tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19646581.post2479208686410595390..comments2024-03-09T02:32:34.549-06:00Comments on Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Neuroleadership--Evolving Business Practices Using Mind ScienceMelissa Clouthierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15864991953502438461noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19646581.post-13234824769885836892007-07-26T14:31:00.000-06:002007-07-26T14:31:00.000-06:00Some of the most centralized companies are fairly ...Some of the most centralized companies are fairly small ones. What happens is that a founder/CEO is used to making all the business decisions himself, and never learns to properly structure the organization and delegate responsibility. He values the contributions of his subordinate executives as *specialists*...in technology, or sales, or finance, or whatever...but reserves all *business* decisions to himself. As the organization grows and its environment becomes more complex, he often becomes a bottleneck, but often doesn't recognize what is happening.<BR/><BR/>Bureaucracies can exist on a remarkably small scale. I once inherited the world's smallest bureaucracy--two women, both of whom reported to me (through subordinate managers) who disliked each other intensely although they worked on different phases of common projects. Although they sat across the hall from each other, they had created an elaborate tracking system for the assignment of blame when things went wrong on these projects.David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19646581.post-49994319592917108392007-07-26T13:29:00.000-06:002007-07-26T13:29:00.000-06:00Businesses start to stagnate when they remain in a...Businesses start to stagnate when they remain in a defensive posture. They better have a mission going forward and the mission "don't lose market share" is defensive.<BR/><BR/>I think there is a point of no return when some companies get so big and unwieldy the crumble under their own weight. Wal-Mart and Microsoft are in dangerous territory that way.<BR/><BR/>Of course, that has always been a criticism of G.E., but they somehow managed to remain nimble by growing many legs. They're like the Tarantula of business. I'm sure they'd love the analogy.Melissa Clouthierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15864991953502438461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19646581.post-65570850313459803402007-07-26T13:15:00.000-06:002007-07-26T13:15:00.000-06:00"Most business situations are not life and death, ..."Most business situations are not life and death, they just feel like it"....there seems to be a trend of many businesspeople being unable to make even moderate-risk and seemingly-obvious decisions without endless analysis, debate, and agonizing.<BR/><BR/>But business is like air combat, in that if you fly straight and level for too long, you're going to get shot down. Turn left, turn right, climb, dive...do *something*.David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.com