No matter what industry you’re in, your company can’t survive without technology. And these days, even non-technical employees know that technology goes way beyond desktop computers and networks. From smart phones and tablet computers to mobile apps and cloud-based technology, there’s a plethora of technological advancements to not only keep track of, but also to [...]
Like most industries, the manufacturing sector is transforming rapidly. Because of recent technological advances and globalization, U.S. manufacturing is facing intense international competition, increasing market volatility and complexity, a declining workforce, and a host of other challenges. Yet we know that in order to have a strong economy, we need a strong manufacturing base. So [...]
I’ve always said that innovation is a key driver of business success. We saw this in action with Google. Back when Google was a startup, they focused heavily on innovation in search. As a result, they created a major source of income and a name for themselves as the dominant search engine. Google was able to accomplish this [...]
When the Worldwide Web first started—what we call Web 1.0—it was all about search and having access to information. It’s when we used the web as an Information Age tool, for our Information Age world. Today, it’s all about Web 2.0, where the key activities are sharing and communicating, rather than just informing. I wrote [...]
All too often we look at outstanding leaders and assume they just got lucky or that they were born to lead. What we don’t see is the discipline and some of the daily rituals that go into crafting the extraordinary impact they have and the results they create. They fully understand that leadership begins with [...]
Polaroid—the company that has been teetering on the brink of extinction for a while now—recently came out with a new digital camera powered by Android. I think that’s a good move, but they’re a little late to the game in doing it. If you remember those old Polaroid cameras, they were all about instant photography [...]
It takes discipline to be an outstanding leader. Discipline is all about the choices that you make each day. You give yourself a command and then you make the decision to follow through with it. Discipline brings about clarity of mind and helps you shut out distractions. It takes discipline to do the difficult things [...]
In the past few months, we’ve seen quite a few corporate reversals that have come about via social media. For example, Bank of America proposed charging customers a $5 monthly fee for using their debit card. It didn’t take long for a social media revolt from customers to get BOA to reverse that decision. Most [...]
When President Obama became president, it was widely reported that he used social media and technology to help gain the momentum and the votes he needed. Today, if we look at the republican candidates and their use of social media, we see that each has a lopsided social media strategy at best. In other words, [...]
