FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog

Browse by Category › leadership

July 13, 2007

CEO: I Am Rubber, You Are Glue

John Mackey, the vegan pulling down $1 a year as head of $5.7 billion company Whole Foods, the organic/natural/crunchy/gourmet chain, is taking a lot of FTC anti-trust-flavored heat for posting anonymously -- for years -- on a Yahoo investing forum about his company's own stock. Besides routing for the home team under screen name Rahodeb (Mrs. Mackey, don't you feel flattered?), Mackey also talked a heck of a lot of smack about competitor Wild Oats, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday in a front page story.

Courtesy Nicon Engineering

It gets a little more complicated: Whole Foods has found itself embroiled in an antitrust case for trying to merge with Wild Oats, that same company Mackey had described as "floundering" and a whole lot of other things in previous months online.

Oh, John. Couldn't you have just deployed a PR peon to sing your praises on the silly message board?

Despite the odd revelation yesterday, Whole Foods' stock picked up a little over 3.5 percent today on NASDAQ.

At first glance, this might look like a woefully regrettable mistake on Mackey's part. At minimum, it's certainly embarrassing, and at worst, it could help kill the deal with Wild Oats.

But on closer look, it's a very nuanced case, and the implications aren't clear. Mackey posted information and opinions about his and other businesses, but all of his posts were anonymous (though some on the boards suspected his identity).

It's certainly a faux pas, but does what Mackey did count as foul play, or was it merely "fun," as he describes it?

One ABC reporter thinks it smells like deception, and compared the Mackey gaffe with last year's controversy over the Wal-Mart fan blog that was exposed to have been funded by Wal-Mart's very own PR firm, Edelman. But is it really a fair comparison? When you put the Wal-Mart case next to Mackey's furtive forum posts, I think there's something a lot more sneaky to me about a big PR firm secretly backing what's made to look like a homegrown website.

The jury on the FTC case will be out for a while, which means we've got some time to render our own judgments. (Whatever happens, Mr. Mackey, I love those free fruit samples at my store in Chelsea - keep 'em coming.)

UPDATE: Mackey's sorry.

Posted by Elise Waxenberg at 4:51 PM | 2 Comments

June 19, 2007

An Agile Update for Mansueto Digital

Two weeks, ago, with the launch of a new look for the FastCompany.com homepage, I wrote about our company division, Mansueto Digital (FastCompany.com, Inc.com, and IncTechnology.com) and its adoption of agile software practices as a metaphor for business strategy.

Here's an update: we've been running one of the most complex projects ever undertaken in business journalism, called the Inc. 5,000, using a variation of agile known as a scrum.

Scrum is a rugby term -- it's the clutch of guys on the same team "binding together" around a ball. The heads of one team are literally interlocked with the heads of the opposing team. Great way to communicate fast and efficiently -- but every once in a while someone gets pummelled in the crowd.

Scrum's a pretty complex metholodogy and we're newcomers, so we scaled it down to start -- we kicked off with a weekly meeting to determine our priorities, then ranked them for the coming two weeks. (The "Sprint Backlog" in Scrum terms.)

Small blue index cards recorded each task. After three hours, we dispersed to do our own work. Management (me) signed off and promised not to interfere until the next weekly meeting. In the meantime, every morning, the team gathers for 15 minutes with our Scrum Master -- (David Grossman, Director of Business Development) for a standing meeting. The team literally stands so we can keep the meeting short. We ask only three questions of everyone: What did you do yesterday? Is anything getting in your way of what you're expected to do today? and, What are you doing tomorrow? Wikipedia has a nice summary of how the process works for software development.

So far, no problems have arisen, but I'm sure they'll come up sooner rather than later.

Ironically, our agile methodology hasn't worked out as well this last week with a major software development project. The core of agile, as I see it, is a trust-worthy team. Managment can afford to give staffers great freedom in executing a project (with only intermittant opportunities to review the work in progress and change course if need be) if, and only if, they really trust their people.

Which is not so easy when you're hiring a group of expert developers to build a complex software platform. Since we're investing a small fortune to get this project done, we've had no shortage of great vendor choices.

That said, the world of open source development, and in particular the Drupal community we're working with in building our social network, is filled with both great creativity and big egos. After all, why would someone choose to become an open source developer, giving away much of their work for free, if they didn't have strong faith in their own abilities?

How is the average non-techie manager (like me) supposed to tell the difference between bluster and genius? It's not easy.

The agile process can help you catch weak performers early and correct their mistakes. The fewer mistakes that emerge at the weekly or bi-weekly show and tell for management, the more trust you build. And the more rope you can give the developers during the next "sprint."

We're not there yet with our social networking scrum process -- partly because the team is still in flux. We're nine months into a project that's probably going to run three or four months to get to where we're happy. It's exciting stuff -- our readers will love the end result, I'm sure. And with any luck, we'll build the trust with our software vendors that's necessary to run a great scrum. I just hope to not get too badly pummeled in the process.

Ed Sussman is the president of Mansueto Digital, which runs FastCompany.com, CompanyofFriends.com, Inc.com and IncTechnology.com.

Posted by Ed Sussman at 8:49 PM | 3 Comments

May 15, 2007

Grounded: David Neeleman, JetBlue's erstwhile CEO

When I heard last week that David Neeleman was stepping down as head of JetBlue, I admit I was surprised - despite how worn down he seemed when I interviewed him recently. So he nearly tossed me out of his office after talking for an hour about the February storm in which JetBlue waited too long to cancel flights, grounding planes and stranding passengers for days. The guy was spent. Hadn't slept much in three weeks. But I didn't think his days were numbered.

He handled the whole fiasco with a candor, humility, and accountability that's rare in CEOs and further cemented the notion that he embodied the brand. I thought he'd retreat from the spotlight, recommit himself to improving the operating systems that had failed, and, like his airline, recover.

JetBlue's board has other plans. Last week it urged him to resign, and he complied. Among the many questions the move raises, I keep coming back to this one: Has JetBlue outgrown its founder?

For all of his breakthrough thinking about how an airline should treat its customers and his inspirational leadership, Neeleman has never run a large organization. Morris Air, the regional airline he started in his twenties, was acquired by Southwest, where Neeleman lasted six months. It was too stuck in its ways, he insisted. I'm not convinced a bigger JetBlue suited him, no matter how much he insisted that he embraced such growth.

Three years ago, I flew JetBlue with him from New York to Salt Lake City, his former home. Before boarding the plane, he paused to talk with a couple of members of the grounds crew. He knew the employees by name and even asked how one man's wife was handling chemo. But then he encountered a pilot who joked, "So you really do exist." The pilot had worked for JetBlue for two and half years without meeting its supposedly accessible CEO.

Neeleman looked confused, even stunned. That's what happens when a company grows, and yet it doesn't jibe with his hands-on, personal approach. In fact, it gets much harder, near impossible with 9,000-plus employees in more than 50 locations. Add in more planes, more flights, more demands, and you've got yourself a very different airline.

JetBlue's board appears to be acknowledging that as well as Neeleman's limits. He launched a successful, groundbreaking airline - no small feat - but now it's time to hand over the controls.

Related links:
Firing Neeleman; JetBlue Just Blew It
David Neeleman out as JetBlue CEO
Have You Forgiven JetBlue?

Posted by Chuck Salter at 10:30 AM | Add Comment

March 20, 2007

Fast Food for Thought

Stefan Stern's Business Life piece in today's Financial Times makes me shake my head. An SVP at McDonald's in Europe is circulating a petition to nix the term "McJob" from the dictionary. That senior executive, and the writer, contend that fast food restaurants are quality employers, offer progressive training programs, and support diverse teams. Stern holds up customer service training as a prime example and suggests that it's behind McDonald's 44 consecutive months of sales growths.

That's all well and good. I can understand people coming to the defense of their industry. But looking at the promise and potential -- much less the practices -- of an industry solely by looking at the numbers on the books (gender equity, economic growth) doesn't always show you the full story. Stern would be well served to spend some time behind the counter. So it's to his credit that he title drops Jerry Newman's new book My Secret Life on the McJob.

I've yet to read the book, but I read a review on the way to work this morning that suggested the book is worth reading for two reasons. One, it highlights some of the challenges facing fast food restaurants: low pay, poor management practices, inadequate training, and racial tensions. And two, it doesn't just dwell on the plethora of front-line experiences on which the book is drawn -- Newman, a professor at SUNY-Buffalo, worked at a number of fast food joints for two years while researching the book -- it spins the stories to suss out some solid leadership lessons and ideas.

Posted by Heath Row at 10:19 AM | 3 Comments

February 12, 2007

A New Age of Leadership at Harvard

The naming of the first female president of Harvard University, a place where, as recently as the mid-1970s, women were barred from entering the main door of the faculty club, has prompted the expected chorus of folks wondering if Drew Gilpin Faust’s gender was the main reason for her appointment. That’s not an unreasonable question since her predecessor, Larry Summers, was pretty much run out of office on a rail after speculating if women were biologically cut out for quant disciplines like science and math.

But the more interesting reason for Faust’s selection may be the one alluded to in last Saturday’s New York Times. Richard Chait, a professor of higher education at Harvard, told the paper that he thought the presidential search committee was attracted to Faust because of her management style. “My own sense is that it’s a new template for leadership, and that probably is not unrelated to gender, but it ought not get eclipsed by it.”

Dr. Chait, who studies university management, noted that several major American corporations have recently ousted their tough, even bullying leaders, in favor of more diplomatic, people-oriented managers.

It seems that the softer side of leadership is getting a lot of attention these days. Just last week, Thomas Kuczmarski, who teaches courses on innovation at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, was in our office talking about a new book he wrote about leadership with his wife, Susan Kuczmarski, a cultural anthropologist. It’s called “Apples are Square: Thinking Differently About Leadership,’ (to be published in July.)

One of the things he says he’s now telling his budding MBAs is that the old Jack Welch model of leadership --- assertive, aggressive, controlling, and competitive – has to change. “We need more feminine characteristics in management,” he says.

Just don’t call them that, he warned me. Might spook the fellas.

Nancy Pelosi aside, the modern workplace is not yet ready to sign on to something that might lead someone to call the CEO a girly man. The acceptable way of talking about a leadership model that’s more collaborative, consensus-driven, compassionate, and inclusive, he says, is the gender-neutral term “values-based leadership.”

Call it what you will. But keep your eyes open and chances are good you’ll start recognizing it in the most unlikely places….like at P&G, where A.G. Lafley replaced Durk Jager (who was known as “an aggressive change agent with a confrontational style”) and Disney, where Robert Iger succeeded Michael Eisner (called, by the BBC, “direct, domineering, and harsh.” )

And now even Harvard. Can the Age of Aquarius be far behind?

Posted by Linda Tischler at 4:27 PM | 7 Comments

February 7, 2007

Play for Pay

Progressive leaders such as Whole Foods's John Mackey are capping their pay in order to lead by example. "The tremendous success of Whole Foods Market has provided me with far more money than I ever dreamed I'd have and far more than is necessary for either my financial security or personal happiness," Mackey wrote in a letter to employees. "Beginning on January 1, 2007, my salary will be reduced to $1, and I will no longer take any other cash compensation."

Jan. 1 has come and gone, and executive pay could well become an even bigger issue soon, even on the national stage. Earlier this week, an article in USA Today foreshadowed some possible changes to CEO payrolls.

Lawmakers in both houses of Congress plan to make laws affecting executive pay packages, and a new rule from the Securities and Exchange Commission is forcing companies to provide a simplified summary of top executives' compensation in their public filings. Even President Bush weighed in on the subject last week in New York, exhorting corporate boards to tie CEOs' salaries and bonuses to their success in improving companies and bringing value to shareholders.

It's interesting that President Bush is discussing the issue -- it indicates that concern about pay gaps might not follow party lines. That goes against conventional wisdom. What do you think?

Posted by Heath Row at 10:23 AM | 7 Comments

January 24, 2007

Middle Manager, RIP?

More than five years ago, Marcus Buckingham proclaimed that middle managers were the most important people in your company. Why? "The single most important determinant of individual performance is a person's relationship with his or her immediate manager." Not the CEO.

So I was intrigued to see a recent Human Resource Executive article about the impending death of the middle manager. Some research done by Accenture found that not only are middle managers growing increasingly dissatisfied with their organizations, more than 25% of them are looking for new jobs.

This got me thinking about turnover. As the piece states, turnover is inevitable. But while turnover at the top (CEO See-Ya!, anybody?) and at the bottom might actually be healthy for a company, disruption in the middle could be quite dangerous.

What do you think? Who's more expendable: People at the entry level? Senior management? Or team leaders and other middle managers?

Posted by Heath Row at 7:38 PM | 16 Comments

January 23, 2007

8 Skills of People Who Perform

Ram Charan, a noted expert on business strategy and coauthor of Execution and the author of What the CEO Wants You to Know and many other books, has a new book out titled, Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform From Those Who Don't. In a section of the book, "Judgment and Strength of a Leader," Charan says:

"The greatest psychological challenge in setting and acting on priorities has to do with resource allocation. Whether in a group meeting or through conventional budgeting and capital approval processes, you have to demonstrate judgment and courage in making resource allocation decisions that reflect your business priorities and in following through to ensure that the things that should be happening in fact are. You have to do the analytic work to separate out the facts and assess the opportunities and risks, but you also need to call upon your inner strength and judgment."

View our slideshow, "8 Skills Of People Who Perform," and learn what skills good leaders possess.

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 12:17 PM | 4 Comments

January 15, 2007

Does Your Team Swing?

USA Today today has an interesting interview with Wynton Marsalis. Recently named one of America's best leaders by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and US News & World Report, Marsalis shares his ideas about improvisation at work -- and what leaders can learn from jazz.

He touches on the concepts of respect, integrity, and trust -- as well as meritocracy. About 10 years ago, the Fast Company touched base with Gary Burton about similar topics and themes. The two pieces might make useful parallel reads.

Posted by Heath Row at 10:19 AM | Add Comment

December 8, 2006

"Change or Die" -- the book

To the many readers who sent me email or posted blog entries about "Change or Die," my May 2005 cover story in Fast Company, I'm pleased to announce that I've expanded the article into a full-length book: "Change or Die: The Three Keys To Change at Work and in Life" will go on sale in stores nationwide on January 2, 2007, and it's available now for pre-order from the major online booksellers.

Alan Deutschman

Posted by Alan Deutschman at 10:49 AM | 16 Comments

November 16, 2006

Leading Ideas: Work on the Fire First

"When you're on fire people get out of your way." -- Richard Pryor (1940-2005), US Comedian

Consider This:

While Mr. Pryor was referring to being on fire literally, I'm thinking more figuratively - i.e. to be lit up with inspired energy. Either way, I think the statement holds true. People get out of your way when you're on fire because your energy is undeniable. It's spreads quickly and it's tough to put out. For better of for worse, the fire behind your ideas is often more important than the idea itself when it comes to getting buy-in from others. Most people don't spend enough time building their fire. They make sparks and a few small flames, but they never fan them. The fire never burns hot. It never spreads far. And as a result, it can be stomped out easily.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Work on the Fire First"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 11:15 AM | Add Comment

October 27, 2006

Don't Mess Up

There are 10 things that smart leaders do to help them cope, but those very actions could mess up their companies, careers, and lives, says Leadership Resource Columnist Mark Goulston, M.D., and author of Get Out of Your Own Way at Work...and Help Others Do the Same.

Read more to learn what coping strategies that you currently employ that could end up destroying you -- and how to avoid them.

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 12:33 PM | Add Comment

October 23, 2006

Leading Ideas: Don't Let Talk Parade as Action

"One of the main barriers to turning knowledge into action is the tendency to treat talking about something as equivalent to doing something about it." -- Jeffery Pfeffer & Robert Sutton, The Knowing-Doing Gap

Consider This:

It's subtle and pervasive in many corporate cultures. Talk substituting for action. I've often found a frequent offender to be the manager who's gung-ho about a new management book. He likes the concepts. He talks about them often. He gets others to read the book. They like them too. The book's jargon makes its way into their everyday language. Everyone's excited to be on board with the latest management thinking. Amidst the excitement, everyone fails to realize a simple fact. They're not actually putting the concepts into practice. They're just talking about them. Eventually cynicism follows the delusion because nothing really changes. The book is put on the shelf. Then someone finds a new book...

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Don't Let Talk Parade as Action"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 3:34 PM | 6 Comments

October 5, 2006

Leading Ideas: Don't Be Afraid to Show Shortcomings

"I always tell prospective clients about the chinks in our armor. I have noticed that when an antique dealer draws my attention to flaws in a piece of furniture, he wins my confidence." -- David Ogilvy (1911-1999), Confessions of an Advertising Man (1963)

Consider This:

We all have insecurities. Things that we believe make us look bad or weak. Convinced that they'll hold us back if exposed, we often go to great lengths to try to hide them. Rarely do we consider the opportunity we miss as a result. With the right perspective, our shortcomings aren't liabilities - they're assets. Exposing weaknesses takes strength. It shows confidence. Moreover, it's a powerful way to ease tension, connect with others, build trust, and show your humanity. Not to mention it's refreshing.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Don't Be Afraid to Show Shortcomings"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 11:51 AM | 4 Comments

October 4, 2006

Viral Innovation

Can companies still be innovative once all the low-hanging fruit has been plucked? Chris Trimble of Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business thinks so. The answer lies in the right incentives for management.

Read Trimble's Leadership Resource Center Column, "Viral Innovation : Rewarding Actions One Level Up," to learn more.

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 1:03 PM | 1 Comment

September 18, 2006

Leading Ideas: Walk the Fine Line

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD), Roman Emperor, Stoic philosopher

By definition, if you want to create something extraordinary you've got to leave the majority. You've got to break free from commonly accepted ideas and practices and go out on a limb. The catch, of course, is that you risk your sanity in the process. It's never easy to be a non-conformist, dissenter, or rebel. You end up walking the fine line between crazy and brilliant. But if you want to look back on your life and smile, it's necessary from time to time.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Walk the Fine Line"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 1:29 PM | 4 Comments

September 5, 2006

Leading Ideas: Be Happy Now

"If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us...we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. If we can't wash the dishes, the chances are we won't be able to drink our tea either...we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are [repeatedly] sucked away into the future...incapable of actually living one minute of life." --Thich Nhat Hanh (1926 - ) from The Miracle of Mindfulness

For so many of us, the life we want is just barely out of reach. We can see it. It's just a couple "if only's" away. We tell ourselves, "If only _____, then I'd be happy. I could relax." And so we pursue what we feel is missing - confident in the knowledge that while we're not happy right now, we will be soon. But then we achieve what we're after and yet something still feels missing. New "if only's" pop up to replace the old ones. We're caught in a race with a moving finish line. Contentment is more elusive than we had originally thought. Eventually, if we want to be happy, we must come to grips with an important fact. That we've been fooling ourselves. Contentment, it turns out, is not a destination. Rather, it's a manner of traveling. And if we can't feel it today, we won't find it tomorrow.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Be Happy Now"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 5:18 PM | 5 Comments

Take the Hit

Stress is good for you, writes Mark Goulston, but it can cross over into distress. Managing it effectively can help you lead more effectively.

"When champions and great leaders hit a wall and reach inside they come up with “heart.” When occasional winners and “not-so-great” leaders reach inside they come up empty."

Read the rest of Mark Goulston's Leadership Resource Column here.

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 2:19 PM | Add Comment

August 15, 2006

Project Killer Phrases

I was working with a client recently, and one of the project managers explained, "Our project team is committed to trying to meet this schedule."

How can a team be committed to trying? When the schedule is nuts, or they know they can't meet it, or they don't know what to do, or any number of other causes that would prevent the team from meeting the schedule. In this case, the project team knew they could not complete the features in the requested schedule.

There are several project killer phrases. Here are some of my favorites:

Continue reading "Project Killer Phrases"

Posted by Johanna Rothman at 4:40 PM | Add Comment

August 14, 2006

Creating Courage

Great leaders act with courage when others don’t. They approach difficult situations, seize opportunities, and make and act on better decisions. Courageous leaders imbue the organization with confidence, character, and focus.

Wimpy leaders are not really leaders at all.

I think most of us understand and buy into the importance of courage. Author Gus Lee wrote a great book called, Courage: The Backbone of Leadership. Lee writes that courage can be learned.

We've seen the power of courage. We've also been reminded of the dangers of cowardice and apathy.

When an executive shows courage by facing her fears, even her critics are secretly inspired. But when a boss folds to uncertainty, the courage and capability of the organization become as usable as confetti in a tornado.

Courage is a stunning quiality: it is learnable. I, a former poster boy for cowardice, know this. In an inner city ghetto, I accepted fear as my master and made daily sacrifices to it from a quaking heart. Bullies cultivated a taste for my blood. Tiny tots and girls fed up by my crying could pound me. My two exceptionally clever moves of fleeing and blaming others proved unsuccessful. I shouldn't brag, but I was a very entertaining little kid.

I was sent to a YMCA boxing program to save my life. The tank top kept falling off because it required shoulders. In shorts, black socks and scuffed Buster Browns, I looked like a toothpick in a tutu.

My coach recoiled, "Aw, cripe, kid, ya make me wanna cry." Facing a body bag that was bigger than me, I burst into tears. When Coach hit the bell for me to fight, I dove through the ropes, instantly smacking into a wall which acute myopia had failed to detect.

Coach Tony knew that training and practice reverse the habits of fear. It is the one way courage is learned.

I agree. Courage can be learned and ought to be taught!

As a leadership trainer and coach, my career has been dedicated to the care and feeding of management and leadership. I have been openly critical of many MBA and corporate university programs because I think that while they teach some good stuff, these programs often ignore teaching the GREAT stuff – the most important stuff.

Case in point. After graduating from an MBA program or partaking in corporate training programs, how much time has one spent talking about courage and learning how to be courageous? It’s nice to have that degree or certificate program listed on your resume, but will your coursework help you be great?

If you know of any college or corporate programs that do an excellent job building courage, let us know by leaving a comment. Let’s give any success stories lots of kudos and reinforcement.

And if you are involved in choosing and delivering corporate or university courses, ask yourself if you are doing enough to build leadership courage.

Lisa Haneberg

Posted by Lisa Haneberg at 7:07 AM | 4 Comments

August 9, 2006

"What Would Your Life Look Like If?"

When reading Doug Sundheim’s excellent post on "The Gift of Risk" I was looking at the other half of the equation as how we inspire someone to take that leap of faith outside their comfort zone and attempt taking that risk.

Often, when working with clients, we’ll go to the future and work backwards. Some would call it doing a visualization, however this is different….subtle, but different. It takes what you might visualize as far as an experience or place to be in life and looking at the impact it would have in your life. So the question I ask clients is “What would your life look like if….? and end the question with what would complete a lifelong goal for them. For example “What would your life look like if you got that promotion?” What would your life look like if you started your own company rather than work for someone else?” What would your life look like if you gave up your current lifestyle as you know it and jumped into a new career with both feet?”

For some it spurs them on to push themselves just that little bit more and to take that chance or risk, and for others, once they can see it, taste it, and feel it, they decide not to go ahead as that’s not the lifestyle they want for themselves. Either way it’s a reality check and alters their lives in a profound way.

The same goes for leaders who are taking the organization through unknown territory. “What would the state of the organization look like if….?”

It’s jumping into the deep end of each day.

Looking forward….
Donna Karlin

Executive Shadow Coach • Ottawa, Canada • donnakarlin@abetterperspective.com • www.abetterperspective.com

Posted by Donna Karlin at 7:32 PM | Add Comment

August 7, 2006

Leading Ideas: The Gift of Risk

"Do you think the people who were trying to reach the top of Everest were not full of doubts? For a hundred years, people tried and lost their lives. Not even their dead bodies came back. But still, more people tried...risking...knowing that they may never come back. Why? Because it was worth it. Because in the very risk something is born inside you: the center. It is born only in the risk. That's the beauty of risk, the gift of risk." --Paraphrased from Osho (1931-1990), Indian Professor of Philosophy, Spiritual master

Six years ago, while coaching a client, I stumbled upon a very important question. We were talking about the idea of living with "no regrets" when I asked him, "When in your life did you feel most alive?" He reflected for a moment and told me about the summer he overcame his fear of water and learned to sail. When he finished he was grinning ear-to-ear. Subsequently, I have asked hundreds of people the same question and have been struck by the similarity of their answers. In particular I've noticed 3 themes. (1) Nearly everyone describes a scenario in which they pushed themselves out of their comfort zone and took risks. (2) The OUTCOME of taking the risk is rarely the main thrust of the story - it's usually the process of taking them that they remember most fondly. (3) When people finish their story, they've often got a big smile on their face.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: The Gift of Risk"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 10:18 AM | 7 Comments

July 24, 2006

No One Knows What They're Doing

"The difference between what the most and the least learned people know is inexpressibly trivial in relation to that which is unknown." -- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

You can stop pretending you know what you're doing. I know you're making everything up as you go (hoping nobody notices). It's OK though - that's not where your problems are coming from. Rather, your problems are coming from the fact that you think other people know what they're doing. It's an illusion that's wreaking havoc in your life. It's causing you to doubt yourself. It's causing you to hide your challeges from others. It's even paralyzing you at times. No one else knows what they're doing either. They're making everthing up too. Relax into your ignorance. Open up. Experiment.

Continue reading "No One Knows What They're Doing"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 11:48 AM | 6 Comments

July 14, 2006

Passing the Torch

Some things are better left to the younger generation. That's what David Pogue felt this week when he empowered his intern, Bart Stein, a 19-year-old Brown sophomore, and ran his "The Next Generation's Take on the New Sidekick" in Pogue's Circuits newsletter.

Smart mentoring move. Stein is Tmobile's intended demographic for this device, and though Pogue is the technology expert, I'd rather have Stein's take on this one. He's more likely to actually use a Sidekick III.

Posted by Lynne d Johnson at 5:26 PM | Add Comment

July 10, 2006

Dropping the (Rocket)Boom

In the business world, headlines have been resounding with the news that PayPal's president is leaving Ebay. The announcement has led to a stock drop, as well as speculation about what it means for Meg Whitman's eventual succession. (Jeff Jordan was seen as a leading contender for the head role.)

Meanwhile, in the Web world, Amanda Congdon's apparently acrimonious split with the groundbreaking video blog Rocketboom is raising some eyebrows. One partner says she's moving to LA to pursue a Hollywood dream. Congdon says she was fired and is now living with her parents. A successor has been named.

Regardless of which side is spinning -- and which is speaking truth -- the parting has become one of the most popular searches in Technorati. And it parallels -- in my opinion -- Star Jones's departure from the view and Dan Rather's split with CBS and signing onto HDNet.

For me, the changeover at Rocketboom isn't just a succession story, but a branding story. Dave Winer has publicly supported both actors in the online controversy, but the question remains:

Is Rocketboom Rocketboom without Congdon as host?

Take the Fast Company poll.

Posted by Heath Row at 8:06 PM | 3 Comments

June 29, 2006

Proposal: Cult of Personality

The Washington Post's Leslie Walker contends that society would be better served if people were better versed in what people developed specific technological inventions and innovations. It's a point worth making.

If it's true, per the July/August issue, that "designers are the new rock stars," what of other innovators? Might not promoting and celebrating innovation -- and innovators -- lead to more innovation?

Posted by Heath Row at 3:06 PM | 2 Comments

June 20, 2006

The Devil Wears Brooks Brothers

Inspired by the new movie The Devil Wears Prada, based on the book by the same name, Gini Graham Scott, author of A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses offers some tips for working with a boss from hell.

• Use visualization and mental imagery techniques to think of better ways to carry out assigned tasks.
• If you have a boss who is prone to require long days, plan ahead. Bring along bags of healthy snacks so you’re ready for a day without a lunch break.
• If other employees are in a similar situation,form a mutual support group that gets together off the job.

Bring snacks? For the most part, these tactics don't seem very useful -- they may help make being in a bad situation slightly better, but you're still stuck in the unproductive rut. Martha Stout's advice is more helpful. At least it's more proactive and less passive.

Posted by Heath Row at 4:36 PM | Add Comment

CEO... See Ya!

Liberum Research has been tracking C-level leadership changes since late 2004. And even though May claims the highest number of C-level changes -- including boards of directors and CFO's -- the overall turnover trend seems to be slowing, according to their most recent report.

So far in June, the top three industries experiencing top-level turnover are banking, drugs and biotech, and business services. And the reasons people leave?

• 46% or 672 were new hires from outside the firm
• 21% or 312 were promoted within the firm
• 20% or 291 were internal moves
• 12% or 175 resigned or retired from the firm
• 1% or 20 left firms without clear explanation
• 0% or 1 was terminated

I feel sorry for the one person who didn't have the savvy to say see ya before the firm found its footing and fired them.

Posted by Heath Row at 3:30 PM | 2 Comments

May 30, 2006

Leading Ideas: Don't Stop...Start

"Nature abhors a vacuum" -- François Rabelais (1494?-1553), French Renaissance satirist, from his book Gargantua and Pantagruel

Consider This:

If you want to change something in your life, it's common to try to stop the behaviors you don't like. While this certainly seems logical, it seldom works. The reason is simple - it unintentionally creates a vacuum where the old behaviors used to be. And since nature hates a vacuum it will fill it with anything it can find - usually the very behaviors you're trying to stop since they're so familiar. Instead of stopping certain behaviors, try focusing on what you want to create - and the new behaviors you need to get there. Eventually, with practice, new behaviors will develop enough muscle to naturally replace the old ones.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Don't Stop...Start"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 10:30 AM | 3 Comments

May 17, 2006

Leading Ideas: Find the Courage to Act

"In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) from the essay Self Reliance

Works of genius don't come from great ideas. They come from guts. It's true, you need a great idea in the first place - but that's only 1% of the equation. The other 99% is action. Everyone has great ideas. Very few people have the courage to bet on them. It stings to see our own rejected thoughts in another's work of genius because we realize that they had the courage to act...where we did not.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Find the Courage to Act"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 9:00 AM | 10 Comments

May 4, 2006

Rewriting the Rules Redux

Predictably, perhaps, Raytheon CEO William Swanson -- the corporate-world's Kaavya Viswanathan -- is getting his knuckles rapped by the company's board of directors after public disclosures that he plagiarized nearly half of his 33 Unwritten Rules of Management.

Yesterday, the board said it will keep Swanson's salary at its 2005 level and cut his stock options by 20%, according to a company statement.

For his part, Swanson has apologized, saying the "originality of the material was never the rules themselves."

He has also added a 34th rule, which to readers of this blog may sound familiar: "Regarding the truisms of human behavior, there are no original rules."

Okay, so we said fortune-cookie aphorisms. Close enough?

Posted by Angus Loten at 11:27 AM | Add Comment

April 25, 2006

Sun Up

Jennifer's right that the departure of McNealy from Sun comes at a time when the company sorely needs reinvention and redirection. It's been interesting to read the coverage of his changing roles at Sun. Some articles are relatively dark and dire, focusing on Sun's stock performance, missteps, and so on.

And some are understandably hopeful, almost, well, sunny. I think that it is absolutely awesome that McNealy is being succeeded by Jonathan Schwartz. Schwartz is equal parts public face for the company, informed evangelist for its technology, and everyday role model for its employees. I don't think Sun's powers that be could have picked a better successor.

Besides, in his blog today, Schwartz shares some insights on his work relationship with McNealy, passion for the company, and appreciation for McNealy's work as a leader.

When you move on, what will people say about you? I've never seen such a strong endorsement -- approaching love letter status -- for a leader at a company like Sun before. And that says something.

Posted by Heath Row at 2:30 PM | 1 Comment

April 24, 2006

Rewriting the Rules

Maybe "Seventeen Previously Written Rules of Management" just didn't have the same ring?

According to the New York Times today, that's the number of "unwritten" rules management guru William Swanson allegedly lifted from an engineering textbook -- published over 60 years ago.

Swanson, the head of Raytheon, a military contractor, recently told USA Today the list was inspired by his personal and professional experiences with the company spanning 33 years.

"Swanson's Unwritten Rules of Management" -- a 76-page booklet written last year -- has been praised by the likes of Warren Buffet and Jack Welch. About 250,000 free copies have since been distributed both in and outside the company.

A chemical engineer and blogger in San Diego, quoted in the Times, says most of the rules are cribbed from "The Unwritten Laws of Engineering" by W.J. King.

The question is: Can anyone claim ownership of such fortune-cookie aphorisms as "keep your feet on the ground," "look for what is missing," and "a person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person"? Yes, what William Swanson did was clearly plagiarism. But have we neared the end of anything original when it comes to management advice?

Posted by Angus Loten at 12:56 PM | 2 Comments

April 20, 2006

Next to Built to Last

There's a great interview in Knowledge@Wharton today with Mark Thompson and Stewart Emery, co-authors of Success Built to Last, which they wrote with Jerry Porras -- who wrote Built to Last with Jim Collins. (Phew! What a tangled web of authorship.)

The piece, How Successful People Stay Successful considers how the new book amplifies on the ideas and findings of the previous work: Can the characteristics of successful businesses also be applied to people? Are there common characteristics among those who are consistently successful?

The answer, it seems, is yes. A couple of the qualities mentioned in the Q&A mirror those outlined by James Champy in his 2003 essay The Hidden Qualities of Great Leaders. Maybe the elements of success are more universal than we think!

Posted by Heath Row at 4:07 PM | 1 Comment

April 18, 2006

Leading Ideas: Decisiveness Generates Momentum

"The percentage of mistakes in quick decisions is no greater than in long-drawn-out vacillation, and the effect of decisiveness itself 'makes things go' and creates confidence." -- Anne O'Hare McCormick (1882-1954), First woman to win a Pulitzer prize for journalism

Consider This:

Contrary to popular belief, your decisions don't drive your long term success - your decisiveness does. Said another way, when you reach a crossroads on any issue, the act of choosing creates power, not the choice itself. The issue is momentum. No matter what you choose, when you commit boldly with conviction, you create momentum. When you hesitate you don't. And success is built on momentum.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Decisiveness Generates Momentum"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 10:15 AM | 13 Comments

April 11, 2006

Leading Ideas: Pausing in Pursuit

"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy." -- Guillaume Apollinaire, (1880-1918) French Poet

My girlfriend Daryn was nice enough to hit me over head with this point recently. Over dinner last week, she stumped me with a simple question. She asked, "When was the last time you can remember not thinking about your business?" I plumbed the depths of my memory, but amazingly I couldn't think of a time. I wanted to have an answer so badly, but simply didn't. It shocked me. I realized how prone I was to letting my pursuits become all consuming. It created an opening. Thank you Daryn.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Pausing in Pursuit"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 4:10 PM | 2 Comments

April 10, 2006

The Young Shan't Lead Them

Meanwhile, in the military services, the Army is discovering that more and more young officers are deciding to leave. While many people signed on in a patriotic outbreak following September 11 and the subsequent war, now that the realities of being in the business of warfare are becoming more clear, the young leaders aren't having it. So they're leaving as soon as they can.

What might the military do to slow this elite flight? And in a larger question, if your business is experiencing this -- or something like it -- how might your organization become more conducive to young leaders?

Posted by Heath Row at 8:55 PM | 6 Comments

April 3, 2006

Leading Ideas: Work Like the Rain

"We should work like the rain. The rain just falls one rain drop after another. It doesn't ask: Am I making a nice sound down below? Will the plants be glad to see me? Millions and billions of raindrops, only falling." -- Jakusho Kwong (1935 - ), American Zen Buddhist Monk

Consider This:

Paradoxically, when you're obsessed with results, you're less effective at producing them. This is because your head isn't in the present moment. It's off in the future - worrying about the result. It's like a basketball player trying to win a game by staring at the scoreboard. It doesn't work. Focus on playing the game and the score will take care of itself.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Work Like the Rain"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 4:30 PM | 2 Comments

March 22, 2006

Andy Pearson, Remembered

Andrall ("Andy") Pearson died March 11 in Palm Beach at the age of 80. Pearson was a friend of the family, as they say--one of the original seed investors in Fast Company and a guy who helped shape the focus and strategy of the magazine.

In his day job, he was president of PepsiCo (until 1984), then a professor at Harvard Business School, and then founder and chief executive of Yum! Brands (nee' Tricon Global Restaurants), the spin-out of Pepsi's restaurant chains including Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

It was in that last role, in 2001, that Pearson appeared in Fast Company's pages. The intriguing headline: "Andy Pearson finds love: Twenty years ago, as CEO of PepsiCo, Andy Pearson was named one of the 10 toughest bosses in America. Now at Tricon, Pearson has found a new way to lead--one based on personal humility and employee recognition."

It's a great read, still.

Posted by Keith Hammonds at 11:51 AM | Add Comment