PhilDourado's blog

A couple of weeks ago in the UK, Starbucks was all over the newspapers and even the TV news. It was one of those tabloid-y stories. In fact, the ultimate UK tabloid, The Sun, started it and the rest of the media picked it up.

My friend Dave the college lecturer thanked me this morning for sending him this clip a year ago. He'd just used it and inspired a class of 160 students with the idea that science serves humanity and needs to be humble. I'd completely forgotten the clip and watched it again just now. It's one of the most moving things I've seen. We can learn from extremes. Substitute the word 'leadership' for science halfway through what Jacob Bronowski is saying and you'll see what I mean. The clip is about two and a half minute long.

Thanks to whoever recommended Alan Zimmerman's Tuesday Tip (Colin? Kate?). It prompted this...

I was reminded again yesterday, when working with a large company on their leadership development, that a lot of managers have never been through a downturn and simply don't know what to do in the face of one. A lot of the sales managers at the company I was visiting yesterday have only ever sold into a booming market, where customers snatched what they were selling from their hands; marketing likewise, operations the same.

I like this, from smith+co's Customer Experience blog (declaration of interest: I work with Shaun Smith and his team quite regularly):

"Richard Branson has a new book out – Business Stripped Bare, Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur.

We once home swapped with some people who live in Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco. The small town goes by the proud title of "Pumpkin-Growing Capital of The World", which means they must be doing good business in the run up to Hallowe'en right now.