You have all the power you need for the task you have ahead of you! This talk takes you down the streets of Gotham in the batmobile exploring the stuff that made the dreams of Batman and Superman. Far-fetched? Not really. It is ideas that shape our journeys. And being brave enough to speak out [...]
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Apple’s Startup Culture
At the recent All Things D conference, Steve Jobs described Apple’s (AAPL) culture as “that of a startup.” Why? Is it because he is nostalgic, yearning to rebuild the company he founded nearly 35 years ago? Is he reflecting a passion for the innovation and entrepreneurship so often inherent in startups? Or is he saying [...]
Be a Better CEO
Dear Leader, You say you want all of us within the company to innovate. But you haven’t enabled us to do so. You need to work with us so we all get a shared understanding of what matters. This sets the stage for a meritocracy of ideas and also enables us to adapt quickly when [...]
More to Innovation than Ideas
Chances are, you’re already familiar with the concept of the Air Sandwich, if not the term itself. An Air Sandwich is what happens when the leadership within an organization issues orders from 80,000 feet and lobs them down to the folks at 20,000 feet. Without the benefit of feedback, questions, or even a reality check [...]
What Batman Can Teach Us
You know who totally gets collaboration? Batman. He didn’t do the world-saving-things himself; he understood the power of a Robin and an Alfred and he collaborated well with the police. He got collaboration. And I think it made him more powerful. As I get ready for a talk on power thru collaboration on Saturday, I’ve [...]
6 Ways to Change Business
The consistent question asked from any audience and group I work with is…. For us to do this high-performance collaborative work: Don’t the leaders have to change their approach? And, don’t the individual contributors have to change to step up to the game? But these questions are never asked together — meaning, individuals ask “don’t [...]
Smartphones as Appliances
The growth of the mobile data marketplace is one of the bright spots for business in the current recession. Mobile carriers report increasing demand for data services, and Apple and Research in Motion both reported strong earnings aided by sales of their smartphone products.
Open Letter to Carol Bartz, Yahoo
Congrats on your new role. For many of us in the tech industry, Yahoo is more than a company, it’s a Silicon Valley icon. By putting in the kind of strong management you represent, I hope the board is signaling the company’s intent to reinvent itself and thrive once again. Your opportunities speak to opportunities for every tech firm, so we’re going to make this an Open Letter in the hope that everyone can learn from the experience you’re about to have.
Influential Not Influencers
There’s been a heated online debate about the ways consumers are influenced to buy things and adopt new social trends. Some people say a small group of Influencers drive most consumer decisions. Others argue that ideas spread through society from random starting points, without a hierarchy. The evidence shows that both groups are wrong in [...]
Online Communities: Ignore at Your Peril (I)
In the strategy work I do with tech companies, I’m frequently asked about web communities — how they operate, what they can and can’t do, and how a company should look to work with them. The companies we deal with generally fall into three camps when it comes to community: –Many companies are still learning [...]