Avoiding the success trap
Indeed, they very often declined or failed to pursue the very same strategies that were responsible for their success in the first place. From Kodak in the face of the digital camera to countless department stores in the face of convenience retail, they kept doing what used to work for them – until it didn’t. […]
Q&A: Georgina Whalley, Interim CEO (UK) and Global CMO, Openpay
Late last year, Georgina pivoted again when she became interim CEO of Openpay’s UK operations, adding general management on top of her ongoing CMO responsibilities. She took some time out of her understandably busy schedule to talk to ORESA about leadership, careers and the state of fintech. What does it take to be successful as […]
Market Trend Report: Does purpose improve financial results?
It’s almost an article of faith today that the purpose of a business is more than just profit maximisation – and further that having greater purpose will lead to better financial performance. But is that actually true? Before we review the evidence, let’s be clear what we mean by purpose, which is sadly all too […]
What great chairs do – and what they don’t
The comparison with the chief executive is particularly apt given that by some estimates 85% of chairs used to be a CEO at some point, often at the same company. It can be problematic for them and for the business if they don’t know the difference, or the particular ways in which a chair adds […]
Why achieving strategic clarity isn’t as easy as it sounds
Because it’s clear in your mind, you are able to communicate it to people in a way that they too can understand. Through all the complexity that your business contains, all those moving parts, everyone is able to link back to that clear vision, purpose and strategy, and align what they are doing accordingly. You […]
Are you structured for growth?
Strategic growth has at least as much to do with execution as it does with ideas, however, and so often strong execution follows from a robust structure. There are generally three ways that structure can support – or stifle – strategic growth. 1. Structure frees ideas The larger an organisation gets, the harder it is […]
Are you looking for growth in the right places?
Nothing quite beats the feeling of looking at your budgets and forecasts as the year goes on, and seeing meaningful growth. All those meetings, all that time spent agonising over the strategy, all those business development calls seem validated in the cold reality of the numbers: your plans are working, your collective efforts are paying […]
Are star employees overrated?
A few years ago, Bain conducted a major piece of research looking for the holy grail of management consultancy: what makes an excellent firm. They found stars – employees who made an outsized contribution to performance – in abundance, typically in highly specialised and creative roles. Star corporate lawyers performed 12 times better than the […]
If Your Values Don’t Fit, You’re Toast
In part one of this blog, we looked at why candidate fit is so important when hiring for growth, how it can turn into an excuse for excluding people, and how most of the time problems with a candidate’s fit can be solved with a little open-mindedness and flexibility. It’s a different matter when you’re […]
Why Candidate Fit Matters More Than Talent
We’ve all known candidates who sounded ferociously impressive at interview, who had a glittering record of success in well-respected firms, and who then fell flat on their faces when they joined yours. While it’s tempting to assume that these people were paper tigers, who just seemed more talented than they were, it’s improbable that someone […]
