Six experienced global executives answer questions about what surprised them and what they learned through international assignments.
Communication skills are one of the most important attributes for effective leadership. Vision and strategy reside largely in a vacuum and count for nothing until they are communicated.
Establishing a productive working relationship with your boss or the board.
Few managers receive any training as to how to define organizational culture, let alone how to change it. While business journals celebrate the success of CEOs who have honed, rejuvenated and changed a company’s culture, the landscape is littered with those who have failed to make headway against intransigent cultures.
Contrary to a long-held belief, you do not have to deliver a strategy on your first day as CEO. Employees and the board respect this but at the same time they do want to know what a new leader plans to do.
No serious athlete competes without preparation. It’s no different for corporate athletes approaching challenging assignments. If you’re not prepared before the starting gun fires, you’ll have squandered a golden opportunity.
Corporate value is becoming increasingly linked to reputation and ethics. A company that lacks social responsibility has no prospects.
Poorly implemented mergers and acquisitions are risky, but the strategic value of successful acquisitions is underestimated.
Setting proper expectations is one of the most important things a new leader can do to get off to the right start. It is also one of the easiest to overlook.
The seeds of destruction for new CEOs are often sown in the first 100 days. Being aware of the main causes of CEO failure and trying to avoid these traps will make your assimilation easier.