Archive for May, 2008
« Previous EntriesEgo and the Art of the Deal
Friday, May 30th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
While the art of closing a deal requires great skill, it takes almost no effort whatsoever to blow-up a transaction. One of the fastest ways to watch a deal vaporize right before your eyes is to let your ego write checks that your skill can’t cash. If you want to close the deal, be sure and check your ego at the door. Over the years I have watched over inflated egos kill more deals than virtually any other single factor. In today’s post I’ll discuss how to avoid letting your ego interfere with your success.
Leadership Principles
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
While I without question write more on the topic of leadership than any other subject, I realize that much of what I pen tends to deal with complex arguments, sophisticated logic, esoteric theories, strategic applications, and intricate contextual nuances. However, In reflecting upon my lectures, workshops, and client engagements it is not an infrequent occurrence to find even the most savvy executives who misconstrue certain basic leadership ideas. In that vein, I have concluded it might be appropriate to take a step back and review the fundamentals. So, in today’s post I’ve compiled a short list of things you thought you knew about leadership as a friendly reminder…
Read The Full PostLeveraging Down for CEOs
Monday, May 26th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
If you desire to become a top CEO it will be essential for you to master the art of Leveraging Down. Think of any top performing CEO and you’ll find that to the one, they possess an uncanny ability to focus on highest and best use activities. While most executives that have reached the C-suite level understand the importance of scaling via delegation, far too many CEOs struggle with the effective implementation of the concept. To this day I’m amazed at how many CEOs still own tasks, roles, projects, and responsibilities that should be delegated to others. So, in today’s post I’ll share two tips on deciding which tasks, and to whom, should be leveraged down in the organization…
Read The Full PostService Above Self
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
“Service Above Self” is a statement that resonates with everyone who has ever been on the receiving end of the service. However, it has been my experience that the concepts of “Service Above Self” and “Servant Leadership” while often discussed, and always admired, are far too rarely practiced. It is precisely this shortcoming that accounts for many of the problems faced by our business leaders, but by society as a whole. In today’s post I’ll share my thoughts on the value of becoming a true servant leader…
Read The Full PostCritical Thinking
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Critical thinking is not a luxury for senior executives…it is a survival skill. In today’s hi-tech business world we have become reliant on any number of available business tools to help us achieve better results and to perform at higher levels. We attend classes, workshops and seminars, and we read books on how to master everything from the newest software application to the latest management theory. We seem to have an insatiable thirst for anything that will provide us with a perceived competitive advantage, yet we often ignore the one tool which can provide an unequaled return on investment if developed to even a fraction of its potential. In today’s post I’ll examine the virtually unlimited benefits of becoming a better critical thinker.
Read The Full Post5 Steps to Better Communication
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
While it would be nice to have the oratory skill of Winston Churchill or to possess the ability to write like T.S. Eliot you don’t have to be a polished public speaker or a prolific writer to be an effective communicator. It can take years of training to master the art of weaving together great word pictures in either written or oral form. While I suggest to all my clients (regarless of position or stature) that they continually seek to improve their written and oral communication ability, this post will focus on 5 actionable steps that can be implemented immediately by senior executives to achieve an almost instantaneous improvement in communications productivity.
Read The Full PostAffordable Employee Benefits
Monday, May 19th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Today’s Myatt on Monday’s question was posed by a CFO who asked: “What is the best way to manage the rising cost of employee benefits?” While the escalating cost of benefits is something that all companies deal with, for small and middle market entities the prices and complexities are nothing short of staggering. In today’s post I’ll address one of the best and most often overlooked option for minimizing HR related expenses and maximizing HR opportunities…
Read The Full PostManaging Expectations
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
The art and science behind making commitments and managing expectations has always been a critical skill set for senior executives and entrepreneurs to master. In fact, understanding how to come out on the right-side of the expectation curve can often be the difference between average performers and corporate superstars. This is evidenced by the fact that the consulting industry has zeroed in on the importance of this issue such that it has evolved into an emerging discipline known as ”Promise Management”. In this blog post I’ll discuss the value of promise management as a discipline.
Disruptive Business Models
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
How disruptive is your business model? While much has been written about corporate vision, mission, process, leadership, strategy, branding and a variety of other business practices, it is the engineering of these practices to be disruptive that maximizes opportunities. Without a disruptive focus you are merely building your business model on a “me too” platform of mediocrity. In today’s post I’ll examine the power of disruption as a key business driver…
Read The Full PostFinding The Zone…
Monday, May 12th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Today’s Myatt on Mondays question comes from the CEO of a professional services company who asks: “I was watching an athletic event on TV this weekend when one of the announcers described a player as being in “the zone”. How do I find my zone as a CEO?” At first blush this question might sound a bit corny, but oh what a great question it really is…Who wouldn’t want to function at their best more often than they currently do? Wouldn’t it be a marvelous thing to be able to place yourself in the zone when needed? In today’s post I’ll provide some suggestions for operating in the zone…
Read The Full Post « Previous Entries