Notes on power, strategy and decision
Perspectives for business owners, CEOs, shareholders and boards facing consequential decisions.
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Mapping Power in the Boardroom
The organisation chart shows who reports to whom. It rarely shows who decides. Leaders who understand the real map of influence around a decision are far more likely to get it right — and get it done.
Where Deals Are Really Won: Post-Merger Integration
Signing is celebrated; integration is where the value is created or lost. The first months after closing decide whether an acquisition delivers what the investment case promised.
Before the Deal: Seven Questions Every Acquirer Should Ask
Most acquisitions that disappoint were not undone by what due diligence missed. They were undone by questions nobody asked before the process began.
Board Evaluation: The Review Most Boards Avoid
Boards hold executives to account for performance. Far fewer hold themselves to the same standard. A serious board evaluation is one of the most effective — and least used — tools of good governance.
Portugal as Europe’s Gateway: A Playbook for International Investors
Portugal offers international companies a rare combination: European market access, Atlantic connections and a talent base that punches above its size. Using it well requires more than a favourable first impression.
Silence Is Not a Strategy: Communicating When the Company Is Under Pressure
When a company is under pressure, leaders often go quiet to avoid saying the wrong thing. But silence is also a message — and usually not the one they intend.
Shareholder Conflict: Resolve It Before It Destroys Value
Disagreements between shareholders are normal. What destroys value is letting them harden into conflict that paralyses decisions, drives away talent and ends in court.
The Truth Deficit at the Top: Building a Leadership Team That Tells You What You Need to Hear
Most leadership teams do not lie to their CEO. They simply stop saying the things that are hard to say. Reversing that drift is one of the most valuable things a chief executive can do.
Negotiating When Everything Is at Stake
When a negotiation could define the future of a company, a family or a career, the usual techniques are not enough. What matters most is the ability to stay clear-headed when pressure is at its highest.