Home Depot’s Brenneman: “You Can’t Afford To Think Too Much During A Turnaround”

In this edition of our Corporate Competitor Podcast, turnaround specialist Greg Brenneman sat down with Sports Illustrated's Don Yaeger to discuss how golf shaped his three decades of C-Suite experience.

Greg Brenneman is Home Depot’s Lead Director and Executive Chairman of CCMP Capital, one of the world’s leading private equity firms. His three decades of C-Suite experience include the highest-profile business turnarounds of all time.

As the CEO of Continental Airlines — a position he accepted when he was only 33 years old — Continental went from ranking last among all US airlines in key customer service metrics to 18th on Fortune’s list of “Best Companies to Work For.” He continued this trend as the CEO of Burger King, PwC Consulting, and Quiznos.

“You can’t afford to think too much during a turnaround,” Greg said, “Time is tight; money is tighter. If you sit around devising elegant and complex strategies and then try to execute them through a series of flaw-less decisions, you’re doomed.”

His acclaimed Harvard Business review article “Right Away and All At Once: How We Saved Continental” led to his book teaching his five steps to transform your business and enrich your life.

As a golfer and as a leader, Greg knows how important it is not to let one bad shot, or one bad moment, turn into two. In this episode, he teaches us how to ask better questions and get comfortable saying the three most uncommon words in the English language: “I don’t know.”

YOU WILL LEARN:

11:00  How to build a team structure that wins consistently.

19:00  How to find mentors in every aspect of life.

28:00  How to create a one-page plan for your life.

33:00  How to increase curiosity.

Check out the full Corporate Competitor Podcast interview archive and subscribe to new episodes.


MORE LIKE THIS

  • Get the CEO Briefing

    Sign up today to get weekly access to the latest issues affecting CEOs in every industry
  • upcoming events

    Roundtable

    Strategic Planning Workshop

    1:00 - 5:00 pm

    Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

    Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

    1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
    2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
    3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

     

    Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

    Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

    2:00 - 5:00 pm

    Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

    Limited space available.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

    Golf Outing

    10:30 - 5:00 pm
    General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
    Sponsored by UBS

    General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

    The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.