It has been almost a decade since I lost my father to cancer, but the lessons I learned watching him run large companies, creating new businesses, and turning around languishing businesses are still fresh in my mind. I credit him for my business ethics, “workaholism”, leadership style, and pragmatic yet optimistic outlook. He was a…
Category Archives: Lessons learned
Why early stage startups don’t need business consultants
I chat with many consultants during my busy events schedule. Boston boasts a large number of consultants who are true experts in their areas. But, we also have snake-oil salespeople who love to call themselves business “coaches”, “gurus”, etc. If you are smart, you just smile at them, look for an excuse to run away,…
Difference between “My CEO” and “Our CEO”
Being in operations, I’m usually the right-hand-man for the CEO (and CFO), and have worked with some fantastic ones and a few who should have let someone else pilot the company. Not everyone is cut out to be a CEO and nowhere is this as evident and crucial as in startups. A good CEO can…
What I’ve Learned About Business Leadership From Competing In Autosports
As some of you may already know, I am an avid “car guy” and starting my third season of autocross competitions (an auto sport, for those not familiar I have included a video below of what it is like). I did well in the races when I lived in Chicago, but encountered much more skilled…
Disaster Recovery Planning and Business Continuity For Startups and Emerging Companies
As we watch the news and pandemonium the media is creating about the swine flu today, it should remind entrepreneurs that disaster planning is no joke. Of all the entrepreneurs I have asked about disaster preparedness in the last couple of years, 9 out of 10 said they were not worried and did not have…
How do I get my boss to respond to my e-mails? Guide to communicating with executives.
One of the most common complaints I hear from people is that their leaders do not respond quickly enough to their emails, which makes them feel like they are not getting enough guidance. Yes, it does take two to tango, but many times the blame is squarely on the sender of the message. I have…
Can’t retain talent at your company?
Everywhere you turn, more and more people are talking about the “free-agency” attitude of many professionals. The greater the demand of their skills, the less likely they will be loyal to their employer. I have a number of friends and acquaintances in high demand fields and I keep hearing stories about why they will “only…
If you are in a startup and have a title, you are not doing enough work…
Last November I was interviewing with a very stealthy (for a very good reason) startup in Boston. During my conversation with a co-founder Ellen (she is very stealthy too, so I will skip last name), I asked her what her title was. Her answer was something that has stuck with me to this day. She…