Turnaround Tactics

Flying high after a turbulent ride

January 22, 2018

Qantas faced numerous challenges in the late 2000s but did not go belly up. Instead, CEO Alan Joyce launched an ambitious turnaround plan. 

Fuel the brain with positivity

January 12, 2018

Some feared that Mike Salvino would prove a high-profile failure. Instead, he learned that people are born with four drivers, and took the insight to heart.

The gamble: Overhaul a culture

November 22, 2017

When Jennifer Cue left as CEO of Jones Soda Co. in 2006, she figured she could raise a family with the satisfaction of knowing she had positioned the beverage firm for years of steady growth. She was wrong.

Always diversify those new initiatives

May 31, 2017
In 2006, Greg Satell confronted a big problem. He helped run a Ukraine-based company whose main product, a popular magazine called Afisha, was in decline.

Turn a blunder into opportunity

May 25, 2017
James McCann pounced on a deal without thoroughly investigating the seller or analyzing the financial details of the transaction. Soon after completing the purchase, he realized his mistake.

Leadership secrets from Lego

May 12, 2017
Jorgen Vig Knudstorp has been Lego’s “master builder” of the company’s turnaround since 2004. At the time, Lego was losing $1 million a day. Now it’s the world’s most profitable toy company.

Followers are always watching you

March 26, 2017
Seeking to reduce employee injuries, Paul Anderson sought ideas from his top safety official who declared, “It’s your fault.”

Build trust more than volume

March 22, 2017
“Every morning, I’d walk in the front door and think, ‘Do I really want to do this?’”

Reader’s Digest: Born from rejection

March 1, 2017
DeWitt Wallace was fired for his idea for a farmer’s digest, but he forged ahead anyway.

Apply the Golden Rule to lift results

February 21, 2017
Determined to reverse the downhill spiral, Popeyes CEO Cheryl Bachelder revamped the culture.