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ChiefExecutive.net

Dan Bigman

90 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

Dan Bigman is Editor and Chief Content Officer of Chief Executive Group, publishers of Chief Executive, Corporate Board Member, ChiefExecutive.net, Boardmember.com and StrategicCFO360. Previously he was Managing Editor at Forbes and the founding business editor of NYTimes.com.

CEO of the Year

America’s Banker: Brian Moynihan, 2020 CEO Of The Year

Dan Bigman

Analytical, deliberate and deeply principled, Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan led one of the most impressive turnarounds in Wall Street history. And he did it just in the nick of time. A conversation with our Chief Executive of the Year

Manufacturing

At Skeptical CEO Conclave, Lighthizer Defends Trump China Policy

Dan Bigman

The U.S. trade representative voraciously defended the administration's tactics at the Yale CEO Summit on Wednesday. “Of course there will be tension,” he said. “We’re trying to change the paradigm.”

Crisis Management

The Next Covid Crisis: What If People Won’t Take A Vaccine?

Dan Bigman

Fewer than 50% of those polled now say they would be willing to take a vaccine, versus 70% in April. How do we bridge the trust gap?

Leadership/Management

Comcast NBCUniversal, Drexel Hamilton and HumCap Honored With 2020 Patriots in...

Dan Bigman

Our annual award, presented in partnership with Thayer Leadership, recognizes outstanding work supporting active duty military members, veterans and their families.

Leadership/Management

‘Be Human’: Marshall Goldsmith’s Best Leadership Advice Right Now

Dan Bigman

Marshall Goldsmith is among the world’s most revered CEO coaches. His best advice for you right now? It has nothing to do with strategy.

Leadership/Management

Carlyle Group’s David Rubenstein On ‘How to Lead’

Dan Bigman

For a new book, the co-founder of one of the most influential private equity shops in the world asked some of the most successful leaders of our time how they do what they do. "You lead by wanting to lead."

Politics/Policy

MIT’s Nicholas Negroponte On Tech, Schools And The Covid Crisis

Dan Bigman

The founder of the legendary MIT Media Lab and the "One Laptop Per Child" project on understanding and misunderstanding technology and why your kid's phone is a terrible tool for learning.

Crisis Management

Covid From Here: A Candid Conversation With Sandy Climan

Dan Bigman

Sandy Climan is one of Hollywood’s most respected executives—but he also has a deep background in public health. His assessment of what's to come with Covid? "I think we're looking at another year."

Culture

Better Meetings During Covid: Simple, Practical Tips From A Seasoned CEO

Dan Bigman

[caption id="attachment_132182" align="alignright" width="237"] Cambridge Air CEO John Kramer[/caption] When our company started talking about how to improve our meetings in the era of Covid, I reached out to John Kramer. John’s one of the most thoughtful, effective CEOs I know. We’re not in the same business—his company, Cambridge Air Solutions, is a St. Louis-area based manufacturer of HVAC systems for factories and distribution centers—but I’ve come to seek out his counsel over the past few years because he’s pragmatic, human, knows what he’s talking about and he’s generous to a fault with his time. John and his president, Marc Braun, have turned Cambridge into an obsessive laboratory for exploring the art and science of getting people to work together effectively while, as they put it, restoring the glory and dignity of manufacturing. They live what they preach and they’re happy to share, warts and all. Here is some of that wisdom:

Two Minute Check-In

• Every week his full leadership team, about 10 people, gets together for their regular meeting. Every two weeks or so, they start their conversation with a “personal/professional” check in. • Each member of the team has two minutes to share what’s going on in his or her personal and professional lives. • Aging parents, annoying teens, celebrations, struggles at home and work. “What we found is that we all had the same problems,” he said. “You’re laying it out there and being human about it.” • It isn’t group therapy, however. No one comments on what anyone says or tries to help. Everyone just listens and says: “thank you.” “You don’t go problem solving,” says John. “It’s just listening. Being human.” • The result, after a few years, has been increased trust, candor and commitment. “It changes the dynamics,” he says, and has been crucial as they’ve sailed into the Covid storm.

Lead from The Back

Overall, John says, he’s trying to build a “leader-led” organization rather than a “leader-dependent” organization. How does he do it? He tries to “lead from the back of the room.” • As often as they can, John and Marc get junior people to run meetings, including the daily morning meetings, pushing responsibility down to them. • He often polls his team leaders on “what sucks,” and invites discussion among them, with senior leaders in the back of the room. • The senior leaders are forbidden from making statements—they can only listen or ask questions. • This helps them get a feel for the business from the ground up and understand what’s blocking progress. “Senior leaders need to move impediments,” he says. “If you have a big job for someone, you have to figure out how to remove obstacles.”

John’s Three Questions

During Covid, John has continued his practice of walking the shop floor to check in quickly with as many of his people as he can each day. But what he’s asking them has shifted. Right now, he’s checking in with three questions, which help him get at every part of his workers’ lives quickly and effectively: 1. How are you doing? 2. How’s the family? 3. Do you feel safe at work? Again, they’re simple, practical ideas, culled from John’s experience and some of his favorite books including Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi, Love Works by Joel Manby and Traction by Gino Wickman. I hope you find them as useful as I did.

CEO of the Year

Bank of America’s Brian T. Moynihan Named Chief Executive Magazine’s 2020...

Dan Bigman

Honored by his peer CEOs for his long-term corporate leadership and his stewardship of the global financial system in a time of crisis; Moynihan joins list of legendary executives including Gates, Welsh, Dell, Mulcahy, Bossidy and others.

123...9Page 1 of 9

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CEO CONFIDENCE INDEX

CEO Optimism For 2021 Plateaus In October Amid Contentious Election And Covid Uncertainty

Chief Executive’s October polling of nearly 500 CEOs finds CEOs cautious on the eve of the Presidential election.

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© 2019 | ChiefExecutive.net | Chief Executive Group

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