CEO Agenda

"COVID-19 became my Chief Innovation Officer." Diane Sullivan, CEO of Caleres, described the 90% drop in revenue of her $2.8 billion global footwear company as a near-death experience. She credited innovation as the reason the company survived and thrived. The COVID challenge drove innovation and made Caleres a stronger company....

Is there a type of  brain functioning that allows one executive to see a business opportunity that others completely miss, or allows a lawyer to draw a creative analogy that makes a winning argument in his case? What allows one person to have the kind of coherent thinking that stands...

Conscious leadership (both personally and professionally) is a vital evolution in creating strong teams, families and companies. Now more than ever, the responsibility of leading by example and our larger culture is stemming from companies who have been given the charter of making decisions that impact individuals at home as...

We’ve all heard the phrase “people buy from people,” but another lesser-known quote digs a little deeper into what has to happen for people to believe another’s sales pitch. The rapper Chuck D said, “In order for people to buy from you, they have to buy into you.” If you...

In recent years, companies have focused intently on delivering a better employee experience in an effort to retain highly skilled employees capable of delivering top-notch work and staying ahead of the competition. Thanks to the increased attention paid to employee retention, many companies have turned to software systems to gauge...

In the last 40 years, business has become the epicenter of our culture, funding most everything else from politics and the media to our religious, educational, and communal/nonprofit organizations. And with this preeminence comes new responsibilities. As business leaders, we can no longer pursue our private ambitions and let the...

Early-stage companies are glad just to get orders for their products.  They see every prospect as a link in the chain that brings them ultimate success. It usually takes them a few bites into a rotten apple before they realize that one of the standards that they need to set...

Over the past few years, much attention has been paid to the importance of attracting, developing and retaining diverse talent. This focus has increased exponentially given the war for talent, the mass exodus of talent due to the “Great Resignation”, and the changing demographics as America moves ever closer to...

Every society or organization has leaders at the helm of affairs that ensure its smooth running. While some people are born with leadership skills, others learn the attributes of being a good leader. However, it doesn't matter whether a person is born with leadership qualities or acquired them, the most...

Even as COVID variants continue their death grip on regions of the world and segments of the workforce, company leaders worldwide are starting to demand that employees return to the office. “That’s how we’ve always worked,” those leaders apparently think. “It’s time to get back to normal.” And they are...