Catalyzing Change
September 4th, 2008 by adminBy Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Change…it should be more than just a political sound-bite. While we’ve heard a lot about change of late as it relates to our current politcal landscape, it is also very relevant in the business world. Change…as and executive or entrepreneur it can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Nobody ever said change was easy, but I’m here to tell you that change is essential. In today’s blog post I’ll discuss why CEO’s and entrepreneurs (and not just politicians) need to become masters at catalyzing change.
If you don’t know the difference between recruiting and talent management, then this post is written for you. I recently participated in a panel discussion about the future of the recruiting industry, and quite frankly, I was surprised with many of the prevailing attitudes and thoughts surrounding the topic at hand. As is normally the case I was the contrarian on the panel, and while I probably shouldn’t have been shocked, it was the fact that most recruiters seemed to believe that the status quo was fine, the future was bright, and that they didn’t see the need for change that perplexed me. In today’s post I’ll examine the future of recruiting from a bit of a different perspective than many in the business…
Who do you trust? This is a simple enough question, but nonetheless, one worthy of consideration. The realty is that trust leads to respect, and it is impossible to thrive as a leader absent establishing trust and respect with those under your charge. One of the hallmarks of great CEOs is their ability to create highly productive executive teams. However it also goes without saying that getting senior executives to “play nicely” with one another can also be one of the greatest challenges for CEOs. In today’s post I’ll briefly examine one of the obvious, but often overlooked tenants of team building…establishing trust and respect.
Today’s Myatt on Mondays question was posed by an entrepreneur who asks: “I’m starting a new venture and feel like I’m undercapitalized. I’ve heard that the most frequent cause of business failure is attributed to a lack of capital…do you agree?” In a word, no…I have witnessed well capitalized ventures fail miserably, and severely undercapitalized ventures eventually grow into category dominant brands. That being said, the unfortunate reality is that well more than 50% of all new business ventures fail within the first three years. In today’s post I’ll put forth my opinions as to why most businesses fail…
Are you easy to help? Think about it…do you make it easy for others to want to help you, or is your demeanor such that most people won’t lift a finger to assist you in a time of need? How many times during the course of your career have you witnessed executives and entrepreneurs who desperately need help but either don’t recognize it, or worse yet, make it virtually impossible for someone to help them? In today’s post I’ll address the importance of positioning yourself to be helped…
Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska has been named the Republican Vice Presidential pick. In keeping with his “Maverick” theme, John McCain avoids any number of safe choices and makes the unconventional pick. This shows that his independent thinking is still intact, and that he will not hesitate to shake things up. Also worthy of note, is that regardless of one’s party affiliation, this Presidential election will indeed make history…an African-American candidate on the Democratic side, and a female candidate on the Republican side. Whatever the outcome of this election, the United States of America will see a first in the White House. So in today’s post I’ll share my thoughts on John McCain’s choice to select Sarah Palin…
While I welcome a passionate discussion on the topic of pricing, the simple truth is that most executives avoid the topic altogether. Let me be clear; Pricing Matters…Do you have a pricing strategy, or do you set your prices by some ethereal or arbitrary method? It is my opinion that issues surrounding pricing decisions are root level drivers to a successful business strategy. That being said, I’m always amazed at how many corporations and professional advisors seem to pull their pricing out of thin air. Moreover, of those that actually go through some form of disciplined process, many of them seem to believe that once they have set the initial pricing that their job is finished and that the topic of pricing requires no further attention…nothing could be further from the truth. In today’s post I share my thoughts on how to develop a sound pricing strategy…
The need for a sound employment agreement is not something to be trivialized. I recently received an e-mail from a CEO who was unceremoniously “asked” to resign by his board of directors. He asked me to author a post on the value of employment agreements in hope of preventing other CEOs from unnecessarily subjecting themselves to a forced resignation scenario. So, in today’s post I’ll outline a few items meant to help you protect your career longevity… 
Clarity Matters…while clarity may have become a lost art, understanding the importance of clarity is nonetheless critical to your success in business. Have you ever finished listening to an explanation from a purported subject matter expert only to wonder what it was they just said? It has been my experience that the more vague, general, or ambiguous an explanation, the less command of the subject matter the person doing the explaining likely possesses. It is one thing to toss around the latest buzz-words, but it is quite another thing to actually know what they mean and have the ability to correctly apply them. In today’s post I’m going to reveal the tricks of those who practice what I call “the black art of confusion” propagated by the ruse of ambiguity…
Today’s Myatt on Monday’s question was posed by a new CEO asked: “Do you have any tips for first-time chief executives of a start-up company that would allow for a faster and more effective transition?” As a top CEO Coach virtually all of the advice and counsel I provide to CEOs is just as applicable to first-time CEOs as it is to tenured executives. Moreover, while start-up and early stage companies certainly have unique issues, great executive leadership is really not life-cycle centric. While I could suggest you buy a copy of my book, or read other posts contained on this blog (not bad suggestions by the way), I thought it might be interesting to see how other CEOs would answer the question. In the text that follows, I have provided a variety of answers to today’s question, which have been put forth by a number of different C-level executives and directors…