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Business Rocks: We Have Nothing To Fear
Ruling and leading by fear and coercion only works if those being ruled agree to be cowed. At best, fear-driven leadership delivers compliance.
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Stuart’s Five Minute Friday Focus – 30 September 2011
This week’s focus: Does the impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne, hold the key to driving new growth in tough markets? Cezanne’s favourite view was Monte Sainte Victoire, near to where he lived in Provence. He liked it so much he painted it over 60 times. But although...
Use These 5 Questions To Determine The Risk Of New Growth Initiatives
I have found that by using these five questions, it is possible to quickly gain alignment and focus on which initiatives are likely to deliver their estimated returns at acceptable risk. There are five risks to assess: Strategic Risk. Does this initiative fit in with...
Stuart’s Five Minute Friday Focus – 23 September 2011
This week's focus: During the endless discussions on the economy, and the government’s drive to cut public spending and deliver GDP growth, someone will say, “The cuts are necessary, but not sufficient for growth.” Necessary, but not sufficient: it’s a phrase that...
What CIOs Should Learn From Professional Service Firms
See my new article on the CIO website about what CIOs can learn from McKinsey and their ilk. Just click here.
The CEO’s Strategy Handbook – Out Now!
I'm delighted to announce that my new book, The CEO's Strategy Handbook, is now out on sale direct from my website, Amazon and all good bookshops! Distilled from the best practices of my market-leading clients, including Alliance Boots, Avon Cosmetics, Nectar and...
Stuart’s Five Minute Friday Focus – 16 September 2011
This week's focus: The problem with problem-solving is that, even when you've sorted out the issue, you only ever return performance to its previous level. Worse, many problem-solving initiatives can quickly turn into a blame-game exercise, where your energies end up...
Growing To The Next Level
I am currently in Stresa, on the shore of Lake Maggiore in Italy, on a three-day intensive programme with other leading consultants to review and develop our businesses and improve our value to. Our first day has focused on how to develop an independent/boutique...
Stuart’s Five Minute Friday Focus – 9 September 2011
This week’s focus: One of the biggest lessons I have learned since I started my own business has been the importance of building strong relationships with my clients and prospects. Any success I’ve achieved has been based on relationships of mutual trust. You will...
How do you manage performance?
London-To-Paris Milestones
Tomorrow I am cycling from London to Paris, as part of a group of 10. We aim to complete the 300-mile route in three days, and after extensive calculations I’ve worked out that this means I must cycle 100 miles every day! Although I enjoy cycling I’m by no means...
Stuart’s Five Minute Friday Focus – 2 September 2011
This week’s focus: Developing strategy in business is like going to the gym – first you need to get there, second you need to spend enough time there to make a difference, and third you need to put in the right amount of effort. In many of the strategy sessions I run...
New Testimonial: Susan Goodrich, The Business Club
A few weeks ago, I spoke at the Cambridge Business Club on the importance of accelerating innovation. Here’s what the chief executive of the club, Susan Goodrich, thought of the session: “Stuart gave a presentation that was engaging, thought-provoking and provided...
Stuart’s Five Minute Friday Focus – 26 August 2011
This week’s focus: Earlier this week, the England cricket team achieved their long-held goal of becoming the world’s #1 team. But just as there is a danger of failing to achieve your goals, there is also a danger of achieving them. In 2003, for example, the English...
Steve Jobs’ Biggest Management Lesson
Given Steve Jobs’ announcement that he is stepping down as CEO of Apple (although he’s staying on as Chairman), I expect that there will be many stories written about his remarkable turnaround of the company that he returned to in the late 1990s. Here’s my favourite:...
Gozo, Google and Growth
As part of our holiday to Gozo, the island that neighbours Malta in the sparkling, azure Mediterranean Sea, we visited a local farm. Martin, the farmer, proudly showed us the series of terraces, water tanks, pumps, pipes and channels that irrigate his orange and lemon...
Stuart’s Five Minute Friday Focus – 19 August 2011
This week’s focus: Last week I met with a director who had recently joined a new business. He was very busy, and a little confused. We quickly identified four key objectives for a 90-day plan, which helped my client sort out what was truly important. What works for a...
Three Ways To Create New Business Ideas
Brainstorming has such a bad name, perhaps, as a result of sessions where everyone is asked to a meeting room and then requested to generate ideas from the top of their minds. This approach can generate some ideas, but for many people more stimuli are needed to really...
New Testimonial: Andrew Stephenson, DFS Limited
Stuart’s Five Minute Friday Focus, 5 August 2011
This week’s focus: I am now a few years into my well-deserved and very enjoyable mid-life crisis. Having already become a guitarist in my first ever rock band, taken up the drums and bought a convertible sports car, I have also, for the past 10 months, been working...
The CEO’s Strategy Handbook – Pre-Order Your Copy Now
I’m more than delighted to let you know that Global Professional Publishing will publish my new book, The CEO’s Strategy Handbook, next month. What’s more, the book is now available to pre-order direct from my website. Simply click here to find out more, download a...
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