EM 801 Executive Seminar

Carly Fiorina's Future -

2006-10-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that we discuss Carly Fiorina and her career at HP in our management classes to help understand Leadership, Change, Strategy, and learn some lessons on effective governance.

An article in FORBES entitled "Carly Fiorina's Future" has some interesting perspectives and has a link to a streaming video interview with the former Chairman of the Board of HP.

She is also selling her book a bit.

What do you think of this leader and the situation with the board?

Has (recent) history proven that it was not Ms.Fiorina's leadership that caused the "problems" at HP, but rather ineffective governance?

Gene A. Wright

Marissa Mayer: Innovation Leader

2006-06-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

We often talk about GOOGLE in our classes as a very intereting case study as a company with a "dynamic" business strategy and evolving business model. At the forefront of the business model and strategy is the steady stream of innovative products, services, and acquisitions.

Business Week has an article profiling one of the "Leaders of Innovation" at GOOGLE. Marissa Mayer. The article: "Marissa Mayer: Talent Scout" is an interesting study in leadership and management. From the article "She thrives by practicing obsessive fastidiousness in hiring, fanatical social networking in managing, and apolitical critiquing of new ideas."

The article logs one of her days and has a slide show feature.

What do you think of her leadership and management style?

Gene A. Wright

Leader Tips from Business Week

2006-06-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

"To be a Leader, Speak like One" is a brief article and slideshow which presents some ideas on being a leader.

Which one do you like? Do you agree?

Gene A. Wright

Peter Drucker on Managerial Courage

2006-06-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Class:

We began our class by discussing the differences between management and leadership, or rather differences between a manager and a leader.

Peter Drucker, in a "classic" (1963) HBR article writes about Managerial Courage. Working Knowledge, a publication of Harvard Business School has published an excerpt of the article that discusses three questions related to management and managers. 1. What is the manager's job? 2. What is the problem? 3. What is the principle?

Task, what do you think of the Questions and the Answers? Is Professor Drucker's thinking still current?

Gene A. Wright

Pewaukee Dunn Bros. Coffee Owner , Todd Williams Speaks at MSOE

2006-06-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

The second speaker for our class was Todd Williams, MSOE Graduate (Mechanical Engineering) and Proprieter of the Pewaukee Dunn Bros. Coffee Shop.

Todd described his journey to business ownership from that of sales engineer to coffee shop owner.

His passion for coffee was obvious as he brought coffee for the entire class, which we sipped as he told us about the process of building the business through its first year as well as the daily routine. He described how important his wonderful staff is and the importance of customer relationships.

The shop is a franchise of Dunn Bros. Coffee.

Your task here is to describe your thoughts on the Leadership and Management of a business such as Todd's after learning a bit more about the culture and business of Dunn Bros. by reading about its History.

You may also want to learn a bit about the culture as well.

Gene A. Wright

PS If you would like to read a bit about coffee, the website does have a nice collection of information about the fruit itself and its History.

Servant Leadership at MSOE

2006-06-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a wonderful speaker, Dr. Samuel Scheibler who enlightened us on the qualities and responsibilities of a servant leader.

What is Servant-Leadership? From the Greenleaf Center Website,

"Servant-Leadership is a practical philosophy which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding service to individuals and institutions. Servant-leaders may or may not hold formal leadership positions. Servant-leadership encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment."

Your task here would be to read and comment on the following article.......

On Character and Servant-Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders by Larry C. Spears.

Gene A. Wright

Turnaround at Chiquita

2006-06-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

A recent article in Strategy and Business discusses the turnaround at Chiquita Brands. The article entitled, Commit and Deliver stresses the importance of the executive agenda to return the company to profitability. It is a "case study" in the drastic measures required to return a firm from bankruptcy and the teamwork of the board of directors, executives, managers, and employees require to make things happen.

Leadership and management go hand-in-hand in these situations.

What do you think of the agenda?

What do you think of the challenge?

Gene A. Wright

"The World is Flat"

2006-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you have not yet been exposed to this excellent book, perhaps it is time.
The book "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
discusses the ideas of the flattening or globalization of the world, and how this contributes to required new thinking on most managerial and leadership issues. It discusses "outsourcing" in a way that makes most think that we ALL may get "outsourced" one day soon.

A couple sources you may want to scan include an interview with the author in Wired Magazine, May 2005.

Or, for those who are Wikipedia fans, the summary encyclopedia entry.

Gene A. Wright

David McCullough on Leadership

2006-05-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hello Class.

For your first opportunity to interact virtually, please listen to David McCullough's Poadcast, found on CIO Magazine's website.

This is the link to the Podcast and the website.

You will find a pretty extensive set of postings on blogs on the site of you care to read on.

Consider the audience (CIO's)

Your job is to post something regarding the podcast and your position on his message on leadership.

Gene A. Wright