1: “Most companies don’t execute well,” says JPMC CEO Jamie Dimon. “This is about execution and getting disciplined, like it’s exercise. It’s about getting to the specifics, looking at the right measures and making the right decisions.”

Yesterday, we looked at the importance of metrics and analytics.  The next important lever is leading team meetings.  It starts with setting expectations for attendance.

“Unless you’re in the hospital or … continue reading

1: When Mary Barra became CEO of General Motors in 2014, she immediately faced a crisis that would shape her leadership philosophy.

At least 124 people were dead because of a faulty ignition issue with General Motors’s cars. The company had been aware of the problem for more than a decade.  

Mary responded quickly. More than 29 million cars were ultimately recalled.

There was, however, a more significant learning for … continue reading

1: The best CEOs understand that they must have a “hands-on” connection with each individual on their leadership team, McKinsey consultants Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra write in CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest.

“You invest time and energy with each, recognizing they’re all individuals,” comments Michael Fisher, CEO of the nonprofit Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.  … continue reading

1: Imagine walking through a forest.  

“The diversity of trees you’ll see can be quite dazzling,” write McKinsey consultants Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra in CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest.  

“Douglas fir, white pine, Aspen, red maple, and oak soar toward the sky, each individually competing with the others for sunlight and space.”

Is this true? Actually … continue reading

1: Selecting the right people and putting them in the right roles is just the beginning of the CEO’s role in managing talent.

The best CEOs, write McKinsey consultants Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra in their book CEO Excellence, make a considerable investment of time and energy “into coaching, retaining talent, managing performance, and planning for succession for the most valuable roles.”

These leaders become … continue reading

1: DuPont CEO Ed Breen has been celebrated for his boldness. 

Earlier this week, we looked at his aggressiveness in conquering the multi-billion dollar cable set-top market while serving as CEO of General Instruments and later in pursuing a merger with Dow Chemical, as detailed in  Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra‘s powerful book CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from … continue reading

1:  Having foresight is the “lead” in “leader,” Robert Greenleaf once wrote in The Servant as Leader. 

It was the late 1990s.  It was an analog world.  But Ed Breen, then CEO of General Instruments, could see the future.  And the future was digital.

“I’d just been made CEO the year before,” Ed remembers in Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra‘s terrific book CEO … continue reading