The Learning CEO
November 19th, 2008 by adminBy Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
“The Learning CEO” is a phrase I coined a number of years back to help my clients understand the high correlation between knowledge and success. As a CEO Coach there is little doubt that I’m passionate about CEO development, and there is one simple reason why…it works. Great CEOs are like a sponge when it comes to the acquisition of knowledge, the development of new skill sets, and the constant refinement of existing competencies. In today’s post I’ll examine the benefits of being a Learning CEO.
Kudos to the top 7 C-level executives at Goldman Sachs for agreeing to forego their bonuses this year…Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, Presidents and co-Chief Operating Officers Jon Winkelried and Gary Cohn, CFO David Viniar, and three vice chairmen: J Michael Evans, Michael Sherwood and John Weinberg all voluntarily refused their annual bonuses. Only 11 days ago I authored a post (”
So, what’s your story? If your personal or corporate brand doesn’t tell a story, then your brand is lacking the very essence of what makes a strong brand to begin with…The story. There is no denying that everybody loves a good story, and there are numerous reasons why. Think about the novels you’ve read, movies you’ve watched, speeches you’ve listened to, ads that have hooked your interest, or virtually any other message delivered by any other medium and it’s the story that either seals the deal, or leaves you feeling cheated. In today’s post I’ll discuss the value in creating a strong brand story…
Are you a “hero leader?” Do you like to swoop-in and save the day? Do you see yourself as the white knight who can solve any problem or challenge? If you do, you have what I refer to as ”hero leader syndrome.” Any leader’s belief that he or she can do everything better than anyone else (even if it’s true) is a root cause of inhibiting workforce productivity. Creating unnecessary dependencies between leaders and team members, while often unintentional and/or well-intended, is nonetheless a far too common practice for the “hero leader.” In today’s post we’ll take a look at the myth of the hero leader…
Is Starbucks and economic bellwether, have they just been mismanaged, or are consumers simply becoming more savvy? Why do I ask, or perhaps more to the point, why do I care? Whenever an industry giant stumbles there are lessons to be learned. If you couple Starbucks recent earnings announcements, with massive store closures and other corporate re-engineering initiatives, there can be little doubt that Starbucks is in trouble. Put candidly, Starbucks has gone from an industry darling to just another turnaround. So, in today’s post I’ll share some insights that all CEOs can apply to their businesses in hopes of avoiding a Starbucks like event…
In celebrating Veteran’s Day each year it is virtually impossible not to think of our founding fathers and the sacrifices they made when they fought to establish our country’s independence. Those thoughts of respect and admiration in turn always lead me to think about of our troops currently fighting to protect our way of life and preserve our freedom. The more you begin to ponder the heroism of our military (past and present) the more you begin to consider the traits possessed by our nation’s warriors. I believe the same characteristics that are present in the heart of a warrior are also present in the most successful executives and entrepreneurs.
Managing Outlook is nothing short of a pain in the *** if you don’t pay attention to it. In coaching top CEOs and entrepreneurs I find that one thing they all have in common is an over abundance of e-mail. When e-mail was originally labeled as the “Killer App” it was because e-mail was thought to be the ultimate productivity enhancement tool. Regrettably, I believe e-mail has become the “Killer App” for most executives because it actually kills their productivity. The truth of the matter is that e-mail in-and-of-itself is not the problem, rather it is how you utilize it that determines whether or not e-mail is an asset or a liability. In today’s post I’ll share the same tips and techniques that I use myself to handle the constant deluge of e-mail…
When passion impedes purpose…an interesting title, but is it really possible for passion to impede purpose? Isn’t passion a good thing? Sure, in most cases passion is an asset that will carry you though tough times, sharpen your perspective, and help you succeed in the face of overwhelming odds. That being said, I’ve also witnessed passion run-a-muck and cause untold harm. It has been my experience that passion only becomes a barrier to success when it is misunderstood and/or misapplied. So, in today’s post I’ll examine the downside of unbridled passion, so that passion can remain an asset, and not end-up becoming a liability for you or your company…. 
It’s bonus time again baby…Let the games begin. Some things never change, but just once it would be nice to see fiscal responsibility take precedence over the blatant greed and disregard displayed by the likes of Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley. Some of the recent bonuses doled out by these financial institutions who were recent recipients of billions of dollars via the bailout are nothing short of ridiculous. Given the current state of the economy, massive layoffs, and the overall financial uncertainty in the lives of many Americans, do these types of actions do anything to restore trust in corporate America? The answer is no…In today’s post I’ll share my thoughts on the bonuses which are being paid out by these two institutions…
Workforce reduction is not an operating strategy…Regrettably, tough economic times are often the precursor for ushering in massive rounds of corporate downsizing, rightsizing, layoffs, corporate restructurings and the like. Reducing headcount in an economic downturn is almost a Pavlovian response for many executives. It’s as if workforce reduction is priority number one in some corporate operating rule book. Here’s a news flash…in the 212 pages of my book “