“The world is not always fair. If you don’t control your destiny, someone else will.” As I later learn in our interview, these are not catchy phrases Petr Smida has memorized. These are statements of his life experience....
“I’m a pretty pushy guy and I like being out of my comfort zone.” The Chairman of Microsoft Europe, Jan Muehlfeit, offers this self-analysis with a smile as we begin our interview. It’s not easy to describe meeting with him,...
“Act or be acted upon. This is the philosophy that has guided me through my life.” There is no emotion in her voice—this is a statement of fact from Renata Mrazova, CFO, ING Insurance Czech Republic.
On December 24th, 1983 (a date she will never forget), a young girl anxiously circled the family Christmas tree in her Prague home. She was hoping to find a new pair of skis that she was sure she would get because, “Everyone...
I have seen data that estimates that the average worker entering the workforce today can plan on working for 10 different employers during the course of his or her career. Why? Well, some of it has to do with this thing we...
If there is one thing I have learned in my career and in coaching executives it’s how extremely important relationships are. What follows is a narrative of how important they have been to me personally in the very recent past...
It’s no secret to my friends that I get many of my column ideas from my wife, Priscilla. She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and former executive in the movie industry in Hollywood. Her...