September 2008 Entries
As we watch clips of the candidates, and watch congressional hearings on the Wall Street crisis, I thought I would explore LEADERSHIP, and the traits necessary to define it.
Harvard Business Review recently published a short article by John Baldoni entitled “Three Traits of a Tough Leader.” (Link at the bottom of this post).
In it, he posits that it’s not about what’s on the outside (gruff and ready), but rather what is inside (character and resilience). He also outlines ways leaders can demonstrate toughness:
They defuse tension. Maintain the sense of urgency, but give people some breathing room.
They get up off the floor. It’s...
As I speak to many of my colleagues around the country, they are all lamenting the softness in their sales “…cause the economy sucks.” Indeed, the news this week from Wall Street was precedent-setting: two giant brokerage firms and the largest insurance underwriter in the world “on the brink.” Despite the subsequent government bailout, the effects of these and similar economic issues will be felt by consumers and businesses in the US for many months to come.
During my foodservice career, I had to lead my organization thru several recessions and economic slowdowns. It always perturbed me when one of my...
It may seem counterintuitive, but the ultra-premium market in nearly every consumer good is flourishing. It is continuing proof that during tough economic times that both the low end and the high end of any commodity or service seem to thrive, while the middle is squeezed at every turn.
Current sales statistics in the foodservice industry prove this concept as well. But as a manufacturer, it is risky to address only the low or high end during this temporary correction, so what is an organization to do?
Roger Cohen’s column in the New York Times yesterday provides some food for thought: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/opinion/15cohen.html?sq=&st=nyt&scp=1&pagewanted=print
It discusses...
I normally would have posted a new blog by now, but my primary computer CRASHED again and went into BRICK mode. Temporarily without my files and notes, I can’t complete the follow-up to my “Faster Horses” blog as I had planned. Instead, I thought I would rant about technology…and the world.
I have always been interested and intrigued with technology. Typically an “early adopter” I have had the Commodore 64, Apple II, Radio Shack TRS-80, and an original MAC, purchased when they were first introduced in 1984. Remember the really cool 1984 ad?
That was twenty-five years ago, and though technology has...
A recent study by Technomic Associates was published in the last few days, indicating that nearly nine out of 10 New Yorkers favor their city’s recent menu-labeling mandate, because they “believe it helps them make better choices when dining out.”
My role as restaurant owner and industry consultant has been in conflict with my “consumer” role on this issue. As a proponent of healthy eating (at least some of the time) I would like to know more about the dish being offered to me. Conversely, as a restaurant owner, I understand the challenge that “full disclosure” requires, especially since most...
Webcasts, video conferences, online classrooms, and on-demand presentations and training…have all become even hotter tools for the corporate world of late. Is the technology driving this popularity? Yes and no. The technology is not particularly new; it’s been around for several years now. Likewise, broadband access (required to effectively watch and/or participate in online events) has been a staple for corporations and road warriors for a time also, albeit enhanced by the explosion of wireless networks and devises for universal 3G connectivity.
No, the recent popularity of these tools has advanced due to the sluggish economy, and corporate efforts to...