On a warm spring night, it’s hard to deny the appeal of an artfully crafted ice cream sundae. Whether it’s a banana split or peppermint chip drizzled with hot fudge and peanuts, it’s a mouthwatering sight to behold. And when it’s first made, all of the ingredients can be seen clearly in their places. But wait twenty minutes before eating it and it becomes a gooey conglomeration, difficult to distinguish the ice creams from the… READ MORE

Two of my favorite things are strategy and Mexican food, but it’s tough to connect the two. So, a big thanks to Yum Brands CEO David Novak for making the link. In an interview this week in USA Today, David talked about his leadership of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut along with the other offerings under the Yum Brands umbrella. In the article, David was asked, “What’s the key to being a successful global company?” His reply, “You need to be… READ MORE

Recent research by Egon Zehnder and McKinsey and Co. showed that the ability to come up with insights was the most important trait for executives in top-performing companies. Where do you record your insights or learnings about your business? How often do you record these insights? In my work helping managers develop their strategic thinking skills, a great deal of focus is put on practical tools and techniques for generating new insights on… READ MORE

Last week I was in Atlanta for a television appearance on FOX TV to talk about how companies and managers can be successful in a tough economy. As I sat in the Green Room (actually only the door was green) waiting for my interview, in walked Federico Castelluccio (aka Furio, from the HBO series “The Sopranos”) who was also a guest on the show for a later segment. I asked what he’s been working on since the Sopranos and he’s been writing films,… READ MORE

It’s a common belief that the truly great ones—Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Wolfgang Mozart, Gary Kasparov, etc. have been blessed with tremendous innate talents that ordinary folks like you and me haven’t been given. It also happens to be dead wrong. Research in the past twenty years has shown quite conclusively that the notion of talent’s “chosen ones” is a myth. What the research on exceptional performance and expertise has shown is that… READ MORE

Last week I had the opportunity to do the keynote speech at the Illinois Society of Human Resource Managers annual conference. I asked the 400 HR executives, “How many of you are looking for new growth for your business next year?” 100% of hands went up. My follow-up question: “How many of you have given your managers new concepts, tools and frameworks to generate that new growth?” About 10% of hands went up. Big disconnect. Here’s a… READ MORE