Videos
Epic Shifts: Lessons from Admiral Rickover on Leading Transformation
This is a story about an admiral unlike any other. Admiral Rickover was no ordinary leader. He was the architect of the US Nuclear Navy. How did he pull off the feat of creating asymmetric power for the United States through technological leadership? He did so not as a traditional military leader, but instead by rewriting the rules for driving transformational change.
The Intangibles: Underdogs Embrace the Unconventional
Underdogs do not win by replicating the strategies of their larger competitors. They don’t have the money, market share, brand, teams, or domain expertise at their fingertips to go toe-to-toe. Instead, they must find a competitive edge. They need a unique angle. They need to hone the ‘intangibles’ within their competitive arsenal.
Volatility Is Your Gift: Creating Strategic Advantage in Periods of Change
Volatility is often feared. In reality, it is a powerful gift. In fact, if you know how, volatility can be one of your greatests gifts. Learning the art of perceiving and managing change is an essential skill for today’s CEOs, leaders, and decision-makers navigating an extremely dynamic business landscape.
Ideas vs. Power: The Lesson that Changed JFK
Imagine yourself in the Oval Office. Eighteen months before, you suffered a debacle that will come to mark the low point of your presidency. Your poor decision-making then changed the game, and not in your favor. Castro got stronger. The Soviets were emboldened to challenge you. Your reputation as a statesman on the international stage was damaged.
2024 Unveiled: CEO Strategies for Decoding Unfolding Systemic Shifts
Explore the rules and pitfalls of decision-making amidst the significant systemic shifts we will likely see in 2024. From significant economic change, to the chaos of being a presidential election year, to a shifting global security and power framework, uncover your strategies for navigating these uncertainties which lie ahead in this thought-provoking episode.
Decision Bias: Find the Subtle Influences on Your Decision-Making
A quick exercise for CEOs to better understand how their decision-making is influenced by key actors, both in overt and subtle ways.
Curate Friction: The Good Fight You Should Be Having
There is a fight for influence over your decision-making process amongst your internal teams. This is how to curate a healthy fight, and harvest its benefits for your company.
Target Poor Judgment: Be a Short Seller
This is a technique that CEOs and boards of directors can use to test both public and private companies’ decision-making prowess. It leverages the methods of short sellers, who hunt for companies to bet against, harvesting large gains from the mistakes of others. For this reason, short sellers are not popular, but they play an important role. This technique is more fully outlined in my article in Directors & Boards in 2023.
Compete Higher: Three Core Tenets for Leveling Up
Drawn from the experience of working with a mid-market leader that was successful, had more ceiling with their current business, but for the young CEO, could reach so much higher, this episode reveals three core tenets to competing at a higher level.
My Blind Spot: Hard Lessons Learned Painfully Well
Sound CEO decision-making is fundamentally rooted in a willingness to persistently challenge the dominant logic and narrative that runs in your mind. My story of getting popped in a blind spot. They hurt but are always remembered.
Identify the red flags that CEOs can look for in targeting the decision-making of opponents, as well as to overcome in their own decision-making patterns and tendencies through an exploration of how one of the most influential captains of a venerable institution went to stewarding one of the most profitable financial engines on Wall Street to overseeing its demise.
Target Blind Spots: How a Wall Street Captain Was Exposed
Worst Decision-Making: Myth Versus Reality
The seeds of decision-making success or failure are planted years before we witness the climactic result. Four common CEO archetypes are at risk of getting their decision wrong when it will matter most.
Process Determines Outcome: Teachings from a U.S. House of Representative’s Parliamentarian
Many CEOs believe their strategic success depends on the strength of their product, service, technology, financing, or branding. In reality, however, the most powerful asset available to the CEO in leading a company’s strategic execution is the process by which they make decisions. The process determines the outcome.
Spotting Weakness: How a U.S. Nuclear Sub Commander Changed the Game
This is the story of a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine commander’s ability to challenge the Soviets when they were at their weakest. He changed the rules of the game. And won. He secured asymmetric advantage, but for a moment. It was by targeting the decision-making weaknesses of his Soviet nuclear counterparts for but a moment. The Cold War ended three years after his exploits.
Place the Mark: The Great Chess Match Between Goldman Sachs and AIG
Elite CEOs and companies do not shy away from the noise, confusion, and chaos of shifting markets. Instead, they study them. They move their assets and players into place. They place a mark on others, including those less savvy, stuck in their mindset, unable to move, or simply certain they are right, because they always were before. If played well, they emerge even stronger in the end. This is a story of how.
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