Winter 2013 

Pop quiz time: what are the two best leverage points in your organization for improving performance?   

In my experience they are both the CEO/owner and the leadership team. As the CEO, you are in charge of three internal success drivers that will make or break your business -- focus, accountability and culture. Few leaders are as good at these as they could or should be. Unfortunately, many don't see improving their own leadership ability as the most important lever to improve company performance for reasons both good and bad. But when I ask leaders about what they would do differently next time, they almost always talk about moving more swiftly, assertively and effectively in the areas of focus, accountability and culture.

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Growth is at the top of most of our clients must do lists this year. One of the decisions facing leaders is how to grow. Organic growth and acquisition usually come to mind but strategic alliances are a third powerful option that more and more businesses are using. Strategic alliances cover a broad gamut of possibilities, which range from loosely structured partnerships to full-scale mergers. Structured correctly alliances can leverage the strengths of two businesses and accomplish significantly more than either partner could accomplish on their own. But alliances are not for everyone. Methodically doing the upfront work to determine if this is the right growth choice can greatly improve the odds of success.

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By Russell Jensen

In December I had the privilege of leading a breakout session at the CEO2CEO Leadership Summit, held at the New York Stock Exchange. The Summit was sponsored by Chief Executive Magazine and I was there in my role as a process leader for CEN.*

To set the stage a bit, it should be noted that this was an intimate, but very formal setting.  There were about 50 CEOs of mid-size businesses (generally $50 million - $1 billion in revenue) in attendance. While the NYSE meeting room was impressive, it was the respect for the event that really left an impression. From the business attire (suits and ties, with only one sports coat) to the presentations and panel discussions, it was clear everyone was prepared to get as much from this experience as possible. With this perspective, I wasn't surprised with the amount of time spent on audience Q & A, and the intimate nature of the dialogue.There was a sense the CEOs were much more candid and open than in most other settings. Perhaps, in part, because the only media in the room were with the friendly and supportive host publication. Panelists seemed to really try to focus on the audience.

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