Jenoir® Leadership Podcast
Season 2
by Dirk Schlimm
After entering the Canadian market in 2014, American luxury retailer Nordstrom announced on March 2nd, 2023 that it would be closing its stores and winding down its operations in the country by June. A liquidation sale at six stores in the Toronto region began March 21st. So why did Nordstrom leave Canada? Were it the challenges of the local Canadian market, global economic headwinds, or both? And what can managers everywhere learn from Nordstrom's decision? Please join host Christian Clement-Schlimm and me as we ponder these questions on the Jenoir Leadership podcast and discuss practical learnings for managers in any industry. https://www.nordstrom.ca/main.html https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nordstrom-retail-analysis-1.6767321 https://www.wsj.com/articles/nordstrom-to-close-liquidate-its-canadian-stores-2c1aa7fb https://investor.nordstrom.com/static-files/373ef026-7361-4c47-b171-90c52c9646d3
The demise of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has sent shockwaves through the tech industry and the financial services industry prompting a televised reassurance from US President Joe Biden that “the US banking system is safe” and a statement from the Bank of England that “the wider UK banking system remains safe, sound, and well capitalized." While financial regulators, banking executives, tech investors, start-ups and others will continue grappling with the fall-out from SVB over the coming months we are asking whether managers at large should take away lessons from the SVB failure. Please join us in this timely podcast episode on Lessons for Managers from SVB Financial. https://www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-valley-bank-svb-financial-what-is-happening-299e9b65 https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/03/10/what-does-silicon-valley-banks-collapse-mean-for-the-financial-system https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/usa-warum-die-silicon-valley-bank-kollabierte-a-f446adf6-1447-445f-bbf7-698953142df9?sara_ref=re-so-app-sh
In today’s episode of the Jenoir Leadership Podcast, host Christian Clement-Schlimm and I talk about the power of a narrative for your business, for your team and for yourself. A narrative is a “story with a purpose” that will help you connect with and engage your critical constituents. We will look at how a good narrative is constructed, how it can be adapted to different circumstances, and how we can make sure to keep it real. Your feedback is welcome as always. https://hbr.org/2023/02/your-strategy-needs-a-story
Conflict is a growth industry and senior teams or boards are no exception. In fact, at the top of the house dysfunction can be an even bigger issue because of the various personalities in the room. This ranges from brash, strong-willed characters ready to "duke it out" to skillful diplomats treading carefully to steer clear of conflict. But a battle of the wills or the avoidance of necessary conversations are equally problematic. What we want is robust engagement with the issues and healthy decision making. Today Christian Clement-Schlimm and I are talking about some ideas to help us get there.
On January 15th, 2023 Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was removed by police along with other protesters as they demonstrated against the razing of the German village of Lutzerath for the expansion of a coal mine. In and of itself, this might have been just another day in climate activism had it not been for the fact that the police action was supported by the governing Green party in Germany. The ensuing spirited exchange between Luisa Neubauer, Germany’s “face of climate activism”, and Katharina Droege, co-chair of the Green Party’s parliamentary group in the federal parliament, lays bare the conflict between “ideological” and “pragmatic” approaches of people equally committed to the fight against climate change and teaches us valuable lessons in “assertive conflict management.” Listen in as host Christian and I work to draw out those lessons. As always, thanks for comments and feedback. https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/01/30/climate-climb-downs-fail-to-damage-germanys-greens https://www.politico.eu/article/greta-thunberg-removed-by-german-police-from-lutzerath-protest-site/ https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/luisa-neubauer-und-gruenen-fraktionschefin-katharina-droege-im-streitgespraech-a-51b49c93-a33e-4995-9b58-7c16d4a1d343?sara_ecid=soci_upd_KsBF0AFjflf0DZCxpPYDCQgO1dEMph
On January 7th, after four days of voting and 15 ballots, Representative Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, finally clinched the speakership of the United States House of Representatives. It was the longest election since 1859 and - as an unexpected side effect - it caused a surge in the ratings of C-SPAN, the public affairs cable network televising the proceedings. While C-SPAN sometimes has a reputation of being a bit dull it was anything but this time around. The exchange between representative Matt Gaetz (R - Florida) and representative Mike Rogers (R - North Carolina), in particular, teaches valuable lessons in conflict management well beyond politics. Please join host Christian Clement-Schlimm and me as we discuss what we as business people can learn. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-gops-house-immaturity-caucus-election-republicans-kevin-mccarthy-white-house-ballots-11673471380 https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/01/04/what-the-kevin-mccarthy-saga-means-for-americas-congress
The release of ChatGPT, an AI enabled chatbot that does everything from answering questions, to writing essays, programming computers, and even generating art, has created a stir. Many have pointed to its transformative capacity and wide range of applications. With this and other technology advancements one may ask (again) whether technology is displacing people or whether technical skills are displacing people skills. So is this, at last, the end of people skills? Join host Christian Clement-Schlimm and me as we ponder this question and talk about two critical concepts when it comes to leadership, collaboration and other uniquely human endeavors: results and relationships, and the role people play in both. https://www.economist.com/business/2022/12/06/artificial-intelligence-is-permeating-business-at-last
Communication is the quintessential “multiplier skill:” No matter what it is that you do, it is one skill that will help you do it better. Thankfully you do not need to be or become an English major to communicate more effectively. Three habits - bringing people into the conversation, organizing your thoughts, and finishing strong - will help anyone to communicate with more impact in a business setting. This applies whether English is your first, second, or third language. Join host Christian Clement-Schlimm and me as we discuss how managers and professionals in any function and at any level can improve how others receive what they have to say.
Elon Musk taking the helm at Twitter is captivating the business press from around the world. His approach to business strategy, work culture, and decision making has provoked reactions ranging from disdain to admiration and everything in between. Some commentators even believe that Mr. Musk’s mode of operating requires a rewrite of the generally accepted rules of management. So is this really the end of management theory as we know it? https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-defies-management-mantras-with-his-rapid-overhaul-at-twitter-11667730675 https://www.economist.com/business/2022/11/07/elon-musks-challenge-to-management-thinking https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/technology/elon-musk-twitter-takeover.html https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3200445/elon-musk-would-have-loved-chinas-996-work-culture
Neil Cawse, founder & CEO, Geotab Inc., joins us as a special guest on the topic of business strategy. Geotab has been recognized by ABI Research as the world’s leading commercial telematics company with over 3 million connected vehicles and global presence in more than 160 countries. Neil shares his experience, insight and perspective on business strategy in this two part interview on the Jenoir leadership podcast.