CFO Bookshelf Blog

I read upwards of 120 books every year, and during every 12-month stretch, I’ll come across a few business leaders, entrepreneurs, and start-up founders that I admire, appreciate and want to hold up for others to see and read about. Names in the recent past have included Alan Mulally, Bill McDermott, Ed Stack, and Hunter Harrison. The newest name I’m adding to the list is Joe Coulombe, the founder of Trader Joe’s. I would have loved to have met this larger-than-life creative thinker.

[Read more…] about Entrepreneurial Magic at Trader Joe’s

Dan Montgomery is the first person I’ve heard that connects OKRs with strategy. But Dan is not talking about this old industrial mindset of predicting and then controlling in yesterday’s strategy process. Dan lifts the idea of sensing and responding, the heart behind what he calls agile strategy. He also explains why OKRs are the engine to this strategy framework which consists of continuous experimentation. We learn more in his book, Start Less Finish More.

[Read more…] about What is Agile Strategy?

For years, I’ve been searching for a simple and readable explanation of phantom stock plans. I want that simple guide to give to CEOs because I believe phantom stock arrangements when executed creatively can be one of the best bonus plans for mid-level and senior leadership team members. While that book does not exist, I did find someone who has helped to craft more than a hundred such phantom stock plans, our topic in this episode.

[Read more…] about What’s the Book on Phantom Stock Plans?

I’ve always been intrigued about the roles of business psychologists and certified coaches and their ability to elevate the performances of the people and organizations they work with. In this show, I visited with Dr. Russell Thackeray, a business psychologist, certified coach, trainer, and renowned speaker. We addressed topics such as resistance, when to hire a business coach, the intentions and execution of tough love, psychological capacity, and much more.

[Read more…] about What is a Business Psychologist?

More than twenty years ago, I first heard Captain Charlie Plumb’s story of six years of captivity in a Vietnam prison camp. I still get chills and goosebumps when I listen to his story of resilience, hope, and faith. If you have heard him speak, you still might find his nuggets on Admiral Stockdale, Louis Zamperini, and PTSD insightful and intriguing. His book is, I’m No Hero. Yet, I consider him one.

[Read more…] about Captain Charlie Plumb on Grit, Honor, and Gratitude

Sometimes, I perceive that KPIs are a religion. Everyone has a view of what they are and how they should be designed and presented. Definitions are hard to pin down because five business leaders might give you five different answers depending on their perspectives. What if we had a framework that eliminated KPI brainstorming while offering a template for including targets and incentives for these key numbers? That framework exists thanks to Bernie Smith.

[Read more…] about Why Do KPIs Have to Be So Hard?