Apple and Google Vie with Amazon for Your Smart Home
"Alexa, when will Siri join you in managing devices in smart homes?" The answer to this question may not be too far off. Apple Inc. is pressing ahead with the development of an Echo-like smart-home device based on the Siri voice assistant, according to Bloomberg sources. Started more than two years ago, the project has [...]
Lead Through Uncertainty
You have a new boss. The company culture is changing as the strategic plan is implemented. The market shifts in an unexpected direction. The country elects a new president. What do these things have in common? They all are accompanied by uncertainty which you are faced with managing as a leader in your organization. Ignoring [...]
World’s Largest Solar Energy Project Targets Nevada
What type of progress is being made in solar plants? Ask SolarReserve LLC, a privately-owned energy company in California. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Santa Monica-based organization announced plans this month to build the world’s largest solar energy facility in Nevada. It is a $5 billion concentrating solar power (CSP) plant which gathers and [...]
What I’m Not Going to Do
“My tasks and responsibilities have grown so much that I can’t get ahead of them. It seems like I’m barely treading water.” If you have found yourself thinking this or saying this to a trusted confidante, you are not the only one. This is a comment I frequently hear from executives, especially those in aggressive-growth [...]
J&J and St. Jude Medical Device Cybersecurity
Medical device cybersecurity continues to be a major concern for companies given the impact breaches can have on the health of patients. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and St. Jude Medical are prime examples. Johnson & Johnson’s Animas unit recently disclosed cybersecurity flaws in its wirelessly controlled insulin pump that hackers could exploit and potentially deliver [...]
Be Your Own Work Catalyst
What do you do if you notice your enthusiasm and energy waning regarding work that you have historically enjoyed and found challenging? This is not unusual. Whether you are an executive taking an organization in a new strategic direction or an emerging leader focusing on your daily responsibilities, it can happen. In fact, over 50 [...]
Mobile Payments “Growing” with American Consumers
When mobile payment technology first became available, some experts referred to it as a solution in need of a problem. The EMV chip card switch provided it with a very real problem that it can fix. Most of the new chip card readers (including Square) can handle the near field communication (NFC) technology used by [...]
Space Taxi Progress at SpaceX and Boeing
Two NASA astronauts just completed a six-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) to install a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis, which will end U.S. reliance on Russia for rides to the orbiting outpost, according to Reuters. Since grounding the shuttle fleet in 2011, the United States has been dependent on Russia [...]
Companies Move Toward IoT Strategies
In building out the Internet of Things (IoT), the world is undergoing a transformation where nearly everything will be connected explains PK Agarwal, Regional Dean/CEO of Northeastern University-Silicon Valley and former CTO, in EE Times. The early Internet was a collection of documents. Websites served as online brochures or billboards. The second wave was an [...]
Calibrate Leader Confidence, Arrogance and Humility
Calibrate Your View of Leader Confidence, Arrogance and Humility from Ryan Lahti This slide deck will help to gauge confidence, arrogance and humility related to your leaders. You can view the deck in full screen mode by clicking on the arrows in the bottom right corner. ----------- Ryan Lahti is the founder and managing principal [...]
