Business Archives

Katharine Graham—How She Took the Washington Post to the Top

How did an inexperienced executive like Katharine Graham take the Washington Post from a local newspaper to a nationally-renowned publication and high-value company? Katharine Graham, Washington Post CEO from 1963-1993, took over management when her husband committed suicide. She first spent several years learning the ropes. She became a powerful CEO and smart decision-maker, and she made sure she had the best staff and advisers to make the company the powerhouse it is today.

Warren Buffett: Advice from the World’s Best Investor

Why should you listen to Warren Buffett? If his own success is proof, Warren Buffett’s advice is certainly worth considering. Not only is Berkshire Hathaway valued at almost $500 billion in 2018, but Warren Buffett’s advice has been sought after by numerous business leaders. Warren Buffett has advised numerous CEOs and leaders of major corporations, including Katharine Graham of the Washington Post. Below are some pieces of Warren Buffett’s advice and strategies for investing and management.

General Dynamics History: How a Vision Became a Legacy

What made General Dynamics Corporation so successful? Did the short terms of its CEOs make a difference? General Dynamics Corporation is one of the largest and best known major companies. Discover General Dynamics’ history, how General Dynamics thrived, and how they applied lessons from one of its most successful CEOs, Bill Anders.

Tele-Communications Inc. History: New CEO, New Rules

Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI) was a cable television provider founded in 1958. It grew to be the largest cable company in the country, owning both cable providers and content programming. It was acquired by AT&T in 1999 for $43.5 billion in stock and, through a series of transactions, would ultimately become Comcast. As CEO from 1972 to 1991, John Malone pursued a virtuous cycle strategy—grow subscriber count through acquisitions of cable providers, which would give scale to negotiate lower fees with content providers, which would make acquisitions of cable companies further cheaper.

Qualities of a CEO—Management and Strategy Tools for Success

How can a CEO becomes a great CEO? Can a COO learn better management practices to increase profits? In The Outsiders, author William Thorndike analyzes the management styles and business decisions of eight successful CEOs who all had unorthodox management styles to determine that qualities of a CEO. These Outsider CEOs all thought outside the box, but they had in common the management style and qualities of a good CEO.

Warren Buffett: Value Investing and His Long-Term Strategy

How did Warren Buffett become one of the most successful CEOs of all time? And what is the Warren Buffet value investing strategy? Born in 1930 in Omaha, Nebraska, Warren Buffett was the son of a stockbroker and the grandson of a grocery store owner. His early entrepreneurial activities included paper routes and reselling soft drinks. His business grew over time, and so did Warren Buffett’s value investing strategy, moving from strictly value investing into and investing style that included more complex stocks for the long term.

Capital Cities Broadcasting: History and Rise to Media Giant

What made Capital Cities Broadcasting successful? Was it the CEO, or good business practices, or both? Capital Cities Broadcasting was a media company owning television stations, radio stations, and print publications. CEO Tom Murphy, in charge from 1966 to 1996, implemented management strategies that showed a 19.9% annual return rate, compared to the 10.1% for the S&P 500 and 13.2% return for leading media companies. Tom Murphy, Capital Cities Broadcasting CEO, enacted several business policies during his tenure there that helped the company grow and succeed. Read about the history and major successes of Capital Cities Broadcasting.

The 8 Best CEOs of All Time—And Why They’re So Successful

It’s a big question: who are the best CEOs of all time? What makes them the best? Some big names come to mind when we consider the best CEOs of all time, including old business giants who built some of the biggest companies we know today. While there were undoubtedly many great CEOs, William Thorndike poses in The Outsiders, that the most successful CEOs are the ones that were the most profitable and grew their companies by following unorthodox business strategies. Read about the 8 best CEO’s of all time and why being an “outsider” makes them great CEOs.

Teledyne History: How Rapid Expansion Built an Empire

What is Teledyne, and why is the company featured in The Outsiders as one of the most successful companies of all time? Teledyne is an industrial conglomerate founded in 1960, currently involved in businesses ranging from aerospace electronics to digital imaging. CEO Henry Singleton was the founder and its CEO until 1991. Under Henry Singleton’s leadership, Teledyne saw significant growth. Learn about Teledyne and how Henry Singleton helped it becomes successful.

Capital Allocation Process: Winning Strategies of Great CEOs

What is capital allocation, and how does it work? Why does a strong capital allocation strategy make for a great CEO? Capital allocation is the practice of distributing and investing a company’s resources in a way that will make further profits. For the Outsider CEOs, an unorthodox capital allocation strategy was the building block on which they developed other strategies that resulted in higher profits.