In 2013, Dilbert told his boss that all great leaders throughout history succeeded by reading a random book on leadership possessing a magic formula. That’s after he told the boss there are 10,000 books about leadership with millions of leaders in which no two are alike. Willie Pietersen’s book on leadership is far from random and steeped in wisdom and timeless truths surrounded by philosophy, astrophysics, and relationships built on forgiveness and vision for one another.
[Read more…] about The Three Domains of Leadership with Willie Pietersen
Revisiting The HP Way
The HP Way is one of my top 25 books written by CEOs. In this conversation, we’re rolling with a book club format with a special guest who writes book summaries on his blog. Dan Lebrero is a software engineer based in Spain, and he’ll help us unpack concepts such as management by objectives, management by walking around, profit-sharing plans, company offsites, growth frameworks, and philosophies on debt management. As a bonus, we even have an HP-12C story.
[Read more…] about Revisiting The HP Way
Better Tech and Communication Strategies with Cat Mulvihill
To say I’m a fan of presentation expert Nancy Duarte and audio/video savant Tom Buck would be a vast understatement. Similarly, Cat Mulvihill is a rising YouTube star, and I consider her a blend of these two experts. In this conversation, we focus on better online meetings and the best technology that can be had on a price-friendly budget. Cat also reveals why filler words need to be harnessed and how to do so.
[Read more…] about Better Tech and Communication Strategies with Cat Mulvihill
One Day I’ll Work For Myself
If you work for yourself or would like to, have you considered whose shoulders you are standing on? Ben Waterhouse is a professor and faculty director at the University of North Carolina, and he answers that question and more in his newest book, One Day I’ll Work for Myself. In this conversation, we explore some of history’s most pivotal inflection points that led to the plateau of big business and learn why self-employment is more than financial freedom.
[Read more…] about One Day I’ll Work For Myself
Competing on Customer Personalization
How did Amazon, Netflix, and Starbucks start their customer personalization programs? What was the starting point? What were the costs? Who was involved? The co-authors answer these questions in the very readable Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. Mark Abraham and David Edelman explain that personalization is not email or glorified loyalty rewards programs in this show. Instead, this cross-functional activity starts with a few simple questions in their 5 Promises framework.
[Read more…] about Competing on Customer Personalization
The Private Equity Playbook Keeps Getting Better
My favorite book on private equity is The Private Equity Playbook by Adam Coffey. It’s easy to read, the math is simple and impactful, and the stories are based on a former CEO who understands the intricacies behind private equity. Adam has released the second edition of this book, which is about 20 percent longer with new material. This conversation addresses the continued growth of private equity, committed capital, Adam’s 70-30 rule, and a funny locksmith story.
[Read more…] about The Private Equity Playbook Keeps Getting Better
Making an IMPACT with Project Management Offices
As a financial leader, I want to know every aspect of business. While quarterbacking my share of ERP implementations, I had only once heard the term PMO (short for Project Management Office). Accordingly, I wanted to learn more. After reading Laura Barnard’s new book on PMOs, I quickly realized she is probably the global thought leader on this subject. The book we unpack is The IMPACT Engine: Accelerating Strategy Delivery for PMO and Transformation Leaders.
[Read more…] about Making an IMPACT with Project Management Offices
Strategy and Leadership as Service
Numerous financial blog articles and LinkedIn posts highlight the benefits of a small business owner hiring a portfolio CFO. However, I do not recall these writers commenting on why financial professionals step away from the W-2 world to serve multiple owners as clients. Sara Daw may be the first author to articulate why CFOs jump into the gig economy through her comprehensive research, which we can read about in Strategy and Leadership as Service.
[Read more…] about Strategy and Leadership as Service
John Boyd’s Biographer on the OODA Loop, Strategy, and Careers
Maybe the name John Boyd does not ring a bell, but perhaps the OODA Loop will, the mental model created by one of the most gifted military strategists since Sun Tzu. I was so mesmerized by Robert Coram’s biography on John Boyd, I reached out to the author to talk about his book, a project that took him more than three years to write.
[Read more…] about John Boyd’s Biographer on the OODA Loop, Strategy, and Careers
Dave Kellogg on SaaS Metrics
Dave Kellogg is the former CEO of Host Analytics now called Planful. Dave is a brilliant writer on his blog called Kellblog and he’s outstanding behind a mic too. Since leaving his CEO post, Dave has been consulting SaaS-based businesses in Silicon Valley, and we hit on many of the topics that are near and dear to him.
[Read more…] about Dave Kellogg on SaaS Metrics