Yum! CEO of Taco Bell/KFC/Pizza Hut, David Novak, was named Best CEO of 2012 by Chief Executive magazine. The selection committee described him with these key words: compelling vision, comprehensive strategy, relentless implementation, develops employees’ potential, and humility. Some other examples of his leadership include: Gives out chattering teeth with feet to employees who “walk the talk”…
US companies are posting record profits, as the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012 had the highest operating earnings for S&P 500 companies since 1981. That being said, 3rd Quarter profits and revenues fell for the first time since 2009. The deleveraging process has only just begun: Corporations typically lead the deleveraging process, which…
On election night, Mitt Romney did not have a concession speech. With the assumption of victory, his campaign team mistakenly posted a government transition website in the determined expectation of winning the election.Why? He thought he was going to win based on his internal polling of key swing states, even though these numbers did not…
Living in Austin, one of our celebrities is Lance Armstrong. His dominating performance for 7 years in the Tour de France was undercut last month with his admission of suspected, and vehemently denied, doping. Also, last month, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected no former players into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. This…
Things that will disappear soon and causes of the disappearance: checks – due to credit cards and mobile transactions, post offices – due to carriers like FedEx, newspapers – due to online media like RSS feeds, books – due to tablets and online sources, land line telephones – due to cell phones and text messages,…
Below are some highlights from a Wharton interview with IBM’s previous CEO, Sam Palmisano (K@W, 1/18/2012.) Companies have a hard time seeing Act Two because they are so wedded to the product, and the financial rewards of their business model….they just don’t see, or they have a conservative view upon acting. Do I really want to…
Google spent $12B last year for Motorola’s mobile-patents. Facebook paid Microsoft $550 million for some of the patents that Microsoft bought from AOL.The question is… for business or lawsuits?Yahoo filed a lawsuit against Facebook over alleged patent infringement. Facebook countersued. Apple sued Samsung, which they won in America but now there are trials in other…
The co-CEO’s of Research in Motion (makers of Blackberry) resigned this time last year, due to sliding market share (3/4 of value in 2 years). Investors were frustrated that the new CEO was not from the outside, but instead joined RIM in 2007. Yahoo’s once-new CEO, Scott Thompson, was their 5th leader in 5 years……
As we look forward to a New Year, it is necessary to assess your corporate strategy. During this analysis, you must consider 2012’s internal performance and strategy execution, as well as external market landscape factors. Then, you either stay aligned to your stated strategy or you adjust and change your strategy. Three questions to ask:…
Some companies throw holiday parties and give presents. One present that all companies should give is affirmation to employees: celebrating their individual contribution to the company’s success the previous year (i.e. how they are a “cog in the wheel”). What about the technical writers at toy companies? Many parents have the same feelings of appreciation…
