Download Managing Growth, a Selection from Boss Talk: Lessons from CEOs of Cisco, Citigroup and Novartis (Unabr.) AudioBook Free

In this particular selection from Boss Talk, executives offer their personal experiences and advice on managing companies during times of change.For John Chambers, LEADER of Cisco Systems, Inc., it's important to take the long view. "We've always made decisions predicated on what we should think is most beneficial for our employees and shareholders and the company in the long run, and not on the short-run gyrations in the currency markets."Juergen Schrempp is Chairman and CEO of DaimlerChrysler AG, a result of a 1999 merger of Daimler-Benz AG with Chrysler Corp. He credits the smooth transaction to honesty and speed. "It's much better to go fast and make mistakes occasionally than to go too slowly. The resistance to change once they feel safe again is much higher than if you change during the time that they expect changes anyway."Beginning in 1960 as a cofounder of the investment bank Carter, Berlind & Weill, and ending in 1998 with the most recent merger of Traveler's Group and Citibank to create Citigroup Inc., Sanford I. Weill, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive of Citigroup Inc., is no stranger to the business world mergers. In his lifetime of deal-making, he has found that quick decision making and affinity for employees is vital to managing growth. "If you decelerate that decision-making process, such as who's going to do what, the good people usually wrap up leaving, and also you wrap up with a lot of mediocre performers."Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and Executive of Novartis AG, has created many changes in the pharmaceutical company since its creation. Dr. Vasella has transformed the company into a thriving and ground breaking force in the drug industry. He credits Novartis' awakening and success to the ground breaking spirit of men and women within the company. "The single most important thing is getting the right people. Smart and intelligent is one thing, but additionally it is having individuals who are willing to cooperate within an organization to make it happen."

Category: Leadership