It’s one of the most accepted truisms of business strategy: You should pursue a sustainable competitive advantage. It could take the form of a unique business model, a proprietary process, special skills, or any number of things that allow you to
Focus
Why Doing Less Allows You to Accomplish More
If there’s one thing I’m relentless about when it comes to strategy, it’s do less.
How One Company Reflects its Values in Business Practices
While in the UK recently, whenever I had the urge for fresh and tasty take-away food I would seek out a Pret a Manger. Pret (as it is commonly known) is an international, ready-to-eat food chain. With a creative selection of sandwiches, salads, soups and wraps, you could easily fall in love with this chain for the food alone.
Why Strategy is About More than Just Growing Profit
I’ve been asked the question many times: Isn’t strategy simply about how businesses can grow more profits? Well, no. Its not simply about that and it may not even be about that.
Why Creating Experiences Creates Value
Standing thigh-deep in a pool of mud, scrubbing the backside of an elephant got me thinking about the value of experiences.
How to Manage Risk When Making a Big Decision
Sooner or later every leader is faced with a big decision. Acquiring a competitor, shutting down a line of business, expanding into new territory – it’s all part of leading an organization. Yet the outcome of any big decision is uncertain, which means it involves risk. How can you best manage that risk?
The Most Important Thing to Know about Implementing Change
Implementing organizational change is hard. If you research how often such efforts fail, it’s not unusual to find numbers like 60%, 70%, or even higher. That’s a lot of failure!
5 Ways to Think Like a Winner
The New Year is here. Are you reenergized, refocused, recommitted and ready to do what it takes to win? It starts with what’s between your ears.
What Santa Wants You to Know About Building Trust
In the original holiday movie classic, Miracle On 34th Street, Macy’s store Santa directs shoppers to rival department stores if they carry items that Macy’s doesn’t. Management, of course, is aghast, and when called to the office of Mr. Macy
No, Culture Does Not Eat Strategy For Breakfast
Peter Drucker was the “father” of management consulting. He was an insightful thinker and prolific writer, and his impact on business cannot be overstated. I have great respect for him.
Why Leaders Should Be Like Scientists
If there’s one thing the growth of business analytics has made clear it’s that leaders need to think increasingly like scientists.
Consider Booking.com. Founded in the Netherlands in 1996, they are the world’s largest accommodation booking site.
What Political Strategists Need to Learn About Organizational Change
Over the past week I’ve been reading and reflecting on the surprising outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Imagining myself a political strategist – which I’m not – I’ve been pondering the question, “Why did it happen?”