The Twitter IPO – Can a Successful Leader Have Two Different Masters?
So the Next Big Thing is the Twitter IPO. It hits all the high notes. The creation of a new global elite, the Twitterati. Facebook-like dynamics. Creator of revolutions. Steve Jobs sounds-a-like. And Jack Dorsey is not only a bachelor; he’s a vegan to boot (dating a yoga instructor as well!). What’s not to like? […]
The Fed “Taper” – Never Let a Good Deed Go Unvarnished
The Fed has shown itself to be very innovative, with its various programs to try to grow the economy. But in inventing the taper I believe that they have surpassed the already high bar they set with QE3. I think that their innovative usage of the term “taper” has expanded the creative possibilities of literature, […]
Six Strategies to Prepare a CFO to become a Good CEO
Can a CFO move on to become a good CEO? Can a CFO even become a CEO? Often CFOs are seen as being too technical and narrow to take over the strategic and non-technical aspects of a CEO’s job. And, in fact, at least in the US, although some CFOs do become CEOs, they only […]
Are You an Innie or an Outie? Counter-Factual Leadership Strategy and the American/USAIR Merger
Iffy Leadership Ever heard of something called counter-factual history? It refers to what might have been had certain events occurred – or didn’t. As in, what would have happened if Germany had won World War 2? Or Winston Churchill had died after being hit by that car in New York in 1931? So now we […]
The Role of Chutzpah in Leadership: Re-Electrify GE with Elon Musk?
You don’t hear much about that one, chutzpah, right? Yet its probably one of the most under-rated of the leadership qualities. The polite definition of a person with chutzpah is someone who likes to disrupt the status quo. The impolite one is it’s someone who likes to stick it in the eye to an organization […]
Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez: How Many Touchdowns to Go as Leaders?
OK full disclosure: I live in Gainesville, Florida, the home of the Gators, my office is a half-mile from the University of Florida and on weekends I hear nothing else but Gator talk. Unfortunately I don’t follow football. But of course you can’t live in Gator-land without knowing about Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez, local […]
Big Data, Smaller Brains?
Did you know that the human brain has actually been getting smaller over the last 20,000 years? Don’t blame me, I’m just the messenger. See the research by (smaller-brained) scientists at http://discovermagazine.com/2010/sep/25-modern-humans-smart-why-brain-shrinking#.UipT5z-DmCg I think it’s due to Big Data. You heard about that? The use of massive swathes of information, pulled from unsuspecting credit card users, […]
Yahoo – Product Bling 1, Business Acumen 0
There’s been lots of talk about whether or not Yahoo can come back from the dead. Marissa Mayer is splashiferous and acquisitive. Yahoo has received kudos for some “new” products (Tumblr – an acquisition and Yahoo’s new email – just a better mouse-trap)) but revenues are going nowhere fast. Will she make it? Well we don’t have […]
Saving Microsoft and the Second Coming of Amazon
I guess you heard that Steve Ballmer will retire in the next 12 months? Well, bully for him, why didn’t it happen sooner? We all know that Microsoft has slipped dramatically in value for almost his entire tenure So who’s next? What is the Great Succession of Microsoft? It isn’t easy to restore the fortunes […]
“Jobs” the Film: Can a Narcissistic Bully be a Good Leader?
I just went to see “Jobs” the film. A warning: the opening scenes are cringe-worthy and I almost walked out. It gets better after that although never great. But it’s pretty accurate in its view of Jobs. The view of the film is pretty much summed up by Jobs’ first and only real boss who […]