Leadership Mistakes

Dodge the slippery slope of loose ethics

December 23, 2014

Few execs start off with the intent to lie or defraud. Instead, they make the mistake of getting ensnared by one seemingly minor infraction. How does many a downfall escalate from there?

Avoid the pitfalls of arrogance

December 5, 2014
The story of the man CNBC named one of the worst American CEOs of all time teaches a lesson in how to conduct yourself with employees.

Steer clear of 4 costly pitfalls

October 21, 2014

Would-be leaders can limit their effectiveness by clinging to self-defeating actions and attitudes. In your rush to succeed, it’s easy to overreach and alienate potential allies. Avoid these four common traps to strengthen your ability to lead over the long term.

Leadership Tips, Vol. 914

September 30, 2014
Take some comfort in some historic business mistakes … Say “no” to corporatespeak … Don’t sacrifice quality.

Do staffers welcome your questions?

September 20, 2014

When a technology manager at Goldman Sachs moved to HR, questioning her staff was suddenly labeled as “interrogating.” Why?

Don’t fall for your own story

August 15, 2014
Learn from BP’s mistakes not to fall for your own advertising.

Too much hype doomed Wyeth CEO

July 31, 2014

In 2007, Bob Essner felt justifiably triumphant. He had engineered a successful turnaround of Wyeth, the pharmaceutical giant, after six years of reinventing the company. But even after in­­creas­­ing revenue by 30%—to $20.4 billion—Essner suddenly lost his job. What went wrong?

Combine hard and soft data

July 24, 2014
We tend to admire leaders who proclaim, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” But what if that’s not necessarily true?

Bad bosses leave mark on billionaire

June 26, 2014
After graduating college, Mark Cuban got a job at Mellon Bank. His youthful energy led him to think like an entrepreneur—and that landed him in trouble with higher-ups …

A bully boss bitten by a runaway ego

June 24, 2014
After co-founding an investment firm in 1971 and growing it into a $2 trillion giant, Bill Gross gained immense pride in his ability. But the co-chief investment officer of Pimco let his head get too big.