Always a big problem when the senior team has more managers than makers. Exhibit A is The Boeing Company, where 2 of the last 3 CEOs (McNerny and Calhoun) were non-engineers. Bottom line: it's easier to teach engineers how to manage a company than teach managers how to engineer a plane.

Benedetto Vigna, Ferrari's new CEO, seems to have read Humanocracy. He told the The Wall Street Journal that he's working to reduce Ferrari's 'bureaucracy mass index'--a measure I developed with @michezanini to help companies get a handle on excess layers and stupid rules. on.wsj.com/3UqELcZ

Remember all the Covid-era predictions about how the pandemic would change the way we work? I was always skeptical, remarking at the time that 'a crappy job done remotely is still a crappy job.' Now, thanks to Gallup, the data is in. We're back to situ terribilis.

As impressive as Tesla's success has been, SpaceX exceeds it: (1) 309 Falcon launches without a failure; (2) 99% of non-Russian/Chinese space cargo launched in 2023; (3) the heaviest spacecraft ever launched; (4) a 90% reduction in the launch cost per kilo; (5) a launch

Why are chain store #pharmacists treated like serfs? They have no control over staffing and are enslaved by petty rules that often degrade the customer experience. A lamentable example of how toxic managerialsm degrades the people who create value. bit.ly/3UOd6DA

It is tempting to regard as intractable any problem that can’t be “solved' top-down, e.g. failing schools, lifestyle diseases, gang violence, economic migration, etc. These problems are complex, locally nuanced, and culturally embedded. Solutions have to be dug out of the ground

I'm a dab hand at alliteration ('the core competence of the corporation'), but was gobsmacked by Camilla Long's alliterative verdict on Barbie Movie: 'a 'feminist' four-flush floater of a film.' (Confession: I loved the movie). thetimes.co.uk/article/barbie…

A super smart piece on the scourge of bureaucracy by the inestimable David Brooks in the The New York Times. David references our findings that an excess of bureaucracy costs the US economy more than $3 trillion per year in lost economic output. nytimes.com/2024/01/18/opi…

At work, does it feel like you serve the processes, or do the processes serve you? It's essential to look at every process and ask: (1) Does it DIRECTLY support the work of front line teams, and/or is it ESSENTIAL to creating value for customers or shareholders? If not, dump it.

I feel lucky today to be an alumnus of the U. of Michigan. The Wolverines are only the 4th college football team in history to have had a 'perfect' season. Wherever he is, I imagine Bo Schembecler has a big grin on his face right now. Michigan rules again. #GoBlueM

Operation Warp Speed proved the US government can be daring, innovative and fast. Given the daunting challenges facing America, we need warp speed performance from every federal agency. In our article for The Atlantic, we outline what it will take. theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

In 1969, the ratio of tenure-track faculty to adjunct/contract instructors was 3:1 (in US universities). Today, it’s the reverse. The faculty have been hollowed out to build administrative empires. In the US, there are now >2 administrators for every faculty member. In some US