After a long winning streak, Netflix’s vulnerabilities are becoming clearer

At just under 150 million subscribers, Netflix is the biggest subscription service on the planet. But even the Death Star had vulnerabilities. Later this year, Disney and WarnerMedia, hellbent on building their own direct-to-consumer video businesses, are expected to launch rival streaming services. Apple is introducing its own streaming offering, while Amazon and Hulu look to continue growing their own streaming services. Meanwhile, Netflix’s costs continue to escalate as the […]

 

Who Killed the GE Model?

Of course, GE is not dead, and it may well revive and flourish as a company. After all, IBM came back from the dead in the 1990s. But the GE model is dead — and there’s a long list of possible suspects. Who Killed the GE Model?

 

Your Strategy Has to Be Flexible — But So Does Your Execution

Peter Drucker said: “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.”  This and a slew of similar maxims reflect a common view of strategy execution: that it’s distinct from strategy, harder to pull off than defining a strategy, and therefore more critical to success — underpinned by seemingly indisputable virtues such as diligence, discipline, consistency, alignment, and focus. But such a simplistic view of execution can […]

 

Many Strategies Fail Because They’re Not Actually Strategies

Many strategy execution processes fail because the firm does not have something worth executing. The strategy consultants come in, do their work, and document the new strategy in a PowerPoint presentation and a weighty report. Town hall meetings are organized, employees are told to change their behavior, balanced scorecards are reformulated, and budgets are set aside to support initiatives that fit the new strategy. And then nothing happens. Many Strategies Fail Because […]

 

The global forces inspiring a new narrative of progress

Growth is shifting, disruption is accelerating, and societal tensions are rising. Confronting these dynamics will help you craft a better strategy, and forge a brighter future. The global forces inspiring a new narrative of progress By Ezra Greenberg, Martin Hirt, and Sven Smit

 

A Great Company Culture

This is a presentation that was sent to me by a dear friend and colleague, which show the company culture at Netflix. I would say this this is one of the most enlightening company culture presentations I have ever seen. It’s so good it makes me want to check out whether they have any opportunities to which I would be suited. If I were a CEO I would certainly like […]

 

Most Reorgs Aren’t Ambitious Enough

For many executives, the concept of organization design is an oxymoron. They are so consumed by working in the organization that they lack the patience to work on the organization. They don’t do the intricate, complex work of configuring their organization to execute strategy. Instead, they shift boxes on an organization chart, bolt on more resources that were lobbied for by a zealous executive, or cut costs across the board. They […]

 

Why Visionary CEOs Never Have Visionary Successors

Microsoft entered the 21st century as the dominant software provider for anyone who interacted with a computing device. Sixteen years later, that dominance is looking threadbare. The reason is failed leadership, and Apple – currently the dominant tech firm for the mobile era – is at risk of making the same mistakes. Why Visionary CEOs Never Have Visionary Successors

 

Beyond the Holacracy Hype

It was a Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas. Five employees were camped out in a team room at Zappos, the largest company so far to implement holacracy—a form of self-management that confers decision power on fluid teams, or “circles,” and roles rather than individuals. On this particular day, in May 2015, the circle charged with overseeing holacracy’s adoption was questioning the method’s effectiveness. Beyond the Holacracy Hype