Third-Hand Smoke
posted: Monday January 5th - 6:16am
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Hello, Yellow Brick Road
posted: Wednesday December 31st - 6:26am
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“Nuking the Fridge”
posted: Tuesday December 30th - 6:20am
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Good Riddance Day
posted: Monday December 29th - 6:18am
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Boxing Day
posted: Friday December 26th - 6:22am
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Join The Yellow Cup Club
posted: Wednesday December 24th - 6:14am
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El Gordo
posted: Tuesday December 23rd - 6:19am
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American Idle?
posted: Monday December 22nd - 6:21am
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Steel Wheels
posted: Friday December 19th - 6:25am
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Meet The T-Bone
posted: Thursday December 18th - 6:25am
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Pussy Galore
posted: Wednesday December 17th - 6:25am
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Comment?
posted: Tuesday December 16th - 6:16am
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Footing the Bills
posted: Monday December 15th - 6:16am
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Et Tu, Kashkari?
posted: Friday December 12th - 6:21am
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Movers, Not Shakers
posted: Thursday December 11th - 6:06am
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Happy Birthday?
posted: Wednesday December 10th - 6:18am
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Stop Making Excuses
posted: Tuesday December 9th - 6:23am
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The Thin Red Line
posted: Friday December 5th - 7:01am
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The Detroit Project
posted: Thursday December 4th - 6:30am
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Carpocalypse Now
posted: Wednesday December 3rd - 6:21am
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Sex Please, We're British
posted: Tuesday December 2nd - 6:24am
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Quantum of Solace
posted: Monday December 1st - 6:16am
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The Ethic of Responsibility
posted: Friday November 28th - 6:43am
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Over Stimulated?
posted: Wednesday November 26th - 6:26am
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The Fifth Labor
posted: Tuesday November 25th - 6:32am
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Game Faces
posted: Monday November 24th - 6:17am
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Time For The Voom
posted: Friday November 21st - 6:23am
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Sexiest Man Alive?
posted: Thursday November 20th - 6:21am
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Fourth and Long
posted: Wednesday November 19th - 6:19am
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Salary Stalks
posted: Tuesday November 18th - 6:16am
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Potemkin Villages
posted: Monday November 17th - 5:59am
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Blue Oceans
posted: Friday November 14th - 6:19am
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FFF Rated?
posted: Thursday November 13th - 6:17am
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Green And Growing Or Ripe And Rotting?
posted: Wednesday November 12th - 5:58am
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Toil and Trouble
posted: Tuesday November 11th - 6:02am
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Back to Business
posted: Monday November 10th - 6:09am
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“A New Credit of Trust”
posted: Thursday November 6th - 6:07am
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Adieu, George
posted: Wednesday November 5th - 6:14am
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The Fever Breaks
posted: Tuesday November 4th - 6:13am
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Kahwa Nus Nus
posted: Monday November 3rd - 6:00am
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Tangierine Dreams
posted: Friday October 31st - 7:08am
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Morocconomics II
posted: Thursday October 30th - 6:10am
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Golden Eggs
posted: Wednesday October 29th - 6:00am
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Morocconomics I
posted: Tuesday October 28th - 6:10am
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Unique Mystique
posted: Monday October 27th - 7:00am
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A Man's Outlook
posted: Friday October 24th - 6:23am
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General Grievous
posted: Thursday October 23rd - 6:03am
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Paper Tigers
posted: Wednesday October 22nd - 6:39am
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The Gig's Up
posted: Tuesday October 21st - 5:54am
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Res Ipsa Loquitur
posted: Monday October 20th - 6:41am
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"Sir, I Cannot Hear My Radio"
posted: Friday October 17th - 6:20am
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M'm! M'm! Good!
posted: Thursday October 16th - 6:30am
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CSI Washington
posted: Wednesday October 15th - 6:36am
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Big Cheeses
posted: Tuesday October 14th - 6:58am
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Prescription For Change
posted: Monday October 13th - 7:20am
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Underneath the TARP
posted: Friday October 10th - 7:37am
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Naked Brit Tourist in Tokyo's Imperial Gardens
posted: Thursday October 9th - 7:57am
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Pass The Gravy
posted: Wednesday October 8th - 7:16am
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Gimme Water
posted: Tuesday October 7th - 6:34am
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Inside the Cauldron of Capitalism
The U.S. government announced that it is changing the national symbol to a condom because it accurately reflects its current political stance. A condom allows for inflation, destroys the next generation, protects pricks, and gives a sense of security while you’re being screwed. Utterly spent from ranting and raving these past two weeks—as fatigued as I imagine you are, dear audience, from the reading of same—I must re-condition my sensibilities with a dose of humor (in the business context, naturally).
posted: Monday October 6th - 6:30am
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"Our Potholes Have A Few Roads"
posted: Friday October 3rd - 7:53am
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Claw-Back Provisions
posted: Thursday October 2nd - 7:26am
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Crap Sandwich
posted: Wednesday October 1st - 6:35am
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Tangierine Dreams
posted: Wednesday October 1st - 6:15am
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Tumbling Dice
posted: Tuesday September 30th - 6:28am
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Cool Hand Luke
posted: Monday September 29th - 7:40am
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Pain in the Gulliver
posted: Friday September 26th - 8:40am
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Confederacy of Dunces
Responding to a brace of worthy comments on yesterday's blog, what indeed is next as far as incentives and compensation go? I'm sure we're all for free market platforms and just rewards, and can agree that what's happening on Wall Street right now is not representative of all corporate leaders.
posted: Thursday September 25th - 7:38am
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Great Depression
Noting that while "it often takes the board of directors to make a course correction when a company is on an illegal or irresponsible heading," Wharton management professor Peter Capelli says this is a rare event, especially in the generation raised on tying executive compensation to stock price.
posted: Wednesday September 24th - 7:30am
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Forceps, Please
As the post-mortems on the failure of the body-financial continue, herewith an autopsy on the corresponding body-corporate, courtesy of my regular consults, the professors of the Wharton Business School.
posted: Tuesday September 23rd - 7:30am
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Shampoo and Tequila
As our economy and financial system goes from riches to rags, I think of the homeless-to-billionaire story of John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of hair-care outfit John Paul Mitchell Systems and luxe tequila maker Patron Spirits.
posted: Monday September 22nd - 7:30am
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Les Miserables?
The headline of the day: "Struggling Air Force One To Begin Selling Passenger Tickets. The Newly Public Airline Promises Cheap Fares, Military Cover." Hey, they are nationalizing AIG, so why not? Actually, this comes from the latest edition of the Onion, which also has Chrysler naming the 1983 LeBaron as its new CEO.
posted: Friday September 19th - 7:30am
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Tower of Babble
Just a few months ago, a veteran AIG executive regaled me with tales of the good old roguish days at the Tower of Power, when men were men, deals were done on the backs of cocktail napkins and fistfuls of gin were de rigeur for breakfast.
posted: Thursday September 18th - 7:30am
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The King of Shaves
Already missing Paris, but perhaps a good thing I got out when I did, lest as an American I took local heat for the Lehman meltdown.
posted: Wednesday September 17th - 7:30am
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T5 Lines
Just a week ago in London, I dined with an old friend, an ex-E.F. Hutton and Merrill trading whiz. "Mark my words," he said, "Lehman's over."
posted: Tuesday September 16th - 8:00am
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Terminal Places
There's nothing like the whirlwind business trip, meeting managers, executives and directors from dawn to midnight in conference rooms, in hotels, in restaurants and out on the town.
posted: Monday September 15th - 7:30am
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Like Lemon and Cream
posted: Friday September 12th - 7:30am
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La Belle, La Douce
posted: Thursday September 11th - 5:14pm
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Suffering Supporters
There a new madness afoot in English football—money.
posted: Wednesday September 10th - 7:30am
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The Anglo File
A quick round-up of the British business landscape, starting with an economic assay as depressing as England's hopes for World Cup qualification.
posted: Tuesday September 9th - 7:30am
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London Calling
Linger at Heathrow Airport? Once, no longer than you had to, and only if you were fascinated by charmlessness and congestion.
posted: Monday September 8th - 7:30am
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Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
posted: Friday September 5th - 7:30am
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Human Capitalizing
With the presidential race training the kliegs on issues of fit leadership and judicious talent choices, here's some interesting insight from Workforce.com into corporate talent management.
posted: Thursday September 4th - 7:30am
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And Now For Something Completely Different
Governor Sarah shares a surname with acclaimed Monty Python troupe member Michael Palin, and it's been a flying circus right out of the gate. Or, in the words of New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, the mother of all storms.
posted: Wednesday September 3rd - 7:30am
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Bellweathers
posted: Tuesday September 2nd - 7:30am
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Shine A Light
posted: Friday August 29th - 7:30am
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A First Resort
posted: Thursday August 28th - 8:30am
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No Reservations
En route to NYC back from Richmond, VA, a chance to stop at and review two acclaimed meetings-centric Virginia hotels. Both receive my unreserved recommendation -- corporate leaders, please contact your planners immediately, or get thee there immediately with your spouse -- the first described as follows.
posted: Wednesday August 27th - 7:30am
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In Camera
Catching up with one of my favorite companies, Redwood City, CA-based Shutterfly, the "Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service" which through my lens, represents one of the finest commercial interpretations of the web.
posted: Tuesday August 26th - 7:30am
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Anchors Aweigh
Reporting from Richmond, VA, attending funeral services for a dear friend who just passed away days after his 90th birthday. One cornerstone of James Dillard's legacy was his service during World War II as a Navy gunner, a career distinguished by enduring the hellfire of kamikaze attacks and helping wounded comrades to safety.
posted: Monday August 25th - 7:30am
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Real Good, Baby
posted: Friday August 22nd - 7:30am
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Untimely Delivery
Laurence G. O'Neil was just appointed as the new president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management. Formerly SVP and chief human resources officer at Kaiser Permanente, a $40 billion not-for-profit health care organization with 158,000 employees, O'Neill brings to the role strong experience in the very industries currently battling economic headwinds -- healthcare, energy and financial services.
posted: Thursday August 21st - 7:30am
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Mutual Fun
posted: Wednesday August 20th - 7:30am
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Crunch Berry Serial
posted: Tuesday August 19th - 7:30am
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K (Street) Rations
Kudos to Michael Phelps and his 12,000 calorie per day, eight gold medal achievement. But should he get into Washington politics? Hell no -- and neither should CEOs, says Workforce Management's Washington blog.
posted: Monday August 18th - 7:30am
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Stand-Up Routines
General reaction to Charlie Gibson's interview of ExxonMobil chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson? A movie we have all seen before.
posted: Friday August 15th - 7:30am
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Tractor Beams
posted: Wednesday August 13th - 9:16pm
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Pump It Up
posted: Wednesday August 13th - 7:30am
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The Right Connections
Turns out all that talk about UPS acquiring TNT was more fizzle than sizzle.
posted: Tuesday August 12th - 7:30am
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Package Deals
InBev recently bought Anheuser-Busch, the U.S. men tied the Dutch in Olympic soccer yesterday, and now comes a potential equalizer as UPS contemplates a takeover of Dutch rival TNT.
posted: Monday August 11th - 7:30am
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Masters of Disaster
Hillary's giving it one last try in Denver, Brett the Jet's New York-bound and summer will soon be walking in autumn's shoes, hopefully making a run at ending this marathon of economic pain. Who doesn’t love reincarnation, redemption and recovery stories?
posted: Friday August 8th - 7:30am
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Fourth And Long
posted: Thursday August 7th - 7:30am
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Unsound Methods
A chorus of cautionary voices reportedly failed to halt Freddie Mac CEO Richard Syron's upriver boat ride into the heart of dark loan jungles.
posted: Wednesday August 6th - 7:30am
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Need To Know Basis, Always
posted: Tuesday August 5th - 7:30am
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Poison Pills?
posted: Monday August 4th - 7:30am
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Your Pain, Their Gain
posted: Friday August 1st - 7:30am
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Book Smarts
posted: Thursday July 31st - 7:30am
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Riding the Virtuous Cycle
posted: Wednesday July 30th - 7:30am
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Double Down, Double Up
posted: Tuesday July 29th - 7:30am
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Bark, Then Kiss
posted: Monday July 28th - 7:30am
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Evaporation Stations
posted: Friday July 25th - 7:26am
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Here Comes The Sun
posted: Thursday July 24th - 7:30am
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Smart Cars
The British sandwich tends to err on the modest side, typically one slice each of meat and cheese or just watercress betwixt the bread; the American tends to be measured in inches, if not feet, under nameplates such as hero and grinder.
posted: Wednesday July 23rd - 7:30am
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Winner Take All
So Yahoo has averted its August proxy showdown with Carl Icahn -- now what?
posted: Tuesday July 22nd - 6:06am
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Can't Unring A Bell
posted: Monday July 21st - 5:55am
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Enforcement Actions
The handful of bank closures this year, and the current turbulence pales in comparison to the mass failure of savings-and-loan institutions in the 90's. Following regulators' takeover of $32 billion-asset IndyMac though -- the largest thrift failure in history and the second largest collapse of any insured institution -- and the unease grows.
posted: Friday July 18th - 7:34am
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Shooting Blanks
posted: Thursday July 17th - 8:22am
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The Maverick Paradox
posted: Wednesday July 16th - 7:25am
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Calibration Metrics
posted: Tuesday July 15th - 7:13am
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Sending Out An S.O.S.
posted: Monday July 14th - 8:33am
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Golden Skies Forever?
posted: Friday July 11th - 7:16am
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To SPAC Or Not To SPAC?
posted: Thursday July 10th - 8:34am
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Boone Times
posted: Wednesday July 9th - 7:58am
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I Think, Therefore Icahn
The latest edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary introduces some new words to our lexicon, including Norovirus, soju and pescatarian.
posted: Tuesday July 8th - 7:58am
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Forbidden Fruit?
posted: Monday July 7th - 7:51am
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When Life Gives You Potatoes
posted: Thursday July 3rd - 7:40am
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Relying On Instinct
posted: Wednesday July 2nd - 5:44am
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Well Wishes
posted: Tuesday July 1st - 9:38am
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One Gate Closes
posted: Monday June 30th - 6:11am
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Water Works
posted: Friday June 27th - 6:01am
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Dubailand In Bad Decline
posted: Thursday June 26th - 6:21am
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An IKEA Grows In Brooklyn
posted: Wednesday June 25th - 6:25am
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Voting Block
As one commentator on Carl Icahn’s blogsite says, “The most effective activism is at the shareholder voting level; the other method is at the political level.”
posted: Tuesday June 24th - 6:19am
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Beaus of Indomitable Leadership
posted: Monday June 23rd - 6:14am
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Reality Checks
posted: Friday June 20th - 6:26am
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New York, New York
posted: Thursday June 19th - 6:21am
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Kitchen Confidential
posted: Wednesday June 18th - 6:18am
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Before They Make Me Run
posted: Tuesday June 17th - 5:58am
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Real Men of Genius
posted: Monday June 16th - 6:10am
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The Inestimable Mr. Tips
What do funeral homes, helicopter tours and executive-level dogs have in common? These are just some of the synergistic elements employed to great effect by San Antonio-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert “Dick” Tips, once introduced by Jay Leno as “the most interesting person in Texas.”
posted: Friday June 13th - 6:22am
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So You Think You Can CEO?
posted: Thursday June 12th - 6:56am
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Energy Rush
posted: Wednesday June 11th - 6:25am
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Spectacular Achievements, Unspectacular Preparation
In 1969--six years after winning the Heisman Trophy, getting drafted in the tenth round and serving in the Navy, Vietnam included--he joined the Dallas Cowboys as a 27-year old rookie quarterback. In 1970, he took his first foray into commercial real estate.
posted: Tuesday June 10th - 5:51am
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Smart Connect
posted: Monday June 9th - 6:13am
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Putsched Back
posted: Friday June 6th - 6:12am
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Das Book
posted: Thursday June 5th - 6:08am
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Drill Down
posted: Wednesday June 4th - 5:49am
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The Toxic Executive?
posted: Tuesday June 3rd - 6:08am
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Crude Math
posted: Monday June 2nd - 6:16am
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Duh Vinci Code
posted: Friday May 30th - 5:50am
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Twenty Hubs, No HQ
posted: Thursday May 29th - 5:51am
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Marble Mouths?
posted: Wednesday May 28th - 6:08am
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Living, Learning and Leisure
Texas folks sure are hospitable. They even allowed a NY Giants fan on the Texas Stadium turf, where an everlasting memory will be kicking a 30-yard field goal in my dress shoes. And speaking of hospitality, Burt Cabañas' mastery of the art began years ago poolside at the Shelbourne Hotel in Miami Beach.
posted: Tuesday May 27th - 6:07am
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Texas Round-Up
posted: Friday May 23rd - 6:07am
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Texas Pet Rocks
posted: Thursday May 22nd - 6:16am
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Austin On My Mind
posted: Wednesday May 21st - 6:13am
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Energetic Texas
posted: Tuesday May 20th - 6:11am
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T-Bone Stakes
posted: Monday May 19th - 5:58am
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Texas Power Towers
posted: Friday May 16th - 6:20am
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Texas Breakfast
Greeting from the Big D and the North Texas Metroplex ("metropolitan complex").
posted: Thursday May 15th - 8:25am
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Live Large. Think Big.
That's the official motto of Dallas, but it flies equally well for Texas, America's mammoth second largest state and with a history and spirit of independence to match. Originally a territory of Spain and then Mexico, Texas became its own nation in 1836 before joining the U.S. in 1845; having flown under six different flags, Texas and its people have a fierce attitude of hard-won pride.
posted: Wednesday May 14th - 5:28am
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Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
posted: Tuesday May 13th - 6:24am
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Grave Matters
This time last year, oil was $62 a barrel. On Friday, it finished at double that amount, with the national average for a gallon of gas hovering around $4. In the same time period, the dollar dropped 15% against the euro. Consequently, reports the NY Times, hedge funds, pension funds and other institutional investors are going short on oil to offset losses in stocks, bonds and other dollar-backed assets.
posted: Monday May 12th - 7:15am
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Full Steam Ahead
posted: Friday May 9th - 6:22am
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Secret of Their Success
posted: Thursday May 8th - 6:42am
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Whale Spam
posted: Wednesday May 7th - 6:10am
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American Brand Strand
posted: Tuesday May 6th - 6:43am
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MicroWho?
posted: Monday May 5th - 6:48am
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Vision 2010
posted: Friday May 2nd - 6:08am
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Spectra-Graph
posted: Thursday May 1st - 6:18am
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Doubles, Triples and ChaChas
posted: Wednesday April 30th - 8:34am
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Big MACs
"Material adverse changes" are provisions associated with M&A transactions that guard against events that diminish the value or attractiveness of an acquisition target. These changes can range from terrorist acts to the trading volume of a target’s stock.
posted: Tuesday April 29th - 7:31am
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Anything to Declare?
posted: Monday April 28th - 6:22am
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The Executive Kool-Aid Alpha Test
posted: Thursday April 24th - 11:23pm
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Active Cultures
posted: Thursday April 24th - 7:12am
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Does Your CEO Have a Blog?
posted: Wednesday April 23rd - 7:23am
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Capital Thinking
There's an old joke about American abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock--the punch line is whatever you say it is. Economic news continues to splatter about in similar fashion--recessing, rebounding--and on it goes.
posted: Tuesday April 22nd - 6:39am
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Bone Yard
What happens to senior executives in retirement? If you are Michael Amery, a former globe-trotter with Bristol-Myers Squibb, you open a luxurious, private B&B in the heart of Pennsylvania's Bucks County.
posted: Monday April 21st - 7:22am
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The Grand SCM of Things
posted: Friday April 18th - 7:11am
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Vulture Capital
Promised you five more 40 under 40 web reviews today, but as perfected by the co-CEOs of my former tech start-up, I’m afraid it’s a case of overpromise and underdeliver. Where did those five million VC pounds go again? Ah yes, many a first-class airline seat, and those lovely glass-bricked walls in the office, the better to obscure the VC-lopping of CEO heads.
posted: Thursday April 17th - 7:15am
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40 Under 40: ‘Net Asset Value
Not book value for valuation purposes, but now that Corporate Leader has introduced its top 40 CEOs under 40, I decided to tour and evaluate the websites of the selectees’ companies, as well as visiting blog aggregator Technorati.com to see who, if anyone, is discussing our Fab 40. Here are the first five, from the top.
posted: Wednesday April 16th - 7:14am
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Paging Bud Fox
Why do people say Delta’s the best thing that ever happened to air travel?
posted: Tuesday April 15th - 6:45am
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Meet the New Boss(es)
Not too long ago, they were sporting graduation mortarboards. Now their headgear is market caps, some valued in the billions. Who are they?
posted: Monday April 14th - 6:43am
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The Shroud of Linen
There are a few low-level ex-Gotti wiseguys still floating around my Brooklyn neighborhood. You hear things—you know, things—and I have it on good authority there’s one guy in particular you go see if you need a problem fixed.
posted: Friday April 11th - 7:37am
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Hoopla!
posted: Thursday April 10th - 6:39am
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Think
Coming up in business, I heard about the pervasive "Think" culture at IBM. Even bathroom time was meant to be productive--remember that old saw about "Think" being pasted on the backs of stall doors? As a dot.com road warrior, I also heard how fast the IBM sales guys liked to work, pushing for the close at the first meeting.
posted: Wednesday April 9th - 6:29am
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Mystery Solved?
Famed ad-libbing comedian Ernie Kovacs once riffed on television thus: "A medium, so-called because it is neither rare nor well done." Had he not died so young, he would have seen the reality (TV) of his joke. And what might he have made of the blogosphere? Frustration, most likely. Kovacs was big on breaking down the "fourth wall" to show viewers the action behind the scenes--but it's not as easy to see talking heads on the web. How much does seeing a speaker influence belief in and acceptance of their message?
posted: Tuesday April 8th - 7:07am
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C-Suite Spot
posted: Monday April 7th - 6:41am
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American History 2.X
posted: Friday April 4th - 8:32am
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Moving Forward In Retreat
posted: Thursday April 3rd - 7:05am
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Pig Perfume?
posted: Wednesday April 2nd - 8:24am
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Sense of Humor, Failure
posted: Tuesday April 1st - 6:38am
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