As Peter Drucker once remarked: “The CEO is the link between the Inside that is ‘the organization,’ and the Outside of society, economy, technology, markets, and customers. Inside there are only costs.  Results are only on the outside.”

Get a better understanding of the water you swim in with these two articles. First, check out Vistage Speaker Holly Green’s brief  summary article on strategy guru Michael Porter’s five forces that CEO’s must understand to formulate effective strategy,  and how time and technology are affecting these factors since Porter identified them over 20 years ago.  A somewhat longer HBR article that is well worth your time is “What Only the CEO can do.”

Are YOU truly fulfilling the CEO role?

Eight Toxic Thoughts

The most important person leaders manage are themselves. Key to this is the ability to self-assess their behavior and thinking. This brief Forbes article looks at “Eight Toxic Thoughts” that leaders let influence their attitudes and behaviors and how to recognize and cope with them. Life can be easier if we can avoid self-sabotage.

Creating Credit (Fast)

This one is best shared with the young people in your life who have not established credit, or are struggling to do so. Some of the conventional wisdom about building a credit rating is being augmented by some new thinking and new techniques. For a quick recap of new strategies to help someone create good credit in year or less,  this article from NerdWallet “Best Ways to Build Credit Now,” offers some interesting ideas.

Econ Recon:  A Thanksgiving Boom…..Milk, Money and Other Things

Economist Brian Wesbury offers a 3 minute and 30 second Thanksgiving salute for an economic system we can truly be thankful for, and gratitude for what he sees as a continuing economic and stock market expansion. Take a few minutes for his latest Wesbury 101 video and learn why he suggests we “Give Thanks For the Coming Boom.” 

Alan and Brian Beaulieu talk to a wide variety of industry groups, offering forecasts for the industry and the wider world as well.  Here’s a quick recap of remarks Brian Beaulieu recently offered CEOs in the food business along with an update of his view for key economic drivers such as money, inflation, manpower, productivity, wages and other things economic.