CEOs: Easy Targets?….Do NOT Brace for Impact….Trends: Hard vs Soft….”Joe Friday” Management….Econ Recon: No Boom, just back on track

“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.”

 Helen Keller

Author and Educator

1880-1968

 CEOs: Easy Targets?

A long term Vistage Member sent the following alert on the latest attempt by scammers to part companies from their cash. This one is directed at the person some say may be the easiest employee to fool in such scams: The C-Level Executive.  

According to PhishLabs “the scammers attempt to convince their targets to wire funds to various accounts controlled by the fraudsters in order to settle the terms and outstanding balances on legitimate invoices from other companies.” Check out the executive summary from Phishlabs “Targeted Wire Transfer Scam Aims at Corporate Execs” 

Do NOT Brace for Impact

In the movies when a plane is going to crash the pilot instructs the passengers to “Brace for Impact.” Marketing Guru Seth Godin (who has one of the best marketing blogs on the web) offers some alternative advice for self-management of stressful situations on the ground. Find out why he says that to “Brace for Impact” is not the way to prepare for that big meeting, speech or event.

Trends: Hard vs Soft

Being a C-level executive requires having a point of view about the future. Do you know how to acquire one? Technology futurist Daniel Burrus has a suggestion that may help you with your primary job and get your team to help you do it. Specifically, Burrus says you have to build a competency and a culture of being anticipatory….and a big step in that direction is understanding “hard” trends and “soft” ones. Find out how to tell the difference by spending a few minutes with Burrus’ one page essay: “Forget Lean and Agile – It’s Time to be Anticipatory”

 “Joe Friday”  Management

Baby Boomers will remember the 1960’s cop show (and 1980’s movie) Dragnet featuring the taciturn detective Joe Friday, who’s questioning of emotional witnesses invariably required him to interrupt their ramblings and remind them to provide “Just the Facts”. Friday always solved the case and maybe there’s some wisdom in his style for managers.Human beings are an amalgam of logic and emotion, and both have their place in running a company, but only if both are properly managed. This two page article from Forbes gives you a great introduction on how to start playing The ‘Dragnet’ Game: and Increase Efficiency, Joe Friday Style

Econ Recon: No Boom….Just Back on Track

No Boom: Just Back on Track: A few weeks ago many economists were stunned that first quarter GDP growth was actually negative by nearly 3%. Economist Brian Wesbury assures us that the second quarter growth will completely reverse this loss and looks for a Plow Horse GDP Rebound in Q2 in this one page executive summary.

Prosperity in the Age of Decline: If you’re looking for a beach read for your upcoming vacation, how about a tale of a looming Great Depression and how to be one of the lucky few who had the “heads up” in time to sail through it on your own terms? Look no further than the new book “Prosperity in the Age of Decline” by Vistage Staff Economists Alan and Brian Beaulieu. You can get an author’s overview and/or purchase it at the ITR Website and check out some early reviews at Amazon.