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Power Executives Show Us How It's Done

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Is it just me, or does it seem that CEO's of today are everywhere?!  I can't recall such a time when CEO's have been such public figures.  The headlines have moved out of the financial pages and into mainstream news.  Power players like Mark Zuckerberg, Howard Schultz, Jeff Bezos, James Sinegal, Tim Cook, and Yahoo's new dynamo Marissa Mayer, have turned the front page into the business page!

The greatest thing about this, is we have a glimpse like never before into the business and culture savvy these mega-executives possess.  Zuckerberg proved he is much more than a lucky (and very intelligent) college kid in a hoody, when he successfully navigated into the mobile space before his initial investors had to decide to bail on him in Q1.  Howard Schultz, has many wondering if there is a political future in store for him (he continues to strongly deny) when he decided to rally other business leaders against the indecision and fiscal irresponsibility of our elected officials, all the while strategically positioning Starbucks for growth in a niche many people thought was nearing it's cap.  Tim Cook has had probably the toughest year as Apple stock has tumbled to unforeseen lows as their products seem to have lost their "mojo".  Unfortunately for him, he is attempting to fill the shoes of one of the worlds greatest ever innovators, and the comparisons are simply not fair.  Then there is Yahoo's Marissa Mayer....

Yahoo, was becoming and afterthought, if not a joke.  They were crumbling beside the exponential growth  of Google, and then having Facebook successfully emerge as competition didn't help anything for them either.  Then there was the internal strife.  The ousting of her short-lived predecessor for allegedly fabricating his resume had even Yahoo's employees wondering how much longer the company could survive.  Then the young Marissa Mayer took over.  Somewhat of a recluse as far as today's CEO's go, Mayer has continuously made headlines that show she is for real!  Her business savvy has been on full display, whether it be through strategic acquisitions (that some analysts deemed foolish), or her shocking decision to bring her "at-home" workers back to the office for an "all hands on deck" approach to turning Yahoo around (supported by a productivity analysis).  What strikes me most about Mayer, is her fearlessness in taking over a position that came with an extremely high level of scrutiny.  Her willingness to fail in order to win under those conditions is amazing.  She also has appeared to have won over a once skeptical board of directors by reportedly gaining approval for a $1.1billion purchase of Tumblr, with the official announcement expected tomorrow.  

With all this corporate leadership muscle on display, it only makes me want to give my leadership skills a serious workout!  The tenacity, foresight, confidence, focus, and passion these leaders show on a daily basis is inspiring.  They are all willing to fail or make the unpopular choice in a place where their every move is questioned.  In the end, their vision is clear, the results are undeniable, and the employees share the confidence of their leaders. 

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