Category Archives: ExecCatalyst Blog

“Absolutely Not!” Years ago, I was mentally preparing my defense and counter-attack with a peer (I’ll call her Anna). I was the VP of Services and she was running Sales. In order to win a new customer, she wanted to give away “free Services.” It was a typical negotiation situation where she had her position (e.g. “the company needed the revenue and a new customer) and I had mine (giving ...

“I got screwed ... but it wasn't my fault!" Bruce was really upset and voiced his displeasure with the topic at a two-day offsite management training. Bruce was rejecting the premise of an exercise that, in hindsight, taught me the most valuable leadership lesson I have ever learned. ...

Good Riddance…! “He wouldn’t be welcomed back here again!” 11 months ago I was reconnecting with an SVP at one of the “Big 3” in enterprise SW (I’ll call him “Mike”) and that’s what Mike had to say about a common connection (I’ll call him “Rick”) that he worked with for several years. Apparently, after Rick’s startup had been acquired, he demanded numerous changes to the organizational structure and project ...