Convention says that to transform the business culture, start with a spate of town hall meetings, dinners with staff, elaborate family outings, and a blitz of internal PR. Designate culture champions to launch a campaign in every location. Make everyone feel great about the company. Play to win, not lose, and profits will soar!

There is a more realistic view. Culture is a by-product of concrete leadership decisions and actions that translate purpose and direction into tangible performance. Business leaders who achieve dynamic growth never underestimate the power of culture on the business, or the ability of culture to derail the company’s ambitious plans. These leaders know that culture is greatly influenced by their own actions, words, strategies and programs. Continue reading…

Public company leaders need to carefully consider how to comply with recently expanded SEC disclosure rules concerning corporate governance. While meeting this year’s new requirements, directors and managers need to think broadly about how this publicly-available information will be received within and outside their organizations. 

The new disclosure requirements cover director qualifications, board leadership structure, and compensation policies (executive and non-executive). In the next few years, these new rules may leave their mark on corporate governance in publicly traded companies and beyond. 

As is often the case, the devil is in the details.  Here is some food for thought: Continue reading…

Credibility is at an all time low – I can’t prove it, I just feel it. Overpromising has become a way of speaking. It has swept the pendulum way past credibility. Overpromising by definition results in underdelivery at best, and maybe even brand implosion.

We have all seen this hype, particularly from individuals and companies spewing superlatives about themselves to create their “brand” as the best, the biggest, the most this and that. They are meticulously manicured presenting a flawless image. But, one inevitable misstep and your credibility is potentially shattered. Being the best is a goal, not a promise.

So, how do you tout your virtues without overpromising? Continue reading…

It’s More Than Just Systems and Silos; Culture Will Be the Fulcrum Issue. Comcast’s executives have their hands full successfully integrating NBCU into the family. It’s a sophisticated and complicated leadership process. The post-deal integration by necessity includes hard decisions about effectiveness and efficiency:

• Bring in the consultants to bolster the Human Resource and IT departments. 
• Make purchase price accounting adjustments.
• Rationalize benefits, review contract compliance, orchestrate common vendors and users, duplicate payments… and more.

The process will take years – literally. It is a living hell for those involved. These decisions affect people’s lives and their sense of self-worth. In addition, if not managed with the utmost intelligence, the process will result in a teetering, sloppy product.

Most importantly however, the foundation upon which the post deal integration needs to be built is the corporate culture. Comcast needs to articulate what it stands for and its method of operating. Continue reading…

My premise is that leadership alone can enable certain companies to succeed where others have failed. Competent leaders create the direction for their businesses, manage the opportunities, and actively build the culture and capabilities required for strong performance. This kind of leadership will make Comcast successful in its absorption of NBC Universal in spite of opinions to the contrary voiced in the trade press (David Carr, NYT, 10/25/09) and reflected in the decline of Comcast’s share price since the announcement.

For years, media executives have been guided by a simplistic view of what defines success: Continue reading…

Jim Fielding is my hero. He is the president of Disney Stores Worldwide. (You know, in Hollywood it’s imperative that you have “worldwide” in your title – really.)

Brooks Barnes writes about the transformation of Disney stores in today’s New York Times. Fascinating piece. Front page. Above the crease.

Disney is going against the flow. Disney is learning from Apple. That’s two for two. Continue reading…

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognize the opportunity.” Richard M. Nixon

Your competitors are weary. It’s been a tough year – with only conflicting predictions about the future. Customers are leaving. Those that stay have reduced their commitment.

Not since the late 1980’s have executives been presented with a marketplace so filled with opportunity, so ripe for growth. But few are looking at the opportunity. This is the time for business leaders to plant the seeds for a vibrant future of greater market share and greater earnings. Continue reading…