What a waste when bright, competent senior leaders who report to the CEO hang back, and fail to lead their company assertively. When they tiptoe around the CEO and wait for permission to take charge.
David Gensler, Executive Director of Gensler first faced the challenges of operating worldwide back in the 1980’s: he’s had a few decades’ head start on most of us. Read how the company’s experiences in China became a global strategy.
What would you reveal about the future direction of your company or a specific employee? If big changes are in the wind – M&A, reduction in force, or outright sale – here are some specific suggestions on how the CEO and their top team should deal with disclosure.
Many executives and companies have a built in limiting factor, just like the governor on a gas pedal. Here’s how you can prevent micro-management at the highest levels from stifling your growth.
E-mail is a great convenience, but it’s completely one-way. This can create havoc in your business infrastructure. Here are some of the biggest e-mail mistakes, most of which can be avoided by the original and most powerful form of communication.
High maintenance employees sap all the energy from team and upper management. Here are some examples of the breed and suggestions for resolution of the problem.
Loyalty to your employees is admirable, particularly when they’ve served the company well. But what happens when their performance slips? Do you have the toughness to put company loyalty first?
What could ever be wrong with a strong, growing top line? What would be wrong with running a lean company? The answer: Too much work to do and not enough people or resources to execute it well.
Debates are necessary tools, but ultimately decisions must be made. Debates without decisions send your team round and round in circles. Here are the three most common manifestations of this distraction and four strategies for mitigation.
Do you have capable managers on your top team? That won’t be enough. Managers like/need to be told what to do. Leaders (executives) create momentum on their own, making decisions as needed to achieve an objective. Collecting and growing an excellent leadership team is one of the most critical aspects of a CEO’s job.
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).