Leadership Mistakes

A Renaissance tale of hiring right

In the early years of the Medici banking empire, which established commerce throughout Europe and later funded the greatest art of the Italian Renaissance, its founders had to set some ground rules. Still, it became clear immediately that however terrific the rules, staffing is always most important. Then as now, you need honest and astute managers.

One Hall of Fame to avoid

When interviewed about AT&T’s layoffs in the 1990s, CEO Robert Allen said something like, “What do you want me to do? Go on TV and cry?” Hank Gilman, of Newsweek, says, “We called it In-Your-Face Capitalism.” And that landed Allen in the “Bad PR Hall of Fame.”

What Netflix should have done first

Much has been written about Netflix’s embarrassing flip-flop earlier this year. The kerfuffle was over CEO Reed Hastings’ unfortunate decision that he quickly reversed when his cus­­tomers protested loudly. In the process, Hastings forgot to do one key thing: offer an apology.

The anatomy of deception

Why Leaders Lie, a slim volume that tells the truth about lying, offers basic definitions of deception, which is designed to prevent others from knowing the truth. Deception includes lying, spinning and concealment ...

Martha Stewart's comeback that wasn't

A glut of “yes” men is probably one reason Martha Stewart hasn’t made the comeback she so anticipated. Signs that she let ego get in the way of her business’s best interests:

Jeff Kindler: Pfizer's bitter pill

The downfall of a prominent CEO offers a cautionary tale about the need for self-awareness and continual self-improvement: Jeff Kindler was forced to resign a little over four years after becoming Pfizer's CEO. One reason for his fall: As a leader, Kindler had a combative style, yet agonized over every decision and second-guessed everyone else’s.

Warning signs of board overload

Here are some flags that your governing board may be overwhelmed:

Customer service at its very worst

It’s quite possibly the worst customer service experience we’ve ever heard of. You’re entitled to breathe a sigh of relief that your company didn’t make such an egregious misstep. But do heed the critical lessons this tale offers:

Bobby Bowden: No sense in playing it safe

Bobby Bowden won his first four games as West Virginia’s football coach in 1970. Then he made a big mistake. In a game against Pittsburgh, winning 35-8 at halftime, he listened to people who said: “We have this game won. Just don’t blow it. Don’t do anything crazy.”

Don't fall victim to the blame game

Too much emphasis on blaming individuals can lead to a failure to identify the true root of the problem. Take the story of the Israeli Air Force fighter pilots and their trainers.


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