CEO Insider

Let me share my recent experience at an Apple Store in Connecticut: The story begins with my daughter giving me a brand new iPhone which she had purchased via a contract upgrade (never used, still in the shrink-wrap).  This was right about at the time when COVID hit the world....

As a General Motors Supply Chain leader for over 25 years and now a small business owner, my experience has proven that successful operating fundamentals are the same, no matter the size of the company.  For both General Motors and Classic Auto LLC, this means optimizing data, capacity, and processes...

Once you’ve made some big plays and delivered on key milestones, the journey doesn’t end; you need to prepare to come back stronger. Being proud but never satisfied is an attitude. It’s a mentality where you always strive to do better. It doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy your accomplishments or...

Have you ever worked for a leader who doesn’t handle stress well? Trust me, it’s not a great experience—and it certainly doesn’t bring out the best in people. On the other hand, working for a leader who responds well under pressure is a great experience. How leaders handle stress is...

As a business owner, it feels surreal to look around years after the inception of your idea to see what you created. You see the jobs you’ve developed, the processes you’ve mastered, and the ways you’ve changed the world. But at some point, you know when it’s time to exit;...

We worked with two leaders who have young workforces, mostly people in their mid-twenties just starting their careers. These two leaders were all about giving their employees more to do and supporting and coaching them along. Empowering their staff was part of their leadership DNA—and it was clear that their...

“A ship is safe in harbour, but that’s not what ships are for.” On July 20, 1850, a young man named John Graves Shedd was born on a New Hampshire farm. By age 16, he had begun work as a clerk in a grocery store in Vermont. A year later,...

A tall, thin man in his late fifties approached me after my closing keynote for a manufacturing association conference on how manufacturing leaders can avoid business disasters. He looked distraught and agitated. I hoped he wasn’t angry with something I said.  Mark introduced himself and asked me to tell him...

BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, with some $9.5 trillion (that’s nine and a half million million dollars) assets under management at latest count.  It may well hold a stake in your company. It more than likely manages assets for your pension scheme. CEOs and CFOs of companies in...

With a net worth of $167 billion, the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton CEO Bernard Arnault surpassed Bill Gates to become the third richest person globally. The French businessman is the driving force behind some of the biggest luxury fashion brands in the world. The central rationale of this discussion...