Category Archives: CEO skills

04/23/16

Decisions Better Ones – For CEOs

Big Red Car here. Decisions, y’all. Decisions.

This is a post redux from the The Characteristics Traits and Skills of the Successful CEO — Decisionmaking post from some time earlier. I am running it again because I continue to see a number of CEOs who are struggling with forming and making decisions.

CEOs have a hard job which entails making a lot of decisions many of which they are making for the first time. Sorry, that’s the job you’ve chosen.

But it doesn’t have to be as hard as you make it. You can streamline it by taking a process approach to how you frame and make decisions. A better methodology will end up with better decisions and you will expend less energy and create less angst by having such a process at your fingertips.

Continue reading →

04/12/16

Changing CEOs — What Is The Process?

Big Red Car here in the ATX waiting on another dawn and another great day cause this is Austin by God Texas. On Earth as it is in Texas!

So, today, we chat about the orderly change of command when you get a new CEO. This is really targeted on current CEOs and to be new CEOs.

Nobody ever talks about how CEOs hand companies over to new CEOs because it is often accomplished at the end of a plank when a CEO is unceremoniously deleted — no, I meant “fired” or “terminated” or sent to “pursue other interests.” No, I meant fired. Sorry.

It happens.

Continue reading →

03/28/16

Taking Care of Business — The Tarheels Teaching

Big Red Car here on a bright, sunny day which celebrates the Carolina Tarheels path to the championship in the NCAA Basketball Tournament — known as March Madness to y’all. [Is this a great time to be alive, or what?]

If God is not a Tarheel, why is the sky Carolina Blue?

Hook ’em, Heels!

So, there is much to be learned about the world of business by watching the NCAA Tournament.

The Heels, with an unbelievable tradition of success, are a team which is stuffed with talent, well coached, exquisitely game planned, and capable of almost flawless execution. There are other teams just like them but there are not that many.

So, Big Red Car, what can we learn from the Tarheels that is applicable to business?

Continue reading →

03/4/16

The Voices in Your Head — For CEOs Only

Big Red Car here on a glorious and unusually sunny day in the ATX. On Earth as it is in Texas, y’all!

So The Boss is engaged in a convo with a brilliant CEO about a month ago and it resonates in his head until it finally makes its way to his brain — oh, oh that may not be too diplomatic, Big Red Car?

A CEO has voices in his head which she must learn to ignore and some that the same CEO needs to embrace. Do tell, Big Red Car? [Those keeping score at home, the “he” and “she” were on purpose. OK, now back to our regular programming.}

Continue reading →

02/16/16

CEOs at the Nexus — For CEOs Only — Throwing Off the Winter Blues

Big Red Car here on a day when he could not come up with a good Google Adwords title for the post. Sorry.

But, hey, not to worry, going to be 85F today in the ATX. Ahhh, a Texas winter!

So, I’m eavesdropping on The Boss and a couple of his CEOs chattering about this and that and the subject comes to — “How does a CEO grab the company and shake them up a little when things are going fine? No crisis but needing a little shaking up? Throw off the winter blues?”

Continue reading →

01/18/16

The Struggle — Talent & Character

Big Red Car here, y’all. Well, it’s winter here in the ATX.

Of course that means it’s 39F right now but it’ll be 62F this afternoon. Oh, well, it’s still winter. Sunny, too.

So, The Boss is talking to a couple of his brilliant CEOs and they get on the subject of “The Struggle.”

Sayeth The Boss, “The essence of starting a new business is The Struggle.”

So, the Big Red Car is going to ‘splain it to y’all. Listen up and pay attention cause I’m going to go fast today. Continue reading →

01/15/16

Adaptability — Breaking in Corcoran Jump Boots, a Metaphor for CEOs — Adapt

Big Red Car here. It’s going to be 70F and sunny in the ATX. How about where you live?

I bet you would like our Texas winter season. Sorry, the Big Red Car can get really obnoxious at times like this. I hate myself for it sometimes. Sunscreen!

So, The Boss and I were talking to a CEO who was having trouble with a change that was forced upon him. Struggling really.

The Boss told him, “Adapt and drive on.”

The CEO made a face. “Adapt?” Continue reading →