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Is it all about winning or…?
At a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question…more…
Should Investors be given Proxy Access and other governance rights?
Everyone knows that the way a question is posed, frames the way the question is answered. In the world of Corporate Governance we are facing many critical issues but the way the debate is being framed we seem to fall short of addressing the real issues and truly solve the problem. more…
Why Do They Do It?
by Dr. Jack Lin, Chairman of the Board, National Technical Systems, Inc.
One can only ponder - Why do they do it? Why do talented, respected, intelligent, capable, hard working, affluent individuals, in the prime of their lives and at the top of their professions, commit high level corporate crimes or corporate suicide? more…
CRM: It’s up to management
By Don Hicks
One of the most asked questions I hear from my clients is what Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software I normally recommend. My pat answer is that I don’t. Despite the improved quality and features in today’s CRM software, it’s obvious that most companies are unhappy with their CRM implementations, especially when it comes to the out-bound sales force. more…
Markets are Conversations: Are yours naked?
By Gregg Gallagher
I must admit that this whole Web 2.0 thing used to confuse me. Earlier this year I attended a panel discussion of venture capitalists on Web 2.0 and perceived a somewhat cynical viewpoint: investors were seeing it as simply a way to distance themselves & their investments from the failed business models of the Web 1.0 bubble. My own suspicions and skepticism were being confirmed. more…
Who does a director serve?
By Norman Wolfe, CEO Quantum Leaders
We all know a director’s number one responsibility is to maximize shareholder value. We are guided to remember we have a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders of the corporation. But who is the shareholder(s) that I as a director have a fiduciary responsibility to? And when it comes to maximizing value for the shareholder(s), whose value am I to consider? more…
What is a Quantum Leader
By Norman Wolfe, CEO Quantum Leaders
To be successful in today’s business climate, companies need employees who are fully engaged, creative and energetic. Yet so many companies never reach this level of performance. Quantum leaders are leaders who create environments that propel their organizations to new levels of success. What is a quantum leader and how has the role of leadership changed over time? more…
It’s all about execution
By Norman Wolfe
The recent issue of the Harvard Business Review, July-August 2005 is filled with some wonderful articles on creating High-Performance Organizations. Of particular note is: “Turning Great strategies into Great Performance” by Mankins and Steele, (pg 64). While it is a challenge to select the right strategy for an organization, the more difficult challenge, and the only challenge that counts, is how well the strategy is executed.
Most of the focus in the past has been on the development of strategy. Look up any MBA or Executive MBA program and you will find a host of programs on effective strategic planning. You will find methods for understanding the needs of the customer, mapping your core competencies, even for mapping the competitive landscape. But you will find little on how to execute the strategy. more…
Leadership: what is it really?
By Norman Wolfe
There is much talk about leadership these days. A simple search for “leadership” in Amazon.com/books yields over 16,574 matches. You can discover “The 21 Irrefutable Laws”, take the “Leadership Challenge” or learn “Monday Morning Leadership”. more…
Letter to my Successor
By Dr. Jack Lin, Chairman National Technical Systems, May 2005
Dear Bill, …. I thought over this weekend what it has been to be a CEO. What have I learned over the last 40 years that I would like to pass on as you now take up this mantle. What is the CEO’s real function and what unknown factors affect that function? I would like to put in writing some unique thoughts about the actual work a CEO performs. more…
The Execution Challenge
By Norman Wolfe
A client recently suggested, "Let’s wait to work on improving team effectiveness. I have them so focused on executing the plan that we need to wait till that is done".
Let’s wait until after the team has struggled to completion before we help them be more effective at execution. It’s a common dilemma. Training takes time, which is time away from executing. But to be effective at executing, we must improve our abilities. more…
Forging the Trusted Advisor Relationship
By Michael Siersema, Managing Partner Phoenix2000 Group
Today’s business world is a tough environment. Nobody has all the answers. You need advice and guidance from a wide variety of people and resources in order to accomplish your goals. While there are many resources you can draw upon, there are those unique people who have become your Trusted Advisor. more…
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