CEO Think: Blog
Department of Fun: Building Team Spirit from the Bottom Up
Company leaders like to believe their company is fun and attractive, with an active social calendar to strengthen morale and internal relationships. But how to make this happen? It can be the touch of death for any activity to be organized by the leadership, coming off as too corporate, with money spent but attendance low and the effort unappreciated. Yet if the office is all work and no play, where is the joy – much less the warm company feeling – in that?
Spreading a New Mindset of Leadership
Real leadership means creating the future, but who has the time? Senior management has to manage the business for profit, yet decision-making for day-to-day stability can stifle new ideas and development.
What is a People Strategy and Why Do I Need One?
By Megan Patton
Principal and People Practice Leader
Spending time with midsized business owners and executives, one common theme I often hear is that “people issues” are among the top things they worry about. I’ve heard owners say, “If I didn’t have to worry about people, my business would be a lot easier!” Managing the issues around people in your company can be made easier with the implementation of a People Strategy.
Meet Our New People Practice Leader
We are pleased to announce Megan Patton will take on the role of CEO to CEO’s People Practice Leader. The People Practice within CEO to CEO focuses on helping clients create strong leadership teams and optimize organizational effectiveness.
I Want You: When the CEO Makes the Call
The hiring team has found a great candidate, an attractive offer is on the table, but the prospect hesitates to sign on. For some reason they are stuck, and without an additional push, they may take the easy route, decline the offer, stay in their existing job – and you’ve lost a strong hire.
Using Thought Leadership As A Talent Magnet
In businesses whose people deliver expertise to customers, thought leadership can be a great business development and marketing asset. It’s how consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain and Boston Consulting Group have built multibillion-dollar businesses, and increasingly how wealth management, architecture, IT services, software and other firms are gaining share.
Recruit Organically: How To Break The Outside Recruiter Habit
When the flow of exciting résumés coming in does not keep pace with the hiring needs of a growing company, many will turn to external recruitment firms. Such firms see a quick and cost-effective way to get in more CVs, as they have established databases and work on a contingency basis, usually charging between 9% and 33% of the first year’s salary only if a hire is made.
Casting a Vision-Looking for Hidden Opportunities
Leadership in Times of Fear and Uncertainty
Over the past week I’ve been talking a lot about how leaders must immerse themselves in the future to find hidden opportunities for their companies. If you missed my webinar titled, Leadership in Times of Fear and Uncertainty, you should watch it for a full explanation.
How COVID-19 is Affecting San Francisco Bay Area Companies – Week 4
The fourth week of a flash survey of San Francisco Bay Area CEOs was taken on April 7. See the previously published week 1, week 2 and week 3 results. In week 4, we see that many CEOs project it will take another seven months until their businesses return to somewhat “normal,” an increase from week 3.
Is It Sick To Say This Is Exciting?
Nobody wished for this virus to descend upon the world. The harm, death and cost it is wreaking is disgusting and sad. Listening to the news in better times often seems negative and depressing, but in retrospect, the news six months ago was nothing compared to the news today.
Robert Sher is founding principal of CEO to CEO, a consulting firm of former chief executives that improves the leadership infrastructure of midsized companies seeking to accelerate their performance. He was chief executive of Bentley Publishing Group from 1984 to 2006 and steered the firm to become a leading player in its industry (decorative art publishing).