See the beginning at what we’re facing

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In case you hadn’t noticed, for CEOs, AKA, leaders, times ain’t what they used to be.

Not long ago, CEOs were powerful autocrats running top-down organizations under the auspices of Boards comprised friends and colleagues—but not any more.

Life as a CEO has changed drastically as reported in a fascinating book by Alan Murray, the Wall Street Journal’s executive editor for online, Revolt in theBoardroom: The New Rules of Power in Corporate America. (Excerpt)

Is the turnover tally really that large; that different from what it used to be?

I’m sure there must have been an exception here and there, but prior to the 1990s CEOs weren’t fired. During the Nineties Boards ousted a few high profile cases, such as GM, IBM, American Express, but by mid-2000 things really started changing and have continued apace—663 in 2004, 1322 in 2005, 1478 in 2006, but ‘only’ 1,356 2007.

Of course, not all were fired, some retired, some took outside offers, but a great number left by, or just before, Board request and some left in a very public perp walk.

Read the book, it’s educational, entertaining and will change your view of the corner office.

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A couple of decades (give or take) ago Terry Dial, who eventually became vice chairman of Business Banking at Wells Fargo, told me that “People are 90% of our costs as well as the key to customer service and satisfaction. The only thing that should take priority over hiring a new employee is keeping a current one.”

Wise woman, Terry, and way ahead of her time.

Now comes another wise woman via Phil Gerbyshak’s interview with Sybil Stershic at Slacker Manager.

Stershic’s written a book called Taking Care of the People Who matter most: A Guide to Employee Customer Care. The meaning of the title hits the nail on the head, “It’s based on the impact employees have on customers; namely, the way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers!”

Is it true? Does it work? Tony Hsieh built Zappos on this principle.

Read the interview (Phil is always worth reading) and at the end you’ll find a great deal on the book.

What do you do to take care of your people?

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Riaz Khadem’s Total Alignment: Integrating vision, strategy and execution for organizational success is scary. It’s scary for three reasons

1. the entire book makes perfect sense;
2. the approaches and solutions it offers are devastatingly simple; and
3. it’s a fast (just 150 pages), fun read—not always the case with business books.

Its focus is larger companies, although young companies that are planning on substantial growth can benefit from implementing the structures described when appropriate.

But the great difference is that Total Alignment is written as a story, complete with a hero and a villain and a guru. It’s fast paced, weaving the needed how-to’s into the story, showing how they work, how to draw people in, including the skeptics, and the results from implementing the ideas and philosophy presented.

No smoke, no mirrors.

In the end, it takes the thoughtful CEO to a new vision, one beyond the usual thinking and beyond just the success of his company.

“Total Alignment is aligning the [corporate] vision itself with the urgent needs of humanity.”

Once a company is completely aligned internally then true total alignment is achieved by “making a positive contribution to the local, national, and world community while maintaining the company’s financial and operational advantages.”

For those of you who aren’t in agreement with business’ social responsibility fear not, it’s only brought up on the last three pages and you can easily skip them.

Please add your thoughts on Total Alignment now or come back and do so when you’ve read it.

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