Commentaries

The Birth of the First Industrial Revolution

February 3, 2019

In The Perfectionists, Simon Winchester explains how precision engineers created the modern world. For example, in the first chapter, he points out that machines — for the first time — could be made that would make other machines, “and make…

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“Lighthouse” manufacturers lead the way—can the rest of the world keep up?

February 2, 2019

Here is an excerpt from an article Written by Enno de Boer, Helena Leurent, and Adrian Widmermfor the McKinsey Quarterly, published by McKinsey & Company. To read the complete article, check out others, learn more about the firm, and sign up…

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Robert Caro and a few “tricks” when interviewing someone

January 31, 2019

Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Robert Caro for The New Yorker. To read the complete article, check out others, and obtain subscription information, please click here. * * * In interviews, silence is the weapon, silence…

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Lincoln and the Art of Transformative Leadership

January 30, 2019

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Doris Kearns Goodwin for Harvard Business Review and the HBR Blog Network. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, obtain subscription information, and receive HBR email…

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10 Interesting Facts About Steve Jobs

January 30, 2019

Here is an excerpt of an article about Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli’s biography, Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader (2015) that I came upon at the celebritychest5 website. It reveals ten interesting…

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Platforming and modularity: smart answers to ever-increasing complexity

January 27, 2019

Here is a brief excerpt from an article written by Fabian Bannasch, Volker Grüntges, Giorgio Rossi, and Florian Weig for the McKinsey Quarterly, published by McKinsey & Company. To read the complete article, check out other resources, learn more about the firm,…

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Putting organizational complexity in its place

January 26, 2019

Here is a brief excerpt from an article written by Julian Birkinshaw and Suzanne Heywood for the McKinsey Quarterly, published by McKinsey & Company. To read the complete article, check out other resources, learn more about the firm, obtain subscription information,…

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Challenging Brain Teasers with Answers

January 25, 2019

Over the years, I have collected hundreds of brain teasers. Here are three examples: Some months have 30 days, some have 31. How many have 28? All of them. Divide 30 by one-half and add 10. What’s the total? 70…

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How to work smarter, not harder, to get more done

January 25, 2019

Over the years, I have reviewed all of Morten Hansen‘s books and articles. There is no business thinker I admire more. Here is a brief excerpt from one of his most recent blog posts. To read the  complete article, check…

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Commercial excellence: Your path to growth

January 24, 2019

Here is a brief excerpt from an article written by Russell Groves, Kun Lueck, and Stefano Redaelli for the McKinsey Quarterly, published by McKinsey & Company. To read the complete article, check out other resources, learn more about the firm, obtain…

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