Convert Past Successes into Future Greater Successes
-- Dan Coughlin
In 1989, I was the head soccer coach at
DePaul University. It was a remarkably good learning experience even though my salary came out to exactly $11.51 per day ($4200 divided by 365 days) for recruiting, scheduling, coaching, driving the team bus, and countless one-on-one meetings with the players. In truth, I would have paid DePaul for the opportunity. I was 27 years old and it was my fifth and final year as a college coach.
© 2011, Dan Coughlin. All Rights reserved.
Promise and Potential of Strategic Sourcing
--Ram Narasimhan
Not every company on the planet has had poor results through the recession. Some
have continued to achieve remarkable results and deliver incredible performances. The
challenge for leaders of every long-term successful company is to continually remind the
employees and suppliers of what got them there.
© 2011, Ram Narasimhan. All Rights reserved.
Coping with Turbulent Times and Tough Economic Conditions
-- Colin coulson-Thomas
In recent years the rate of economic growth
has varied in different parts of the world. Some countries have experienced a slowdown and others a recession. Many corporate organizations and individual citizens have faced severe pressures, while banking systems and particular countries have had to seek external “bail out” support. Pain first experienced in the private sector can be later felt in the public sector as Governments take action to cut spending and reduce borrowing.
© 2011, Colin coulson-Thomas. All Rights reserved.
What Can Hedgehogs Teach Us About Strategy
-- David Burkus
The very word strategy offers up
connotations of planning and images of executives in suits and ties sitting around a large table at an off-site meeting facility and laying down quarterly objectives. These executives pour over data regarding what products are profitable and unprofitable. They then examine estimates about what opportunities the future of the market holds for their current and future products. Finally, they emerge from their off-site cave with a step-by-step guide for the rest of the hierarchy to implement. While this scene is played out in organizations across all industries, it may not be the best way to develop a strategy. The key to developing a real, viable strategy may not be to craft a simple strategic plan, but to learn how to think strategically. To begin, leaders must learn how to think like a hedgehog.
© 2011, David Burkus. All Rights
reserved.
The Moral of the Moment
-- Rob L Jolles
In my last article I wrote about, “The
Turbulent World Effect” and the challenges of strategy making in a turbulent world. The ultimate effect this has on people is to create worry, so let’s tackle the concept of worry this month. What if I told you, I had a way to reduce worry in a turbulent world? It involves a process I call, “Positive Thinking – Positive Habits – Positive Results.” Let’s put this model to the test, and see if we cannot only address the concept of worry, but what we can do about it.
© 2011, Rob L Jolles. All Rights reserved.
Whistleblowing
-- Matthias Kleinhempel
The term “whistleblowing” comes from England, where policemen, as in many other countries around the world, used to “blow the whistle” when they spotted an illegal activity, calling the attention of both other policemen and passers-by. This English word is widely used to refer to misconduct reports both in corporate and public organizations. Whistleblowing carries “the voice of conscience”1 – a new name for an old practice.2 The term was used for the first time in the US in 1963, when Otto Otopeka, a public servant, revealed classified documents to the Chief Counsel of the US Senate’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security and was subsequently fired for inappropriate conduct.3 Whistleblowing is usually defined as the disclosure of information that a current or former organization member reasonably believes is evidence of illegal, immoral or illegitimate practices carried out by other organization members to other people and/or organizations that may be able to effect action.
© 2011 Matthias Kleinhempel. All Rights Reserved
Leadership Lessons from the Edge
-- Richard Cross and Floyd Woodrow
Whatever maps are used leaders who can cope with this seismic shift are required. Successfully navigating through today’s challenges requires a different type of leader who experiences and lives in the world in very different ways to those of the past. That much is certain.These are not those who made their careers exploiting hierarchies, ‘metric mayhem’ or perfecting orthodox follow the money, ‘numbers-oriented’ corporate behavior. For Bob Johansen, Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for the Future, the type of strategy that works is to be very clear about where you’re going, but very flexible in how you get there. In this environment, he maintains, the best leaders are characterized by vision, understanding, clarity, and agility.Whilst this might be partially correct, there is far more to what is termed here elite leadership talent in a turbulent environment.
© 2011, Richard Cross and Floyd Woodrow. All Rights reserved.
Creating a Strategy to Build a Super Yacht Service Industry Centre
-- Stephanie Jones
The Princess Kat, a 38 mtrs luxury cruising
yacht usually seen sailing in Greek and Turkish waters, had reached the time for her five-year service. Built five years ago in Italy and finished to an extremely high standard of cruising excellence and manned by seven crew members, she was looking for a yacht-support centre on dry land to conduct a major refit. The ten charter guests she can accommodate are paying $200,000 per week to stay on board; so the facilities on board have to be stunning, fabulous, awesome, exemplary – and other descriptors used when talking about the ultimate opulence enjoyed by the super-rich. The super-rich owner of the Princess Kat – a captain of industry also owning a string of hotels and retail outlets – is also obsessively demanding of the same kind of quality in his ship’s fittings and maintenance for himself and his family. He expects perfection – if not excellence – at every turn.
© 2011, Stephanie Jones. All Rights Reserved.
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