A couple of weeks ago Tom Peters and others talked at a forum at Quinnipiac's Hamden campus. Bill Weldon, CEO of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) was also there as one of the key participants.
Starting with decentralization as being one of the keys to his companys' success, Weldon added that their philosophy of serving customers first, then employees, community and shareholders has been the key to their 9.6 percent growth over the last 10 years.
Peters agreed, saying that not only was it important to Johnson & Johnson's growth, but is also one of the major factors in surviving today in a constantly changing environment for all businesses.
Some of the other ideas that Peters threw out:
* Be willing to take chances
* Don't be afraid to fail
* When you get big you get worse
* Companies need freedom to innovate
* Smaller companies are better suited to the Internet age
The one thing that really made an impact upon me was one that I've been thinking about for a long time, and to me was confirmed by Peters. He said "'Life-work balance' is pretty much an illusion if you want to make an impact in today's economy." He used an example of General Electric's success and how their executives arrive at the office at 6:15 a.m.
While it probably isn't popular to say it, I think he's right. Now keep in mind we're talking about managers and executives here, not the everyday worker in a company.
I think this is one of the key factors in determining management material. If a person's major concern is life-work balance, they're probably not right for an executive or management position. Peter's is right, it is an illusion to think that you can live some type of fictional "balanced" life, while being in a position of leadership within a company.
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