Blog

With the world's economic axis shifting, research suggests that leaders everywhere have universal similarities as they face the No.1 trend: the rise of complex challenges. By Deborah Tarrant

In the early 1990s, Professor Robert J. House of the Wharton Business School in the US had a prescient notion. Looking at the global nature of business, he set out to determine what defined leaders around the world and compare their styles and values.

Leading an organisation that has undergone dramatic change in its ownership, been forced to address the challenges of a deregulated and fiercely competitive market, as well as deal with the demands and expectations of politicians, regulators and the wallets of the public, remains a challenge. CEO Solomon Trujillo's passion for telecommunications stand him in good stead as he seeks to completely change Telstra's business culture at high speed. By Jennifer Alexander

Great achievements invariably have imagination, planning and hard work behind them. David Parmenter outlines some leadership lessons from pioneering explorer Sir Edmund Hillary.

The late Sir Edmund Hillary was credited with many things, but few have realised what a great CEO he was. Having climbed Mount Everest as the member of a team, he subsequently achieved everything else as the leader, as the CEO.

How do you successfully integrate five parent companies to work together on a series of major infrastructure projects? Louis White finds out.

Large infrastructure projects make for a big, messy, expensive and competitive business. Too often they attract media attention for all the wrong reasons, raising the ire of an inconvenienced public.

Craig Drummonds brief is to lead investment house Goldman Sachs JBWere to No.1 in the Australian market. It's a CEO role that sees him act as strategist, salesman and firefighter. By Jennifer Alexander

When New York-based investment banking giant Goldman Sachs and Australian stockbroker JBWere formed a joint venture (GSJBW) in 2003, the pundits weren't surprised. The 160-year-old Melbourne establishment was the last all-Australian firm to hold out against the tide of mergers with British, European and American investment banks.

For small-cap companies and SMEs pursuing growth, the need to recruit the right CEO is imperative and requires a multifaceted approach. By Peter Tulau

Meet Bob Jones, chairman of a national professional industry association. In 2006, Jones faced a dilemma. Having enjoyed the stability of a long-serving CEO, he had come to the realisation that the business was no longer as commercially astute as it needed to be. Membership was waning, product offerings were no longer leading-edge, and as a result the credibility of the business was diminishing.

Business's top performers are turning to productivity coaches in order to stay at the top of their game, and they're finding out that healthy minds and healthy bodies can mean peak performance. By Darren Baguley

When Vodafone marketing team members Rob Treharne and Marc Fine got hairy for Movember 2006, it ignited a passion to do something really special for Movember 2007.

Angel investors are one source when seeking capital. Darren Baguley looks at this potential pool of funds and how to manage the dynamics of the new relationship that ensues.

All companies start with someone having an idea. In the case of online auctioneer OZtion, it all began when programmer Kelvin Yip started tinkering with a code, and in 2004, he had come up with a truly groundbreaking website technology.

Martine Letts, Deputy Director at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, has a background that provides a unique perspective in her role within a policy think tank. By Jennifer Alexander

Martine Letts has had a career spanning foreign affairs, a time as Ambassador to Argentina, and four years leading the Australian Red Cross. Now Deputy Director at the Lowy Institute, Letts talks about the Institute's goals, the challenges of her role and leadership.

Q: Could you describe your current role?