British Airways Travel Promotion: A Leadership Failure?

Kate Sweetman — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:33:07 -0400

Dell had its much-ridiculed Della site – a masterpiece of misunderstanding of a large and lucrative customer segment called women. Is British Airways far behind? I wish you could see the image currently

Rock On, Royal Air Maroc Service Desk in JFK

Kate Sweetman — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:47:02 -0400

My apologies to Nabil Alaoui and Mohammed Dahouch. These two gentlemen, both of Royal Air Maroc, deserve swifter praise for their quick and gracious handling of my personal travel crisis last week. Blame it on the flu – not H1N1, fortunately, but something else that kept me largely out of commission un

Thinkers50 Business Guru Competition

Kate Sweetman — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:01:37 -0400

The Times of London and McGraw-Hill together sponsor an annual “guru competition” – a World’s Got Talent among management thinkers. Last year’s winner was CK Prahalad -- no big surprise, given his enduring stature, and well deserved given his fascinating work in the fourth tier. Check him and others out at www.thinkers50.co

What Women Bring to Norway’s Boards

Kate Sweetman — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:53:35 -0400

I have been blogging since July 1 on the Norwegian experiment: requiring boards to have at least 40% of each gender on its boards. It’s been

How Men and Women Board Members Handled a Scandal in Norway

Kate Sweetman — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:31:41 -0400

Norwegian board members both male and female share a perspective on one particularly important governance issue: women bring an ineffable something to the conversation that supports a board's own highest values.

Norway’s Boards: Two Years Later, What Difference Do Women Make?

Kate Sweetman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:20:52 -0400

A number of Norwegian board members and chairs, many with CEO experience, agreed to meet with me one-on-one in Oslo last month to give their unvarnished "so-what" on the legislation two years later.

It takes a tough man to get the right corporate board

Kate Sweetman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:41:11 -0400

I recently enjoyed lunch in the Stortinget , the Norwegian parliament building with Ansgar Gabrielsen, former Minister of Trade, who has been internationally recognized for his bold legislation requiring – nay, forcing – publicly traded Norwegian companies to boost astronomically the percentage of women on their corporate boards from a mere six percent to a full 40 to 60 percent representation.

The Leader’s Game Plan for Diversity: Step 1

Kate Sweetman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:34:19 -0400

It takes a tough man to make a diverse top team.

That is if, as so often remains the case, the current top team is all or almost entirely male despite the best, sincere efforts of all concerned to find and elevate more women.

Conversation with a Woman Leader in a Gulf State

Kate Sweetman — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 07:54:15 -0400

The senior manager, draped in the traditional black abbaya with her hair modestly tucked beneath her head scarf, smiles continuously over tea as she describes what it takes to become a female leader within a business in her small country.

Leaders Creating Leaders on UK Boards

Kate Sweetman — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:10:19 -0400

When I was in London a couple of weeks ago, I was put in contact with two people who exemplify the word “leader” in its purest sense. They do not work for a large organization; in fact, they are entrepreneurs working out of their proverbial garages. But their ability to envision a future, get others on board with it, and make it happe