In complex organizations with multiple lines of business, when should a staff service be centralized at corporate and when should it report into a business? If that service is mission critical to the success of the business unit by being part of that unit, that service should report directly into the business unit. Otherwise, the service should be centralized.
What you need to know to become a corporate director
Be sure to perform due diligence on any board you are thinking about joining. Understand the boardroom culture. Do some directors have an agenda that might steer decisions in a direction against the best interests of the company? Do directors have sufficient experience to ensure good governance? Is the CEO open and transparent with the board on issues impacting the company? Are the directors people you would enjoy working with?
Advance in your career by going beyond expectations
How do people really get promoted? Doing the hard work is part of the equation, but its not going to be enough to get ahead. It’s about meeting/exceeding the expectations that your manager never tells you about. It’s about the unspoken rules that are not in your job description.
Leaders cannot ignore the brutal facts of reality
Facing the brutal facts and addressing them early can prevent disastrous consequences later. Valery Legasov, the hero of the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl,” stated, “Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid.” I cannot think of a more appropriate statement that describes the importance of facing the brutal facts of reality. In addition to Chernobyl, this also applies to the Titan implosion, the Challenge disaster and global warming.
Leaders need to deal with toxic people within their organization
A toxic corporate culture is the result of a CEO setting a tone at the top that tolerates toxic people within their organization. As the CEO, you should never tolerate a toxic individual. They cause great harm to your organization. If they cannot rapidly change their management style, part company with them.
Are you quiet quitting? Here’s why Mark Cuban says you’re only hurting your own career
Speaking about people who quiet quit and only do the minimum required, Mark Cuban said, “Don’t apply for a job with me… The one thing in life that you control is your effort, and being willing to do so is a huge competitive advantage. Most people don’t.”
Starbucks’ $25.6 million lesson is one for leaders of all organizations
The equitable treatment of employees and fairness of any disciplinary action needs to be made using common sense and good critical judgment. It doesn’t appear that this was done by Starbucks when deciding to fire Phillips. This was an expensive lesson for Starbucks. It’s a lesson for all organizations.
Entrepreneurship graduates: You have business skills that give you an edge regardless of your career
You have “served in the trenches,” acquiring the skills of all successful businesspeople through real-time experiences that have monetary consequences—much different than only learning from case studies sitting in a classroom. Most undergraduates don’t have these experiences until they are well into their careers.
Hire people who know when to break the rules. Empower them to do so.
Always hire people with common sense and good critical judgment, because someday they may need to violate company policy or their authority to save the company money, reduce liability exposure or protect its reputation. Employees who on occasion violate company policy for the right reasons are your change agents and future leaders. Celebrate them.
What Steve Jobs can teach us about getting out of our comfort zone
Quoting Steve Jobs, “I’ve never found anyone who has said no or hung up the phone when I called [to ask for help]. I just asked. … Most people never ask. And that’s what separates the people that do things from the people that just dream about them. You gotta act. And you gotta be willing to fail.”
Lessons from the drive to unionize Starbucks
Starbucks employee unionization efforts are a lesson for all companies. Listen to the concerns of your employees. Create an environment in which employees develop a feeling of ownership in what they do at the company. Do so before a movement to unionize occurs.
When faced with a challenge, remember where your power comes from
When faced with challenges and adversity, remember Eric Little’s statement in the film Chariots of Fire, “So where does the power come from to see the race to its end? From within.” After you look into the deep, dark abyss, it becomes your finest hour, and you emerge stronger than before.