Jossey-Bass on Leadership

Are layoffs necessary??

Chip Conley, CEO of Joie de Vivre and author of Peak, asks "are layoffs necessary" on his Huffington Post blog. He examines the lasting impact of fear on productivity and company culture, and offers solutions to cut costs without cutting head count at the expense of our most vulnerable:

"So, what's an executive to do? Well, seven years ago due to a combination of the dot-com bust, 9/11, and a souring economy, my company was facing the biggest percentage revenue drop in the U.S. hotel industry since World War II. We stood by the motto "Layoffs Last" in that we told all of our employees that layoffs were the last thing we would do after we'd explored every other option. That meant we did 10% pay cuts for the top execs in the company, we did salary freezes for two and a half years for everyone else in the company, we stopped our 401k match for a period of time, we put a hiring freeze into effect, and we cut certain positions back from five days a week to four. And, as the CEO, I took a salary sabbatical for three and a half years. Just think about the 10% pay cut alone. If your top execs make twenty times the salary of your entry level employees (which is not that far off for most companies), for every 10% pay cut you make for a top exec, you are saving two full-time jobs. And, of course, we all know that the employees who are most vulnerable and, in a service business, sometimes most valuable are those line level hourly workers making $10-20 per hour."

Read the entire article after the jump.

JB in the News: Ron Alsop interviewed by the Huffington Post

Last week, Eric Kuhn of the Huffington Post interviewed former Wall Street Journal editor and author of The Trophy Kids Grow Up to talk about what it means to be a "trophy kid" or part of the "millennial generation" (born between 1980-2001). The interview brings up some important topics, from the current economy and the impact it has on recent college grads to how the millennial generation has played a major role on the success of Barack Obama's presidency.  

Check out the interview after the jump.

JB in the News: Are Brands Becoming an Overheated Property?

The latest issue of Women's Wear Daily features an article on John Gerzema's book, The Brand Bubble.

"At What Price Creativity?

As John Gerzema, chief insights officer at Young & Rubicam, sees it, the rise of the information-based economy has put a premium on the value of ideas. In the case of brands, the value of their entities has rocketed. According to Gerzema's calculations. they've advanced 80 percent in the last 30 years and now account for one-third of the average company's capitalization, or $4 trillion of the $12 trillion in value in the S&P 500, in the first quarter of 2008."

To read more, download the article here.

JB in the News: Patrick Lencioni on KGO ABC 7 News

During these struggling economic times, more and more families are faced with the pressure of trying to make ends meet.  This stress can negatively impact family life, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Bestselling author Patrick Lencioni  invites ABC 7  News to his home and shows them how he has applied his business leadership model to help resolve family issues as well as reestablish strong family values and connection. To check out the full story click here. 

 

Patrick Lencioni is a New York Times best-selling business author of seven books including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, and his most recent book, Three Big Questions of a Frantic Family. He is also a husband and the father of four boys. As president and founder of The Table Group, Pat has consulted to CEOs and leadership teams in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies and start-ups to churches and non-profits. In addition to his books, Pat has written or been featured in publications like Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Leader to Leader, and USA Today.

JB in the News: Patrick Lencioni

The second of Pat Lencioni’s columns has appeared in Management Section of the Wall Street Journal’s online business section.  As previously noted Pat has been invited to be a regular contributor to the section.  We don’t know how often they’ll run, but at this rate it could be every few weeks!

You can read the latest here.

JB in the News: Ron Alsop

The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Workplaceby Ron Alsop has received some top-tier coverage in both Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal.  Alsop was also mentioned in the New York Times this week in a piece entitled "Gen O Gets its Hope On."

Check out what they have to say:

“Alsop takes a microscope to the distinct attributes of what he calls the ‘millennials’ (born between 1980 and 2001) and finds that the news isn’t all bad—far from it.” —Harvard Business Review, November 2008

“Ron Alsop…describes the workplace attitudes of the millennials and employers’ effort to manage these demanding rookies.” —The Wall Street Journal, October 21, 2008. For the full article, click here. 

JB in the News: John Gerzema

The Brand Bubble: The Looming Crisis in Brand Value and How to Avoid It by John Gerzema has been named #3 on Amazon.com’s Best Business Books of 2008 list. Amazon cites some of the excellent reviews this new book has already garnered including:

"The authors have access to one of the richest longitudinal marketing databases in the world...If consumer and investor perceptions of brand value have indeed been diverging, a huge reassessment of the value of brand-owning companies may still be ahead."—Alan Mitchell, Financial Times (October 23, 2008).

"The book is a wake-up call for marketers who think more branding per se will save them."—John T. Landry, Harvard Business Review (November 2008).

"Through extensive consumer research and analysis, the authors propose a startling fact: that despite rising valuations, consumers are falling out of love with many of the brands they buy. Use this book to learn how to safeguard one of your most cherished assets, your brand."—Ram Charan, co-author of The Game Changer, Execution, and Confronting Reality. 

Click here to see Amazon’s entire list.

Jossey-Bass in the News: Patrick Lencioni

   

Patrick Lencioni’s latest title Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family is winning accolades for its simple model of applying key business leadership principals to running your family. But what can business leaders learn from family life? Following is a Q&A with Lencioni that ran in Investor’s Business Daily (10/23/08)

Jossey-Bass in the News: Patrick Lencioni

Patrick’s Lencioni’s new book Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family was reviewed today on CNET’s Bullish on Books column. Reviewer Gloria McDonough-Taub can relate to Lencioni’s method for applying some business leadership principals to your homelife. She says:

"Lencioni says there is a clear link between running a successful organization and running a family. While subordinates at work are not the same as children ((REALLY, they’re not?)), parents are the managers - they still need to build trust, entertain healthy conflict, inspire commitment, hold people accountable and focus on results. Families need a clear plan with focus and constant communication.
 
Today we’re more frantic and overwhelmed because well, c’mon life right now is more frantic and overwhelming. Lencioni says there are more opportunities and distractions than ever; more social expectations and families can’t seem to say “no” to anything. And our lives are even more stressful now that we’re all obsessed with a global financial crisis where millions face losing their jobs or homes - fear prevails from sea to shining sea.

So with so much out of control – Lencioni offers an opportunity to bring control back where it’s needed most - at home! Lencioni lays out a recession-proof business plan that can bring order and meaning to the most important organization in our lives - our families."

Read the full article after the jump. And view a video of Patrick Lencioni talking about his new book here.

Smile, and nod

We’ve all seen it—false advertising, a lie told to your face, someone who clearly misrepresents the obvious.  And what tipped you off that it was happening was probably the body language of the deliverer, the way they presented themselves while they were giving you the message. 

Nick Morgan, one of America’s top communication theorists and coaches, and author of the forthcoming, Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma (January, 2009) weighs in on how Obama and McCain’s body language and public speaking skills are affecting their perceived leadership capabilities.   Check out his insightful commentaryhere.