What is the common denominator of every corporate catastrophe that you have heard about? Reporter Lucy Kellaway, in a Financial Times (FT) article entitled “Road test CEO’s to avoid corporate car crashes”, says that it is the “hubristic CEO”. I thought about that line as I sat at Minute Maid Park last weekend and watched the Houston Astros all but knock out the Philadelphia Phillies from the National League (NL) Wild Card hunt by winning 3 of the 4 games. The Astros then, of course, began their next series with a more routine loss to the St. Louis Cardinals; thus allowing the Astros to reach the rarified triple digit ignominy of 100 losses for a second consecutive season. But do not be disheartened, there are still 14 games left so the Astros could blow through last season’s record of ‘only’ 106 losses. Think that might qualify as a ‘catastrophe’?
Please see full publication below for more information.