Leading over the holidays: 3 festive rules
The figure of Ebenezer Scrooge looms large at this time of year. Charles Dickens’ most famous character is also the most famous Christmastime boss, and a yardstick of sorts for the rest of us. Needless to say, it’s a comparison few would like to earn. But getting leadership right over the holiday period is a […]
The future is flat (sometimes)
Unsurprisingly, you don’t exactly find CEOs queuing up these days to show off their towering bureaucracies. Flatness is characteristic of start-ups – they can’t afford middle managers – and is therefore associated with agility, a must-have quality in an age of rapid, perpetual change. The alternative is seemingly to suggest that you are beyond capable […]
The problem with pay rises
Inflation already hit over 5% this year, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine propelled oil and gas prices to yet another level of the stratosphere. Some economists suggest we could see over 8% later in 2022, deepening the cost of living crisis. Naturally this leads to a certain pressure to raise wages. As the Bank […]
How to find entrepreneurial CEOs
It’s vanishingly rare for someone to have the multitudinous aptitudes required to start a business, as well as those required to scale it, as well as those required to lead a mature organisation in all its complexity. Unlike Amazon’s now ex-CEO, most founders of high-growth businesses learn the hard way that radically different situations generally […]
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 […]
The failures of flat structures
Flatness is a very fashionable quality for a start-up. When founders talk about their nimbleness and adaptability, they often reference their lack of hierarchy as a cardinal virtue, and it’s easy to see why. The traditional model of organisational design – modelled on an army, with a strict reporting pyramid – can seem clunky and […]
The trouble with team reshuffles
There are similarities between leadership in business and in politics. Like Prime Ministers, CEOs have to balance the often-conflicting needs of different stakeholders and present a convincing vision to the world. Like Prime Ministers, CEOs can end up on the front pages when they get it wrong. Popularity doesn’t win the race But there are […]
Year of the Multitasker? The skills businesses are looking for in 2021
This week we enter the Chinese year of the OX. Our recent survey results suggest that, in the world of headhunting, it could be the the year of the multitasker. With some teams shrinking and business needs adjusting to ‘the new normal’, it seems inevitable that companies will be looking to adapt intelligently and recruit […]
What 2021 requires from leaders
In Winter nature takes a break. Conversely in business, Spring has come early for those companies with the determination to press ahead. Many have decided it is time to get going, take action and initiate change, NOW! So what does 2021 require from leaders? Here are 5 thoughts to consider. Take Action It’s […]
Is it time to reassess CEO pay?
Business leaders have pushed to create a sense of comradery in the last few months, putting on a brave face while the virus continues its march into 2021. But while many at the top are sitting tight, waiting for the worst phases of Covid to pass, calls from unions and the general public to end […]
