CEO to CEO

New Book: The Feel of the Deal; How I Built a Company through Acquisitions

Businesses are bought and sold every day, yet only a small minority of executives has ever personally led the purchase or sale of a business. This book allows the reader to experience the thoughts, analysis and actions of a CEO as he goes through an acquisition. Read more about the book, including sample chapters. The Feel of the Deal is an entertaining story of the author’s business acquisition and gives the reader a rare opportunity to get inside the head and heart of the CEO. Robert Sher opens up his thoughts and feelings during the four-year acquisitions journey. His book is a new kind of how-to business guide—the inside story, fun to read, and easy to implement. Following the story, 15 essays reframe the usable lessons in plain talk. An educational read for anyone interested in or doing business.

Assumptions About Perspectives

For the past month, I’ve been administering my Defeating Corporate Distraction diagnostic to management teams of companies with +50 million in revenues. The CEO and the top executives fill out the online diagnostic, which takes only ten minutes to complete. There are around fifty questions covering the Twelve Corporate Distractions. Broadly speaking, each respondent indicates whether they perceive each as a big distraction or not much of a distraction at all. Click here to
see an explanatory letter that contains some sample statements from the survey.

Developing in the Developing World

He dropped the cold, hard fact on the table between us. 90% of global urbanization - the building of new cities - is happening in developing countries: not in the USA, and not in Europe. David Gensler, Executive Director of Gensler, leads a 3000 person global architecture and design firm that was once primarily domestic.

In the late 1980's, Gensler's global customers began building abroad, and they asked the firm to support them there. Gensler said yes, and then began the odyssey of learning to build thriving, high performing offices in China and other developing countries. Today they have secured their position as a truly global organization, and are poised to benefit from the shift in urban development to developing countries.

Transparency About Future Events?

Imagine your direct report (who has been acting a bit odd) comes to you and asks, “What does my future career here hold for me, boss?” Are you completely transparent? Do you tell them everything that runs through your head? I doubt it. But how much of their future would you discuss? How much do you actually know?

The Unpredictable Leader

Are you a surprise to your subordinates? Or do they know you, know what you’ll say, what you’ll want, how you’ll react?

In an ideal world, leaders convey the mission and vision of the organization with such great clarity that their teams can make excellent decisions on their own, always executing the mission, moving toward the vision. These leaders motivate their teams to perform at high levels. They are perceived as stable, self assured and focused.

Managing Multiple Constituencies

We all know that “being the boss” doesn’t really mean we get what we want. Some companies have a simple ownership structure with clarity on who has the last word. But Alliance member Jim Harrison, CEO of MLSListings Inc. (Group 310), has multiple overlapping constituencies which blend ownership, industry associations, governance, sales channels and customers.

Compulsive Micro-Management

I hated that governor! That nasty device didn’t let my rental truck exceed 55 mph. Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, as part of my job, I would rent a 24' bobtail truck with lift gate to pick up cargo at the port in San Francisco. You could floor the gas pedal but it would never go faster than 55. The rental company’s trucks were old but cheap, and they let me drive them even though I wasn’t anywhere close to 25 years old.

That frustrating, speed limiting driving experience reminds me of running a company where micro-management has taken root.

Too Much One-Way Communication

An angry bee hive is very distracted from its work of making honey. One fast way to create an angry upset work team is to have flaming, angry, or confusing e-mails and texts circulating. Once the send button is hit, there’s no stopping it.

High Maintenance Employees

Few things can trigger a reaction in me as quickly as high-maintenance employees. My allergy to this behavior developed the way all allergies develop—through repeated exposure. After 20 years of leading organizations I swore the oath: No more babysitting. (I know, I can be a slow learner).

Misplaced Loyalty

He was employee number two and endured the cold, hard years of startup, when you were all a payroll away from failure. If you’re human, you’ll feel a deep sense of loyalty to him. In another example, the CFO spent three straight months in China a few years back despite the objections of his wife and two young children, where he opened up critical operations there. Wow! That’s loyalty.

But what do you do if their performance has slipped? What if the company has outgrown their ability to keep up? Should you be tough on them? Do you have the will to fire them if that’s what’s required? Most CEOs and senior executives struggle with this situation.

Superhero Selling: the CEO

By Robert Sher
Nobody can sell like the CEO. Two high stakes, near-death experiences by Dennis Raefield, CEO of Mace Security International (OTCQB: MACE) illustrate the power and prudence of the CEO going eyeball to eyeball with key customers.