It is estimated that investments held by PEGs, or Private Equity Groups, in the US tops $500 billion.  PEGs have a distinctive approach to making money which requires artful execution on their investments.  They are viewed with envy by some for their successes, feared by others because of their actions and not trusted by some others because of their “secret ingredients”. Whichever camp you fall into, there are great lessons to be learned from a successful, savvy and typically highly intelligent group of business barbarians

The recent mission into Pakistan by an unnamed group of brave souls referred to as Team 6, has brought a multitude of best practices with application in the business world.  Often times, we need inspiration from groups or individuals unrelated to the corporate universe, like Olympic teams and Military leaders, to remind of us what we are missing in accomplishing our own missions. Clearly, the accomplishments of Team 6 reminded us of the importance of Courage when faced with tasks that take us completely out

There are many great attributes of corporate brands that we can adopt in developing a personal Brand.  If you have worked on building your personal Brand, you will find it difficult to compete in an ever increasing crowded market.  No matter your station in life, it is imperative to have a personal Brand that uniquely describes who you are.  Not a resume, or a Linkedin profile, but a branding statement that separates you from everyone else. As consumers, we are selective in companies we choose

Pacing the aisles on a Boeing 757 on a half day journey to the West Coast, I can’t help but notice the number of Kindle’s in use by my fellow passengers.  Electronics replacing print.  Who would have the courage to make masses of people take the leap and go against traditional forms of reading?  Would you? In complete awe, it is another reminder of how behavioral transformation takes vision, courage and unconditional execution.  Wi-Fi on-board, has replaced gazing out the window; gourmet coffee has pushed

Regardless of your station in a for-profit or non-profit enterprise, it is critically important to have a clear understanding of your entity’s stage of life.  Like us, companies have a distinct lifecycle, impacted by the leadership of the organization.  Similar to the bell shaped curve below, companies start with an idea and then grow through the different stages of development, much like we do.  However, unlike humans, companies can stay in their Prime for a long, long time—possibly forever.  Unfortunately, those are rare instances, as

The pace of mergers and acquisitions began heating up in September.  According to CNBC, on September 27th alone, $10.5 billion in worldwide M&A activities were announced….the biggest day for M&A activity since the $26.3 billion announced on August 16th. With the advent of the New Year just around the corner, and excess cash sitting on balance sheets of companies, is it time to look for an exit strategy?  Obviously, a lot depends on the Company’s overall long term plan, where they are in their corporate

In my corporate experience, what separated the true leaders of companies I observed and worked with, where those individuals who left the comfort of their office and entered the front lines.  And the more they were on the front lines, the more they were connected with the heart of the business. The practice of getting in touch with the core of a business is especially important when the economy is in a downturn and customers are on the run.  Is it any surprise that CBS

In nearly every type of business, there is a compelling need to be functional a high percentage of the time.  Up and running at full capacity.  Have you ever thought about the number of times you are disappointed when another party fails to deliver on full capacity? Your favorite show is about to air and the cable operator has an outage with no estimated of when it will be restored. The backlog of orders has not been this high for month and the machinery in

In May 2006, a Wall Street Journal article declared that large Automated Teller Machine (“ATM”) manufacturers were trying to sell a new generation of machines that would enable customers to deposit cash or checks without an envelope.  Now, that may not be a big deal for some, but for many smaller businesses, which have a respectable quantity of checks and cash have to painstakingly prepare deposit slips, stamp the back of checks and stand in line, to make a deposit with a live teller, it

One would be foolish to minimize the pain and suffering this worldwide recession has caused in the lives of so many.  After every crisis we have an opportunity to learn what good came out of it.  Now that the recession is over (and yes, it is over, even though the pain persists) it is time for us to look at the positive impact from this economic malaise. In any capitalistic society, positive and negative business cycles will occur….it is inevitable.  Since our Independence in 1776,