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Bad habits of CEOs
We often revere corporate leaders. It may be their ability to inspire, or a get-the-job done mentality that draws us in. Whatever that je ne sais quoi may be, we want it and believe that with it, we too will be successful one day.
But the truth is that many leaders have undesirable traits, at least according to Eric Jackson. In this post from Forbes, he zeroes in on the seven most common habits of unsuccessful CEOs, emphasizing that not all attributes deserve to be emulated:
- They see themselves and their companies as dominating their environment.
- They identify so completely with the company that there is no clear boundary between their personal interests and their corporation’s interests.
- They think they have all the answers.
- They ruthlessly eliminate anyone who isn’t completely behind them.
- They are consummate spokespersons, obsessed with the company image.
- They underestimate obstacles.
- They stubbornly rely on what worked for them in the past.
Threats to small business owners in 2012
Good help is hard to find, at least for Canadian small business owners. According to a recent survey conducted by The Alternative Board (TAB), 40 per cent of Canadian small-business owners reported sluggish demand and the failure to attract top talent as their top two biggest threats, while U.S. owners were overwhelmed by government regulations and fewer borrowing options.
To gain insight into the outlook of 2012's small business predictions and trends, TAB surveyed hundreds of small- and medium-sized business owners (50 per cent were TAB members and 50 per cent were not). Ten per cent of the businesses surveyed were based in Canada.
Valuable lessons from the espresso machine
"If the martini was the fuel of the Mad Men set, then espresso drinks are the life blood of the start-up entrepreneur," writes Erik Sherman of Inc.com. Here he explains why every founder should know the story of how concentrated coffee came to be, and the important distinction between invention and innovation.
EVENTS AND KEY DATES
PR and media opportunities for small business
On Feb. 20 from 1 to 4 p.m., Community Futures is hosting a communications and networking event for small business in Prince George, B.C. For more details, click here.
How to franchise your business seminar
On March 1 in Mississauga, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., learn how to effectively go head-to-head with your larger competitors. Click here for more information.
EDITOR'S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS
Pinterest leads content curation boom
Brands have opportunity to capitalize on new sites that celebrate online content in a personal way.
FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES
California has its challengers
Boston and New York are starting to develop technology ecosystems of their own.
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Katherine Scarrow