In the past decade, the power of innovation has been in the spotlight. Technology entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs built their careers (and their companies) by developing and launching innovative products at the right time in the market— at least most of the time. Today, start-ups emphasize their innovative solutions when searching for financial support or recruiting new executives. But not everyone is eager to join the innovation movement. In fact, […]
Successful executives have many skills and qualities that enable them to excel in their roles and create value for their companies. These might include strategic thinking, vision, creativity, leadership, communications skills, emotional intelligence and decision making—to name just a few. However, superior decision making is arguably the most important ingredient for success, especially in the C-suite. In fact, as a June 2010 Harvard Business Review article by Blenko, Mankins and […]
Director Emeritus, McKinsey & Company Pearson Partners Director and Advisory Board Member What is your business background? In my first career, I worked for Exxon in the coal, synthetic fuels and oil & gas industries. I then got an MBA from Wharton in finance and strategic planning, and joined McKinsey & Company. With McKinsey, I have worked with companies in virtually all industries all around the world. Much of […]
Managing Principal, ZS Associates Pearson Partners Director and Advisory Board Member What is your business background? My background has been in the business of technology. I started out as a supercomputer engineer hacking operating systems. Post business school, I spent time with McKinsey building its technology practice. More recently, I was fortunate to run global consulting, technology, marketing, and BPO business for two large, fast-growing, publicly listed IT services firms—Wipro […]
Many executives have no problem reprimanding a supplier for doing a poor job. They can easily pick up the phone and complain: “Your shipment arrived two days late and cost our company $10,000 in lost sales. What are you going to do about it?” But that same executive may agonize about how to address a performance issue with a subordinate. But hoping the problem will eventually go away is just […]
Pearson Partners Advocate: Deborah Sawyer Pearson Partners believes in giving back to the community, and we encourage our team members to be involved in charitable and civic organizations. Deborah Sawyer, our vice president, is chair of the Nominating Committee for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Technology Business Council’s (MTBC) 2014 Tech Titans, its annual signature awards gala that brings together representatives from 300 MTBC member companies. We spoke with Deborah […]
If you’re a corporate CIO or aspiring to move up from IT into the C-suite, strong translation skills are imperative. That’s means being able to explain the latest technology programs and initiatives in terms that business and financial executives will understand and support. Like all professional disciplines, IT has its own language, filled with jargons and acronyms that other techies understand but are largely incomprehensible to people outside the technology […]
There is a great deal of power in the nature of your relationships with prospects and customers—even in the words you use when talking with them. Language can have a significant impact on your customers’ perception of you and thus, your relationship. For instance, referring to yourself as a vendor or supplier can put a damper on your customer relationship right from the start. It is much better to present […]
When LeBron James entered the National Basketball Association a decade ago, he had enough raw athletic talent to be considered the potential heir to Michael Jordan. He began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he carried his team to the 2007 conference final but faced criticism about his mental toughness and judgment, particularly after his 2010 nationally televised decision to leave Cleveland and join the Miami Heat. Since then, […]
One of the more difficult HR questions for every enterprise is determining the size and scope of its internal information technology (IT) talent pool. On one hand, having a large, experienced in-house staff allows the organization to respond quickly to requests from internal customers and changes in the market. It also can reduce the fees paid to outside consultants, developers and designers. But it’s also expensive to maintain a large […]
