I am a convert. But it took a while. Even though my friend Rajendra (Raj) Sisdodia is the co-author (with John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods) of the best-seller Conscious Capitalism, I was skeptical of their thinking for the longest time. However, the recent horrific headlines we have been hit with have made me change my […]
Mike Maddock
The Growth Secret: How to Stay Six Steps Ahead of Your Competition
Here is a fact that the best leaders understand but everyone else wrestles with: Innovation needs to be countercyclical. The best time to create the next big thing is when things are going well, not when you are struggling. When the economy is booming and their company is crushing it in the marketplace, most leaders tend to […]
The Price of Leadership
We just named a new president to run Maddock Douglas, the innovation consultancy I founded 27 years ago. As you can imagine, finding the right person was difficult, but the decision was made easier because Maria, our new president, understands the fundamental facts of leading that too many seem to be missing lately. Anyone can […]
Profits Eat Innovation for Breakfast
Michael Porter said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” This is the first thing that popped into my mind when I read Steve Blank’s HarvardBusiness Review article explaining why Jeff Immelt lost his job as CEO of GE. Steve argues activist investors forced out Immelt because of the long, languishing performance of the company’s stock. Following Mr. Immelt out […]
The Best Business Advice I Ever Received
Five Rules to Live By I daydream a lot at 30,000 feet. This doesn’t bother me too much because lately it seems like I am getting paid for the things I used to get detentions for, namely doodling and wondering “what if.” On today’s flight, I am daydreaming about business axioms. Specifically, I am thinking […]
7 Myths You Probably Believe About Successful Entrepreneurs
I spend a large percentage of my time connecting entrepreneurs with companies trying to solve wicked problems. So I get a kick out of some of the most common misperceptions I hear about people who start their own companies. Here are some common myths along with the truths about entrepreneurs and what actually makes them […]
3 Questions to Ask at Your Strategy Off-Site
Ask them, or there may not be many off-sites in your company’s future Well, it’s almost that time of year again. It’s time for the annual leadership off-site, during which you will likely think, ink and drink too much. If you are like many, you’ll leave the safe confines of your office to hang your […]
Why Marriages and Businesses Fail: A Love Story
In his speeches about strengths and weaknesses, thought leader David Rendall frequently tells the story of Brenda, a detail-oriented young lady, who falls in love with Eddie, a free-spirited young man. Brenda is the consummate ringleader. She is a planner, a gifted organizer who manages every detail and thinks deeply about every decision. She’s the sexy […]
Two Letters That Disruptors Use Better Than the Rest of Us
Guess what letters disrupters use better than the rest of us. Since the average attention span is 8 seconds, I’ll cut to the chase: the letters are “N” and “O.” Put together, they create the most powerful word in the disrupter’s vocabulary: “NO.” Billionaire Warren Buffet famously said, “The difference between successful people and really […]
What the Best Leaders Learn from Hate and Hypocrisy
A few years ago, I was on an executive retreat with 10 friends, all of whom run successful businesses. The idea was that we would learn from one another about how to grow our companies and deal with the challenges we faced. John Drury, who became an executive coach after selling his advertising agency, served […]
