Category: Strategy
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#99: Heads or tails – which one of these two ‘luck’ generating tools are we going to use first?
They say timing is everything in business. Some people think ‘timing’ means luck, as in ‘you’ve just got to be in the right place at the right time’. But in my mind, that’s just the kind of thing a couple of envious businesspeople might say as they start work on the second half of a…
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#98: Are we better at checkers or chess?
When I talk to CEOs, I find that most of them think they are better at, or at least more comfortable with selling, than negotiating. That’s interesting, because arguable, negotiating is a more important skill for a CEO to possess. Of course, in many situations negotiating can be more complicated than selling. That’s why I…
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#93: Are we agile enough to survive the inevitable change that’s coming?
Do you remember the days when you could execute your growth strategy using annual planning cycles? That was when the world and business environment was relatively stable and predictable. Which it most definitely isn’t now. New technology and AI is giving birth to new predator competitors that can come out of nowhere to disrupt the…
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#90: Have we put enough effort into choosing the right goal?
Bill Gates once said … ‘You can achieve amazing progress if you set a clear goal and find a measure that will drive progress towards that goal.’ Nothing surprising there – you could’ve read that on pretty much any blog post about the basics of goal setting. But then he went on to say that…
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#88: Are we actually ready to scale yet?
I see many CEOs talking about ‘scaling’ when really, they are still in growth mode. No harm in talking like that at a dinner party, I guess. But if that social hubris continues into the boardroom, then you could be headed for trouble. Because trying to scale before you’re ready almost always ends badly. Many…