Earl R. Smith II's Blog, page 80
October 12, 2014
Four Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Buying a Business
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com Buying a business is never just a cut and dry process. It can be a painstaking effort on your part as both a buyer and an entrepreneur to do your research and to think critically about the business that you are considering to purchase. However, you should seriously [...]
Founders and Writer’s Block
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com I recently had an interesting conversation with an old friend. To some extent, we have both traveled the same path. In earlier years both he and I made a habit of starting and building companies. We were what I call “recidivist entrepreneurs”. Now both of us spend a [...]
October 11, 2014
Change – Two of Many Perspectives
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com During my six tours as a CEO and through the years of working with other CEOs, I have developed an understanding of the process of change that is considerably different from the one I learned at the Sloan School. I find that helping CEOs understand the subtleties of [...]
Five Rules for Choosing a Leadership Coach
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com Some of my organizational coaching engagements begin with a search for the right place to start. Most often, the initial contact comes from either the CEO or Chairman of the Board. “What can we do to shake things up? Where do we start and get a high-impact initial [...]
Ten Myths About Business Coaching
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com There are quite a few preconceived notions about business coaching and some of these notions are actually more myth than reality. I have been working as a coach for a couple of decades now. Occasionally I meet someone who tells me something about coaching that just does not [...]
Determining Board Compensation Structure
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com A board’s primary responsibility to the shareholders of the company is to protect and enhance the value of the shareholders interest in the company. This responsibility has not changed with the business environment today’s boards operate in, however the work boards engage in and the scrutiny directors now [...]
October 9, 2014
Good Governance – Minority Board Service
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com Minority corporate directors play an important role in leading companies. Each minority board member brings something different to the board. Hiring committees should consider the skills and background the director brings to the board. Is should also assess how the prospective director’s leadership style will affect board dynamics. [...]
Good Governance – Balancing Eight Key Factors
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com Boards operate in complex environments that require them to balance a wide range of issues and challenges. Their charter – to preserve and extend shareholder value – might sound simple enough but the pursuit of that objective can quickly bring on some very complex questions. The board of [...]
Getting the Right Personal Vision
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Growthers.com Growthers.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lots of advice is available. The common mantra is ‘get a personal vision’. But the truth is that you already have one. Sure, it may be out of focus and counterproductive. But you do have one. Many would call it your ‘self image’. It is how you [...]
Making the Possible Probable
Dr. Earl R. Smith II DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com Dr-Smith.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you awake each morning, the day presents you with literally thousands of possibilities. Human existence is chocked full of possibilities. But the important questions is, what is probable? And the more important question is, how can you make the right possible things probable – how can [...]
