In this episode of CEO Brainfood, Michael outlines the planning system known as The 3HAG (3-Year Highly Achievable Goals) Way by Shannon Susko and how this system is designed to take complex strategies and make them clear, simple and implementable. Michael breaks down the strategy into foundation, team, and execution system and the best practiced methods used in 3HAG Way to help organizations grow effectively.

In this episode of CEO Brain Food, Michael breaks down the value and impact coaching can have on individuals, teams and organizations. Michael makes compelling arguments for why everyone, regardless of status, needs a coach. He identifies key roles that great coaches fulfill, including their ability to spot gaps in performance, reduce tension, and define the execution of strategies. Finally, Michael discusses how effective coaching can impact the three areas of leadership.

In this episode of CEO Brain Food, Michael broaches the topic of building and scaling leadership within organizations. Michael provides steps for scaling leadership that include performing a talent assessment and presenting a clear and articulate perspective of strategy, among others. He speaks to the importance of a strong leadership development process that is centered on alignment, execution and renewal. Finally, Michael identifies the attributes that comprise a great leader and challenges the audience to continuously improve and hone their own leadership skills.

In this episode of CEO Brain Food, Michael breaks down the components necessary to lead high performing cohesive teams. Michael identifies the importance of hiring the right people, emotional intelligence, and being present as three key factors in developing high-functioning teams. Finally, Michael lists six crucial points for leading cohesive teams. These include having a set number of KPIs (key performance indicators), ongoing training, and decision-making authority, among others.

In this episode of CEO Brain Food, Michael discusses the concept of business acceleration by design. Specifically, Michael identifies Exponential Organizations, or EXOs, such as Amazon, Google, Uber and Intel and provides examples on how each is growing their business in unprecedented ways. He talks about the importance of cash as a vehicle for business growth and identifies the four components of the cash conversion cycle. Finally, Michael lists the eleven main attributes of an EXO company, which range from algorithms and dashboards to leveraging assets and experimentation.

In this episode of CEO Brain Food, Michael breaks down the importance of finding the right talent to grow and scale an organization. Michael references the great Jim Collins’ six core competencies of hiring a team. These include hiring talent who are responsible, consistent, and do not require micro-management. Michael also introduces the concept of mirror maturity and urges all organizations to develop their own set of core values in order to identify and retain the right talent.

In this episode of CEO Brain Food, Michael breaks down the importance of authentic leadership within organizations. Michael provides specific examples of both current and historic authentic leaders, including Lee Iacocca, Tony Hsieh, and Bill George. Michael lists the nine key factors of authentic leadership, from clearing out unethical behavior to the importance of following your passion. Finally, Michael speaks to the value of mentorship, and encourages the audience to both seek out and act as a mentor at some point in life.

In this episode of CEO Brain Food, Michael breaks down the importance of identifying the core competency within an organization in order to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Through historical case studies from Southwest Airlines and L’Oréal, Michael highlights how organizations leverage their differentiation in order to profit. Finally, Michael speaks to the importance of identifying and understanding the core customer and provides organizations with questions to reflect on as they begin the process of identifying their core competency.