- October 21, 2019
- Posted by: Stephen Johnson
- Category: Vistage
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“The thinner your skin is, the thicker your skull becomes. A fragile ego leads you to deflect and attack: you’re always in motion, but never changing. Feeling secure leads you to listen and learn: you can take one step back to move two steps forward.”
Adam Grant
Professor, Wharton Business School
Author of “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World”
Professor, Wharton Business School
Author of “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World”
Are You MARGINal?
In the late 1990s’ Internet bubble, many people were seduced into believing that profits didn’t matter, only growth. Time has a way of making people forget painful lessons as Professor Scott Galloway reminds us this week in his “No Mercy, No Malice” blog.He looks at Uber, WeWorks, Lyft and others….and how they differ from the likes of Microsoft, Google and Facebook, who found their way to what Galloway calls the “chocolate and peanut butter” combination of top line growth and high profit margins.
In every business, choices have to be made between growth and profitability…. and they can be fatal. Check out Galloway’s insights on the tension between growth and margin and the creation of value in his latest posting “MARGINal”.It may help you make some decisions in your own company. (Speaking of value, Galloway provides a link in the article to a summary of the 50 Best Stocks of All Time. You may be surprised to find who has created the most value in the past 90 years.)
A Worthy Rival
Athletes know that to sharpen their game they should seek out others who play as well or better than they do. Business people typically have a different view of competition. Maybe they shouldn’t.Simon Sinek (author of “Leaders Eat Last” and “Start with Why”) identified Adam Grant, (author of Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World” and Wharton Business School’s top ranked professor for 7 years in row) as his primary competition…..and then learned how to learn from him. Check out this short article from Ideas.TED.COM and learn “how having the right kind of rival can help you thrive in a changing world.”
A Simple Rule
We all want more simplicity in our lives, and companies that win seem to enjoy a success that is characterized by simplicity, not complexity. But how do you make things simple?This short Inc article offers relevant advice from an organization that is synonymous with success: The United States Marine Corps.The Marines have a simple rule that has served them well during their illustrious history. Take a moment for a simple rule they use to organize almost everything.