When Conflict Conflicts

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We’re living in an interesting time; information that appears material or conflicting by the optics test for companies goes unmentioned.

At one hand we have the purchase by a senior Berkshire Hathaway exec of stock of a company that was subsequently bought by the firm (see this WSJ piece ) or the flap regarding whether Apple was legally required to provide information on CEO Steve Jobs health (see this article from the NY Times on the release of material information).… Read the rest

Tips for CEOs, Boards and Company Builders: 7 Succession Mistakes to Avoid

The trickle down process is in high gear.

Steve Jobs takes a second medical leave and everywhere business people are scurrying around to do or dust off CEO succession plans.

The fact of the matter is most people avoid contingency planning (Tornado? What tornado?) like Republicans and Democrats avoid candid, authentic dialogue about taxing and spending realities. Succession – particularly at the most senior levels like the CEO – invites thinking about the unthinkable; things like death, firing, or getting “your guy/gal” at the top swiped by another competitor.… Read the rest

Lessons from Great CEOs: How to (Every So Often) Escape the Bubble at the Top

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As sure as night follows day, a “bubble” envelops CEOs and other senior leaders once an organization starts to grow beyond 10 or 15 people. It’s the nature of having a leadership position, the number of people in an organization, and the fact that humans operate in certain predictable ways.

While it’s a bubble that can provide some needed buffer, it’s also a bubble that disables.… Read the rest

Jed York: When the Boss Needs A Helping Hand

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, dur...
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The boss, it turns out is, human.

That can be hard to believe in an age where CEOs can be paid a lot of money and deified at the drop of a hat. But it’s true, and easy to spot when the CEO is younger, less experienced, and front and center of the spotlight. With the pile-on week for 49er’s President Jed York by journalists and fans (and me too) still in process following the firing of 49er head coach Mike Singletary, it helps to remember that Jed York is all of 29 years old.… Read the rest

What Do You Do When a Board Seat Beckons?

It may simply be that time of year but I’m being “soft vetted” for board of director / board of trustee seats.

And whether the board seat is for an organization that is for-profit or for non-profit, there are things some things that anyone – you, me, or anybody else – should do.

Soft vetting is remeniscient of grade school (“If you did have a crush on someone in class who would it be?Read the rest

How to Succeed? Try and Fail! And Try Again.

Albert Einstein noted “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

So what’s up with the craving for the sweet smell of success people that people are determined to avoid the taint  of failure?

Biotech CEO Robert Johnson told me that when he did business development at Lilly he was paid to bring deals forward for the firm to consider.… Read the rest