Content about Bankruptcy

September 20, 2011
Leadership Can Be Learned

The animating premise of “The Leader’s Checklist” by Michael Useem is that effective leadership can be learned, and, indeed, should be learned, by those with responsibility for the performance of their enterprises and their employees. The further premise is that leadership benefits from an approach built upon specific guiding principles that, taken together, create a clear road map for navigating any situation.

By Michael Useem

Imagine yourself in this position: Less than five months ago, you were summoned from the private sector to join a newly formed national government. Your background is in retail; now you are heading up the nation’s mining industry. You are abroad on a state visit, still working to come up to speed, when word reaches you from your home office that there has been a mining disaster—a cave-in deep below, death toll unknown, nearly three dozen missing.

June 6, 2011
Soapbox: Good to Great to Gone

The story of Circuit City’s meteoric rise and catastrophic fall reveals myriad leadership lessons. It also underscores the critical strategic role that training and development play in a company’s continued success.

By Tom Wulf

In early 2009, 34,000 American workers lost their jobs and one of retail’s greatest stories of entrepreneurship abruptly came to an end. More than 250,000 people—families, suppliers, supporting businesses—were impacted directly by the closing of Circuit City Stores, Inc. The 60-year-old retailer, with a presence in every major U.S. city, seemed to just disappear.