When senior leaders consistently make good decisions, little else matters; when they make bad decisions, nothing else matters. Each time you engage in decision-making, you stand at a pivot—a turning point that will take you in directions that will contribute to your success or demise. After all, a decisive leader who can’t hit the targetRead more
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Decisiveness under pressure requires high-ambiguity tolerance. When people tolerate, or even appreciate ambiguity, they demonstrate the ability to synthesize. As we recall from our chemistry classes, synthesis is the production of a substance from simpler materials after a chemical reaction. In high-stakes situations, like an M & A deal, leaders need to serve as theRead more
There are two kinds of organizations: those with a strong strategy and culture of change and those going out of business. In other words, what got you here won’t necessarily get you to the next level. The Pony Express did not become the railroad, and the railroad did not become the airlines. Vanguards in theirRead more
Mention the words “Jeremiah Weed” to a group of veteran Air Force fighter pilots, and they will assure you they have drunk the delightful kerosene-tasting, 100-proof, bourbon flavored liqueur. At the completion of a long week at the Fighter Weapons School, which is the Air Force equivalent to TOPGUN, or just for any reason atRead more
Volatility has established a new norm in this country. We can pinpoint when it started and the reasons for it, but we can neither control it nor predict its demise. The only other alternative is to respond to it more aggressively with more structure and better ideas. That means CEOs need better, more immediate adviceRead more
