Innovation3 min read
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GE's decision to sell its appliance business shows the importance of disruption over holding onto legacy divisions.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
CEO / Managing Partner - Spark Partners
Adam Hartung
I currently serve as the CEO of three companies: Content Laboratory (a content services company,) Spark Partners (a growth strategy firm offering assessments, strategy consulting and on-line self-administered revenue growth tools,) and Soparfilm Energy (an oil & gas exploration & production investment company.) Over the last thirty years, I have served on multiple boards, including Audit Chair for a NASDAQ traded company, and advised boards of directors on managing for disruptions and promoting innovation into corporate management.
My passion is public speaking on the importance of growth, innovation and strategy to succeed. As a keynote speaker I have been invited to over 1,000 leadership events, both multi-company and single company. My portfolio includes speeches, presentations, workshops and executive coaching on how to achieve faster growth from higher levels of innovation driven by trends.
1,099 articles · Page 15 of 46
Leadership2 min read
Synergy – Not
The era of conglomeration was built on false assumptions that large companies could control their destiny and through optimization generating ever larger returns.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership2 min read
Swimming Toward the Whirlpool
The stock remains highly priced largely on the belief he’s building a war chest to do great hedge fund deals, but so far he’s not demonstrated Sears and KMart give him the resources to pull that off.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership2 min read
Swim With the Current – Newspapers, Facebook, Youtube
the impact isn't just regarding the web, but how any business would use media to reach a target audience. Most advertising agencies, and ad people, are still focused on traditional media.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation2 min read
Sweet Home Chicago
Sears has shown misstep after misstep since being acquired by K-Mart.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership3 min read
Swampy Behavior
WalMart has exhibited all the traits of a company deeply in the Swamp.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation6 min read
Surface 3 and Apple Watch – Red Oceans V Blue Oceans
This article contrasts Microsoft's red ocean strategy of competing in existing markets with Apple's blue ocean approach of pioneering new markets, highlighting their different paths to success.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership2 min read
Surely You Aren’t Surprised
Leadership keeps saying it can somehow improve it’s broken Success Formula and thusly turn the company around.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership4 min read
Sucker Move
The previous CEO recognized this, and undertook a wave of projects to grow the company.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Strategy1 min read
Successful Strategy – utilize trends to invest in innovations that drive growth
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation6 min read
Successful Entrepreneurs Avoid Lock-in – Ignore Collins “4 New Realities”, Be Tasty Catering
Adapting to market needs over sticking to old plans is crucial for success, as shown by Pixability and Tasty Catering.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Strategy1 min read
Success Requires Managing External Disruption- Be Netflix not Sony
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership3 min read
Success Formula Half Life
Target has become internally focused on "execution" of its Success Formula
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation3 min read
Succeeding on Competitor’s Lock-in
CD sales plummeted while digital singles soared. Apple thrived due to innovative digital strategies, not technology.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership4 min read
Subsidies – Newspapers, Automobiles, Banks Need New Success Formulas
The reality is that none of these subsidized companies are sustainable as they are. The market has shifted, and their Success Formulas no longer produce positive results.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Investment6 min read
Stumpf Resigns From Two Boards, Congressmen Make Big Director Bucks — is It Time to Reform Corporate Governance?
According to the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) a sitting director should do a minimum of 200 hours of work on a board every year.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation5 min read
Stuff Happens
Most management plans fail because they rely on past trends, ignoring future disruptions and unexpected changes.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership3 min read
Stuck in the Swamp
The business is Locked-in to its Success Formula, but a market shift causes the results to no longer be as good as they used to be.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Technology2 min read
Stuck in Old Products – Nokia, Apple, Smartphones
Motorola was once #1 in mobile phones. It had developed smartphones, but they were not part of the core product line.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership4 min read
Stuck Defending & Extending is a Losing Proposition – Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre
The first loss goes to the Minnesota Vikings. Every team is built by growing a powerful squad. By hiring "yesterday's hero" the Vikings have admitted they are not looking to the future
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Strategy1 min read
Strategy: overcome your addiction to legacy ("core") so you invest in future growth
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Strategy1 min read
Strategy- innovating your Value Proposition to grow, create value, avoid disruption
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Strategy1 min read
Strategy, Innovation and Growth- They all link together and drive resource allocation
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Strategy1 min read
Strategy is about Growth, not Protection. Growth matters- either you Grow or you Die.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
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