Most of those NOT born in a barn have certainly heard of Google. However, the two young men responsible for the world’s largest Internet search engine may not be as well-known to many. Known by those in the technical community as “Geeks Gone Wild,” Sergey Brin and Larry Page, are No. 32 ($18.7 billion) and…
Culture Is Contagious I recently returned from facilitating my second annual Leadership Boot Camp at Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (CFSC) in Nashville, Tennessee. CFSC is the financial arm of Caterpillar Inc., a Fortune 50 company, a technology leader and the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, natural gas and diesel engines, and industrial gas…
A friend recently asked when I was going to add another article to our series of “Little-known Facts about Well-known Leaders and Businesses.” He shares these articles with the students in the high school class he teaches. When I informed him that I was currently writing an article on Howard Schultz, he asked me two…
I recently experienced a rather rare opportunity seldom afforded to anyone. Over the many years I’ve been in this business, I must admit that there are several leaders I have admired greatly as a result of my research on their career and/or their organizations. I recently had the privilege to chat over breakfast with one…
If someone were to ask me what Lee Iacocca was best known for, I’m afraid I would find it quite difficult to decide on a single answer. Today, he’s an 82-year-old philanthropist and author who’s as active, feisty, and driven as he’s ever been — if not more so. However, to highlight a single chapter…
I must admit that when I first heard about a new business named “Steve & Barry’s®” my initial thought was of a pawn shop or a catering service. It sounded as though a couple of buddies combined some loose change in hopes of starting up a local storefront. In fact, that part isn’t far from…
In researching this piece, I asked a number of people what came to mind when they heard the name Ray Kroc. I was surprised at how many people didn’t have a clue as to who he was. Others said they thought he created the McDonald’s fast-food chain, which, by the way, is incorrect. Why should anyone…
ACIPCO American Cast Iron Pipe Company Some will struggle with their attempt to pronounce the name (Ah-SIP-Co). Others may admit that they’ve never even heard of this organization. However, all of us have benefited from the products and services provided by the largest individual iron pipe casting plant in the world, nestled among the Appalachian…
UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION United Technologies Corporation (UTC) is one of those many organizations in the U.S. that impacts our lives every single day in a variety of ways while the majority of us who benefit from their products and services have never heard of them. It’s certainly not that they’re in hiding. Not by a…