longevity has trended negatively in recent years? In fact, research from QAD predicts that the average life span of S&P 500 companies will actually be five years shorter in 2030 than in 2019. Unsurprisingly, it points to increasing disruption as the leading cause. Technology is driving the disruption that leaves

“The best athletes in the world are the ones who are reinventing their swing or reevaluating their diet or leveraging technology to unlock their bodies’ potential and understand what they’re capable of doing,” said Angela Ruggiero in this episode of Corporate Competitor Podcast. “And I would say the same thing is true of business leaders. We’re all

Chief Executive Group, a leading community for America’s C-Suite leaders and corporate directors, has acquired The CFO Leadership Council, a professional association dedicated to empowering senior financial executives to realize success with 27 chapters and nearly 2,000 members across the United States. Offering programs “for CFOs, by CFOs,” The CFO Leadership Council provides monthly in-person

Reputation is the most important asset you’ll ever own. A recent study found that 70% of a company’s reputation is attributable to the perception of their CEO. Unfortunately, many CEOs don’t know what appears when searching their name in Google search results or on social media until it’s too late. Luckily, there are simple and

Crises draw us back to where we are comfortable. Through the recent global crisis, many companies focused on preserving capital and hurrying to protect their core business. At times like these, adjustments can be modest; change is more incremental and plans for broader innovation can be cast aside. But the innovation imperative continues, and those who