How To Make the Most of 2012
We are currently faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. John. W. Gardner. You may not have heard of the US politician J.W. Gardner but…
Rogue Gambler
How the "sport of kings" became a traded commodity. In the great scheme of things the £600m that a Betfair punter could have lost on the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown…
Failure Can Be Harder Than You Think
The “world’s greatest salesman” knew how to fail, do you? Thomas John Watson, Sr. was the chairman and CEO of IBM who oversaw that company's growth into an international force…
The Schizophrenic Leader
What Sort of Leader Are You? And What Can You Do About It? A leader is someone who takes you to a place you would not have reached on your…
The Winged Goddess Of Victory Flies High
Nike has just announced increased sales, but what exactly is it that they sell? I guess that most people who buy Nike sports clothing aspire to emulate the myriad of…
Will Ocado Ever Be Big Enough To Make Any Money?
What will become of Ocado if there really isn’t such a thing as a “grocery logistics” business? Ocado gets bigger every year, but still no profit to speak of, just…
Can You Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?
HMV is selling off its accumulated assets in order to survive, but is it too late? Established in 1921 through its landmark store in Oxford Street, and famous for its…
Xmas Dinner Can Be Harder Than It Seems
Getting drunk in a brewery (apparently, it doesn’t take much organising) is one thing, eating as well, quite another. On Friday night I attended a client's Xmas party. It was…
Lady Gaga, Marketing Superstar?
There is an awful lot you can learn about marketing from Stefani, the creative genius behind Lady Gaga. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, otherwise known as Lady Gaga, has been named…
Lloyds Boss Needs To Delegate More
Lloyd’s top man, Antonio Horta-Ororio, has learnt the hard way that you need to leverage other people's time and skills, by delegating. I should have thought he would have been…