Teddy Roosevelt once said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” It’s a great quote for leaders to keep in their back pockets. Most … Read More
Author Archives: Joel Trammell
5 Questions Every CEO Must Answer for Their Team
There is only one thing worse than an actively bad CEO, and that is an absent CEO. This may seem like an extreme statement, but it’s supported not only by my experience seeing companies fall apart under barely-there CEOs. It’s … Read More
How CEOs Make Great Executive Hires
I was recently talking to an executive recruiter friend of mine who was complaining about his work: “All these CEOs want me to bring them an executive, but they don’t really know what they want from the person. They just want me to … Read More
What CEOs Get Wrong About Growth
It recently occurred to me that most CEOs think about growth backwards. Whenever I’m talking to a CEO about growth, what they usually mean by “growth” is “more sales.” Sales is both their goal and their means of achieving that … Read More
Motivation vs. Engagement — Is There a Difference?
Someone recently asked me if I thought there was a difference between employee “motivation” and “engagement.” In a world overrun with mushy buzzwords, we don’t ask questions like this enough. In this case, there is a big difference between a motivated employee and … Read More
The 3 Levels of Company Goal Setting
When I bring up the concept of “goal setting” with an executive—especially if it’s the CEO—the reaction is rarely enthusiastic. The term sounds so tactical. It contrasts with the strategic orientation of most high-level leaders. To the executive’s ear, “goal … Read More
The Confidence Trap: When Data Leads Us Astray
Knowledge is power, but information is not —David Lewis There’s a certain type of leader I think of as the “metric maniac.” They are quite common in the age of AI and the Internet of Things. The metric maniac loves … Read More
The Top 7 Traits of a Data-Driven Organization
We are drowned in oceans of data; nevertheless, it seems as if we seldom have sufficient information. —Eli Goldratt Today, companies are generating more and more data—but more data doesn’t necessarily translate into better performance. In fact, as various functions … Read More
Get the Most Out of Experts with These Two Questions
At this stage of my career—after more than twenty-five years as an entrepreneur and CEO—one of the most fulfilling parts of my week is meeting with other entrepreneurs. Whether it’s through office hours at Capital Factory or meetings in my … Read More
What’s Better Than AI?
Artificial intelligence promises to be one of the most disruptive forces of the next ten years. It’s already a prominent talking point among 2020 presidential candidates. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has said that AI is more important than fire or … Read More