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SmartBrief on Leadership

November 13, 2009

The Big Idea

Reinventing philanthropy
Charitable foundations are bureaucratic, risk-averse and bereft of long-term vision, writes Pablo Eisenberg, senior fellow in the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership at Georgetown Public Policy Institute. To turn things around, foundations need to start spending more and acting smarter, Eisenberg asserts. The Wall Street Journal (11/9)

Strategic Management

Bringing a personal touch to Macy's
To boost sales, Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren wants to tailor the company's offerings to local audiences. His "My Macy's" initiative allows buyers and executives to focus on a small number of stores, enabling them to adapt to local tastes and preferences. The plan boosted sales by 2.5% in regional trials and is now being rolled out across the country. Knowledge@Wharton (11/11)

On Leadership

5 key habits of successful CEOs
To succeed in business, you've got to learn from those who've already made it to the top of the heap, writes Steve Tobak. The best CEOs have laserlike focus, a knack for surrounding themselves with successful people and a broad perspective of the whole company, Tobak notes. BNET/The Corner Office blog (11/12)

Why bland bosses are bad for business
Today's faceless business leaders are a hindrance to the companies they lead, declares The Economist. "The best ambassadors for business are the outsized figures who have changed the world. ... There is no long-term comparative advantage in being forgettable." The Economist (11/12)

Innovation and Creativity

Subway's $5 footlong bucks the recession
Stuart Frankel, an obscure franchisee from Miami, invented Subway's $5 footlong promotion, helping to turbocharge the fast-food chain's performance and generate $3.8 billion in sales. The idea spread like wildfire, thanks to a catchy jingle and a determined marketing effort, and it spawned countless copycat promotions. "Five dollars is the magic number now," says one restaurant consultant. Bloomberg Businessweek (11/5)

Weekend Reading

"Googled: The End of the World as We Know It," by Ken Auletta
Countless books have told the story of the technological breakthroughs behind Google, but Ken Auletta's new opus brings out the human side of the search giant's rise to dominance. "Google comes across as the product of the genius, passion and hubris of fallible humans," notes Richard Waters. "Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt are shown as individuals struggling to wield the power their success has given them." Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (11/11)

Daily Diversion

Deep-sea crab eats timber from wrecked ships
Scientists have found a species of crab that lives deep in the ocean -- but survives by eating trees. The deep-sea crab nibbles on sunken driftwood and timber from shipwrecks, biting off splinters that are then broken down by its intestinal bacteria and fungi. BBC (11/11)