This article was co-authored with Alex Van Putten of Cameron & Associates We’ve been talking about what gets investors excited about a public company’s prospects and maintain that it’s when a management team can credibly… Read more »
Thought Sparks
Thought Sparks Wrap Up – May 2023
Uncertainty has a way of messing with people, and we sure saw much of that in May. With layoffs, trimmed budgets, and lumbering threats like the US approaching the debt ceiling, our innovation colleagues are… Read more »
Are you boring your Investors? Here’s how to tell.
This article was co-authored with Alex Van Putten of Cameron & Associates It isn’t hunger for short-term results. It’s not about meeting every number. It’s not about never being surprised. What investors really want is to… Read more »
Blast from the past – how companies behaved in 2008 is how a lot of them are behaving now
In October of 2008, I wrote about a company that had a reputation as a paragon of good management that was its own worst enemy when it came to sustainable efforts to innovate and transform…. Read more »
Assumptions are treacherous – just ask Lululemon about Mirror
In high uncertainty situations, one can obviously make decisions that turn out not to be so great. But seriously, do you want to be the CEO featured in a headline “How A Ballerina Outmaneuvered you”?… Read more »
Thought Sparks Wrap Up – April 2023
Reflecting this month on a spate of bad news, and how CEOs and other humans tend to react. The good news is that bad news mobilizes us. The bad news is that we can get… Read more »
How a Threatening Situation can turn Leaders into A**holes (and what to do about it)
During times of change, especially when the change is threatening, the right response for leaders is to double-down on flexibility and problem-solving. Unfortunately, as researchers have discovered, CEO’s often fall victim to the “threat rigidity”… Read more »
CEO Symbolic fallout, 2023 Edition
My friend and colleague Bob Sutton and I continue to be amazed (and a little depressed) at the ongoing popularity of his landmark book “The No Asshole Rule.” It seems that, as Ron Boire is… Read more »
Taking it to the streets – Uber CEO finds out what it’s really like to be an Uber driver
CEO’s make a lot more money, have a lot more autonomy and enjoy a lot more control, than the people working for them. The danger is that they can develop incredible blind spots, lose the… Read more »
Why uncertainty is your friend if you’re looking for big returns
It’s tempting to invest in areas that promise certain returns for a given investment. Unfortunately, by the time an opportunity has become so well understood that anyone could pursue it, it is well on the… Read more »
Thought Sparks Wrap Up – March 2023
Yes, we are well into 2023 and if we’re going to make an impact, now is the time to get started. Considering that it takes 3-6 months to get anything accomplished, you should be starting… Read more »
Stop requiring innovation heroism!
Rewarding Innovation heroes. Launching accelerators with great fanfare, then not following through. Making big claims about organizational transformation that never amount to anything. It’s all innovation theater and it won’t drive long-term benefits for organizations…. Read more »