Is your sustainability certificate really making a difference? How deep does it go? Has it helped shape your commercial strategy? I see a lot of companies now brandishing their sustainability credentials. And that’s a good thing. In my view sometimes even when it’s greenwash (see earlier post). But your sustainability can come from so many […]
Execution
It’s not about empowerment
Leaders should not empower their teams. We should not empower women. We should not empower under-represented minorities. As far back as I can recall, I’ve struggled with this word. Empower, for me, carries deep connotations of giving someone power. Of patronising people with power. But I don’t believe you can give someone power. What you can […]
Don’t build a mansion on cardboard foundations
I’m stunned sometimes by how often the basics get overlooked and then bite your business in the most painful way. Founders are often visionaries. We have a dream of what we want to build. We have strategies. Purpose. Missions. Challenge is that the business needs to be continually fuelled while we build. And often, that […]
In plateaus, do you learn or do you defend?
Plateaus are insidious. Because although they’re not a good place to be, there’s not so much pain that you rip off the plaster to do something different. There are some common patterns in most companies that hit The Plateau… … There’s always a good reason why doing things differently won’t work… … Or relentless explanations […]
If you’re frustrated with your leadership team, the feeling’s probably mutual!
“It annoys me how often I need to tell my leadership team what to do. But if I don’t, they just won’t do the right thing.” (How to upset everyone in one fell swoop. But it needs saying, so here goes…) If you’re a CEO frustrated with your leadership team (LT), I’ll bet they’re also […]