Rio Tinto’s New CEO Must Pick Up the Pieces After Failed Acquisitions
Many overpay for acquisitions by upwards of 30 percent. This is why so many acquisitions fail. And some spectacularly poor due diligence has led to some spectacular acquisition failures. Witness HP and Autonomy and now Rio Tinto and Alcan and Riversdale. Preventing...
Why The Highest Level Of Strength — Craft-Level Mastery — Requires Apprenticeship
People used to work their way up from apprentices to journeymen to master craftsmen. This involved seven-year apprenticeships as indentured servants living, eating and working alongside master craftsmen and their families. While some of that is way out of date, some...
The Difference Between The Best Deal And A Fair Deal
The difference between the best deal and a fair deal is all about mindset. In almost any case, striving to do the best deal for your side requires a less-than-best deal for the other side. On the other hand, there’s a lot more room for all to win if you’re looking for...
What The New GE, J&J And Toshiba Spin-Offs Must Do To Establish Their Own Cultures
Last week, General Electric (GE), Johnson & Johnson and Toshiba each announced they were splitting apart. They decided their separate parts were worth more than the sum of those parts. These are the definitions of points of inflection for these businesses. Those...














