Wartime for business
Over the last 30 days, 12 (!) CEOs of global companies have been fired: LinkedIn, IBM, Tinder, Disney, Salesforce, Mastercard, MGM, Harley-Davidson, Hulu, Uber Eats, Bayer, L Brands (Victoria’s Secret), Lockheed Martin Corp.
For a few days, I was thinking about what this meant and what is going on. And look like II finally understood. For those who have read “The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz”, familiar with the concept of “Peacetime CEO / Wartime CEO”.
Those who have not read, I recommend reading this book:
Together with the #coronavirus pandemic, the challenges of #remotework, and the new global economic crisis, it’s now really clear that this is “War Time” for business.” And the rules and behaviors during that period are dramatically different from the routine that we had during “peacetime”.
At this time, everyone needs a calm mind, clarity, and a clear plan of action and control.
For those who run the business, I recommend reading Ben Horowitz’s thoughts on “Peacetime CEO / Wartime CEO”:
- Peacetime CEO knows that proper protocol leads to winning. Wartime CEO violates protocol in order to win.
- Peacetime CEO focuses on the big picture and empowers her people to make detailed decisions. Wartime CEO cares about a speck of dust on a gnat’s ass if it interferes with the prime directive.
- Peacetime CEO builds scalable, high volume recruiting machines. Wartime CEO does that, but also builds HR organizations that can execute layoffs.
- Peacetime CEO spends time defining the culture. Wartime CEO lets the war define the culture.
- Peacetime CEO always has a contingency plan. Wartime CEO knows that sometimes you gotta roll a hard six.
- Peacetime CEO knows what to do with a big advantage. Wartime CEO is a paranoid.
- Peacetime CEO strives not to use profanity. Wartime CEO sometimes uses profanity purposefully.
- Peacetime CEO thinks of competition as other ships in the big ocean that may never engage. Wartime CEO thinks competition is sneaking into her house and trying to kidnap her children.
- Peacetime CEO aims to expand the market. Wartime CEO aims to win the market.
- Peacetime CEO strives to tolerate deviations from the plan when coupled with effort and creativity. Wartime CEO is completely intolerant.
- Peacetime CEO doesn’t raise her voice. Wartime CEO rarely speaks in a normal tone.
- Peacetime CEO works to minimize conflict. Wartime CEO heightens the contradictions.
- Peacetime CEO strives for broad-based buy-in. Wartime CEOs neither indulges consensus-building nor tolerates disagreements.
- Peacetime CEO sets big, hairy audacious goals. Wartime CEO is too busy fighting the enemy to read management books written by consultants who have never managed a fruit stand.
- Peacetime CEO trains her employees to ensure satisfaction and career development. Wartime CEO trains her employees as they continue to get their ass shot off in the battle.
- Peacetime CEO has rules like “going to exit all businesses where not number 1 or 2.” Wartime CEOs often have no businesses that are number 1 or 2 and therefore do not have the luxury of following that rule.
Full article in the first comment to the post.
What do you think about this? Do you agree? How do you think companies should manage these challenges?
