Never Knowingly Undersold: A great way to refocus the John Lewis brand
You really appreciate good slogans when you see a bad one. Among my favourite disasters are “nothing sucks like Electrolux” (vacuum cleaners) and “cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout” (an unsurprisingly short-lived Reebok Germany campaign in 2012). Never Knowingly Undersold was always a great slogan, classy rather than catchy, and speaking to a […]
Will D&I make a comeback?
The business response fell somewhere on a spectrum from genuine reflection and commitment to change, through to panicked bandwagoning. Some said that they couldn’t see the business benefit to justify hiring a D&I (or, if you include ‘equity’, DEI) professional, but they largely kept that to themselves. D&I boomed, particularly in large corporates. But as […]
Hiring a new CEO? Stop looking for a clone
But unfortunately, the tendency is to hire people just like you. It’s understandable really. Our cognitive biases generally mean we see our way of doing things as the right way of doing things, which means we instinctively hire mini-me’s without even realising that’s what we’re doing. But it’s not a good idea. Not only do […]
Breaking America: A quick guide for British businesses
However, many UK firms have struggled to get it right. Tesco’s early-century attempt to break the American market with Fresh & Easy may be the most infamous example. Despite being at the height of its success in Britain, its American adventure ended in a multibillion dollar flop. But there are many others that failed to […]
How to build better boards
On the one hand, sound governance provides vital protection from the risks that have befouled so many companies over the years. On the other hand, it’s an opportunity for executive directors to benefit from the experience, expertise, perspective and networks of non-execs, which can guide the business in often unexpected ways. Finding the right non-executive […]
Why it’s getting harder to hire a great CFO
The latest version of the UK corporate governance code, commonly referred to us as UK SOx, leaves them personally liable, at least in part, for the accuracy of financial statements, and the effectiveness of internal controls and risk management frameworks. I’m all for preventing fraud and accounting scandals, but no one should be surprised that […]
B Corp month: How to talk about purpose
“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” Lines like that abound at times like this. It’s B Corp month, after all, and those of us who care about such things want to inspire each other to believe that business is more than just an exercise in profit maximisation. You need more […]
When should founders step back
If leaders are expected to have all the answers, the same goes doubly for founders. You are often synonymous with the business, its guiding light. It makes it tremendously difficult to admit that you’re out of your depth, even drowning in your work. This is ironic, because founders arguably face this challenge more than anyone […]
Why you can’t plan for succession
But the traditional approach to succession planning is no longer fit for purpose. In an era of rapid and unpredictable change, you cannot just select an heir apparent, review every couple of years and wait. Adaptability and agility are paramount. The needs of your business are ever evolving, which means the brief for succession will […]
Do co-CEOs really work?
In a corporate setting it’s rare for there not to be a single chief executive running the show, but not unheard of. Increasingly, we’re seeing prominent examples of co-CEOs, including Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters at Netflix, co-MDs Jane Eskriett and Richard Grainger at River Island, and M&S CEO Stuart Machin and co-CEO Katie Bickerstaffe. […]
