Lightening the Mental Load That Holds Women Back
If you ask working women with families why they step off the leadership track, it’s often not just because of what happens at the office. Rather, it’s because of the combined effect of their daytime…
Essential reading to keep you informed
Library
In the library you will find news, information and guides from Spectrum. Also our Board Chair Report, based on Spectrum’s research of the views and experiences of board chairs, investors and CEOs in fast growth, privately held businesses.
We have also included published information from other organisations which we found to be particularly interesting and relevant, and that we hope you enjoy reading.
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Important clauses to know when negotiating sales contracts
As a startup, it’s hard to negotiate customer contracts because you’re not yet established or trusted in the marketplace, so customers are taking on the risk. Many founders therefore make the mistake of being overly…
Capital Efficiency: Do Larger Investments Make Better Businesses?
Ignition Capital’s Report looks at how an eventful first half of 2019 has seen some key events that could mark a turning point for the start-up/VC ecosystem as we know it.
Generalise, don’t specialise: why focusing too narrowly is bad for us
The 10,000-hour rule says intense, dedicated practice makes perfect – at that one thing. But what if breadth actually serves us better than depth? The challenge we all face is how to maintain the benefits…
Women to Watch 2019: spotlight on BAME board talent of the future
Fifty leading female professionals from Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are highlighted in the 2019 Women to Watch supplement, published annually by Cranfield University’s School of Management alongside the Female FTSE Board…
Succession Planning – When the Heir Apparent Is the Wrong Choice for CEO
Large companies devote plenty of attention and resources to succession planning, yet a PwC study finds that $112 billion in shareholder value is lost annually because companies pick the wrong people to lead them. The “obvious” choice…
Spectrum Quarterly Update – Summer 2019
Welcome to the Summer 2019 issue of the Spectrum Quarterly. Stay up-to-date with Spectrum’s latest case studies, events and news here: Quarterly Update. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive…
‘I did the right thing’: Richer Sounds boss has no regrets
“I’m doing the right thing because I sleep better at night,” says an exhausted-sounding Julian Richer, after a momentous week in which he won plaudits for handing control of his Richer Sounds business to staff.
For once though, the entrepreneur’s good deeds have cost him sleep. The 60-year-old has been up all night after being engulfed in a media storm after the Guardian revealed he had transferred 60% of his shares to a John Lewis-style trust.
Non-White Quotas in the Boardroom
Should the Government think about an ambitious plan to bring more BAME minorities, (BAME – Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic, used to refer to members of non-white communities in the UK) into Britain’s boardrooms?
The aim could be for one in five directors of FTSE 100 companies to be from a BAME background. Lord Davies’ review into women in the boardroom, which began in 2011 and has had some success in increasing the numbers of women in senior business roles.
But is this a good thing and do we need quotas?
Why You Should Create a “Shadow Board” of Younger Employees
A lot of companies struggle with two apparently unrelated problems: disengaged younger workers and a weak response to changing market conditions.
A few companies have tackled both problems at the same time by creating a “shadow board” — a group of non-executive employees that works with senior executives on strategic initiatives.
Is Your Corporate Culture Cultish?
Each company has its own “culture” – the values and norms that define what is and isn’t appropriate behavior for the organization. Culture guides how you work, and a healthy one enables companies to attract and retain highly motivated employees and unite them around a common goal, purpose, or cause in pursuit of sustainable performance.
7 Ways to Set Up a New Hire for Success
No one has a bigger impact on new employees’ success than the managers who hired them. Why? Because more than anyone else the hiring manager understands what his or her people need to accomplish and what it will take — skills, resources, connections — for them to become fully effective.
2019 TMT Value Creators Report
Strong value creation in the TMT sector benefits the overall economy, as technology and digitization pervade even the most basic industries. Digitization is creating the same sort of fundamental shift that occurred a century ago with electrification, only exponentially faster.
Stewardship vs Leadership – what it means to be a Non-Exec Chairperson in Private Equity
The transition from executive to non-executive is a particularly interesting one – one which requires an evolution from a leadership role to one requiring stewardship, guidance and, perhaps most important, mediation – aligning the interests of key stakeholders.
Why Inclusive Leaders Are Good for Organisations, and How to Become One
Companies increasingly rely on diverse, multidisciplinary teams that combine the collective capabilities of women and men, people of different cultural heritage, and younger and older workers. But simply throwing a mix of people together doesn’t guarantee high performance; it requires inclusive leadership — leadership that assures that all team members feel they are treated respectfully and fairly, are valued and sense that they belong, and are confident and inspired.
Spectrum Quarterly Update – Spring 2019
Welcome to the Spring 2019 issue of the Spectrum Quarterly.
Stay up-to-date with Spectrum’s latest news and views, plus details of current executive searches.
How Technology is Fixing the Broken Patient Journey – Part II
In this second and concluding part Talis Capital reveal some of the companies who are redefining the sector and what tools they’ve brought to market to transform the digital patient journey.
CEO Benchmarking Report
In January of 2019, The Predictive Index™ surveyed 156 CEOs, presidents, and chairpeople. They asked a slew of questions that cut to the heart of what drives them, what their challenges are, and what keeps them up at night. Their answers revealed the patterns of high-performing CEOs and allowed us to explore the executives’ inner thoughts and biggest weaknesses.
Technology: Fixing the Broken Patient Journey
The global healthcare sector is notorious for being expensive and inefficient with traditional providers struggling to cope with modern day industry dynamics.
World Economic Forum: Top 10 skills and workforce strategies in 2020
It is no surprise that more than one-third of skills that are considered important in today’s workforce will change five years from now.
By one popular estimate, 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist.