Management Practices

Secrets of a low-key leadership

Dick Cass, president of the Baltimore Ravens franchise, runs a successful operation quietly, based on knowledge and skills but mostly on relationships. How it breaks down:

Gen. Marshall's two words of advice

As World War II came to an end, Secretary of State George Marshall told the State Department’s director of policy planning, George Kennan, to get his team together and come up with an economic relief plan for Europe. Marshall didn’t become bogged down in telling Kennan how to do his job. But he did offer “two deeply serious and unforgettable words,” says Kennan. “Avoid trivia.”

Welcome to Con Air

Ever wonder how prisoners are moved around the country? Such transfers require careful leadership and coordination of about 15,000 prisoners a month through 40 cities, on a fleet known as “Con Air,” under the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System.

Sharpen your 'A' game

An organization’s health results in part from its ability to renew itself faster than its competitors. Researchers from McKinsey & Co. use a process called the “five A’s” to build a competitive advantage.

Leadership Tips: Vol. 1111

Stick to the plan: Chipotle Mexican Grill founder Steve Ells runs his place on rules. He limits the menu to four basic items, serves no coffee or dessert, and doesn’t mess with limited-time offers. Even room temperature is strictly regulated. Result: Revenue has tripled since 2006, to $2 billion.

French firm drives home diversity

Diversity is on the mind of Severin Cabannes, one of three deputy CEOs for Société Générale. The France-based global banking concern is pressing forward on a topic that doesn’t get much play in today’s economy-obsessed world:

Lay the groundwork for small miracles

Sometimes, it takes a miracle to hold an organization (or yourself) together, and sometimes, that miracle turns out to be extremely hard to maintain.

Leadership Tips: Vol. 1011

Rock icon Tom Petty challenged his record label, and won, when it wanted to raise album prices. “Look, I don’t need the extra dollar,” he told executives. “But it makes a big deal to the people buying the music.”

Leadership Tips: Vol. 911

Nobody has to tell Google co-founder Larry Page to look for the big picture. He loves the grand quest and will challenge an employee by saying, “You’re not thinking big enough.”

Bringing Army efficiency to business: Lt. Gen. Pagonis

Allied Forces commander Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf once called Lt. Gen. William G. Pagonis the “logistical wizard” of the first Gulf War. Now Pagonis applies his wizardry to the business world. What the Army taught him about business:

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