Book Summary: Confessions of the Pricing Man by Hermann Simon
Ultimately, profit is the only valid metric for guiding a company and there are only three ways to influence profit: price, volume, and cost. Of these three factors, prices get the least attention, but have the greatest impact. The price a customer is willing to pay, and therefore the price a company can achieve, is always a reflection of the perceived value of the product or service in the customer’s eyes.
^ADJ: Why this matters: In an inflationary environment, how we price is going to be a really important element of strategy
The Best Leaders are Feedback Magnets — Here’s How to Become One
After interviewing dozens of top executives in fireside chats — including Kim Scott of Radical Candor fame — I started to notice a pattern. Even though they were all well-practiced with tons of public speaking experience under their belts, every single one of them asked me for feedback after the event. That’s when it hit me: The best leaders are feedback magnets. Getting actionable feedback is a skill, and the top performers have excelled largely because they’ve never stopped honing it.
^ADJ: Why you should note: Giving actionable feedback is hard, a real skill and this is a great article that will help build this muscle.
GE and the Belief in Management Magic
The breakup of an American colossus reveals an essential corporate truth: No strategy can erase decades of bad decisions—or counteract irreversible changes in how business is done
^ADJ: Why it matters - great article on the rise and fall of GE, even with some of the best management practices and the ability to recruit high performing exec's like Larry Culp.
Time management for makers
^ADJ: Why it matters - Some essential habits, and we all claim to be short of time
Preparing for Design Thinking Governance
In this second article, we delve into behaviours and approaches that can help you prepare for taking design thinking into the boardroom.